Today we’d like to introduce you to Trent Russell.
Hi Trent, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started out as an athlete in high school playing football. I went on to play at the college level in 2011 and in the process of getting bigger for my position as an offensive linemen, I got extremely out of shape. I was also not doing what I needed to do in terms of rest, partying, and just not taking care of my body. Fast forward to 2014, I was no longer playing sports and found myself at my heaviest weight of 330 pounds. I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic, suffering with high blood pressure, and had terrible cholesterol. I realized that I needed to make some big changes for the sake of my health and my confidence. Aside from my health issues, my weight had begun to bring about negative emotions when I looked in the mirror, and the man that was reflected back at me simply did not match the person I envisioned myself to be.
My original goal was simply to just push the number on the scale down as low as possible. It took me years to get it right and eventually I got down to 270 in the beginning of 2018 and ended the year at my lowest weight since middle school, 195 lbs. This was special because I did this while working a desk job where I was not active at all and it was really cool for people in my workplace to see the changes happen throughout the year. I remember my original goal weight being 250 then once I hit that, I said 230 is the new goal, then 215, then I wanted to see if it was possible for me to get under 200 lbs.
I studied several different popular workout plans and the trainers that created them watched YouTube videos on how to target and grow certain muscles and used all this information to create a hybridized training program for myself that was modified it to hit my goals. As my body changed and adapted, so did the plans I used. Eventually, my splits began to change, and I started to really develop my body.
My nutrition came down to eating at a calorie deficit and tracking my macros while doing. This was very basic stuff, but I began to understand that eating certain foods around certain times could have even more benefits that just consuming them any time. Such as a carb like a banana right before a workout or protein right afterward. Understanding these things definitely helped me.
Eventually, I saw more and people begin to follow and be inspired by my journey. That motivated me to brand myself, create content, and create a business where I help people to understand that it’s not impossible for them to hit their goals as well through coaching. I really enjoy inspiring people online, giving out helpful advice, and just living in what I feel like is a second life for me.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I would feel discouraged every so often on my journey as it is not a straight path to success. There are a lot of factors that play into hitting certain fitness goals and you can’t control them all. I struggled with the scale, with my eating, and just staying motivated at times. I really had to focus on my “why.” Overall, I’d say it took me a few years to get to where I am now and I’m still constantly learning. From a training and commitment perspective, the biggest struggle people will have is commitment. In terms of where I am now, I’d say imposter syndrome is something that is a hurdle to overcome as I work to inspire and help others. It’s easy to forgot how hard you worked to get to where you are and acknowledge the depth of knowledge you have to share. At times it is a struggle to believe in yourself and what you have to offer in terms of helping others. That is one that I will continue to face head-on as I continue to grow my brand,
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am opening up slots to help people through online coaching as I continue my day job in analytics. I am focusing more so on helping men who are, like me, working day jobs where their time may be limited by other responsibilities. My goal is to help as many people as I can, whether through my content or services, to accomplish their goals while also living a fun, normal, and productive life. My mantra for my business to “train, transform, and transcend.” For me, this means that the training will lead to a transformation, however, if you keep pushing yourself, you can elevate and transcend above your original goals to become something you never thought you could be.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Patience, consistency, and grace. These things are very important when it comes to accomplishing any goal. People have to understand that nothing comes overnight, but it definitely won’t come if you quit. With that being said, we also have to give ourselves grace and understand that we all have moments where we aren’t perfect. It is never about being perfect because that will drive you crazy and create unhealthy thought processes. It is about being mindful of your goals and moving at a pace that works for you in accomplishing them.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trentjayrussell/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0eqWyYZfCbf4_QwA8T83nQ
Image Credits:
Darrell Phaysith
