Paul Roberts – Owner

Hi, I’m Paul Roberts and I’m a Certified CrossFit Trainer and strength & conditioning coach. I have many certifications in yoga and mobility, and I regularly teach Olympic lifting and Powerlifting. I also manage our running club and obstacle course racing team. In addition, I head up Nutrition Lab to help members with making better nutrition choices to fuel performance and weight loss.

At Sand & Steel, I’m in charge new member account and coach development. In my ten years of coaching, I’ve trained more than 200 new personal trainers and well over 10,000 clients.

Degrees and Education

  1. Biomedical Engineer: Johns Hopkins University
  2. Juris Doctorate: Rutgers Law School

CrossFit Certifications

  1. CrossFit Certified Trainer: CrossFit Certified Trainer (CCFT)
  2. CrossFit Level 3: CrossFit Level 3 Coach (CF-L3)
  3. CrossFit Judges Course: For judging CrossFit Competitions
  4. CrossFit PowerliftingPowerlifting and Strength Training
  5. CrossFit Weightlifting: Olympic Lifting
  6. CrossFit GymnasticsBodyweight and Mobility
  7. CrossFit Scaling CourseProgressions and Regressions for Weight Lifting
  8. CrossFit Lesson Planning: Effective Techniques for Structuring Workouts
  9. CrossFit Spot the Flaw: How to Spot Faults in Gymnastics and Weight Lifting Technique

Powerlifting, Olympic Lifting, TRX and Kettlebells

  1. Catalyst Athletics Olympic Lifting: Snatch, Clean & Jerk
  2. Starting Strength Seminar: Powerlifting Certification by Mark Riptoe
  3. TRX Suspension TrainingCore and Bodyweight Training Techniques
  4. TRX Group Training Certification: Specialization in teaching TRX Suspension Training in Group Classes
  5. TRX Functional Training: Specialization in Multi-modal Techniques Combining TRX with Other Training System
  6. RKC Russian Kettlebell Club: Strength & Conditioning Through Kettlebells. (Expired)

Running Certifications

  1. Road Runner Certified Coach: RRCA Certified Coach
  2. CrossFit Pose Running: How to Spot Faults in Running Technique

Mobility and Corrective Exercise Certifications

  1. Functional Range Conditioning (FRC): Improve Flexibility and Strength at the End of Range of Motion
  2. Kinstretch: Mobility and Flexibility Certification for Group Classes
  3. Functional Aging Specialist (FAI): Specialty Training For Older Adults and Seniors
  4. 3DMAPS3 Dimensional Movements Analysis and Performance System
  5. Muscle Energy TechniquesRehabilitation and Mobility
  6. M|WOD ReadyState Movement and Mobility SpecialistMovement and Mechanics
  7. RockTape FMT RockBlades Basic & Advanced: Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM), Graston, and Scraping to Alleviate Pain and Improve Mobility
  8. RockTape FMT Performance and Basic: Functional Movement Techniques & Advanced Kinetic Taping
  9. RockTape FMT RockPods Cupping: Cupping to Improve Tissue Regeneration and Release Entrapped Nerves
  10. RockTape FMT RockFloss: Voodoo Bands and Occlusion Band (RockFloss) Therapy to Loosen and Mobilize Tight Fascia
  11. Y-Balance TestingExamination of Movement Patterns and Imbalances for Functional Assessment
  12. FMS Level IIFunctional Movement Screen and Corrective Exercise Techniques

Nutrition Certifications

  1. Precision NutritionNutrition Coaching, Meal Planning, and Diet. Took the course, but didn’t schedule the exam.
  2. Certified in First Aid and CPR/AED National Foundation: Basic First Aid and CPR

Yoga Certifications

  1. Yoga SCW Level II Certified: Hatha Yoga,  Yoga for Seniors, Chakra balancing, Inversions, Pranayamas
  2. Yoga Inversions and Arm Balances Workshop

My Ethos in Training CrossFit

  • Everything is Hard Before it Becomes Easy.
  • You Get Out … What You Put In.
  • Master the Mechanics, Build Precision Consistency. When You Can Do Both, Then and Only Then, Pour on the Intensity.
Paul on the ACFT Worskhop

Paul Roberts | Owner Sand & Steel

10 Years of Experience. Hired and trained over 200 Personal Trainers.

Worked with over 10,000 members in Strength, Mobility, and Weightloss

How Strong Am I and Does it Really Matter?

Yes, these are all my 2021 numbers at 41 years old

  • Max Hip Thrust 465lbs
  • Max Back Squat: 415lbs; 5-Rep Max 330lbs (385lbs in 2022)
  • Max Deadlift: 375lbs (405lbs in 2022)
  • Max Sumo Deadlift: 415lbs (2022)
  • Max Bench Press: 315lbs
  • Max Split Jerk: 235 lbs
  • Max Push Press: 225 lbs
  • Max Clean: 215lbs
  • Max Snatch: 157 lbs

Should It Matter to You?

Yes, but only to some degree. My Big Three Lifts (squat, bench, and deadlift), put me at 1117 pounds. But would I be a “better” coach if my big three was at 1350 pounds? Maybe … it’s proof of concept to be sure. But there is also genetics and steroids to consider. Some people can lift more weight genetically, just like some people can run faster. So yes, I think you should consider how strong your coach is, but on the other hand, there is way more to coaching than simply how much to can lift.

Such as what?

Experience and Certifications Matter Most

If you want to hire the best coach you can find in your area, choose the coach with the most certifications. I have hired and trained over 200 coaches for Sand & Steel. Invariably, the coaches with more years of experience and more certifications are better than ones with less. To be honest, I don’t find that it matters how shredded or muscular a coach is. Sure it helps on Instagram, but does it help with coaching real people like you? Not so much

Hobbies Outside CrossFit

  • Hiking
  • Trail Running
  • Obstacle Course Racing
  • Board Games
  • Chess
  • Video Games
  • Bars and Brewery

Advanced CrossFit Gymastics Skills

Yes, I can demo and teach you to perform all these skills

  • Rope Climb
  • Double Unders
  • Bar Muscle-up
  • Ring Muscle-up
  • Kipping Ring Dips
  • Bar Rollover
  • Handstand Pushup
  • Handstand Walk

Paul’s Social Media Channels

FacebookInstagramTwitter

Paul Before and After Fitness Transformation

View Paul’s Before and After Story
+ tips on how to transform your body

“What My Clients Say About Training With Me”

It’s worth mentioning that unlike many other websites, these are real review from real websites like Yelp and Facebook.  These reviews are all from active clients … real people you’ll meet at Sand & Steel.  People that want to meet you and join you in your journey to improve.  View all Reviews.

“My coaching style is all about customizing the personal training session to your goals, fitness level, and biomechanics.”

I scale personal training sessions through progressions and regressions so that they are safe and effective for you.  Yes, I’m a big fitness nerd with my fancy graphs and conjugate periodization programs. I like working out to 80s music by artists like Jefferson Starship and Jim Josef. I own that. But make no mistake, you will be drenched in sweat, and you’ll feel sore in muscles you never knew you had. You are only as strong as your weakest links… so train the smart way… with better mobility and stronger biomechanics. Let’s create a foundation for real strength training. Yes, it’s going to be hard, but it will be scaled to you safely. And in the end … I’m going to get you in the best shape of your life.

Better Movement
I have 8 Mobility Certifications.  Mobility is all about retraining your muscles and connective tissue to move better. It enhances all aspects of fitness because when you move better you train better.  My training sessions focus on providing athletes with exercises that they have sufficient range of motion and control to execute safely. By integrating mobility into all personal training sessions, we reduce injury rates and help clients break through strength plateaus.

Personal Training Methodology

Whether your goals are based in performance, bodybuilding, weight loss, or rehabilitation, improvement begins and ends with proper mobility and exercise mechanics.

Item added to cart.
0 items - $0.00