Kevin Kula, "The Flexibility Coach"

Kevin’s journey began in the strength and conditioning field.    While any movement has it’s benefits, he never understood why so many people limited themselves to running on a treadmill (doing cardio) then performing movements strictly on machine operated equipment.  This lead him to coaching CrossFit® which utilizes whole body functional movements that are constantly varied and performed at varying intensities based on the goals of the individual. Kevin ended up coaching CrossFit® in Southern California in a CrossFit® gym as well as modifying CrossFit® to accommodate rehab patients out of a physical therapy office. His dedication to understanding human movement and performance lead him to seek out and listen to the best in the CrossFit® community including Brian MacKenzie, Jeff Tucker, Robb Wolf, and Greg Glassman.  Kevin attained five CrossFit® Certifications: Mobility, Running, Gymnastics, Nutrition, and Level 1.

However, many of his athletes in California, were affected by chronic flexibility limitations which led him to seek out the top manual therapy, joint-mobility, and stretching experts.  Kevin moved to Phoenix, Arizona to study with Tom Myers – author of “Anatomy Trains” to complete an intensive 500 hour program in Structural Integration, a type of manual therapy that addresses global compensation patterns.  He also studied with Ann and Chris Frederick, authors of, “Stretch to Win becoming certified in a style of assisted stretching called Fascial Stretch Therapy.  While in Phoenix he also was influenced by physical therapist and and CrossFit® Mobility Expert Kelly Starrett.

In 2011 Kevin launched his business, “Ready State Fitness” working out of his office in Phoenix.  However to better understand the needs of CrossFit® athletes, he decided that he would work primarily with them.  In order to test his skills on athletes competing at an elite level he approached a regional CrossFit® Games qualifier Luke Kayyem to put his skills to the test.  Kevin found great success providing Fascial Stretch Therapy™ and Structural Integration with CrossFit athletes at East Valley CrossFit and CrossFit Scottsdale, as well as with chronic pain patients in his Phoenix office.

In January 2012 Kevin’s CrossFit® Journal article, “Moving Beyond Muscle” was published describing the benefits of Structural Integration and Fascial Stretch Therapy™.  In 2013 Kevin’s case study, “Benefits of Structural Integration for CrossFit Athletes Competing in the Sport of Fitness” – describing his work with a CrossFit® athlete was published in the IASI yearbook .  Kevin’s business was featured in the October 2013 issue of Phoenix Magazine as a conditioning program for physical activities like CrossFit® and he was also featured on ABC News describing the benefits of Fascial Stretch Therapy™ for runners and endurance athletes.

Despite success with one-on-one sessions; Kevin realized the importance of quality self-stretching instruction.  Through trial and error (and honest feedback) Kevin created his own style of flexibility training based on the  Stretch to Win system.  By developing a personal flexibility assessment based on the demands of functional fitness programs – he could expose any flexibility limitations before they presented themselves as problems.  In 2012 he launched his own system of performance based flexibility training called FlexibilityRx™.

In 2014 Kevin expanded his FlexibilityRx™ classes and workshops throughout 15 CrossFit® gyms in Arizona.

Kevin is continually learning from the best in weightlifting, powerlifting, and functional training. He has attended the USA Weightlifting coaching certification clinic (USAW), Juggernaut Training Systems powerlifting clinic (JTS-Strength), Ryan Moody’s Explosive Seminar (The XWOD), Ryan Debell’s The Movement Fix Seminar (The Movement Fix), and Perry Nickelston’s Primal Movement Chains workshop (Stop Chasing Pain).

In 2015 Kevin moved back to his hometown of Chicago and ended up working in a chiropractic office alongside two chiropractors developing and directing the rehabilitation program for the patients at the clinic.  Instead of having a full hour to assess and treat patients he was limited to 15-minute intervals in which he had to provide quick solutions for chronic pain, muscle imbalances, and complex problems.  This lead him to further his training and in 2016 Kevin became certified in three different post-graduate physical therapy approaches to rehabilitation including Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS),  PRI (Postural Restoration Institute), and Neurokinetic Therapy (NKT).  By understanding developmental kinesiology, asymmetries driven by respiration and neurology, and utilizing manual muscle testing to detect muscular imbalances, Kevin refined his approach and learned to provide quick and simple solutions to chronic and complex musculoskeletal problems.

Trainings/Certifications