Our Mission

We believe the fitness industry is broken. Our mission is to fix that. We suffer from information overload. There are just too many options, too much conflicting advice, and way too much pseudo-science floating around the internet. This leads to the dreaded “paralysis by analysis”; we get overwhelmed and therefore do nothing. 3 Pillars Fitness aims to cut through all that and give you a clear path forward. At the same time, we believe fitness is inclusive, so we foster a vibrant, supportive community at our gym. We are all chasing our goals, but everyone is at a different stage. We choose to embrace that.

We understand your fitness goals are important to you, and our job is to help you along the way. Our trainers have a combined 50 years in training experience and we are all lifetime fitness enthusiasts and athletes. It is a fact that fitness isn’t a 30 day challenge, a 45 minute bootcamp, a one size fits all solution. It is a process. A life changing process. And you must trust the process. Our 3 Pillars of Fitness, Strength, Nutrition and Recovery are there to guide you through the clutter and give YOU a clear mission. What that means is, your mission is our mission, and yes, we choose to accept it.

Our Guiding Principles

Simplicity

At the heart of any good workout plan is simplicity. Basic exercises, like strength training with compound exercises and a few targeted accessory movements will drive progress. You do not have to reinvent the wheel every time you walk into a gym, try an new exercise you saw on Instagram or “mix it up”. You do not need more. You need less. Keep it simple and sustainable, and the results will follow.

Intensity

Intensity matters. If you hit an exercise with only a half effort, you will get less than half of the results. If any. Every exercise, every set, every rep matters. Now we don’t throw safety out the window, we push ourselves to do a little better than before. We can add a bit of weight, add another rep or improve our techniques. This all will work to increase intensity safely. Intensity comes from within. It is you versus you. Always.

Consistency

Consistency is your super power. Whether its hitting your weekly workouts, your daily nutrition, or your sleep quality, they will all move the needle if done consistently. Interestingly enough, 80% consistency has been proven to be a sweet spot for most people to see results. So no need to beat yourself up if you miss a workout, eat a slice of cake, or have a bad sleep. Just get back on track and keep going.

Meet our Founder

Hi there. My name is Jamey Merkel and I founded 3 Pillars Fitness to change the fitness industry. To change your life. But it all started with changing mine. Let me tell you my story.

My professional background is in hospitality management, tech startups, and the wine and spirits industry. I am not going to lie to you, I had a very unhealthy lifestyle. My work required long hours, extensive travel, hotel stays, airplane food, dining out, going to bars, drinking alcohol, and generally leading the most unhealthy lifestyle imaginable. Not surprisingly, I grew fat and weak.

Then I had a wakeup call. During one of my annual corporate health screenings, the doctor came back with bad news. I was clinically obese, my blood work was all off, my liver was suffering, my cholesterol was high and a host of other issues. My doctor looked at me, and god bless him, told me that my lifestyle was unsustainable. I was 42. If I kept on the path I was on, I was at risk for several chronic diseases and I was not going to enjoy my 50’s and 60’s at all. I have 2 young daughters that I want to watch grow up, a loving family and a strong will. I set out to change.

I started going to the gym, hired my first personal trainer and through lots of trial and error, got my life on track. It didn’t happen overnight, it took years. But I did it. I became obsessed with health and fitness. I trained Muay Thai for 4 years. I went to the gym regularly. I began eating healthy food. My obsession grew to the point where I became a certified personal trainer, nutrition coach and certified strength and conditioning coach. My desire to help others achieve what I achieved was undeniable. And here we are. Almost 10 years later and I have dedicated my life to fitness, to helping others. And I want to help you.

Yours in health,

Jamey Merkel

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