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WHO IS COACH THERON?

 

"I'm an everyday dad, husband, and small business owner. I believe in pushing ourselves as much as we can to become the most capable version of ourselves possible. Everything I do is to be the best version of me I can be, for my children and for my wife. Because they deserve the best me! I love snowboarding, hanging out on the weekend and candy! HAHAHA! No seriously, I love candy and yes, I still eat it!"

 

-B.S. in Holistic Nutrition

-ISSA Certified Elite Personal Trainer (Personal Training, Sports Nutrition Coach, Corrective Exercise Specialist)

-PN Level 1 Certified Nutrition Coach

-NCI Level 1 Certified Nutrition Coach

IT HAS NEVER BEEN EASY!

 

What’s up!!

 

My name is Theron Merrick! I am owner, founder of Gym R.A.T. Coaching home of the Real. Attainable. Transformation. I am a busy, hardworking father, husband, entrepreneur, and avid snowboarder, fisherman, candy aficionado, and lover of Harry Potter movies! I ended up in the world of health and wellness completely by accident if you can believe that! I grew up in impoverished Edgewood, New Mexico. Where we grew up eating whatever was available to us. Even if that happened to only be an entire sleeve of saltine crackers. It wasn’t until I was 29 years old, and my wife and I went through a miscarriage that I decided to care about my health and the things that I put in my body.

 

See, I haven’t always been very fit. In-fact at the age of 22 I was very near if not clear over 300lbs. And being an avid snowboarder being heavy like that, I was dead tired by noon at the latest. And when you are paying $100 or more for a lift ticket and are done by noon, that’s a lot of wasted money. So, I decided to drop a little weight. And before I knew it, a little weight turned into a lot of weight. 9 months later I had lost 93lbs!! From 273lbs down to 180! I was hooked, I decided I had to learn as much as possible. I jumped headfirst into educating myself on how to do it effectively and efficiently, so that I could help others create the same feelings for self-accomplishment and fulfillment I found in recreating myself!

 

Fast forward a few years and I now help other busy, hardworking parents create strong, energetic bodies despite the numerous responsibilities of everyday life, without hacks, shortcuts, or elimination! I hope you are ready to join me on this journey to a you, you never thought possible!!

How Do We Get You Results?

 

Here’s how this works if you decide to work with me.

First, you apply. Not because I’m trying to be fancy, because I need to see your goal, your schedule, your history, what you’ve tried, and what keeps tripping you up (weekends, stress eating, falling off, inconsistency). If you’re not a good fit, I’ll tell you. If you are, we move.

Then we onboard and simplify everything. We get a clear baseline: what your weight is actually doing over a weekly average, how many steps you’re truly getting, what your training schedule can realistically be, your protein intake, sleep, and the specific chaos points in your week. You don’t need more motivation. You need a plan that survives real life.

From there, I build your foundation first, because most people try to “optimize” before they can even stay consistent. We start with identity and standards, then install the behaviors and habits that make fat loss automatic, then your training, then your nutrition precision, then the extra optimization stuff. That order is why my clients stop starting over.

Next, you get your custom plan. Your training is built around strength and muscle, not 2-hour workouts and random exhaustion. Your nutrition is built for sustainable fat loss, usually with macro tracking as a tool when it helps, and simpler targets when tracking would make you obsessive or burnt out. Protein is non-negotiable. Whole foods are the base. Flexibility is built in so you can still live like a normal dad and husband.

Then we execute, and this is where coaching actually matters. Every week you check in with your data and your real-life context. I look at what’s working, what’s not, and why. If progress stalls, we don’t panic or guess. We troubleshoot logically: accuracy, weekend drift, step output, recovery, training performance, stress, sleep. Then I tell you exactly what we’re changing and what you’re focusing on next week.

And we build consistency the right way. Not “be perfect.” Not “try harder.” We build standards and a Plan B so even on your worst week you don’t fall off the cliff. You learn what to do when work explodes, when the kids are sick, when travel happens, when you’re tired, when life is messy. That’s the difference between results you get once and results you keep.

We also “weekend-proof” this from the start, because I’m not interested in you being great Monday through Thursday and then erasing it Friday through Sunday. You’ll have simple strategies for restaurants, events, holidays, and travel so you don’t spiral and restart every Monday.

When you’ve lost the fat and built the momentum, we transition you to keeping it. Maintenance isn’t “hope for the best.” I teach you how to hold your results, adjust when life changes, and self-correct early so you never have to start over again.

Bottom line: you’re not just paying for a workout and a macro target. You’re paying for a process that makes fat loss repeatable and durable, so you get leaner, stronger, and more confident, and you stay that way.

The Pyramid of Success

 

Here’s the Pyramid of Success, broken down. Bottom matters more than top. Most people fail because they try to live at the top without earning the base.

Level 1: Identity and standards (the foundation)
This is who you’re becoming, and what you do when life gets messy. We define your non-negotiable standards: “What does the kind of man you want to be do on a normal week… and on a terrible week?” This is where “starting over Monday” dies. You’re not chasing motivation. You’re operating from standards.

Level 2: Awareness and honesty
You can’t change what you won’t face. We create awareness around what’s actually happening: weekend drift, mindless snacking, liquid calories, stress eating, low steps, inconsistent sleep. No shame. Just data and patterns. This level builds control because you finally see the real levers.

Level 3: Habits and consistency systems
Now we install the behaviors that make progress automatic: meal structure, protein anchors, step targets, sleep routines, planning for weekends, and a Plan B when time gets tight. This is where you stop relying on willpower and start relying on systems.

Level 4: Training (strength + muscle + capability)
Training supports the body you want and the life you live. We focus on simple, repeatable resistance training built around progression, movement quality, and performance. You’re not training to be a bodybuilder. You’re training to look good, feel strong, and stay capable for decades.

Level 5: Nutrition precision (the dial, not the foundation)
This is where calories/macros come in, when you’re ready. For some guys, tracking helps. For others, it becomes obsessive and derails consistency. Either way, we control the big rocks first: protein, total intake, food quality, and repeatable meals. Then we fine-tune based on results.

Level 6: Optimization (the top)
Once the foundation is solid, we optimize: timing, supplements (if useful), advanced training variables, refeeds/diet breaks (when appropriate), performance markers, and higher-level lifestyle upgrades. This stuff matters, but only after the base is locked in.

How we use it week to week
If you’re stuck, we don’t add more complexity. We go down the pyramid and fix the lowest broken level first. That’s how you keep results even when life gets chaotic.

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Brendalee Hirschfeld: 150lbs from 220lbs

Theron Merrick: 300+lbs to 193lbs

Craig Bozzelli: A1-C down 40 points

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“So grateful to have started my journey with Gym R.A.T. Coaching the process hasn't been easy every step, but the knowledge i have gained along with my results I've achieved will last a life time.” 

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Yes, this is me. But if you are going to hire someone to help you achieve your weight loss goals, who better than someone who has had to go through the process for themself. 

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"Theron helped me stay off medication! My cholesterol had broken the 200 mark. Of course the doctor told me that I needed to start medication, but I resisted and asked for 3 months to work on it myself.I found Theron who mapped out daily macro diet targets for me.  It was a big change for me, but with plenty of help and advice from Theron, I adapted to the changes.  When I had my bloodwork rechecked about 10 weeks later, I had dropped my cholesterol by 40 points while increasing my weight by about 5 pounds.  I never changed my activity level, in fact, I may have increased it some more.  Theron was a huge help, had great advice, and answered all my questions.  I would not have accomplished these goals without his help." 

JOHN COLLINS

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“Bill helped me create an attainable financial plan that is already changing my life.” 

ANNA SUN

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“After listening to just one episode of Bill’s podcast, everything started falling into place.”

JILL MCCONNELL

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“Bill is the secret sauce to my recent financial gains. I can’t thank him enough.” 

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