Titanium Spotlight: Ian Breitzke

Note from James: It's always a pleasure to train someone like Breitzke, or Ian if you want to call him that. I don't. He has the work ethic of a horse and the mental determination of a world class athlete. If this guy wasn't an accountant, I'm certain he'd be competing in high level athletics somewhere across the world.

If I could sum of Breitzke in one phrase, it would simply be "work till you win or die trying".

There is no quit in this man.

He's also very handsome.

Age: 25

What do you do for a living?

I'm an Accountant (and no, I don't know how to do your taxes)

What do you do outside of that?

I run a lot in Edmonton's beautiful river valley, play a few video games here and there and love cooking dinner for all my friends. But my most favourite thing to do might be cooking and eating pancakes!

How long have you been training with Titanium Strength:

6 months

What does being "strong" mean to you?

I don't know if I have a single definition of it, but being able to deadlift 405lbs, squat 395+lbs and bench over 225lbs (like I used to) at my body weight of 155lbs would make me (fairly) strong.

What is your all-time favourite exercise and why?

Pull-ups ALL THE WAY! Maybe its just because I'm pretty good at them or maybe because they give me a sick arm pump. And everybody knows, if there's one thing that women appreciate, it's a vascular man!

What's most important to you in terms of your fitness goals?

For the longest time, it was just being about as strong as I could given some constraints (maintaining body weight for things like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitions). But more recently, it's about maintaining and improving movement and feeling good when I train. I've dealt with a host of issues with my training and just being able to get out there and train without any pain is one of the most important things for me.

What are some of your gym essentials? (E.g. music playlist, pre-workout, head band, tank top to show off your gains)

I don't think I have any "essentials." It's pretty dependent on mood and focus. Some days I wanna jam some Fear Factory while pound out heavy dead lifts. But other days I spend more time working on my jaw, chatting every body up, than I do lifting! I think the most essential for me is just working out in the gym I love (City Centre World Health).

If you could do accomplish any task in the world, what would it be?

That's a pretty broad question! I think the "one thing" I want to do might change every day. But right now, I just want to get myself through a whole day, not worrying once, not even once, about what someone else thinks about me!

Do you like to train alone or with a training partner? Why?

I generally "train" alone. But if anyone sees/talks to me at the gym, I do not keep to myself! I generally prefer working out on my own mainly because I don't specifically know when I'm going to make it to the gym each day and I can do what I want, when I want to do it, and don't have to try and tailor my programming to anyone else.

What's the best compliment you've been given? How did you feel about it?

I don't know if I could really pinpoint the best compliment someone has ever given me, but it's always satisfying when someone notices that you train on a consistent basis.

When people compliment, you know that your training is paying off in some capacity.

Who's the last person you encouraged to start strength training?

The last person I encouraged to start strength training is my manager at work. But if I get to know you, I'm always gonna encourage you to start!

What drives you to train?

Lookin' good nekkid! Duh! More seriously though, training is a stress relief (and if you know me, you know I can use all the stress relief I can get), and pushing my body to its (hopefully) physical limits is really satisfying for me, I always want to get better at everything I'm doing, and the gym is no different. The lookin' handsome part is a good side-effect though.

What are some of things you've struggled with during your coaching?

Knowing my limits. Whether that's because I'm too stressed out to be training that day, or just pushing myself harder than I should and ending up injured.

What are some things you've done really well at?

In terms of training, I think my biggest struggle is also the cause of some of the things I do really well at. I'm always focused on doing better, and pushing myself, in some way, and my drive to do better and achieve more really means I get a lot out of most of my sessions at the gym.

What is one habit you're working on improving right now?

Just doing what feels good AND listening to my body. Remembering which lifts or movements do and don't handle well and knowing if it's a good day or a bad day for me to hit the gym based on my pain or stress levels, and getting any and all ego lifting out of my bro brain!

What is the one thing you want to achieve by the end of your training with Titanium Strength?

The main thing I really want to achieve in the gym is being able to cleanly deadlift 405lbs again, without any pain (if we're looking for an objective answer). But more importantly, just learning to be satisfied with what I can accomplish in the gym.

How has coaching helped you change your life?

I think it's helped me become much more knowledgeable about my strength training. I'm consistently asking questions and trying to learn everything I can, and working with a qualified professional makes that a lot easier. I think it's also put into perspective that there are a lot of other things outside of the gym that I need to get straight before I can perform at the level I want to IN the gym.

What would you tell someone who's on the fence about starting their coaching with James?

James is an albeit pretty awkward guy sometimes (which makes for some pretty awesome funnies!), a knowledgeable trainer, whose going to help you lift heavier, move better, put on muscle and do his best to tailor your program to your training needs.

He's passionate about his career and truly wants to help people achieve their goals. He might also help you look super handsome in the process. If you already are handsome, well he'll help you look... handsomer?

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