Nick Ehrlich
30 years old
personal trainer, boxing and nutrition coach, boot camp instructor at Sweat Performance
What makes your approach or technique successful?
To me, fitness is about getting a little better every day — it doesn't matter at what, but at something, whether it's diet, flexibility, strength, whatever. It's like juggling balls. You've got to pay attention to everything and be working on something.
What was your proudest moment as an intructor?
Any time someone puts something on their social media accounts about being proud of their body. Maybe they lost weight or did a 10K they weren't able to do before. It doesn't matter who it is or what their accomplishment is, it's when they connect with their own fitness goals. That's awesome.
Favorites
healthy snack
A cut up green apple with Nuts'N'More peanut butter.
unhealthy snack
“There's not enough space in the paper to list them all! I do love pizza though.”
artist to listen to for motivation
“Kick in the Door,” by Notorious B.I.G.
cool down activity
“I like a little bit of yoga. I had a bad neck injury, and used it as full-time rehab for six months. Now, with my workouts, I like to end them with something a little bit yoga-movement based.”
Client Love
“For Nick, and I think everyone would say this, his humor just gets you through. You can be wanting to kill him, in so much pain from his exercises, and he'll say something absolutely ridiculous and then suddenly you're in pain because you're laughing so hard. This isn't just a career for him. He really cares about his clients' journeys. They're his friends.”
- Vanessa Keszler, 29, Bethesda
What keeps you motivated?
I have a new son. My wife and I had a baby around seven weeks ago. In addition to motivating my clients, I want my son to grow up with a dad who did something he was passionate about and gave it 110 percent every day.
Who's your own fitness hero?
My wife. She became an International Federation of Bodybuilding figure pro inside of a year, which is pretty unheard of, while also working a full-time office job. Her dedication to nutrition and training was one of the most incredible things I've ever seen. She turned out to be a phenom!
In addition to personal training, you are experienced in boxing, muay thai and jiu jitsu. What do you love about combat sports?
I think there's no greater challenge than having to compete against another person. Combat sports add a layer of complexity, and I think it's a beautiful self-expression.
You graduated from Towson University in 2007 with a degree in psychology. Do you find that your educational background helps you as a personal trainer?
When I was in college, I carved my course track through psych to be the best trainer that I could. I don't want to claim to be a therapist, but the ability to be a little introspective and think about where people are coming from can be really powerful.