When I started training with John in January 2015, there were a lot of questions thrown my way. “Why do you need to work out?” “You’re already in great shape.” I thought, “Was I?” I knew what I thought “strong” felt like.
I’ve been a dancer since the age of three, have performed across the country, tried various fitness regimes and workouts, and trained and performed as an aerialist. Sure, on the surface I may have looked strong but, boy, has this year changed my entire life.
The first thing you must know about John is that he has the biggest heart. He will fight for who and what he believes in no matter what.
He expects the best from each of his clients because he only sees the best in us. He will push you to become stronger, fiercer, happier, healthier, and more successful than you thought you could be.
What John teaches in the studio directly correlates to life outside the studio. Set a goal? He’s there to make sure you surpass it. Fall of the wagon with your diet? He has the tips to get you back on track in no time. Having a bad day, week, month, or year? John is there to help you rebuild. Bair Knuckle Strength is about more than just lifting heavy and doing cool looking tricks. John safely instructs you how to CARE for your body.
How are we going to make it through the rest of our lives if we are constantly beating ourselves up with vicious workout circuits, endless treadmill cardio, and crappy food? I admittedly eat donuts, love ice cream, and am an avid red wine lover. While my diet goes through seasonal changes, for the most part I’m a high protein, good carb, lots of veggies kind of girl. If you don’t take care of YOUR body, who will? I set a goal of accomplishing a pull-up when I started training with John. I nailed it seven months later.
Eight months in, I hit a deadlift personal record of 176 pounds. That’s a good 30 pounds over my body weight. Every week I accomplish something I couldn’t the week before. The bells keep getting bigger and heavier and I love it.
I’ve never felt stronger physically, emotionally, or spiritually. John has built BKS into a community of people who know they are strong, healthy, and badass. You can walk into a class and have a nurse to your right, a law enforcement official and a teacher to your left, a chiropractor in front of you, a real estate agent behind you, and a yoga teacher across the room. BKS is a one-size-fits-all community who genuinely cares for each other. I whole-heartedly believe in John and Bair Knuckle Strength.
In late spring of 2015, I approached John about learning from him to become a strength coach. A month later, I asked him again. A month after that, I was studying the Functional Movement System (FMS) and researching everything I could about kettlebells, strength and conditioning methods, and the human body.
In September, I passed my FMS Certification and am gaining the experience needed to begin my own adventures into strength coaching, under John’s tutelage. I am so grateful to be a part of the BKS community and look forward to being a part of its incredibly bright future.
By Sarah Dziomba Mayer / Penn Valley, PA, USA