TJ D

Who are you? Tell us a little about yourself? Maybe something that would surprise us :)

Everyone at the gym knows me by “TJ”, and that stands for Travis James. I’ve been a Texan all my life, growing up in a small farming community about an hour from Houston. I played a lot of sports growing up, including baseball, track, and football, while working with my dad who still is to this day a rice farmer and business owner. I attribute my mental fortitude and drive to the discipline that I was taught from these different sources growing up. I went to Texas A&M University for college, where I met my wife, and later moved to Houston to work in the Oil & Gas and software industries. We have a 2-year-old son with all the energy in the world and another child on the way.

How long have you been a Behemoth member and how did you hear about us?

I joined the Transformation program in June 2021, and became a full-time member in July. Losing access to a work-provided gym due to now working remotely, I wanted to find a gym close to home. I found Behemoth on a map search for local gyms. I checked with Kristoffer H., who works at my same company, if Behemoth was the gym that he had spoken highly of in the past. It was! I looked at the coaching roster on the website and saw a familiar face; Coach Fabiola and I went to the same high school, and her brother and I were in the same grade from elementary through graduation. Lastly, I spoke with Coach Aryan on the phone about what the gym had to offer, and that sealed the deal.

How has being apart of Behemoth impacted your life?

The life benefits of being a member at Behemoth are definitely multi-faceted. At home, I am a much more active husband and father. I can go on long walks with my son, toss him into the air, and do push-ups with him on my back in our “daddy workout” sessions that he now requests. My job at times can be very stressful as I manage multiple software products and teams across an international organization. Attending workouts at Behemoth, where everything is already planned for me, means I just have to show up. Additionally, what I get out of the workouts is a reduction in stress levels, increased cognitive awareness, and more energy to make it through the long days. I’m a firm believer in choosing the hardest part of your day instead of letting it choose you, and on most days that is the workout at Behemoth. Everything else, work or otherwise, comes much easier.

Talk a little bit about your journey, who were you or what were you struggling with before starting with Behemoth and who are you now since being a part of this gym culture and community?

I’ve always been fairly active though I wasn’t getting the results from running that I wanted. Through my teenage years and early twenties, I could eat whatever I wanted to and still stay in shape. That doesn’t hold up as I’ve gotten older and my activity decreased. Through the Transformation program, Behemoth helped me discover the type of food my body does and doesn’t need, and I started to see results within the first couple of weeks. I also previously struggled with working out consistently. I’ve found that not having to create the workouts myself and having the gym within a 10 minute drive from home have really set me up for success. I have not yet fully recovered all the strength I had in my prime, but I am leaner than I have ever been as an adult. The strength will come with time, as every new personal record (PR) (since joining Behemoth) reminds me during our benchmarks.

What is your favorite part about Behemoth and what keeps you coming back?

The environment, the workouts, the support, and the comradery. The workout at Behemoth keeps my body wanting a more active lifestyle, an addiction to feeling good and being healthy, and that’s improved what I do both in and out of the gym. I can do more common tasks with ease, such as standing for long periods of time while cooking, moving heavy bags of feed, or playing with my son. When work is stressful, or maybe I’ve just had too much coffee, the gym is also great at burning those away to find balance.

What is one piece of advice you’d give to someone just starting out with Behemoth or maybe hesitant in starting out?

Give it a few months. Give it your all. Do the transformation program. Do the elimination diet without error to learn more about how your body accepts food (this was the skeleton key in my journey). Ask the coaches any questions that you have. My change in lifestyle driven by Behemoth has me physically feeling the best I’ve felt in 12+ years.

Behemoth Mad Lib

1. My hidden talent is?

Never knowing how to answer this question.

2. My favorite movement at BGYM is?

This is a tough one. I’ve always loved power cleans. More recently and as I’ve grown in strength and agility, I’ve really started to enjoy calisthenics exercises such as push-ups and pull-ups. I’ll never turn down a good run either.

3. #Breakfastcrew, #Brunchcrew, or #Cocktail crew?

Break-rise-brunch-tail crew #IYKYK (any and all times that I can make it)

4. I have yet to, but have always wanted to?

Do a week long, cold-weather backpacking trip into the mountains in Colorado, Wyoming, or somewhere in Canada.

5. When I’m not working on my fitness at BGYM, I like to?

Spend time with my family, archery hunting, hiking and camping, nerd things (huge Star Wars fan, cinephile, and gamer), carpentry and home improvements

6. I would love to see Coach ________ do ___________?

I would love to see all the coaches do a pull-up competition.

7. Beast mode engaged when this song comes on during my workout?

Anything from Chevelle, Alice in Chains, Metallica, AC/DC, or similar bands. Also, the song that comes along with nearly every session that Brad leads: Danzig - Mother.