Who We Are
Ryan Johnson
Ryan is an ISSA certified Personal Trainer who resides in Los Angeles, California. He created Approachability Athletic to give people, no matter their experience level, a safe, fun and inviting place to become active and healthy individuals.
But that’s only half the story. As a professional TV writer with credits that include USA’s Burn Notice, NBC’s Blindspot and CW’s Kung Fu, Ryan understands what it’s like to balance a demanding career with health and fitness goals.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF TRAINER
Ok, I can’t do any more of this in the third person. I know it’s supposed to sound more professional, but it makes me feel like a LEVEL 99 super douche.
Anyway, ever since I was a child I considered myself an athlete and played every sport possible. Football, Baseball, Basketball, Martial Arts and even bowling. And yes Bowling is a sport… especially growing up in the freezing cold winters of Northern Wisconsin when going outside wasn’t always an option.
But it wasn’t until the summer before my Senior year in High School that I become interested in how the human body works and what it takes to reach our full potential. It was around that time the owner of the juice bar at the local gym gave me a stack of resource books on exercise science, including Bill Phillips’ Body for Life as well as his comprehensive guide to supplementation. I tore into the material and it confirmed what I had already suspected: My High School football coach didn’t know the first thing about strength or sport specific training in the weight room. You can imagine how happy he was to hear that!
Adulting
The information my coach had no interest learning, I instead took with me into my adult life which helped me balance healthy lifestyle habits with a mostly sedentary career.
I’m sure when you imagine a writer you don’t automatically picture the model of amazing fitness. Most people think of cigars, whiskey and a George R. R. Martin style beard. While true for some that’s never been who I am. I like to hike, snowboard, ride motorcycles, bungee jump and train like my life and health depend on it. Because they sort of do.
Over the years I’ve realized a number of my colleagues want the same things I do but have no idea how to start. They were completely daunted by the prospect of entering a public gym as a beginner and balked at the idea of hiring some drill instructor-esc personal trainer. And as I watched them partake in weight loss “boot camps” and diet hacks they found online, I realized how lost they were in the maze created by fitness social media influencers.
