Oscar’s story about fitness started about as awkwardly as any story can. He was never athletic in high school or played sports, he wasn’t competitive by any means (unless it was behind a PS2 controller). So when it came to exercise, his creative nature gravitated towards sports like skateboarding. In a desperate attempt to fit in with a social group and have a chance at popularity in school, he grew his hair out, bought his first Element skateboard, and started hitting up the local skatepark. Although he was starting to feel like he had found his place to fit in, during his junior year of high school, a girl told him she wouldn’t date a guy unless he had a six-pack. You can imagine the heartbreak and embarrassment (this was in the cafeteria line, yikes!)
So he looked for an immediate way to build himself into a “tough guy” and did what any level-headed teenager would do… join the Army!
Maybe not what you were expecting, but this move changed the entire trajectory of his life. Sure, serving in active duty put some muscle on an otherwise nerdy frame. But more importantly, Oscar managed to find his true passion. While most think of military people as hard-nosed, yelling, killing machines, Oscar found an ability to connect with those around him and equip them with the tools they needed to succeed. Oscar was studious, and this quality allowed him to move up the ranks rather quickly.
Finding himself in a leadership position, he mentored other soldiers and helped them succeed as well. During his first deployment to Afghanistan, he found another passion, the gym. He went with a few buddies after some hesitation and was immediately entranced by the fact he had found something that could physically show him the outcomes of his efforts. He quickly read up on everything he could find about building a program (in true nerd fashion) and as soon as he was able to, he volunteered to become his unit’s Master Fitness Trainer.
In his new role, he built programs specifically for soldiers who were unable to pass the Army’s strict physical fitness requirements and he trained them to get back within standards. This lit a fire within him and showed him how much of an impact he could have. As soon as his 5 years of service were up, he studied for a personal training certification and went straight to work at a gym in his local town in northern Virginia.
Since 2017, Oscar’s focus shifted beyond exercises in the weight room and more towards nutrition and mindset where he’s identified that he has the largest impact on his client’s success. It’s allowed him to shift from solely supporting athletes and those in the military to be able to support clients from all walks of life, including pre/post natal women, those with challenges like diabetes and Parkinson’s, and folks who have “tried everything” and need someone to walk alongside them to build a plan that suits their lifestyle.
Oscar is all about exercise that builds you up and eating real food while enjoying your life. He loves getting the chance to show his clients that they really can get to the goals they’ve been chasing for so long without feeling like they have to live in the gym or eat nothing but baked chicken and broccoli for the rest of their lives. He’s not just about getting you to your goals, but guiding and educating you so you have the tools to see success for years to come.
Credentials and Certifications
- Certified Personal Trainer, NSCA
- Precision Nutritional Level 1
And the important stuff…
Star Wars or Lord of the Rings?
It’s gotta be Star Wars for me. Everything including the main movies, side stories, The Clone Wars, and The Mandolorian is amazing to me (Okay, maybe not Episode II). And to be honest, I’ve only seen the first half of The Fellowship of the Ring, sorry.
Favorite video game of all time?
Okay this one is really tough for me. I have so many games I absolutely love but I’ll say this, I’m a HUGE Playstation fanboy and Sony’s consoles made up 99.9% of my childhood. For pure storytelling, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater for the PS2 can’t be beat. I still obsess about it to this day and and more than happy to do a deep dive into that series at a moments notice. For pure joyful gameplay, I grew up on Spyro the Dragon on PS1. I still have my original disc to this day but still on the hunt for PS1 to go back to it one day. And if we’re talking about a game night with friends, it’s all about COD Modern Warfare. This one hooked me into FPS’s for life and I’ve never looked back.
What are you passionately nerdy about?
There’s so many to choose from in my head but I love reading books, whether it’s self-development or entertainment. To this day, one of my favorites is The Alchemist. I’m also really into movies. Perhaps not into the making of them but more so the entire cinematic experience. Going to a theater and enjoy a great movie with a bunch of stranger is something really special to me.