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I love meeting people that are passionate, driven, and determined. Kyle, one of the entrepreneurs of Focusmaster, is nothing short of this.  Although I’m just an intern here at Overit Media, I had the great pleasure of meeting with Kyle for an interview; I was able to learn more about Focusmaster and his life story on work and fitness.  When I asked Kyle to tell me about “his story” he was able to engage me instantly.  Kyle described his love for fitness and sports, but like many others, he too jumped on the bandwagon of security; after Kyle graduated from Cortland, he got into finance, and although he resided in NYC to work for the renowned company, Morgan Stanley, in the back of his mind, he knew what really made him happy……….fitness.

Kyle grew up playing golf, lacrosse and hockey.  He enjoys pushing and challenging himself beyond his own limits.  Because Kyle was always into sports, typical cardiovascular workouts have never been Kyle’s thing; he said “the treadmill is my enemy”, and hey I sure agree with him, the treadmill is my enemy too! So when Kyle began working in finance, his love for fitness grew even more, because fitness soon became his escape and therapy; he began taking small boxing classes, because to him they were gritty, cool, and different.  These classes even inspired Kyle to incorporate some of the moves he’d learned into the Focusmaster workout program.

Kyle understood the difficulties of staying fit when working 9-5 jobs; this sad reality is what inspired him to develop a unique, quick, and simple workout for those who don’t have much time in their day.  The Focusmaster program is a no thought required type of work out.  When I asked Kyle who this work out benefits the most, he said “it’s really good for guys that have graduated 5-10 years ago from college, who are consumed with work, and have less time to work out “; never did he exclude women from this workout program though; Kyle said “women of all different ages benefit from this program too; they lose inches and they can see it when they wear t-shirts and jeans.”  After Kyle said this, it made me want to try out the program myself!  I haven’t yet, but am sure going to find some time to go to Gold’s Gym where they offer the Focusmaster class.

Nothing drives Kyle more than improving peoples’ lives; it can be changes in healthier lifestyles or simply improving peoples’ athleticism.  Thankfully we have someone who is this driven.  Kyle was able to work up the courage, drop everything, and go for what he loved most.  People thought he was crazy for leaving a fairly secure and successful job in NYC, to work for a startup company.  In his eyes, even though Focusmaster has been a brand for 15 years already, it is still beginning to touch the surface of the fitness industry. Gaining exposure of Focusmaster is one biggest challenge Kyle sees; he says “because the Focusmaster is such a unique product, competition becomes a challenge because the fitness industry is so deep with so many other products out there.  To get our product to be a widely recognized product in a billion dollar industry has its challenges.”  Although widespread exposure on Focusmaster may not happen overnight, Kyle is able to take on this challenge and embrace it; it is this which motivates him to succeed.

So take the rest of your time to read some of the direct Q&A’s I had with Kyle; you’ll all be able to know a little more about Focusmaster by the end of it!

What are the most common misperceptions one has about the Focusmaster workout program?

People often find it intimidating from the outside, so that’s one good thing, because there is that intimidation factor which sets it apart from other programs.  It’s more edgy and it gets people to go out there and engage in something outside their normal workout.   But honestly, it shouldn’t be as intimidating people portray it to be.  In a typical class you’ll see people you wouldn’t initially think would try out the program; and in the end, those that do feel a little more “badass” when they are taking it.

 

What exactly makes the program so effective?

KYLE: The workout incorporates strike training, punches kicks, knees, and elbows, it not just punching air.  You’re working a lot of fast twitch muscle fibers and engaging your body’s stabilizer muscles; it hits muscles neglected in regular strength and cardio training.  These moves are condensed into 30 second circuits, using 30 second intervals, and no matter what exercise or combination you’re doing, whether you like it or not, it’s just a quick 30 seconds and you move on. It fires up the body and takes the mind away from it all.  All in all it’s fun, exciting, and intense.

 

What are some of the advantages of the Focusmaster workout program?  What sets it apart from the other program options out there?

KYLE: The advantage of Focusmaster is that it is a 30 minute, action packed workout.  It’s a workout for people who want to get in and out quickly, and at the same time, to still have a good workout.  It incorporates boxing, kickboxing, and MMA strikes but it’s not overly focused on technique, and you don’t need a partner.  This program has very basic striking and in just one day, anyone can pick up these exercises and strikes, it’s simply a 30 minute kick ass fitness workout. Also, because it is a workout in commercial clubs, we like to establish a group environment with a maximum class of 12 people; with this we are able to build a team atmosphere, and everyone in the class helps to motivate each other.  With this team environment, everyone is able to push each other and give each other a hard time, they can share success, and no one will ever feel intimidated the first class.

 

It’s all about having the correct mindset when working out.  What’s your way to motivate someone?

KYLE: To motivate someone you want to create that right environment.  You want to have great music and a motivating instructor.  We train our instructors in a specific way.  They understand that everyone who joins the class is at a different level; they know each individual’s goals and they push that person.  The 12 individuals may have 12 different personalities and are at 12 different levels; we teach them how to push everyone at different levels.

 

Can you explain one success story that you’ve encountered with a person working out with the Focusmaster program?

KYLE: There was this kid TJ.  He’s 27 years old and he ended up losing 40 pounds in 12 weeks, and he definitely had some weight to lose.  He was a high school athlete, a wrestler who fell out of shape in the 5-7 years after graduating.  TJ’s transformation was one of the biggest and most inspiring, and this proved to me that the program does work. If you stick to it, you’ll get results, and you’ll get better results than any other program out there.