Trainer Spotlight – Ryan Kopca

Kopca football

When people see Ryan Kopca they can’t help but notice, the guy is a beast. A semi-pro football player, and former college athlete at Bethel University, Ryan fits the definition of what people think of as a fit guy. With a B.S. in Biokinetics and a minor in Health and Fitness, he has the brains to back it up and help his wide variety of clients see success in reaching their goals.

Ryan’s first exposure to fitness was in his freshman year in high school, when he signed up for the Anoka Football lifting program. He began a total body transformation that led him to become an athletic prodigy. He was featured on ESPN twice for high school athletics as a standout player, and was accepted to Bethel University’s Football Program, where he played while pursuing his Bachelors Degree. However, it wasn’t all fun and success on Ryan’s journey to his career in fitness.

Ryan got a wake up call that would help to shape his approach to Personal Training before the end of his tenure at Bethel. He suffered a tear to his rotator cuff, labrum, and biceps tendon, and was told he would most likely never get back to where he was before surgery. He hit the books and built himself a rehabilitation program for his upper body and shoulder. The first step was becoming pain free, a major obstacle in itself. The second, was getting back to lifting and the strength levels he had before the injury. He recently completed this goal by getting his bench press to 315, and completing an astonishing 75 dips and 30 pullups without rest.

Ryan also has a unique but science backed approach to staying lean and fit. “Something people don’t know about me is that I rarely do traditional cardio. I get my cardio in during fast paced HIIT style resistance training sessions. I also believe that being fit entails a healthy lifestyle that includes both fitness and well as what happens in the kitchen.”

When Ryan is not training clients or hitting the gym, he loves playing football, baseball, and golf, as well as camping, fishing, hiking, and spending time with his one year old son, Keegan.

“The most rewarding thing for me as a Trainer is seeing my clients achieve their goals. Watching them transform and develop a healthier lifestyle and seeing how happy it makes them is the reason why I train.”

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