A.J. Partida

My story: Throughout my childhood I was always the “husky” kid, as they called it back then. I always carried extra weight. I was the kid who never felt comfortable at the pool, wearing a shirt in the pool to hide myself. That all changed when I decided to join the Marine Corps right after high school. I had to lose 30lbs to even get in. Then I lost another 50lbs in bootcamp. I was the fittest  I have ever been, I felt good! After I got out and a few years in the civilian lifestyle sitting at a desk 8-10 hours a day, I became lazy and gained a lot of weight. 2014 I was up to 333lbs. I felt like crap, hated getting up in the morning, I suffered from severe back spasms. So severe I couldn't even sit in  a chair I had to lay on my stomach to alleviate the pain. It would last for days and happen at anytime. I went to a chiropractor he gave me painkillers and did some electrodes on my back; nothing seemed to help long term. I didn't want a band aid; I wanted a solution. I joined a local gym to see if I could work my back out maybe something could help. I worked with a trainer there and it completely changed my life. The knowledge he gave me on how I could fix it on my own was nothing short of a life saver. At that point I knew I wanted to do the same thing for others. I wanted to show everyone there are ways to feel better and live better through fitness. From 2014 to 2015 I lost 112 down to 221lbs. It was a year long journey that was worth every second. Now I feel great everyday, I love getting up in the morning, and no back pain!

Fast forward 6 years and a lot of learning and experience later. I now own my own training facility The Training Ground in St. Peters MO with my wife and fellow trainer of 15 years and we love what we do! Helping people get fitter. (its a word google it) LOL!