Today we’d like to introduce you to Camden Crane.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up with movement being such an integral part of who I was and how I expressed myself. From a young age, I was a competitive dancer, soccer player, and just an all-around active kid. However, when I got to college (and I was extremely grateful to go to UCLA) I realized it was time to look at what was going to lead me to finding a “real job”. I studied psychology and was looking to go into nursing, but as I was serving overseas in a hospital in Bolivia I realized I was forcing a skill rather than sensing what made me come alive and using my passions to serve the world. When I graduated college, I decided to move overseas to Ethiopia. What an adventure! I got to work in orphanages and schools and it was here where I would come to witness the power of movement and how it can be used to transform communities. I had the absolute honor and privilege working with street youth there as we created a NGO called Change for Change Ethiopia. It was within this group where I got to utilize dance, creative art therapy, sports, and mentorship to help create a new life for these individuals that had been told they would never amount to anything.
The transformation I witnessed within them was life-changing and as I was leaving so many of them remarked how they formed their trust with me through our dance and sports session. When I returned to the USA, I was at a loss for what job could tap into the same passion I witnessed inside of me in Ethiopia. I was living in the Hollywood area and waitressing when some stuntmen recognized my unique workouts and ability to help individuals see results. They ended up asking me to be their trainer. They believed in me enough to purchase equipment as their payment and before I knew it, I was getting certified as a personal trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine. It was the beginnings of starting my own business out of my backyard – and what I didn’t know then was what it would amount to six years later.
I now run a holistic health business that I couldn’t be more humbled and proud to have created. I have worked inside of gyms like Equinox, Breakthru fitness, Rose Bowl Aquatics Center and more! I get to do group training, personal training, strength training, row classes, Spartan race training and more! My youngest client is seven years old and my oldest is 92. I have also become certified as a nutrition specialist, a Spartan specialist, a TRX specialist, and most recently a certified Optimize coach. I’ve loved getting super involved in my community as well! Getting to be an Athleta Ambassador for two years was incredible, and now I’ve formed a partnership with the LA Union Station Homeless services as I always want to be investing in giving back! The newest branch of my business is starting a mentorship program for new trainers as I saw this was a unique need in our industry. I love developing others and helping them live their best lives yet – closing the gap between who they currently are and their greatest potential!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I operate by OMMS – obstacles make me stronger! It hasn’t been a smooth road – but I wouldn’t want it to be! Smooth sailing never made for the best sailors. I want to be able to look any storm in the eye and say – Bring It On! And while some days I did that better than others, I will say this job has taught me a lot about getting gritty and being resilient. From the ups and downs of running your own business to the pandemic making me think I might not be able to stay in this profession – the road to where I am now has been anything but smooth. I’d say some of my bigger struggles are what lead me into the health industry in the first place – having health issues since I was a young.
I was diagnosed with an autoimmune system disease at a young age, and while I have gotten a much better handle on it, I have had many other branches of a compromised health system pop up along the way. However, these challenges I have faced almost my whole life is what led me into the health industry in the first place because I witnessed for myself how much more beneficial working out in a way that honors your body and finding the food the fuels you often helps more than a health diagnosis and medication. Going through injuries was probably the biggest struggle with my work however. I went through a bad back injury my first year on the job – I had to take three full months off before I could walk without pain.
With a job that depends on your body, that was an immense struggle. But once again – this gave me more opportunities to adapt, have empathy, learn about helping others through injury and more. Three years ago, I also got a pacemaker and had to wear a sling for a month and take several months off of upper body movements as it didn’t heal properly. Members at my gym call me Wonder Woman for a reason 😉 …I like to call my pacemaker the wonder pulse 🙂 All of the above though help people remember – you can’t always judge the book by the cover. I am an extremely energetic, spaz like trainer and most would never know I had struggled through a lot of health issues. I believe when we are honest, we are brave. I do not hide these things but use them to help and empower others to tackle their own bodies needs. I believe when we walk forward in a way of exploration rather than fear, we flourish into our true potential!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT with National Academy of Sports Medicine) + Group Fitness Instructor. (teaching such classes as: Boot Camp, Metabolic Conditioning, Row and Core, Pure Strength and more!) I specialize in sports performance, corrective exercise + rehab-based training, youth exercise, TRX specialist, Spartan SGX specialist, Fitness Nutrition Specialist, Senior Citizen fitness, and I am a certified Optimize Coach. My business is called C3Fit – with the three standing for Body, Heart + Mind. I am dedicated to empowering my clients through movement – leaving them feeling better after each session! However, I also approach every person I receive the honor of working with on multiple levels. Our sleep, eating, behaviors and mental state affect not only our workouts but our ability to reach our goals. Many times when one area is truly off – it’s the domino effect where all things start to slide out of alignment. Therefore I have found that when I approach my clients from a holistic perspective, they are more able to truly reach their ultimate best, and that is my passion and mission! A lot of times, when one ventures into the “fitness industry” (I prefer the health or wellness world) they are told to just find one specialization. I’ve seen other trainers excel in this way and I fully support and love it.
However, when I got involved I found myself working with a vast array of populations. I have young high excelling athletes looking to receive college scholarships (and have). I have walked multiple clients through the before and after of tough surgeries – and it’s always a joy getting to see them return to the things they love! I have worked with senior citizens who had thought they couldn’t workout anymore and then found the laughter return with our “young at heart” classes that keep them connected and thriving. I also truly love helping my clients figure out what food fuels them best – not putting them on some crazy restrictive diet, but truly looking at their goals and their lifestyle and putting together an eating plan that helps them feel confident and energized. I’m also big on actualizing their goals and finding their why – because when one has their why their how will become unstoppable. I meet people where they are – no matter what that circumstance looks like. During the pandemic – we all had to adapt, and I am massively proud of the resiliency I was able to execute during these times. I do many indoor / backyard style workouts now and many clients have now employed me for other family members who needed to move during these tumultuous times. I even train families together! I also teach a live Zoom class every Friday morning at 8:30am – all are welcome! I send out a link every week and we rock out a full hour of strength training. I also teach on Instagram and it’s always fun seeing who shows up!
As one on one training starts to come back, I also have three different private studios I train out of and absolutely love being a trainer there (Reflex Performance center, Matador Performance Center and Gwrx studio). For some of my more at-risk population, I also do one on one zoom sessions. Another side of my service is writing up workout and meal plans! This is a really awesome tool for those that might already have the self-discipline to get their workouts in but want some guidance with their goals and keep themselves injury-free. It’s also the cheaper way to utilize a personal trainer. I love helping people with their meal plans too – both loosely or an exact meal plan. I also specialize in race training. I’ve gotten clients ready for half marathons, full marathons, IronMan’s, Spartan Race’s or their first-ever 5K!
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Empathy + Compassion would be the recipe for what I feel makes for a truly “successful” trainer. Yes – knowledge, experience, patience and strength are all qualities that will make for an exceptional trainer. However – if you can’t meet a person where they are, not only feeling for how they are feeling but actually caring and understanding the place that they are meeting you from – the connection to empowerment is lost. I’ve seen amazingly gifted trainers not keep a full client basis because their relationship with them is workout based only. This is ok – if you don’t want a coach that digs deeper into life and approaches you holistically, no problem with that! I myself want to be able to truly walk alongside my client and let them know I’m there to build them up in all ways.
Usually, one is going to have difficulty reaching their goals if they’re only concentrated on one part of the equation. I want to make sure that no matter what season my clients are walking through they know I’m there for it, holding space for whatever they are going through, and designing our workouts and goals in a way that supports them. I’ve seen my team while they are feeling at ease and flourishing joyously, and others when they are experiencing extreme loss and grief. No matter the storm, we weather it together. My clients aren’t just that – clients. They have become a huge part of my community, “squad” and life team. I love them – and I’m sure they know that.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://camdenccrane.wixsite.com/c3fit
- Instagram: @camdencrane_C3Fit
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/camden.crane/
Image Credits:
Kelly Elaine Samantha Jacoby
