Finding the Ease with Tonal with Tim Landicho

You're listening to the PT Profit podcast, episode number 186. I'm sitting down with tonal instructor Tim Lindidro, and we're talking all about finding the ease with Tonal. Are you ready? Let's get started.

Hi, I'm Beverly Simpson, former fitness manager turned online personal training business owner. And this podcast is where smart fitness professionals, including trainers and clinicians, discover how to increase client performance and movement, package and position their products and services and get out of their own way so that they can increase their revenue to live a life that they love without sleazy sales. Welcome to the PT Profit Podcast.

What's up, coach? Thank you so much for watching today on another episode of the PT Profit Podcast. I'm your host, Beverly Simpson, and I am super pumped to bring to you Tim Landicho, who is a strength and conditioning coach who is now working for Tonal. And he is going to share on this episode, truly a powerful story about how he started, what his dreams were, how a company like Tonal impacted his career. And truly, which is why I titled the episode the Way that I Did, which was so important that we talked about was finding the ease in business. And he said, and we talked about something that is really important that I think a lot of people forget, especially when we are building businesses or helping people make change, is that change will oftentimes come at the expense of being uncomfortable. Our brain's literally designed to try and keep us safe and to keep us the same. So it is supposed to be uncomfortable, but that doesn't mean it has to be miserable. And there's a huge difference between trying new things, feeling nervous and excited, and being miserable. And we talk all about that inside of this episode where he shares with you pretty powerfully how he's been able to use his business building skills, his exercise science strength and conditioning experience, and build the life of his dreams. So without further ado, let's go ahead and roll that interview. What's up, Tim? Welcome to the show. I'm super pumped that you're here. How are you?

I'm good. Thank you so much for having me.

Oh, this is going to be so fun. I've been following your work for a while and you share a lot of really high level behavioral and science type of both skills, both in soft skills and in science skills. So I'm really excited for this episode.

Yeah, me too. I'm so excited to dive in.

I'd love for you to share with us a little bit about who you are, who you serve and how you got there?

Yeah. So my name is Tim Landicho. I'm a strength coach who now works at Tonal, which is a digital fitness strength training platform that I truly, truly believe will revolutionize strength training and just the access that it gives to people who otherwise might not end up at a gym because of like all the friction it entails, you know, intimidation, choosing a plan, choosing the right way, how do I do this with the correct form, all that stuff. So that's currently where I'm at and the people I serve, you know, first, I kind of think of this in two categories. The first is people who are on Tonal's platform. So anyone on Tonal can find me. But the I think larger is the people I tend to attract from just from my experience in my career have been people who tended to be like, really overwhelmed, maybe don't feel like strength training and fitness are for them. My experiences have been people who have tried lots of things in the past. I've tried like this quick diet. I've tried this challenge and I've gotten a lot over the course of my career, I've gotten a lot of people who I think have just felt ostracized from the world of fitness and or felt that it just wasn't for them. Like, this didn't work for me. I tried this quick thing. And a lot of the work that really lights me up now and you know, in the years leading up to this has been, hey, like, how do we find a long term solution that's actually, that's going to work for you and your life? And a lot of people that I've worked with, I think have been fed and are tired of these like, trite little motivation isms that, you know, people on like fitness Instagram will say, but doesn't have a lot of substance. And so, yeah, I really, really enjoy just getting into the nitty gritty with people that I work with.

I love it. So good. Okay, so can you expand more on Tonal and the reason? And just for my own selfish purposes, it looks so good. I've been seeing adverts for it. Like people have, I've been, I've been getting targeted for commercials about Tonal. Can you talk a little bit about what it is, how it works and how did you get involved?

Yeah, yeah, so right. We love a good targeted ad. So. Yeah, yeah, it's so funny because a lot of, I think a lot of my friends have started to say that they've like seen stuff like popping up for them too. Cause they follow me. Yeah. So in short, tonal is a brilliant and very aesthetically pleasing wall mounted strength training system and strength training platform uses what they call what we call adaptive digital weight, which is what allows it to be so compact. Right. So it's actually smaller than a flat screen tv. It is, I think it fits with the aesthetic of a household. And so if we just take the two pieces of the adaptive digital weight. Right. The digital weight piece is tonal uses a patented digital weight system that uses a combination of magnets and electricity and that's what creates the actual resistance itself inside of the unit. That, and then the adaptive piece is that the resistance is constantly adapting to the user. So when you first create an account, the interface is really cool. It's almost like when you log into, you open up Netflix and there's like a bunch of users like, who wants to use this? Is it Tim? Is it Tim's roommate Jen? Is it, you know, whoever. And so there's, you can add user profiles to it. When you click on your profile and like, let's say you're starting your account, you go through a brief strength training assessment where it basically finds out and it's, it all does it without doing a one rep max, you know, so let's say someone's inexperienced, right? They probably don't know how to deadlift. So it's not going to take them through like a one rep max deadlift. But the strength assessment that it takes them through gives the unit an understanding of where is this person's strength level at right now. And then that information is what caters their weight in every workout that you do. And as you do your workouts, as you get stronger, as your body adapts, the weight adapts with you so that you're not actually having to choose your weights yourself, like in the same way that you would go to the gym and you know, okay, like last time I did this many reps at this weight and that was like, that felt like a 7 out of 10. So I think this time I'm going to do this. It just automatically calibrates that for you. So one of the pieces of feedback that I've consistently heard about this from not even people at the company, like people in my life. So I've had roommates, friends, like, whatever come and use my tonal and the thing that they consistently say is, oh my gosh, this is frictionless. I love that, like, I don't have to think about what I'm going to do. I don't have to think about the plan and come up with it myself. I don't have to think about fighting for equipment. I don't have to think about what weight do I choose? Am I doing this right? It's all kind of built in right there for you. So from a user experience standpoint, it's really, I come in, I log in, I choose. You can either do standalone workouts or there are fully built out programs. Like you could do a two week program, you could do a four week program that's really catered to a goal. So could be like, let's say a four week hypertrophy program. And you just clock in every single day, do the thing. Instructors, coaches take you through the workout, talk you through proper form. And the weight is constantly calibrating. So I think one of my favorite things about it is one of the things that I value as a coach is equipping people with autonomy and the skills that they need to actually take this stuff, fitness stuff, into the real world. Right. So one of my favorite things about tonal is that it gives users a sense of appropriate rpe. Right? And I know a lot of your listeners are coaches. So RPE is rate of perceived exertion. It's like, how hard are you pushing? And I think when, when you're coaching a beginner, a lot of times it's really hard to get them to feel what an appropriate RPE is. Like you. Right? I want to drive someone to like a seven out of ten. Seven and a half, eight. Eight and a half. So they can actually push their system a bit and their body can adapt. And in the beginning, it's just hard to kind of choose beginners in the gym. It's hard for them to choose that. So what I love is that tonal eliminates that. It chooses the weight for you. The user immediately begins to feel, oh my gosh. Wow. This is, this is how what it feels like to push myself so that if they're ever on vacation or something, they're at a hotel gym, they can then reference that internal sense that they've developed from like, okay, this is what it feels like to be an appropriate intensity, an appropriate level of effort. Now I have this real life skill that can transfer. So.

So now how heavy can it go?

Yeah, so it maxes out at 200 pounds. And. And the, the thing that's really cool about it is there are what we call dynamic weight modes. So there's what's called eccentric mode. So that loads the eccentric portion of a rap, right? The lengthening portion of a rep and then unloads the concentric so, so that you're kind of for you. You, you feel the difference. If I'm doing a goblet squat, I'm coming down to the bottom. I feel it get heavier, and then it unloads. As I come back, a dynamic weight mode called Smart Flex. Smart Flex is. It's adaptive weight based on a strength curve, right? So in a range of motion, let's say I'm going through a range of motion and we'll use a squat again as an example. The bottom of the squat, right? That's the most lengthened portion. So that's going to be my weakest part of the lift. And then I'm going to have the strongest part of the lift, right, which is going to be as I get closer to hip extension. So what SmartFlex does is it adapts the weight. And this, I think, really, really useful for new users who are still getting a feel for movement quality. How do I, how do I have proper form? It unloads them just enough at their weakest points and it loads them up a bit at their strongest point so that it's always meeting them right where they are. So it's, it's very cool. We have other dynamic weight modes. We have other things called, like burnout mode, which is if you are going for higher reps and you start to hit a wall, it will sense that based on the velocity that you're moving at, it'll unload the weight so that you can keep accumulating your reps and your volume. There is a spotter mode where let's say you're doing bench press, the sensors sense that you're stuck because the speed slows down. It will unload the weight a bit so that you can finish the rep. So very, very cool. Super intelligent.

That's so cool. So how do you use this type, this piece of equipment, the tonal and your gym experience? Or do you see this taking the place of a gym?

Absolutely, that's such a good question. I think it's really going to depend on the person and a person's goals, a person's experience. So I, you know, I'll give you two different examples. My mom, for example, I think with Tonal, she could literally use this, and I say this without, without hyperbole. I think she could literally use this and just this for the rest of her life and be okay. Like it will. Like, she can constantly choose programs. It will teach her proper form, it'll get her a feel for what appropriate Intensity feels like will make sure that she's safe. Right. Those features like spotter mode. And so what I really love about tonal is that it is, I think about it like a skill building tool. It would equip someone like my mom with the skills that she needs to build muscle in her older age and to live the rest of her life really well. Now we also have a market, we also serve athletes. There are very, very athletic people who use tonal. So a lot of our tonal partners are either professional athletes or they're really high level recreational athletes. And in those spec cases, tonal is a great implement to kind of supplement your overall training program. So I'll use me, for example, not that, not I'm not a professional, not a professional athlete, not a super, super high level recreational athlete. But like my own training, like I kind of cycle through different intensities throughout the week. So just as a quick, quick snapshot of my week, I'll have like one higher stem day or higher, higher intensity day. Right. So it's otherwise known as a max effort day where I'm really pushing my nervous system to its max threshold. So velocity is high. So we're thinking like sprinting weights that are much closer to my 1 rep max, higher percentages of that. So that's one day I'm going into the gym to do that stuff. So I'm doing like explosive things, Box jumps, sprinting, lifting a barbell. And then I'll have my really lower intensity days, which is like zone two cardio. That facilitates. That facilitates. Right. Cardiovascular improvements. That facilitates recovery. I'll often do like mobility circuits that I'll just do at a pace where my heart rate stays in that zone too. Um, you could also do a lot of this stuff on tonal. So I've, I've also created circuits for myself on tonal that I'll just move through, keep my heart rate in that zone. So that's where tonal can fit, fits in in my personal usage of it. And then I'll have. Right now I'm test driving a hypertrophy program that I'm doing. And personally one of my goals is to develop a bit of a bigger upper body. Um, everyone knows me as a quadzilla, so love my quads, but personally don't really care about growing them anym. So I keep the strength high. But for my hypertrophy work, I've been test driving this program and I'm doing it one time a week. So that's kind of where tonal fits in. I would say that there's a strength day where I'm doing max effort stuff in the gym, the zone 2 stuff. I'll either go outside on a nice summer day or I'll throw a circuit together on Tonal. And then for my hypertrophy work and like more accessory work, I'll. I'll use that on Tonal as well. So it kind of, I think when you, when you structure your plan well, it is a seamless fit.

So that's cool. Now when you say that you're building out your own circuits, does this mean that like as a professional you can program for a client in to tonal or you can program your own stuff in there so it doesn't have to be like a peloton feel where you are in there and have to be. Even though I know peloton has options where you could just go on rides on your own and that's fine. But I meant, you know, is it, does it always have to be like your one on one with a personal trainer when you're in that program?

Yeah. So the thing I love about tonal is there's, there's all of that. There are, there are programs that are already made that then get customized further to you. Right. We talked about the adaptive weight feature. There are also one offs that you can do. And then for any user, you don't have to be like a fitness professional. Let's say you're a recreational lifter, you know how you like to lift and you just hate the inconvenience of going to a gym, waiting for equipment, all of that stuff. So when someone gets a tonal, you can download the Tonal app, which is on your phone and then from there you can actually build your own custom workouts. And I've seen this, I haven't heard of this too much, but I've seen this through because a few users, you know, users will tag us and on Instagram stories will repost, you know, crush this workout, whatever. I've been tagged in a few stories by other fitness professionals who used the tonal to create a thing for their program and then they like tagged me in it and it was really cool to see, like, oh, wow, like your client's doing this thing. But they came to their house and used that tonal. So yeah, it's very cool. It's so, so versatile. It's really all of those things.

Yeah. I mean honestly for me, I think about how it could I just see like your friends getting together and you get to create your own group fitness Class around a total program essential. Assuming that, you know, liability, all that stuff is taken care of. But I feel like a lot of people will come to the gym for community. And so when that feels lost, There are ways that you can incorporate community using things like tonal or the peloton or whatever it is you have. And you're building your home gyms. That's why actually, I asked.

Yeah, absolutely. And on the. So users. And I have this too. When you have a profile on the. On the unit, on the tonal, there's social zones. So in live classes, it's like, you know, you'll see everyone who's in class. You can give them some love. We also have a really robust, like, Facebook community where. And on just social media in general, on, like Instagram, where people are just very supportive. They're like, you can also, on the unit, follow. You can follow different people. So I'll follow, you know, other members who have followed me, and I follow my fellow coaches. And I can see like, oh, Ash did this workout today. And so it's kind of like little updates of like, oh, and like, Joe did this. And it's just cool to like, be able to keep up with that and has. Has a little extra layer of accountability there.

I love it. So you don't foresee yourself leaving the gym completely?

No, I think. And that's actually. I think it's a good question because that's a conversation that we've had as coaches, right? Where it's like, especially for really athletic populations, it is it. We really have to frame it as, hey, this is a. This can be a really, really invaluable part of your training. And there's no replacing your actual sport or there's no replacing, like sprinting or, you know, med ball throws. Right. So there's still things, I think the things where. Here's how I think about it. If I were to. When I. When I was running my own online business and was remote programming for people, the way that I think about it is the biggest barriers that people had the highest amounts of friction. I literally can just list them off for you. It's like actually leaving and going to the gym, right? So there's a time component, there's a transportation component, there's the shoot, knowing what to do. It's, do I have a program? It's choosing the weights. How do I know? Right? So many clients can have a program but not actually get much out of it if they're not pushing themselves appropriately. There's not knowing how to do it. Right, right. You might be doing it, but like are you not feeling it in the right muscles or whatever? And so I really see the big, big value for people who I think this can be their thing and be good with it, like my mom. It's people that have that laundry list of friction that if they were to just get rid of it, they could strength train consistently for the rest of their life.

I mean that to me it just, it, it seems like such an easy alternative because otherwise. Right. Even if you use things that, you know, even all the at home on demand stuff that's available, you still have to have equipment and equipment is messy.

Yeah. Ex. Bingo. Yeah. Yeah. Ye. And it's like. And it's also right, it's equipment, it's space. And then there's a factor too of like. And look, I, I just love, I think hopefully this is very much reflected in like what I like to do and create on like social media and stories and stuff. But I like things that are really aesthetically pleasing and it's just really sleek. It's super versatile. Like you can pull out the arms, there's a handle attachment, barbell attachment, and then when you're completely done with it, you put the attachments away, you put the arms back in the system and then it's there living on your wall, looking really pretty.

Yeah, I know, I, it does, it does have a very sleek look to it. And it doesn't, it doesn't, it doesn't look like an eyesore. Like remember in the. Well, you probably don't but in the 80s when the Nordic was like all the thing but.

Oh yeah, familiar.

Like a giant statue. I never had that, but yeah, I just remember the info. Commercials for it. Well, nowhere. If you live in New York, then that's a whole room, right? Or your whole apartment, right?

Yeah. Speaking of New York, I don't know if you heard this. There is like a big honk outside. So anyone listening if you hear honks. But I'm on a fifth floor apartment. But this is what life in New York is like. Like you still might hear like sirens go by, whatever the, the ambient sounds of New York City. Welcome to New York.

We can't, you know, we can't. I love New York. We can't hear that. We can't hear it.

Okay, great, perfect.

So I'm in Westchester, so I'm literally like for. I used to train out of Chelsea.

Oh, cool. Very cool. I think I remember you saying that actually when we were in, I was in Kyle Dobbs first two rounds of his mentorship. And I think I remember when you were a guest speaker, you had mentioned that.

Yeah.

Like, I think you were talking about, like. Like, obviously your whole thing was marketing. And I think you were talking about, like, client avatars. And I remember you saying, like, yeah, I train, like, five gay men in Chelsea. And I was like. I was like, oh, she's like, right here. Yeah.

That's funny. Okay, so now. Now that you're working with Tonal, how has this influenced or structured your business, your presence online? What are some of the big things that have changed for you since now, you know, being working with Tonal?

Yeah. So business from a business perspective, I put my business on Park. It was kind of a big decision, actually. So I put my own personal online coaching business on park to do this full time. And so the things that came with an online business, like making an offer and taking people up the trust ladder of, like. Like, here's my social media content now join my email list now, you know, convert to this offer. Like, that stuff that I no longer have to do. So I think that stuff is different, but what has stayed the same is actually a lot of the skills that I learned in building my own business. Right. So messaging stuff, content creation, finding my own voice, and really what we would call brand. Right. Like building an authentication perception of you online. All of that is stuff that's transferred over. And so it's kind of funny when. When I was. When I was transitioning to Tonal, I. And I got the offer after going through the audition process, I had this moment of, like, oh, my gosh, am I selling my soul? And. And that's not. That's not a comment on Tonal at all. Tonal has been amazing. I think it was more so a comment on the fact that I had spent time building this thing. I had spent time really pouring, like, energy into creating stuff and, like, building a client base, building an email list, and there was a part of me that was like, oh, my gosh, like, I'm gonna. There was. There was a little period that kind of felt like a leap where I started to let clients go because I was starting at Tonal, but, like, my first Tonal paycheck hadn't even arrived yet. And, like, we hadn't even. We're still very much in the early stages of onboarding. So I was in this phase of, like, I was letting go of what I had built over the past. How many years? Like, two and a half years. And then I was in this new thing that I didn't even really see what it was. I knew what tonal was as a product, and I knew what it could become as far as the experience of being a coach, being on the talent team, but it just. It hadn't come to fruition yet. So it was like this very weird, like, I don't know, it felt like limbo, and it was. It was really a leap of trust. So. Yeah.

Yeah. Are you happy? How long have you now. Yeah. How long now have you been with Sono?

Yeah, I'm. I'm very happy. It's. It's. I was just telling my roommate about it this weekend that it's. It's really interesting to think about the state I was in. A lot of. I had a lot of mixed emotions. I think there was a lot of fear. There was a lot of confusion in the beginning process when I was going through the, you know, signing the contract and. And whatnot. And it's so weird. Six months later. So that was in March of this year, so it's now September. And so six months later, I actually feel like I'm in a very, very, very different place. Really excited, I think, because, you know, we're actually in the role now. We've launched our studio or that we film from here in New York City. So we have a lot of clear of a map of where we're going to be going in the next year. So I think, yeah, it's really interesting. I think it really is just a testament on a meta level of like, just take it one step at a time. I remember there were so many days in that. That early process where I was like, okay, I don't know what's happening. I'm, like, letting go of all the things that, like, I have kind of anchored me. Okay, what's in front of me today? What's in front of me today? Like, how do I just have to show up? Who do I want to be today? And let that be good enough. Let that be good enough, and then we repeat the process tomorrow. And it feels overwhelming. Oh, my gosh. I don't know where this is going. Okay, who do I have to be today? That's it. Just today, when that got overwhelming, it was like, okay, who do I have to be in this hour? What am I practicing this hour? Right. I think that way of thinking is very much reflective of my fitness coaching philosophy, which is that, honestly, everything is really just reps. Everything's just reps. And like, when we think of, like, behavior change and. And mindset change, that drives all of these health behavior changes, it really is just a practice of like repeated exposures. And when it feels overwhelming, how can you chunk it down to like the next step? That's it. Just focus on who do I have to be in this next step? And that's it.

And what I love about what you're saying is truly this is principle based. So if you're listening to this right now and you're just about to take the leap of faith of maybe leaving the gym and starting your own thing or building your own practice, whatever it is your big decision is that you're faced with, whether it's your business or your health, these are principles to live by. It transcends. It doesn't matter what the actual issue is or the context.

Right.

Living by who do I need to be in this next moment is just one of the biggest, most powerful things I think a person can really feel and sense.

Yeah, yeah. And like you said, it's not, it's not area specific. I mean you could take it to all these different arenas, but it really transfers.

So true. So now do you get to write programs for the company, for the people? Like what is it that you get to do? Yeah. What do you do? Tell us what you do.

Yeah, yeah. So, so now we're, the coaches are in the process of like, we're starting to write more of our own stuff in the first couple months that we launched. So when we say launch, we, we had an LA studio that was, had been, you know, creating content for both on the tonal and like as individuals on social media, had been creating content for the past couple of years. And so when we say launch, we launched, we opened a studio for production here on the East Coast, New York City. And the launch was basically launching our live classes. So in the same way, I think Peloton is the easiest example here where it's a live class. People tune in in real time and then the class after it's done, it's recorded and then it's banked into the content library. So while we were in that process of launching, you know, our role, our role is, it's technically a talent role, which I think has been a whole little bit of a mind fuck in and of itself. We're no longer in this like one on one service provider, like, or even one to many service provider. And it's really more so like, wow, okay, I'm in front of a camera and I'm doing. There's like some choreography to this. So in those first few months after launch from like April, May, when we were prepping for it. We launched in June. So much of our prep was just on. Hey, what is it like to be on camera? What is it like to have a camera presence? What is it like to cue really well? What is it like to still have your personality when you're breathing hard and executing really good form? So a lot of that the programming was taken care of by. We have an in house programming team who are really brilliant. And now that we're kind of getting in the swing of things, we're starting to get more programming assignments, which is a lot of fun because for me programming is really the mix of science and art. Like, right. We think of like principles and then how can I bring my artistic flavor to that? Knowing who this program is going to be for it's, oh gosh, it's so corny. But it's almost like writing a little love letter to someone who like, hey, this is the person that I really want to serve through this program. This is the experience that I want them to have. Here's the transformation I want them to experience by the end of it. So now how can I take the technical experience and technical knowledge that I have and put my own life experiences and my experiences with clients into that and infuse it into that and structure this so that it's not just a program that looks good on paper, it's really a whole experience that you take them through. And I think that whole thought process is one of the things when you ask about, you know, it's different between now at Tonal and when you had your own business. That's one of the things, the kind of thinking of a client journey or like on Tonal, like the user's journey, right. That I thought about things the exact same way when I was building a business. Where are they at right now? How can I meet them there? Where do they want to be? How can I build that bridge for them? How can I communicate that to them with my words, with my messaging, with just my Persona as a whole, my like my vibe as a person and how can I facilitate that transformation for them?

It's so good. Do you also have to, you know, pick the music?

So I love this about Tonal actually is. It's different from other digital fitness platforms and that we as instructors, I actually love this for a couple reasons. So we don't do music for our own classes. The way it works is there is a feature on Tonal where you can actually build your own playlists. You can so, so let's say I'm teaching a class and I think, you know, there. There is a strength. There is something to be said about an instructor having their playlist, and people love that specific experience, so they're going specifically for that playlist and they're playing these artists. I think there's definitely something to be said for that. The reason why I love what tonal does specifically in that department is it does two things. It allows me as an instructor to just focus on the technical. It allows me to focus on the actual fitness experience. Right. What are we lifting? What's the exercise? What are you feeling? What. Here are some cues for that. Here's my demonstrations. So it allows me to be fully in my head as a coach and really just embody the coach energy. And then the second thing is it really takes away this barrier from people who might, let's say, might want to take my class because of how I teach or how I explain how to do a deadlift or something like that. But their barrier would have been that we just don't listen to the same music. Tim likes this. I don't like to work out to that, so I'm not going to take Tim's class. And so tonal really eliminates that barrier. It's like, hey, take classes with whoever you learn from best, whoever is providing you the best experience. And. And you get to have your own music experience that you customize to you. So, like, somebody could be working out with me and be listening to Sierra, and then someone else can be working out to me, working out with me and listening to. I know, Grateful Dead. Right? Like, just so different. But, like, you're still getting this common strength training experience. So I think that's really cool.

That is cool. Now, is that true for live classes as well?

Yeah. So with live classes, like. Like, we're not streaming any music. It's just. I think that's actually one of the kind of. It felt awkward at first, but it makes sense from a production standpoint. It felt a little awkward at first that, like, we were kind of just teaching. I know. I remember, like, the conversation that we would have among us as coaches is like, wow, we really gotta bring the. We gotta turn that energy dial up because, you know, it would be different if you have a playlist. I've done group fitness before, and it really is. The music does wonders. Like, I could be coming into class, like, I don't know, after a weekend of, like, being hungover and like. And like, I put on the right playlist and like, boom. I am in my coach energy and, like. And you just don't have that on camera because of this, I think this really cool feature. And so for us as coaches, it's. For me, it's really been a practice in, like, okay, as I'm getting to the studio, how do I structure my morning? How do I structure my commute? How do I just structure my mind so that I'm already getting into that energy by the time I get in front of camera and I can give a seamless delivery? Does that make sense?

Yeah, makes perfect sense. Are you. When you're filming live classes, will you have people eventually in studio with you or is it just you and the camera?

You know, as of right now, I'm not sure that I have an answer to that. There's. I'll say this. There's a lot of exciting things that are happening in the next year. What I do know is that if somebody. If somebody does want to. Because I know this is a very common thing, right? It's like, oh, this, like, looks cool on social media. Like, I want to try it, but also, like, it's kind of a big commit. Like, I don't want to buy it. And then, like, just have it sitting here. And like, so we have tonal showrooms all across the country, and someone can go, actually, I had my own experience experiences in these showrooms because as I was auditioning, I knew what the product was, but I was like, damn. I really got to figure out, like, I need to feel what it's like to be a user. I need to feel what it's like to be taking a class. So I was able to go into a showroom and, like, just experience all of that. Whoa. This is what this dynamic wait mode feels like. Whoa. This is what it's like to. This is what the pace of a class is. So people can do that if they. If they're curious. And. And I'll say this. The showrooms are a vibe. They're an impeccable vibe. So we have a Fifth Avenue showroom here. And, like, the vibe I get from it is, like. I don't know, like, it's this really, like, high level, like, I don't want to say I feel like bougie has a negative connotation to it sometimes, but it's just what I personally love. I love boos, right? But it's like, it's like the sense of, like, whoa. Here's this, like, really cool, like, spa vibe, but also, like, badass. And we're like, like, training I don't know, maybe, maybe that's. I don't know if I'd describe it as a spot, but it's a very, very beautiful, like, very beautiful location and environment. And then like just the experience that you get to have with a trainer is really cool. So if anyone's curious, that's what I would recommend.

It's an elevated experience.

An elevated. There you go, the words elevated.

Yeah.

Love it.

It's so funny because I love bougie. This is totally exciting.

I do too. I do too. I just wanted to be mindful of anyone who's like, like, but although, you know, of like you said, like an elevated feel, so, yeah, for sure people.

Will think, think people think of bougie as snobby. And I definitely don't think it's snobby at all. It's just more about. For me, I, I like a clean, slick, elevated experience. Right? So it's funny because my kids are who are six and seven, they know this about me and so my six and they know this about me. And my six year old wants to go to McDonald's and I've never taken them to McDonald's before, ever. I just, we don't eat it. McDonald's is trash. Like, I would just don't eat it. Right.

I think 4am like hungover. Tim would, would disagree, but it's fine.

Yeah. I was gonna say literally no shade. I'm not.

I'm totally guy.

No, there's something that we have and we have introduced lots of different types of food that is, you know, less than nutrient bill. But for some reason I have never taken them to McDonald's. So my daughter Abby says, Mom, McDonald's is bougie. We need to go there.

It's a new brand.

I was like, okay, Abby. Appealing to mommy's identity. Got it.

She's a marketer.

She's so smart.

She knows what words to use.

She knows exactly what to say to mommy to get her to move and make a buying decision.

Oh my God. So good. I will, I will say though, I think, you know, when, when we're still thinking of that, like, what's, you know, what's different from before? Tonal and coming to tonal. That was actually one of my favorite things is I actually. So I do consider communication to be one of my biggest strengths. And I loved that aspect of when I was in my own business being really getting into someone's head and being like, okay, I'm crafting this offer for this type of person who has had these Types of experiences and is probably feeling these feelings and probably has this type of outlook. And it really is like. Like your daughter Abby, right? Abby, yeah, Like, Abby, who's, like, so brilliant with her words. It really became this fun game of, like, gosh, now how do I communicate this so that they can see the real value of the transformation that's about to unfold? And not just the little deliverables of, like, oh, you get a zoom call and you get a. It's really like, what are the impactful words that I choose so that they can envision this elevated version of themselves? It's more fully. What I like to. The phrase I like to use is like, the more fully expressed version of themselves. And as a coach, I think this is really just a larger note, regardless of. I think this transcends specific arenas, like in fitness, right. Whether you're in athletics or whether you are working with gen pop or, like, group fitness. I think the role of a coach is really to have a larger vision for the person that's in front of you, because they don't have that vision yet. That's why they're coming to you. So can you have that larger. Can you hold that vision for them? Can you embody in yourself and be an example of, like, what that transformation looks like? And then can you take this. Can you take that process, develop a framework that is easily digestible and fun and rememberable or memorable words, and then. And then you take them through that process. To me, that was the most fun part. And I find that I'm still. I still use that. It's the fun thing about skills is, like, when you build skills, they transfer across domains. They transfer across specific. You know, not running an online business anymore, but I still have an online presence, and so I'm still constantly doing that. If I did a tonal program for beginners a few weeks ago, and it was fun to use that exact same thought process to go back to, like, damn, what was I like as a beginner? Like, what were the things that I struggled with? What were my feelings? Like, what were my. Like, the visceral feelings that arose in my body when I thought about lifting weights? Oh, yeah, I had a pit in my stomach. Oh, yeah. It was overwhelming. Oh, yeah, it is. It actually is hard to show up, especially when you haven't built up proof for yourself yet that you can do this. And so that, to me, is one of the most rewarding parts of being a coach, is fitness. I say this a lot. Fitness is really just a vehicle for building A larger capacity to experience a bigger life. Right. And I think where people can often miss is. And I don't say this as a personal dig or anything. I think it's really just an observation I think you would agree with. I think where people often miss with this stuff in fitness is people are so focused on. Ah, it's just the nuts and bolts. It's just like, here's periodization. Here's how to do a rep. Those are pieces in a journey. Right. Like, and. And if the. If we lose sight of the journey that we're taking people through, the journey is the context, and context is what gives those. Those technical things so much value. And so I just think of, like, if I could speak to. I think I actually did this pretty well at the beginning of my career, but, like, if I could speak to that younger version of myself, I think I would just continue to drive that point home.

Yeah. I mean, it's. So. I do agree. And it is really powerful in that way. I think it's powerful to remember and continue to remember.

Absolutely. Yeah.

So how did you get to tonal?

Yeah. Oh, my gosh. I. Tonal, I think, is legit. Oh, man. It's like most is an extreme word, but I think it is. It is one of the most, if not the most serendipitous thing that's happened in my life so far, because I wasn't looking. I wasn't looking for, like, at the top of this year. So I'll give you, like, I'll backtrack a bit so people have more context to the timeline. I was working full time at what I like to call the fitness home that raised me in this industry. Mark Fisher Fitness in New York City. So we had a studio in the Lower east side and in Hell's Kitchen, and the Hell's Kitchen one is still there. And I was there for four years. I started to build my online business in the latter half of my time there in June of 2021. That's when I took the leap. I left Mark Fisher Fitness, which truly equipped me with amazing skills, incredible connections, and I went full time in my own business. So for the rest of 2021, I was, like, building my own business, got stuck. So I hired a business coach, Amanda Bucci, and she really helped me kind of break through. Like, it was a phenomenal experience. I got perspective that I'd never gotten before. So I really. I came to my business. I was starting to really feel really burnt out, and I was like, oh, my gosh. Like, I'm building this thing. It was like this thing where I'm like, I'm putting all this time and effort into building it, and if I don't change how I'm doing it, if I don't change what I'm doing and how I'm doing it, I can foresee myself building a thing that I resent showing up to. And I didn't want to do that. So as a result of I joined Amanda Bucci's business Mastermind, I got a lot of clarity on myself. Just what I wanted for my life, what my strengths were. Like, who is the essence of and what is the essence of Tim Landitjo? Who's Tim Landitjo as a human? And then from there, once I got that clarity, it was about, can I then reverse engineer my business from there? How can I create offers that feed me first and foremost? Because if I'm coming to this burnt out, I'm not gonna serve my clients well. So what I found really exciting was by the end of 2021 and entering 2022, I actually had a map. Like, at that point, I had mapped out what the next several months were going to be. And I was like, okay, these are the offers that I'm going to create. So excited. One of the things that I got a lot of clarity on in this business Mastermind was one of my strengths as a teacher. And I think I'd kind of been told this by, like, mentors and just different, like, teachers growing up. But this ability to take ideas, to understand them in the way that I know best, and then distill them in my own words to large groups of people, whether that's in social media, student body vice president in high school. Right. So kind of like speaking publicly. The statistic, I don't. And I don't say this to, like, be cocky at all. It's really just more so an assessment. The statistic about, like, most people would rather die than speak in public, I actually have always gotten a kick out of it. And so one of that was one of the things that I discovered in the Mastermind is I ended up doing this. So we had a Mastermind retreat in Austin, and I ended up giving this very impromptu, like, presentation. There was an easel, and I just, like, did this whole thing where I broke down a framework in my head and, like, people were mesmerized by it. And I remember my mentor, basic, basically telling me, like, this is a strength of yours, like, being a teacher, like, distilling this to large, large groups of people. So I really, when I was looking at how to craft my offers, I was like, okay, how do I craft my offers in a way that can start to reach larger groups of people? And when we got to the end of 2021, I remember journaling, and it wasn't even from a place of, like, I'm, like, manifesting this, or I'm, like, gonna speak this to fruition. I wrote this down in my journal. It was almost like it was just a descriptor, like it was gonna happen. I wrote down, this is the year that you play in a bigger league. This is the year that you're in front of more eyes. And it was weird. It just came to me. It wasn't like I was trying to make it happen. It was like the words came to me. I wrote them down with conviction. I didn't know how it was going to happen, and I shit you not. Like, three days later, I got an email from Tonal. And this is where the whole connections piece matters. And why, like, being like, honestly, I could have repeated my whole career in LA or, like, San Francisco or Chicago. I just don't think it would have been the same. So one of the former clients at Marc Fisher Fitness, where I'd worked, she was a casting agent. So she does different casting projects around the city. As you know, New York is a big, like, showbiz place. And she knew of me. She had been following me on social media. So she reached out in an email. I was like, hey, like, Tim, I don't know if we've ever met in real life, but, like, I'm, you know, she said her name, and I used to go to Mark Fisher Fitness. I know who you are. I follow you on social media. I think this would be a really great opportunity for you. And that email came three days later, and I was reading the job, like, the description, and it was like, loves exercise science, has a good camera presence, you know, like. Like, really, like, good technical expertise. Can, like, demonstrate good form, has a good, like, social media. I was just reading through the whole thing, and I was like, holy shit. This is. This is a description of me. Like, this is not a. This is not like, oh, cool. I think I could fit this. It was like, no, this is. This is me. This is so weird. So I. I had my plan for what the next. Right. Cause I had started to build these offers already, but instead. And I was still kind of working on them in the background, but I submitted my application stuff, and then I went through this audition process, and little by little, the best way I can describe it, which is why it feels so serendipitous, is it feels like I just kept walking through the next door and then the next door. Like, I went to the audition process. It felt pretty seamless. And the way I described it to my friends, we got drinks to celebrate that night, just the audition, and I was like, y', all, this felt like a really amazing, like, first date, or I had, like, great chemistry. And I have a sense that there's going to be a second date. So got called back for the second one. Second one, I think went even better. And so it was really just this process of work, walking through door after door. And then all of a sudden, like, I have this offer to join the talent team. And so I think that was actually one of the things that held me down when I had this big kind of crisis of, like, oh, my gosh, I'm, like, giving up all this stuff that I built, invested in. It was not a small investment to invest in this business, coach. And I was like, I invested in all this stuff and, like, and now I'm going to let it go to do this new thing. And I just thought about, like, wow, like, this. This opportunity is, like, the perfect fit. And I didn't even go outside of myself to look for it. So it really was a leap of faith. And I think the big comfort I take in now is that, like, even though I don't have, you know, I don't have my remote programming that I'm doing and I'm not nutrition coaching anymore, all the skills still transfer. Like, I'm still building a personal brand now, just with a larger platform that gets to reach more people. And that's. It's really exciting. I'm just really excited about what's going to happen in the next year and the next couple years.

I love it. And what you are describing, which I think is really powerful, is the sense of ease that comes with something that you know you're meant to do. Like, it's a knowing and a sense of ease that feels like. Like it doesn't have to be hard. It can be uncomfortable.

Yes.

But that's not the same thing as pushing a boulder up a hill.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think it's. I think. I don't want to misattribute this, but I think it's Joe Coleman who says, gosh, I'm totally going to butcher it. You know how she has, like, her real, like, truth. Like, short truth bombs. I think it was, like, challenging. Doesn't have to be the Same as miserable, right? Like, something can be challenging and stretchy to growth, but you kind of still have a choice in what energy you bring to that situation. And actually, one of the mantras that I use for myself, I'm big on just kind of, like, having short little things that I'll use, like a mantra, for example, to redirect for me. It's just a tool for redirecting my attention, right? When we think of this larger concept of, like, overwhelm, and here's this thing in, like, a year, and it's just an overwhelming journey, right? This concept of constantly coming back, back to the present, what's in front of me right now? How do I show up right now? So one of the things that I use for myself is I say this phrase whenever I'm nervous. I actually use this phrase before coming on this podcast today. And it's just a statement to myself. I say, I am a powerful presence who exudes groundedness and ease. I'm a powerful presence who exudes groundedness and ease. And I truly believe that, like, when I. When I repeat that to myself, and I. I sit with that, I repeat that to myself long enough. And, you know, it's not just a repeating of that. It's. There are actions that you take, and there's. You do build proof in your life. But I feel like now I can show up to spaces and be like, you know what? I don't have to be pompous, and I don't have to. I don't. I don't have this, like, super aggressive energy. I don't have this super domineering energy. But people still know, like, I still have a presence that people recognize, and I do that. I think I. I really think that there is this vibe about me that I'm like, yeah, like, I want people to feel at ease around me. I want people to feel like they can come as they are. I'm coming as I am. So groundedness and ease, those are kind of two things that I'm constantly coming back to. How can I embody this energy and bring that into whatever space I'm entering? Whether that's in front of camera, whether that's with a bunch of fitness professionals where I feel imposter syndrome, whether that's at a party, you know, whatever it is. I think, like. Like we talked about the principles transfer. Yeah.

People. I think people underestimate the value and importance of going all in on you and making this decision to go all in on you faster, because that's what magnetizes you, that's the sense of ease. That's the sense of knowing that this is who I am, it is what it is. And that's all there is, essentially.

Yeah. And I think totally, totally. This is so, it's so meta because it comes back to my philosophy of coaching. I talk about this a lot on social media where what, what I really love about someone making progress in their fitness journey, right? Love hypertrophy, love fat loss, I love athletic performance, whatever, whatever it is that someone wants, I love that thing. But to me it's the actual. It's that thing is a vehicle for developing more self trust. It's this. It's like you accumulate evidence, you accumulate proof through your actions that like, whoa, I can actually influence my outcomes. I can actually. Something can be hard and I can still choose. I still have agency over myself and how I choose to show up to that thing. And you do that long enough and you really do give yourself. You're able to see, wow, I'm okay. I can go through hard things and be okay. And I think to me that's why I don't think challenging what we talked about and ease what we also talked about about. I don't think they're mutually exclusive things. I think seeing yourself going through a challenging thing and you discover new sides of yourself that you didn't know existed, that is what leads to the sense of groundedness and ease. So that's actually what I love most about fitness. I love lifting weights, I love physiology, all that fun stuff. But I ultimately love that it shifts, it fundamentally shifts someone's relationship with how they interact with the world. And, and we, we're not on this planet for a long time. So that's what I care about is like how is, how is someone maximizing.

Their life so good, so powerful. And Tim, I really want to be mindful of your time. So truly thank you so much for sharing your journey pouring into us today. And if anyone is interested in Tonal learning more about you, where are some of the best places that I can send them?

Yeah, so we, if someone's interested in just the product, the website is like a great place to start. It gives you a breakdown of like, hey, here's what the science is, here's, here's what the features are like, all that fun stuff. So you can just go to tonal.com for that. As far as other links, I'm a regular contributor. We have a really amazing editorial team at Tonal who writes educational articles. Coaches are constantly asked to contribute to them. So I'm a regular contributor to these editorial articles, so if you go to tonal.com blog, that's where you can find some of these pieces. And then my own personal social media is you can just find me on Instagram at timlandicho, first and last name. And then I just. Gosh, it's a little daunting. I just started a TikTok. There's nothing on it yet, but I don't know, maybe by the time, maybe by the time this episode goes out, maybe I'll have like one piece of content on there. But I'm excited to dive into. It's just a whole different ball game. But my. My TikTok handle is also Timlandico.

I love it. Thank you so much. We'll make sure to link all of that up in the show notes.

Yeah. Thank you so much for having me, Beverly.

It was a blast.

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