COACHING COMBINE
Developing Better Coaches, Stronger Businesses, and Lasting Careers
Train, learn, and connect with some of the best in the industry — Jen Widerstrom, Gunnar Peterson, Eddy Coan, and Don Saladino — through high-energy live presentations, hands-on coaching sessions, powerful business workshops, and elite-level networking designed to elevate every part of your game.
Early Bird Pricing is $799
ABOUT THE EVENT
The Coaching Combine is a 2-day immersive experience designed for fitness professionals who want to sharpen their coaching skills, elevate their business, and build a long-lasting career in the industry. Featuring industry leaders Jen Widerstrom, Gunnar Peterson, Eddy Coan, and Don Saladino, attendees will gain real-world insights on performance training, strength development, adaptability, branding, communication, and career longevity through presentations, interactive workshops, live Q&A sessions, and hands-on coaching practicals. From learning how to create effective training systems and coach with greater impact to building a credible modern fitness brand, scaling business operations, and developing long-term industry relationships, this event delivers actionable tools, elite-level knowledge, and meaningful community connections for coaches committed to growth, mastery, and long-term success in fitness.
Early Bird Pricing is $799
LOCATION
Franklin, TN
EVENT DATE
August 8-9 2026
8am-6pm
LIMITED SPACE
Gunnar's Private Facility
DAY 1
Performance • Training • Coaching • Longevity
The focus of Day 1 is helping attendees better understand movement quality, adaptability, coaching systems, strength development, and real world application.
KEY SESSIONS
Jen Widerstrom
COACHING A TO B: CALLING AUDIBLES
Beginner Adherence, Intensity, and Psychology
Gunnar Peterson
100 WAYS TO SKIN A DUMBBELL
Adaptability and Elite Performance for Everyone
Eddy Coan
UNLOCKING BARBELL STRENGTH
Bench, Squat, and Deadlift
Don Saladino
CREATING YOUR OWN SYSTEMS IN TRAINING
How to Build Your Coaching Identity
INTERACTIVE COMPONENTS
Two Workshop/Q&A Sessions • Fireside Panel Discussion • Cocktail Hour • Networking • Open Gym Session
Early Bird Pricing is $799
DAY 2
Business • Branding • Career Longevity
The focus of Day 2 is building a respected, sustainable, and long term career in the fitness industry through communication, adaptability, trust, credibility, and community.
KEY SESSIONS
Gunnar Peterson
COLLABORATION HAPPENS AT THE TOP
Leadership, Communication, & Growth Through Collaboration
Jen Widerstrom
LATERALIZATIONS INSTEAD OF REGRESSIONS
How Stepping Sideways Is Stepping Ahead
Don Saladino
BUILDING A MODERN FITNESS BRAND WITHOUT LOSING CREDIBILITY
One-to-One Coaching vs. One-to-Many Systems
Eddy Coan
LONGEVITY IN THE SPORT
Mastery Over Hype
INTERACTIVE COMPONENTS
Feedback Loop Coaching Session • Challenge Your Current System Workshop • Rotating Coach Practicals • Live Problem Solving • Networking • Cocktail Hour • Open Gym Session
Early Bird Pricing is $799
ABOUT THE COACHES
Jen Widerstrom
Jen Widerstrom is a wellness industry leader, celebrity trainer and best-selling, globally published author. Widerstrom made her first large-scale impact on NBC’s American Gladiators and then again as a coach on NBC's The Biggest Loser. Off screen she is the VP of coaching for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s PUMP CLUB & hosts a podcast alongside industry heavyweight Gunnar Peterson called The Kids Table.
Earning her core degree in Sports Administration from the University of Kansas, she is also certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) with a specialization in Fitness Nutrition, Behavior Change, and Beginner Training.
With an educational focus in community leadership, behavior change and transformative weight-loss, her true passion is working with beginners and those who need to begin again, remaining available to people everywhere as their daily get-fit motivator.
Gunnar Peterson
Gunnar Peterson brings over 30 years of dynamic experience to the table. Renowned for his functional training and evolving techniques, Gunnar combines effective strength training methods with his unique humor to create workouts that are as enjoyable as they are practical, suitable for both daily life and the demands of professional sports.
Gunnar’s expertise has attracted a diverse clientele, ranging from top athletes in the NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB, USTA, professional boxing, and NCAA sports, to celebrities in film and TV who rely on him for year-round fitness guidance. His role as the former Director of Strength and Endurance for the Los Angeles Lakers highlights his impact in the world of elite sports.
Infusing his practical wisdom and insights into Common Ground, Gunnar ensures this app is a go-to resource for efficient, result-driven workouts, making it an ideal choice for anyone committed to improving their fitness.
Eddy Coan
Ed Coan is widely regarded as the greatest powerlifter of all time, earning legendary status through a career defined by unmatched strength, longevity, and influence on the sport. A multiple-time world champion and holder of more than 70 world records, Coan helped shape modern powerlifting and remains one of the most respected figures in strength training history.
Throughout his competitive career, Coan set historic standards across multiple weight classes, becoming the lightest athlete at the time to surpass a 2,400-pound total and later recording an all-time total of 2,463 pounds at the 1998 World Championships. His achievements revolutionized expectations for strength-to-bodyweight performance and cemented his place as one of the sport’s all-time greats.
In 2015, Coan was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in recognition of his extraordinary impact on strength sports worldwide.
Today, Coan continues to influence generations of athletes and coaches through mentorship, education, and training. Known for his technical precision, work ethic, and deep understanding of strength development, he remains a foundational figure in the evolution of powerlifting and performance training.
Don Saladino
Don Saladino is a wellness industry leader and coach known for helping individuals build strength and longevity through sustainable training. Since launching his career in 1999, he has become one of the most trusted voices in fitness, combining practical training strategies with an approach centered on consistency. His philosophy is rooted in the belief that stacking small wins through daily “micro-momentum” leads to lasting transformation.
In 2005, Saladino founded Drive495 before later expanding with Drive443, owning and operating two gyms in New York City.
Today, Saladino leads a global fitness community through the Don Saladino App, which delivers strength-focused training to users in more than 100 countries. The platform offers dozens of programs for every fitness level. Whether someone is stepping into fitness for the first time or rebuilding after years away, Saladino’s mission is to serve as a trusted coach who makes strength and longevity achievable for every stage of life.
Saladino is the host of the Stronger with Don Saladino Podcast, launched in partnership with Chip and Joanna Gaines of the Magnolia Network, where he explores the mindset and habits that drives longevity and success. Through conversations with celebrity clients, nutrition experts, entrepreneurs, and leaders in the fitness industry, the show delivers educational and inspirational insights for people striving to improve every area of their lives. Saladino’s upcoming book, Super Strong, featuring a foreword by Ryan Reynolds, is set to launch in early 2027.
Known for his coaching-forward and approachable style, Saladino has worked with numerous actors and public figures including Chip Gaines & Joanna Gaines, Sebastian Stan, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, and Matt Bomer.
Beyond coaching, Saladino also advises and invests in emerging health and wellness brands, supporting product development and brand strategy.
