ABOUT THE COACH
DOUG BATES
ABOUT THE COACH
DOUG BATES
Your Comprehensive Mind-Body Coach
Welcome to a vital conversation about your health, wellness, and fitness goals. Choosing the right coach is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make. The wrong program or trainer can leave you with little to no results, wasted time, bad habits, potential injuries, or outright frustration.
For over 35 years, I’ve helped clients achieve life-changing, sustainable results. My approach is built on a deep understanding of how real health is generated, supported, and maintained for decades. As a 6-time Wisconsin State Drug-Free Bodybuilding Champion, I’ve learned that true health isn’t about “pushing harder” or following extreme diets—it’s about working smarter and restoring balance in every system of the body. This is the foundation of your self-empowerment journey.
Why Most Training Approaches Fail
Many trainers focus on oversimplified strategies like high-intensity workouts, failure-based training, or extreme calorie restrictions. These methods often cause burnout, injuries, metabolic damage, and mental fatigue. Worse yet, they neglect critical factors like hormonal health, digestion, spinal alignment, and the mind-body connection—elements essential for true and lasting results.
A Smarter, Comprehensive Approach
My training philosophy prioritizes building or restoring health first, allowing results to come naturally. By focusing on foundational aspects of well-being—like posture, hormones, neurotransmitters, digestion, and lymphatic health—I help clients achieve their goals and experience exercise as something enjoyable and sustainable. This approach invites you to embrace your self-empowerment journey with clarity and confidence.
Here’s what sets my coaching apart:
Personalized Training:
Fully private, 1-on-1 sessions tailored to your unique needs, whether in-person or virtual.
Wholistic Wellness Focus:
Addressing not just muscles and diet but also your mind, spirit, and overall vitality.
Proven Techniques:
Safe, effective exercises and nutrition protocols that restore balance and promote longevity.
Energy Restoration:
Clients always leave sessions feeling energized, not exhausted.
Self Mastery:
Clients are taught to self-train, self-assess, self-discover and self-empower.
What You Can Expect
This isn’t a boot camp or a “push until you’re tired and sore” experience. Instead, my method is a journey of restoration, awakening, and transformation—a true part of your self-empowerment journey. It’s about building energy, clarity, and resilience—helping you make better life decisions, manage stress effectively, and live with greater vitality.
Over time, my clients experience:
Whether you’re an athlete looking to optimize performance or someone seeking to regain their health and vitality, my training is designed to help you thrive—not just for now, but for decades to come.
Douglas J. Bates Honored by Marquis Who’s Who for Innovations in Functional Fitness and Anti-Aging
Douglas J. Bates, founder of Your Self Empowerment Journey, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who for his groundbreaking work in functional fitness and anti-aging coaching. Drawing from his background in sociology and over 55,000 one-on-one client hours, Doug integrates physical, emotional, and spiritual development to help clients optimize their long-term health and performance. His achievements include being professionally recruited by "Bold Brave TV Studios" in 2025 and being awarded his own featured international TV podcast -- as well as his being featured on multiple "Up Close TV" radio podcasts with famous hosts. See links on my Media Page here.
In addition to Doug Bates' commitment to drug-free, plant-based living -- he was also awarded the honor of being "head judge" for over half a decade at two very popular state-level natural body-building shows -- at "Wisconsin State Fair" and "Milwaukee Summerfest" venues. Dovetailing nicely with those -- Doug Bates also highly enjoyed multiple local, national and international "carefully selected professional physique modeling opportunities" for various artists, corporations, and calendars -- all internationally -- before the internet took off!
Click below to read the full article:
Let’s work together to achieve your goals and unlock your full potential.
This is life coaching and training done right—rooted in your self-empowerment journey.