We started the idea of 360 Strength with a conversation, which led to a simple question: “What does it mean to us to be a real gym, and what are other gyms missing?” The answer for us was obvious. Other gyms sell fluff. We instead offer a holistic health package that has the potential to transform peoples’ lives. 
I get it. The real work is never easy. It’s hard to implement because you need a higher level of understanding, and the masses might not follow. You see it in almost every facet of this industry and many others. Gyms and trainers would rather hire a warm body, create a program that is accessible by many because it has a low skill set, kick up the music and tell everyone they are working hard. It’s what is trendy and what is approachable. But, if you ask any respected trainer in the industry, they would not be caught dead doing workouts like this on their own. That is because the basics only get you so far. You need to advance, and the client doesn’t know what that means. It is up to us to define that. When defining 360 Strength, we knew this is what has been missing most from the industry.
So, how do we approach what so many gyms do not? What do we risk, due to lack of education? How can we help people to see that this is better and more effective than what is trendy?
Mission of 360 Strength
To create a class format which focuses on the core principals of lifting and building real strength. To teach the beginner to novice gym member a progressive, safe, organized way to acquire a skill set and build off of that through the years. To educate on the difference between training and exercising. To execute a 3-month training cycle (microcycle) with big gains and catapult that into a year-long training cycle (macrocycle), all while acquiring new skill sets and building a better you.
Vision of 360 Strength
Create a small committed group of people who can learn how to work off their PR (personal record) numbers safely in a group format. Give these people the knowledge, confidence, and skill sets to train at a higher level than their peers who choose to take the easy way. To have both men and women do pull ups, deadlift 2x their body weight, bench press 1.5x their body weight, squat 1.5x their body weight and continue to grow from there, while maintaining athleticism and lean body mass.
Result of 360 Strength
We are over a month into it, and already almost everyone in the class has increased their dead lifts 50 lbs and some more. They are doing it with confidence and injury free. The road and skill acquisition is not easy; you have to want to learn. However, it is fun, there is growth and we track every minute of it.
Picture This
There isn’t a wrong approach to fitness. As long as you’re active and promote a healthy lifestyle on a level that works for you, I think it is positive. But picture this: You are in spin class, a boot camp, or boxing class, and the person next to seems to do better than you. They push harder, they hit harder, and look put together. There is something about that person, but you can’t put your finger on it. They look good, solid, lean, ready and capable. Here is the difference. That person decided to make real weight training a priority, to suck all the benefits of his body’s natural levers and mechanics out of itself, and train today with a plan that will make him or her better tomorrow (as opposed to working out hard today without any clue as to whether or not you are better off tomorrow). The person next to you can deadlift , squat, bench, pull up their body weight and beyond, so when they enter any other activity they are coming in with a level of strength you cannot match. That person next to you decided to invest in himself and lay the groundwork more than a year ago.
You can do this, you can be better. Believe it or not, it does not come at the cost of pain, total exhaustion, and deprivation. It will, however, cost you dedication, renewed confidence, consistency, maximum effort, and the desire to be better outside of the hour you spend working out. You can do this.