I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE
WHEN FITNESS HAS TO FIT
AROUND REAL LIFE.
I'm Sam Rodriguez — a father, coach, and someone who spent more than 13 years working in blue-collar environments.
I built PlateUp for men whose jobs, families and responsibilities don't disappear just because they want to get in shape.
MY STORY STARTED
LONG BEFORE
I BECAME A COACH.
My parents divorced when I was eight, and over time my dad became less and less present in my life.
That stayed with me.
Long before coaching, I knew one thing: if I ever became a father, my kids would never have to wonder where their dad was.
Years later, becoming a father changed the way I looked at fitness too. It wasn't just about what I could lift or how I looked. It was about having enough of myself left for the people who mattered.
I HAD TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT ACTUALLY
WORKED FOR ME FIRST.
I wasn't always “the fitness guy.”
At one point my weight climbed to around 210–215 lbs. I started running, lifting and eventually lost around 40 lbs.
But my journey wasn't linear. I went through different approaches, powerlifting, gaining, cutting, coaching and plenty of mistakes along the way.
That experience changed how I think about progress — and how I coach it today.
~40 LBS LOST
Through my own transformation
I LEARNED FITNESS
WHILE WORKING
FOR A LIVING.
For more than 13 years, I worked in blue-collar environments while balancing training, relationships and eventually fatherhood.
So when a dad tells me he's exhausted after a long shift, I don't hear an excuse.
I understand the constraint.
Your job isn't something your fitness plan gets to ignore. It's part of the equation.
YOUR JOB IS PART OF THE EQUATION.
NOT SOMETHING YOUR FITNESS PLAN GETS TO IGNORE.
FITNESS SHOULD HELP YOU
LIVE MORE OF YOUR LIFE.
NOT TAKE MORE OF IT AWAY.
Becoming a father made my mission simple: help working dads get stronger, healthier and in better shape without making fitness another full-time job.
THE PLAN FITS THE PERSON.
Your schedule, responsibilities and starting point come before the program.
FAMILY IS PART OF THE PLAN.
Success shouldn't require sacrificing the people you're doing this for.
THE STRATEGY ADAPTS.
When work and life change, your plan needs to change with them.
YOU DON'T NEED TO BUILD
YOUR LIFE AROUND FITNESS.LET'S BUILD FITNESS
AROUND YOUR LIFE.
If your work, family and responsibilities aren't going anywhere, your fitness strategy needs to be built around them.