Coach Ledesma

Client Empowerment Coach

About

My Story.
 My Mission.

I grew up in a trailer park. There was one way in and one way out of that place. I played basketball and football everyday with some of the most athletic kids the world never got to see because they would ultimately give their life to gangs and drugs. I made it out of the hood thanks to the guidance of my father, mother, brother and sister. They paved the road of academia and I couldn’t let them down.

When the pursuit of college came around I didn’t accept a running scholarship because I was afraid — afraid of failure and afraid of leaving my family. It took me a few years to get over that but I found my focus, and it was school. Law school was what I had in mind and I wouldn’t let anything stop me.

That is until I got the taste, the taste of helping a human in the most authentic manner.

After one semester in law school I stepped back and realized that I didn’t want to be a lawyer, I wanted to guide and empower humans in a more authentic and genuine manner. I wanted to be a personal coach.

As I was finishing up my undergrad, I helped a few high school buddies, that just returned from their academia career regain their health. I brought them back to their fighting weight and during that process, they helped their families and others around them. It opened my eyes to a profession that I didn’t even know was a possibility.

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What is your fitness background?

Aside from playing multiple sports growing up I competed at highschool in Football, Track, Baseball, Crosscountry and turning down scholarships in Baseball and Crosscoutnry/Track to Universities.  I have spent the good half of a decade in the world of Fitness where I have achieved multiple certifications. 
 
Certifications Attended:
Crossfit Level 1
Mobility certification under Dr. Roop Sihora who works with Dr. Kelly Starrett
Strong man certification under Rob Orlando
Freestyle connection certification under Carl Paoli
Facial Movement Taping under Dr. Steven Capobianco
Kettle bell certification under Jeff Martone
Underground strength course under Zack Even-esh
Endurance certification under Valerie Hunt
Striking course under Tony Blauer
Art of Breathe under Brian Mackenzie 
Rethinking the Big Patterns 1 and 2 under Dr. Pat Davidson 
The Melding of Models Dr. Ben House, CN, FDN, CFMP demonstrating how he Melds his Model with Dr. Michael Mullin, ATC, PTA, PRC, Derek Hansen, CSCS, BA, MASc and Dr. Pat Davidson.    
The Human Matrix under Dr. Zac Cupples, DPT, PT, OVS, CSCS, PRC                        
Stress Movement and Pain: A Systematic Approach under Dr. Seth Oberst, DPT, SCS, CSCS

I’m considering your training. Why would I choose you over another PT, Coach or CrossFit program in general?

You think it is expensive hiring a professional? Try hiring an amateur. – Dr. Bob Rokowski

 I think you’ll come across multiple trainers in the coaching world that will have sufficient reviews from past clients and references that can speak to their ability to help people achieve their goals. And thats great and I am sure they can help a lot of people. But can those coaches help the rejects? The people who have fallen through the cracks, the people in pain, the people that are “broken”? Thats my specialty, I get the hard cases, the cases coaches normally give up on.  And what sets me apart is that I understand for all I know now, there is still more I am constantly needing to learn. I make it a point to never tell myself “I am the master of this space”, because if I don’t grow in my ability to learn, how can I grow my ability to help others? 

 

Additionally, my focus beyond your training is understanding not just how you move in the gym, but all the past experiences you’ve had both in and outside the gym that got you to where you are today. I get to know my client  to make sure I take the best approach to help them and meet them where they are.  Either with me one on one, or in a group setting, I pledge to personalize my work with you so that you understand not just that I have continued interest in your fitness growth, but in all aspects of your life. I meet with you regularly to check in on your goals, But I also invest my time getting to know you personally. 

I am beyond the words of what’s wrong with you. And more of what happened to you. From there I can start to help. 

What do you think most gyms/coaches are missing that makes your programming successful?

I think it’s largely three things:

1. Thinking outside the box (literally).  
What I mean by this is that for one reason or another, some coaches may not seek out continuing education outside the gym beyond what they believe is “tried and true” to success.  Whether it’s due to financial barriers, or egotistical ones, the result is a lack of true external education and a greater emphasis on “fitness fads” which are many times not good on the brain and body in the short or long term. Which these fads normally come about because it worked on “one” person, normally you see this with celebrity coaches.  A coach’s words are powerful. As a result, we need to really know what we are talking about before we open our mouths.    


2. Understanding there is no “one way”
Humans are extremely complex, our past generations influences how we look, how we age, our flexibility, our predisposition to gain or lose fat or muscle.  Because of this variety, we have to acknowledge and accept that there are multiple paths to help one achieve success.  Sure there are constants, such as the importance of “healthy” diet, managed stress, adequate sleep, etc.  But if you look deeper, you learn that what’s a “healthy diet” for one person, is not the same for another.  Some people are able to better manage stress than others. Others need more or less sleep than others. We have to understand these points, and then cater programming to match the individual. Similar to how my programming for a 31 year old female competitive athlete will vary in intensity/workload than a 70 year old male working professional looking to lose 5% of body fat on his 2nd hip and 3rd knee.  

3. Get the whole picture
I think often times coaches can overlook what is happening to an individual outside the gym. It’s true that we only may see you for a few hours each week, which is why understanding how you are the other hours is important to a successful program. This needs to go beyond “how was work, how was seeing family, etc.” These are superficial questions and they often result in short answers. Instead, we should seek to understand what our clients are feeling and why. Why was work particularly difficult?  What do you usually do when you see family?  Those questions provide more context and a more holistic picture of where your brain is at. If I can seek to better understand you more on an emotional, social, mental level, I believe I can be better at my job, which is helping you achieve your goals.  
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what They’re Saying

Client Testimonials

What has been the biggest success from training with me?

Success has come in several different areas. Visually, I’m a completely different human from when a started. A lifetime of competitive swimming and years of standard CrossFit didn’t get me close to the body composition that I’ve achieved. Skill wise, I went from not being able to do a kipping pull-up to being able to do every gymnastic movement. My form in weightlifting is night and day from what it was. I feel fully confident moving my body through space. Mentally, I’ve been able to adopt a student attitude with respect to fitness. I no longer feel like I have the answers already, but I now know better where and how to get at them.

Keith Wiggans

How has this improved your life outside the gym?

One of Teo’s biggest strengths is accepting people for who they are and where they want to go. I have enjoyed working with Teo to improve my lifting form, specifically improving my ability to engage my core, hamstrings and glutes during lifts, and not always being in extension. I enjoy our conversations inside and outside the gym, which has educated me in areas such as fitness, strength, nutrition and lifestyle. I enjoy that Teo focuses on more than the training and really works to connect to his athletes on a personal level. When you first start as an athlete with him you take some communication and personality tests so he knows a bit on how you think and learn. If you are willing to put in the work, Teo will invest 100%.

Dax Garner

What do you enjoy about our training?

It is the effort of pursuing goals and challenges that keeps me focused on my health. I will be 64 this year. It’s a time when most people my age are slowing down, but I’m ramping it up. I can master any crossfit movement given time and training.  I don’t know if I have reached my full potential but I will keep trying because “Life requires effort.”

And I still have mountains to climb. Machu Picchu looms on the horizon and I must go there soon to hike the 3 day Inca Trail to the Lost City in the Clouds.

Connie Arismendi

How has training with me improved your life outside the gym?

I’m a textbook extrovert (except perhaps not in the AM. I do have to get up at 5:00AM) so if I’m not feeling sociable, I know something is up. Training with Teo has taught be balance in all aspects of life: physical health, emotional health, spiritual health, but it also has trained me to be more skeptical, to show more interest in myself and others and to say yes more to things I would have normally said no to.  This has helped deepen relationships with family, friends, and improved myself at work.

Brandon Lutz

What has been the biggest success from training with me?

Getting in shape is an obvious one, but what I really think Teo excels at is correcting fundamentals and really understanding what particular clients need focus on. Things like being concious of my feet as I run, or aware of how to shift my weight have been invaluable to me.

Neema Amini

What do you enjoy about our training?

You have a deep concern for the individual as a person and an athlete. You really care and it shows in how  you coach. You really pour yourself out ever day to give us the best coaching you know how to give. You are also a very intellectually curious person, always seeking to gain more knowledge to be a better coach.

Lou Marchetti

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