Fitness Spotlight: Jay R Hicks
Ricky “Jay R” Hicks
Title: Owner, Trainer
Where do you work: Power House KC
“I ask myself that question all the time. Why me? Why was I put in this position?”
We sat down with trainer Ricky “Jay-R” Hicks over at Steven G. Photography and asked him to elaborate on his success. The young entrepreneur was very humble with his accomplishments.
Ricky started Whole-Armor Fitness with his father when he was fresh out of college, but his path has not been linear. “I originally went to school for broadcast journalism and to play football. After my football career was ended due to an injury, I was offered an opportunity to work with the strength and conditioning coach for the team,” he explained. Personal training came secondary to Ricky. The idea stemmed from his desire to help others and to see them achieve their goals.
“Fitness teaches self-confidence and accountability,” Ricky informed us that training becomes intimate. “Some of my clients come in just to talk, to vent. It’s really become more like counseling,” he continued. We watched Ricky interact with his clients and how he encourages them throughout their workout. He is not just building bodies, but also relationships. “Make sure you get a personal trainer who cares about the quality of your life. A lot of trainers skip the quality of life. I want to build a healthy mind, body, and spirit,” he stated.
Within the past few years, Whole-Armor Fitness merged with Gary Taylor Fitness to form what is now Power House. Prior to merging the men noticed that their goals were similar and formed a partnership while in the same building. “We want Power House to be a one stop shop for sports performance, weight loss, physical therapy, meal prepping, etc. We want to provide quality services without having to pay an arm and a leg.” Power House is expecting to open the doors to their new home mid-December. As of right now, Power House consist of four trainers and will provide a cardio area, weight room, indoor track, active juice bar, and lounge area. The will also have an in-house Daycare area for all the moms who are getting their sexy back.
Photos courtesy of Ryan Benjamin
While in the midst of all of this, Ricky is also preparing to start an outreach program for our youth. “Young men are dying at an alarming rate. Those men will never be able to leave their imprint and I don’t know if it’s because of a lack of knowledge or guidance.” He has his hand in a variety of things, but it seems to all work for the better. He made it clear that he is creating a legacy. “Legacy is greater than currency. When I speak of legacy everything else fall under that. The most important thing for me is creating something that will last for generations.”
Post Author: Fohni Wright
