Personal Training in Toronto's West EndAdvanced Training — Simplified.
Whether you're walking into a gym for the first time or chasing a new PR, you'll always know exactly what to do and why. Powerbuilding — the strength of powerlifting, the shape of bodybuilding — programmed for real people, not competitors. Periodized, every rep tracked, progress you can see. Toronto's west end.
Most people who start here were nervous about the gym, or coming back after years away. The plan meets you where you are.
A real session, not a sales call — we look at how you move, talk through your history, and you leave with a plan whether or not you sign up. No pressure, no commitment.
Client Statistics
Who It’s For
Start Where You Are
Never set foot in a gym? You’ll learn proper form, build confidence, and get stronger faster than you would on your own. Already training? The programming scales with you — there’s no ceiling.
Structured, Not Random
Your program follows periodized cycles backed by research. You’ll never wonder “what should I do today?”
Fits Your Schedule
One west-end Toronto location (213 Geary Ave) plus in-home options. Sessions designed for people who have 45–60 minutes, not 3 hours.
No pressure, no commitment.
From their first session to a year in.
I’ve struggled with weight loss my entire life and had a love-hate relationship with exercise, primarily due to my lack of confidence and knowledge. That all changed when I started training with John! From day one, John’s approach was transformative. He not only taught me the ins and outs of the gym but also instilled a sense of confidence I never had before. His patience and expertise made every session enjoyable and effortless. I’m thrilled to share that I’ve lost nearly 30 lbs! I feel stronger than ever, and thanks to John, I genuinely love working out. Each session is something I look forward to, as he knows exactly how to start at my level and gradually push me to achieve more. If you’re looking for a personal trainer who can truly make a difference in your fitness journey, I highly recommend John. I’ve never loved the gym more, and I’m excited about my progress.
Working with John is everything I wanted from a training experience - dedicated 1-on-1 attention with someone willing to work with people at different stages of their fitness journey. Whether you’re a high-performing athlete looking to reach their peak performance or someone just like me, a person that has been overwhelmed by the ‘big gym’ experience that left me feeling lost, embarrassed and defeated. My experience has been amazing, and this is entirely attributed to my trainer John ‘The Giant’ Richmond. In addition to being very knowledgeable and experienced in bodybuilding, he has all the patience, humour and attitude to build up your confidence and muscles. It’s very telling how much I enjoy working out under John’s guidance, as I now look forward to my workout sessions! Me! The one who made up any excuse to justify not going to a gym. I recommend that anyone looking for a highly specialized, community-driven training experience should reach out to John.
Training with John has singlehandedly kept me going to the gym. I’ve been constantly dealing with absurdly busy schedules and fatigue for years, which has made staying motivated to work out extremely hard. John has been one of the most down to earth, no nonsense trainers I’ve had the pleasure of working with and it’s made chiseling out some time for the gym a pleasure and not a chore. Also, as a former Powerlifter, I was shocked by how much I’ve learned by working with him - with every session being a chance to pick up some new tricks and pieces of knowledge despite the fact that I’m already relatively experienced. Without John’s help, I’d certainly not be making the progress I’m making let alone keeping my motivation up. Can’t recommend training with John enough, especially if you struggle to make the gym a priority amongst a hectic schedule.
Our average client trains with us for over two years. Lasting change is genuinely difficult to build — most people quit before the three-month mark.
No pressure, no commitment.
John Richmond
Personal trainer and strength coach with 15+ years of study in powerlifting, bodybuilding, and exercise science. I found strength training at a point when I needed structure and discipline in my life — the process shaped more than just my physique. Whether you’re pushing for a new PR or just getting started, every program is built for where you are now and where you’re going.
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Powerbuilding coaching in Toronto
The Athletica MethodWhat is Powerbuilding?
Powerbuilding is a synthesis of powerlifting and bodybuilding — it combines powerlifting’s strength protocols with bodybuilding’s muscle-development science into one periodized program.
I’ve spent years studying both powerlifting and bodybuilding in earnest — long enough to understand what each discipline genuinely contributes. They aren’t competing philosophies. They’re complementary ones, each developed to master a different dimension of physical training.
Powerlifting gave us the most rigorous strength protocols we have. Bodybuilding gave us the most sophisticated science of muscle development. My version of Powerbuilding draws from Aristotle’s Golden Mean — not splitting the difference between them, but taking what’s best from each to build something neither achieves alone. Informed by the extremes, built for the middle.
Your Data Guides the Programming.
The Mirror Shows the Results.
In developmentEvery session, every rep — recorded. You don’t just feel stronger; you can see it. Your strength history, training volume, and key metrics, tracked over time so the program adjusts to what’s actually working. (An interactive client dashboard is in development.)
Common questions
Train where it’s convenient.
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Let’s Talk Training.
Ready to start?
Book a free assessment — no pressure, no commitment. I’ll take it from there.
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