So this dude named Jaiya Figueras started working at my personal training studio about 5 years ago. He was struggling pretty bad financially and had some dark personal stuff going on (I let him tell you about it)
Anyways, I didn’t do much, just gave him a goal and a game plan then he took it from there.
Since then he consistently began pulling in over 10k per month and helps tons of people improve their lives through fitness.
He’s also one of the coolest (and funniest) dudes I’ve ever met.
In this guest post he shares some pretty personal stuff and speaks from the heart.
Enjoy -
Steve told me when I write up a guest post for him that….
I had to be REAL and hold nothing back (No matter what).
Honestly, I just want to help motivate you if you ever feel like you should give up during any part of the day…
Or, maybe you planted a seed of doubt in your heart before laid your eyes on this post.
I am here to tell you that there is light in the world.
Believe it and look for people who walk in it like my man Steve Hochman.
Four years ago I walked into an independent personal training gym with a spirit that was crushed. I had split up with my family and was going broke working at a big chain gym.
That wasn’t the worst part.
I wasn’t allowed to see my son because of a verbal threat I gave my X in response to her telling me she was going to take my son away from me and I would never see him again.
I had a restraining order and I couldn’t see my newborn son for almost a year.
Yeah I know this is personal, but screw it at least its not boring.
I missed his first steps, words, and virtually the first year of his life. I was so depressed and exhausted that sometimes I would just go home and sleep and miss making my $18 dollars an hour over at the corporate gym.
I had no where else to go but up and I sat down at a table with a pen and a paper with Steve Hochman. This was the Steve before the blog but with the same fire and drive.
He asked me 2 things:
1. How much do you need to make?
2. How many clients does that translate to?
I figured out I needed to make $4000 and I needed 10 clients to do that.
So now I at least had a goal.
Steve would call me every morning and give me a word of the day or a quote. He didn’t have to do that.
All he had to do was collect his rent from me at the end of the month but he chose to make an effort to PULL ME UP to his level.
The last time I had someone believe in me and support me like that was when I was at Glendale High School – His name was Coach John Barnes and he was an Olympian in 1950. I felt undeserving of this treatment and it totally threw me off. But it motivated me to see the light in the world and I earned an athletic scholarship.
I started doing the billboard client promotion and trained 10 people for FREE for 1 month and the Law of Reciprocity help me hit my goal in 3 months.
Everything was great until one Friday afternoon after a great workout. I was driving my car, made an illegal
turn and got pulled over. After running my license, I got handcuffed and ended up getting thrown in jail for a warrant.
Up until then, I wasn’t around people that actually had goals in their life. You see up until that point, most of my friends were talking about getting houses so they could grow pot in them while I was talking to them about blowing up in the personal training industry.
So I still had traces of it in my thinking and my new life demanded that I change it.
Steve didn’t know about this until now because I was too embarrassed to tell him at the time. I actually walked in on Monday like nothing ever happened.
So I figured I’d come out and tell him in his post.
Now you know Steve!
I felt I was cursed at the moment, and I knew I had only two choices:
-I could give up hope in the world and continue to flounder or
-I could make a decision to start winning again despite any bumps in the road.
Once again, I chose the light. I got bailed out after 26 hours. It wasn’t exactly hardcore but long enough to appreciate being FREE and having the opportunity to reach for my goals.
3 months later I was training over 50 clients a week and earning $10,000 or more a month. I bought a brand new car and a new wardrobe. Even though I had become a successful personal trainer, I worked out with Steve 5x’s a week – he coached me mentally as well.
My life was changing and I could feel the promise everyday.
I got my son back which really meant I got my life back and nothing mattered more than that.
The money, the buzz around town about my great training meant nothing to me without my son. It was more just being in killer shape. All of that was just a by product of a healthy mind and positive attitude. And Steve helped to reignite the winning spirit in me when I walked into Next Level Fitness in Irvine: The Greatest Gym on Earth.
Everything Steve has taught me has translated into something that has helped move me forward in life. I have been coached by some of the top Football and Strength and Conditioning coaches in America and I put Steve side by side with all of them. They have helped move millions (yes millions) of people and I know he will do the same.
I am not writing this post just to talk about Steve, I am writing this because he helped me to remember who I was and who I am now. He helped me to start thinking positive again.
Through this experience and challenge, I have created The Performance Model A.R.F.-M.C.- the five most important factors that pulled me out of the hardest time of my life:
1. Attitude
2. Recovery
3. Fuel
4. Movement
5. Coaching
My program is solely designed to raise people up out of the ashes and give them the bodies and minds of champions. Not just give them a six pack. Life is much more than that. When you’re on top, you feel unstoppable and you start to see opportunity and light where you only saw darkness before.
Always remember who you are and workout to stay in touch with your mind. Refuse to conform to the masses and shoot for the stars. May the force be with you.
Hey there, Steve here again…
I know that post was from the heart. Thanks bro!
I also know that Jaiya is a master of automatically getting TONS of stuff by having OTHER people do it…
One of his MASSIVE ACTION secrets is using Chris McCombs Auto-Delegation ToolBox

My bro Chris McCombs is the undisputid king of getting massive amounts
of stuff done (including internet fitness marketing) all on auto pilot.
If you’re serious about your fitness business and having tons more FREE TIME
(and if your reading my blog, I know that you are) then you need to
check out the Auto-Delegation Toolbox
Learn more about the Auto-Delagation Toolbox here.
Jaiya,
Great post. Thanks for the inspiration. The power of the human spirt is very powerful. ANYONE can do ANYTHING they set their mind to.
Thank,
Brian
Comment by Brian — July 15, 2009 @ 4:07 am
Speechless man…that couldn’t have come at a better time! Thanks for the uplift.
Comment by Karie — July 15, 2009 @ 4:09 am
Jaiya – U r the mother f**in’ man SON!
Good 4 u bruddah – u knew that # 1 was your family, your son.
My son just turned 1, 2 weeks ago.
Fitness has so little to do w/the 6 pack abs quest – it;s the journey and the transformation it gives.
You are a lucky man but you made your luck happen…as the Richard Ashcroft says, “I’m a lucky man, with fire in my hands….”
This is for you Jaiya ==> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTT9mKjWuJQ
Looking forward to meeting you and Stevie REAL soon Jaya!
Peace bruddahs!
–z–
Comment by zach even - esh — July 15, 2009 @ 4:26 am
Hey Jaiya
Great story there bro
Thanks for the lesson!
Take what kicks you in the balls and come back stronger – Know that one!
And get a coach! – Got one now and will always have one
And never forget your own physical needs! Successful body and mind works for me better than being stuck in office.
Keep rockin’
Mike
Comment by Mike Bach — July 15, 2009 @ 4:37 am
Inspriring Jaiya, thanks! Gonna have to check out the auto-delegation toolbox too…
Caroline
Comment by Caroline Radway — July 15, 2009 @ 6:31 am
Nice Post…especially after only having one person show up to my boot camp this morning..lol
I’m ready to get out there and work it!
Comment by Holly — July 15, 2009 @ 9:20 am
Thanks for the experience, strength and hope Jaiya. Your a good dude and I enjoyed being around you back when we were all working out at Next Level Fitness. You were always willing to show me ways to improve what I was doing and you gave me some really good life advice a few times. I hope you are doing well and maybe we can watch some UFC soon with Big Steve!!
Tom
Comment by tom gaffney — July 15, 2009 @ 10:20 am
I personally saw Jaiya blow his business up literally overnight using a lot of Steves tactics… he ALWAYS makes his workouts fun for his clients… he really delivers a top-notch experience
Plus, he’s one helluva cool dude
Great to see ya on here Jaiya
Comment by Chris McCombs — July 15, 2009 @ 11:24 am
Thanks for the support yall!
I think half 90% of my business is Chris and Steve’s methods. They still haven’t got into the magic of quantum physics and all the crazy videos they had me watching back in the day to pull me out of the matrix.
But do Chris’s Auto Delegation Toolbox first and you’re gonna blow the hell up.
I’ve had the boot camp with one person show up before! Lol!
You’re better off training 1 paid client and 10 people for FREE than 1 paid client by themselves! Steve used to tell me when you train that one client, visualize and bring the energy like your training 20.
Zach I love all the old school training methods man!
All of my coaches in high school and college were just like that.
Machines are too complicated!
I’m out!
Peace!
Comment by Jaiya Figueras — July 15, 2009 @ 2:06 pm
Awesome post Jaiya. Totally motivating and inspiring. Thanks for sharing your story.
Comment by Ali Ruddy — July 15, 2009 @ 4:06 pm
nice post Jaiya. I’ve truly come to believe that anyone who’s anyone that has made it has had to experience some personal trauma. Sometimes it’s a death of a loved one, sometimes it’s getting locked up, sometimes it’s whatever.
The one thing i’ve realised is that everyone has said stuff it and used it as inspiration rather than having a whinge and saying why me.
I know my own experience drives me.
Comment by Daniel Munday — July 15, 2009 @ 10:12 pm
just a quickie–this is my 1st ever response–ha!don,t get me started–Jaiya: “workout to stay in touch with your mind”-!!!! i LOVE that!! Owen Maxwell
Comment by owen maxwell — July 16, 2009 @ 8:19 am
A great story . Glad all is now rolling for Jaiya.. Must give you a buzz Steve knowing you have helped inspire some one this way
John
Personal Training Southend
Comment by John — July 17, 2009 @ 2:57 am