OPEX Gyms

Every OPEX fitness program starts with an assessment and consultation to personalize your journey.



Before you begin training in an OPEX gym you undergo a comprehensive Body, Move, Work assessment to determine what the program will be.

In Body we look at bodyfat, muscle mass, weight, and water content.

In Move we dive into you mobility, flexibility, and strength.

And in Work we put you through 10 minute aerobic test to set a baseline.

Given these results we can customize workouts to not only match your current ability but take you where you want to go in fitness with a plan.

How much you need to eat to support your fitness goals depends on a number of factors! Understanding how your body burns energy throughout the day is a helpful starting point.

🔥 Basal Metabolic Rate - The calories that your body burns at rest, necessary to support proper functioning. Your BMR is surprisingly high, often accounting for around 70% of total energy expenditure.

🔥 Thermic Effect of Food - It takes energy to digest the food you eat. This is known as TEF and is normally around 10% of your BMR.

🔥 Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis - NEAT is the reason we emphasize the importance of being active throughout the day, and this number will vary depending on how much you walk, fidget, and move outside the gym. It can be as high as 15% of your energy expenditure.

🔥 Exercise Energy Expenditure - While exercise is what everyone turns to when they want to burn calories, it actually makes up a very small amount of total energy expenditure (5-10%, with the exception of athletes engaged in a lot of high intensity training).

What lessons can you take from this knowledge? Your body needs a certain amount of calories to survive, daily activity matters, and while exercise only makes up a small amount of energy expenditure, it does have incredible benefits such as building lean mass, supporting healthy hormones and metabolism, and increasing immunity.

For some help understanding the quantity and quality of nutrition that will support your goals, find an OPEX Gym near you.

Get outside today and get some sun! ☀️



One of the simplest ways we can increase immune function, mood, neurological health and digestive health, is by getting exposure to direct sunlight every day.⁠
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☀️ Take 5-20 minute mid day walk break between 11am-3pm⁠
☀️ If possible take your lunch outside⁠
☀️ Ditch your shirt and long pants and get sun on your skin (in appropriate doses)⁠ if you are indoors sit shirtless by your window. ☀️ Take your rower or bike outside⁠
Take advantage of one of nature’s free supplements: sunshine! ☀️

It is well known that when training in the gym, we must have a solid foundation of quality movement before we can move to more complex or heavier exercises. ⁣
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We take this same approach to nutrition.⁣

Rather than skipping ahead to macros and supplements, we honor the basics first.

From eating your veggies to drinking enough water to properly chewing your food, all of these small steps add up to a massive difference (and don't require you to weigh and measure everything you eat!).

Sure, there's a time and place for some people to track macros, but OPEX Coaches look at these 10 areas first.

Ready to nail the basics and reap the benefits? Find an OPEX Gym near you.

Your health is your greatest asset.⁠ And healthcare starts with prevention.
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Your physical body has to be nurtured so that you can make the most out of your life, whether that means showing up for your family, reaching your career goals, or having the energy to adventure.⁠
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Your most valuable possession shouldn’t be trusted to just anyone and deserves more than a one-size-fits-all approach.⁠ You wouldn't accept a one-size-fits-all approach from your doctor, and the same should be true for your preventative healthcare provider—your coach!
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Put your health in the hands of an expert coach—one who assesses you and tailors your program to meet your individual needs and goals.⁠
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Don’t settle for anything less.⁠
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Find an OPEX Gym near you and receive your personalized exercise, lifestyle and nutrition program.

OPEX Coaches take the time to prescribe individual workouts based on where the client is currently at, and their goals. There is intention behind every exercise and movement.



​​Intention behind every movement is crucial to reach your goals. ⁠
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Intention + Exercise = Dose Response⁠

Fitness is the best comprehensive health insurance on the market.⁠
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By investing in a coach at an OPEX Gym, you’re setting yourself up for: ⁠
➡️ Better stress management and reduced risk of depression⁠
➡️ Stronger bones and muscles⁠
➡️ Reduced risk of some cancers⁠
➡️ Reduced risk of heart diseases⁠
➡️ Stable blood sugar and insulin levels⁠
➡️ Improved cognition ⁠
➡️ Better sleep⁠
➡️ Better libido and relationships⁠
➡️ Longevity and independence⁠
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Focus on your fitness now and you’ll reap the benefits for a lifetime!⁠
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Find an OPEX Gym near you.

Let’s face it, we humans are social creatures. Even the most perfect, personalized fitness program falls short without a supportive network. It’s our communities that bring OPEX Gyms to life and create a fun environment for you to thrive in.



Smile High Club

Progress in the fitness world is typically measured by lifting heavier, losing pounds or running faster.

At OPEX Gyms, we look beyond just the barbell, the scale and the timer when tracking progress.

Every one of the individuals who trains in our gyms has unique values, goals, and purposes in life, so it makes sense that progress means something different to each one of them.

Whether it's getting 30 minutes more sleep, hiking without getting winded, clearer skin, or better focus at work, all of these lifestyle changes are incredible measures of progress that have the power to change the trajectory of your life!

Let us know in the comments below. What does progress mean to you?

You don’t need to workout in the gym for an hour every day to stay healthy. You just need to get outside and get active!⁠
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Here are a few ideas to increase daily movement:⁠
➡️ Take a few 10-15 minutes walks throughout the day⁠ (we like to start/finish days with walks and schedule them for after meals)
➡️ Take the stairs instead of the elevator⁠
➡️ Park further away⁠
➡️ Schedule walking meetings or take calls while strolling
➡️ Check out YouTube for accessible at-home yoga flows
➡️ Spend 10-15 minutes doing a cooldown walk or bike if you do go to the gym
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Pick one from this list and make it a habit! It’s actually pretty simple to add a bit of movement to your day.⁠
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Tag an accountability buddy in the comments and get moving! 🏃‍♀️⁠

Prioritizing your health and fitness is key to a healthy life. The team at CDA said it best ➡️ We want longevity!



Exercise intention matters.

We're not in this to win points, trophies, and handclaps.

We want Longevity!

If you don't use it, you will lose it. Back, hips, knees, core, shoulders. Higher-order fitness looks like skill-based movement practice you can sustain.

Making healthy habits obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying will make your habits easier to stick with.⁠

Let's say you want to drink more water.

OBVIOUS - set a glass of water on your counter so it's the first thing you see in the morning
ATTRACTIVE - buy a reusable water bottle in a fun color or consider adding citrus or berries to keep it fun
EASY - keep a pitcher in the refrigerator or even invest in a filter tap and carry your bottle everywhere
SATISFYING - track your compliance in CoachRx or other habit tracking apps and enjoy the feeling of ticking it off every day

When setting habits, hold on to what is feasible inside your regular routine and do it everyday. Build on your routine with small, repeatable efforts.⁠
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You’ve heard us say this a lot, and we’ll keep saying it ➡️ Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated every day.

Does your lack of equipment knowledge sometimes keep you from going to the gym? At an OPEX Gym, we’re here to help you, not make you figure it out on your own.



How capable do you feel when you walk into a gym?

A lot of people find gyms intimidating. No shame in that! A gym can be full of confusing contraptions, not to mention overwhelming feelings and a lot of people. The cable machine, dumbbell racks, kettlebells, “rigs”, and cardio equipment will stare at you begging you to come play, but the feeling of embarrassment and lack of knowledge can hold you up from expressing your fitness.

It might seem an insignificant thing, but right off the bat, we ask our clients just how capable they feel in a gym. Their answers vary so much due to individual life experiences, which is a huge factor in how we begin teaching you what is the next best step, and why that step is right for you.

At OPEX Lancaster, one of our coaches' responsibilities is to equip you with key knowledge and skills to feel comfortable walking into any gym, and know exactly how to move to keep your priorities on track.

Fitness should build confidence, invigorate your passion, and support your lifestyle. Join us to find your “fitness with purpose” and true capabilities.

OPEX Gyms are the evolution of personal training.⁠
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As an OPEX Gyms client you get a comprehensive and cost-effective fitness prescription, including:
✅Personalized training programs⁠
✅In-person movement coaching⁠
✅Consultations⁠
✅Nutrition & lifestyle prescriptions⁠
✅Results & metrics tracking⁠
✅Community⁠
✅Travel friendly workouts⁠

Your OPEX Coach will consider your goals, experience, capabilities, and lifestyle to come up with a personalized fitness program.
There's no better path to fitness success than with a program that is designed just for you!
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Experience OPEX Gyms for yourself. Find an OPEX Gym near you.

The phrase “work smarter, not harder” may be a cliche, but it’s advice to heed when approaching your workouts.

It's common to think that feeling exhausted, sweaty, and completely destroyed by a tough workout means faster results.

While in this world of instant gratification, the adrenaline rush and feeling of intensity may make us feel like we're getting fitter, the reality is that this type of effort is rarely sustainable and often ends a results plateau after the first few months.

Heavier, harder and faster is not always best. Sometimes, the best results come from slowing things down, prioritizing technique or moving at a sustainable pace.

Over time, a steady and consistent approach to exercise (in and out of the gym!) always wins.

Let us know in the comments what your values are ⬇️



What are your values?

We believe that in order for us to help you make meaningful long term change to your health, fitness and quality of life, our coaching system must be built upon…

1. A coach-client relationship centered on continuing open and honest conversation.
2. Education and guidance arming you to fend for yourselves over time - not rely on us forever.
3. Complete alignment with your values and priorities to create meaning and fulfillment in the process.
4. An understanding that there is no quick fix - it takes time, mistakes, problem solving, refinement and patience to create practices that will serve you for a lifetime —> transcend.

These values are not simply a collection of words we have in a file somewhere gathering dust - They form the basis of every decision we make...

“Is this enhancing the coach-client relationship?”
“Am I educating and guiding the client towards autonomy?”
“Are we aligned with the client’s value’s and priorities here?”
“Where does this fit big picture, in the long term plan to transcendence?”

We use our values daily to direct us on our mission of guiding you to live YOUR largest life, through the medium of health and fitness.

Sleep-wake cycles are in our DNA.

One of the biggest bang for your buck behaviors for health that you can take is simple.

Sleep with the moon 🌙
Rise with the sun ☀️

In the infographic you can see the relationship between two hormones, melatonin and cortisol, throughout the day and night.

Melatonin should peak in the night time to regulate sleep, while cortisol peaks in the morning to support energy for the day. A consistent sleep schedule that aligns with this rhythm, plus daily exposure to sunshine, will help regulate these important hormones.

Honor your natural circadian rhythm and it will do wonders for your emotional and physical wellbeing!

Stay true to yourself, and keep it simple. 🙌⁠
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[OPEX San Juan]
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The story we tell ourselves about who we are, the limitations we put on ourselves day to day, is the biggest obstacle in the way of your own change...⁠
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You don't need a workout plan, a juice cleanse, another 12 week challenge... you need a Coach to help you navigate long term change.⁠

To get the most out of your workout, you need to focus on what happens during your workout, and what happens in the time leading up to and after your workout.⁠
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So how do you maximize your training?
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Step 1️⃣ Unwind and Unplug: Now is the time to stop thinking about what was stressing you out earlier in the day or yesterday. It’s time to unwind, clear your mind, and get ready to focus on your upcoming workout.⁠
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Step 2️⃣ Set your Intent and Focus: Think what short-term goals will help propel your long-term goals.⁠
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Step 3️⃣ Train, Enjoy, Socialize: When you are in the gym, enjoy the experience of training with a supportive community and remember how exercise enhances your life!⁠
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Step 4️⃣ Cooldown, Reflect, Input Results: The cooldown is a moment of reflection. Taking 5-10 minutes to think about what you learned during your training, what challenges you faced, and how each element affected you is a great way to create alignment between your training, your goals, and your life.⁠
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Step 5️⃣ Fuel, Rest, Recover: Recovery is king when it comes to results. If you’re not recovering, it doesn’t matter what you do in the gym.⁠
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Find a OPEX Gym near you and see how OPEX Coaches can help you maximize your training.⁠

🎉 Get to know Owner of the Month: Brandon Burchfield () from

1️⃣ How many years have you been coaching?
I started my coaching career at the beginning of 2012. Mainly Personal Training and Crossfit classes. My first OPEX Coach and mentor was Ken Crowder. I was his lab rat for all things fitness testing which inspired me to start my OPEX CCP. We also followed the OPT Big Dawgs for a while. All in all a little over 9 years.

2️⃣ How many coaches are on your team?
We have two OPEX Coaches, Kyle, and Braeden. Both have clients and are active floor coaches.

3️⃣ What makes your OPEX gym special?
First off, Coeur d’Alene is top in the nation for year round outdoor sports and activities with endless places to explore. A community of like-minded individuals that continue to challenge themselves and those around them towards their potential.

4️⃣ Who is your ideal client and why?
Our ideal client is 30-45 years old with a passion to inspire others as a leader in their community. One that has multiple outdoor hobbies and has family-oriented values.

5️⃣ What is your best piece of advice for gym owners?
Cultivate what you’ve been given in the moment and steward it well. Really damn well. Be grateful. Don't rush growth. When the world is indulging, you learn the discipline of letting go of comforts, because that's a lost art. You’ll reap a harvest in the long run and that'll be far greater than overnight success.

If you find yourself in Coeur d’Alene be sure to go and visit Brandon at !

We can relate being comfortable with having a fixed-mindset. ⁠Someone with a fixed mindset has set beliefs on who they are and what they are capable of. They impose limitations on themselves by believing they have fixed traits that cannot be changed.⁠
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This could potentially stop you from what you are capable of doing, keeping you from growing and progressing.⁠

At OPEX, we want you to have a growth-mindset, where you accomplish what you are capable of and grow and progress.



“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional” ~ John Maxwell

There’s no such thing as a bad exercise!

Just misaligned prescriptions.

A back squat could be an awesome exercise for one person, and a terrible exercise for another.

Why? Because everyone is unique in their capabilities, their function, and their goals, and the exercises in a workout program need to reflect this!

Blanket statements about good and bad exercises always fall short when they’re not in the context of the person who’s performing them.

That's why at OPEX Gyms, every fitness prescription starts with an assessment. This helps our coaches determine which exercises are best for you, and which ones you might want to avoid.

Ready for your fitness assessment? Find an OPEX Gym near you.

Your time in the gym translates into your day to day life, and we’re not just talking about your physical accomplishments in the gym.



Building confidence in the gym helps you build confidence in your day to day! 💪🏼

We see this in our clients every time they:
✅ Learn a new skill
✅ Learn patience within themselves
✅ Learn they are stronger than they think
✅ Learn that their well-being is important for their family
✅ Reach their goals

Here’s an empowering fact.⁠
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Studies show that 42% of cancer cases could be preventable. Modifiable risk factors that increase the risk of cancers include smoking, excess body weight, alcohol, inactivity, and diets low in fruits and vegetables.⁠
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Knowledge is power, so spread the word by tagging a friend.⁠
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Exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle habits are about so much more than how you look and how much you can lift. We ask that you join us on our mission to help the world live large and long through fitness.

Give us a 🙌 in the comments if you agree!



There’s no replacement for consistency.

It can be difficult to determine how often you should work out. At first it might seem like more is better, but the reality is that you don't have to spend as much time in the gym as you may think!

If you are seeking longevity and health you may only need to work out in the gym 3 times a week. Combine these 3 gym sessions a week with slow aerobic activity on your rest days–such as walks, hikes, and bike rides–and you will be surprised by what you can accomplish.

You don’t need to train in the gym to “work out.” But it is important to move every day!

Some wise words from our team at OPEX Delta ⬇️



FITTER? OR JUST TIRED?

Working hard and getting results are not the same thing!

The endorphins from a sweaty workout may feel great, but an "intensity always" approach is a recipe for burnout.

Consider your last workout-what was the intent? What was the goal of the session and how will you progress it next time? How will you know that you're actually getting fitter? If you don't have the answers now, don't stress. That's what our coaches are here for!

The OPEX Method guarantees that your fitness program evolves with you.⁠
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Consultation: discuss goals, behaviors, and nutrition ⁠
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Assessment: check in on movement patterns, work capacity, and body composition⁠
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Behavior, Nutrition, and Exercise RX: personalized for your goals and starting point⁠
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Consultation: reflecting and optimizing⁠
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…and so on for your entire lifecycle in fitness.⁠
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Find an OPEX Gym near you and experience personalized fitness for yourself.

The “recovery” sector of the fitness industry is worth big bucks.

Every year millions of dollars are spent on recovery supplements and creams, all toting the idea that they will help you recover faster.

The truth is, we believe most recovery tools are overrated.

The good news? Some of the best recovery tools you can use are virtually free.

Click the link below to read our latest blog to see what tools you should avoid and which one you should prioritize.
🔗https://www.opexgyms.com/blog/overrated-vs-underrated-recovery-edition-1

Stay true to yourself, and keep it simple. 🙌



The story we tell ourselves about who we are, the limitations we put on ourselves day to day, is the biggest obstacle in the way of your own change...⁠
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You don't need a workout plan, a juice cleanse, another 12 week challenge... you need a Coach to help you navigate long term change.⁠

Motivation vs. Inspiration: what’s the difference?

Motivation is an extrinsic drive that comes from an outside force. It is an action taken for an external reward or to avoid negative consequences. Examples include losing weight to impress others, working out because it’s what your friends do, or reading a book to look smarter.

Inspiration is an intrinsic drive that comes from within. It is an action taken because it aligns with who you are and what your highest values are. It’s working out because it helps you do everything you love in life, eating healthy foods because they make you feel great, and reading a book because it brings you joy and calmness.

Identifying the difference between motivation and inspiration is key to finding fitness success for life.

Overtraining can lead to symptoms that have nothing to do with the muscles used in the gym that day. ⬇️



​​While a intensity-over-everything approach might work for the short term, in the long term it can cause overtraining and burnout.

Some not-so-fun symptoms of overreaching in the gym include:
❌ Lack of appetite or food cravings
❌ Poor mental acuity and low creativity
❌ Irregular hormones or irregular/no menstrual cycle
❌ Injuries and chronic aches
❌ Low immunity and frequent sickness
❌ Increased body fat and/or decreased muscle mass
❌ Decreased performance and strength
❌ Trouble sleeping, “wired and tired”

Fitness success isn't limited to abs and muscles.

We've got nothing wrong with looking good naked, but there are so many other better measures of success that have nothing to do with aesthetics!

Consistency, autonomy, energy, living large, the freedom to move, and healthy biomarkers—these are just a few of the other great reasons to do fitness.

Start your own journey to fitness success at an OPEX Gym near you.

Slow and steady wins the race. ➡️ ➡️ ➡️ At least that’s what the Tortoise and the Hare taught us growing up.

This mantra still applies to your life today when talking about progress in fitness and health.⁠
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Progress isn’t always about going heavier or harder, or getting to the finish line first. So look beyond the barbell, the scale, and the timer when tracking progress.

Progress can be found in consistency. In the commitment to move, sleep, eat, hydrate, and live in alignment and with integrity, every day. Progress can be found outside the gym. In better energy, a sound night’s sleep, trying a new vegetable, and running alongside your kids.

Progress means something different to each and every one of us.

What does progress mean to you? Let us know in the comments below!

🚨 New Gym Alert 🚨

Welcome our newest OPEX Gym, located in Montreal, QC🇨🇦