Background Information:
Ryne is a Head Trainer for Burn Boot Camp in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Burn Boot Camp was built around creating a community of fit women and mothers. Burn Boot Camp is also a franchise with locations all over the United States. The workout consists of mostly circuit training and the class sizes can range anywhere from 1 woman to 55 women.
When did you start working in the field?
Ryne has been working at Burn Boot Camp for about a year and a half. Before this career, Ryne was working one on one with clients, catering to their sport specific needs. He was mainly working with high school and elementary age athletes in baseball and football. Ryne was a Professional football player for the Carolina Panthers for 3 years; therefore, he is extremely intelligent in this area! Due to a knee injury, Ryne was forced to retire his pro football career, but wanted to help others reach their full fitness potential and remain in the fitness industry as well.
Why did you start working in the field?
Ryne started working in the field when he was unable to continue playing football for the Panthers. He wanted to be active and pass on the knowledge and skills he had learned through his time in the NFL. In addition, he wanted to prove to all of the women who didn’t believe in themselves or didn’t think they could reach their full potential, that they can do it!
What is the biggest challenge for you as a personal trainer?
Ryne believes that the hardest part about his job is client retention. He explained that he invests so much time in people, and he knows that they are capable, but mental insecurities stop them from moving forward in their fitness journey. People tend to not believe in themselves, and that is a challenging barrier to overcome.
What is your biggest accomplishment in the fitness industry?
Ryne believes that his biggest accomplishment is the community of women he’s built over the past year. Several of the women he has worked with have lost up to 70 pounds, and are still continuing on their fitness journey. He explained that not only are they moving forward in their health, but in other capacities as well. He also explained that whether he is instructing a one-person class or a 50-person class, he still knows everyone’s name, any injuries they may have, and their fitness strengths. He believes that his biggest accomplishments are seeing his clients accomplish their goals.
What advice would you give to people thinking about a career in fitness?
Ryne explained that for those who want to start their career in fitness, it’s important to know that it’s all about how hard you are willing to work. He explained that you have to build from the ground up and also have to be willing to put in long hours. In addition, being in the fitness industry, it becomes a lifestyle that you have to live and breathe. You can’t be eating unhealthily or acting in ways that don’t align with what you’re preaching to clients.
Who was your biggest influence when you were starting your career in fitness?
Ryne’s biggest influence was the CEO and founder of Burn Boot Camp, Devan Kline. Ryne and Devan didn’t know it at the time, but they played in the same baseball conference in college. However, when they met later in life, Ryne adapted to his mentality and his ability to keep growing. Devan started in a small gymnastics studio and now owns a multimillion dollar business. Ryne hopes to build his own following and to contribute to “Burn Nation” as much as Devan did.
What is the most rewarding aspect of your career?
Ryne explained that the most rewarding part about his job is seeing the smiles on the faces of the women he impacts. He told me a story about how one of his clients came to him one day explaining that her husband commented on how baggy her jeans have gotten. It’s the little things that go a long way in his career. In addition, he had a woman who suffered from Diabetes, but after training with him for a few months, her condition went away and she no longer needed her medication. Therefore, Ryne finds the most rewarding parts of his job are when his clients achieve their goals.
Ryne believes that fitness is a lifestyle. Although it might sound cliché, if you want anything bad enough, you have to follow your dreams. You never know where life will take you but you never want to know “what could have been” down the road.
