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.
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Youth athletes (12+) learning proper strength training and movement fundamentals
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Middle and high school athletes building strength for sport and long term athletic development
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Multi-sport athletes developing strength and durability during the off-season
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Adults 35+ focused on staying strong, capable, and active as the years go on
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Busy adults and parents who value efficient training and consistent coaching
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Adults returning to training after an injury, a long break, or a season of putting everyone else first