“Strong First” Certified Trainer Ryan Carpenter prides himself on building a fun and safe environment geared towards helping people push forward to meet their health and wellness goals through Kettlebell workouts. A gym inside a gym, Carpenter uses space inside of Atlas Jiu Jitsu & MMA, at 110 Main street in South Glens Falls, in the Midtown Plaza.
Ryan’s dedication and passion for the Kettlebell workout was born out of his own personal struggles: when Ryan left active duty with the United States Marine Corps in 1997, he struggled to keep in shape. It wasn’t until he chose sobriety that he found a new passion for working out.
In 2012, he decided to get sober because he really wasn’t feeling like himself: “My whole family history is riddled with alcohol issues. I lost my mother when I was 11. Then, what really turned me to getting healthy was that I lost my brother, father and grandmother all in the same year. My father died suddenly from a blood clot in his lung, my brother died of alcoholism six months later, and then my grandmother died later that year. And those were the three people who stood by me when I was getting sober… That drove me to get healthy. I just want to be around. I have two step-kids, that are my kids. I’ve been in their lives since they were four and three, so they are my kids. I believe in leading by example and the way my life was I wasn’t leading by example. So I needed to change; so I changed” Ryan said.
At first, Ryan struggled… He replaced alcohol with sugar, and that only added to his weight. Ryan then began a slow approach, incorporating light workouts and a changed diet with smarter choices… With this, Ryan began to lose weight, and he saw his training evolve.
The Kettlebell workouts really appealed to Ryan because they were so effective in working the entire body – the low impact on the joints, the improvement to his strength and conditioning, and the weight loss were all undeniable.
Ryan completed his Strong First Kettlebell Certification in July of 2020… In five years, he had gone from morbidly overweight to the strongest, healthiest, and happiest he has ever been. Now, Ryan’s goal with Simple Strength and Conditioning is to build a community and create a fun and safe workout for others, to help them achieve similar results.
Simple Strength and Conditioning opened in July of 2021, and just keeps growing… Ryan and his wife Cara put the time and effort into rehabbing an under-utilized area of the Atlas Jiu Jitsu & MMA Gym. Ryan and Cara were able to create a space where Ryan could oversee the workouts of his clients: “We started with seven people, and that was enough to pay the rent. Then as word of mouth got out, we’ve gotten more and more people, and 90% of the people who try the Kettlebell workout stay in the program” Ryan said.
The Kettlebell workout appeals to all ages – Ryan’s clientele range in age from 13 to 74.
Ryan attributed the success of the Kettlebell workout to the offset weight: “The Kettlebell is an offset weight, so your body naturally has to work. The weight creates resistance and naturally works your core… What we concentrate on here is good, quality reps, and rest. It’s important to show people the proper way to do things, proper breathing techniques, preserving muscle, staying loose and stretching” Ryan said.
When structuring the cost of the classes, Ryan once again draws from his personal experience: “ I remember where I came from. I remember that I was struggling, and I didn’t have a lot of money for a membership, and I wanted to get in shape but I didn’t want to break the bank… And that is what I want to offer people” he said. The classes are an hour long, and include instruction; the workout is about 45 minutes.
- The first class is free!
- “Drop-In” classes are $15.
- A five-class package is $70.
- A 10-class package is $140.
- The Unlimited Monthly package is $110, and with that, you can come to class as often as you like.
Teachers, first responders, and service members both former and active qualify for a discount. For more information, visit www.simplestrengthconditioning.com
