Inspiring Conversations with Seikoh Matsuo of Aether Weightlifting

Today we’d like to introduce you to Seikoh Matsuo.

Hi Seikoh, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I came to the United States from Japan when I was 21 years old to attend school and build a career here. After graduating, I worked in accounting for several years across public accounting firms as well as private and public companies and eventually became a CPA. While I was grateful for the opportunities and stability that career gave me, I had always wanted to eventually start and run my own business.

Around the time I passed all of my CPA exams while working full-time, I started Olympic weightlifting. It was honestly the first time since moving to the U.S. that I was able to truly pursue something I was personally passionate about outside of studying and work. I immediately fell in love with the sport, whether it was training on my own, learning technique, or helping coach others.

At first, I was never really inclined to start an Olympic weightlifting gym because of how niche the sport is. I honestly assumed it would be too difficult to sustain as a business. But after visiting and dropping in at other weightlifting gyms around Los Angeles, I saw firsthand how they were able to build strong communities and successful businesses centered around the sport. That experience completely changed my perspective and made me realize my initial assumptions were wrong.

At the same time, corporate life was becoming exhausting for me. Long work hours and busy seasons constantly took time and energy away from weightlifting. It became frustrating because I could only fully dedicate myself to the sport for about half of the year, while the rest of the time was consumed by work responsibilities. Over time, I realized I wanted to spend more of my life building something around a passion and community I genuinely cared about.

There are only a handful of Olympic weightlifting gyms in the Los Angeles area, and I noticed the San Gabriel Valley had never really had a dedicated weightlifting gym before. That’s what led me to open Aether Weightlifting in El Monte. My goal was to make the sport more accessible to people who may have never been exposed to Olympic weightlifting before, especially within the SGV community.

What started as simply wanting to spend more time around the sport has grown into building a community where beginners, experienced lifters, and people from different backgrounds can all train together, learn, improve, and enjoy weightlifting together.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest struggles actually came before the gym even opened — finding a location that would legally allow an Olympic weightlifting gym. A lot of people assume you can simply lease any warehouse or retail space and open a gym, but in reality, zoning regulations can make it extremely difficult depending on the city.

I spent a long time researching properties across the San Gabriel Valley and contacting landlords and cities, only to find that many spaces I saw online would not actually be approved for gym use. In many SGV cities, opening a gym in an industrial space requires special permits or is heavily restricted. El Monte ended up being one of the few cities where gym use was allowed by right in industrial zoning, which made a huge difference.

After visiting and speaking with countless properties that ultimately did not work out, I eventually found the current location almost by accident. I spent multiple weeks driving around the city looking for industrial buildings with vacancy signs until I came across the space that became Aether Weightlifting.

After finally securing a location, the next challenge became building a customer base and introducing Olympic weightlifting to people who had never really been exposed to the sport before. Since it’s still a niche sport compared to commercial fitness, a big part of the process has been education, community building, and helping people feel comfortable trying something new. That’s also why we’ve been consistently providing opportunities for people to experience the sport through free beginner sessions and occasional workshops.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Aether Weightlifting?
Aether Weightlifting is a strength and Olympic weightlifting club based in El Monte focused on helping people build strength, improve movement, and experience a style of training that is both technical and rewarding. While Olympic weightlifting is a core part of our identity, we also offer strength and conditioning, general strength development, and beginner-friendly coaching for people who simply want to move and train better.

What makes us different is that we are a specialized coaching-focused gym rather than a large commercial fitness space. Everything is built around quality coaching, movement, and long-term development. Whether someone’s goal is to compete in Olympic weightlifting, become more athletic, get stronger, or simply learn proper barbell training for the first time, we try to meet people where they are and guide them through the process.

We place a strong emphasis on individualized coaching and technique. Even in a group setting, we pay close attention to movement quality and help each person progress at their own pace. Because barbell training and Olympic weightlifting can feel intimidating to beginners, creating a welcoming and supportive environment has always been important to us.

Another thing that sets us apart is the community aspect. We want Aether to be more than just a place where people come in, work out, and leave. Over time, it has become a space where people connect through training, support each other, and share different goals and backgrounds through fitness and strength culture.

Brand-wise, I’m most proud of helping bring this type of training environment to the San Gabriel Valley. Before Aether, there wasn’t really a dedicated Olympic weightlifting-focused space in the area. Seeing people from the SGV discover strength training and Olympic weightlifting for the first time, gain confidence, and become part of the community has been the most rewarding part of building the gym.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I’d honestly say everyone deserves credit. Aether Weightlifting would not exist in the way it does without the people around it.

Right after I secured the property, the gym itself hadn’t even been built yet. People I didn’t really know at the time started showing up to help build the space together. Some helped paint and build benches, others fixed equipment, installed wall racks, laid down rubber flooring and turf, and helped transform an empty industrial space into a gym. What meant the most to me was that many of them were not close friends or family. They were lifters who had heard about the gym opening online and simply wanted to support the vision, expecting nothing in return.

I’ve also had a friend help behind the scenes in ways I couldn’t have done myself, especially with things like the website, logo, branding, and design work. Those creative contributions played a huge role in shaping the identity of Aether.

Another big influence has been entrepreneurs and business owners who shared their own experiences with me. During difficult moments, hearing real stories about their successes, failures, and challenges was incredibly valuable and motivating. A lot of them were simply further ahead than me in business and life, and the advice and encouragement they gave me during hard times was priceless.

I’m also grateful for collaborators and people who connected us with opportunities and introductions that helped the gym continue to grow.

And of course, our current gym members deserve a huge amount of credit too. They are not just customers. They are the people who create the welcoming atmosphere and culture inside the gym every day. They encourage each other, celebrate progress together, create content together, and make the space feel bigger than just a place to work out. It’s not only about improving at the sport, but about building a positive community around it. I genuinely could not have built something like this without them.

Pricing:

• $25 drop-in day pass
• $60 drop-in week pass
• $150 open gym membership
• Free first coaching session
• Other Programs & Coaching Contact for pricing

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.aetherweightlifting.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aetherweightlifting/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Aether-Weightlifting/61580199542481/
• Other: https://maps.app.goo.gl/5ufPQarrnNBSEboy7