I recently completed my first formal yoga workout at the studio. It was an amazing experience. I’m a little quirky with my workouts. When I experiment with a new type of workout and it really challenges me… I love it. I’ve made a concentrated effort to work on my mobility the last three years, I’ve shown big improvements, but yoga was like putting kerosene on a fire for me. Read More

One and a half weeks before Christmas and the studio has never been busier. I’m not reporting this expecting a pat on the back, it’s more of an observation. I was trying to determine if it’s busier because I’m making a concentrated effort to reach people, is it due to the past promotions we’ve run (21 days unlimited training, Black Friday Special) or because we now have a physical location? I’ve always made an effort to create successful training programs. I’ve always put the goals and desires of my clients first. My motivation to train people has always been to help them. I’ve spent my life (literally since I’ve been 15 years old) reading and educating myself about exercise & fitness. If I feel I have a few proven methods, it only makes sense that I would want to share these with people desperately seeking them. Maybe it’s the 25 year culmination of everything that’s providing us with momentum. Read More

2015 Men’s Health Magazine “Next Top Trainer” finalist and nationally recognized Personal Trainer Doug Sheppard has opened the J & D Fitness Personal Training studio in Las Vegas. Sheppard has recruited a team of elite trainers to provide the best quality instruction in the Las Vegas valley. “If you walk into any gym in Las Vegas, the first thing they will show you is the equipment or the locker rooms. The last things the salesperson will mention are the trainers. Not in our place” states Sheppard. “It’s all about having a structured program and quality coaching.” Our studio is not general access, meaning you can’t just come and work out. Everyone is given a trainer either semi-private (3-5 people) or privately to guarantee you get results. Read More

I’m finally catching my breath from this past weekend. Last week I hosted the Nevada National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA) Annual state clinic. Last year I took the post as the state director representing the NSCA in Nevada (a blessing and a curse). I was on the advisory board prior to that. Our past director was a fellow associate from the local fitness community. Being on the board put a definite strain on our relationship. What I didn’t know was that he had appointed me to the board assuming I would like having the title without having to do anything. Once I was nominated to the board I questioned, “What’s the sense of having a board/ state director if we don’t do anything?” After pushing and prodding I got him to set up a state clinic for fellow trainers, strength coaches, ATCs, etc. offering them the opportunity to gain continued education locally. We were able to organize a panel of quality speakers, lock down a venue within our budget restraints, and get the word out in enough time to get people registered. All of this, only to have him resign his post 1 month prior to the event. Read More

It’s been a while since I blogged. We just finished our 2nd week of being open at our new training studio. The dust hasn’t settled, but I’m slowly trying to get back into my normal routine. I typically like to write about observations that I experience in my training practice. As we get new members in the studio I explain that we’re a semi-private training facility. We specialize in having small groups of 3-6 people work out together. They may have a similar program focusing on mobility, strength and fat loss, but we preach that every routine/ exercise can either be regressed or progressed to fit that person’s skill level. I will admit that 80% of the time everyone is doing similar type movements. I did start to think am I a hypocrite? I’ll explain. Read More

It feels great to be back in the saddle. I’m a pretty organized guy, borderline OCD, but three weeks ago I was notified that I was selected as a finalist in the Men’s Health Next Top Trainer competition. I had 1 week to organize everything at home, work and prepare to fly to Allentown, Pennsylvania for a week. I would compete against 7 other elite trainers from throughout the US in physical & mental challenges. Here’s the funny part; I had no clue what I was getting myself into. I had entered the challenge on a whim. I saw an ad in Men’s Health magazine. I uploaded a headshot, filmed a quick 2 minute video challenge, and posted my entry link on my Facebook page so that people could vote for me. Read More

This week we complete 8 months at our new studio. We’re capping the week on Saturday with the Torch Challenge. The Challenge consists of 3 events: The gobblet squat, the TRX row, and the overhead press with a sandbag. These three exercises are foundational exercises in the Torch Workout. I believe that the Torch Workout should improve you in all three. I can’t think of a better way to prove that than to have an open competition. It is open to non-members so if you would like to participate it will only cost $20 and breakfast is included. We will have separate categories for men & women. Stop by and take the challenge. Read More

I’d like to wish a Happy Halloween to everyone. I love the fall, and for me Halloween ushers in the holiday season. I don’t want to freak anyone out, but we’re only 56 days away from Christmas. Wow! One of the reasons I enjoy this time of year is because it’s filled with a lot of tradition. I enjoy that piece of candy on Halloween, a piece of pumpkin pie next month, and the turkey dinner on Christmas. I know I just rattled off a lot of food. I can enjoy these things because I’ve been working hard all year. I also don’t back down from my workouts during the holidays, I actually try to step them up. In 2 months my phone will start to ring with people looking to “start the year off right”. My advice to people is to always start now, why wait? Start jogging and lifting now. I believe that life is about balance, and you should be able to enjoy those seasonal treats without guilt. I treat them as rewards for my hard work & discipline throughout the year. Read More

I want to take a moment and thank everyone who came out for our Grand Opening party last Friday. We also kicked off our 5-week Back to School Body Fat Challenge. It was a great night filled with friends, food, raffle prizes and laughs. Stay tuned for our announcement of the winner on November 21st. One of the highlights for me was showing guests the workout floor, where we keep the TRXs, where we store our kettlebells, and keep the sandbags. I enjoyed listening to a few members share their workout stories. One of the common themes I heard from members was how we do so much with so little. By little, I mean we use 3 pieces of equipment. Now the weights may vary from workout to workout, depending on what we’re doing, but 3 pieces nonetheless. It's been one of my goals to teach that a workout's effectiveness should be judged by it's results, not by the quantity of equipment. Read More

I recently was going through a few pictures of when I used to compete in Bodybuilding. I competed for over 10 years and was lucky enough to win the Jr. Nationals as a light heavyweight in my final year of competition. At that time I was obsessed with bodybuilding. Everything I did in the gym was about building size. And from the outside I appeared very fit. Read More