Connect
To Top

Meet Christina Gonzales of ProCode in Irvine

Avatar photo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Gonzales.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My passion for coaching all started with my first job at the age of 15. Since then, I have taught karate, facilitated groups of undergraduates and high schoolers in the outdoors, both within the U.S. and abroad, taught Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and am now a strength coach and Functional Range Conditioning Mobility Specialist and Kinstretch Instructor.

I first began my journey as a strength coach with XPT Performance Director, PJ Nestler. I spent the better part of five years training under PJ as one of his athletes, and in that time, I learned a great deal about the health and fitness industry, and what it means to be a coach who is continually learning and committed to his clients. PJ hired me on as his assistant performance coach in the Spring of 2017. During my time with him, I began a movement: #FeminineAndFierce. My own life changed drastically through martial arts and strength training, and I decided I wanted to share that feeling of empowerment with all the women of the world. I wanted women to know they could be strong and physical, and still embrace their feminine side. I wanted them to know that training in jiu-jitsu or any other male dominant sport does not make you any less feminine, but in fact empowers you with a different kind of confidence. I was tired of seeing every female Instagram “influencer” solely post photos of her backside. I’m all about embracing sexuality, but when post after post is all booty shots, and that seems to become all you have to offer, that’s when it bums me out. I have always had very strong mentors in my life, and I wanted all women, young and old, to know what it feels like to develop their physical strength and have it transcend to all other aspects of their lives. I wanted women to know that #StrongIsFeminine, and I wanted to do what I could to help lead the way. It’s still something I strive to represent everyday. In the Spring of 2018, PJ’s mentor and colleague, Scot Prohaska reached out to him to see what I was up to. Scot was opening his own business alongside his wife, Amanda, in Irvine, CA within the Anaheim Ducks training facility, and was looking to hire a team of coaches.

The transition timing could not have been more perfect, as PJ was looking to commit himself full time to XPT and close his training business, and Scot was looking to expand his. I was lucky enough to meet Scot 5 years prior to when I first met PJ, and I already had a vast amount of respect for him both in the fitness industry and as a stand-up human. After meeting with Scot, we decided we would be a perfect fit. My passions for coaching and helping women discover and embrace their strong side were in line with Scot’s values to develop his athletes not just in the gym, but outside of it as well.

Shortly after beginning with Scot, I came across Functional Range Conditioning by way of Master Instructor, Hunter Cook. After attending one of his Kinstretch classes in Long Beach, CA, I decided it was time to have my own assessment done to determine how to start the process of alleviating some hip pain I had been experiencing. It was the best decision I ever made. Hunter taught me more about myself and the human body than I’ve ever learned anywhere else. It was because of the work he taught me that I decided to take the FRC cert myself in September of 2018. After learning this information, I felt it was my responsibility as a coach to become the absolute best at implementing the principles within my own training, and even more importantly, with my clients. Since taking the certification in September, I have also taken the Kinstretch certification in order to be able to teach group mobility classes, as well as the Functional Range Assessment, so I can now assess each of my clients in a much more detailed manner, give them a physical, and can determine a course of action based upon the objective findings.

Fast forward to the present, and I am lucky enough to be able to implement this work in an incredible training facility, designed by Scot Prohaska, within the Anaheim Ducks training facility. We offer not only strength training for athletes, but also vision training with Ryan Harrison, and mobility training through Functional Range Conditioning. We focus on the athletes as a whole and are able to offer a combination of training you won’t find anywhere else in the area.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The journey to where I am now has been quite the ride. Years ago, I considered becoming a coach within the fitness industry, but was met with resistance from some who’d said: “you’ll never make enough money doing that.” “That’s not what you went to school for.”

Even when I first started coaching in bjj, and had a lot more time to train than most, I got comments like “When are you going to get a real job?”. The truth is, I’ve always been the kind of person who, when she finds something of value that she also is passionate about, dives in head first, and doesn’t take no as an answer. My stubborn nature has gotten me in trouble but has also gotten me to the best points in my life.

When I realized I was not being challenged in my job as a Program Director for a jiu jitsu school, I decided it was time for me to leave even though I didn’t have anything lined up quite yet. I had faith that my passion and my drive would help me find something sooner than later. All I knew was that I could not waste one more day in a job that was not going to challenge me to reach my potential in anything.

After making the transition to the fitness industry, it has been much more smooth sailing. I have been surrounded by those who take action to help me succeed, who have helped to expedite my learning, and who have supported me without hesitation. I have been very lucky to have been surrounded with such amazing coaches as PJ, Hunter, and Scot.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about ProCode – what should we know?
Our business is focused on developing the best all-around athletes we can. We strive to develop strong mindsets, strong bodies, and compassionate humans. Performance is important, but so is being a good person. The energy in the gym is contagious. Everyone is in there, working toward something and helping others to achieve their goals. Olympians, professional athletes, collegiate athletes, you name it, none of them have an ego. They are humble beyond belief and are always willing to help each other out.

Our team is more of a family. When someone walks in the door, all of the coaches greet them and check in with them to see how they’re doing. We care to see everyone succeeding in all aspects: nutrition, sports performance, academics, family. We teach our athletes how to manage stress loads so they can continue to be their best, despite all that life throws at them. We want to see them successful through and after their careers are well over. All of their training accounts for that as well. We like to think long term, big picture, then reverse engineer so we can break down the steps into smaller, more meaningful pieces.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I have had so many mentors and supporters, but I’ll name a few:

PJ Nestler – “Don’t talk about it. Be about it” is his life mantra. I still think of this quote to this day when I don’t want to do something I said I would. I’m incredibly lucky to have found him as my first coach. He has always believed in me since day 1, and always supported my goals no matter how lofty they were. He took a chance on me when he hired me, and it’s because of him that my path was set in motion. Even now, despite his busy schedule, I know I can rely on him for support no matter what.

Scot Prohaska – It was his work and reputation that landed us a spot in the Anaheim Ducks training facility. He and his wife Amanda have worked hard day in and day out to make sure we say yes to the right opportunities, and no to the wrong ones. They care about their athletes and their coaches. Amanda is the genie behind the scheduling, and making sure everyone is where they need to be when they need to be. It would be hard to find a stronger couple with as much coaching experience. They have both been supportive of me pursuing all things mobility and FRC, and have allowed me to integrate this work into our training system with all of our clients. I’m grateful to be surrounded by such strong individuals who care to see all of their team members succeed.

Hunter Cook – I didn’t know that meeting him would change the course of my life yet again. It’s through him that I found Functional Range Conditioning, dove down the rabbit hole of mobility, and have experienced more growth than I thought possible in the last year. He has shown me what it means to always be learning, to truly care about teaching people how to take care of themselves, and that it’s about improving, not impressing. He has believed in me since the beginning, has always been willing to have the hard conversations, and has helped me grow both as a coach and a human. I know I can always look to him for support and guidance, and I’m thoroughly grateful for his honesty with me, regardless of what I may want to hear.

Contact Info:


Image Credit:
Kyler Ishisaki, Brandon Trahan

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

Related Items

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in