Life & Work with Dylan Sides

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dylan Sides. 

Dylan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My passion for fitness heightened during my collegiate tennis career, I became much more fascinated and entertained with the world of fitness rather than what was being instructed in my education classes which ultimately led to me halting my attendance to class and giving 100 percent of my attention to personal development, training myself and the tennis team, and studying for fitness certification so once the semester ended I could begin my Fitness Trainer Journey immediately. And a journey is exactly what I found myself on… 

Starting very small, I trained my clients, mostly friends, in the bedroom in my tiny apartment in North Charleston, air mattresses aren’t the worst thing in the world… I landed an overnight cleaning job at Planet Fitness to get my foot in the door and with every opportunity I let management know I wanted to be a Trainer, eventually the opportunity came and I made the most of every class and member I had the opportunity to train. this was just a small window of what was about to become! after 2 years at planet fitness I accepted an assistant manager job at 9round fitness which was cool for the time being, I learned lots of the management side to fitness but ultimately it was a corporate chain and I wanted the freedom to implement my own programming and philosophies. in 2019 I accepted Studio Coordinator and Head Trainer position at Gritbox Fitness, a mom-and-pop type gym that had 24/7 facilities, kickboxing and bootcamp classes. I fell in love with everything about that place, the vibe, the members, the creative freedom to do whatever training I wanted and the members would push to 100% always and give every crazy exercise my brain thought of a try without hesitation. 

2020 I was named Charleston’s Choice Best Personal Trainer and from there the hype increased and Gritbox grew a lot more attention. Surviving the Pandemic, creating 100+ online fitness classes, and persevering through we still grew in members and recognition. 2021 Gritbox won Best Exercise Studio in Charleston and I repeated as Best Personal Trainer… Gritbox reputation grew significantly and was bought by a financial group in Charlotte to expand this brand across America… seems like an amazing opportunity, but I loved the simpleness of what Gritbox West Ashley was. It was not a corporate style gym, but a community that was disappearing through this franchising process… the lease of the West Ashley building was up this year and owner did not decide to resign there but instead in Charlotte, which led me to leave the company and begin my own chapter. which is where I am now, growing my Personal Brand of DSides Fun with Fitness inside of the Ion Club in Mt Pleasant where I have complete freedom, encouragement, and an untapped market to implement my programming and training philosophies… 

I am beyond excited to see what 2022 has in store! My goal is to make more impact on my community, with a goal of 22k raised for local charity and hopefully reclaiming the title of Charleston’s Best Personal Trainer for the third consecutive year. One Day, One Step, One Percent at a time. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Of course! My biggest would honestly be maintaining self-belief during tough times… despite what people perceive, confidence and positivity comes and goes… sometimes within the same day. the last 6 months of my journey have been the most challenging for me mentally, emotionally, and financially. the same week I left Gritbox I also left my longtime girlfriend, and sweet doggy… in my mind I was doing a complete life reset. all on my choice though so when nights and days were tough I often reflected on those decisions with lots of doubt wondering if I made a terrible mistake. Faith has kept me sane and moving forward, as cheesy as that sounds I find comfort and peace in having 100 percent belief that He has a plan for my life and I must continue to walk that path day by day, step by step, and trust it will lead me to my dreams 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a Fitness Trainer in the heart of Charleston South Carolina. A quote that has stuck in my head that I heard in high school is ” Every kid is an artist at heart, the trick is how do we continue that artistic expression as we grow in to adulthood” 

Fitness Training is my paintbrush, I’m known for creating Fun, unique, engaging, and entertaining workouts! I have hosted a wide variety of classes and locations from a 70+ person bootcamp at WaterFront Park under the Ravenal Bridge, pop-up HIIT classes inside Toast, Palmetto Brewery, CBD Social on King St, Firefly Distillary… etc… I specialize in bodyweight training so that means the possibilities to train literally anywhere… just a kid with a paintbrush trying to make his mark on the Best City in the World. I’m most proud of the connections and people I’ve been able to meet across the lowcountry. I feel connected and a part of all the local cities from Johns Island to Summerville I’ve been blessed to train everywhere in between. winning the Charleston’s Choice Best Trainer back-to-back is also a very rad and rewarding feeling! Hard Work Pays off Always. 

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
No one can see your vision except you. Please, I encourage you to believe even when you don’t believe, work when you don’t want to work, and trust your gut with your circle of influence. We are a sum of the people we surround ourselves with if you are in a group or around people negatively impacting you… walk away… Pursue Your Passion Daily and You Will Make Your Dreams into a Reality. One Day, One step, One Percent at a Time 

Contact Info:

• Email: hocten16@gmail.com
• Instagram: @dylansides6

Image Credits
Natalie Feola