Interview with Colin Stuckert

Success is possible at any age or stage of life, especially for people like Colin Stuckert, who aren’t afraid to take a leap of faith when necessary.

It has only been five years since Stuckert first started Crossfit and he is the already founder and co-owner of The Training Box, a successful gym in Fort Myers, FL.

With a passion for clean eating and leading a healthy, fit life, he strives to offer others the tools to change their lives as well.

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Tell our community about yourself and how you first became involved in the fitness industry (specifically CrossFit).

My first exposure to fitness was when I was 14 and I started playing racquetball with some friends at a local park. Around the same time, I enrolled in Tae Kwon Do to fulfill my dreams of becoming the white Bruce Lee.

I played racquetball 3-5 times a week, got better, and started playing with a group of older guys that were on a completely different level. I had many fundamental flaws in my game yet I was able to hang, and even sometimes win games because of my speed and my determination.

I could outrun and outperform more technically advanced players because I was fueled to win by sheer determination.

I’ve learned over the years that hard work and perseverance are the keys to achieving anything. Even the most talented player in the world has to get off his ass and do work to be able to compete with players that are working harder than he is.

I joined my first gym (Gold’s Gym) when I was 16.  I did the standard bodybuilding-copy-the-big-guys exercises.

I did a ton of reading online about training, nutrition, and all that. I came across a Men’s Health article on the ‘300 workout’ for the movie 300. There was a tiny link to CrossFit.com near the end of the article.

After clicking that link, I stayed up until 6 am watching videos and reading up on CrossFit. I was so intrigued and confused. I remember watching the nasty girls video and a week later I signed up for a level 1 certification in Fort Lauderdale, FL. I had no clue what I was getting myself into.

That weekend was life-changing. When I walked in the warehouse gym I remember thinking to myself, “I could do this.”

Two years later I opened The Training Box after training friends and family in my garage for a year. I’ve been CrossFitting for about five years now and a gym owner for three.

I get to help people on a regular basis and I love to teach people new things. The most rewarding part of being in this industry is that you can literally change people’s lives.

You are giving them the gift of a longer and better life. Of course, they have to do the work and their results are up to them, but I’ve found that often times people just need some accountability and support to stay on course.

That is where the power of the CrossFit community comes in. We are improving and helping each other.

You not only own a franchise of NRgize Lifestyle Café, but also have built a CrossFit gym from the ground up. Looking back on your journey of entrepreneurship, is there anything you would have done differently?

I don’t like to think in terms of regrets. I think that is a fault that people have and is also a contributor to fear of future failure or the fear of having future regrets.

If you spin any ‘failure’ or ‘mistake’ into a learning lesson then there are no regrets. Everything that happens is there for you to learn and grow from.

Problem is, most people don’t look at it like this. They say to themselves “I wish” or “if only” and other pointless negative talk.  You can’t change the past.

But you can absolutely change the way your mind perceives it. Train your mind to find opportunity in everything.

With that being said, I would definitely have spent less money. I would have held my tongue a few times. I would have forced myself to read even more than I did. I would have bootstrapped more.

What is your favorite meal to cook?

This is a tough one because I love food so much and the variety of it. Ok, it came to me: homemade tacos (or any homemade Mexican). I love Mexican cuisine because it celebrates fresh and natural ingredients.

It is also a relatively simple cooking style because of this (except moles).

You’ve accomplished more than most people do in a lifetime, and you’re still in your 20’s. What are your future aspirations?

It really comes down to hard work. You have to single-mindedly focus on achieving goals and work over and over until you reach them (then set new ones). I like setting small goals that lead to bigger ones. That way each time I accomplish one more goal, it is like taking a step to another rung on a ladder.

It is mentally rewarding to accomplish these small goals, and I am also accomplishing something bigger as I move toward the bigger picture goal.

Goals should be very specific and broken down. You need to see your target clearly and the small steps that are going to get you there.

A goal like “lose 10 pounds” should be broken down into small actionable tasks such as: eat out no more than twice a week, drink 1 glass of water before each meal, count to 10 before each bite, etc.

Then you set a deadline and break that down. 30 days to lose 10 pounds. That is 1/3 pound a day or 1 pound every 3 days.  Now follow your actionable steps so you can reach 1 pound every 3 days or ~2.5 pounds per week.

Now you have focus and an actionable plan to get there. Instead of saying I’m going to lose 10 pounds in a month: ready…GO! What the heck are you going to do now? That kind of general goal-setting doesn’t work.

This is what people don’t understand about reaching goals and successful people in general. They think successful people just get lucky and that things fall in their lap.

Just how they assume their goals will magically happen. They fail to realize that the only reason a goal is a worthwhile endeavor is because it is FREAKING HARD to get.

If it were easy, it wouldn’t be a goal in the first place. Yet people blindly set goals with no real plan or idea of what it is going to take. They think they want the result, but aren’t willing to put in the work or sacrifice to get that result.

As far as my goals go, I have plans to expand my personal brand online and I hope to reach people that need help with their health and fitness.

I see so much BS in this industry and I like to cut through the crap and give people what works in the simplest way possible. Food is the single most important ingredient to ANY FITNESS OUTCOME.

I need to help people realize this and what they can do about it. You aren’t going to get abs or a tight butt by running, stair stepping, or sit-ups. It isn’t going to happen. OMG really? Yes really. Stop kidding yourself. You are what you eat. Period.

What advice would you give to someone who has that urge, but is afraid to “act”?

• Start reading up on stoicism and mindfulness.  This will help you control your thoughts and emotions.  It will help you curb fear
• Breakdown your fear and analyze it. Try to understand what you are afraid of
• Write or draw it out, make a diagram, paint it.  You would be amazed by the insight you can gain by doing more than just ‘thinking’ about something
• Ask for honest feedback and listen/take notes

I remember talking with a friend of mine that was about to graduate from med school and start her residency.  She was scared of all the debt she was going to have.  She was worried she would never pay it off.

What will happen if you can’t pay your debt?

I’ll owe money and lose money to interest?  Ok so?

I’ll get sent to collections and it will ruin my credit? Ok so?

I won’t be able to buy a house or a car? Ok so?

That sucks! Ok so?

Will you be alive? Yes.

Will you be healthy? Yes – physically anyway.

Will you starve? No.

Will you live on the streets? No.

Will you have a medical degree and experience? Yes.

Who told you to be afraid of debt? I don’t know.

Do you think you would be able to figure a solution? Probably.

Will you have friends and family to support you? Yes, absolutely!

Then WTF are you worried about? Honestly, no freaking clue.