Before the gym, the field
Before I became a trainer I was a kid who loved playing sports, exercising, and having fun with friends. I didn't actually hit the gym until high school. That's when I learned what dedication is — you embrace the pain for a few hours and change everything that comes after.
I'd rather do that than almost anything else, beside my time with the Lord. I've been doing this my whole life. So why not turn it into a career? That's the question I sat with for a year before I finally said yes.
The decision moment
It wasn't a single moment. It was watching people leave a session lighter than they came in. Seeing the smile on someone's face after they finished something they thought they couldn't do. Watching training give somebody peace at the end of a stressful day.
That's not a workout. That's a ministry that looks like a barbell. I want to be in that room for the rest of my life.
What stopped me before
Trying to do everything alone. Clubbing, drinking, vaping — I tried the version of life that promises peace and delivers static. I don't do any of that anymore. Not because somebody made me stop. Because I found something better. Faith over feedback loops.
What I refuse to do
I'm brand new to this journey — just learning what works for me, what doesn't. I don't smoke or vape anymore. No clubbing, no drinking. That's not flex. That's clarity.
The catchphrase I say to every client
"Chase your dream. The sky is the limit. If you have God by your side, anything is possible." I'm not saying it because it sounds good on a poster. I'm saying it because I have lived the alternative and it didn't work.
The credentials timeline
- 2023 — Now · Built physique and training knowledge through dedicated self-study and hands-on programming
- 2024 · Began documenting training and content on TikTok and YouTube as rockstareli04 — community formed naturally
- 2025 · Enrolled in coaching coursework to formalize the work
- Ongoing · Training clients in Maple Grove and online — 1-on-1, small group, and youth athletes
No fake plaques. Just the honest list. When a cert lands, it lands here.
The unexpected fact
My energy. Most people who meet me are surprised by how outgoing I am. That's the thing I lean on in a session — your nervous system feeds off your coach's. If your coach is dialed, you become dialed.
What you'll never get from me
- A cookie-cutter program copied from somebody else's app
- A guru act — I'm a coach, not a prophet
- Shame as a motivator. Ever.
- A pitch that promises more than I can deliver
That's the story. If we're a fit, you already know. Let's go.