Love Is Love, But Something Feels Off.

I feel like half the world is just walking around talking about their favorite restaurants, all the places they like to travel, and how great life is. Focused on the holidays and the upcoming NFL season. Meanwhile, the other half of the world is struggling to survive. Constantly trying to figure out how to get through another month. Sometimes just another day. It seems like the two worlds are completely disconnected from each other.

This brings me back to the last time I felt like this, right before COVID and all that bullshit. I remember looking around and feeling like something just wasn’t right, while everybody else was going through life like everything was all good. I lost my fluffy gig the year before and had been looking for work for close to a year. Something whispered that it was bigger than me. Whatever was going on. Then March 2020 came. Boom. COVID shut it all down. I’m starting to get that feeling again. I’m not saying I know what’s going to happen or when it’s going to happen, but the world feels out of balance right now. I don’t think enough people notice it. Maybe we’re too distracted or have gotten too comfortable with material things and surface relationships. It could be as simple as we don’t want to look at what’s happening on the other side. Whatever it is, something feels off. Pay attention.

One Love.

When I first started virtual training clients, I wasn’t sure about it. I had been training for well over 10 years by this point and was very comfortable being right there with my clients. I felt like I needed to be in the room and see everything up close so I could make the necessary corrections.

The virtual idea just didn’t do it for me, but it wasn’t about me. I didn’t know if clients would receive the same value.

I fumbled through those first few sessions. It took some time to get used to it, but then my coaching skills took over. The ability to cue, carefully watch their movements, and make the necessary adjustments and corrections became even more important. It made me a better communicator and a better trainer.

Long story short, my clients saw the value, and the results started happening. I couldn’t believe someone could be 3,000 miles away and still get great results. It completely changed the way I saw virtual training

For anyone considering training virtually, don’t let the fact that your trainer isn’t physically standing next to you stop you.

The right trainer can change your life, even virtually.

Dm me with any questions.

One Love

Creating a program for a client over 40 is vastly different from what we did back in the day.

So, where do I start?I always like to start on the floor.

The foundation comes first. Mobility, stability, core strength, and getting the body moving properly.

1. Active Hamstring Raises

Ahh, those hamstrings. They definitely get tighter as we get older.

That tightness can lead to a series of issues, with two of the most common being lower back tightness and stiff knees. If the hamstrings aren’t moving well, you’re going to feel it somewhere else. Active hamstring raises are simple, You’re actively working through your range of motion instead of just sitting there holding a stretch.

Stay consistent with these and, over time, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them. 3 sets of 12–15 reps.

2. Hip Circles and Extensions

After the hamstrings, the hips are probably the second biggest issue I see.

We sit too much. We don’t move through enough different ranges of motion. Over time, the hips get tight and the hip flexors get even tighter. Hip circles and extensions get the hips moving again and prepare them for the work that’s coming later in the session. 2 sets of 15 reps each side.

3. Plank Variations

Next up is the core.

Core strength, shoulder stability, and spinal integrity. You need all three if you want to build a solid foundation for strength training. This is why I like plank variations. They’re simple, effective, and they teach you how to create tension throughout the entire body.

Planks should be performed for time. Start around 45 seconds and build from there.

4. Bridge Variations

The glutes are the biggest muscle in the body, but for a lot of people, they’re simply not doing enough work. We spend hours sitting at desks, in cars, on planes, and on the couch. Bridge variations help wake the glutes back up while also strengthening the hamstrings and supporting pelvic stability. 3 sets of 12–15 reps.

5. Reverse Lunges

Once we’re off the floor, reverse lunges are one of my favorite places to start. They’re one of the best unilateral lower-body exercises because each leg has to work independently.

We all have imbalances. One side is stronger. One side is more stable. Unilateral training gives you a chance to identify those differences and start addressing them. I recommend starting barefoot and with bodyweight only. As your strength, balance, and stability improve, slowly add weight. 2 sets of 15 reps each side.

6. Unilateral Rows or Pulldowns

Bands, cables, or free weights, whichever you have access to.

When you train both sides together, the stronger side can compensate for the weaker one without you even realizing it. Unilateral rows and pulldowns allow each side to work independently while building back strength, shoulder stability, and better posture. 3 sets of 12–15 reps each side.

What should you take away from my blah..blah?

Training after 40 doesn’t mean you have to stop training hard. It means you have to start training smarter. I’m not worried about how much weight you can lift if your hips don’t move, your core isn’t stable, or one side of your body is doing all the work.

Create the foundation first. Everything else gets better from there.

One Love.

And so my circle becomes smaller ✨️

Developers and Fitness

Gyms are now firmly embedded in wellness and hospitality, particularly within luxury residential communities, hotels, and resorts.

We have moved beyond the traditional box gym into spaces with functional training, turf, recovery, technology, data, and multiple training modalities.

But after working with developers and operators of Class A assets, I continue to see one major piece being overlooked.

The industry has become very good at building impressive fitness facilities, not very good at operating them.

Developers always focus on the wow factor: the latest equipment, recovery technology, beautiful finishes, and everything that will impress during a leasing or investor tour. This is where I come in.

How does this work for the residents?

What happens when Mr. Johnson, Sharon, or Steve walks downstairs for thier first workout?

Who welcomes them? Who helps them understand the equipment? Who creates programming and community? Who turns this beautiful facility into an experience?

That’s where developers and operators continuely to miss the mark by staffing these facilties with niche marketing and even people.

Developers invest heavily in physical space but often struggle to allocate the budget necessary to hire the right people. Operators can make the opposite mistake by running an incredible wellness facility like a traditional box gym.

Polo shirts, folded towels, and a clean fitness floor are important, but they are the baseline, not the experience.

The missing investment is people.

The right team understands both fitness and hospitality. They know programming, relationship building, customer service, and how to bring space to life. This always been my focuse.

When you combine an exceptional facility with exceptional people and programming, the gym becomes more than an amenity. It becomes part of the property’s lifestyle and can help drive engagement, retention, referrals, and perceived value.

The wellness industry has expanded to include recovery, longevity, mindfulness, nutrition, technology, and self-care. That’s a good thing.

But somewhere along the way, fitness has become just another component of wellness.

We’ve spent years bringing wellness into fitness.

Maybe it’s time to let fitness back into wellness.

After all, wellness came from fitness.

One love.

How Does Having a Plan Enhance Your Workout?

That’s an interesting one.

What I’ve realized from taking care of plants is that you have to pay attention. Things aren’t always obvious. Sometimes you have to look under the leaves, check the soil, and pay attention to the small signs. That’s usually when you discover what’s really going on.

Training works in a similar way.

You can have a clear goal and a workout program designed to get you there, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the program is right for your body.

Your body will give you signals.

It might be something beyond normal muscle soreness. Maybe you’re not recovering properly. Maybe your energy is consistently low. Maybe you’re noticing signs of excessive fatigue or changes in how your body is responding to training.

Having a plan gives you something to measure those signals against. It forces you to pay attention—not just to what you’re doing, but to how your body is responding.

And when you’re paying attention, you can catch those signs earlier, make adjustments, and potentially prevent an injury before it happens.

For me, that’s one of the biggest benefits of having a plan:

It teaches you to pay attention.

I’ve worked

with CEOs, entertainers, founders, and senior executives who expect a high level of discretion, professionalism, performance, and personalized service.

My career began in fitness, developing trainers and high-performing teams, before expanding into wellness leadership, facility development, lifestyle strategy, operations, revenue generation, and luxury residential experiences.

Working with people operating at the highest levels has taught me something important: success isn’t simply about how you train.

It’s how you take care of yourself, how you present yourself, how you communicate, what you experience, who you surround yourself with, and how you continue evolving.

Built Different is where I share those lessons, perspectives, and experiences.