We’re looking forward to introducing you to Omar Barnhart. Check out our conversation below.
Omar, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
I recently received two messages from clients of mine (I call my clients The RAH! Power people 🙂 that were somewhat unexpected. One of my clients shared with me they are an introvert (I would never have guessed that the way he socializes with so many people at our workouts) and because of that personality trait they rarely tout their successes. He shared with me the following, “Omar, I don’t share much with people. I can be introverted but I want to continue sharing my progress and successes when it comes to my physical health since you are in fact my coach and trainer. You kick started my journey checking body composition and realizing diet was such a limiting factor for me. My exercise could not overcome bad choices. I’ve made great progress and I’m proud of myself.” He then shared with me the gains he has made over the last months when it came to his gains with lean muscle mass and decreased fat. He went on to share “I would have never went back to lifting weights…if you hadn’t led me there. It has been such a game changer. I’m grateful for your leadership, Omar.”
The other message I received brought a smile to my face because I’m never too sure if the content I share with my clients is resonating. We send out a regular RAH! Report newsletter and after asking my client if they read it they responded with the following. “Omar, your artistry and love always shine through. All that is a big part of what has kept me coming to your workouts these several years. THANKS.”
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Omar Barnhart and I am the owner of RAH! Power Fitness. RAH! Power Fitness is on a quest to help people elevate their health & fitness through community, connection, and by creating a welcoming, safe atmosphere no matter who you are. Our Certified Personal Trainers and Certified Nutrition Coaches enact this by tapping into the POWER of Routine, Accountability, & Health (R-A-H!) no matter your background, beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identification, ability, age, or body size. RAH! Power Fitness is a welcoming place for LGBTQ+ people.
As a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community I always felt unsure about where I fit in when it came to physical fitness. I don’t come from a family that valued sports growing up. This caused me to delay my ability to hone my physical strength and POWER. It wasn’t until adulthood that I found my footing with my fitness. I also found something unexpected at the same time – the POWER of a community of people that you see day in and day out sweating next to each other sometimes even smiling (but mostly sweating :). This connectedness that I felt with community made a marked difference in my life so much so that I chose to leave my 10+ year career in public education to pursue creating my own community of people centered on healthy living through fitness and nutrition. As we embark on our 2nd year anniversary as a local business in Austin I am ever so grateful to have found my POWER in health and fitness and in above all in community. RAH!
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
My relationship with my mother Maria Alma Barnhart (1950-2003) most shaped who I am today and how I choose to lead my life. It was my mother who taught me the importance of loving unconditionally, working hard, and continuous learning. My mother raised my older brother and I as a single parent while working full time and going to graduate school. She always put my brother and I first no matter what. The love she exuded and shared with the world overpowered the hardships she faced – mental illness, unemployment, cancer. It’s this love that I choose to carry on in my personal and professional life today.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I can think of two big parts of my life that used to weigh heavy on me: growing up with a mother who battled paranoid schizophrenia and manic depression, and coming of age as a closeted gay kid convinced that being different was something to hide. Both shaped how I moved through the world — quiet, watchful, trying to stay small. But now? I use them to show up, take up space, and lead unapologetically — day in and day out – with POWER.
As a closeted gay kid and young adult I once viewed being gay as a curse. So many days I would ask the world why. Why did I get this curse? Why couldn’t I be like everyone else? At one point I even went to get the gay “counseled” out of me at the University I attended. I was also engaged to be married before I came out. The shame and guilt can sometimes come roaring back in spurts to this day, but it’s miniscule compared to the confidence I have now as a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. It’s now as I approach 50 years on this planet that I see the POWER in being proud of who I am – and how this POWER can have a ripple effect to elevate others. It’s now that I see the POWER in leading the life I was meant to lead. It’s now that I can just be me. It’s such a simple thing – to exist – and yet for so many our current state of politics makes it unbearable. I have chosen to live out and proud and will continue doing so even as the current US government tries to intimidate minorities like myself.
Growing up with a mother (our sole caretaker) who battled paranoid schizophrenia and manic depression my entire childhood was hard to say the least. My mom was in and out of mental institutions. At one point in my latter teenage years I had to go to court and testify to civilly commit my mom to the hospital for treatment. It was commonplace for my brother and I to move from one aunt to another when my mother was institutionalized. While it was hard to understand at an early age what my mother was going through it became clear as I began learning more and more about mental illness. Now as an adult I am on a quest to break the stigma of mental illness. The connection between physical fitness and mental health makes my quest a natural one. I hope to continue trying to break the stigma of mental illness and testify loud and proud to the POWER of treatment. As someone who battles anxiety and is on medication and attends therapy I know firsthand how one can lead the life they want to lead no matter what ails them.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
My closest friends would say the following really matters to me: being true to yourself, feeling your feelings, and showing up. That’s why the following quotes are things I live by and things I commonly roar at our workouts. “You do you.” “Put your blinders on and move in a way that feels good to YOU.” “Acknowledge the challenge. Embrace how it’s making you feel. Then release it and get back to it when you’re ready.” “Shout out to all those who didn’t want to come today, but did.” “It’s unrealistic to go all out at 100% for 100% of the time. Just move.”
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
If I knew I had 10 years left on this planet I would stop:
– declining invitations to go out during the week
– keeping my phone (or any technology) tethered to me
– all social media
– being cooped up inside my house (usually on technology) and explore more of the outdoors
– denying my dogs a ball throwing session or a cuddle session over work
– avoiding my relatives due to politics
– being scared of being rejected by new people I meet
– watching “a lot” of tv on the weekends
– putting off surprises for my loved ones
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rahpowerfitness.com
- Instagram: @rahpowerfitness
Image Credits
Bill McCullough
