Here’s the thing — a lot of people feel like “they’ve got this.” And they might be right. After all, getting in shape is pretty simple: you eat right, move right, and eventually you’ll get where you want to go.

But what does eating right even mean? One look online gives you contradictory answers, because the truth isn’t protected by law and anyone can make anything up and call it a fact.

And what does moving right mean? Should you go for walks? Run, bike, swim, ski, or play basketball? Power lift, do CrossFit, weight train, work with kettlebells, use only machines?

For beginners, it might come down to preference — anything that gets you off the couch is all you need to get in better shape than you’re in now.

But after a while, you might find that power lifting ignores areas causing aches and pains you’ve never had before. You might find that HIIT training four times a week is causing a severe hormonal imbalance. That daily walks not only stopped working for weight loss, but that you’ve also stopped being able to carry groceries without being out of breath.

You might find that yoga and pilates do nothing for your bone density and that regular monthly bodywork doesn’t result in better health outcomes (even if it feels really good)

The truth about me: I own a gym. I have been training people for five years and showing them how to get in shape. I have a coach. I meet with him regularly and he gives me pointers. We both started training around the same time, but he knows far more than I do. So when people tell me they don’t need coaching, I really struggle to believe them. But I can only explain what I’ve found:

  1. The more time I do this, the more coaching I have sought out

  2. Coaches make sure I stay accountable to my health when I’d frankly rather be writing

  3. Coaches relieve the stress of diagnosing your own problems. They can refer you to specialists and pivot your training accordingly.

  4. No matter how long I’ve been doing a movement, I’ve still met people who show me novel ways to move

This is why I’ve built a philosophy about what makes for a good gym. Some people really don’t want a coach, and that’s totally fine — coaching is a luxury.

But we are building a community that understands what a coach-led program can bring you. We simply don’t work with clients who are just looking to lift somewhere, sometimes.

We want to see and track your progress at every step.

We want to help you when you feel like you can’t do this anymore.

We want to be there when you grow.

We want to watch you become the best version of yourself you can be.

So why can’t we work with people who “just want to work out?”

Because we honestly don’t want to charge people for a product they don’t want to receive.

And that seems fair to us.