JESSE
DIMOND
NYC-based personal trainer and dark horse of the fitness scene, Jesse is the mastermind behind the Advanced Performance Squad program at The Athletic Clubs. After years of playing Australian-rules football and working with his hands, he delved into the science of athleticism and has honed his craft as a personal trainer. Now, he's using precision programming and squad camaraderie to raise a new crop of metropolitan athletes.
Hometown
MELBOURNE/
AUS
Based in
NEW YORK/
NEW YORK
I love seeing people grow and get stronger. Not just the physical gains, but the mental fortitude and the confidence they’re able to get out of doing hard things.
ABOUT JESSE
Fun Fact: Has played the drums since the age of 2
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Favorite Post Workout Meal: Steak & pasta
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Ergometer of Choice: Ski
THE NUMBERS
APS athletes undergo strength and conditioning testing in five key areas every 12 weeks. Testing data is used to quantify strength and conditioning adaptations and inform new training targets.
Week 0
Week 12
Week 24
Back Squat
(lb)
280
300
310
Deadlift
(lb)
350
420
430
Benchpress
(lb)
200
210
225
Weighted Pull Up
(lb)
80
90
100
Ski Ergometer
(m/6 min)
1646
1680
1708
IN CONVERSATION
M: WHY DID YOU CREATE APS?
J:
Most people know they need to hit the gym and lift weights to see results, but they often hit two roadblocks: one, they don’t actually go to the gym or two, they go to the gym but will lift weights that are heavy enough. With APS, we solve for both of these challenges by training as a squad and using individualized, precision programming.
Squad Structure: Advanced Performance Squads are semi-private groups of up to 6 athletes who train at the same time and place, twice a week with a dedicated coach. The routine and camaraderie of the squad make for an incredible accountability structure for athletes to show up and bring their best effort every time.
Precision Programming: For strength training to work, athletes need to lift a certain amount of their maximum capacity over an extended period of time to get stronger, adapt, and get stronger again. By using individualized, percentage-based programming, we guarantee that athletes will lift enough weight to ensure they get stronger. Within each workout, athletes are assigned specific weight and output targets for the key barbell lift and ergometer conditioning set. These targets are based on each athlete’s benchmark test and updated every 12 weeks to account for increased fitness and strength and ensure athletes are continually challenged and progressing.
M: WHO IS JESSE DIMOND OUTSIDE THE GYM?
J:
I’m a son, I’m a brother, I’m a partner, and just a good time guy. I love having a laugh and working hard. I’m very social, love all my friends that I'm lucky enough to have. That's me in a nutshell.
M: HOW DID YOU GET INTO FITNESS?
J:
I was lucky. From a really young age, I strived to play professional level sport, so I was in the gym from a pretty young age and exposed to a lot of fitness as a teenager. As soon as I left school, I studied fitness and did a two year course, but didn't use it as a profession for almost ten years. During that ten year period I trained myself and was fortunate enough to experience a lot of really high quality gyms in Australia, which exposed me to a lot of different concepts and training modalities.
From there it was inevitable that I would end up working in the fitness industry, just based on how much I love it. When I became a personal trainer, I went down a rabbit hole studying different concepts from perceived exertion training to percentage-based training and different ways to approach the key lifts, which is how APS was born.
M: ANY UPCOMING FITENSS GOALS?
J:
Right now I want to get stronger at my benchpress and I want to run 10K in 38 minutes. I also just did Hyrox New York and I did O.K., so I signed up for Hyrox Chicago this fall and I’m excited to see if I can train for it and do some actual damage.
M: WHAT'S YOUR IDEAL SATURDAY NIGHT IN NEW YORK CITY?
J:
My thing at the moment is having dinner while the sun is still up. So I love going out to dinner, but as long as the sun’s still out. I’m not a big drinker so I don’t like to party (that much) anymore, but I still love being social and going to a nice restaurant with friends.
M: FAVORITE RESTAURANT AT THE MOMENT?
J:
My local Italian place is just too hard to go past, San Marzano. It’s in the East Village – nice little pastas, nice little setting, it just works.
M: WHAT'S NEXT FOR APS?
J:
Currently, APS is running at Greenwich Village Athletic (GVA) and Meatpacking Athletic (MPA) and we intend to expand APS as an offering at all of The Athletic Clubs. Eventually, we want to open an APS-only gym.
M: WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT LEADING APS?
J:
I love seeing people grow and get stronger. Not just the physical gains, but the mental fortitude and the confidence they’re able to get out of doing hard things. Also, the relationships they build with their other squad members is pretty amazing. Seeing folks come out of their shells and grow as people is very rewarding.
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