But really, I’m just a regular guy like you.

I also know quite a bit about building muscle while staying lean - here’s my story:

But really, I’m just a regular guy like you.

I also know quite a bit about building muscle while staying lean - here’s my story:

But I didn’t really feel that until I moved to Holland at the age of 8.

My Mom was Dutch. Never knew my Dad. And my whole family is Dutch.

And kids in Holland are fit. 

They ride bicycles and play soccer every day. And for dinner they eat steak and potatoes mixed with Kale.

And there I was, and I liked Nachos.

But they didn't have 7-11 in Holland.

So I started eating like a Dutch boy (which probably saved me from eating too many Twinkies had I stayed in America).

But still, even though I was riding bicycles, learned how to ice skate, and became an avid supporter of Ajax Amsterdam - I was always picked last at soccer games.

Maybe it was because I was never in the greatest shape as a kid. Or because I thought it would get me the girls. 

But in my early twenties I decided to JUST DO IT. 

I decided to study weight loss, muscle building, and nutrition until I got it right.

It took me 3 years of trial and error (this was before internets and iphones)

And eventually I succeeded in getting that lean body I wanted.

This was right before I moved back to USA 🇺🇸

I got my Aerospace Engineering degree in Amsterdam. And my Mom and I both felt the 'land of the free' calling our names.

Holland was great. But that cold weather was cold.

And America... America was the land of opportunity 🦅

I wanted me a Corvette! Or a Mustang, at least.

So I moved, had $90 in my bank account, and landed an engineering job…

… and I was put in a cubicle.

I hated that cubicle. I hated that job.

Or put differently, I 'liked it in small doses'

However, the universe handled that.  I was laid off 4 months into it. 

And that was a blessing in disguise, because:

I mean, they have the best job in the world. They prevent illness and make people better. 

(that's better than what Doctors do!)

And if you're going to live in America, you might as well do what you love.

Long story short - I had no money, but also didn't want to go back to being an engineer.

So I applied at over 14 of those big gyms. And got hired at one of my last interviews because they were short on trainers.

"If it doesn't workout, you can always work at the Juice Bar"  - my manager at the time.

So I hustled hard. And I loved it. 

Got all the certifications, went to all the seminars, and built up a clientele. Then after 2 years I left to ‘start my own thing’.

I had no idea what 'my own thing' was going to be.

This was when 1-on-1 training was the only known solution.

It was going to be a fitness training service. And my original plans were to name it something complicated in Dutch or Latin.

But as I was training one of my clients at the time - she said:

"Why don't you...
just, like...
call it... ,
straight up... you know,
like, FITNESS?"

So... I got myself a DBA and called my business 'Straight-Up Fitness'.

And I started driving to clients at their homes. With adjustable dumbbells and an inflatable exercise ball in the trunk of my car.

I probably spent more in gas than I made from training. And oatmeal was all I ate.

I told my Mom I was just fine. And eventually all that hustle & grind led me to start an indoor bootcamp

(this was long before 'bootcamps' were a thing).

The heaviest Dumbbells we had were 20 lbs

And every day was basically Cardio 😃

This made me think...

Why do I lift weights elsewhere for my own workouts...

And we only do cardio for our own clients?

It made no sense.

So I introduced heavy weights into our workouts.

Squat racks, Barbells, all that stuff. And made my gym somewhere I would want to workout myself.

This is when bald eagles started soaring over my head, and I finally started eating more than just oatmeal.

 We had everyone working out exactly as I wanted:

🏋️ Heavy Weights, 🏃‍♂️ Hard Cardio, 🥩 Real Food

Thanks to an awesome staff and amazing clients, we grew to 3 locations, with 15 trainers, serving over 1,000 clients every month. 

And things were good...

And this is where I could end 'My Story'...

However,

My life changed forever when my Mom passed away due to Ovarian Cancer.

I was 31 at the time...

I had a business. Did my own laundry. Made my own bed.

(I was responsible)

But for my emotional well-being I depended on my Mom being there. 

I didn't know how to process it, so I did what most men do...

I didn't process it at all.

Put on my stiff upper lip, and stayed 'busy'.

Kept working. Bought a nice house. Tried to fill my 'void' with cars and motorcycles.

I was avoiding it though

In the whole first year that passed, I hadn't even looked at old photo albums of us together. I didn't want to go through the pain of processing it.

2, 3, 4 years passed and I thought I was coping just fine.

But inside I started to feel burnt out. 

On a personal level I was becoming stagnant, and... 

It took me 5 years to realize I probably needed to process it.

So I built up the courage to actually go through an old photo album...

Little did I know, she had written me notes at each picture

And my 'Clint Eastwood-act' went down Niagara Falls.

But that's fine, because:

It was an emotional couple of days, but by dealing with it - I had a breakthrough.

For the previous 5 years, the child in me refused to move on. 

I was being a kid, running away from it.

Keeping everything inside, wondering why this happened TO me...

But after getting vulnerable...

I changed my perspective. And I viewed it as it happened FOR me.

Life presented me this situation for me to accept, and I leaned into it.

Her last words were to "keep going" and I'd disappoint her if I didn't do just that.

Needless to say, at the brink of burning out...

After 5 years of avoidance, there were no shortcuts this time.

Like everyone else - I could either complain, or improve.

So I set new goals, deadlines, and checked in on myself every week. Anything to keep my mindset positive while increasing my 'capacity'.

I started a new powerbuilding routine, made cardio a habit, and of course watched Rocky 1 through 4

But I didn't give myself a choice. And neither should you.

You always have a choice to identify your own problems.

When you do, you'll have the clarity to overcome them..

No

 What I am saying is, you're never DONE.

The minute you start avoiding is the minute life gets hard.

Live in your truth, always strive for better.

The only time you should 'peak' is right before you die. Until then, remember this:

And most importantly...

Whether you had a bad childhood, had your heart broken, or lost it all.

Your past is what put you where you are right now.

And you can either own it, and build.

Or complain, and cope in unhealthy ways. 

This is the 'philosophy' I apply to SUF, and to be fully transparent - I'm only including this piece of info about me so you know we're not just a bunch of meatheads 🍖

It's what you do right NOW that determine how your life unfolds.

And if you're stuck, you’ll only get worse if you do nothing. 

When you join SUF, it's my dedication to have you lose fat, build muscle, and feel great.

But looking beyond that - you'll also increase your capacity so you can stop wasting the little time you have left on earth.

Are you going to stay the same? (get worse)

Or are you going to take control of your life and become who you’re meant to be?

As you've now seen in the training above, there are 5 Pillars you need to keep in check 24/7. Which one is holding YOU back?

And this is causing you to feel overwhelmed and stressed?

You don't know which routine works best for you? Or perhaps you're always getting injured?

Struggling to find a way to get consistent with your food?

You keep breaking your promises, killing your internal motivation in its' tracks.

... and together we'll discover what your ideal self looks like to YOU. 

We'll get that 30,000 ft view of where you're at right now.

So you get clarity, and stop doing the things that were never right for you in the first place.

Schedule a call with me below, and I'll build you a roadmap so you know exactly what needs to be done.

And you can move forward based on that.

If at the end of our call you feel you could benefit from joining our program - then you'll have the opportunity to join Straight-Up Fitness.

If you're committed to transform your life, and be your best