Today we’d like to introduce you to James Lambert
Hi James, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m James Lambert, I’m married with 3 children and we currently resie in Acworth, GA. In 2020 I was put out of work due to covid after being a b2b salesman for almost 10 years, and traveled 75% of the year for nearly half of it. Being apart from my young family as much as I was, covid was a blessing in disguise for us and I decided to use the time off to get myself back into shape which then led to a career change, and early 2021 I decided to jump into the health and fitness industry. I got myself certified as a personal trainer with NASM, and began training on my own in a small gym in Dallas, GA. In early 2021 my wife and I found out she was pregnant with our 3rd child and we found a bigger space for the family in Cobb County where we both grew up. In the summer of that year I began coaching at OrangeTheory Fitness in West Cobb, and found a new passion in group fitness, and put my 1 on 1 personal training on hold for the time being.
In 2023 we ran into issues with childcare, our daycare shutdown indefinitely after a winter storm and I was in charge of keeping our children as my wife is an accountant, and it was the beginning of tax season. I left OTF and restarted my training business, JL Training, where I train people 45 and up to gain strength, endurance, and mobility, so they can be independent as long as possible. In 2023 and 2024 I had the privilege of working from home as well as being the main caretaker of our kids, and this year we have sent our youngest to pre-school so my schedule has opened for me to further increase this business. I’ve made the most of what time I had, and am ecstatic to be able to serve more people now.
I’ve got a 300 sq/ft gym in my home that I utilize as my training space. I have all the equipment one would need to improve their strength, endurance, and overall health. My goal as a coach is to make life outside of the gym easier, and I can draw on my previous experience to better understand what life outside of the gym looks like to build programs that are productive as well as engaging.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Working at home as well as caring for the kids is incredibly demanding and something I underestimated. Over time you learn and improve, as with anything, but some days I’m up at 3:30am to coach and wouldn’t have a second to think until 8:30pm that night. Self-care is incredibly important, but any parent can understand that when kids are little, you get very small windows of time to take care of yourself.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am a personal trainer and I focus on working with older clients. Many of my current clients are 60+ years old and I pride myself on hearing them tell me what they can do since they’ve started training with me. We focus on the basics in the gym, so that they can get back to doing what they love outside of it.
What sets me apart is my experience outside of being a personal trainer. I know what it’s like to work a job for 8+ hours a day and be expected to find time to take care of yourself. I know that it’s incredibly easy to fall out of the habit of exercise. I start right where someone is, and we improve from there. There is no one to compare yourself to, except you.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I believe trainers will continue to be in demand, especially here in Cobb County, as the aging population loses strength and realizes they need to improve. The cost of healthcare is already tough to handle for so many, and the first line of prevention is to take care of yourself as best you can.
Pricing:
- 1-on-1 : $75 per hour
- Small group(2-4) $130 per hour
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jltraining.coach
- Instagram: @jl_training_
Image Credits
Jules Vansant
