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I spent years training and “dieting”. I was affected by severe asthma at a young age and weight gain became an issue. In middle school I took control of my asthma and with the push of my parents played every sport possible. Little league, track, basketball, school softball, tennis, swim team, lacrosse and in later years football. I rarely saw my parents during the summer months due to the many weeks spent at sports camps. I knew I always wanted to play football but my parents wanted me to have at least a year of strength training under my belt. At that point, I took a life guarding job at a local health club and began strength training. My work was cut out for me. I wasn’t necessarily strong, but I worked very hard for many hours. I am very grateful to my parents who undoubtedly gave me the tools to become the best I could be. Once I got into football, I fell in love with the sport and the competition. I still did track, but my main focus was football. I played all four years in high school. I knew I wanted to keep playing, so I did hours on hours of speed training, weight training, conditioning and camps. This gave me the chance to play in college. After four years of college I tried out for the NFL, and ended up playing a couple years of arena football before deciding to hang it up. I had many coaches over the years just hand me workouts but I always wanted to know the “why’s” behind what I was doing. This curiosity helped me build the philosophy that I instill in my athletes and clients. I don't just teach the movements. It's important to me that my athletes and clients understand the science behind the why. My interest in the preparation side of sports started in early high school. My dad bought me books with workouts in them and my mom gave me a greater understanding of anatomy from her career in the medical field. The body always fascinated me and I knew that was the path of education I wanted to take. I received my degree from Guilford College. I have a bachelors in science, with a concentration of exercise science. I am also a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. This is the top certification in the business. I have been an avid lifter since I was 13, and have been as heavy as 305 pounds in body weight. My all time best lifts are 645 squat, 465 bench. I knew after football was over that carrying around all that extra body fat would be detrimental to my health, so I decided I needed to lose weight. I lost over 80 pounds safely and effectively. Without football I had nothing to compete for until I found powerlifting. I now have an overall title at a state meet, and a 523 squat, 370 bench, and 585 deadlift. All at 218 body weight. I will keep pushing myself both mentally and physically, continuously getting stronger, as well as instill that into the Strength Feed members. |
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I grew up playing soccer and basketball in the Raleigh area, for many soccer clubs including CASL, TFC and Carolina Soccer Club. I played both soccer and basketball at Salem Middle School, and all four years at Apex High School, serving as a captain for both teams my senior year. Upon going to Appalachian State I found my interest spiked in nutrition and how it related to exercise and training. I wanted to get stronger, and I wanted to know how to eat and train to get stronger. So I did. I used this knowledge and now schooling to prepare for my first Powerlifting meet in Fall of 2017. During my time at App State I worked with AppFuel, the university's sports nutrition program, working mostly with the football team. I continue to volunteer for and compete in the USA Powerlifting Association, most recently competing at Raw Nationals 2019. This past summer I completed my capstone internship with Triangle Nutrition Therapy in Raleigh, developing educational materials, attending health fairs, and gaining counseling experience. This is also where I learned of TSF and it's need for a nutrition centered coach. Now, after my graduation from App State this past December, I am thrilled to return to the Raleigh area and support the nutritional needs of athletes and adults alike. |
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I spent years playing several different sports ranging from soccer, to swimming, to ballet. I toyed around with several different sports from elementary school to freshman year of high school. After my freshman year I knew soccer was what I wanted to devote all my time towards. My family, coaches and friends were very supportive of my decision. Never really knowing what the future held for me. I worked hard through numerous camps, extra training on my own when I wasn’t training with my club team, and all the conditioning any athlete would hate during the North Carolina summer weather. Before I knew it, it was time to start looking at colleges. Deep down, Division I schools were overwhelming for me. I searched for Division II schools within North Carolina that had what I was looking for in a school and a team. Sure enough I came across Mount Olive College in Mount Olive, North Carolina. Toured the school and was able to meet with the coach who luckily knew who I was before even stepping foot into his office. From there on out I knew I was going to play soccer and one day graduate from Mount Olive. Going into my senior year at UMO, we are required to have 16 weeks of an internship. I started looking into internships that focused on sport performance. Sports Performance is a mix of strength and conditioning as well as speed and agility training based movements specific to sport. I eventually came across EXOS, an international sport performance company with all the right boxes checked off for what I one day wanted to do. After clenching my dream internship, I moved to Raleigh and have never looked back. Sports Performance training has always been my dream. It fits in nicely with my current lifestyle and has shaped me to become the person I am today. Landing my position at The Strength Feed has opened my eyes to different approaches of coaching not only for the athletes but my own workouts as well. I really appreciate the level of education that I have learned so far and the continuous growth that will come as I coach at TSF. I am certified through EXOS as a Sports Performance Specialist. I have acquired a certification in Reflexive Performance Reset (RPR) currently being added into our athletes training programs. Still working my way to becoming a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. I look forward to becoming more knowledgeable through this profession! |
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When I was younger I was always involved in several different sports, before deciding that I wanted baseball to be my focus. After choosing not to pursue playing baseball after high school, I quickly found CrossFit as my competitive outlet. I hold a BA in History from Winston-Salem State University. After close to a decade total of training experience I have narrowed in on functional fitness and the olympic lifts as my main focuses. I currently hold a CFL1 and NASM trainer certification. Liliane and I have two golden retrievers, and we try to be as active as possible with them outside of the gym. |
Motivator. Friend. Will NEVER give up on you." - Rebecca Clark
I have made more progress with Joe in 15 months than I have in 25 years of lifting weights on my own. If you want to get stronger safely, there is no better coach out there to go with." - Chris Clark
His work ethic and drive to see people perform better are what make him a great coach. I can't recommend him enough!" - Kevin Woods
Joe believes in your ability and pushes you to exceed your own expectations. He's a quality person not only on the field but off the field." – Sara Warren
