Today we’d like to introduce you to Syd And Gabi Mcgregor And Padilla.
Hi Syd and Gabi, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
(Syd) Fitness has always been a huge element in my life as I grew up playing a great amount of sports from basketball and baseball to gymnastics and skateboarding. However, I slowly stopped playing so many sports as I entered my teen years and began experiencing extreme shifts in my mood, going from depression to happiness every few months like clockwork.
After experiencing my second ever major depressive episode at age 15, I realized I needed to do something that I could connect to on my own. My friends encouraged me to come workout wih them at our local gym and that ended up being the beginning of my love for powerlifting and bodybuilding. Jump forward to 2021, I began coaching clients with the goal of helping people imrpove their strength and confidence in themselves like strength training did for me.
After two years of working in commercial gyms to strating my own fitness business, I was brought to Austin through a long road of difficult mental health and financial battles. When 2023 was midway through, I decided to spend time traveling the west coast with my mom. During our travels, I was trying my best to continue my fitness and coaching journey while fighting through extreme depression and not understanding what was going on with me.
I eventually found myself in LA in a shoe box apartment with just my dog, no friends or family around. I was lucky enough to have my mom recognize the state I was in and got me help before things went too far. From that help, I was diagnosed with Bipolar type 2 disorder. As one could imagine, this was shocking yet relieving news to hear that I wasn’t just messed up in the head. I then moved to Austin Texas to be closer to family and start over. I eased my way back into fitness and coaching at a commercial gym again.
One year into living here in Austin, I started training out of a new private gym and this is where Gabi entered the picture.
Gabi’s passion for fitness started early. When she was sixteen, she wanted to get into great shape, so she took the leap and hired a personal trainer. She spent the rest of her high school years dedicated to weight training, learning firsthand how transformative structured coaching and strength can be.
Life later took her down a creative path—she actually went to school for design! However, once she graduated, she realized my true calling wasn’t behind a desk; it was in the gym. That passion launched a wonderful, fast-paced career when she officially started training at Equinox Chelsea in NYC. Since then, she’s had the privilege of leading thousands of one-on-one and group fitness classes across three major fitness hubs: New York City, Chicago, and now right here in Austin.
Now in her 30s, my personal brand and fitness journey evolved even further when she immersed herself in combat sports, dedicating my time to training in Boxing, Muay Thai, and Jiu-Jitsu. Over the years, continuing to train and learn on the mats has become a fundamental pillar of who she is as an athlete and a coach.
Almost two years ago now, Gabi and I crossed paths while coaching at the same gym. Every time we ran into each other, our conversations naturally gravitated toward the same core belief: fitness in today’s world has gone to extreme lengths to sell out people seeking guidance to better their health, and clients deserved better. We’ve heard plenty of horror stories from clients experiencing poorly ran gyms and misguided trainers focused on selling them on the next thing.
We realized we shared an identical vision for coaching. We were both tired of the industry’s obsession with quick fixes and curated social media angles centered around garnering attention rather than actually providing value. Instead, we wanted to build something deeper. A coaching framework entirely centered around the client’s long-term health, joint integrity, and helping them to understand how to structure a plan that works best for them. Recognizing that we were entirely aligned in our values, we joined forces to bring that vision to life.
We are now the proud owners of Apex Compound Fitness Coaching where we can help people from all walks of life improve their mental and physical health with strength and mobility training. I have finally found a groove and started building an amazing life here in Austin surrounded by incredible people that I couldn’t be more appreciative of to have supprorting me through my best and worst moments.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As coaches, our greatest challenge in the modern fitness landscape is breaking through the noise of pure aesthetics and being in a male dominated space. The industry has become deeply hyper-focused on the “gym selfie,” curated angles, and instant gratification. Because of this, getting clients to look past the mirror and understand the true psychology of movement can feel like an uphill battle. As a women of color owned business, we want to make sure we cutivate a comfortable and welcoming environment for everyone that comes our way as well.
As young business owners, it was a tough road navigating investors, insurance, equipment sourcing, licenses, etc. We began the creation of our gym in September 2025 and actually had a third member apart of the plan. She ended up backing out 2 months into planning and Gabi and I were able to take it from there without any larger issues coming from it luckily.
We did have to wait for funds to be available from investors which meant waiting until March 2026 for our original launch date. Obviously that timeline didn’t workout as our opening date ended up being June 2026 because of some building landlord mishaps that prevented us from locking down the first place we found. However, that ended up being a blessing because the building we found off of West Anderson Lane is a much nicer and more convenient place to be in.
We managed to design the gym on our own while only hiring contractors for one major job of changing the plumbing. The rest of the build out was 3 weeks worth of our hard work and we couldn’t be more satisfied with the end result.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Apex Compound Fitness Coaching?
Apex Compound fitness coaching is a private personal training gym in North Austin owned by two women of color, built for people who are done feeling stiff, beaten up, and stuck.
We help busy professionals build real, lasting strength without the nagging joint pain and tight muscles that hold most people back. Our work goes beyond just getting you stronger. We address the root of the problem: weak, underactive muscles and poor movement patterns that make training feel like a grind instead of a gain.
Led by Coach Syd and Coach Gabi, a combined team with over a decade of training and coaching experience. We use structured strength and mobility systems tailored to how your body actually moves. No random workouts, no one-size-fits-all programming. Every client gets a personalized strength plan, a mobility system to relieve joint tightness, nutrition guidance, and weekly accountability coaching to keep it all on track.
We do this because we believe your body should work with you, not against you. Too many people put in the effort and still feel broken because they’re missing structure, not motivation. Our job is to give you that structure so you can train hard, move pain-free, and build a body that actually lasts for the long haul.
We offer both one on one and small semi private sessions of groups of 2-3 people at a time. We are also currently promoting an all inclusive 8 week program for all new comers looking for training without the extra fees or add on prices for additional services. Our program includes strength and mobility programming in and out of sessions, program progessions every 6 weeks, travel nutrition and workout plans, nutrition guidance, weekly accountability check ins, monthly reviews and metric checks to actually show when you’re genuinely making progress.
All fitness levels are welcome and all sessions are held in our private facility at 1745 W Anderson Ln, Austin, TX. No crowds, no distractions, just focused coaching in a space designed for real results.
We’re beyond proud of how we’ve managed to build a professional space that still cultivates a welcoming, enthusiastic and personable experience. So if you’re someone looking to build strength, feel confident in how your body moves and actually feel comfortable in a fitness space then this is the place for you.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I think our ability to be genuine and easy to relate to makes new comers feel comfortable being in our space and feel like they can open up without judgement.
We prioritze good character over everything and truly believe that has been the factor to help us connect with people the most.
Pricing:
- Training package prices start at $65/session depending on client goals and training frequency
Contact Info:
- Website: https://apxcomp.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apexcompound?igsh=bHowNzIwc2ZpbmJr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1B9fyi8fMu/
