The Unconventional Designer
"What I love most about personal training is the joy of helping people bridge their gaps. Watching people transform as they learn and grow is the greatest gift."
Ajamu O Bernard
Growing up in the Bahamas is where Ajamu learned he was born an athlete. By ten, he had run the Freeport Mile road race, participated in a marathon relay race and completed the 2-Mile Grand Bahama ocean race. Training for these events was the beginning of movement being the centerpiece of his life.
From high school in Toronto until he graduated from Georgia State University, life was school, basketball and a part-time job. HIs claim to fame on the GSU Men’s Basketball team is the moniker of the “world’s greatest practice player”. His infectious approach to winning every rep, every time became a contagious leadership tool. It was the first glimpse of how he could use communication and movement to lead.
With his bachelors of marketing fresh in hand, Ajamu landed his first job at CNN in Atlanta, Georgia. There he learned to apply the “world’s greatest practice player” mentally to his sales role which lead to multiple sales awards and embedded the understanding of transferring sports character to the everyday world.
The afterlife of his GSU basketball energy was turned to bodybuilding, and training in Lee Haney’s gym in the basement of the Atlanta police services building was the ideal immersion to build muscle. Life was about lifting and working until just after the Olympics in 1996.
Ajamu completed his MBA at the University of Windsor and earned a job as Product Manager with Motorola in San Diego, California. This was an expansive time in his career, the role of product manager truly allowed his marketing, leadership and sales talents to flourish and he was soon leading the team for satellite receivers.
Today, Ajamu Bernard, is the Unconventional Man. He is a community fitness activist teaching in schools and hosting workshops. He leads an after school program called HERO; that uses storytelling and movement to help young people to live their own story and hosts corporate workshops that help build movement into your company culture.
As a CSCS, personal trainer and Pilates instructor he specializes in the integration of kettlebell training, bodyweight skills and classical Pilates systems to give a comprehensive experience of mobility and strength improvement. As a Master Trainer, he leads professional education courses and shares his wisdom with others who wish to achieve great movement results with their clients. The Kettlebell Samurai Method is his first book.
For personal joy in fitness he runs trails, snowboards, swims, plays soccer and basketball. Yoga and Pilates are his two favourite places to express his acrobatic skills. He still trains the Kettlebell Snatch and practices Kettlebell juggling as part of his training today.
