Current Students

There’s a long-held cliché about creative people making poor athletes, and vice versa. Joseph Allen ’20 shatters those stereotypes, and he’s committed to inspiring others to pursue whatever passions they have in life, just like he did and continues to do. His Instagram profile reads: “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone,” and it sums up his journey very succinctly. He works as a personal fitness trainer at Barry’s Bootcamp where he trains people to push their limits and achieve their goals, something he’s perfected for himself.

As an art major on the NYC Campus, Allen has single-handedly built his personal brand thanks, in part, to his artistic talents. “Ever since I was young, my mind would race with creativity, and I always wanted to express it somehow,” Allen told us. Like his interest in fitness, he discovered his love for graphic design through movement—but not in the physical sense. “I started [...] by simply allowing my mind to flow on paper no matter what the design was, which later turned into self-branding and promoting.”

And Allen is always on the move. He’s a sought-after instructor at Barry’s Bootcamp, and has traveled from the Hamptons to Dallas, TX, to Dubai—all to help others.

“I have never felt such a joy, ambition, and overall love for a company like Barry’s Bootcamp. Barry’s, to me, is the epitome of family,” he enthused. That passion has taken Allen all the way to a feature on Good Morning America, where he got the chance to not only show off his skills, but also his commitment to the enormous amount of training it takes to do what he does every day. He’s known as “Fit to Conquer” for a reason—a moniker Allen has wholeheartedly embraced as a lifestyle just as much as a nickname.

Much of that motivation stems, he says, from the time when his parents divorced early in his college career. “That [part] of my life put a big toll on my heart and my mindset. I was at a low point,” Allen explained. Not one to linger too long on the negatives, he soon looked inward, and found the strength inside himself to push forward. Fit to Conquer helped with that. “This moniker has allowed me to mentally approach things with [the] willpower and strength to never give up on achieving my dreams and aspirations,” he told us. “It has also allowed me to be humble in the things that I have, allowing me to look back at the beat up armor that protected the warrior I am today.”

Now, Allen wants to inspire others—not just through physical fitness, but overall wellness, body and mind. He has quite a bit of advice for anyone looking to follow in his footsteps. “Speak it into existence, commit to your dreams, and remember your why in why you started in the first place,” he said. “You will always be one step ahead—even if you fall flat on your face.”

We’re pumped to hear about where Allen’s journey to peak wellness takes him, and all the people he will surely inspire along the way. Athleticism and art aren’t so different after all. It just takes passion and heart, and Allen undoubtedly has both.

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