Having filled his own cup, Christopher Gomez is now focused on extending a helping hand and supporting others around him in order for them to reach their goals. He’s seeking to help anyone – not just in the realm of fitness. 

“Maybe just holding a conversation, finding out how they’re doing. Mentally, physically… I think the fitness part and the training is just a bonus, you know what I mean?” Gomez said. “Because, yeah, the physical training is good, but I think developing the mindset and getting that ready to go into training is probably the hardest because it takes a type of mentality to kind of attack your goals.”

If you haven’t had the chance to meet Gomez yet, allow me to introduce him. Gomez is a 26-year-old resident of Lynn who graduated from Lynn English in 2017. Growing up in Lynn with his mother, he had witnessed both the challenges and joys the city had to offer. He accepted it for what it truly is and grew to take pride in his Lynn roots. One of the aspects he admires most is the city’s rich diversity, which allows him to connect with people from various backgrounds and explore a multitude of beliefs.

In May, Gomez earned his personal training diploma from the National Personal Training Institute, and by June, launched his own business, Samson Pursuit of Strength, which provides personalized training sessions. With this, Gomez seeks to empower individuals to become stronger, enhance their mental resilience, and transform their mindset from “I can’t” to “I can.”

How did Samson Pursuit of Strength come about, and what’s the story behind the name?

The way it was developed was when I graduated from personal training school and I got my diploma. Now, I was figuring out what to name my personal training business. I’m very big in believing in God and that’s a big part of me and why I do what I do. I started opening up the word, started reading the scriptures and then I encountered a story of Samson and he was the strongest man in the Bible. As far as physical strength, but that strength didn’t come from him personally, it came from obviously someone above him, someone obviously a higher power, God. It came from God and that’s where that name Samson came from. I consider myself a strength athlete. I’m always pursuing strength, always increasing the numbers when it comes to the bench, deadlift, and squat. So I was always in pursuit of that and still am. That’s where the name Samson Pursuit of Strength came from. My girlfriend (Ana Velazquez) and I developed it. She was really the brain as far as the merchandise, the scripture, and as far as helping me with the name, so a lot of credit goes to her. I guess you could say she created it. She was the brain for all of it. You could say it’s been a team effort.

What made you want to become a personal trainer?

The reason why I became a personal trainer was because growing up, I felt like there wasn’t much personal trainers at the time and I was one of the young athletes growing up that kind of desired and was looking forward to having some sort of men’s work that would help guide me in the gym as far as working out and lifting weights. I wanted to be the person I needed when I was younger. To be able to help individuals reach their goals, whether it’s build muscle, gain weight, or lose weight. Also, there’s nothing else out there that’s more satisfying than knowing that you’re helping somebody either get their life back or making sure that they stay active because sometimes, we let ourselves go just because of certain situations in life that happen. I think nothing is better than to help an individual stay active again or give them a sense of purpose and develop strengths in different areas.

What is one exercise you think everyone should do?

Definitely core… the core exercises. Sit-ups, planks, and mountain climbers, which is a good one too.

How do you deal with stress?

I pray, read the Bible, and I also do ice baths. Ice baths help a lot as far as with my mental strength, stress, and overthinking. When you get into that ice bath, you’re not thinking about that thing that made you feel a certain way, upset you or that stressed you out. All your focus is on that it’s too cold and you want to get out of there. I recommend it for anyone. It also helps with my recovery, too, to get me ready for my next session.

How do you keep your clients motivated?

The way I keep them motivated is letting them know the reason why they’re there. One, to be mentally prepared for the workout, and two, always remembering why they’ve started. I’ll be there to remind them and hold them accountable. They pay for the services, so to me, I feel like I can be accountable to them and then also not be, in a way, too soft with them.

Are you as motivated to be a trainer today as you were when you started?

I feel like I’m more motivated now, 100 percent. For the longest time, I’ve always been working on myself, myself, myself, and I think growing up as an only child… when you’re always by yourself, I guess you could say everything is for you and growing up, it was a little bit like that until eventually one day, someone was like, “All you do is think about yourself” but it was something that was unconscious that I was doing and I didn’t pay much mind to it. Then, I started shifting from me, me, me to helping others, and I think leading with that is what motivates me to be a trainer because there’s a lot of individuals out there that want to start, but they don’t know how to. Or they tried it and maybe didn’t get the results they needed or wanted. It gives me an opportunity to make up for that and help them out in that way.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

I don’t want people to just look at it as, like, he lifts a lot of weight and he moves it very easily, but to look at the fact that they can do it as well. I’m not special. My mindset may be different, the goal may be different, but at the end of the day, it takes a lot of time and effort and I think anything in life requires a lot of dedication and commitment, and just so you know that you will be tested. Whatever it is that you want, and that you visualize yourself doing, there will be tests, but without a test, there is no testimony. If anyone is thinking that they can do certain things on their own, you can to a certain extent. I think that’s when faith comes in and helps you believe and trust in something bigger than yourself. Then, you get to see the real fruits of your labor over time. I just want to be an inspiration… When they see me lift or they see my videos, that the person that feels discouraged or feels weak – whether mentally or physically – to understand that I was once there myself. I just see it so that they can develop strength just by looking at that. Life isn’t easy, but they have purpose, they’re important, and most importantly, that they’re loved, so if anyone’s feeling down, just understand that there’s just a phase. You’ll get through it and there’s also individuals that are ready to help. At the end of the day, I don’t want to help individuals just at the gym, but also help them by being a good friend, show love and respect, and let them know that I’m just more than just a trainer. I’ve always learned that in order to make a difference, first you must look in the mirror and start with yourself, and I feel I still continue to do that, and I’m still working on being a better person overall.

To schedule a session with Gomez, visit his Calendly to first book a 20-minute consultation. This will allow him to understand your needs as a client and discuss your fitness and nutrition goals. From there, you can discuss rates and establish a schedule that suits you both.