Ryan has been working at PRX Performance for the past 3 years and has grown into the Social Media Director role. He is dedicated to the home gym community and this definitely shows in his work. Ryan is extremely driven. He also competes in powerlifting and does 30-day challenges, which he’ll explain below. Enjoy the Q&A below.
Okay, let’s go!
You choose to challenge yourself with something new for 30 days straight just about every month. What has been the most difficult one so far?
The hardest 30-day challenge I have done so far has been cutting caffeine completely for a whole month. I’m normally a preworkout / coffee type of guy with an occasional energy mixed in late afternoon, but quitting cold turkey was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done. However, when I set these challenges in place for myself, it forces me to get out of my comfort zone which I wouldn’t normally do if it were just a thought running through my head of “Hey, maybe today I should quit drinking caffeine.” I also hate losing against myself, so when I tell myself I’m going to do something…I do it!!
Why do you continue to still do this each month?
People tend to get so routine orientated that they run out of time to try new things. By setting these challenges up, I force myself to follow through with them. They’re typically things that I wouldn’t do because I am short on time the way it is (just like everyone else). I’ve been able to get my feet wet with some hobbies and activities that I’ve always wanted to do, so with the 30-day challenge, it allows me to experience them whether I stick with it or not.
You’ve been at PRX Performance for 3 years now and have worked with many home gym owners. Have you noticed anything in particular that separates this group from others?
Our group of customers is the mom and dad who maybe used to work out back in their twenties, had kids, then got out of it for some time. They come to us because they want to get back into things, but from the comfort of their home. We still work with your hardcore athletes that other brands market towards, but what’s cool about our demographic is we’re providing them with the convenience of still being at home around their pets, their children, or what have you. That’s pretty special in our eyes.
Are there any trends in the home gym industry that have changed in your 3 years with the company?
Yes, absolutely. 3 years ago no one had heard of Peloton. 3 years ago mobile fitness apps were slowly started to buzz. But now, technology is taking over the game and that’s what we’re trying to capitalize on before other companies in the industry.
You are a relatively new “home” and “home gym” owner. How has having a home benefited your life so far?
I bring a different type of attitude and stigma into the gym when it’s time to train. The commercial gym wasn’t the best environment for that because the people there were slowly sipping on their coffee, taking up multiple machines, and not taking other’s time into consideration. I was easily triggered when my workout would take 30 minutes longer than it should have and I would have to commute to and from the gym. Now I can throw my weights around wherever I want, curl in the squat rack, lift with my shirt off, etc., without having to worry about getting kicked out of the gym, ha!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxSsVyzjgjx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
What was your first powerlifting meet like? Will there be more?
Man, it was a crazy experience. Here’s how I describe it to people: Aside from warmups, you’re essentially lifting the bar 9 times. Meets usually take around 6-8 hours depending on the amount of lifters, but for only doing 9 reps, your body is completely taxed by the end that it hurts to sit in one place for too long! I learned a ton in my first meet and I’ve done one other since then. My biggest advantage is having a world-class powerlifter (@zachhomol) that writes my programming. Even being a newbie at the sport, he was able to walk me through everything I need to know leading up into meet day. And yes, there will DEFINITELY be more!
Why did you initially sign up for the meet in the first place?
I’m really big on having something to train for. The gym gets very monotonous for me if I’m just going in there to stay active. When there’s a date on the calendar, my mindset shifts into game mode and I take my training way more serious. Also, I used to be an obstacle course racer but hurt my knee, so now I just lift heavy instead. 🙂
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzEFxqkjnbF/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
In under 50 words, what words of advice would you give to someone looking to start their own home gym?
You don’t have to have it all to start, you just have to start. Some people like to lift with others around for motivation so it scares them, but my answer to that is simple: have your friends over. No one will pass that up.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Having a home gym is a sense of freedom. You can workout when you want, with whoever you want, and you’re not depending on others to get off a machine or platform before you can get on. It has been the best investment that I’ve made in my short 26 years of life and I am excited to start expanding into other products for my gym, space-saving or not. As the seasoned garage gym owner always says, “Your garage gym is NEVER complete.” 🙂
Ryan, thank you so much for taking the time to do this. He has been a friend of GGE since we had about 400 followers, always available to chat and show support. Very interested to see what Ryan and PRX Performance has in store for all of us in the future.
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