I've had a lot of people ask me lately- where have you been Casey?? Actually no one asked me that, but it makes me sound important.

My training log has been a bit spotty the past month or so...I just opened a gym in Pittsburgh with three real estate investors as partners and it's been eye opening.

Lessons thus far:

  • Gym ownership sucks. You can't make everyone happy. And I don't want to own a gym in the capacity that I thought I wanted to. I only had so much 'say' in what this gym would be, however it's great combination and I got a big meathead room out of it. In all honesty it's probably the nicest strength training facility in Pittsburgh and maybe even in the state (although I haven't been to Steve P's gym in Philly).

--If I opened my own facility, it would be a limited membership barbell club that includes coaching- think crossfit box but no crossfit. Ain't nobody got time for that. It would cover powerlifting, bodybuilding, strongman, etc. All of the 'niche' groups that look for that type of gym. And it would include some type of application process.

  • Time is valuable. I'm here from 6am to 8pm everyday (80+ hours per week), and I wish there was more time in the day. We offer spin, yoga, group training, and a fitness facility. That's a lot to start from scratch. Classes are slowly gaining momentum. We've been open for 4 weeks and we have 250 memberships, so we're doing OK in that respect.
  • Money isn't so valuable. I'm managing this facility for the partners. I'm making half as much money as I was at my old job, but I get to do as I please for the most part- they let me treat it as my own business. It's invaluable experience. And I do know that I want to own my business after I gain the necessary experience here.
  • Waking up early isn't so bad. I used to dread getting out of bed before 8am- part of that are my sleep issues which will hopefully be resolved by a CPAP. But I get up excited to go to work. That whole "what would you do if money didn't exist"...I would be doing this.
  • Priorities...My training has taken a back seat the last four weeks. I'll need to spend more time and effort on recovering- sleep, nutrition, and active recovery training. The last month going into the Lexen meet was tough. I wasn't eating enough and lost 5-10lbs.
  • Take the leap. If you're on the fence about something...especially something that scares you...you should probably do it. The risk of not following your heart is spending the rest of your life wishing you had. Don't let "I could have done that" or "I wish I would have done that" be a thing.

"What if I told you insane was working a 50-hour week for fifty years, at the end of which they tell you to piss off. Ending up in some retirement village, hoping to die rather than suffering the indignity of trying to make it to the toilet on time. Wouldn’t you consider that to be insane?"

I'll be competing at the Arnold at 220/242 in wraps depending on what my bodyweight does. I'm going to eat and sleep as much as I can. Wherever that takes me sounds good. My goal is 2200 at 220.

By the end of my career I should be right around 270. I'll turn 29 tomorrow. So 5lbs per year at 6 years puts me at my heaviest at what should theoretically be the prime of my career. Strap in boys.

Also I plan on competing against my good friend Mr. Marshall Johnson in single ply at the Olympia. I have to walk out my squat, which blows donkey dick, but I'll do it just so I can beat Marshall. Speaking of...keep an eye on his deadlift training because he's fixing to pull a big number here soon.

Hopefully I can convince Dave to let me host some satellite events for EliteFTS. Our 3000 sq foot strength facility is outfitted with 99% EliteFTS equipment and we have a 200/250 person auditorium connected to us. And we have two hotels within walking distance.  Plus Pittsburgh is as nice as Columbus this time of year!!

Yessie and I are great. She's the sweetest woman I ever met and I look forward to each day more and more with her. If we have kids and they turn out like her I'd say we're doing alright...although I hope they get their dad's memory and not their mom's. We've grown together over the past year and it feels great.

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