What is IA?
One Sentence…
It is (primarily) an online coaching service that takes away the invasive logistics of face-to-face coaching, without taking away any of the results.
How It works
Clients can signup to any of the services offered online and/or in-person. In doing so, they will receive the support needed to achieve their personal health, fitness, and performance goals; directly from their coach, to their phone, via the Intrinsic Athlete Institution smartphone app.
IA programming draws upon the knowledge gained from personal, professional, and academic experiences. It is results driven, competitive, and fun.
Online vs In-Person Training
The issue with traditional, in-person, personal training is that you’re on the coaches time and you pay by the hour (not bashing it, we also offer in-person training on this website and it has incredible value for other reasons, just stating some facts). With this program you now have the ability and flexibility to train anywhere, at anytime, structured around YOUR lifestyle and schedule. It’s essentially a personal trainer in your pocket.
The IA Way
Aside from the sport-specific lacrosse training offered online, Intrinsic Athlete operates on the idea that athletes tend to have such great physiques because of their holistic and mixed-methods approach to training all aspects of physical fitness.
No matter your goals, or background, it can be said for everyone (aside from those training very specifically for a sport) that having a well-rounded base of strength, mobility, aerobic conditioning, and anaerobic conditioning – like athletes do – is an ideal approach; from both a physical (looks) and physiological (performance) standpoint. With this in mind, Intrinsic Athlete programming has been created using various exercise methods and principles based around the athletic approach to training the entire body with purpose and intensity. No matter if you have just 30 minutes free each day to train, or two hours free each day to train; having a consistent training program that includes both resistance training (weights) and different forms of conditioning (aerobic and anaerobic) is key to long-term success and results in health/fitness/human performance (when combined with an appropriate diet of course).
Intrinsic Athlete offers all of this; a tailored approach to training, eating, and performing that achieves optimal results within your lifestyle.
Not sure which program is for you? Take the Program Quiz or complete the brief Consultation Form to lean more and see which program would be best suited for you.
Why IA?
The IA Story
As a former NCAA Division1 student-athlete, I (Jak, the founder & Head Coach of IA) graduated like many do and spent several months, even years, coming to terms with stepping away from my NCAA career and all that came with being a student-athlete.
What I missed more than anything was the peak physical condition that I was in during my collegiate years and how I took for granted the ability to train, compete, and work towards a goal every day with a dedicated coach. Not to mention the ability to eat everything in sight.
While working in group fitness coaching, sports coaching, and personal training; I often found former NCAA student-athletes reaching out to me for fitness advice and training programs.
They all wanted the same.
Training that satisfied their craving for something more than your average workout.
“Workout” classes? – Not hard enough. They were used to much more than a few bodyweight exercises and 5lb dumbbells. Not to mention the hourly rate…
Their local gym? – Nobody to push them, lacking direction and motivation, nutrition became inconsistent and misunderstood (pizza and beer diet stops working after college for some reason ? ).
In-Person Personal Training? – It’s expensive and you’re on someone else’s time and schedule (I also offer in-person training for a living so just stating facts).
Everything else? – Nothing came close to what they needed. Nothing was like what they knew best.
One thing was consistent; they were all in the best condition of their life as a student-athlete. What they needed now was something like those early morning S&C sessions (without the wake-ups), something that kept them accountable yet allowed them to be flexible around their fast-paced lifestyle and busy jobs, and, most of all, they wanted something that spoke to their inner-competitor.
For this reason, I created Intrinsic Athlete; a personal training company that empowers you to take control of your training, all at your own gym. This is done by delivering everything you need right to your phone; training programs, exercise coaching videos, nutritional advice/support, 1-to-1 coaching, video feedback, accountability, personal development, and much more. All of this via our app; The Intrinsic Athlete Institution.
It’s essentially a personal trainer in your pocket.
*Since starting Intrinsic Athlete, we have expanded to offering lacrosse-specific training online. Using the experiences gained from coaching and training NCAA and professional lacrosse athletes, IA empowers players young and old to take their game to the next level through strength & conditioning training.
Who is IA?
About Your Coach – Jak Wawrzyniak, aka “Coach Vav”
I didn’t know whether to put my CV/resume here or to write directly about myself. One part of me feels like the industry is too full of resumes and lacking in experience; and another part of me thinks there are too many social media “fitness gurus” out there with plenty of training experience and not enough coaching experience and/or qualifications.
What is true for all though, is that, first and foremost, your clients need to know that they’re in good hands, are being supported by someone who sees them as priority number one, and that you have the proven ability to help them achieve their goals.
I suppose a combination of the two then…
My Personal Background
{Insert cliche (but nevertheless true) interests}: Dogs, travelling, burritos, etc.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been physically active and sport obsessed. I started training “officially” aged 15 by joining a local gym (that I later went on to work at) and fell in love with the process of trianing instantly.
My motivation for training always came from my sport, Lacrosse. In the past 12 years I’ve represented England in one U19 World Championship, three Men’s World Championships, and one European Championship. I’ve also played at US high school, NCAA Division1, and professional levels in-between that time frame. Needless to say, I’ve been very fortunate to have such experiences; learn from amazing coaches & mentors, and share the field (and gym) with tremendously gifted athletes and teammates.
During my lacrosse career I have had the opportunity to undertake qualifications, degrees, internships, and occupations surrounding health & fitness, psychology, coaching, sport, and athlete-specific strength & conditioning. All these experiences have formed together to create Intrinsic Athlete; a bespoke online training service, with the main ambition of reaching former student-athletes to support them in seeking continued excellence in their daily training habits; just like their collegiate years.
*Additionally, I have expanded to coaching lacrosse athletes since the inception of IA; with current clients coming from PLL, MLL, national team, amateur club, and youth programs.
Without a doubt, I owe most of my success, both on and off the lacrosse field, to the time spent in the gym and on the training field. This goes for every part of my life; from academics, to athletics, and beyond. I say this because training your body also has a profound training effect on your mind. It teaches you to push yourself further than you thought possible, be consistent in your approach to struggles, see failure as an opportunity to learn, and that you must inevitably sacrifice in order to be successful.
How does this help personal training?
Simply put, training has been the ultimate “life hack” tool. So why wouldn’t I want to share it? Creating this platform has allowed me to do this.
My Academic/Certification Background
REPs Level 2 Fitness Coach
NGB Level 2 Coach
BTEC: Sports Development, Coaching, & Fitness National Cert.
First Aid & CPR Qualified
Criminal Record Check/2019 (UK & USA)
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.): Social Science (Anthropology, Psychology, Sociology)
Master of Education (M.Ed.): Counselling & Guidance
Master of Arts (MA): Educational Research Methods
How does this help personal training?
My academic experience and qualifications help me understand the vast array of issues faced by clients from a physical, mental, and social perspective; in terms of both general health and human performance. In addition, my research degree supports an evidence-based approach to all of my programming and content. Aka – I backup what I say/do with a no-bullshit focus on evidence and what is proven to work.
My Occupational Background
- Fitness Coach (Virgin Active, UK)
- NCAA Division1 Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach (Providence College, USA)
- NCAA Division1 Assistant Lacrosse Coach (Providence College, USA)
- Assistant Sports Psychologist (Clinical & Sports Consulting Services, USA)
- Group Coach/Personal Trainer (Strength & Performance Gym, UK)
- Online Coach/Personal Trainer (Intrinsic Athlete Ltd, Worldwide)
How does this help personal training?
Training is about more than just performance, muscle-gain, fat loss, and dieting…its about challenge, achievement, lifestyle, and a feeling of self-confidence. My occupational background has taken me in to a diverse range of health, fitness, athlete-specific, and human performance roles. This allows me to draw upon the knowledge and experiences gained working with renowned coaches and mentors to deliver the best service and holistic results possible to my clients. Combined with my academic experience, I have over 12 years experience in sports coaching, fitness coaching, strength & conditioning, and mental health/sports psychology practice.
Let’s get to work…