Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Burton.
Adam, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Ten years ago, I worked at McDonald’s and I was the heaviest I was in my entire life. I drunk Hi-C and coke everyday…multiple cups per day. I ate McDonald’s cinnamon buns. I drunk Fanta and Ice cream snicker bars often too. I would have rib sandwiches after school. I had salads with tons of ranch and creamy dressings. I ate Reese Cups on my break and drunk sweet tea “to balance it out and loved to wash it down with a Coke or Dr. Pepper. I hated water. I almost never drank it.
I also worked at Hardees and Walmart before I went to college. At hardees, I was still a cook. At Walmart, I actually worked in the produce section from 5am-2pm. So, I have seen various aspects of the food industry and I have seen how it has impacted me and the people who are around it.
So, I have not always understood nutrition. I have not always been healthy mentally, physically and emotionally.
Most of my young years, I lived in what would be considered “the hood” we couldn’t afford grass fed food or organic. Hell a lot of times, we were sharing food. Food wasn’t very plentiful and if it was, it was junk!
But I also realize now that had we paid the extra money to have those foods maybe some of my family and I never would have went through those healthy problem stages. Maybe my brother wouldn’t have had to have the gastric bypass surgery. Maybe my family wouldn’t have suffered from obesity. I saw the pain poor health had on my family as a child. And if you believe your kids don’t see it you are mistaken.
12 years ago, I weighed 255 pounds. I’m only 219 right now. So I can’t relate to some things but I can relate to being sad, having no energy and not happy about the way my body looked.
It took me five years to realize that I was following in my parent’s and sibling’s footsteps. Most of the weight we need to lose is not on our body. Once I realized that…I was able to help myself.
Understand the journey and realize that fitness is much more than losing weight. Depression and anxiety were two major things I struggled with as a teen and now I know the food choices I made triggered my depression at an early age.
I remember around the age of 12, I was getting in trouble for staying up on the computer reading articles about health and the body. I would fall asleep at the computer.
That interest led me to start training my younger nephews at home. So, in a way I have always been a trainer. Even though I was playing…I loved instructing workouts even at that age.
My first actual personal training job was in mountain brook. I actually was hired the same day I was fired from another job. They called me as I was walking to my car after being fired. Coincidence?
At the time, I was in school at UAB because I wanted to be a lawyer but I quickly realized (because of the personal training job) that I actually loved the fitness industry.
This led me to drop-out of college and focus on being a personal trainer. I was a trainer for another full year before I decided to quit and pursue my own personal training business.
It was tough. I couldn’t land interviews and if I did, I never heard back from them. I was discouraged.
I began to market myself through business cards, twitter and social media. I got a few clients here and there but I never really had the momentum or income to sustain myself.
I eventually moved from “student” housing to a “real” apartment. When I did, I found they had a 24-hour fitness center.
I used this to market my business and virtually started my business inside there. I ran a six weeks program and filled up sessions easily. I gave away free session, had contests and many people had huge transformations.
At the time, I didn’t even think to take progress pictures…I was just trying to make some money doing what I loved but I hadn’t turned it into a real business yet.
As my clientele grew, I eventually outgrew the small 10-foot space and needed a bigger location. I found a spot in Hoover, close to the galleria that wasn’t perfect but it was huge and I needed space ASAP. So, I signed and made that 1900 sq ft space Burton Training.
I honestly didn’t focus on nutrition until about 2016 when I received a certification for sports nutrition. This changed my view on food drastically!
Two years later in 2018, I would get a holistic certification which was really an eye opener for me on how the food interacts on a cellular level with the body. I learned that being healthy was more than eating fruits and vegetables. We were truly taught inaccurately about food and what is healthy about the body.
And also in 2018, I would receive a certification for herbs and supplements. The knowledge I learned in these certifications allowed me to manifest supplements for my company.
I was able to create my own health supplements. This not only improved my health but my member’s health as well!
My journey now has led me to educate on that and actually show and prove what I teach. Luckily all my members at Burton Training trust me and I am able to use them as testimonies that my “theories” on nutrition and herbs work.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It was challenging even finding a location that would allow me to open.
I was 23 with no business experience so a lot of landlords didn’t want to take a chance with me without a large down payment.
The next obstacle I had was me finding myself and battling if I wanted to share my new visions and beliefs with others.
When I did share my beliefs about certain viewpoints about life, some of my members did not like it and I lost a few supporters.
That was my first major business obstacle because I had to choose to stay silent about things I really cared about or I had to be fake and not speak my mind.
I learned that there will always be someone who does not like what you are doing and you truly can’t make everyone happy!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Burton Training – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I specialize in helping women lose weight even if they hate diets and don’t like to workout.
I combine an herbal approach, with nutrition and short 25 min workouts to help tone and lose weight.
I truly believe there is an herb for every illness or ailment in the body. The research is too evident and herbs contain too many properties for it to be a “coincidence”.
I don’t tell people to stop taking their medicine but I do give them the facts and side effects of what could happen if you take the medicine long-term. I let them make their own decisions after that. I can only provide them with the information they need to make the right decision.
I educated them on the fact that over 500,000 people die each year from medical mistakes and prescription drugs? This would be the 3rd leading cause of death…more than stroke and diabetes combined.
Often times, I don’t feel like doctors make ALL healthy options available and so the patient typically goes with the pharmaceutical medicine that the doctor prescribes.
I inform my members how the herbs can help and the benefits.
I’ve had multiple women claim my teas have helped lower their blood sugar.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
In the future, I hope to focus more on the herbal and nutrition side as I believe these are the two biggest components missing in the fitness industry.
I still want to coach people on shorter workouts but I want them to focus more on herbal intake daily instead of just doing it when they are sick.
I truly believe I was put here to eradicate some diseases. I don’t know how I am going to do it but some way I will be in position to reverse illness and disease naturally through herbal extracts.
Pricing:
- Online Nutrition & Bootcamp Program (Monthly) – This program is for people who need accountability away from their workouts. You will be required to send me pictures of each meal you eat to be analyzed so I can see your portion sizes. You will also have weekly goals to hit. Unlimited online workouts per week. No equipment necessary. $167
- Monthly Super Detox Subscription – To cleanse and help repair cells after damage. Each month you will receive your detox package to your front door automatically. $32.99
- Montly Fat Burner Subscription- Helps burn fat from arms, thighs and stomach. Each Month your fat burner extract or capsules will be sent to your front door. – 30.99
- 21 Day Rapid Fat Loss Online nutrition and bootcamp – $97
Contact Info:
- Address: 3736 Lorna Road
- Website: BTHOOVER.COM
- Phone: 205-292-4190
- Email: getlean@bthoover.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/burtontraining/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Surgedtraining/
Image Credit:
Burton Training
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.