A bottom-up approach flips the script. The end goal is a light at the end of the tunnel that we are working towards, but the focus is strictly on the next step forward. Instead of coming to the table with a list of all the things you’re doing wrong, the solutions, and deciding which one we want to tackle first. We start by simply finding the lowest hanging fruit on the tree and pick it. We focus on the things that require the least amount of effort to start getting some wins under our belt. In doing so, we build momentum and the belief that success is not a question of if but when. In addition, I think this approach addresses the most complex and important variable in this grand equation, the individual. People are constantly shifting. As life goes on our situation, values, and priorities change. Maybe you start a family, fall ill, decide to go back to school, go through a divorce, lose a loved one, etc. We are not static, a top-down approach assumes that one will be the exact same person from start to finish. You plan for one path to be traveled with no deviations. A bottom-up approach inherently addresses this dilemma. By only focusing on one step at a time, it is easy to adjust course as we naturally grow and change. It is rare that I work with someone who maintains the same exact goal during our time together. Life is messy. People are complex. To ignore this fact is to be ineffective.

I think anytime we attempt to help clientele with a narrow scope we are doing them a disservice and furthermore setting them up for failure. Best case scenario, you learn a thing or two and continue the journey on your own. Worst case scenario, you rinse and repeat a cycle of short-term success and regression before throwing in the towel. Deciding for yourself that meaningful success is impossible and settling for discontent. Fitness professionals must not view any one variable in isolation. Our core mission is to help people. Doing so is unfaithful to the very foundation that we have built our lives upon. Each variable impacts progression, each one is important, and each one interacts with all the other variables. Knowing what to do is easy, but life is messy. In my experience, it is rarely what is being done in the gym that leads to failure, but rather our lives outside of the gym. The difference between personal training and coaching comes down to scope. Personal trainers work with a narrow scope; coaches work with a wide scope. A coach takes all variables into consideration. They educated clients on what their options are and the pros and cons of each decision. Then guide their clients through implementing each decision in a manner that is sustainable for the years to come. Pair a wide scope with a bottom-up approach, and you have a recipe for long-term success.

What do I mean by a bottom-up approach, and why is that better than a top-down approach regarding fitness? A top-down approach is one in which you start with the end goal in mind and work backwards. You identify the changes and work necessary to achieve said goal, and then you get started. I find this approach leads to several problems. First, it’s a perfect recipe to overwhelm people and leave them burnt out. If you take a wide scope with a top-down approach you will identify dozens of problems that need solutions. Attempting to change so many things all at once is unsustainable. The general advice more or less becomes “you need to completely change your life right now”. We are creatures of habit. We like our routines and are resistant to sudden changes. Trying to turn everything around yesterday only shifts one’s focus onto all the things they’re doing wrong. This dynamic tends to develop a defeatist mentality. folks become overwhelmed by the extensive list of everything that must be done, and they also end up fixating on all the things that will lead to failure. Instead of focusing on the path to success.

Hence the name, MDT Strength. MDT stands for Multi-Disciplinary Training. As a coach, I must be a well-informed generalist who specializes in training. Training is merely one tool that we use to get you what you want, but you need more than a hammer to build a house. On top of that, you need experience and knowledge to build a house that lasts.

My coaching service seeks to fill in the gaps left behind by the industry standard; I take a bottom-up approach paired with a wide scope and a focus on education. Fundamentally, my role as a coach is to prepare you for continuing success long after we part ways. My job is to give you the tools and skills necessary to achieve your ever-shifting goals.