Brandon S.

Most of the people in my life currently know me as the fitness expert in their circle, but it wasn’t always that way. In fact like many, I spent the early years of my life very unfit and found fitness as a way to build confidence during high school and in college. I grew up in a small town in Southern Connecticut and although I spent my childhood outdoors, I was never a true athlete. My parents enrolled me in soccer to try and make me more active and that worked for a while until my penchant for after school snacks and a general lack of athleticism led to me failing to make the travel soccer team. I was never that interested in soccer, but no one likes rejection and I was hurt. In a panic my mom begged the football coach at our middle school to let me join the team late so she wouldn't have to worry about me getting home from school early. The football coach made a deal with my mom that if he let me sign up for football that I would also have to wrestle in the winter. That’s when everything changed... In wrestling I found a sport that was pure work ethic. The harder I trained, the better I got, the more I won and the more my confidence grew. Entering high school I was a 125 lb freshman, but by the end of that year, thanks to living in the weight room and the boost of puberty I was 165 lbs and 3 inches taller. Suddenly people talked to me, I had an identity as an athlete, I had a whole team of friends and kids that had picked on me now wouldn’t dare. I knew then that fitness would be forever a part of my life. After wrestling varsity for 4 years at Springfield College in Massachusetts, I made the crazy decision to move from small town CT to Los Angeles to be a teacher. For 5 years I taught high school in the tough neighborhoods of East LA and trained personal clients before and after work to make sure I could afford to live (a teacher’s salary doesn’t pay rent in LA). As my time in teaching progressed I found myself pulled more and more towards my life in fitness. I would spend my free time training for powerlifting or CrossFit competitions or attending seminars to learn new techniques to help my clients. After some searching, I knew where my heart and my passions were and I took a big leap. I quit my stable job and went all in to make fitness not only my passion, but my career. It hasn't always been easy (getting up at 4 am to train clients never is) but I knew immediately that I had made the right call. If you are invested in what you do and are passionate about it, the long hours and challenges don’t seem to get in the way. Because of my passion and commitment to go above and beyond for my clients, I quickly found myself with not enough hours in the day to train everyone, and that led to the creation of my online training program that you are now a part of. My mission in fitness has always been to help as many people as possible lead the highest quality lives through being fit, and the opportunity to have limitless reach through an online system fit perfectly. Then 2020 happened… Suddenly the gym I was training my in-person clients at was shut down and my online clients were shell shocked by losing the places they had to train and in many cases their jobs. It got so bad that at one point I went from training 15 clients a week in-person to just 2. Never one to fly with convention, I took the near loss of my entire business as a wake up call. I knew fitness would be back because of how important it is to people’s physical and mental health, so instead of going back to teaching or figuring something else out, I doubled down on my passions and in the middle of the pandemic did the what some might consider the dumbest thing possible, I opened a gym. I’m just like you, I have a busy life full of awesome clients. When not in the gym I love to travel, hike and generally be outdoors. And to dispel the myth that trainer's eat perfectly all the time, I am a sucker for pizza. I understand what it's like to balance work, life and fitness and I've made it my mission to help my clients find the perfect combination for them so they can get the most out of life. I started Virtuo as a way to help busy people just like me to integrate fitness into their busy schedules to get more out of their lives, and I’ll never stop learning and growing in pursuit of that mission. I’ve been through what you have and I’m here to help you on the journey to the other side. Let’s get started!

Trainer Certifications (1)

What to Expect

I have a motto that each training session should be the best hour of a client's day. This starts with a high five as they walk through the door of my private studio with their personalized program ready to go, their favorite station coming through the speakers and the energy up! I believe in hands on coaching which means I will never be distracted or on my phone during a session. My clients get 100% of attention and expertise during each session. It is my goal to find coachable moments through the session to improve technique and give the client wins throughout our hour together. I believe strongly that one good hour in gym can set the tone for the whole day and it's always my goals to make sure I make that session the best hour of each clients day!

Client Success Story

I have been working with Coach Brandon since March of 2021 and in this time I have lost 50 pounds of body fat due to his comprehensive training/nutrition plans. I give him my highest possible recommendation. Brandon is extremely competent, well educated in multiple fitness disciplines and empathetic to his clients. He is easy work with but will keep you on track and is very communicative and easy to reach; he really goes above and beyond for his clients. Brandon's programing is cutting edge in terms of technique, fitness education and use of technology, i.e. apps, calorie tracking, a positive social media space, etc. He is not gimmicky or about cheap fitness hacks. His plans build off the fundamentals but because of his depth of fitness knowledge, the lifting plans he has given me have been engaging, challenging and fun. I am confident that he has set me up well both for future weight loss/fitness success but also with a skill and knowledge base that will let me keep the weight off this time. Regardless of your sport, fitness goals, health/weight level I truly believe Brandon is the best possible choice for coaching and personal training.

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