Coach Trace Gotsis says he was a small kid throughout most of high school, which motivated him to train his butt off. “My biggest motivator is the way fitness makes me feel on a daily basis — that mental sweat. People say it all the time, and I am a firm believer that movement is medicine. Training is kind of [an] escape for me. It allows me to get out of my head and take my mind off of things and put that focus into the workout.”
Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Coach Trace now lives on the west coast in Los Angeles. He was introduced to strength training at a very young age by his father. After seeing the benefits of strength training firsthand and playing baseball through college, movement and exercise became a constant part of his life.
He never imagined becoming a fitness trainer until he landed a job as a post-graduate at a rowing and strength studio. Shortly after he started training there, he was offered the chance to teach. Once Coach Trace got his first taste of coaching and motivating others, the rest was history. “I knew this was something I was passionate about,” he says.
A certified instructor, Coach Trace loves teaching fitness because it gives him the ability to help others and encourage people to work toward their best version. “I’m an extremely positive person, and bringing that into my career as a fitness coach by making people feel good about themselves is the most rewarding thing in my mind,” he says.
Joining the Tonal community as a coach is a dream come true for Coach Trace because it means he can do what he loves on a larger scale.
You can get a taste of Coach Trace’s upbeat teaching style in three new workouts.
- Can You Handle It: Put your entire body to work with this high-intensity calorie torcher. With each set, you’ll push your muscles a little further to finish feeling strong and powerful.
- Cardio Legs: This 17-minute workout will challenge your legs from the get-go as you pair strength-based movements with cardio work.
- Endless Summer Body: This full-body workout focuses on core stabilization and keeps your heart rate elevated by adding more volume as the workout progresses.
Here, get to know Coach Trace a little better in his own words.
Coaching Style: Positive Motivator. “I use positivity to encourage and motivate people to push themselves past their limits. For me personally, it’s always about being comfortable with being uncomfortable, so I like to integrate that methodology into my training style.”
Morning Routine: “I wake up around 5 a.m., down at least 30 ounces of water, and take the pup for a nice, long walk to think about the day. Then I get in a 15-minute meditation session followed by journaling whatever is on my mind, gratitude, daily goals, etc. I love my morning routine.”
Benefits of Strength Training: “Feeling strong and confident. There’s just something about the power of feeling strong that makes you feel like you can take on so many things in life, both mentally and physically.”
Workout Takeaway: “I like to be creative and have fun in my programming. Working out is already a tough thing for people to commit to, so making it enjoyable while [giving you] the feeling of walking away like you got an incredible workout is a huge factor.”