Brandon Thompson never saw himself as an athlete. In high school, he spent more time on stage, violin in hand, than in a weight room. He was a theater kid, a bookworm, and a self-proclaimed nerd—fitness wasn’t exactly a priority.
But in his early 20s, something changed. His jeans started feeling a little snug, and rather than buying a bigger size, he decided to do something about it.
“I was too cheap to size up,” Brandon laughs. “So I figured I’d start running instead.”
That decision led him to a gym membership, where he spent months experimenting with different workouts—some cardio here, some lifting there, mostly following whatever exercises he came across on YouTube. It was trial and error, with no real structure. Some weeks he’d be all in, hitting the gym five days in a row. Other times, he’d fall off for a month before getting back to it.
The problem wasn’t that he lacked motivation—it was that he lacked a plan.
Training Without a Compass
Brandon had the desire to improve, but his approach was all over the place. He would go through stretches of consistency, feeling like he was making progress, only to hit a plateau or lose direction.
“Give me an inch, and I’ll take a mile,” he admits. “Once I skipped one day, the whole week was shot.”
Like many people trying to train on their own, he had no way of knowing whether he was actually improving. Sure, he could lift weights and feel the burn, but was he getting stronger? Was he moving efficiently? Was his training actually helping him build the long-term strength and endurance he wanted?
He had no idea.
That’s when his morning coffee routine started leading to something unexpected.
Colby, owner of Olde Town Athlete, is a regular at a local Starbucks, where he’d often see Brandon, who works there. Over time, their casual small talk turned into questions about training—questions that Colby always had an answer for.
“You always had an answer,” Brandon remembers. “And eventually, I was like, okay—Colby’s not full of it. Maybe I should actually listen to him.”
But more than just good advice, what really convinced him to join OTA was accountability.
He needed structure. He needed consistency. And he needed someone who would expect him to show up.
So, he signed up. And almost immediately, everything changed.
From 6:30 AM Snoozes to 192 Sessions Strong
When Brandon sat down for his first consultation at OTA, Coach Dylan helped him lay out a simple, effective plan:
✅ Three days of strength training per week
✅ One structured cardio day
✅ A focus on strength, mobility, and long-term durability
It wasn’t anything flashy or complicated—just a solid foundation with an emphasis on consistency.
At first, it felt strange.
“I remember doing my first Pallof press and thinking, ‘What the heck am I doing with this band?’”
But slowly, things started to click. He had a plan to follow, a coach designing his workouts, and a reason to show up.
And once he had that, he was all in.
A Year of Relentless Consistency
In the past, Brandon had struggled with staying consistent. He’d get on a roll for a few months, then fall off completely. But with OTA’s structured programming, those patterns disappeared.
Over the past year, Dylan programmed him 192 workouts.
And Brandon? He completed every. single. one.
“We don’t like to miss a day,” he says.
With a structured plan and expert guidance, his progress skyrocketed:
🏋️♂️ Strength Gains
- Squat: 185 → 275 lbs
- Bench Press: 185 → 225 lbs
- Deadlift: 300 → 335 lbs
🏃 Endurance Progress
- Completed a half marathon and is now training for a full marathon in May.
- Modified his strength training to support his running, not work against it.
- Found a new gear on race day:
“I was losing people on the downhills, but I was catching everyone on the uphills. That’s why we do calf raises, baby.”
One of the biggest game-changers was the Texas Method, a progressive strength program built around simple, consistent effort.
“I counted to five for four months straight. That’s all I had to do. And it worked.”
A Shift in Mindset—From Training to Thriving
But the biggest transformation wasn’t just in strength or endurance—it was in mindset.
Before OTA, Brandon’s workouts felt optional. Some months were great, others nonexistent. He could easily fall off track without a structured plan to guide him.
Now? Skipping a workout isn’t even a thought.
“Going to the gym is the best part of my day. Everything else is just meh,” he says.
More than just getting stronger, he’s learned to love training.
“At some point, I just had to ask myself: Do I really want this? And if the answer was yes, then I had to go get it.”
That shift has carried over into the rest of his life. He finds himself saying yes to more things, pushing himself to new challenges, and approaching every goal with the same structured, consistent effort.
Advice from a Nerdy Lifter
Brandon’s biggest lesson?
🚀 Find a style of training you actually enjoy.
📅 Get a plan—and stick with it.
👥 Surround yourself with people who keep you accountable.
“There are a million ways to get strong—just find the one that makes you want to show up.”
For him, that meant structured programming, expert coaching, and a community that kept him locked in.
For someone else, it might mean something different—but the key is finding what works and committing to it.
Conclusion
Brandon Thompson’s story proves that structure beats guesswork every time.
He went from second-guessing every workout to showing up 192 times in a year, getting stronger, running faster, and loving the process along the way.
His transformation didn’t happen overnight—it happened through consistent, structured effort, day after day, month after month.
If you’re tired of guessing your way through workouts… If you feel stuck, inconsistent, or unsure where to start… If you want a plan, expert guidance, and a reason to show up…
We’re here to help.
Click here to schedule your intro chat today, and let’s get started!