Fortunately, some schools today are changing, due to an understanding that we don’t all learn the same way. And in the fitness world, personal trainers are changing too, in an effort to help clients understand what they’re doing in training and find ways to enjoy the process more. AJ Londono and Georgie Boynton, a couple with a fitness business in south Florida, know this all too well, and train their clients—which have included children—with different techniques that not only make working out more effective, but also not something you can sleep through like a junior high biology class.

AJ and Georgie spoke to Shane Heins, Onnit’s Director of Community Engagement, to tell their Onnit Story—part of our ongoing series of interviews with people who have made inspiring life changes with Onnit’s support. See the video of AJ and Georgie’s interview below, along with an edited transcript of the highlights, time-stamped so you can find those moments in the video. You can stay up to date with Onnit Stories by following Onnit’s Instagram TV (IGTV), where a new one appears every other week.

AJ Londono & Georgie Boynton Show Notes

4:10 – How AJ and Georgie Intersected with Onnit

AJ Londono: I was a huge fan of Joe Rogan’s podcast from the beginning, and that’s how I found Onnit. When I learned that Onnit had training certifications, I did everything I could to get to Austin to take one. It opened a new world to me that I didn’t know existed. Being a trainer already, I left that certification thinking, “How have I not injured myself or the people I work with yet?” [Laughs]

I had an ego death and then rebirth, due to Onnit. I had to build myself back up as my own first client, using Onnit’s education to learn good movement skills. Onnit’s teachings gave me a manual for what the human body is really meant to do, versus just letting your body be on autopilot. I got addicted to Onnit, and I kept coming back to take every course you guys had to offer. Fast forward a few years, and I was teaching a hot kettlebell class at a yoga studio, and Georgie walked in…

Georgie Boynton: I was working as a trainer and living in Vermont. I went on spring break in Florida, and a friend got me some free class passes to a yoga studio, so I took a class. I had never picked up a kettlebell before, or done a hot yoga class, and it ended up being the most intense class I had ever taken. It blew my mind—all the different movements, and the functional way of training they had. AJ was the instructor, and afterward, I picked his brain for probably 20 minutes about what I could do to incorporate more of this kind of training into my lifestyle. He gave me some things to do and…

AJ: And, fast forward, she moved to Florida! And then started taking all the Onnit courses like I did.

Georgie: If I could take the Durability cert 100 times, I would. It allows you the longevity to keep doing any other fitness practice you like. 

11:30 – Life Before Onnit

AJ: In the early 2000s, I was a trainer in a mixed martial arts gym, doing strength and conditioning classes and working with a lot of professional fighters. At the same time, I was planning on going to medical school. By the time I had taken the MCAT, which is an entrance exam for medical school, I was completely addicted to the gym. It got me to look at health in a different way, and I latched onto that community. I forgot about medicine and decided I had to train people as a full-time career.

Two or three years later, when I went to Austin for the Onnit cert, it really felt like a rebirth. That’s when the 2.0 version of me began. Since then, my whole business and brand has been about teaching other people to create 2.0 versions of themselves. I want people to look at life like it’s a video game, enjoying it to its fullest potential. 

Georgie: My background is movement of all types. I was born and raised in a small town—Rutland, Vermont. I grew up running pretty much barefoot in the mountains. My mom had me playing every sport you can think of. I did swim team in the summer, dance year-round, soccer, and even flag football at one point. My mom was super adamant about me being active and trying different things. But at the time, I hated it. I didn’t want to do all those things! I wanted to do my own thing. But, looking back, she gave me the best foundation possible, which is body awareness and the ability to pick up new skills. Today, I thank her for that. 

But I always wanted to find my own path, and if everybody was doing this one thing, I was going to go the other direction and see what was over there. After high school, when we were all trying to figure out what to do with our lives, I decided to get into funeral directing. I went to school for mortuary science, and I was a mortician for about five years.

The biggest thing I took away from that time is that absolutely nothing is guaranteed for you in this life. You have to show up every day and be grateful. Do what you love, because you never know what’s going to happen. When that lesson really settled in, it showed me what my passion was. I would work funerals, and it would be really heavy. Then, at the end of the day, I would go and either work out or teach workout classes. That became my passion.

So, I essentially took a 180 from being a funeral director to being a health and life coach. Right around that time is when I met AJ in Florida, and then decided to move there.

22:20 – Two pillars of the Onnit System

AJ: There are two components of Onnit’s education system that have made all the difference for me: “Unity in Diversity,” and “Give to Empower.” Those pillars taught me to try every modality I could and learn from whoever I could, as well as shift my career from just handing out workouts to clients to actually coaching and teaching them new things, and seeing how they could apply fitness to the rest of their lives.

Once I met Georgie in 2017, we continued on the educational path together, and, starting in 2020, we started our own brand—ELVT Movement. It’s about elevating humanity through the way we breathe, move, and feel. Community is one of the biggest components, because that was one of the biggest things I gained from Onnit. The team, the family that was created through the training, was not only a huge help but also a continuous motivator. Whenever things got hard, the Onnit community was there, saying “You can do this. Here’s a hack, or a tip.”

Georgie is a beautiful mover, but I used to be like a puppet with the puppeteer asleep above the stage. [Laughs] I had to learn movement skills from scratch. We both come from two different ends of the spectrum, so we get to add in these pieces of contextual knowledge now, and that allows us to work with such a wide demographic of people.

Georgie: The purpose and message that we share with everybody that we teach and interact with is, “It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it.” It’s the intention behind what you do that’s important. We’ve done everything from arm balance and inversion workshops to bodyweight training, and anything else that allows you to move and maybe learn a new skill along the way and connect with other people.

28:20 – Lessons from Working with Kids

AJ: We had the opportunity to take a fitness class from a really popular summer camp here in south Florida and replace it with a movement-based, social-emotional learning program. It’s how we teach people at ELVT, but we turned it into a gamified system.

The amazing thing about little kids is getting to see the spectrum of abilities they have: some of them are natural movers like Georgie was, and others, usually city kids, didn’t really move much growing up. But with any child, you’re able to communicate at a super high level physically. They’re able to understand you at a physical level and mimic what you’re doing. That transformed a lot of the way that we coach—realizing that we could teach super advanced things through mimicry rather than verbal conversation.

As you go up in age, physical lessons and verbal cues meet somewhere in the middle, and it becomes a lot more about teaching someone the idea behind the concept. Their body might not be able to get there today, but they can understand the idea behind the position you’re asking them to get into. So teaching kids helped us teach older demographics too.

Georgie: Teaching kids is so rewarding, and it’s so challenging at the same time. It was quite honestly one of the hardest things I think we’ve ever done. The amount of reaction training is profound, because kids’ attention spans can be here and there. We had to be quick on our toes and completely animated versions of ourselves at all times. We were walking around feeling like video game characters.

AJ: To give some context, these were 40-minute increments where we would be working with 20 eight-year old boys. Then they’d leave and it would be 20 12 year-old girls. So it was a completely different energy, and a completely different way of communicating. 

Georgie: It was a super amazing way to learn about yourself and others, and the best ways to communicate. So, new coaches out there, get in front of some kids.

33:50 – The Layers of Learning

AJ: I would say that there are multiple layers of learning. You can learn something from an ideological standpoint. You can learn something by mimicking a movement physically. And then you can learn something intuitively—like tying your shoes—where you can do it with minimal mind currency. So our trick when it comes to coaching big audiences has been trying to teach people in those three layers. And if I don’t get them in all three, can I at least catch their attention with one of those? We try to entertain people and teach them at the same time. 

37:10 – Georgie and AJ’s favorite supplements

Georgie: I really loved the Total Nitric Oxide^® as a pre-workout. I loved the way it made me feel. But my all-time favorite supplement that Onnit makes is the protein powder. I love cooking with it, drinking it, eating it, smelling it. [Laughs]

AJ: For me, it’s a tie between the Alpha BRAIN^® and Shroom Tech^® SPORT, with the cordyceps mushrooms. When I found out about cordyceps, and how it’s been used for hundreds of years, it sold me. Honestly, Shroom Tech^® SPORT is one of the best natural supplements for workout energy that I’ve ever tried. I actually feel a tangible difference when I use it. Alpha BRAIN^® has an effect that’s hard to explain unless you’ve experienced it. Alpha BRAIN^® was part of my daily routine for a long time, and when I stopped taking it, I felt the difference going through the day without it. 

40:05 – Their Favorite Foods

AJ: You can’t ask us a question like this. We can just go all day. [Laughs]

41:45 – Their Favorite Fitness Tools

Georgie: The eight-kilogram Onnit kettlebell. I call it “Pinky,” because of the little pink rings on the handle. If I could only use one tool, that would be it.

AJ: For me it’s the 10-pound steel mace. I can use some kettlebell methodology when I’m working with it, and some suspension training methodology too. But I have all the tools in our garage. It looks like a little Onnit store in there. We use all of them, probably daily. 

Georgie: We do it all because we’re always trying to give others the knowledge to empower themselves. I mean, we’re not your average trainers where we want to be your trainer for life. We want to give you the information and the skill development that you need to move forward and take ownership of your own training. We’re just paying it forward over and over again.

The post “There Are Multiple Layers of Learning”: AJ & Georgie’s Onnit Story appeared first on Onnit Academy.

The pair met more than a decade ago when Kobrinsky was an up and coming trainer and wanted to learn kettlebell training from the best. Today, her studio, Elektren, is spreading the Onnit gospel on the west coast. As part of our ongoing Onnit Stories series, in which we interview someone who’s made an inspiring life change through an association with Onnit, Wolf sat down with Kobrinsky to track how their friendship has developed and improved both their lives and careers.

See below for the full video interview. We’ve also included an edited transcript of some of the highlights. You can stay up to date with Onnit Stories by following Onnit’s Instagram TV (IGTV), where a new one appears every Wednesday.

John Wolf: It’s my pleasure to introduce to you a friend of mine who was a part of my journey before I came to Onnit, and has continued to be during my time with Onnit. She’s an awesome trainer that I’ve learned a lot from—and she’s been an anchor in my life for many years. Her name is Mrs. Jolie Kobrinsky, and she has an amazing fitness studio in California, which is where I’m originally from.

Let’s start with your early experiences with Onnit. What brought you to Onnit, and what was your first impression?

Jolie Kobrinsky: I would say it started when you were hired at Onnit in 2014. I was at your studio in Salinas, California, near where I live, learning my skills as a trainer and a coach, when all of a sudden I heard that there was this melting pot of different types of training I loved at this company called Onnit. It was based in Austin, Texas. You moved out there and I came to one of the first Onnit certifications, Foundations.

What I felt about Onnit then, and I still feel now, is that it’s a solid, easy to access, well-supported, beautifully laid out university that teaches all the things that I love to do with my clients here. While I may have branched off to do my own Jolie style on certain things, I always look at Onnit, and what I learned at the Foundations certification, as a guide. It provided me with, as the name suggests, the foundation from which all this growth has come.

We had a conversation with your husband, Michael, once, talking about the idea that, if we were to start a fitness movement from scratch, how would we want it to be? And I said, “Well, I’d really want it to be a lot more like going to the lake during summer,” where everybody comes from different places and they tie their boats together. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have beer or food on your boat, because somebody on the other boat will give you some. And if you have food, you’re going to offer it to the next person. At Onnit, I like to think we’ve fulfilled that vision to some degree.

I love that image, and I think it’s gone from boats on the lake to ships in the ocean. You, Onnit, my studio of trainers, and myself are all moving together toward human optimization. That original image has always been part of my vision of how I like to conduct myself in business and in building my own brand.

I’m a woman in my 50s, and sometimes the communities of trainers I’m in look very different from me. So I want to make sure that I’m showing up authentically for myself, and for the clients that are drawn to me. So I’m going to find that little Jolie sprinkle I can layer onto everything. But you better believe I’m also a seeker of deep, valuable, applicable coaching and knowledge, and that’s where Onnit has come in for me, and continues to. I feel like Onnit is my home, and it’s my springboard or my base.

Whatever I do in training, I make sure it follows the basics Onnit taught me. The movement patterns: squat, hinge, push, pull, rotate, and control rotation. When I’m training clients, I ask myself the important questions: What is the purpose of the exercise you’re doing? Why have you chosen the tool that’s in your hand for this exercise? Why are you choosing this exercise and tool for this particular person in this particular time in their life? If you can answer those questions, you’ll be successful. For all you coaches and trainers listening to this, that’s the juice right there. That’s how you grow.

I’ve been to certifications where you’re in the room and you’re looking around and you see Adonis, Thor, or Wonder Woman. And then maybe there are a couple of normal people like you and I, and you wonder, “How do I fit in here? What can I offer to the group?” But never forget that there’s nobody just like you. I’ve had to work on that level of confidence in terms of how and what I offer, but I can really stand by what I do because I deeply value education, I commit to it, and I go back over, and over, and over again to keep my skills and my knowledge fresh.

Many of the people who are willing to invest in Onnit’s education system aren’t trainers by trade. They might want to coach people, or they coach people on the side, or they might be there for personal improvement. I started purely as a consumer of fitness who needed some tools and education to better understand how to get out of my own way—to give myself a ladder to progress in my own training. That was in 2001, and I didn’t start accepting money for services for five years or more after that.

So, those people who come into Onnit’s certs with fresh eyes, their perspective is just as valid—if not more valid—than that of the seasoned coach, because the seasoned coach is usually entrenched in the way that he/she does things. The newcomer is going to ask the questions that people that you’re training will ask.

Can you take us through the evolution of your brand and what it is today?

Today it’s a training studio, not a membership-based gym. I like a lot of space because I do what Onnit Gym does—a lot of ground-based movement. We’re rolling on the ground nonstop. We also play with toys like the kettlebell, steel club, and suspension trainer. You won’t see anything in my studio that you plug in. 

I met you, John, in 2009. My partners and I had opened a training space in Monterey. At the time it was called Prime Personal Training. I asked John to come down and teach my trainers about kettlebells, and he did. Later, we were able to buy a building in Seaside, and I changed the business to be called Elektren, which means power plant in Lithuanian. I’m of Lithuanian descent, and I liked the idea of the studio being a community-energy driven space. It’s my way of saying I’m powered by you, and you are powered through the collective energy of the group. 

I think this highlights how, when you have a tribe of people that you work with to realize your potential, and that you feel genuinely aligned with, you create friendships and bonds that transcend that original container.

Jolie may have reached out to ask if I could come and teach a kettlebell workshop, but that’s evolved into me being able to support her brand, because she and her friends and family have supported my business ventures, and my personal life. So it’s important for everyone to find your tribe, whether it’s here in Onnit, or wherever there are people you really connect with. These friendships that we speak about in these Onnit Stories aren’t just about a connection to Onnit, but very important interpersonal relationships too.

OK, it’s time to take some questions from our viewers. What are your recommendations to new trainers, or someone that may be interested in training later in life?

Begin by educating yourself, and by making connections. It doesn’t take connecting to 20 people to make something happen. You can start by having a really strong connection with one person. I’m also a big fan of having a mentor.

I really am not big on worrying about whether your age is appropriate. I’m 56. I train clients ages 13 to 93. I have beautiful connections and relationships with different genders and ages, and I feel like you never know how and who you can help. Being a trainer is a great calling. It’s so satisfying. It’s so instantly gratifying to watch a person do something spectacular in their body. I’m a big believer in starting in the body to change the landscape of many things.

Another viewer asks, “Would a primarily kettlebell-oriented daily routine be efficient for general health and muscle building? I’m extremely excited for my one pood [16 kg] chimp kettlebells arriving tomorrow.”

I’m going to give you a solid yes on that, because I’m a huge fan. When the world changed a year ago, I started teaching every day for 30 minutes live online, for a lot of people who had no equipment or just one kettlebell at home. That one tool can do so many things for you. Having just one piece of equipment is actually a great way to deep dive on all the different things that one piece can do. I think it would be very beneficial.

Yeah, the reality is that constraints create an environment where creativity is almost necessary to continue optimizing the outcomes. I think if you have a pair of 16 kilo kettlebells—two of the Onnit Primal chimps, or a single chimp—you can make fun, effective workouts. 

What’s your advice for taking a garage personal training business to a commercial spot?

It’s expensive to own a business. So if you’re blessed and you can get yourself in a situation where you have the resources to buy a space, just be aware that you may not get to do all the juicy training stuff that you love to do—at least not for a while. You will have a lot of other priorities. If you’re an entrepreneur and you own a building or you’re running a building, you could be the janitor, the launderer, the marketer, and the floor sweeper as well. Managing a space is full-time.

I would say that the best first step is to find someone like me. And if you’re in Seaside, you could just walk in my studio and I’d start you as a trainer right now, because I need trainers. But I would say that you should collaborate with a like-minded gym and say, “Hey, I’m a trainer, and I’ve got three or four steady clients. Is there a time at the gym where I could train my clients and pay you rent?” That will keep your overhead low, your education high, and your quality service to your clients a very, very high priority.

As we were saying before about finding your tribe, it’s important to not be on an island. The fitness industry can be very ego-driven, very competitive, and it might be up to you to break down those barriers. You can celebrate other people’s contributions to the community without making it a direct competition. All trainers serve a purpose to make the standard of health and wellness better in their community. So keep the door open to as many creative solutions as you can that will bring the service you have to offer to the world forward.

Jolie, anything else you want to share?

I just want to circle back to the image of the boats on the ocean—the armada. When I went to Onnit in 2016 and brought two of my team members, I was so excited because now I was showing up not just solo, but as a part of a team. It was a reflection of how my business had grown. Shane Heins [Onnit’s Director of Fitness Education] was leading this particular course, and he told the story of the lunch that you and he had with my husband, Michael, when the idea of the fitness movement being like boats at the lake first came up. And I think I burst into tears. It was this full circle moment where here I was, with my coaches and the mentors who helped me build my business—people I love more than anything. 

All of you who are a part of Onnit, you’re so fortunate. Take advantage of it. The education is without compare. I just really think it’ll take you a long, long way.

See more Onnit Stories HERE.

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Cool Down #1

A1: Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
B1: Kneeling Hamstring Stretch – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
C1: Straddle Forward Fold Stretch – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
D1: Half Butterfly Ham Stretch – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
E1: Half Butterfly Lat Stretch – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
F1: Mountain Climber Hold – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
G1:: Mountain Climber Bow Draw – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
H1: Downward Facing Dog – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
I1: 3-Legged Dog- 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
J1: Elevated Scorpion – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)

Cool Down #2:

A1: Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
B1: Shinbox Extension Hold – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
C1: Shinbox to Tripod Overhead – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
D1: Pigeon Pose – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
E1: Kneeling Seal Pose – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
F1: Kneeling Arm Thread – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
G1: Sleeping Pigeon Pose – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
H1: Floor Scorpion – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
I1: Floor Scorpion Chest Opener – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
J1: Half Locust Pose – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)

Cool Down #3:

A1: Shinbox Extension Hold – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
B1: Shinbox to Tripod Overhead – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
C1: Pigeon Pose – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
D1: Sleeping Pigeon Pose – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
E1: 3-Legged Dog – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
F1: Elevated Scorpion – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
G1: Floor Scorpion – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
H1: Floor Scorpion Chest Opener – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
I1: Seal Pose – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)
J1: Locust Pose – 1 round x 30 sec (each side)

The post Example Cool Downs appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Warm Up #1:

A1: Lateral Neck Tilt – 1 round x 30 sec
B1: Vertical Neck Rotations – 1 round x 30 sec
C1: Upper Spine Flexion/Extension – 1 round x 30 sec
D1: Double Backwards Shoulder Roll – 1 round x 30 sec
E1: Double Forward Shoulder Roll – 1 round x 30 sec
F1: Egyptian – 1 round x 30 sec
G1: Double Overhead Circle – 1 round x 30 sec
H1: Double Outside Circle Forward – 1 round x 30 sec
I1:  Double Outside Circle Backward – 1 round x 30 sec
J1: Double Outside Elbow Circles – 1 round x 30 sec
K1: Wrist Flexion/Extension – 1 round x 30 sec
L1: Wrist Lateral Flexion – 1 round x 30 sec
M1: T-Spine Flexion/Extension – 1 round x 30 sec
N1: Spine Lateral Reach – 1 round x 30 sec
O1: Spine Lateral Flexion – 1 round x 30 sec
P1: Hip Hinge – 1 round x 30 sec
Q1: Lateral Hip Root – 1 round x 30 sec
R1: Double Outward Knee Circles – 1 round x 30 sec
S1: Double Inward Knee Circles – 1 round x 30 sec
T1: Foot Roll – 1 round x 30 sec

Warm Up #2:

A1: Forward Neck Glide – 1 round x 30 sec
B1: Lateral Neck Glide – 1 round x 30 sec
C1: Neck Glide Circle – 1 round x 30 sec
D1: Alt Backward Shoulder Roll – 1 round x 30 sec
E1: Alt Forward Shoulder Roll – 1 round x 30 sec
F1: Double Internal Shoulder Rotation – 1 round x 30 sec
G1: Double Shoulder Retraction Pulse – 1 round x 30 sec
H1: Alternating Overhead Circles – 1 round x 30 sec
I1: Alternating Backstroke – 1 round x 30 sec
J1: Alternating Frontstroke  – 1 round x 30 sec
K1: Alternating Front Outward Circles – 1 round x 30 sec
L1:Alternating Front Inward Circles  – 1 round x 30 sec
M1: Interlaced Wrist Roles – 1 round x 30 sec
N1:T-Spine Flexion/Extension – 1 round x 30 sec
O1: Spine Lateral Flexion – 1 round x 30 sec
P1: Spinal Glide Circle – 1 round x 30 sec
Q1: Forward Leg Swing – 1 round x 30 sec
R1: Lateral Leg Lift – 1 round x 30 sec
S1: Foot Trace Inward – 1 round x 30 sec
T1: Foot Trace Outward – 1 round x 30 sec

Warm up #3:

A1: Lateral Neck Tilt – 1 round x 30 sec
B1: Upper Spine Flexion/Extension – 1 round x 30 sec
C1: Full Neck Rotation – 1 round x 30 sec
D1: Double Shoulder Retraction Pulse- 1 round x 30 sec
E1: Egyptian – 1 round x 30 sec
F1: Double Overhead Circles  – 1 round x 30 sec
G1: Double Outside Circle Backward – 1 round x 30 sec
H1: Double Outward Front Circle – 1 round x 30 sec
I1: Double Downward Elbow Circles – 1 round x 30 sec
J1: Wrist Double Outward Circles  – 1 round x 30 sec
K1:Wrist Double Inward Circles – 1 round x 30 sec
L1: T-Spine Vertical Rotation  – 1 round x 30 sec
M1: Spinal Glide Circle – 1 round x 30 sec
N1: Mid Back Full Spinal Rotation – 1 round x 30 sec
O1: Pelvic Tuck/Tilt – 1 round x 30 sec
P1: Lateral Pelvic Tilt – 1 round x 30 sec
Q1: Pelvic Circle – 1 round x 30 sec
R1: Hip Circle – 1 round x 30 sec
S1: Hacky Sack – 1 round x 30 sec
T1: Double Knee Circles – 1 round x 30 sec

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