Meet Matthew Wagner | Strength Coach – Kettlebell & Strongman Enthusiast

We had the good fortune of connecting with Matthew Wagner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Matthew, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I had been in the service industry behind the bar for over a decade when COVID had shut everything down. That gave me the time I needed to see that I couldn’t continue that lifestyle. I hardly had time to spend with my wife and kids. You consume alcohol to make the shifts bearable. You get home in the early AM and are completely drained from having to be “on” the whole shift, which is kind of excruciating and exhausting as an introvert. The shut-down gave me the chance to attempt to make a pivot in my career. I had always been into martial arts and fitness since I was a teenager, and I enjoyed teaching and coaching people in that setting. Since relocating to CO in 2017, I had steadily worked towards instructor certifications with StrongFirst (a “hardstyle” kettlebell system) as a way to challenge myself. The systems of StrongFirst are tried and tested by a myriad of disciplines, from tactical operators, emergency 1st responders, endurance athletes, Brazilian Jujitsu practitioners, to the elderly. I felt I had something unique to offer to the local fitness sphere. My style of coaching is centered around making sure my students are moving well and building a sense of self-efficacy when it comes to training intuitively by listening to their bodies.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What sets me apart from most others in my field is the breadth of tools I have at my disposal and how I apply them to each individual student. Kettlebells, barbells, bodyweight, strongman. No methods or modalities are off limits to me, as long as it gives me the tools I need to be a more effective coach.

A point of pride for me is that I have been doing martial arts since I was 12, but only started strength training in earnest at 35, with primarily kettlebells. I chose to get the instructor certifications for StrongFirst, not only because I wanted to be a coach, but the certifications themselves are hard to get and require a monastic, workman’s like mentality and I wanted the challenge. I wanted to try strongman not only because it seemed fun and different, but because it was a challenge. I hiked the Haiku stairs in Hawaii because it scared me, and was a challenge that excited me. You can see the pattern.

Being able to help people move and feel stronger, better, healthier is something I love to do. That’s not a challenge, but doing it for a living is very much so and something I’m still trying to figure out. Right now my biggest weakness isn’t in the strength department, but in my ability to find a way forward as a professional in this field.

There are a lot of people out there that equate working out or being fit with being in or dealing with pain, and that stops them from even beginning their journey to a fitness goal or lifestyle. Strength is one of the master indicators for quality of life as we age. Strength in its many forms allows us to be resilient, and it has a much greater purpose than just lifting heavy things (although that part’s not so bad either).

Athletes deal with pain all the time, but so do people that don’t focus on their own health. A wise man once told me, “You can be out of shape and in pain or in shape and in pain.”

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Between training myself and students at the gym and being a family man, I really, really don’t get out much at all so I don’t know what’s really hot right now, but here are some of my suggestions.

Food:
Rare Italian – This is a go-to spot for my wife and I. In-house dry-aged steaks and a solid cocktail/wine/spirit selection? Killer.
Music City Hot Chicken – I’m a spice-lord, through and through, so finishing a meal with my mouth on fire and a concern about what will happen to me the next morning is always on the table. They have non-spicy too, but what fun is that?!
Ace Gillette’s – I have to give a shout-out to my 1st bartending job in Fort Collins. They’ve gone through a lot of tribulations and have come out the other side.
Rama Mama – Legit, like really good, ramen.
Pizza Casbah – Something about a giant, NY style pizza with slices bigger than your head is really comforting to me.

To Do/See:
Ritual Strength – I can’t not have you come to my home base and lift some things, and hang out with some good folk in Loveland, CO.
Devil’s Backbone – An easy to get to trail that has basic to advanced loops, with some absolutely gorgeous views. And a couple heavy stones around you can try to pick up 😉 There are a TON of trails out here though.
Christmas season lighting ceremony in Old Town – this year kicks off Nov. 3rd @ 6:30pm. Just beautiful.
Fort Collins Comic-Con – We have a comic-con here! I’m a huge comic/anime/video game nerd so I’m quite happy we have one of these up here.
Disc Golf courses – I haven’t done this in ages, but I used to love disc golf. I know there are a lot of fun courses out here that I still need to take advantage of myself!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Firstly, I need to thank my wife, Skyler, for supporting me and our family as I try to figure out this stage of my life & career.

My kids, Sagan & Huxley who always challenge me to a better person.

John Spezzano, my original Muay Thai & strength training mentor for starting me on the path of strength training and introducing me to the StrongFirst School of Strength.

My buddy, Maxon Thornhill for introducing me to strongman. I always knew it was a thing I enjoyed watching, but had no idea us smaller guys could compete! It’s now a huge part of my training and have met some great people through it, which led me to my current gym home, Ritual Strength!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sfa_hardstyle/

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tigahstyle