Tommy Nelson is southern California's most dynamic and experienced young coach.  As an elite athlete for the past 8 years, he has been there and done that.  He studied Exercise Physiology at the University of Maryland after his first degree in civil engineering left him unfulfilled.  As he progressed in his studies, he took up triathlon as a way to stay in shape.  Coming from a background in college soccer, he took to endurance sports easily.  By his third season, he had turned pro, winning races on the east coast and setting several course records along the way.

Tommy's love of the bike pushed him into the more competitive world of bike racing, and he upgraded to CAT 1 within weeks of changing his focus.  After getting his feet wet in pro races on the eastern seaboard, he decided to move west, and put all of his energy into the more competitive pro scene on the west coast.

Since relocating to California, Tommy has continued to race, competing in such pro races as Cascade Classic, Valley of the Sun, and the grueling LOTOJA. 

Along the way, Tommy has always worked as a personal trainer and coach.  He has trained clients in personal training studios in Washington DC, Maryland, and Orange County, CA.  He received his first certification through NSCA and later through NASM, and was certified in Stretching and Flexibility while working at the Sports Club/LA in Irvine.  He has coached numerous cyclists to personal best seasons and races, as well as triathletes and runners. 

Tommy founded Podium Training with the help of his client and best good friend, Bryson Perry of Sandy, UT.  They saw a need for endurance coaching that gave clients the contact they needed without making them feel like they were paying for every phone call.  When the clients needed changes to their plans, they didn't want to wait for a week while their coach got back to them. 

The Podium Training Coaching Philosophy:

• You will get the contact you need and deserve.  Clients cannot make progress when they have questions for their coach that go unanswered.
• Let's say you get sick or have a work project that needs to get done.  How can you keep training, do some "damage control," or avoid going backwards if you already talked to your coach your allotted time this week?  That's ridiculous.  You need to talk to your coach!
• We have found that the clients that make the most progress are the ones who have the most consistent contact with their coach.  That does not necessarily mean the ones who talk to their coach the most, just the ones who talk to them on a more consistent basis. 
• Strength training is an integral part of endurance training, if for no other reason than for injury prevention.
• Nutrition is another part of the puzzle that must be looked at.  The fittest person in the race can finish dead last if their nutrition is off.
• Field tests provide much more usable data for real world applications than lab tests.  Lab tests certainly have their place, but field testing will show you what you can actually do on the road, not tied to a machine.
• Bike fit is one of the most important aspects of performance.  All of the plumbobs and carbon accoutrements of speed are worthless without a proper bike fit.
• You will never reach your goals if you do not set them.  Improper goal setting is a great way to kill your progress before it even begins.
• A training session or a race can be a goal or a way to meet your goals, but it cannot be both.  You must remember that when you step out the door.
• We are here to help you, above all.  We can't do that if we struggle to talk to you, if you do not call us at appointment times, if you lie to us about your training, do not provide training feedback, or ignore our nutrition coaching.