Today we’d like to introduce you to Rush Hemphill.
Hi Rush, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in Austin, Texas. I went to McCallum High School where I graduated in 2012 and then went to Texas A&M University where I graduated in 2016 with a BS in Exercise Science. I am about to graduate from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences with a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in May 2022.
Growing up, I was never the most athletic person but enjoyed sports and challenging myself. I started finding my passion in fitness when running track and field in 7th grade. Unfortunately around that time, I also developed an eating disorder which got pretty bad for around six months. I went from a healthy 110 pounds to around 90 pounds in a short time frame. I slowly was able to overcome my eating disorder but remained to have hyper-focus around food and physical activity for another 1-2 years. I continued running track/field and cross country throughout high school. I also got into weightlifting my freshman year with P90X. By my senior year in high school, I was able to make the transition from being focused about eating/calories, weight, and physical activity to a performance-based mindset. I wanted to optimize my perform for track/cross country and putting on lean muscle. While I was never one of the fastest runners at races, I was very happy with my PRs my senior season with a 16:53 5K, 10:43 two mile, and 4:57 mile.
By the time I started college, I was around 140-145 lbs, very lean but fit and muscular. I joined Company H-1 in the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M. This was something my dad encouraged me to do because I believe he thought it would fit well with my personality, which he was right about! I highly enjoyed the comradery, discipline, accountability, and team atmosphere. While my freshman “fish” year in the Corp was especially challenging, it helped develop mental fortitude and toughness which I still possess today. I also enjoyed being with like-minded individuals who are competitive, driven, enjoyed running and weightlifting. By the end of college, I bulked up to a lean 175 pounds.
My passion for fitness led me to pursue my Exercise Science degree, but by the time I graduated I was still unsure which direction I wanted to take my career. I was interested in physical therapy but did not think it was worth applying at this time due to my low GPA. I ended up becoming a Certified Personal Trainer from the American College of Sports Medicine before I graduated and began working at Gold’s Gym in Northwest Austin after graduation. I highly enjoyed working in the gym environment and helping my clients reach their health and fitness goals. After working there for about a year, my wife and I moved to Little Rock, Arkansas in 2017 so she could attend Physician Assistant school (we got married right after graduating from Texas A&M).
In Little Rock, I got a job at Physical Therapy Institute as a personal trainer and physical therapy tech (I still had a goal of attending physical therapy school, and I thought this would be a great environment to sharpen my knowledge and learn more). I got significantly more experience working in a rehabilitation setting and working with personal training clients post-rehab. At this time, I also become a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
In 2018, I also started training clients at Proformance Sports Academy in Little Rock. Proformance is the top baseball training facility in Arkansas and provides pitching, hitting, and training for Little Leaguers all the way up to professional athletes. In late 2018/early 2019, I became the Head Trainer. I led weekly group training sessions for all athletes and trained 1-on-1 clients as well.
Back in fall 2018, I also decided to apply to physical therapy schools for 2019. I applied to about ten schools but ended up getting decline from all of them except the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Fayetteville. I ended up getting an interview but then was informed I was placed on the waitlist. I few months had gone by, and I figured I was not getting in. However, I really enjoyed my position at Proformance and was not concerned. However, I then found out I got excepted to start in August 2019! I actually spent a few days deciding what I really wanted but decided to attend PT school to further my education and knowledge so that I could further improve my ability to work with rehab and personal training clients.
Most recently, my two brothers and I started Spear Athletics. Our mission is to give everyday athletes the proper equipment and knowledge they need to achieve their fitness goals and improve their quality of life. While we are in the beginning stages of growing our company, we currently offer subscription training programs including our Strength, Muscle, Home-Gym, and Bodyweight programs, premium fitness coaching for everyday athletes who want to build 10 pounds of lean muscle in 3 months, and fitness accessory equipment.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I have experienced times of both rough and smooth roads! I believe the rough roads are vital to growth as I have become stronger and learned valuable lessons from them. At this point, the biggest struggle I have faced is getting accepted and completing physical therapy school, all while starting Spear Athletics with my brothers. It is not easy starting a new company from the ground up, but we are in it for the long run and have a goal of helping 1,000 people reach their fitness goals within this next year. In addition, it is challenging at times to manage school, work, and family time with my wife and son. It takes practice but developing a set schedule and goals to accomplish each day significantly helps with time management.
As you know, we’re big fans of Spear Athletics. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Spear Athletics was created to help everyday athletes reach their fitness goals through effective training programs, fitness equipment, and community. There are a lot of fitness companies these days, which is a great thing! One thing that sets us apart from most other fitness companies is that we bring research and exercise science to our training programs. As Director of Training, I have ten years of exercise science that go into creating programs. Beyond our programs, our purpose as a company is to give our customers the best information and advice around exercise that will lead them to have happier and healthier lives.
Our current services include the Spear Athletics training programs – Strength, Muscle, Home-Gym, and Bodyweight, and our premium online fitness coaching. We also just launched our first fitness accessory product – Spear Wrist Wraps, which are designed to support your wrists during heavy lifting to improve performance and prevent injury.
The Spear Athletics training programs provide the exact training plan to help our athletes reach their goals. We layout your weekly training schedule, warm up routines, main workouts and cooldowns to aid in recovery. Our App also provides rep tracking, weight tracking, a team feed for social engagement, and a leader board to compete with other athletes in the programs. When you follow a training program, you will achieve and see results much faster than going to the gym and doing random workouts each time without a specific goal or plan.
Our online fitness coaching service specializes in helping former athletes build 10 pounds of muscle in three months. This premium service is designed for former athletes who want to get in amazing shape. Are dedicated to the process and are not afraid of hard work!
We are three brothers from Austin, Texas. We are each passionate about athletics in different ways and we each bring a different skill set to the business. Working on Spear Athletics together has brought us together in a unique way and has helped us live happier and healthier lives.
What makes you happy?
Spending quality time with friends and family, improving my health and fitness, and helping others improve their health and fitness bring me happiness. I know for me personally, when I am active and take care of myself it improves all other aspects of my life. If I can help others do the same, I know I am making a positive impact on the community and world.
Pricing:
- All of our subscription training programs are $15/month or $150/year.
- Spear Athletics Wrist Wraps – $14.99
Contact Info:
- Email: spear.athletics.usa@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.spearathleticsusa.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spearathleticsusa/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spearathleticsusa
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Spear_Athletics
Image Credits
William Magnuson
