John Dowdy grew up playing football and rugby, so training was always part of his life. But when he started lifting on his own, it was the usual approach. Random workouts with no real plan for progress. At one point, John hurt his back and doctors didn’t have answers.

That changed when John found an article by Mark Rippetoe. Squats and deadlifts don’t cause back pain – they fix it. He committed himself to learning Starting Strength, diving into the books, podcasts, and the process of real strength training.

When a Starting Strength Gym opened in Boise, John reached out and became an Apprentice Coach. What drew him in was the standard: it’s the only certification where you don’t just pass a written test. You have to prove, in real time, that you can Coach the lifts correctly.

Today, the most rewarding part of his work is watching Clients change. People who were once nervous about barbells become confident Lifters who show up week after week because getting stronger actually improves their lives.