Ryan Leeton
Men’s Soccer, University of South Carolina
BA in Accounting, University of South Carolina
MA in Accounting, University of South Carolina
Certified in Olympic lifting
StrongFirst Kettlebell Certification
Foundation Training Certification
Favorite Coffee Shop: Whatever’s closest
Favorite Restaurant: Pho Evermore in Carpinteria
Friday Night Lights
I grew up in Midland, Texas, land of Friday Night Lights, where football players are gods. I played soccer.
My high school didn't have much of a Soccer program...
...so my dad drove me most every weekend to Dallas and back – a 500-mile round trip - where I played on a Texas state team. That’s how committed I was to my sport. And my dad to me. He’s a good dude.
Finding Platinum
After I got my CPA license, I spent a year working as a tax auditor and practically wanted to kill myself, so I moved to Houston and took a job on my godparents’ farm where I took care of polo horses. I was still playing soccer and training a lot, and one of the polo players said I should become a trainer. So I took the test and passed and became the team’s trainer. We travelled all over the world, I got exposed to some different kinds of training, but when we spent the summer in Santa Barbara I met Peter Park. When I saw what he was all about, I knew I wanted to work with him. So Peter took me in, gave me a job cleaning up the gym, and let me shadow him and learn till I was well versed in the Platinum universe. Right place, right time.
I use Excel spreadsheets...
...to map out my clients’ workouts. That’s the last vestige of me as a certified public accountant.
During my first meeting with a client...
...we shake hands, I ask them what kind of workout have they been doing, what's their health like, what their goals are, I see how well or how badly they move, etc., etc. But what’s really going on is we’re trying each other on for size, I get a feel for them, they get a feel for me, and hopefully we’re a good fit. That’s the most important part of training, the good fit.
You can't outwork a bad diet...
So just do this: Cut out processed food and sugar, shop on the outside of the grocery store, and don’t eat anything made with more than four ingredients.
Platinum is my other home...
...And some of the trainers there are like my family. I'm there all the time, with clients, working out by myself or with some of the guys, hanging out with whoever's around. With all the outdoor space, the beach across the street, the vibe there's unlike any other gym I've been to.
(432) 889-7185
