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Exploring Life & Business with Eric Sulzer of MyFitness Butler

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Sulzer. 

Hi Eric, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

Growing up, I always was active playing sports with my family and friends. But it wasn’t until I started lifting weights at 14 that my obsession with fitness started. From that moment on, I was hooked! I was a skinny kid and became fascinated with how lifting weights changed my body and improved my strength. The more I lifted, the more and more my confidence grew. 

Flash forward to 2010, when I discovered CrossFit. I was a middle school history teacher, and I had continued to stay in shape but never seriously or consistently. I first found CrossFit through videos on YouTube, and then I tried to replicate the movements at my local YMCA. It wasn’t until my wife bought me a personal training session at a CrossFit gym for my birthday that I truly experienced what has now become an international movement. I couldn’t believe how challenging it was and, at the same time, how much I didn’t know about fitness. I started going to classes 3-4 times per week and then signed up for a competition at the gym. 

Although I didn’t do very well, I loved the feeling of competing again. I was able to do things I couldn’t have done otherwise. The more I competed, the better I got. So, I decided to learn as much about functional fitness as I could and got my coaching certifications. I began coaching 3-4 nights a week while I was still teaching during the day. The longer this went on, the more I fell in love with helping others get in shape and feeling better about themselves. The turning point happened when a colleague of mine asked if I could train her at her house. I decided to give it a try. It went so well that she referred me to one of her friends; at that point, I knew I had something. 

In 2015, after much thought and consideration, I decided to leave my teaching job and start my own mobile fitness training company. I decided to call it MyFitness Butler because I wanted people to feel like they could receive a superior level of service in the convenience of their home compared to what they would get at a gym. As my business grew, and I saw the need for companies to use fitness to help their employees get and stay healthy and therefore reduce insurance costs, I began taking on corporate clients as well. This led to me developing an online program for employees that I would later use for individual clients. People liked it so much that currently, 70% of my clients are online. 

The most satisfying part of my work is knowing that I am helping people live better, healthier lives. I am excited to get up each day and plan to continue doing what I do as long as I can. 

 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?


Switching from mostly in-person clients to all online clients during the lockdown was challenging at first. Fortunately, I already was using my app for live video workouts, so I had the infrastructure and processes in place to switch everyone fairly quickly. As a result, a number of my clients chose to stick with the online option based on the ease and convenience it provided. 

 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business?


I’ve been in business since 2015, offering fitness coaching/personal training both in-person (at my client’s home or office) and online (live video workouts) through my MyFitness Butler app. What makes my training unique is I’ve developed a program based on proven functional fitness principles… I call it “Life Strong.” It’s about building strength while teaching someone how to perform everyday activities efficiently and safely while improving longevity. For example, teaching my clients how to deadlift makes lifting household objects, such as a full laundry basket, easier and safer. 

All workouts in my program are centered around five core movements: Push, Pull, Squat, Hinge, and Rotate. They are highly individualized based on the person’s abilities and experience level, and as a result, my clients are able to get in great shape by doing just three 30-minute workouts per week. In addition, I also use heart rate data during workouts through various tracking devices (Apple watch, Garmin, FitBit, Whoop, etc.) to determine rest breaks and intensity for each client. Clients also receive special recognition for their hard work and consistency when they reach workout milestones such as 100, 300, and 500 workouts completed. 

 

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?

Podcasts: 

The Drive with Peter Attia, MD 

Expert insight on health, performance, longevity, critical thinking, and pursuing excellence. 

Whoop Podcast hosted by Will Ahmed 

Conversations around biometrics 

Apps: 

Whoop 

myWOD 

MyFitness Butler (of course 😉) 

Contact Info:

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