Meet your coach
Experience, judgment, and a plan built with you.
John Richmond is a Toronto personal trainer and strength coach with more than 15 years of study across powerlifting, bodybuilding, and exercise science. His coaching begins with your actual starting point.
photographHow I Got Here
I came to strength training at a point when I needed structure, discipline, and direction in my life. The habits, consistency, and physical clarity harnessed through the process shaped more than just my physique.
I spent fifteen years studying biomechanics, powerlifting protocols, hypertrophy science, and nutrition before coaching full-time in Toronto. That foundation informs every program I write. From complete beginners who have never touched a barbell to experienced lifters chasing new PRs, every person gets a program built from the ground up — never a template.
I coach out of Carpio Strength & Conditioning in Toronto’s west end and offer in-home training across the city. Every program is calibrated to your current capacity, schedule, and recovery — and no two are the same.
Training Philosophy
I practice Powerbuilding — not a compromise between Powerlifting and Bodybuilding, but a genuine synthesis of both. Powerlifting gave us the most rigorous strength protocols we have. Bodybuilding gave us the most sophisticated science of muscle development. I draw from both, applying what is proven to the person standing in front of me.
My goal is not to keep you dependent on a coach forever, but to build your physical literacy. You will learn and cement the fundamental movement patterns, understand why your program is structured the way it is, and build the confidence to train safely for decades.
Sessions follow periodized cycles backed by research and daily readiness. You will never walk in wondering what we are doing. Every session has a clear purpose, every phase builds on the last, and your data confirms the trajectory.
Read more about the methodology on the Method & Thoughts page.
Background
- 4+ years coaching full-time in Toronto
- 15+ years studying strength training, programming, and nutrition
- Specialization in Powerbuilding methodology
- Nutrition programming for body composition, performance, and metabolic health
- Structured, patient coaching adapted to all learning styles
- Works alongside physiotherapists and chiropractors for injury management
- Average client retention of over two years
The results page has what that looks like in practice.