About
Background
Galen has pursued a career in coaching from an early age. While playing Division I tennis and studying exercise science, he coached and trained high performance junior tennis players, finding a strong passion for helping people achieve their potential. After ending his playing career at Appalachian State due to injuries, he was an assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s teams. Additionally, he interned as a strength and conditioning coach working with various sports teams at App State. While in North Carolina, he reignited his passion for outdoor pursuits and got into rock climbing, which is his favorite activity to this day.
Galen pursued a Master’s Degree in kinesiology at Boise State with the goal of amplifying his abilities as a fitness professional. Since moving to Boise, Galen shifted his focus towards personal training. His diverse background in the classroom and his personal pursuits have equipped him to be effective with a wide range of individuals. Galen has had five musculoskeletal surgeries due to various chronic and acute injuries and he’s dealt with debilitating chronic back pain. This experience has shaped his perspective and made him equally interested in rehabilitation and training for chronic pain as he is interested in athletic performance.
Galen draws from his classroom experience, various coaching experiences, and athletic experience to create the most effective programs for his clients. Galen’s training philosophy starts with scientifically backed strength and conditioning principles and incorporates specific rehabilitation exercises as needed to match an individual’s goals. Galen formats his programs similarly to how he would for an elite athlete, then regresses the program down to what makes sense for the given individual. It is often necessary to create a foundation with what looks more like physical therapy then transition toward more of a strength training program. Galen firmly believes that there are no "bad" movements that should be avoided (i.e. rounding the lower back or squatting with your knees over your toes), but you should never push through too much pain and it can take a lot of work and some guidance to get there. Resistance training with free weights (i.e. dumbells, kettlebells, barbells) is almost always the backbone of the training sessions. Focusing on resistance training can be the most efficient way to increase muscle mass, mobility (i.e. strength through a great range of motion), burn a lot of calories for weight loss, increase bone mineral density , and improve balance. Galen is a passionate personal trainer working with people of all ages and abilities. It is extremely important to him to make all of his clients feel comfortable and confident in the gym, while also pushing them to train harder than they ever have. One of Galen's main goals is always to provide his clients the education and confidence to exercise on their own in between sessions. Galen writes specific customized programs for his clients to follow to reach their goals. Whether you’re a weekend warrior, looking to progress from an injury, or training for longevity, Galen can help guide you on your journey.