Back Room Talk Coach Spotlight: Justin Yoon: From Hockey Rink to Fitness Innovator in Korea (Individual Design, HYROX, and Community)
What happens when a hockey kid falls in love with strength and conditioning, then decides to build a different kind of gym in Korea? You get Justin Yoon, a coach and entrepreneur who blends individual design, community events, and simple systems to help people get strong, fast, and consistent. His story is a lesson in saying yes, building real relationships, and teaching clients the why behind their training.
“I said yes to everything.” That line sums up how he built a career, a facility, and a brand that stands out. In this post, you’ll see how Justin moved beyond a CrossFit-only model to a broader strength and conditioning practice, how he uses testing and workshops to drive buy-in, and what trends are reshaping training in Korea, including running and HYROX.
Getting Started in Fitness: Hockey Roots
Early Sports Involvement
Justin started playing hockey at age 10. The sport led him to the weight room by 13, where training for strength felt natural. He learned early that better play on the ice comes from better preparation in the gym.
Lifting weights to support hockey performance
Discovering CrossFit in 2013 at age 17
He liked structure, so strength and conditioning became more than a hobby. It became a pathway.
First Steps into Coaching
During college, he interned at a CrossFit gym each summer while back home in Korea. After graduation, his dad gifted him the CrossFit Level 1, which kickstarted formal coaching. He also translated for CrossFit HQ, which opened doors, sharpened his technical language, and built early credibility.
College Years and Building Foundations
Academic Choices
Justin studied business and communications at Westmont College in the US. That education helped him think clearly, write well, and model new types of businesses, not just repeat common gym formats.
Balancing Studies and Fitness
He used long summer breaks to coach and learn. The biggest carryover from school was people skills. Communication later shaped how he branded his gym, guided clients, and built a team.
Launching His First Gym: CrossFit Era
Opening in 2016
In late 2016, Justin opened a small gym in Korea with a CrossFit focus. It was lean and hands-on, which meant he did a bit of everything while building a base of clients.
Rising in the CrossFit World
He interned for CrossFit HQ, then joined seminar staff in 2019. At that time, he was the youngest coach on staff.
Interned and built trust at HQ
Translated seminars and content
Coached often and gained reps fast
These years taught him how to teach adults, command a room, and keep complex ideas simple.
Challenges and Transition from CrossFit
Issues with CrossFit HQ in 2020
In 2020, cultural and methodological concerns across HQ pushed many to rethink their path. Justin wanted freedom to coach more broadly and to individualize beyond fixed methods.
Pivoting to Broader Strength and Conditioning
He left seminar staff in 2021. In 2022, he rebranded from CrossFit BP Lab to BP Lab and moved to an individual design model. Today, BP Lab blends one-to-one programming, small group experiences, and community events.
Evolving the BP Lab Model
Client Breakdown
Around 80 to 85 percent of clients are general population. About 10 to 15 percent are sport specific, including professional, amateur, and semi-professional athletes. Even general clients often train for fun events, so BP Lab programs for real life, not just for the gym.
Daily Operations
Weekdays center on on-site individual design coaching. Weekends bring hybrid options like small group workshops, team aerobic sessions, and athlete testing. This structure keeps the main thing the main thing, while giving clients ways to learn, play, and test.
Why This Model Works
Justin enjoys variety. He prefers purpose-driven workshops over repeating the same group class warm-up five times a day. As he puts it, everyone’s coming into that workshop for the same purpose, which makes the coaching sharper and the learning stick.
The Role of Education in His Success
Self-Taught Fitness Expertise
After school, he went deep into coaching education. He earned CrossFit Level 3, completed OPEX CCP, and learned from mentors like Sam Smith, James Fitzgerald, and Michael Fitzgerald.
Business Education’s Impact
Real life taught the most. Failures and small wins refined his process. With AI rising, Justin believes hands-on experience and real problem solving matter even more.
Entrepreneurial Spirit in Korea
Cultural Context
In Korea, many aim for a stable corporate path, like a job at Samsung. Justin chose growth over stability and decided to build something new in coaching.
Passion for Building
He likes planning, creating events, and making programs people love. He calls BP Lab a community hub for growth and performance, with individual design and hybrid coaching at the core.
Planning events and workshops
Hosting unique experiences, not just another group class format
Using training to bring people together
Hosting Unique Events and Workshops
Community-Building Activities
BP Lab collaborates with local cafes, chefs, and musicians. One favorite concept is a lake run near the gym, followed by fresh tacos and live music at the facility.
Monthly group testing days are a staple. Clients jump on force plates for counter movement and squat jumps, then sprint while tracking times. Testing sparks progress and helps clients see the payoff of good training.
Sprint Workshops
Justin runs focused 60 minute sessions to teach top speed mechanics. That clarity builds confidence. Purpose-driven groups learn better and move better, which beats generic classes for skill development.
Integration with Core Training
Workshops feed into individual design. For example, a thoracic mobility session is not a one-off. Coaches add the right drills to a client’s warm-ups or cool downs so the learning transfers to weekly training.
Fulfilling the Teaching Passion
Post-CrossFit Education
Missing the seminar room, Justin built his own. He now hosts seminars for coaches and serious trainees. The goal is simple, teach the why so people remember and apply what they learn.
Educating on the why improves buy-in, long-term adherence, and results.
Mentoring Internal Team
BP Lab is small by choice. He coaches alongside one other coach, which allows clear standards and good service.
Spotlight: Power in Motion Seminar
Seminar Overview
Two weeks before the conversation, Justin ran his first seminar of the year, Power in Motion. It focused on building speed and strength with hands-on training and applied program design.
Content Breakdown
What is top speed and how do we train sprinting
The strength continuum, also known as the force velocity curve
How to train across the curve in a single session with smart constraints
Target Audience and Impact
The seminar targeted coaches who work with general population and athletes. The group was capped and full. A lively Q&A explored how individual design can work on the gym floor in Korea, where the model is still new.
Introducing Individual Design in Korea
Local Fitness Landscape
Most gyms in Korea either do one-to-one personal training or large group classes like F45. Justin sees space for a third path, something like what OPEX gyms, Central Athlete, and college strength rooms do in the US.
Participant Reactions
Coaches were intrigued by semi-private setups and position specific training, similar to what you see with college sports. That curiosity signals change is coming.
Global Fitness Trends Reaching Korea
Rise of Running
Running exploded in 2023. Outdoor run clubs and slow long-distance groups have taken off, fueled by brands like Hoka investing in the space.
HYROX Emergence
HYROX arrived in late 2023 or early 2024 and has grown quickly. It is easier to enter than the CrossFit Open. Movements are repeatable and joint friendly, which helps coaches plan and clients keep training.
Comparing HYROX to Past Trends
Advantages for Participants
Friendly movement menu for most joints
No heavy overhead requirements
Shorter warm-ups and fewer flare-ups
Coach Perspective
It is easier to prepare for HYROX because the test is predictable. There is less worry about athletes overreaching or redlining health for weeks on end.
Event Experience and Future Evolution
HYROX’s Appeal
Events offer high production value and an in-person feel where everyday athletes compete near elites. People pay more, and the experience delivers.
Will HYROX keep the same format for years, or add divisions and variations to prevent boredom? Motivation often needs more than shaving a few seconds off a time.
Women in Strength Sports: Shifting Cultural Norms
Client Demographics
At BP Lab, about 45 percent of clients are women. They train hard and buy into strength.
Evolution of Attitudes
Fewer women ask about getting bulky. More want clear strength goals and understand how to pursue them. Strength has become a trait that’s often chased.
Nike’s Role in Promoting Women
Partnership Details
Justin has been a Nike strength and conditioning coach since 2023. There are 40 Nike trainers in his cohort, 32 are women.
Targeted Initiatives
Nike has leaned into women focused projects, including a women’s only 10K night run. Some local gyms now see 90 percent women, and not just in Pilates or yoga. Strength is part of the picture.
Building a Career Through Saying Yes and Finding Mentors
Early “Yes” Mindset
At 20 or 21, Justin said yes to everything. Translate? Yes. Intern more? Yes. Travel? Yes. The more he did, the more opportunities showed up.
Key Mentorships
Sam Smith, remote coach and mentor who shaped communication and feedback
James Fitzgerald, calls that opened thinking about business and coaching
Michael Fitzgerald, practical frameworks that made program design simple and robust
Mentors taught him that program design is not fragile. If you swap a movement but keep principles intact, the plan does not collapse.
How Young Coaches Can Find Mentors and Stand Out
Practical Approach
Reach out with respect. Share what you admire, offer to pay for time, and ask clear questions. Confidence grows when you hold strong principles, not when you memorize fancy templates.
Authenticity with Brands
Relationships with brands like Lululemon and Nike happened because he was doing work that mattered, not because he chased titles. Be genuine, give value, and build something unique. For Justin, that was hybrid coaching and a community hub grounded in individual design.
OPEX Influences and Frameworks
James Fitzgerald’s Key Lesson
Educate clients on the why behind training, not just what to do. That alignment drives buy-in and builds self-reliance.
Individual Design Benefits
Individual design balances support and autonomy inside a shared space. Good movers get space to work. Others get the right cue at the right time. It is not a free-for-all, it is coaching with intent.
The Hard Stuff: Making the Model Work Daily
Operational Details
This model sounds simple, but it is hard to run well. Justin is systematic and builds clear processes for floor coaching. When several clients need help at once, he plans how to divide time and track touchpoints so no one feels ignored.
Integrating Coach RX Into Operations
Platform Usage
Every client has a Coach RX account. The platform holds the program, tracks training, and centralizes communication.
Weekly notices and monthly newsletters sent through coach messages
Lifestyle prescriptions next to training
Clear logs and media in one place
Program Design Workflow
Coaches build programs in Coach RX, so feedback and updates are fast. To explore how coaches can use software well, start with these helpful guides in Coach RX free resources.
Additional Tech Tools in Practice
Communication and Scheduling
Loom makes feedback faster and clearer thanks to tone and facial expression. Acuity handles discovery sessions and quarterly consults.
Performance Testing Gear
BP Lab uses VALD ForceDecks for jump testing and SmartSpeed timing gates for sprints. Clients enjoy measuring progress, even those who are not competitive athletes.
Proteus Interest and Limitations
Proteus looks fun and useful for assessments, but it does not ship outside the US. For now, Justin doubles down on tools that are available and effective.
Why Force Plates Help Real People
Cultural Context in Korea
Many adults did not grow up playing sports. Running mechanics and sprinting feel foreign at first. Force plates give them a safe, objective way to measure qualities like springiness and rhythm.
Key Metrics That Matter
Reactive strength index, or how long your foot spends on the ground during repeated hops
Counter movement jump height to show if power is improving along with strength
Single leg jumps to flag right versus left gaps that a split squat might also show
Testing builds a sense of athleticism, even for people who do not see themselves as athletes yet.
Athlete-Specific Value
Strength is the base, but there is a point of diminishing returns. On-field performance often needs better rate of force development and elastic qualities. Testing and smart progressions keep athletes moving toward what transfers.
The Most Common Running Problems and Fixes
What Justin Sees Often
Runners outside BP Lab often do too much mileage and too little strength. That blend leads to overuse, cranky joints, and stalls.
Coaching Solutions
Most new runners need more strength, slower volume increases, and a lot of easy running. If you ran 3K this week, you probably should not jump to 10K next week. Be patient, keep most runs easy, and let a coach guide your build.
Speed Work That Lifts Your Lifts
Insights From Testing
Strong lifters sometimes lack elastic qualities. They need the stretch shortening cycle, not just more squats.
Practical Additions
Short sprints and simple plyometrics one or two times per week, done early in the session, can move the needle. Speed gains often raise lifts, but bigger lifts do not always make you faster.
Simple Tips for New Runners
Build volume slowly across weeks
Keep most runs at an easy pace
Add two short strength sessions per week
Use a coach for objective planning and honest feedback
2025 Goals: Stronger Community, Stronger Systems
Core Focus
BP Lab will keep individual design front and center. Around that, Justin will add workshops, testing, and events that make training social and fun.
Integration Strategy
Clients do not just attend a workshop, they apply it. A mobility session turns into warm-up or cool down work in their program. Testing guides program tweaks the next week, not months later.
Upcoming Events and Collaborations
What’s On Deck
Another coach seminar is scheduled this month. A group run with live music is set for April. These events bring in locals who might not be ready to join yet but want to be part of the energy.
Team Partnerships
A flag football team will test at BP Lab and get guidance across the season, with Olympic aspirations on the horizon. A local international school’s varsity team is also working with the lab for testing and training support.
Why Collaboration Matters
Justin loves bringing different crafts under one roof.
Musicians to set a vibe at run events
Chefs for post-run food that keeps people around
Designers for posters and storytelling
It all supports the mission, build a genuine community hub that trains hard and has a good time.
How to Reach Justin
Instagram, personal: @bplabjustin
Email: bplabjustin@gmail.com
For coaching education and business support, explore OPEX Fitness education, and grab helpful tools in the OPEX free downloads.
Conclusion
From hockey to seminar rooms to a thriving lab in Korea, Justin Yoon’s path proves that saying yes and teaching the why can shape a real coaching career. He is building a place where individual design meets community, where workshops feed programs, and where testing makes progress visible. If you coach, consider how you can balance support with autonomy, and how a few well run events can deepen buy-in. If you are a client, look for coaches who explain, not just prescribe. Want to learn more or spark an idea for your own gym, reach out to Justin and check out the OPEX and Coach RX resources linked above.
Next Steps
Want to use the coaching platform trusted by Justin and thousands of other professional coaches? Experience the difference professional tools can make in your coaching practice with a 14-day free trial of CoachRx.
