Today we’d like to introduce you to Ray Nixon.
Hi Ray, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am a certified personal trainer, nutrition coach and professional basketball player with over a decade of training experience. Being the skinny, big foot, lanky guy practically my entire life, who would have thought that health & fitness would become one of my biggest passions?
All my life I’ve played sports! At any given time you could find me in a field or on a court. I was even blessed with a 4 year, Division 1 scholarship to play basketball for the University of Wisconsin (Badgers). I turned that into a 14 year professional basketball career internationally. So one would think that basketball and fitness goes hand in hand right? Wrong! I hated training & working out. I slacked off if the coaches weren’t around, & you couldn’t pay me to eat healthy & maintain a consistent work ethic required of athletes.
I began personal training in 2012 during the middle of my pro career in Kyoto, Japan. I was hell bent on enhancing my own performance on and off the court. I studied the most efficient ways to improve physically and psychologically. I began repairing and rebuilding my own body which helped me prevent injuries, vast improvements in my mobility and flexibility, and extend my basketball career for over 17 years now…and counting!
Since then, I have helped other professional athletes, corporate professionals, elderly, pregnant women, retired veterans & average joes alike, transform their bodies and sustain healthier lifestyles. I challenge clients to understand that the habitual choices we make DAILY, is what ultimately determines the type of lives we live. What I find to be true in coaching is that most people seeking help, struggle not with the information on how to live healthier, but rather how to apply it. That is where I come in!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Nothing about my journey has been smooth! Although one may think the life of a pro athlete is all glitz & glamour, let me be the first to tell you that it is more than meets the eye. Playing pro ball internationally brings upon various sacrifices you have to make just to survive. Getting adjusted to a different way of living, food, housing, language barrier and in most cases without your family. The love of game kept me grounded. But I would be lying if I said there were times early into my career I wanted to pack up and move back home.
It’s even more difficult to thrive as a personal trainer in a field that’s so saturated and lacks integrity. How can help people without sacrificing my morals and values or conforming to what the latest new trend are? Where do I get clients, how much should I charge without devaluing my level of service and experience and not needing them to take out a loan in the process, early mornings, late nights, mind numbing repetitive schedules…Is this the life I really want for myself? The feeling of knowing I was instrumental in people changing their lives for the better are far more rewarding than the mess that goes into it.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
No Excuses Training is more than sets and reps, protein bars and healthy shakes. It is a mindset that helps people get out of their OWN way! I specialize in creating “SUSTAINABLE” habits & healthier lifestyles for on the go professionals over 30.
Why ages of 30+? What happens to almost everyone once we hit our 30s…stuff begins to hit the fan! Your body and health starts to slowly decline. Things don’t work the way they used to, right? I’ve seen so many of my peers, family, friends & colleagues let a busy life and family destroy their health! And not because they didn’t want to maintain a healthy active lifestyle, but more often than not…they just didn’t know how? People don’t have a shortage of information, they have a problem applying it. That’s where I help bridge that gap for them.
So if I told you that in just a few short months, I could transform your body to becoming fitter, stronger & healthier…”without” all of the dietary restrictions, would that be something that would interest you? Probably so!
And what sets me apart from any other person in my field is my personality, connection, and attention to detail. We HAVE FUN! No one wants to pay premium prices, get their butts kicked and have some stiff, tight ass shouting orders at them 3 days a week. I want my clients to get their desired results but have a once in a lifetime experience while doing so.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
AI is shifting everything online. No one really needs trainers now if I’m being completely honest. But they need that accountability partner and someone to connect with to help them on their journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.raynixontraining.com/
- Instagram: @raynixon_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raynixonnoexcusestraining/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhatsRayUp2
Image Credits
Tony Morales, Weston Richie, Brandon Sims
