Joe Fox

I trained in my basement on a Joe Weider bench with plastic weights filled with sand, following routines from Muscle & Fitness magazine.

Later, I joined Olympic Gym in Orchard Park, NY, where I met Mr. Jim Stuhr — a National Powerlifting Champion in the Masters Division and a Lieutenant in the Orchard Park Police Department.
He was a real role model to me — someone I deeply admired and respected. I believe he squatted 575 lbs. at a body weight of 198 at the age of 51.

There were also older men in the gym who took me under their wing and taught me the wisdom and strategy behind lifting weights.
Walt Deforest. Mike Borowiak. I followed them around. I helped wrap their knees, chalk their hands, spot their lifts.
In exchange, they taught me everything they could.

I still remember Walt looking me in the eye and saying:

"Don’t waste my time!"

He wasn’t being cruel. He was telling me to take it seriously. To show up. To be all in.

From Jim, I learned something that would become a cornerstone of my philosophy:

Strategic Aggression.

"SAFE STRENGTH TRAINING isn’t about banging your head against the wall or pushing yourself until you puke. It’s about STRATEGY. Training SMARTER will beat training HARDER — every time."

If I wanted to outperform others — on the platform, in business, in life — I had to outsmart them.

That philosophy inspired the name of my company: TrainSMART Personal Fitness.

"One of our most important core values is a relentless commitment to continuing education, self-improvement, and self-development."

I’m an all-in guy — totally committed to doing whatever it takes to be the best at what I do. And our team is made up of all-in people, too.

We always put our clients first. We go the extra mile. We do what it takes.

"Think of it as an obsession with what I call The Minimum Effective Dose — to be maximally efficient and optimal!"

That’s what a smart, customized program is all about.

It’s not about crushing yourself in the gym.

It’s about using strategy, structure, and science to reach your goals faster and safer than ever before.

At the same time, I was also being shaped by someone else:
Coach Jim Cleveland — the varsity football coach at Hamburg High School.

He issued me a challenge:

"You’re never going to start on my team unless you have an A in math class."

I wanted to start. I had dreams of playing in the NFL — even though I was 5’6” and 165 lbs.

So I got serious about academics.

And something amazing happened:

"I realized I could grow my brain just like I grew my muscles — stronger, faster, more efficient."

Within 6 months, my GPA jumped from 81 to 99. I became addicted to academic success — and just like in the gym, I loved the immediate feedback of improved performance. It became a core part of my identity.

At 17, I competed in the Buffalo Police Athletic League Bench and Deadlift Competition and pulled 485 lbs. at 165 lbs. bodyweight.

I also won a push-up contest with 455 consecutive reps.
(I remember my chest being pumped for two days — laugh out loud!)

More importantly, I discovered a passion that would define the rest of my life: I loved coaching.

I loved teaching others. Helping them succeed. Watching their lives change.

At UB — the State University of New York at Buffalo — older students saw me lift and asked me to train them.

I said yes — with one condition:

"You have to do exactly what I say. No exceptions."

I told them it wasn’t about ego. It was because every single thing I had them do had a reason — and it would take weeks or even months to explain it all.

They trusted me. And they got results.

Over time, I coached:

• A World Champion Powerlifter
• A Top-5 Ranked Woman in the World
• A Northeast Regional Champion

At just 19 years old, I founded the UB Drug-Free Powerlifting Club and hosted the largest drug-free lifting competition in Western New York history.

In 1990, I became a New York State Powerlifting Champion and Record Holder — deadlifting 510 lbs. at 162 lbs. bodyweight at the ADFPA State Championships in Albany.

"It wasn’t just about being strong — it was about building something meaningful, bringing people together, and elevating everyone’s performance."

But my greatest lessons weren’t found on the platform.

They came next — from injury, humility, and fate.

My biggest lessons didn’t come from success.
They came from injury.

I was diagnosed with a herniated disc at L5-S1. I was in pain and desperate.
I went everywhere — doctors, physical therapists, chiropractors, trainers, orthopedic surgeons.
Appointment after appointment, and no one seemed to know what to do.

When I was younger, I remember doctors telling me to stop lifting — and I blew them off.
Now I couldn’t lift at all.

Then fate intervened.

I saw a photocopied article stapled together and left behind on a chair at a PT clinic.
It was from Men’s Health, titled:

“Sitting on a Time Bomb”

The article featured Dr. Stuart McGill, a biomechanist from the University of Waterloo — the world’s leading authority on low back pain.

"That five-page article — written in layman’s terms, with pictures — changed my life."

It opened with this line:

“If you’re desk-bound, your back is doomed — unless you learn to love and protect your S-curve.”

McGill introduced me to the universal laws of human movement, the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse of the Spine,” and the now-famous McGill Big 3 exercises — designed to build core endurance and stability with minimal spinal load.

"I learned that the non-negotiable foundation of real, functional, and transferable strength and athleticism is built from the core out."

When I pray, I say that God is the core of my being — the deepest part of me, my guy-wire system, my firm foundation.
From a musculoskeletal standpoint, it’s the same: your core is everything.

That understanding helped me fix myself. And not just heal — but rebuild myself better and stronger than before.

I read that article over and over again. I did the exercises tens of thousands of times. I studied. I tweaked. I refined them for myself — and then for my clients.

“To this day, I still read that article before I speak publicly.”

At TrainSMART, we teach a 12-credit hour course to UB Exercise Science seniors, most of whom go on to become Doctors of Physical Therapy.
That article is the first thing I assign.

That single article ignited a lifelong obsession with continuing education.
I wanted to learn from the best — so I sought them out.

"Have you ever heard the Buddhist proverb: 'When the student is ready, the teacher will appear'?"

In 2011, I attended the Perform Better Functional Training Summit in Providence, Rhode Island — specifically to hear Dr. McGill speak and to meet him in person.

It’s fair to say: my company and I are a product of Perform Better.

At this point:

• I’ve heard Dr. McGill speak eight different times
• Completed his 4-day course on the McGill Method
• Been to his home four times
• Collaborated with him on multiple challenging clients

Perform Better is the gold standard for continuing education in our field. Their events bring together the top minds in performance training, physical therapy, and sports medicine.

"I left that 2011 summit knowing I had catapulted into the 99th percentile of my profession."

I’ve since attended the summit10 times, and it has profoundly shaped who I am as a coach, educator, and business owner.

Shortly thereafter, I met Dr. Michael Geraci, Jr. — a physiatrist and physical therapist who, in my opinion, is one of the most prominent sports medicine doctors in history.

Dr. Geraci became the biggest influence in my career, a mentor, and a dear friend.

We spent countless hours together — treating patients, co-consulting, and discussing ideas at a very high level.

He literally and figuratively brought me to the table with many of the best minds in the world in:

• Physical Therapy
• Sports Medicine
• Strength & Conditioning
• Performance Training

That included:

• Dr. Stuart McGill (Best Low Back Researcher)
• Chris Powers, USC (Best Knee Expert)
• Dr. Ben Kibler (Best Shoulder Surgeon)
• Craig Liebenson (Legendary Integrator & protégé of Vladimir Janda)
• Annie O’Connor (Pain Classification Expert)

I’m eternally grateful for how Dr. Geraci and Chris Nentarz — another phenomenal PT and EXOS alum — taught me to integrate Safe Strength Training and Physical Therapy into one cohesive system.

"Even after I recovered from injuries, I kept returning to the best practitioners — turning every visit into a learning experience."

Every appointment became a lab practical. I took notes. I watched closely.
And I applied it all to help my clients faster and better.

Over the years, I’ve earned the following credentials:

• Winner Buffalo Business First “Healthcare 50 Award” recognizing
• Medical Professionals for contributions in improving the quality of healthcare
• Certified Functional Strength Coach (CFSC)
• Certified Personal Trainer — National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
• Certified Functional Movement Specialist (FMS)
• 5-Time TRX Professional Education Graduate
• Former NY State Powerlifting Champion & Record Holder in the American Drug Free Powerlifting Association (ADFPA)
• Push Up Contest Champion – 455 non-stop push-ups in 30 minutes
• Board of Directors for the UB Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership Alumni Association (13 years)
• Advisory Council Member for UB Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership Executive Director
• Mentor and Reactor for UB Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership
• Certified in Applied Creative Problem Solving (Roger Firestien)
• Creative Catalyst for Roger Firestien’s Breakthrough Lab

I’ve also had the privilege of being a paid speaker and educator at organizations including:

• Wegmans
• M&T Bank
• UB Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership
• Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO)
• Probus
• Roswell Park Cancer Institute
• Buffalo General Hospital
• Erie County Medical Center (ECMC)
• University at Buffalo Exercise Science Program (where I teach a 12-credit hour course for seniors)
•  Continuing education courses for Doctors of Physical Therapy
•  And many others

Most importantly, my team and I regularly learn from, teach with, and collaborate with many of the best minds in the world in the fields of Strength & Conditioning, Performance Training, Physical Therapy, & Sports Medicine.”

And in addition to being a national thought leader in Safe Strength Training, we built something special:

“A Clinic Without Walls”

This model — coined by Dr. Geraci — connects our clients with unprecedented access to the top sports medicine providers in the world.

It has helped TrainSMART become the go-to solution for people who the healthcare system has failed.

People in pain.

People who want to avoid surgery.

People who want to feel strong, move well, and live better for decades to come.

People like Dr. Sonya Noor, Dan Magnuszewski & many more.