Evan was the always last kid huffing and puffing up the basketball court (because Oreo Blizzards are delicious). After carrying his “baby fat” up until his junior year of high school, he decided it was time to make a drastic change.
After implementing a nutrition overhaul and rigorous fitness routine, he dropped 40 pounds. However, a quick lateral cut on the football field led to a shredded ACL, and this was the beginning of a period of depression.
He eventually overcame a severe staph infection from the knee surgery and began working out again in college, but things just weren’t the same. Food served as a duality for celebrating the good times and a pick-me-up from the bad. The weight came back on. Even as a personal trainer right after graduation he still struggled with food issues, especially binge eating. Evan may have been a “clean eater” Monday through Friday, but things sure were dirty on the weekend. Workouts became punishment for bad eating habits. What would his clients think if they saw this behavior?
The relationship with food finally turned around when he began flexible dieting. Instead of an extreme diet or forbidden foods that caused unnecessary stress, he enjoyed a solid foundation of “real” food while on occasion enjoying his favorite treats guilt-free. Food no longer caused extreme anxiety and fitness was enjoyable once again.
“Oh, these nerds are lifting things. This is cool!” That was Evan’s reaction when discovering Nerd Fitness in 2014. Even though some might have classified him as a meathead, he was a “secret” nerd who still had an affinity for the nerdy things he grew up with. This was a perfect place where he could feel at home and be himself.
Evan enjoys seeing his clients get stronger, whether it’s deadlifting a ton of weight, performing one perfect push-up, or getting up off of the floor with no issues. Physical strength carries over into the emotional realm with newfound confidence. He coaches with empathy and tries to see any problem from the client’s perspective before giving his fitness expertise.
“Work hard, have fun, and leave the gym with a feeling of accomplishment…and then eat your protein.”
Want to know what it’s like to work with Coach Evan? Have a look at one of his client’s real life transformations here!
Education and certifications:
- B.S. Sport Management, Texas A&M University
- Precision Nutrition Level 1
Star Wars or Lord of the Rings?
I was first captivated by Star Wars while watching A New Hope in my 4th-grade science class (go public education!). Instead of being a smart kid with a savings account, I blew whatever money I had on Star Wars merchandise. I hope those boxes of unopened figurines stored away are worth more now.
Favorite video game of all time?
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial on Atari! Just kidding…
Sheesh, only one? I can’t believe no one has mentioned The Oregon Trail yet. Let’s give credit to our teachers for letting us play video games at school. If we are going down this road of awesomeness, it’s probably best to classify this in past/present terms due to the evolution in the gaming industry.
Past games: Super Mario Brothers 3 and Super Mario World were the foundation of my youth. Goldeneye 007 led to many all-night gaming sleepovers and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is an absolute masterpiece (and already 20 years old!)
Present games: The Last of Us is fantastic and feeds my post-apocalypse interests. The Grand Theft Auto series taught me how to drive properly, and I may or may not have logged hundreds of hours playing Fallout 4.
What are you passionately nerdy about?
Video games, can’t you tell?
I’m also a sucker for 80’s Sci-Fi/adventure movies: Back to the Future, Indiana Jones, Aliens, Terminator to name a few. (Please, pleeease don’t let Robert Pattinson take over in Indiana Jones 5)
The subject of history fascinates me, especially World War II. Oh, and let’s not forget bourbon history and its rich lore.
If you’re browsing Reddit, check out r/EarthPorn. Thank me later.