Lft Quality of Life Article
What Makes Eric Henry Qualified to Be Your Coach?
It is not one degree, one certification, or one life experience. It is everything that taught me how to meet people where they are and help them become the strongest version of themselves.
So… what makes me qualified to be your coach?
Well, it has nothing to do with me learning discipline through sports at a young age. I was never the most naturally talented athlete, but through hard training I became competitive in every sport I played, from lacrosse to wrestling.
Or being 5’9″ and earning a spot on a Division 1 college football team where we learned how to win, eventually bringing home an NEC Championship.
It has nothing to do with graduating with a 3.74 GPA in Exercise Science, becoming a Certified Exercise Physiologist, a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, and a Healthy Eating and Weight Loss Specialist.
Or working in cardiac rehabilitation, where I helped people regain the confidence to JustMove after heart attacks, stent placements, bypass surgeries, and other cardiac events. Every session I monitored their EKG in real time to make sure they were exercising safely while rebuilding the confidence to trust their bodies again.
Or working alongside some of the best trainers at Big Sky Fitness, where I learned what true functional training really looks like. Spending more than 10,000 hours coaching people face to face on the training floor taught me how to coach movement, recognize compensation patterns, correct form in real time, and adapt exercises to the individual standing in front of me. That hands-on experience is what allows me to confidently coach people virtually today.
Injuries Taught Me Empathy
It has nothing to do with football leaving me with severe back pain at 22 years old, breaking my ankle, wrist, and hip, tearing my knee, having surgery on both shoulders, or surviving multiple abdominal surgeries.
Or force-feeding myself every meal for eight years to play football, then finding myself over 230 pounds after shoulder surgery and losing the weight through proper nourishment.
Or spending nearly a month in a hospital bed receiving fourteen blood transfusions, losing 60 pounds, and still forcing myself to walk one lap every day because I refused to let my circumstances decide my future.
Or learning that StayStrong is not about muscle. When I had no muscle left to hide behind, the only strength I had left was my mindset.
It has nothing to do with doctors not always having the answers, having my entire colon removed, or living with an autoimmune disease. Those experiences taught me that the foundation of every nutrition plan is nourishment, and that we are all dealt a different hand in life. Our job is to play them the best we can.
Or Covid shutting down in-person training and forcing me to adapt. Virtual coaching became another way to reach people who still needed guidance, accountability, and someone in their corner. It also taught me that many people simply do not have the time to drive to a gym, while others just need the confidence of a coach helping them through the process.
Every experience gave me more knowledge. Every setback gave me more empathy. Together, they taught me how to coach the whole person, not just the workout.
But…
It has everything to do with understanding that what you cannot do today is simply your limiting factor. With a plan to consistently strengthen your weakest link, we build the strongest version of you.
Some people are recovering from injuries. Some are recovering from surgery. Some want to lose weight. Some want to build muscle. Some want more energy. Some simply want to keep up with their kids or grandkids. Others just want to feel better, be healthier, become stronger, and be more capable for whatever opportunities life puts in front of them.
That is why it always begins with one question:
What can you do?
Because that is where we
START
.
Small habits = Big Wins!
That is what Lft has always been about.
JustMove. EatWell. StayStrong.
BePartOfTheMovement.
If you’ve read this far, you’re probably not looking for another random workout. You’re looking for someone who understands where you’re starting. That is exactly why I built Lft.
Ready to Find Your Limiting Factor?
Your limiting factor is simply the one thing holding you back the most right now. Together we’ll identify it, build a plan around it, and work on it consistently until it is no longer the thing holding you back.
You do not need to be perfect. You just need somewhere to start.
The goal has never been to create the strongest athlete. The goal is to create the strongest version of you.
