Train Smarter. Not Harder.
Personal Training & Strength Coaching | Brainard, Nebraska
Meet James
Before I was a coach, I was an athlete.
A state wrestler and multi-sport competitor in football, track, baseball, and lacrosse. I understand year-round sports, weight cuts, two-a-days, and what it feels like to push your body hard.
Later, I developed a passion for mixed martial arts, with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu becoming a favorite, while gaining experience across striking and grappling disciplines worldwide.
Along the way, I learned an important lesson: not every technique works for every athlete. The key is understanding the fundamentals, testing what you learn, keeping what works, and leaving the rest behind.
That philosophy shapes how I train, and how I coach.
My Path to Coaching
I moved to Nebraska from Detroit to pursue a PhD after earning my Master’s degree in Political Science. It didn’t take long to realize the classroom wasn’t where I wanted to spend my life.
​
Around that same time, I met my wife. The reason Nebraska became home.
​
My interest in coaching actually began years earlier while working at a gym during college. Stepping away from academia allowed me to pursue that path fully, and over the next two decades I built and led strength and conditioning programs inside high-level training facilities in major cities.
During that time I worked in elite performance gyms, high-energy fitness environments, and strength and conditioning programs training competitive and semi-professional athletes.
​
Those experiences shaped how I coach today, emphasizing structure, progression, and training that produces real results.
why zen farm
If you live in a small town, you understand hard work.
​
You show up. You do what needs to be done. You build things that last.
When family brought me back to rural Nebraska, I quickly noticed something: there was a gap.
​
Athletes and adults in communities like Brainard, David City, Wahoo, Seward, and Valparaiso deserve access to structured, professional strength coaching without driving to Lincoln or Omaha.
​
They deserve training that is both high quality and realistically accessible closer to home.
​
Zen Farm is a private training facility rooted in proper progression, long-term development, and individualized coaching, offered at a price point that makes sense for the people who live and work here.
​
Because the standard shouldn’t change based on your zip code.
Professional Credentials
I hold multiple NASM certifications covering personal training, youth athletic development, adult and senior fitness, nutrition and MMA conditioning. Not a generalist with one credential. A coach who invested in the specific populations he serves.
Education builds the foundation. Execution builds the results.
Who I work with
I work with youth athletes and adults who want focused training built around doing the right work, not just doing more work.
​
-
Youth athletes (12+) learning proper strength training and movement fundamentals
-
Middle and high school athletes building strength for sport and long term athletic development
-
Multi-sport athletes developing strength and durability during the off-season
-
Adults 35+ focused on staying strong, capable, and active as the years go on
-
Busy adults and parents who value efficient training and consistent coaching
-
Adults returning to training after an injury, a long break, or a season of putting everyone else first