Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Simpson.
Hi Justin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been a personal trainer in Knoxville for about six years. Fitness is more than just a hobby of mine- it’s my passion and my way of life. Folks frequently assume that I’ve always been athletic or just into sports, but nothing could be further from the truth! Sure, I played sports in school but I was always the anti-jock. Jocks in my school were elitists and classists. I was more of a punker who just liked to play sports. I was never particularly “fit” and didn’t care much for the exercise portion of sports, and my athletic career ended when I graduated high school in 2003.
Let’s fast forward a bit.
In 2009, I weighed over 300 pounds. I was living in Morganton, NC, and was on a steady diet of Hardee’s Doubles (they were two for $4 at the time!), cheesesteak burritos from Habanero’s, and pepperoni-and-mushroom pizzas from Buck’s Pizza. I had no intention of changing my lifestyle or my health and it would take much more than just being disgusted with myself in the mirror before I’d ever make any real, lasting changes. Over the next couple of years, I was able to lose about 20 pounds or so through crash diets and some simple exercises I would do in my apartment with a pair of dumbbells. My weight would still fluctuate frequently, though, and it still wasn’t that important to me.
Things changed in 2014 when I went in for a routine physical. I was told I was terribly overweight, I was about to develop non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, my cholesterol was off the charts, my blood pressure was so high, I was ultimately a ticking time bomb, I was at extremely high risk for heart disease or stroke and I was pre-diabetic. Wow. This woke me up because I was only 29 years old and not old enough to be hearing such things. I knew I’d have to change the way I ate and start being more active. I started by experimenting with Paleo and attending spin classes twice a week. I also began boxing in my garage and set a goal to be able to run a 5K before I turned 30.
It wasn’t long before I was down 40 pounds and I ran my first 5K- the Knoxville Hot-to-Trot Thanksgiving Day 5K- just two and a half weeks before my 30th birthday! I continued running and examining my nutrition. It was also around this time that I started training at a local boxing gym. Over the course of the next year, I was able to drop another 40 pounds and know the ins and outs of boxing well enough to pick up a side gig as a boxing class trainer. Within the next year, I was able to lose another 20 pounds (for a total of 100 pounds lost!) and after several people came to me seeking advice and coaching, I decided to get certified as a personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).
I continued refining my processes, learning more about strength training, boxing, and eventually became the club’s head trainer and general manager. My personal training books were packed and so were my classes- even the 5:45 am ones! In 2020, I started JTF’s Viking Army- not just a name for my personal training business but a label- or better yet, a flag for folks to gather under. Folks who are tired of being confused about where to start with their fitness journey and tired of misleading information taking over the industry. Tired of being inundated with images of unattainable goals and “dream” bodies in the media and tired of not knowing how to make wellness sustainable.
Overall, I spent about eight years with the boxing gym before deciding to move on and do my own thing (August 2021). Sure, I’m still a personal trainer doing mitt-work in the park with clients, training them at a strength-training gym I’ve partnered with, doing program design and online coaching but my dreams are even bigger.
I’m starting small but the end result will be my own gym with a macro-friendly restaurant, an accountability coaching business, and a fitness clothing line, all designed around helping fitness be more accessible to those who are currently intimidated by it.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Every leap I’ve taken over the years has been scary. When I wanted to become a group-fitness trainer, I had to overcome struggles with low self-esteem and being an introvert. There’s always a nagging voice in the back of your mind telling you to not take that type of risk lest you embarrass yourself. When I got certified as a personal trainer, I immediately started experiencing imposter syndrome despite the fact that my client list continued to grow and attrition was relatively low.
Starting the Viking Army was a risk because, in order for it to succeed, people would need to follow it and be active participants in it. Making the decision to go off on my own was one of the biggest risks yet because now I only have myself to depend on with regard to marketing and cultural impact instead of a larger intensity or corporate conglomerate.
It was also difficult to build a unique brand for myself while being held under a corporation’s standards and expectations. I think this was ultimately what led me to become an independent trainer.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a NASM-certified Personal Trainer with specializations in strength training, boxing, nutrition, and behavior change/life coaching. For the biggest part, I’m mostly known for my beard and tattoos (Hahaha) but I think what’s made my career as a trainer successful is my ability to get people to dig deep to find an emotionally rooted why statement for their goals- something that will keep them focused and help them not skip workouts, skimp on their nutrition, and not neglect their self-care routines.
I’m what happens when Vikings and Punk Rock had a son with an enormous heart and a weird sense of humor.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
In my experience, finding a mentor is something that has to happen organically. I’ve been in situations where I’ve been “assigned” as a mentor, or I’ve gone into a relationship with mentorship in mind and was always disappointed. I’ve learned more from mentors who happened by chance.
I’ve also learned that a mentor doesn’t always have to be someone who’s higher than you on the corporate ladder or further along in life. I’ve had a great mentee relationship with folks who were reporting to me or were as much as 10 years younger than me! There’s almost always something you can learn from everyone you interact with.
Pricing:
- One-on-one Strength Training is $240 for 4 sessions or $65 each for an hour; $100 for 4 or $30 each for half-hour sessions.
- Boxing in the Park programs are $80 for a 4-pack (30m sessions) or $25 each
- Public Park Workouts are $100 for 4 or $30 each
- In-House Training is $200 for 4 sessions or $55 each
- Program Design is $200/month for programming or $275/month for programming and coaching
Contact Info:
- Email: jtfVikingArmy@gmail.com
- Website: http://www.jtfVikingArmy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jtfVikingArmy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jtfVikingArmy
Image Credits
Ryan Stepp
