Do you really know how to train? What hard work truly is? Probably not. I didn’t. I thought I did—thought I understood effort, the grind, the satisfaction of pushing myself. Then I met Ian. And Ian shattered that illusion. He exposed how weak I really was. I didn’t understand strength. I didn’t understand capacity. Not until I walked into Ascension.

But Ian isn’t just a coach. Coaches are everywhere. Ian is something else entirely—a mentor, a provocateur, a mirror reflecting your weaknesses, both physical and mental. He doesn’t just teach you how to train; he teaches you how to think about training, how to build resilience, and how to set goals that truly matter.

Ian’s a character—there’s no other way to describe him. Unapologetically himself and a master of his craft, he’s the person you want in your corner. Whether your goal is to look good naked or reshape yourself for the mountains, Ascension is the place to make it happen. This isn’t just a gym; it’s a crucible. If you’re ready to face that, step through the door.

The word community gets thrown around a lot, and like most words, the true meaning has been bastardized, manipulated, and hijacked. However, if one seeks and is open to, they can still find it. I have found a community since entering the halls of Ascension. A fellowship of fascinating individuals from different walks of life and experiences. At the centre of this controlled chaos is Mr. Ian Holmes. Friend, mentor, training partner, confidant. A person that will take your dumb idea for a workout, laugh, add something even more ridiculous to it, and then suffer along by your side. When finished, will sit and talk, share laughs, wisdom, and if needed, tears; always ending with a big hug.

When I first joined Ascension, I was struggling to find a sense of purpose and direction for myself. Up to that point, training and sport had always given me the outlet and the confidence I needed to thrive in other areas of my life; but then I lost that. The stresses of life, running a business, simply feeling lost in my mid-20’s, it all caught up to me.

Before joining Ascension, I was more or less just going through the motions with no intent or sense of why I was doing all the things that I was. Ian has really given me the perspective and the support I’ve needed to steer myself back in the right direction. He is there not to just guide you through your training, but to listen to you when you need to be heard. Ian and the community at Ascension have instilled that confidence I’ve always craved with training, which has allowed me to find a direction for myself outside of the gym. If there’s anywhere community and support is emphasized, it’s Ascension. As long as you aren’t against a little hard work, this is the place for you.

Ian’s an asshole. He’s made me cry and swear and bleed and cry some more. But he’s also made me into the best athlete I’ve ever been. I joined the gym in April, 2017 with a nagging back injury I’d sustained at some point during my last six years of competing in various strength and power sports. I was at the point where I couldn’t walk up stairs without back pain, much less squat heavy, climb, or do anything else I wanted to do. And then I went and got a concussion. I went from training six days a week to being unable to ride a stationary bike for more than ten minutes. I wore tinted glasses to the gym to protect my head from fluorescent lights, and often trained while hiding in the quietest corner of the gym, avoiding any kind of human interaction because that was too much stimulation for my brain to handle. Ian worked with me through all of that, finding ways to keep me moving despite my injuries and reminding me to be patient with my recovery. Once I got to a point where I was able to train hard again, we sat down, set some goals, and got to work.