Check Out Joshua Clay’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Clay. 

Hi Joshua, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I played football and rugby in college but realized I wasn’t good enough to play beyond that but knew I wanted to be involved in sports somehow. I ended up going the performance route and graduating with a BS in Exercise science with a concentration in Strength & Conditioning. After graduating, I moved out to LA and ended up landing a job with a popular gym chain, Equinox. I eventually ended up become a master instructor teaching trainers the basics of biomechanics, anatomy & physiology, programming, etc. After 3 years, I ended up transitioning to UCLA where I interned working with Olympic Sports. This was a great learning experience as I realized collegiate athletics was not the route I wanted to pursue. During my internship, I maintained a full-time in-person and online coaching business so I soon went all in on this after finishing up at UCLA. I was very fortunate to develop some awesome relationships throughout my career eventually leading seminars for different gyms in the LA area teaching trainers fitness programming as well as consulting for different apps and companies. Soon, my business grew to include a wide variety of clientele from gen pop looking to improve their body composition to strength coaches and trainers looking to learn more about training by immersing themselves in my approach to training and coaching. I eventually moved out of LA and landed in Denver where I now run a full-time online and in-person coaching business as well as another full-time job with Tonal where I handle a lot of the strength programming for our user base along with a handful of other knowledgeable, successful and inspiring coaches in their own right. To say I’m living the dream would be an understatement. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not at all but I also don’t pretend as if my struggles are any more or less difficult than anyone else. I’m fortunate to have great parents and friends who have supported me along my journey and provided the support & guidance I needed to be in the position I am today. It’s because of them and the clientele who put their trust and faith in me that I’m even here writing to you.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My primary clients are both gen pop clients looking to improve their body composition or coaches & trainers looking to learn more by becoming clients themselves. My expertise tends to specialize more in fitness programming where my in-person experience combined with the continuing education has put me in a unique position to excel in an area that can be a little cumbersome, intimidating, and challenging for a lot of coaches and trainers. I always maintain that exercises and programming are never right or wrong, only effective or ineffective based on the goal. I like to think that I set myself apart by bringing a more practical approach to training that helps trainers improve their own fitness programming and help clients become more autonomous in their health & fitness. My little saying is: “I’m the trainer meant to be fired.” 

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
It was just my mom and I till I was 6. My real father left shortly after I was born and the man, I call dad would eventually steal my mother’s heart when I was a little older. With that said, times were extremely tough for my mom and I before then. My mom was a 21-year-old single mom with no college education and we were living in a less than ideal area of Reno, Nevada. We didn’t have any money so Ramen was a dinner staple. I remember going to Goodwill and seeing $1, $2 & $3 bags of used toys on the wall and I would always beg my mom for one. It wasn’t often that we could afford one but every so often, she would cave and let me choose a bag. Those memories drive me today. They let me know how amazing of a mother I was so fortunate to be blessed with and how no matter what is going on in my life, it could always be worse and to be grateful for where I am. My problems are very minuscule so nature to those of a single mother who can barely afford to buy groceries or feed her child and I want to ensure I always remember that. 

Contact Info:

• Email: Jclayfit@gmail.com
• Instagram: Joshualeeclay

Image Credits
Jq Brantley
Jeremy Thomas