The Journey
Every Expert Was Once a Beginner
I opened The Bodyweight Gym in 2017 — a calisthenics studio in Perth, Australia. For four years, I coached everyone from complete beginners to competitive athletes.
In the fitness industry, two skills immediately set you apart as a trainer: a strict ring muscle-up and a freestanding handstand. So that's what I learned to teach.
Problem was, I had no gymnastics background. I was a 30-something adult learning from scratch.
The first 12 months nearly broke me. Elbow tendonitis that wouldn't go away because I kept progressing too fast. Muscles ready, tendons weren't. I learned the hard way what most programmes ignore: muscles adapt in ~3 months, but tendons and ligaments take ~9 months.
It took two years of trial and error, countless failed attempts, and one breakthrough moment when someone asked me to show them something on the rings I'd installed in my apartment. That night, I nailed my first strict ring muscle-up.