Images by Photo Artistry by Melinda
Suffering from back and neck pain after hunching over at work all day? Feeling frustrated that you’re unable to lose weight? You’ve tried attending crowded yoga classes, buying workout DVDs, and have even purchased a treadmill that is now collecting cobwebs in your basement. To make matters worse, you’ve tried multiple fad diets, but can’t seem to stay on track and lose the “quarantine 15.” If you’re interested in finding a fitness program that not only creates results, but encourages you to keep going and stay motivated, group workout sessions at Tri Pillar Fitness might be your missing link.
Owned by 42-year-old Andrew Martin, Tri Pillar (TPF) is not like most gyms you’ll find in the Triad. In fact, the team at TPF doesn’t consider themselves to be a gym at all. “A gym is somewhere you go to rent equipment to use,” explains Andrew. “TPF focuses on coaching.”
What sets Tri Pillar apart from other fitness facilities in the area is its family-like atmosphere, smaller class sizes, and its emphasis on functional fitness. Unlike many fitness centers, TPF offers neuromuscular massage therapy. Workouts at Tri Pillar can be scaled to clients of any fitness level. Instead of burning clients out with high-intensity workouts and heavy lifting, Andrew’s coaching style focuses on strength training by incorporating basic movement patterns that can be individually tweaked, allowing him to train an 80-year-old alongside a 30-year old. Aside from strength training, a large aspect of Andrew’s job as a fitness coach is to talk to his clients and check in with them on a regular basis. According to Andrew, “Fitness should make your life better, not harder. I don’t want my clients to leave a workout feeling super tired or so sore that they can’t walk.” Additionally, he strives to give his clients the ability to build strength, live the highest quality of life possible, and “armor up” for when life throws a curveball.
Prior to training at Tri Pillar, prospective clients are required to apply and meet Andrew for a consultation, where their body composition and current fitness level are thoroughly assessed. Because Tri Pillar’s clientele is 85% female, with the majority of women over the age of 45, Andrew stresses that developing strength is the primary way to increase longevity. Since age-related muscle loss begins roughly around age 30 without strength training, it is imperative that he helps his clients grow and retain their lean muscle tissue.
The name “Tri Pillar Fitness” originated from Andrew’s belief in the three pillars of fitness. The first pillar, mindset, is first for a reason. “If a client has the wrong mindset, there is nothing I can do to help,” explains Andrew. “I tell my clients that age is not a disability and to stop treating it like one.”
The second pillar, consistency, is key in seeing progress. Andrew suggests to his clients that they remain consistent by practicing strength training at least three days per week to see results. As clients’ strength and mobility progresses over time, their resistance training will naturally increase in intensity.
Strength and movement, the third pillar, are crucial to living a long, healthy, and fulfilling life. Clients looking to lose weight will benefit from strength training’s metabolism-boosting properties. In fact, Andrew has invested in medical grade equipment to determine his clients’ muscle mass and body fact percentages in order to track their progress.
In February 2019, Tri Pillar Fitness opened its doors at its location in Clemmons. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Andrew moved his fitness training online within three days of gyms closing, which he still offers to clients today. He teaches virtual fitness sessions, during which he provides participants with personalized feedback – something most Instagram and YouTube fitness influencers do not. With these virtual training sessions, he has fortunately been able to retain the large majority of his clients throughout the pandemic.
Although he lives and breathes coaching clients, Andrew is also a proud father and an avid hiker. While living in Colorado Springs, he hiked numerous “Fourteeners,” a nickname for mountain peaks exceeding 14,000 feet in elevation. Anyone who enters the Tri Pillar facility will be able to feel Andrew’s passion for what he does. His energy, uplifting spirit, and the plethora of motivational quotes written on the gym’s walls are what keeps his clients coming back.
Interested in training at Tri Pillar? Visit tripillarfitness.com to apply to start training and to learn more about what Andrew offers. Watch Andrew’s fitness videos on Tri Pillar’s Youtube channel, and follow @tripillarfitness on Instagram to see more tips and techniques. For any additional questions, call (336) 455-7259, or email andy@tripillarfitness.net.
