WHAT AN EPIC YEAR 2015 HAS BEEN!

Wow! What a year it has been on so many fronts in my life. From growing my businesses to growing my family, 2015 has not failed to amaze me every step of the way.

I’ve had the extraordinary opportunity to consult with some of the best companies, facilities and athletes in the world, write and publish nearly 200 articles, and even present at a few national conferences between time on the road and in office with my clients. With all that said, what I’m most proud of is the success of my athletes, who all saw great amounts of success in both competition and their health and wellness, which are usually intertwined together.

With everything wrapping up before the ball drops on New Years, I wanted to make it a point to thank the fitness professionals who helped me make this past year the best 12-months of my career to date. From working alongside some of these coaches on the day-to-day, to making a huge dent in the fitness industry with game changing articles, podcasts and other projects, these 50 people continue to blow me away with what they are able to accomplish. I am truly humbled to have had these opportunities.

Every single one of these people played a pivotal roll in the development of the John Rusin Fitness Systems brand this past year, and I am proud to call them all close friends. I know I will be missing some of you reading this, and I apologize beforehand.

The take away of this article is to highlight the fact that no one in this industry, or any other for that matter, is truly self made. We are all the products of our environment, and the influences of the people in it. And with that, here is the 2015 JRFS Fitcast, not in any particular order:

#50 Jonathan Goodman

As the mastermind behind the iconic Personal Trainer Development Center, Jon has continued to support my content, and the high quality content produced on DrJohnRusin.com week after week, month after month. I look forward to another year of many “Top Fitness Articles of the Week” being published!

Learn More About Jonathan Goodman Here: Personal Trainer Development Center

#49 Khaled Elmasri

Khal is responsible for organizing and running the Nor-Cal Fitness Summit, which is a top notch continuing education event for trainers, therapists and coaches from around the world. I was honored to present at the 2015 NCFS with some amazing speakers and look forward to more in the future.

Learn More About Khaled Elmasri Here: Nor-Cal Fitness Summit

#48 Jason Shane

Taking Canadian physical therapy by storm up in the greater Vancouver area, Jason is truly one of the most humble and hard working physios out there spreading top notch knowledge through his online platform, but also hosting educations and seminars as well. Always a pleasure working with Jason.

Learn More About Jason Shane Here: Shane Physiotherapy

#47 Dr. Greg Schaible

Greg made a jump into the health and fitness industry this year by writing some very smart articles, two of which I published on DrJohnRusin.com and both received industry honors. Greg is just getting started, and be on the lookout for more from him in both the physical therapy and fitness industries in 2016.

Learn More About Dr. Greg Schaible Here: On Track PT and Performance

#46 Donnie Thompson

Every conversation I’ve ever had with Donnie has been a damn good time. Since we both are obsessed with soft-tissue techniques and lifting heavy shit, we clicked right away. So glad to get him on Strength Doc Podcast and open up my audience to one of the most forward thinking coaches in the industry.

Learn More About Donnie Thompson Here: Thompson Barbell

#45 Jeff Crews

My go-to man over at Exercise.com, Jeff and his team work tirelessly to give John Rusin Fitness Systems a beautiful format to coach our online training clients. Jeff’s professionalism and 24/7 mentality continues to impress me. He is a main reason why the Exercise.com platform is changing the online fitness game.

Learn More About Jeff Crews Here: Exercise.com

#44 Luke Briggs

Having the chance to work hand in hand with Luke up in Madison, and also on a number of projects including his numerous articles on DrJohnRusin.com, I cannot think of a more humble and hard working individual in this industry. Luke is a guy you can count on, period. More from him next year!

Learn More About Luke Briggs Here: Luke Briggs Fitness

#43 Scott Iardella

It was amazing to be a guest on Scott’s Rdella Training Podcast this past year. Scott is the real deal, a physio and strength coach hybrid who is educating at a world class level. His podcast is always at the top of my listening list on iTunes, and I rarely miss an episode.

Learn More About Scott Iardella Here: Rdella Training

#42 Dr. Zach Long

Zach is one smart guy, bridging the strength and CrossFit game with his education and background in physical therapy. Towards the end of 2015 we were able to work on multiple projects together, including his notable article on DrJohnRusin.com which received rave reviews.

Learn More About Dr. Zach Long Here: The Barbell Physio

#41 Becca & Winslow Jenkins

Between Becca’s influence on my content as an editor formerly at Breaking Muscle, and Winslow acting as the mastermind behind my first ever group training platform, I am thankful for having worked with this power couple in 2015. They are on to great things, and doing it together!

Learn More About Becca and Winslow Here: Hunt – Gather – Brew

#40 Nick Tumminello

Nick is a guy who I have always looked up to due to his quality information and entertaining style. I had the privilege this year to get to know Nick, and let me tell you, he’s one legit coach and human being. Be looking for his episode of Strength Doc Podcast that will be released early in 2016.

Learn More About Nick Tumminello Here: Performance University

#39 Alexander Cortes

AC is one of the brightest minds in the industry, and a guy that is wildly wise beyond his years. Since starting my work with Mountain Dog Diet, Alexander and I clicked, and always have some highly intelligent conversations that are as entertaining as they are deep. You will all love his episode of Strength Doc Podcast that will be hitting iTunes in early 2016.

Learn More About Alexander Cortes Here: EliteFTS

#38 Jared Markiewicz

Working alongside Jared this year up in his facility, Functional Integrated Training, located in Madison, Wisconsin, I can confidently say that Jared is one of the coaches that is doing things correctly with his athletes and clients. Smart training and results are rare these days, but Jared is perfecting it in WI.

Learn More About Jared Markiewicz Here: Functional Integrated Training

#37 Clifton Harski

With the growth this year of Fitwall, I am so proud of Clif and the empire of facilities and trainers he is continuing to leave his mark on. Taking the best from many forms of fitness, the Fitwall model is Clif’s brainchild. So lucky to have heard about this first hand this year on Strength Doc Podcast.

Learn More About Clifton Harski Here: Fitwall

#36 Dr. Jamie Spencer

Taking his practice to a new level this year down in South Florida, Jamie is one of the most talented practitioners I know. His focus on manual techniques and movement programming is gold-standard, and something he was able to share with my audience on DrJohnRusin.com this year in article format!

Learn More About Dr. Jamie Spencer Here: Atlantic Grove Chiropractic and Rehabilitation

#35 Chris Gorres

Chris Gorres is the man behind one of the leading sports performance facilities in the greater Washington, DC area, Explosive Performance. Earlier in the year, I had the chance to give the entire 100+ staff of Explosive Performance a 2-Day Seminar built around “Bridging the Gap Between PT and Performance”.

Learn More About Chris Gorres Here: Trainer Gorres

#34.5 Wes Kennedy

Wes is one of the smartest business men in the fitness industry, and one hell of a coach in his own right. His vision and guidance for my business in 2015 was tremendous, and we can attribute our success to Wes. More great things from ETP in 2016.

Learn More About Wes Kennedy Here: Elite Training Programs

#34 Dr. Kelly Starrett

The man, the myth, the leopard! Kelly has paved the way for hybrid physical therapists like myself to make their way into the fitness industry. From our article on T-Nation to his appearance on the Strength Doc Podcast, we had quite a year “changing the face of physio” as Kelly likes to call it.

Learn More About Dr. Kelly Starrett Here: Mobility WOD

#33 Mike Wines

Moving into the editorial roll over on Muscle & Strength, Mike has continued to provide top notch content on the M&S site along with generating notable content with his own by line featured. I look forward to a great 2016 featuring articles every month over on the Muscle & Strength platform.

Learn More About Mike Wines Here: Muscle & Strength

#32 Dr. Mario Novo

One of the smartest physical therapists I’ve had the pleasure to work with this year, Mario broke into the fitness industry on DrJohnRusin.com with multiple notable articles. Focused on education and fueled by science, Mario is just getting started on JRx and this industry. Looking forward to more from him in 2016.

Learn More About Dr. Mario Novo Here: Mario Novo

#31 Dean Somerset

Dean is a seasoned veteran of the training game, and his work and educational seminars are truly something special. I had the chance to learn from Dean this year as much as any other thinker in our industry, and even had him on as a guest on Strength Doc Podcast. Episode coming early in 2016.

Learn More About Dean Somerset Here: DeanSomerset.com

#30 Meghan Callaway

Meghan is responsible for writing the most notable article in the entire fitness industry in 2015, “The Dangers of Today’s Female Fitness Industry” on DrJohnRusin.com, in my opinion. This article was read over 200,000 times in the last five months alone, and is still gaining steam. Meghan’s ideas will continue to change the game of the female fitness industry into 2016 and beyond.

Learn More About Meghan Callaway Here: Meghan Callaway Fitness

#29 Mike Gorski

Another DrJohnRusin.com regular contributor, Mike had a breakout year this year authoring multiple articles all around the best publications in the industry. With an education in dietetics and a heart in strength and conditioning, Mike is on the brink of explosion, and his success will be evident to us all in the years to come.

Learn More About Mike Gorski Here: MG Fit Life

#28 Lee Boyce

One of the coolest guys in this list, Lee keeps it real with his writing, and utterly dominated the industry this year writing countless articles all over the damn place. It wasn’t a week in the fitness industry without at least an article from Lee. Had a great time jumping on multiple Strength Doc Podcasts with Lee, and looking forward to expanding out our tag team efforts next year.

Learn More About Lee Boyce Here: Lee Boyce Training

#27 Kalli Youngstrom

Kalli played a key roll in our release of our first Breaking Muscle sponsored group training program this past year. Her writing, coaching and presence on the big stage has made her one of the most well rounded fit pros I worked with this year! Keep in mind, Kalli continued to write and coach this year while placing first in the IFBB North American Championships.

Learn More About Kalli Youngstrom Here: KY Fitness

#26 Ben Bruno

One of the most innovative minds in the industry that just keeps coming up with better, more novel ways to train smarter while still lifting heavy ass weights, Ben is a guy that I finally crossed paths with this year. Always great to get Ben’s feedback on my articles, and have intelligent dialogue that is productive for all- something that is relatively rare these days.

Learn More About Ben Bruno Here: BenBruno.com

#25 Dr. Joel Seedman

From teaming up on an article for Men’s Fitness, to having him on the Strength Doc Podcast, Joel went from rising star to seasoned vet in 2015. Bringing science to real life training, Joel and I really see eye to eye in many aspects of human performance, and will be teaming up once again in 2016, holding seminar series focused on smarter training and programming methodology. Stay tuned for the release of dates.

Learn More About Dr. Joel Seedman Here: Advanced Human Performance

#24 Ian Padron

Ian made a huge splash into the fitness industry while still young in his career in 2015, writing a PTDC Top Article of the Week, “Developing a Mind-Muscle Connection for Muscular Hypertrophy” on DrJohnRusin.com. Headed to physical therapy school in 2016, Ian will be among the top hybrid coaches coming into the industry in a few years, mark my words.

Learn More About Ian Padron Here: Padron Performance

#23 Dr. Charlie Weingroff

One of the leaders in the sports performance physical therapy communities, Charlie went out of his way to make this year this year for me and my business. Being featured on Strength Doc Podcast and also having consulted with me on business, methods and life, I am truly grateful for Charlie’s contribution to my success this year.

Learn More About Charlie Weingroff Here: CharlieWeingroff.com

#22 Brent Callaway

Brent is one of the most sought after speed coaches in the world, and made his mark on the NFL in combine prep over the last few seasons with countless number one picks out of Exos. Brent is always an interesting and inspiring guys to talk to in the athletic performance industry. I am grateful to continue on a great relationship with Brent, and look forward to many more years!

Learn More About Brent Callaway Here: Exos

#21 Matthew Ibrahim

Matt is hands down the hardest working, most passionate young coach in the fitness industry that has an infectious enthusiasm with everything that he does. His works speaks for itself, and I look forward to bringing his talents and expertise together with our model at DrJohnRusin.com in 2016 with multiple speaking engagements across the country. Look for these dates, and a future episode of Strength Doc Podcast that will be released in early 2016.

Learn More About Matthew Ibrahim Here: Mobility 101

#20 Mindith & Omid Rahmat

The reason Breaking Muscle has grown by leaps and bounds over the past five years can largely be attributed to Omid and Mindith behind the scenes, working tirelessly in their passion project of education in the fitness industry. Having worked on multiple projects with them this year, I am looking forward to even bigger things to come in 2016.

Learn More About Mindith & Omid Rahmat Here: Breaking Muscle

#20.5 Chet Morjaria

The acting Editor-in-chief over at Breaking Muscle, Chet is a tremendous individual who has helped me extensively with content, having me on the Breaking Muscle Podcast, and continues to provide me with opportunities to reach my audience in ways never thought possible. More things to come from us and Breaking Muscle in 2016.

Learn More About Chet Morjaria Here: Breaking Muscle

#19 Gray Cook

Having used his systems and methodology since the very start of my career in physical therapy and sports performance, it was an amazingly humbling experience having worked with Gray this past year on projects and articles, including our work on Testosterone Nation. I look forward to using the Functional Movement Systems and teaming up with Gray again next year.

Learn More About Gray Cook Here: Functional Movement

#18 Eric Bach

Eric continues to provide some of the best content in the industry, while also training clients at a high level out in Denver. Always a great guy to shoot the shit with about training and writing, we have some very exciting projects to be released in 2016. He also continues to be a staple guest on Strength Doc Podcast!

Learn More About Eric Bach Here: Bach Performance

#17 Sean Hyson

I am always grateful to Sean for giving me my first shot in print magazine this year for Men’s Fitness, where I was featured twice. I look forward to more by lines in print magazines next year, and hopefully working hand-in-hand with a great editor like Sean.

Learn More About Sean Hyson Here: Fitness Distilled

#16 TC Luoma

I will always be indebted to TC as he was the first guy in the industry that gave me a shot to share my ideas and methods in articles over on Testosterone Nation a few years ago. TC continues to play a pivotal roll in my articles, from both an editorial and content development standpoint. Having looked up to TC for over a decade, it’s unreal that I have the opportunity to rub elbows with this guy on a daily basis. Thanks TC.

Learn More About TC Luoma Here: Testosterone Nation

#15 Chad Rodgers

Coming from a career in professional baseball into a vocation of training, Chad has forged his way into the industry with strong ideas, great programming and some of the best articles on the internet. I was lucky enough to work with Chad on an article for DrJohnRusin.com this year, and look forward to many more in the coming years.

Learn More About Chad Rodgers Here: Show Me Strength

#14 Paul Carter

Paul is one smart strength coach, simply put. But what I love about Paul is his no BS mentality and talent of inf0-taining audiences with sharp content that captivates his audience. His episode on Strength Doc Podcast was one for the books. And working with him on Testosterone Nation on this in depth squat article was awesome to say the least.

Learn More About Paul Carter Here: Lift – Run – Bang

#13 Christina Nowak

Taking her PhD by storm, backed by an education in physical therapy with a focus on the aging population, Christina is going to change the industry in ways people never thought possible. From writing on DrJohnRusin.com to working with Christina on projects across the board, I couldn’t be more proud of her pursuit of excellence in all aspects of her career; education, training, teaching, writing, you name it.

Learn More About Christina Nowak Here: Stave Off

#12 Tony Gentilcore

Having learned from Tony for the better portion of a decade, it was awesome to finally have our paths cross this year, culminating in Tony being featured in the most popular Strength Doc Podcast of 2015. Thanks to Tony, and looking forward to more great things to come in the future.

Learn More About Tony Gentilcore Here: TonyGentilcore.com

#11 John Meadows

Early on in 2015, John gave me the opportunity to start writing on a regular basis for the iconic MountainDogDiet.com, which is home to some of the very best fitness and bodybuilding content in the industry. From releasing countless articles on Hands-On SMR Techniques to learning from John, his methods and his team, he made 2015 a special year for me and John Rusin Fitness Systems.

Learn More About John Meadows Here: Mountain Dog Diet

#10 Dr. Stu McGill

Stu’s influence throughout the physical therapy and fitness industry is second to none in his field of spinal health and rehabilitation. It was an absolute pleasure getting to know Stu very well this year, working on articles on Testosterone Nation together, having been forwarded his new book Back Mechanic, and even making an appearance on Strength Doc Podcast.

Learn More About Dr. Stu McGill Here: Back Fit Pro

#9 Andy Haley

Working as the managing editor to one of the largest sports performance and fitness sites in the world, Andy always goes out of his way to get the best information out to his readers and audience. Providing me with many opportunities this year, I look forward to continuing my work with STACK into 2016 and beyond.

Learn More About Andy Haley Here: STACK

#8 Bret Contreras

Bret is one of the most polarizing figures in the fitness industry, but also one of the best individuals. Having been featured on his site this year, and also having him come on the Strength Doc Podcast, I learned so much from Bret this year. And a congrats also goes out to the new Dr. Contreras who just defended his dissertation a few weeks ago!

Learn More About Bret Contreras Here: BretContreras.com

#7 Dr. Jonathan Mike

Having spent a weekend talking science and even hitting up a training session at a shitty 24-Hour Fitness outside of San Francisco, I took so much away from Jon, his experiences and his methods. Jon truly practices what he preaches. Be on the lookout for a new Strength Doc Podcast that will be released early in 2016.

Learn More About Dr. Jonathan Mike Here: Elite FTS

#6 Erson Religioso

Erson played a huge role in my development as a physical therapist, but also as an online presence in 2015. I am grateful for his support of my content, and have had a great time learning from him in the past few months in a physio based online mastermind. His tools, methods and educations are world-class, and I can’t wait to attend an Eclectic Approach class in 2016.

Learn More About Erson Religioso Here: The Manual Therapist

#5 Chris & Dani Shugart

Chris and Dani’s influence in my development this past year cannot be understated. Working with Chris as my editor over on Testosterone Nation has been one of the more rewarding professional relationships I’ve had in my career. People wonder why T-Nation continues to grow at alarming rates while providing the industry standard in fitness content, and in my opinion, a majority of the success can be attributed to Chris. Thanks Chris! More great things to come on T-Nation in 2016.

Learn More About Chris and Dani Shugart Here: Testosterone Nation

#4 Mike Contreras

Mike is changing the game in corporate wellness and injury prevention with his company, FMS Special Populations. From working with Mike on some special projects, to receiving some great career advice and guidance, Mike continues to play a huge roll for me, and I am grateful for the opportunities he has given me to work with him and his company.

Learn More About Mike Contreras Here: Functional Movement Systems Special Populations

#3 Charles Staley

Charles has quickly become one of my closest colleagues in the field, and someone who I deeply respect. From 30+ years in the fitness industry, you learn a thing or two, and I am quite lucky to have a friend with that kind of experience and vision helping me guide my way through this industry and beyond. Some of the best conversations of 2015 involved a Scottsdale area code. Be sure to listen to Charles on Strength Doc Podcast.

Learn More About Charles Staley Here: Target Focus Fitness

#2 Gene Shirokobrod

As a guest on his #1 podcast on iTunes Health, Therapy Insiders, Gene gave me the opportunity of a lifetime to launch the Strength Doc Podcast, and work with him and his team (who are all physical therapists!) to create something truly special. Gene is a visionary, and you will see some amazing things coming from him and UpDoc Media into 2016 and beyond, guaranteed.

Learn More About Gene Shirokobrod Here: UpDoc Media

#1 Lindsay Bloom

My unbelievable wife Lindsay is truly the backbone of our businesses and the Rusin family as a whole. I couldn’t imagine a day without her, and our huge amount of success of this past year is largely due to her wise visions for our business, her love for our growing family, and an unwavering drive to succeed. In 2015, Lindsay successfully managed THREE growing businesses, gave birth to our son Cameron in July, and continues to be our daughter Maddie’s biggest role model and supporter. Lindsay does whatever needs to be done to make every JRFS pursuit nothing less than a pure and utter success, and does it all without the publicity or her by line on articles or getting to step on stage and speak. For that I am one of the luckiest husbands in the world. I get to do what I love every single day and do it with this amazing woman beside me. And I am proud to announce that you will be reading, hearing and learning more from Lindsay coming in 2016!

Learn More About Lindsay Bloom Here: John Rusin Fitness Systems