If you go on any search engine and type “Q the Coach” you’ll see a host of articles, videos, blogs, podcasts, and yes, professional body-building photos. Quentin Pullen, respectfully known as Coach Q, has been immersed in the world of fitness for thirty years. He believes fitness is more than body mass and muscles. “Wellness is about the total being. If something’s missing, who’s making up for that?” The answer: We should.
Coach Q was born and raised in southwest Atlanta, but he’ll tell you, “I grew up in the world.” In high school, he was the cadet commander for ROTC. That opportunity prepared him well for what he would experience in the armed forces. On day one of service in the Marine Corps, “I jumped off the bus and right into my footprints at attention. They saw a leader with enthusiasm, and made me platoon leader.” Coach Q never lost his leadership position. He is a dual-service veteran having served eight years in the Marine Corps and four years in the Navy.
While in the military, Coach Q tested and pushed his own physical and mental limits by doing obstacle courses. He was fueled by the dynamics, the thrill, and the health benefits. “I’ve always had a dream that regular people should be able to do this.” Coach Q had a vision for bringing obstacle courses to the masses, and drew up plans for his vision. He pitched the idea to a client in California who said it would never make any money. Two years later, American Ninja Warrior was aired on television, followed by the Spartan race and others.
Coach Q was not deterred and continued to work out, train private clients, and successfully competed in bodybuilding competitions for 24 years. Today, the walls in his gym are lined with certificates, and his shelves are filled with awards and trophies. Both he and his wife, Nora, have earned a Spartan Trifecta - completion of three different Spartan obstacle course races in one year.
A back injury in 2015 changed the trajectory of Coach Q’s fitness business. By taking advice from an outstanding physical therapist, he not only avoided surgery, he decided to become a physical therapist the following year. “I needed to know how to fix people, as well as coach them.”
Coach Q’s passion for obstacle courses never waned. He and Nora moved from California to Fayette County a little over two years ago and picked up where they left off. When describing his gym, Coach Q explains, “Every machine that’s made in fitness is made off of human movement, so it tries to mimic human movement. I have an open floor plan. It’s filled with weights and all the bells and whistles, but I don’t have the machines that you are stuck trying to conform to. They don’t improve your natural movement. We do an analysis of stability first. If you’re not stable or mobile, how are you going to get strong? Let’s get you out of pain. Let’s get you moving well, and then we’ll get you stronger.” The business includes a gym, swimming pool, physical therapy clinic, and a brand-new obstacle course. “I have to meet you where you are, not where I expect you to be. It’s my job to make you better.”
Coach Q strongly believes, “We have to stop neglecting ourselves. A healthy, happy person is a productive person. It doesn’t matter what age you are or what stage you are in your life, or how busy you are, you can find time for yourself.”
Visit qthecoach.com to learn more about the services offered, and see for yourself what’s possible.
