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Fitness

12 Reps With Eric C. Stevens, Fitness and Martial Arts Coach

Eric C. Stevens is a fitness coach, martial arts coach, writer, television personality, and actor. Read our 12 reps to find out what keeps him going.

Mindith Rahmat

Written by Mindith Rahmat Last updated on Nov 22, 2021

EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to our 12 reps feature. In each appearance of 12 Reps, our coaches, writers, and occasional guests will be answering the same twelve questions each time. Go “into the locker-room” with them and get to know our coaches and writers a little bit better!

12 Reps With Fitness and Martial Arts Coach Eric C. Stevens

1. Who was your first coach and what did he or she teach you?

My first coach was my little league baseball coach Jim Booth and he taught me to treat people with compassion and respect. He taught me to smile when I play.

My first coach in the martial arts was Sifu Mark Bryant who taught me that breathing is the most important thing and that words have only the power we give them. He taught me how to take hits and get back up.

2. Who is the coach you most admire?

Sifu. Vince Lombardi. Coach K.

3. If you could have a superhero power, what would it be?

To fly.

4. What athlete, dead or alive, would you most like to talk with?

Jackie Robinson. Ali.

5. When did you know that coaching was your calling?

In 2001 when I sought out my true calling. I took nine months off to soul search and ended up training and helping others. My calling is to love and create, and hopefully inspire and motivate others in the process.

6. What is the best and hardest part about being a coach?

The best part is helping others achieve their goals and dreams and the hardest part is watching some fail or come up short. Also, babysitting is a highly overrated part of coaching.

eric stevens, fitness, boxing, martial arts7. What is your favorite physical activity or exercise?

Boxing, running, and cycling – can I choose three?

8. What is your favorite “cheat” food?

Baked goods and French fries.

9. What is your biggest accomplishment?

Having the courage to try and face my fears.

10. What do you bring to your students/clients that is different than other coaches and programs?

I believe that the body follows the mind. It’s not popular or necessarily profitable to talk about our fears emotionally. However, the key to our success on the field, in our bodies, and in our health and wellness begins and ends with tough questions and being able to face them. To that end, I find it increasingly necessary to speak truthfully and with love and compassion in doing so. I am a coach for the passion and purpose of it, but I am ultimately only interested in truth.

11. What is you favorite quote?

“Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free.” – Jim Morrison

12. What was/is your favorite sport and why?

Boxing. I love the rhythm. It has a beauty and savageness. It’s full of paradox, just like life.

Click here to read articles from Eric.

If you missed any editions of 12 Reps, be sure to check out our archives. You never know who we might talk to and what might get said!

Mindith Rahmat

About Mindith Rahmat

Mindith is a born mover. She has spent her life exploring various athletic disciplines, starting with ballet and modern dance from an early age. She went on to become a E-RYT 500 certified yoga therapist and teacher and discovered CrossFit after the birth of her daughter.

Mindith coached CrossFit at a number of boxes near her home in Southern California, which lead to her involvement in Russian kettlebells and Olympic weightlifting. She has coached a wide variety of populations and cares deeply for women’s health, specializing in pregnancy and postpartum fitness. She is currently studying the principles of Natural Movement and Kettlebell Sport, and is working to complete an additional teacher training in the Taoist art of Yin Yoga with Master Paulie Zink.

Mindith founded Breaking Muscle in 2011. Over 5 million people a month have visited the site, hundreds of thousands of them follow Breaking Muscle on social media, nearly 2,000 coaches have written or appeared on its pages, and there are thousands of free, fully-formed training plans freely available. Breaking Muscle has won numerous awards in the industry and is recognized for pioneering new approaches to fitness and coaching techniques. In 2021, Breaking Muscle was acquired by Barbend. Mindith continues to devote time to her kids, pursue her doctorate in psychology, do research, and teach.

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