Center Stage Athletics & Team CSFP

So incredibly proud of this amazing couple, John and Jessica.

They have worked so hard over the past 9 mths to get to this place and what a place it was!

First show experience for both and a great time was had for sure! Both are excited to do it again (after a healthy growth season).

John
3rd Debut
4th 40+
4th Open

Jessica
3rd Debut
1st Military
3rd 35+
4th Open

I couldn't be more proud! Thank you both for trusting me with your prep and more importantly your overall health and well-being!

𝗔𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗢𝗪 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆....

Here's another transformation that blew my mind a little bit. With John, I certainly could see the potential there when we first got started back in Jan but this one still really wowed me 40 lbs later!

John has been such a steady rockstar through his entire prep, all while getting ready to retire from the military, finishing his bachelors degree, and move.

He shared with me this morning during his final check-in for the show day that he honestly didn't go on this journey to get on stage. He wanted to get in the best shape of his life and learn how to train and fuel properly... both of which he has successfully accomplished.

This is the win! Today, and getting on stage is all about having fun and that big smile on the right really shows that pride in accomplishment.

I can't wait for him to get to show off all his hard work today alongside his wife, Jessica. The two of them have truly been an absolute blessing to work with... reminding of all the things I actually LOVE about coaching in this sport.

It's finding a love for the lifestyle that will last far after the stage lights have dimmed and the tan has faded.

I meet clients where they are, and aim to always leave them better than when I found them.

We've all accomplished that goal together. It's a team effort with Center Stage Athletics.

Let's go have some fun today John!

www.centerstageathleticscoaching.com

𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐖𝐎𝐖𝐒 𝐦𝐞.

Sometimes when I first meet with a client I can see the potential transformation that is to come.

Sometimes I am just simply floored by what we unveil during the process.

This is one of those transformations for me. Just WOW is all I can say.

And it's NOT by accident.

9 months.

40 lbs.

Hard work, consistency, commitment, dedication, and true grit.

THIS is being in LOVE with the process, not focused on the end result.

And.... absolutely NO TILAPIA was eaten 🤣😂

What you can't see is the transformation underneath and from within. That is truly the win here. A love for strength training. A love for healthy eating. A love for the lifestyle.

My goal is to always leave a client better than I found them. And this is definitely one of those times.

I cannot WAIT to see her hit the stage tomorrow with the tan and the glam to show off all of this hard work. Stay tuned... there's more to come.

www.centerstageathleticscoaching.com

🚩 𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐆𝐒 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐁𝐎𝐃𝐘𝐁𝐔𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐎𝐀𝐂𝐇 🚩

After 21 years in this sport, here are a few things that still make my eye twitch....

🚩 No sodium for your entire prep
Sodium is not body fat. Your body actually needs it. And it tastes GREAT!

🚩 No fruit
I promise....the blueberries are not why your glutes aren’t conditioned.

🚩 A supplement list longer than your grocery list
Especially if nobody asked about your medications, health history or what’s actually IN those supplements.

🚩 Water depletion. Period.
Muscles need water to look full. If your coach is dehydrating a natural athlete to look “drier,” they do not understand basic physiology. I’ve literally seen a coach backstage spritz water into an athlete’s mouth instead of letting them drink.

🚩 “Cheat meals”
Narrative matters. We cheat on tests, taxes and spouses....not our goals. A planned refeed meal can have a purpose. An all-you-can-eat weekly free-for-all does not.

🚩 “Eat whatever you want for a week after your show”
Post-show is when athletes often need MORE structure and support....not abandonment.

🚩 Rigid meal plans with zero flexibility
And if “because I said so” is the explanation....that’s a problem.

🚩 Telling you what division or show you HAVE to compete in
A coach should guide you based on your physique and goals....but it is still YOUR body and YOUR experience.

🚩 Taking days to respond....or ghosting completely
Boundaries are fine. Disappearing during prep is not.

🚩 Only caring about scale weight
Sleep, stress, digestion, hormones, recovery and performance matter too.

🚩 Telling instead of teaching
You should understand WHY you’re doing what you’re doing.

And finally....

🚩 Tilapia.

Just no. 😂

If something sounds extreme or doesn’t make sense....ASK WHY.

Ask for the reasoning.
Ask for the science.
Ask what the goal is.

A good coach should never be threatened by an educated athlete.

Natural bodybuilding should challenge you....not require you to abandon common sense.

Build better athletes....not just leaner bodies.

𝟐𝟏 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫....𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐈𝐬 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡

We used to be one of the biggest teams backstage. We aren't anymore.

After 21 years of coaching natural bodybuilding and 30+ years in health and fitness....I’m actually proud of why.

Because somewhere along the way, I realized I didn't want to simply build a bigger roster.

I wanted to build better athletes.

CSA coaching isn't just macros or meal plans, cardio and getting lean enough to step on stage.

I coach the whole athlete....mind AND body.

Nutrition. Training. Recovery. Sleep. Digestion. Stress. Posing. Mindset. Peak week. Show day. Post-show.

No rigid tilapia-and-asparagus meal plans.
No "good" and "bad" foods.
No punishment cardio.
No cookie-cutter programming.

There IS structure.
There IS accountability.
There IS consistency.
And there ARE results.

But my goal is bigger than a placement.

I want to leave every athlete better than I found them....more knowledgeable, more confident, more resilient and with a relationship with the bodybuilding lifestyle that extends far beyond how they look on stage.

My job is to teach you to fish....not tell you to eat fish.

I want you to understand WHY we do what we do, not blindly follow instructions because "coach said so."

Could I coach a roster of 100+ athletes?

Maybe.

Could I coach 100+ athletes the way I believe athletes deserve to be coached?

Hard No!

That distinction matters to me.

I don't need CSA to be the biggest team backstage anymore.

I want it to be the team where you are never just another check-in, another transformation photo or another athlete in the lineup.

21 years later....I still believe coaching should actually involve coaching.

The whole athlete. Every time.

I’m currently accepting a limited number of competition athletes who are looking for exactly this level of coaching.

If you want more than a meal plan and cardio.... if you want to understand the process, be coached as a whole athlete, as an active participant in your own results, and build something that lasts well beyond prep or the stage....there may be a place for you at CSA.

www.centerstageathleticscoaching.com

Happy Studio Sunday!

It is Sunday right?

Schedule has been crazy 🤪 😜 and I'm finding it difficult to juggle all my different "careers".... my mind and body literally slammed on the brakes yesterday afternoon and I thought for sure I was getting sick.

I listened to what it was saying and instead of "all the other things I needed to do I decided to sit on the couch instead.

Full disclosure... I was still working... technically.... but at least my body rested.

In bed by 8... up at 5.. and ready to take on a full day of clients.

Still pretty tired but better than I was. Glad I rested a bit instead of pushing it!

In January, John and Jessica started this journey with a goal of stepping on stage for the very first time.

This weekend, they’ll do exactly that at the OCB Liberty Natural—Jessica in Wellness and John in Men’s Physique.

And while they’ve each lost more than 35 lbs, these photos only tell a small part of the story.

Over the last eight months, I’ve watched them become stronger physically, mentally, and even stronger together.

They navigated a military retirement, a bachelor’s degree, a move, work, life—and an entire contest prep at the same time. And through ALL of it, these two showed up.

No complaining. No excuses. They embraced every part of this process and just kept doing the work.

What I love most is where they are mentally three days out. Both have told me how incredibly proud they are of what they’ve accomplished. They feel great. They’re in the best shape of their lives. And they're walking onto that stage knowing they gave this everything they had.

That right there is the win.

Placements are fun. Hardware is fun. But none of it can measure what it took to become the people who will walk onto that stage Saturday.

I couldn't be more excited for these two to have their moment.

Now we just get to go show off all that work.

10 days. OCB Liberty Natural. Let’s GO.

📣 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄!

A quick schedule change for our upcoming Center Stage Athletics + Team CSFP posing classes:

👉 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟑 ➡️ 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎

📆 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎 | 𝟏𝟏:𝟎𝟎 𝐀𝐌–𝟏𝟐:𝟎𝟎 𝐏𝐌
📆 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟒 | 𝟏𝟏:𝟎𝟎 𝐀𝐌–𝟏𝟐:𝟎𝟎 𝐏𝐌

These classes are open to ALL WOMEN’S DIVISIONS and ALL EXPERIENCE LEVELS, whether you’re preparing for your first show, coming back for another season, or just want to sharpen your stage presentation.

𝐊𝐔 (𝐊𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐃 𝐔𝐏 𝐅𝐈𝐓𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒)
𝟏𝟏𝟒 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐰𝐚𝐲
𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐌𝐃 𝟐𝟎𝟕𝟎𝟏

💲𝟓𝟎 𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧

Space is limited and you must register in advance.

Come pose with pros with 21 years of experience in the sport of bodybuilding and get hands-on help with everything from the basics to the little details that can make a BIG difference on stage.

Register here:
https://www.wellnessliving.com/schedule/csa

𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐘 𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐊 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐀

Hana originally came to me as a posing client, but not long after, she found herself in a coaching situation where the support simply wasn’t there. She was being handed very restrictive meal plans, doing fasted cardio, and trying to figure out far too much on her own when what she really needed was a coach who was present, paying attention, and willing to adjust the plan based on her body and her progress.

She decided she wanted something different, trusted me to take over her full prep, and we got to work.

Since then, we’ve focused on fueling her better, training with purpose, using cardio strategically, and creating a plan that actually supports both performance and progress. These before-and-after photos show just how much can change when hard work is matched with the right structure, communication, and coaching support.

This Saturday, Hana will step on stage for the very first time in the Wellness division at the OCB Presidential Cup.

I’m so proud of how far she has come, but even more proud of the way she kept showing up, trusted the process, and continued moving forward. Now it’s time to enjoy peak week, bring the package we built, and let all that work shine on stage.

First show. Wellness debut. Let’s go, Hana.

𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐓 𝐀 "𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐋"

I’ve had clients come to me talking about the “cheat meals” their coaches give them, or asking me, “When will I get a cheat meal?”

And every single time, I cringe.

My response is always the same: 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

We cheat on tests, spouses, and taxes. We do not cheat on our goals, our health, or our bodies. 😳😜

𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐚 “𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭” 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠. 𝐈𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 “𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝” 𝐨𝐫 “𝐛𝐚𝐝,” 𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧, 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠.

A meal can be higher in calories. It can be untracked. It can be something you choose because you are celebrating, traveling, connecting with people, or simply enjoying your life. That does not make it cheating.

𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞—𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭.

There may be caloric or digestive tradeoffs, but there does not need to be guilt, punishment, restriction, or extra cardio to “make up for it.”

One meal does not ruin your progress. The all-or-nothing behavior that often follows it can do far more damage.

So no, you will never hear me prescribe a “cheat meal.”

We make informed choices, enjoy the experience, and move forward.

Follow me for more honest, evidence-based coaching advice that supports both your goals and your relationship with food.

Interested in coaching with someone that understands mindset and our goals actually work? Let's chat.

www.centerstageathleticscoaching.com