SEPTEMBER | 2019 | BLACK, GAY & GIFTED

FITLOSOPHY

Al Gore’s internet has changed so much of how we do things. Long gone are the days of having to own an actual encyclopedia, phone book, or map, because all of those things are at the tip of our fingers. You’d actually be surprised at the things we can do without having to actually do them. Like, did you know that there are virtual assistants that will help you manage your social media accounts? You can employ a virtual real estate assistant to help you find a home, and a virtual administrative assistant to manage your schedule as well. When it comes to finding ways to get things done, the internet makes life so much easier!

Those of us who are old enough to remember how things were before the tech revolution, are still wondering how we survived. Of all of the things we found online, the most interesting lead us to this month’s Black, Gay, and Gifted feature. There are tons of services you can order an online assistant to do for you, but we never thought we’d find a service geared towards keeping you in shape!  

Meet Courtney Young, a man who has made it his personal mission to ensure that personal training is readily available to anyone interested in creating a healthier lifestyle for themselves. Young, who was born in Decatur, Illinois, currently lives alongside his partner in Las Vegas. And, while the Vegas air might be drier than British humor, the atmosphere is certainly wet with opportunities when it comes to helping people from around the country meet and exceed their fitness goals. 

Courtney, who ran track in high school, began his fitness journey after he reached 225 pounds. “...my friends and I planned a trip to Miami, and I refused to be that size on the beach,” he says. He ended up dropping sixty of those pounds, which sparked the beginning of what he calls a ‘very long’ fitness journey. “I lost and gained weight back for years. It wasn’t until my mother had a serious stroke that I got very serious about taking care of myself.” 

Courtney wasn’t playing any games either. One of the first things he did was to get certified as a personal trainer. His new certification came with a new cause, one that revolved around helping others improve their physical fitness. 

Black men, regardless of sexual orientation, are at risk of developing a variety of health related issues. We live seven years less than other racial groups due to cardiovascular disease, cancer, and HIV. Diabetes, strokes, and respiratory and kidney disease are taking us out as well. One of the best ways to prevent and reduce some (if not all) of these ailments is through exercise and healthy eating. However, this is easier said than done, as many of us have a problem being consistent. 

We’ve all been there are one point or another. Hell, some of us are there right now. We know the feeling of setting our alarms for that early-morning run before work just as we know the feeling of ignoring that alarm for more sleep. We’ve prepacked our gym bags for the spin class we didn’t make it to because work was hard and adulting sucks, but we still managed to make it to happy hour, though.

Consistency remains one of the biggest challenges when it comes to working out, but according to Courtney, it all starts with a plan. “A plan means far more than a goal,” he says. “I see too many people start their journey with only a goal in mind, and they set out in their journey and then give up.” He believes that having a plan and setting small milestones for yourself along the way are pebbles on the path of progress. “Reaching those goals will give you the push you need just when you’re ready to give in.”

Courtney’s fitness program is about more than making money, its built on making and sustaining change. It took him six years to understand what he was doing, and he says he couldn’t even count the number of times that he started and stopped his fitness journey. “I made so many excuses, [I was] too busy, didn’t need to do it anymore, [my] family needed me...whatever I could think of [as an excuse],I used it.” Excuses. We’ve all got them, and one of the biggest excuses, or fears, we encounter is not wanting to be seen in the gym. Nobody likes being watched.

According to Courtney, the best way to overcome this is by showing up. But showing up can be hard. Even if we don’t mind being under the watchful gaze of the people we share the gym with, we still suffer from our own inner critic, the critic who tells us we’re not doing it right, that it won’t work, and that it’ll all be for nothing. “Despite what the voice in your head is saying, you’re in control! Before you know it that little voice will quiet, and you’ll wonder why you ever gave it any attention” he says. “ When it says everyone is looking, bring your mind back to what you’re doing, focus on the exercise and the breath!” 

Courtney has worked hard to keep that 225 pound version of himself in the past, and he’s more than prepared to help anyone else do the same thing. His fitness programs, which you can be found at vellfitness.com, consist of more than lists of exercises on spreadsheets. “My online programs are twelve weeks long. I have a beginner program that starts by helping people build stability and core strength.” 

His programs also include more advanced options that push clients to step outside of their comfort zones through maximizing cardio, weight training, and high intensity interval training (HIIT). “I keep up with my clients through chat, regular check ins, and spying on their social media.” Let this serve as a warning to any of you who are interested in his services to not post about your latest trip to Popeyes!

For years we’ve heard that better bodies start in the gym, but we’ve all seen the better part of many bodies in the gym with not an ounce of change in sight. “Better bodies start in the mind,'' he says. “...work on your mindset. If that’s not there then you’ll give up.” Part of getting your mind right for the gym is to focus on the present, to find and remember what your goals are, and why, and to keep up with your own pace. “Once you get your mind focused and get past all the mental blocks, that’s when you’ll see changes.” 

Courtney is the best example of this, because even though his own personal routines change over time, he keeps in mind in the game.  “I like to mix it up to keep it interesting for myself.” He’s currently focusing on toning up and maintaining his size. He enjoys a variety of routines as they keep his body guessing, but there’s still one struggle that even he hasn’t mastered. “The most challenging part, I’d say, is eating! I struggle in that area but I keep pushing myself to do better in the kitchen.”

One of the reasons that Courtney’s services are essential for those who want to get in shape is that through them we can learn to break bad habits. One of the most annoying habits for Courtney is the misguided approaches many of us take towards meeting our goals. “People thinking doing lots of cardio will help them drop weight, and [that] lifting extremely heavy weights with bad form is the way to gain muscle annoys me.” 

Its easy for Courtney to notice all the things we’re doing wrong in the gym. The most annoying of these things for him the misconception about cardio. “People thinking that doing lots of cardio will help them drop weight and thinking that lifting extremely heavy weights with bad form as a way to gain muscle annoy me. ” One of the biggest mistakes he notices is form. Proper form ensures that we exert a proper amount of energy, focus on our target area, and most importantly, helps to prevent injuries. “Form, form, form! That’s what I’d focus on the most!” he says.

Courtney is a simple man who finds inspiration in his partner, who he says pushes him to do and be better. “If I didn’t have him, I would have given up on some things, but he doesn’t let me. Kindness and respect lead the list of things he thinks the world need more of, and he has a playlist filled with gospel music and tracks from Da Baby. “My mood literally changes throughout my workout, and my music changes with it. But none of that is why he’s here. 

We chose Courtney as our Black, Gay, and Gifted feature because he’s dedicated his calling to personal physical fitness to those who are where he’s been. He has made living a healthy life of happiness and prosperity his purpose, and he inspires others to not only lives of their dreams, but challenges them to take a realistic approach to meeting their goals.

“Goals are very important to be successful but reaching them takes time. By focusing on each of my clients personal journey, I'm able to create a "Fitlosophy" that goes far beyond the time spent working with me.” He consistently uses his own personal experiences to motivate his clients, and has gone above and beyond to develop a variety of programs to help them reach their fitness goals. You can learn more about Courtney by following his progress on Instagram and by visiting vellfitness!