Your Summer Body’s Last Chance
The Guy Who Went From Throwing People to Throwing Weights (And Why That Matters For You)
Six years ago, Quinn walked into West Coast Fitness knowing how to armbar someone but didn't know his way around a squat rack.
Today, he's one of our newest personal trainers, and his journey from martial arts instructor to strength coach is exactly why he might be the trainer you've been waiting for.
The Movement Obsession That Started It All
"As long as I can remember, I've been drawn to the energy and creativity of movement," Quinn tells us. Whether it was sports or theater, he's always been fascinated by how the mind and body work together.
This isn't some guy who discovered fitness at 25 and got his cert six months later. This is someone who's been obsessing over human movement since before it was cool to post mobility videos on Instagram. Martial arts became his main focus because it offered "the perfect balance of physical challenge and mental discipline."
Translation: He's a movement nerd who turned his obsession into a career. The best kind of trainer.
From Dojo to Weight Room: A Love Story
Quinn spent years teaching people how to defend themselves through Jiu-Jitsu and kickboxing. The problem with only knowing martial arts? Eventually you realize that while being able to triangle choke someone is cool, being able to pick up heavy things can have some more practical applications in daily life. Plus, your joints might appreciate some time off from being pushed into submission.
"Thanks to lots of help from WCF staff (shout out David) I have learned a lot and been able to make some serious gains," Quinn says. Translation: even trainers need trainers. The guy teaching you proper form today was the guy asking for help six years ago. He's been where you are.
Why Former Martial Artists Make Unexpectedly Good Trainers
Here's what martial arts teaches you that translates perfectly to personal training:
Body awareness: You can't execute a proper hip throw without understanding how bodies move through space. That same awareness helps spot when your shoulder is doing something sketchy during a press.
Patience with beginners: Teaching someone their first punch is like teaching someone their first deadlift. Both involve explaining why the obvious-looking way might be wrong and the way that involves special technique is actually key.
Understanding progressive overload: In martial arts, you don't start with flying armbars. You start with basic positions. Same principle applies to not loading up the bar before you can hinge properly.
Mental discipline: Focus, attention to breathing, patience and slow controlled movement can come in handy in most circumstances, who knew?
The Science Behind Why You Need Someone Watching You
Here's the uncomfortable truth: Research shows that people working with personal trainers gain almost twice the strength compared to those training alone (38% vs 21% strength increases). They also lose twice as much body fat.
Why? It's not just about having someone count your reps. A study found that trainers who used targeted behavior change techniques – like discussing barriers, setting specific goals, and preventing relapse – created lasting changes in their clients' exercise habits.
More importantly, proper muscle activation matters. You might think you're training your glutes, but without proper cues and form checks, your quads might be stealing the show. This is especially true for complex movements where multiple muscles could take over if you're not careful.
The Hidden Benefits Nobody Talks About
You'll learn why you're doing what you're doing: Quinn doesn't just tell you to do 3x10. He explains why that rep scheme makes sense for your goals. Former teachers make the best teachers.
Injury prevention that actually works: The guy who's spent years learning how joints shouldn't bend has a pretty good idea of how they should bend during exercise.
No intimidation factor: Quinn went from martial arts beginner to instructor, then from lifting newbie to trainer. He gets the learning curve because he's climbed it twice.
Community connection: "Having made many close friends over the years, the community at WCF is now equally important as the workout," Quinn notes. Your trainer isn't just a rep counter – they're your gateway to becoming part of the gym community instead of just another person with headphones on.
What Quinn Actually Does Outside the Gym
When he's not helping people discover muscles they didn't know existed, Quinn spends time with his wife and dog hiking around Portland. Sometimes they leave the dog at home to catch shows and movies, which is probably for the best since dogs have terrible taste in cinema.
The Offer That's Too Good to Skip
We're offering a free personal training session with Quinn that must be redeemed by the end of August.
This isn't one of those "free sessions" where someone just tries to sell you a package for 45 minutes. This is an actual training session where you'll:
Get experience moving (find out why that one side always feels weird)
Learn what you could be doing different to improve (everyone starts out doing something wrong)
Discover what proper muscle activation actually feels like
Leave with actionable tips you can use immediately
The Bottom Line
You can keep watching YouTube videos and hoping your form is right. You can keep wondering why your progress stalled six months ago. You can keep doing that exercise that "feels weird but is probably fine."
Or you can spend an hour with someone who's walked the path from complete beginner to trainer, who understands that everyone starts somewhere, and who genuinely loves seeing people hit goals they thought were impossible.
Quinn's been part of our community for six years. He's not going anywhere. But this free session offer expires at the end of August, and then you'll have to pay actual money to find out what you've been doing wrong this whole time.
Book your free session at the front desk. Your future self will thank you. Your ego might not, but that's growth.
Welcome to the team, Quinn. We're lucky to have you.
Stronger together,
Your West Coast Fitness Family
PS: Yes, Quinn can still teach you how to throw a punch if you ask nicely. No, he won't teach you during your training session. Priorities.
