Why I Created This Substack And What I’m About
There are a lot of trainers, coaches, and influencers in the fitness and nutrition spaces. However, I’ve been in the game longer than most, with over ten years of training experience, two degrees in exercise science, and lots of continuing education and in-the-trenches experience working with clients from all walks of life.
I train regular folks that want to build strength and lose fat sustainably. I don’t train people to get dick-skin shredded or people that only want six-packs. I don’t do crash dieting, detoxes, cleanses, or other quick-fix bullshit. Instead, I get my clients to focus on doing things the right way, which means hard work and consistency. Engrained in my training is a sort of life philosophy as well, one that teaches equanimity and resilience. I aim to build not just strong bodies but strong people.
My specialty lies in the physical realm, but you’ll see elements of stoicism, psychology, personal growth, and a dogmatic commitment to simplicity. If there is anything I want you to take from my words, it’s always to strive to make things as simple as possible. Complexity seeps into the pores of our lives, creating overwhelm and distraction, neither conducive to change nor growth.
Bo The Trainer and Bo The Person
I have spent countless hours improving, learning, and growing as a person and a professional to deliver the best results to my clients. And I want to share what I’ve learned with any curious mind that stumbles across this publication.
Although much of the content here will be dedicated to training and nutrition, I will share anything that I think might interest you. No longer will my clients be the sole benefactors (or victims) of my thoughts on health, happiness, hardiness, and everything in between (not everything starts with an H, though). Of course, without health, we have nothing. But as people, we are more than that.
Anyone that’s written anything knows it’s hard to be yourself through your writing. There is friction between the thoughts and ideas in your head and what shows up on the page or screen. I am funnier in person than I am as a writer, but I hope that with enough practice, I can close the gap.
Here are a few things you must know before reading anything else I’ve written:
I will never pretend to have all the answers. I have only my critical eye and the information that’s made its way in front of me; however, coupled with the practical knowledge of training, I have unique insight into what matters and what doesn’t.
Think of me as a guide, not the man on the mountain. I’m like your somewhat knowledgeable gym bro advisor who dishes out quotes from Marcus Aurelius, Dale Carnegie, and Somerset Maugham, even though you didn’t ask for them.
I don’t like to mince words. I don’t hide my thoughts or opinions behind ambiguity or obfuscation, and I will say things that many may not like. Please feel free to state an opposing view or ask for clarification. We both learn as a result.
What’s In Store?
I will share long-form articles across a broad range of subjects but will also be starting a smaller ShieldsUp newsletter with bite-sized chunks of wisdom that releases every week at some point in the future (no ETA on this). Almost all of my stuff here will be completely free because I don’t want to give people barriers to knowledge.
But…if you want to support the publication…
To keep the lights on, for the cost of a couple of coffees a month, I am going to offer a paid tier that gives subscribers extras like programs, very in-depth articles, and an ever-growing collection of carefully curated resources for anything you might need in the physical and mental wellness space.
By all means, stay on the free tier as long as you’d like. I do have a day job. But any extra support means I get to pour even more time and resources into this passion project that will only improve with time.
Thank you for joining me, and I can’t wait to share what I’ve learned with you.
P.S. If you ever want me to cover a topic, please let me know in the comments of any of my posts. Your questions help guide my content, and answering them helps me serve you better and fill gaps in my knowledge.
P.P.S. I am still learning how Substack works, so bear with me if I fuck something up. This will be an awesome place, but all great things take time to build.