Hello! Please introduce yourself, who are you and what sports/fitness routine do you play? What was the earliest memory you have of yourself in sports?

My name is Stafford Gatling and I’m a sports performance coach at my own gym called Stay Ready Performance. I played college football at Ohio University and had a short run with the New York Jets. As a former athlete, staying active is very important to me. I remember when I was like 6 years old playing basketball with my sister and that was like my first memory of playing sports seriously. 

How do you get ready to train for your sport/how do you train?

Well as a sport performance coach, I have the privilege to train professional athletes each and every day during their off season period. So before each workout, I come up with a specific workout catered to each athlete. So we start with a dynamic warm up, mobility circuit, speed and movement, then we finish with out lift. My athletes usually train 4-5 days a week for an hour and a half. We use a wide variety of equipment from free weights, resistance bands, sleds, and etc.

After a workout/game, how do you recover your body? What do you do to get your body in shape? What type of diet do you eat?

Recovery is just as important as working out itself. For recovery we suggest taking an ice bath for 10-15 minutes after each workout or game you participate in. Make sure to a have a post- workout recovery shake to provide protein and supplements to help speed up the recovery process. Dieting can be tricky because everyone's body is different and responds in a different way. So I just make sure to incorporate more veggies, then carbs and eat healthy proteins. 

How do you prevent injuries when you’re training? What type of stretches do you normally do? What’s your routine looking like?

At Stay Ready Performance, we are real big on mobility and functionality. So we spend 15 mins before the workout doing active mobility and to finish the workout we do 15 mins of stretching. We incorporate lots of yoga stretches in our routine. 

If there is someone wanting to get to your level, what type of advice would you give them?

It is all about what you put in. Hard work pays off and if you can believe then you can achieve it. Always shoot for the stars. 

How do you structure your day now? What projects are you busy with?

I usually start my day at 9 am and I train clients 'til 7or 8 pm. As of now, I’m working on structuring programs that target middle & high school athletes, adult fitness and doing sport specific classes that cater to each sport. 

How has your journey on social media been like? Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Social media plays a crucial role in my business. It is a marketing resource to share what I do and how I can make other lives better. So, I try to use my platform to inform and to motivate. In 10 years, I see myself as one of the country top sport coach that trains a variety of professional athletes. 

What does the word ‘Better’ means to you?

The world better to me means doing the right thing to reach your goal. Be 1% better each day. 

What’s a “full life” according to you?

Living with purpose and find joy in your purpose. Once you can figure that out, your life will be full!!! Full of love, happiness, peace and joy. 

How can our audience find you online? 

I’m easy to find on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube @StrengthbyStaff. I’m the proud owner of Stay Ready Performance based out of Charlotte NC. Follow @stayready_performance

Link to Stafford's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strengthbystaff/