While Craig was a graduate student in exercise science in 1999, he noticed the articles about personal training on a website that interested him. He thought, “I’m a personal trainer, I could do this, too! So, I started my first email newsletter.” A year later, while looking for a job, he sent one of his email newsletters to Lou Schuler, the fitness editor of Men’s Health magazine. “The next thing I knew it was published in the magazine! I’ve been working with them for more than 15 years now. That connection really boosted my credibility, and I started selling my information products and fitness programs online in 2001.”

Growing up in Canada, Craig loved playing soccer and hockey. “I played soccer at the highest level, and I had a coach who was with us for many years, who was nice, steady and consistent.” In college, he didn’t try out for any teams. Instead, he recalls, “I was excited about exercise science, learning about fatigue, strength and power, and not just about the exercises themselves, but about what goes on in the body at the muscular and cellular level. It was fascinating to learn the science behind what happens in your muscles when you are running a marathon versus when you are running sprints. I learned various types of training would accelerate people’s results–getting stronger, building muscle, losing fat.”

“I know it is tough for people to make dramatic pivots in their careers to move into the work they love, but there is so much opportunity these days with online learning, YouTube videos and podcasts. I have been fortunate to study things that are so interesting to me and so directly applicable to my career. Added to that, I’m fortunate that my own interests converged with the emergence of the internet, and with the cresting wave of worldwide interest in health and fitness. I think it’s just a matter of showing people the options that are available to them as they make changes in their lives and careers.”

1. Spend time in introspection and figure out what really matters to you, in whatever season of life you may be living.

2. Study the people you admire and learn everything you can from the path they have blazed.

3. Organize your day so you can complete your work in the daytime and have freedom to be with your loved ones at night.

4. Use the abundant resources available online to continue your own personal development.

Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness, by Sharon Lebell

The Perfect Day Formula, by Craig Ballantyne

Turbulence Training for Fat Loss, by Craig Ballantyne

Luciano del Monte, “Cross-Training for Life”