Five years ago, I hit a wall I never thought I’d face. After back surgery, my fitness and health were at their lowest point. I couldn’t stand for more than 30 minutes without my leg seizing up. Every day was pain, frustration, and the realization that all the strength I had built in the gym didn’t matter if I couldn’t function in real life.
It was the lowest point of my fitness journey, yet also the turning point.
Success on the Surface, Struggle Behind the Scenes
At the time, my career looked great from the outside.
I was managing multiple gyms, leading high-performing teams, and checking all the boxes of what I thought success in the fitness industry was supposed to look like.
But behind the scenes? I was breaking down.
Years of neglecting recovery, grinding nonstop, and living out of alignment with my own health had caught up with me. My body was giving out, and it forced me to face some hard truths.
Fitness After Back Surgery and The Perspective Shift Toward Lasting Health
Surgery gave me more than a second chance—it gave me perspective.
I stopped chasing appearances and started focusing on building a body that could support how I wanted to live. Because the truth is, real health isn’t six-pack abs or hitting some “ideal” number on the scale.
It’s about living fully.
Real health looks like:
- ✅ Lifting your kids or groceries without fear of injury
- ✅ Enjoying time with friends without being distracted by pain
- ✅ Having the energy to travel, play, and stay active
- ✅ Feeling confident and capable in your body—not just in photos, but in everyday life
That’s the kind of freedom fitness should give you.
Building a Different Kind of Gym
When I reopened Lifestyle Performance Training in 2021, I built it on a new foundation—one rooted in this perspective shift.
No pressure.
No gimmicks.
No obsession with before-and-after photos.
Instead, LPT became a welcoming space for people who’d been burned by the typical gym experience. A place for those who want more than a workout plan—they want their life back.
You Don’t Need a Crisis to Start
Here’s the lesson I want to leave you with: you don’t have to wait for a health crisis to make a change.
You can start now.
You can start small.
And you can start with the right kind of support—coaches who understand what it feels like to be stuck and how to move forward in a sustainable way.
If my story resonates with you, let it be a reminder: fitness isn’t about pushing harder until something breaks. It’s about creating a lifestyle that supports the way you want to live—today, and five years from now.