In a series entitled “Get to know your Coach”, we present to you the various members of the Quad Squad. You might have seen them on our different social media video clips, heard them speak on our podcast; now you learn a little bit more about what makes them tick.
The next coach stepping up to the plate is Srivatsan, or Vatsa. A former trainee himself, he cut his teeth under Coach AA and Kavya at our NGS Centre and is currently a valued member of the Quad Virtual Squad.
Please tell us a bit about yourself.
I am Srivatsan AKA Vatsa. I am from Bangalore.
I completed my engineering from Bangalore. I did not get into the usual corporate job post my engineering as I was not too sure if that's what I wanted to do (also I thought it was Cool to not do what rest of them are doing back then 😛)
Later I ventured into my own freelance business.About 7 years later I realised even that wasn't something I wanted.
I happen to know Arvind and Ranju (Ranjani Shankar, the Quad’s Marketing head) via a common sport we had a great fascination for (Ultimate frisbee) and I also admired what Raj and Arvind were doing in Chennai at The Quad and I always wished I could train at The Quad.
What made you get into fitness, in general and coaching in particular?
I was always overweight as a teenager and a young adult. One day I had to step on a weighing scale for some reason and that was the moment that changed everything for me. I just wanted to look and feel a whole lot different. I signed up at my neighbourhood Gym and there started my fitness journey.
Coaching to me still feels like an unreal dream. Nowhere in my dreams could I convince myself that I can become a Coach. I always thought I never had the body type or the attitude to become one. I was too judgemental and self-critical about the way I looked and also the unrealistic standards set by the fitness industry in general was stopping me from taking the plunge.
But everything changed once I started as a student at the Quad. My perspective towards every changed. Sudeesh and Arvind were very sure that I could become a Coach and that's how my Coaching journey at The Quad started.
What is your favourite part of being a coach?
My favourite part of being a Coach at The Quad is being able to be both a Student as well as teacher every single day. Everyday I learn so much from my students and my team, every other day I also get to 'give' so much as well.
Who are your favourite fitness gurus? Who do you follow?
No favourites as such. I follow everyone from the Quad Squad. Apart from Quad Squad I also like Squat University, Achieve Fitness.
What is your coaching style?
(I am)yet to figure out if I have a style of my own. But if I have to compulsorily mention it then this is something that I want to aspire to be - "Art of staying both calm while reinforcing positivity when the chips are down".
Tell us more about your role at The Quad.
Apart from coaching classes, I also assist the (head) Coach with student management. If you applying to be a part of the Quad Squad, chances are you would talk to me first! For I interview the applicants in the first or second round.
What do you do in your downtime?
I like motorcycling. Go out on rides or travel. I am also working on picking up some off-road skills. The frequency of it has drastically come down but I am hoping to do more of that.
For anyone interested in becoming a fitness coach themselves, what advice would you give?
Be ready to put your so called "knowledge" and your "ego" about fitness aside and be always ready to unlearn and relearn everything. That's the only way to grow.
Thank you so much for telling us a bit more about you Vatsa!
Who’s up next? Any guesses?
