About
Ben Rogers
Coaching credentials
CSCS – certified strength and conditioning specialist (NSCA)
TSAC-F – tactical strength and conditioning facilitator (NSCA)
CPT – certified personal trainer (ACE)
Other certifications and areas of study
Sports nutrition
Kettlebells
Non-traditional training methods
Training and nutrition specific to – military, law enforcement, first responders, MMA athletes, and wildland firefighters.
Life credentials, interests, and hobbies
St.Lawrence University B.A., Economics & Environmental Studies
Licensed hunting and fishing guide
BJJ practitioner
Teddy Roosevelt Fan
Cycling enthusiast
Pastry enjoyer
I'm a passionate coach, athlete, outdoorsman, and student of human performance
I always find it humorous when people write their own bio in the 3rd person as if an investigative journalist, after many hours of careful research, is finally able to provide us with an insight into their life history and reason for being here. I don’t think it’s necessary to pretend that representation of myself be portrayed in anyone’s voice but my own. So, I will proceed in the first person at the risk of being too straightforward and unpolished.
Hey! I’m Ben and I’m truly thrilled that you are here and taking a few minutes to learn more about me and my passions as a coach. I live in Teton Valley, Idaho with my wonderful wife and the best dog of all time – enjoying everything one of the last “quiet mountain towns” has to offer. I feel extremely fortunate and fulfilled to work full time as coach to amazing, passionate clients.
My passion for coaching was born largely from my own experience as an active, outdoor oriented individual progressing through the seasons of life. I grew up in small town Upstate New York playing all the sports and spending a lot of time outdoors. If it wasn’t lacrosse, cross country, or downhill skiing – it was hunting, fishing, or generally being outside adventuring. I graduated from St. Lawrence University with a double major in economics and environmental studies and enjoyed another four years exploring the beloved Adirondack backcountry of my youth.
wild things, wild places, and wild times
After college, I moved to Teton Valley to accept a position as couch surfer and ski waxer. Like so many others that call the valley home, I was joyfully overwhelmed living in such an outdoor recreation paradise. Wasting no time, I found out that the trout fishing in the area was so good that you could make guiding a full time job and just like that, the better part of decade flew by. I spent the vast majority of the year guiding or fishing all over the country from New York and Pennsylvania to Southwest Florida to Idaho and Wyoming – it was a really good time and I’ll always cherish the experiences I had. But after awhile, it started to leave a mark.
making fitness an asset and moving in the right direction
I drank too many beers, acted as if sleep was a luxury, and ate too many meals at the gas station. It was fine when I was twenty something, but as the years wore on I could see that the subpar stewardship of my body and general ignorance of my health was having an effect. I did not want to become a person that was limited by my fitness – I wanted to be a person that was wholly enhanced by it. I wanted it to be a powerful lifelong asset- not a liability.
So I changed gears and started on a mission to make my fitness an asset. I traded my days on the river for study of exercise science and anything training related. I turned myself into a study of one, constantly experimenting with different training methods, diets, etc. I wanted to cut though all the bullshit in the modern fitness space and get to the root of what really moves the needle in the world of human performance. The more I learned, the more I realized how much time and effort I had ‘wasted’ pursuing training that wasn’t productive. It frustrated me to no end knowing that at times my efforts had been fruitless- not for lack of commitment but lack of knowledge. Somewhere along the line, my personal passion for training became a quest for sharing this knowledge with others. As a coach, there is nothing more disappointing to me than people who show up everyday and put in the work but don’t get the results they should because their path is misguided. I wanted to help committed individuals realize every last drop of self improvement possible from their efforts.
Coaching is certainly not my 'job'
To this end I kept, and still keep, my face in a book to ensure that my knowledge of training is as up to date and scientifically sound as possible. I became a certified strength and conditioning coach, and got a whole handful of other well respected credentials in areas from sports nutrition to training special populations to kettlebells and other non-traditional training methods – blah blah blah.
Don’t get me wrong, hard knowledge is the basis of successful training outcomes, and I love nerding out about data, and the latest studies etc. But… to me, being a good coach and helping people be their best is about a lot more than coming up with the best plans on paper. If it were that easy we wouldn’t need coaches, but it’s not. Each and every one of us is another study of one. We all have unique goals, challenges, lives, and personalities that require taking a unique path – and that is what I love about my job.
After several years of working in local gyms, I started my own training business. There is a lot about the modern fitness industry that seeks to take advantage of people’s desire for self improvement and separate them from their money and I never wanted any part of that predatory atmosphere. If I wanted to get rich hoodwinking people in the fitness space I would’ve started a supplement company. Separating myself from any other commercial influences in the industry felt critical to me if I was to offer my clients the highest quality product. I make a lot of efforts to ensure that my involvement as a professional in this space is always honed on client success.
What gets me out of bed early every morning is helping people to be fitter, healthier, happier, and to perform the activities they love at the highest level. In the recent chapters of my life I’ve felt unbelievably fortunate to spend every day being my own boss and working with great people and gifted athletes doing something that I love and am proud to put my name to.
My passion for coaching lies in the belief that all people are capable of great mental and physical strength and that with the right guidance, motivation and discipline, anyone can realize this strength to reach and surpass thier goals.
thanks for reading
If I’m not in the gym or at the computer you might find me riding bikes or on the mat training bjj. I really like coffee, think most t-shirts are better if you cut sleeves off (it’s a mindset not an aesthetic), and am a firm believer in ‘dress for the job you want’ – which in my case is a sweatsuit. Perhaps more controversially, I think pineapple makes a great addition to pizza and that it is totally acceptable to spend a whole rest day doing absolutely nothing but resting.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for taking the time to get to know me a little better. I know it’s long but the version of this where I list bullet points or subject you to the tired ‘third person’ paragraph iteration of a bio is meaningless to me. I’m a real person, I’m a real coach, and I have real relationships with the people I train – depth is necessary.
Building more capable individuals one fitness journey at a time
Your legend starts here. Where will you take your story?