Greg Walsh is a sincere man. He looks like he could tear your head off with his bare hands and grind your bones into dust, but he couldn’t be a nicer, warmer, more unassuming guy in person. It’s Walsh’s mind that is brutal, never the man himself.
Greg Walsh is a sincere man. He looks like he could tear your head off with his bare hands and grind your bones into dust, but he couldn’t be a nicer, warmer, more unassuming guy in person. It’s Walsh’s mind that is brutal, never the man himself.
Walsh is a guy on a mission, a driven coach who desperately wants to get it right. He dedicates his time and his effort to the essentials of movement in every exercise he practices and teaches. He has a sincere desire to do right by his trainees and to stay true to his own beliefs. He is the epitome of the indie coach.
He works out of his own place, Wolf Brigade Gym in Rochester, New York, but travels the country giving seminars, talking to other coaches, absorbing, learning, playing, testing, searching, always searching for ways to tune his teaching.
And when it comes to teaching, he has his own unique approach. While he is assiduously rigorous and devoted to the principles of strength training, he has created his own style, a unique mix of disciplined movement, and aggressive motion that we call subversive fitness.
For Walsh, though, it is all about being part of Wolf Brigade. The message? Learn to crawl before you walk, learn to walk before you run, and learn, learn, learn. Like all great coaches, Walsh emphasizes the foundation of skill building as an essential to finding a true path to greater strength.
He is, at once, a purist and a maverick. When Walsh teaches kettlebells, it’s different, not caught up in the dogma of the competing kettlebell tribes, but completely respectful of the implement and what it can help you achieve. When Walsh teaches maces, it’s continuous movement that bears all the hallmarks of his signature physicality, controlled, smooth, and perfected form.
If you want to know how it feels to be a part of the Wolf Brigade then there is nothing better than trying to finish off one of Walsh’s benchmark workouts. They’re like no other, not in the timing, not in the music, and not in the energy that they create.
Walsh’s background in BMX racing and MMA have shaped his aesthetic, and frankly, that can be daunting for some people to overcome, but the man is about as good a coach as you will find, and the politest guy around. So, yeah, it’s worth the trip to Rochester, to Wolf Brigade, just to spend some time looking at strength training his way.
The podcast below is a great way to become acquainted with the man, and the coach. Indie coaches like Walsh are at the heart of innovation in the fitness industry, and by bringing their own sensibilities to traditional implements like the kettlebell and mace, they create new energy for traditional practitioners and create new enthusiasts who are excited by the freshness of the approach. Support indie coaches like Walsh. Train with them. Learn from them. You’ll never regret it.
Fitness Influencers are picked by coaches and Breaking Muscle editors in a purely subjective manner. They are coaches who are known to Breaking Muscle through their posts on the site and or through the recommendations of their peers. We look for coaches who exhibit a dedication to their craft, who have a physical practice that is respectful of all trainees, and most of the time we err on the side of promoting coaches who are probably too shy or modest to be great self-promoters themselves. It’s about supporting the independent coaches and gyms that need our support and admiration.
