I met Ryan at a training seminar in 2016. We instantly became friends, but I soon learned Ryan has that effect on everyone. A few months later, I was becoming more serious about powerlifting, so I hired Ryan to take over my programming. I have worked with several coaches in the past, but the genuine amount of interest that he has in understanding what kind of athlete you are and figuring out how to balance the demands not only of training, but of life and mental fitness are what make him one of the best. He is truly concerned with making your programming fit your lifestyle and ensuring that every aspect is accounted for. Ryan has handled my nutrition leading up to meets and is so detail oriented and thorough in his approach that it makes the process much smoother.

I’m the first to say I’m a tough client. I am a very mental lifter and with each meet, Ryan becomes more and more adept at figuring out how to overcome that. Ryan makes meet day easy for his clients and is so methodical in his approach that every mishap is taken in stride. He checks in on his clients and is not a coach that you only hear from on check-in day. I have programming in my inbox on schedule, even when I’ve forgotten to check-in. He does what is necessary to help his clients succeed and handles the logistics even with hectic schedules, life obligations and unforeseen circumstances.

In our time working together, we have added 140 lbs to my total (breaking the 1000 lb threshold), placed 7th at the 2019 USA Powerlifting Raw Nationals in the 72 kg Open class, 4th at the 2019 Arnold Sports Festival Raw Challenge and won Best Overall Lifter at the 2017 North Carolina State Championships.

Mary Caitlin Campbell
Goals & Accolades: USAPL 72kg Powerlifter
Location: Bladenboro, NC

Immediately after my last bodybuilding competition, I reached out to Ryan Doris to help with me my transition into an off-season and to help me build for my next competition. I knew Ryan for a couple of years before hiring as a coach so I already knew how amazing of a person he was. But I’ve come to realize even more how much he cares about this athletes and how much he wants the best for them. He’s been nothing but amazing in our time together. Everything is explained as to ‘why’ we’re doing something and you can tell he truly cares about the well-being of his clients!

Tyler Wiebe
Goals & Accolades: Bodybuilder
Location: Abbotsford

Working with Ryan was an absolute pleasure, it can be hard to find someone that works well with my personality so I was extremely pleased with the experience as a whole. He understood the needs of my sports and goals, prepping me to be successful in winning my pro card as a natural bodybuilder, as well as making sure I was able to perform at my best for a powerlifting meet roughly 8 weeks out from the show. Ryan was professional, friendly, personable, knowledgeable and responsive throughout every portion of the process. I have and will continue to recommend his services to anyone that is looking to compete in strength and physique sports.

Stephen Richard Beaugrand
Goals & Accolades: Natural Bodybuilder, Pro card, Raw Powerlifter, 600lb deadlift
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL

Ryan’s love for coaching and for his clients is evidenced by his willingness to go beyond the call of duty in making my own coaching experience with him as enjoyable and rewarding as possible. I spent 54 consecutive weeks under Ryan’s wing and, from our very first video consultation together, he provided me with the opportunity to exchange ideas and philosophies and allowed me the opportunity to question him on his coaching methods. He never shied away from the opportunity to educate me and instead set out prospective goals an outline of his approach to my training which he considered were realistic and fell in line with my aims to get stronger and build more lean muscle tissue. From the get-go, he never gave me any reason to fear that my money would not be well spent and, as it turns out, he was absolutely justified in doing so.

Ryan not only walks the walk, but he also talks the talk. He is approachable as he is knowledgeable and never once let me down, in spite of his busy work schedule and the fact that he and I lived in completely different time zones. Ryan treated me as a person, not simply as a client, and set the bar very high in respect of coaching standards. I had absolute faith in him, allowing him to tailor my goals and structure my training without second-guessing the process. To this day, I continue to incorporate the tools I learned from Ryan in my own training and nutrition.

Ryan’s accolades in both bodybuilding and powerlifting speak for themselves. However, it is his commitment to his clients which sets him apart from others in the industry. I spent 54 consecutive weeks being coached and educated under Ryan’s wing and I will forever treasure them.

Justin John Rodriguez
Goals & Accolades: Gained strength, muscle mass and reduced body fat during the 54 weeks that we worked together
Location: Gibraltar

Throughout our lifetime, we will meet thousands of people.  Some will only be in our lives for a brief time, whom we will later forget, and others making such a connection, they will forever change us. I met Ryan in November 2018 as I had just finished my first season competing in bodybuilding.  Being a latecomer to this sport, much of the feedback I had received was to build muscle, which I knew would require a long off-season.  Through other competitors, I heard about Ryan and contacted him regarding training and coaching.  He responded with a 10 minute video at which I immediately knew I wanted to work with him.  He spent a great amount of time with me as I got started, writing a program catered to my goals, listening to my concerns, and most importantly with the goal of staying injury free throughout my training.  He knows when to push and when to take a break, always challenging me.  While I knew at the time, he would help me to develop my physique; I did not know the emotional impact he would have on me, forming a bond with someone whom I have never met in person.  Weekly check-ins are via email with a recorded video.  Through many ups and downs this year with my personal journey in this sport, I have leaned on Ryan.  He has provided me with countless words of wisdom and advice, and more importantly, confidence in myself that I had lost.  His belief in me makes me want to push harder, continually raising the bar, and bettering myself.  I am forever grateful to having Ryan not only as a coach, but as a friend for life. Thank you Ryan!!!

Alissa Goldman
Goals & Accolades: Bodybuilder – Figure Competitor
Location: Boca Raton, FL

Ryan coached me through my teenager years from 17-22. He developed me as an athlete to someone who can do well in two sports simultaneously. Besides my athletic accomplishments, he build my character in ways I couldn’t even imagine. He thought me values and philosophical principles which will serve me well for a lifetime. Although it isn’t his main goal to be a life coach to you, he was more than that. He was a big brother, a leader, a knowable coach and someone who used all of his skills to fit your training and nutrition to your life instead of the other way around. I highly recommend Ryan not just as your coach but as your mentor. I’ll continue to express his values and now also my values to the fullest and wish everyone who considers working with Ryan a similar unique experience. Thank you for everything brother!

Sebastian Ehmann
Goals & Accolades: National and World Champion Bodybuilder and National Overall Champion Junior Powerlifter
Location: Giessen, Germany

Longevity and Friendship are the forces which fuel the Fortis platform.

I began working with Ryan in 2017, after emerging from several years of self-programming and mixed performances at local powerlifting meets. Under Ryan’s astute technical assessments, flexible programming, and continuous encouragement, we were able to produce a 75lb increase to my total in 16 months. These strength gains were accompanied by near constant improvements in body composition, and a general transformation in my relationship to the barbell, platform, and my sense-of-Self as an athlete.

Three years on – and through major transitions in lifestyle, employment, and health – Ryan continues to serve as an anchor of friendship, coaching, and counsel. For those with eyes to see and ears to hear, Ryan’s empathy and attention will allow training to become as introspective as it is performative. This outcome is very much the product of mutual communication, honesty, and diligence, but the Fortis philosophy drives all participants towards longevity in sport and sincerity in candor.

To those who are considering the Fortis philosophy: there is great wealth – both physical and spiritual – inherent to your training. This lies beneath the surface of your daily lifestyle and beyond your game-day execution. Ryan’s holistic, well-intentioned, and thoroughly considered assessments will provide the platform, tools, and metrics to capture your forward progress while encouraging you to deconstruct and overcome the obstacles and self-sabotage we wrestle with as athletes. It has been – and still is – a privilege to be a Fortis athlete, and an honor to have found so meaningful a friendship.

Joseph Olmeda
Goals & Accolades: Powerlifter
Location: San Pedro, CA

I hired Ryan to help me improve my body composition for the 66kg USA Powerlifting weight class. Ryan nailed the balance of giving me tough love when I was slacking and understanding when life got in the way (work travel, injury, general stressors) but continuously we managed to hit my weight class 3-4 weeks before competition. This allowed me to eat in a surplus during my peaks and made sure that on meet day I always felt fresh, strong, and capable. I hit multiple personal records through our time together, including capping training with a 501 lb x 3 deadlift set at a bodyweight of around 148 lb.

Ryan was always prompt with our weekly check ins, would let me know well ahead of time if he was traveling and unable to respond and was overall easily accessible. Perhaps best, we saw each other at Raw Nationals twice over the year and a half we worked together and every time he remembered small nuances of my life that I would note in a check in.

If you’re goal oriented and willing to take ownership over your actions, Ryan is a great support system who can take the emotional elements of dieting out of your life. He’s competed at a high level in strength and physique sports and knows what it takes to win. I can’t recommend working with Ryan enough, and in fact have referred multiple of my friends to him, all of whom have managed to maintain great training while hitting physique goals.

Nikhil Thomas
Goals & Accolades: Powerlifting – managed to gain strength while cutting and bulking around the 66kg weight class and qualified for two years of USA Powerlifting Raw Nationals competition. Multiple PRs while improving body composition.
Location: Brooklyn, NY

Working with Ryan this past year has been absolutely life changing! From the moment I reached out to him he immediately met with me to discuss my past programming, my past accomplishments and setbacks, my current and future goals, my expectations, and his honest thoughts and expectations of me. In other words, he not only listened to me – he HEARD me! I knew right then that I had to have him as my Coach!! Ever since that moment Ryan has been in my Corner supporting me while helping me chase my dreams!

Ryan’s method of Programming is nothing like I have ever experienced. It has been completely customized to my goals, physique, and crazy ideas. His method of Programming not only challenges you, but he is a vital part in helping you grow physically AND mentally! As a result, we have transformed my physique from a Powerlifter with a concentration on Strength Programming to creating the ideal shape for the OCB Figure stage; winning multiple Novice, Transformation, and Open categories in my first Season!

Every single week we check-in with one another via Video, which I absolutely love because it feels as if he is sitting right next to me while we discuss the previous week and expectations for the upcoming one. Let’s be honest, you can’t hide your emotions, personality, celebration, disappointments, or results while you are talking into a video! Because of this I feel that even as a Client across the country from him; his check-in process has also helped to develop and strengthen our Coaching relationship, the honesty and trust in one another that goes into it, and our friendship too!! Needless to say, I am extremely honored and grateful to be a member of Team Fortis EQ and look forward to many years to come!!

Jaime Kallay
Goals & Accolades: OCB Figure / 1st Novice Figure – OCB Cleveland, 3rd Figure Overall – OCB Cleveland, 1st Open Figure B – OCB Tampa, 1st Transformation Category – OCB Tampa, 2nd Open Figure Overall – OCB Tampa
Location: Valrico, Florida

What started as me just wanting to reach out and get advice on how to capitalize on my training/nutrition turned into something much more. Throughout my years with Ryan, 5 now, I have learned so much about myself as an athlete and as a person. Ryan genuinely sat down and listened to what my goals were and where my life was at to accurately get me on a program for ME, and through constant communication made sure we were always on the right path. One main thing I can attest to Ryan’s coaching style and personality is his passion for connecting and bringing out the best in his athletes. He’s a true professional in all areas, and is one of the most personable, knowledgeable, and kind I have met. After 5 years I continue to be more than happy with Ryan as a coach and will continue to recommend him as a coach to anyone looking to be the best version of themselves, no matter the goal.

Mike Mackenzie
Goals & Accolades: Powerlifter
Location: New Jersey

Ryan is definitely one of the best in the game. I’ve yet to come across an individual so committed to a sport and the athletes he supports. He was engaged with me the entire time and very reliable with feedback. Coming to the sport of powerlifting I was very timid and not as confident. Ryan has this approach to make clarity of everything. He help me exceed more than I could ever ask for. My short time with Ryan gave me the mindset and discipline to carry over in my personal life as much as my lifting life. His programming produced results and was flexible with my hectic schedule. Within 2 years he took me from never competing in powerlifting, to stepping into the most competitive arena anyone want to be in at the Arnold sports festival. I truly valued my time with Ryan with everything he taught me. I’ll miss the weekly feedback videos the most lol.

Garry Mendez
Goals & Accolades: Took me in with no competition experience to competing on a national level; Qualifying and placing 3rd for the Arnold Sports Festival
Location: Austin, TX

Working with Ryan over the last nearly two years has been the best coaching experience I have ever had. Ryan is a coach who truly listens when you speak, focusing on you as an athlete and not just as another cookie cutter client. He has adjusted my programming many, many time to fit my recovery time, life schedule, injuries (that I got through self-clumsiness, not from training), and major life events – nothing about his training is cookie cutter or copy and paste for every client. He treats his job as a coach like it is his goal in life to see you succeed personally, and that level of dedication and passion for coaching is why I believe he is so good at it.

I have put pounds on my meet total, made many personal records, and become a better athlete while working with Ryan. But I believe the biggest leap forward has been mentally. I feel more confident in what I am doing in the gym, and confident that my coach will take my questions and concerns seriously. 10 out of 10 will continue working with him.

Rachele Atreus
Goals & Accolades: Powerlifting competition performance and overall athletic ability increase
Location: Oklahoma City, OK

Ryan took over my coaching in 2017 during the middle of a national powerlifting meet prep and cross-country move and a significant job change. At a critical time of transition, it made programming and training a challenge for us both but, we navigated each hurdle with ease. That year, I placed in the top 20 at Raw Nationals. Since starting with Ryan, he has treated my training and overall well-being with the highest priority. Going as far as advising me to take a step back from serious competition training, knowing it was not in the best interest of my overall well-being. Ryan is a people’s coach—he’s personable and flexible, but he holds himself and his athletes to high standards. He’s detailed in his programming approach while taking great care to adjust to the needs of his athletes and clients. Ryan’s experience and success as a nationally ranked pro natural bodybuilder and powerlifter were essential to me in a coach. With this background, he has helped me reach my strength goals while also keeping my physique goals on target.

Throughout our coach-athlete relationship, there have been many obstacles that have affected training frequency and goals. Many coaches may have determined some of these changes unworkable or too far off from traditional strategies. Still, Ryan has always been flexible, determined, and also set very realistic expectations about what we could achieve—all the while, pushing for the very best in each circumstance. I’m grateful to have Ryan in my corner. I can genuinely say that I have grown in every aspect as an athlete having Ryan as a coach.

Ariel Merivil
Goals & Accolades: 2017 Raw Nats 74 kg (ranked in top 20) / 2018 Nebraska State Champion – 1st place 74 kg and Best Lifter
Location: Lincoln, NE

For my first cut, I chose to work with Ryan and it was one of my best sporting decisions. He knows exactly what he is doing and despite the calorie deficit, I was able to further increase my strength values. Ryan responds quickly to questions and efficiently to any unplanned changes such as Injury. If you want to take your strength values or your physique to a new level, then Ryan is definitely the right coach.

Jürgen Gumprecht
Goals & Accolades: Bodybuilding
Location: Leopoldsdorf, Lower Austria, AUT

Navigating the ever-growing, online world of fitness coaching can be overwhelming. There are more coaches now than EVER and it’s honestly hard to tell who’s truly passionate about their craft and who’s motivated by the hype and idea of being a “coach.”
I can honestly say that in the year I worked with Ryan I became more and more confident every month that his passion was rooted in leading, mentoring, guiding and educating athletes (novice or advanced) toward their goal with sound, safe and smart programming. It wasn’t sexy, tricky, or flashy but it was productive and yielded even better results than I had ever hoped for.
My programming was specific to my strength and physique goals; progressive and adapted to my lifestyle and preferences. I learned a ton while working with Ryan and highly recommend him to those ready to make serious changes in their physique.

Rochelle Knight
Goals & Accolades: Natural figure athlete
Location: Bonneylake, Washington

Ryan is a perfect partner to have on any serious lifters journey to be the best version of themselves. He truly cares about the success of his athletes and is generous with his knowledge, time, and effort. He is very versatile with problem-solving, and matches the work you put in with his passion to see his clients succeed both on and off the platform. Ryan is the best nutrition coach I’ve had and I’m more confident in myself and my abilities knowing he’s in my corner.

Sean Collins
Goals & Accolades: Powerlifter / Arnold’s Qualifier & currently working on qualifying for Nationals 2020
Location: Brooklyn, NY

I started working with Ryan in 2014, when I wanted to get stronger in squat, bench press and deadlift and maybe compete in powerlifting later. It was a great learning experience and a very good investment in myself as a lifter. I got stronger, developed a very good understanding of how the human body moves under a loaded barbell, learned how to analyze my own lifting videos. And the most important part, I made a good friend.

Since about mid 2015 until new years 2017 I continued training and programming for myself and also had great results.

In January 2017 I decided to hire a coach again. Coaching requires scientific background and experience, that Ryan definitely has, but it is a personal service and a relationship first. Ryan is and has always been responsive and attentive to me, takes into account current training and health situation, as well as personal preferences by making decisions for my training program. He also reads similar books that I read and is an amazing human being all around. I’m thankful to have Ryan as a coach and friend and wish him growth and success in all aspects of life.

Varvara Lytkina
Goals & Accolades: Powerlifter
Location: Denver, CO

I have known Ryan for ten years now. Ryan and I met at our Alma Mater in the Rec Center. He asked me for a spot on bench. Some time later I found out he was one of the top level amateur bodybuilders at the time getting ready for a fall show.

If it wasn’t for Ryan’s help and guidance I wouldn’t be where I am in my bodybuilding career. After seeing his work ethic and dedication during his contest prep, I wanted to continue to push myself to be an even better bodybuilder. Under his watchful eye, not only did I win overall at my first sanctioned bodybuilding show, I won the overall and earned my Pro Card.

He is that one person I can rely on to give me an honest opinion about my physique when I am in contest prep that won’t be a sugar coated response. I remember a particular instance when I was prepping for my first pro show. I was 4 weeks out thinking I was ahead of schedule. During our posing practice, Ryan burst my bubble and brought me back to reality. “Dude you can do better, you are an elite bodybuilder. Train and compete like one.”

Ryan’s expertise and knowledge is far beyond the fitness industry. His relentless pursuit to be great at everything he does is second to none. If you’ve ever been around him, it doesn’t take long for you to notice his passion. Again the relentless pursuit of greatness he has for himself, he demands and expects the same from his clients, colleague and friends.

Sam Okunola
Goals & Accolades: Bodybuilder
Location: Chicago, IL

I have been working with Ryan for over a year now, and can only say positive things. He has been a great mentor and is always willing to go above and beyond what is expected. Not only has he helped me increase my strength and size in the gym, he has also changed my outlook on how to approach fitness and training. I have learned to treat fitness as a way to improve my life instead of make it an obsession. Ryan has been a huge part of that.

Since November of 2015 when we started working together we have built a great friendship. At this point I feel comfortable telling Ryan what is going with my life so we can discuss the ways in which it will impact my training. I don’t feel as if I need to walk on eggshells and I never feel as though I am being judged if I have a bad week of training. I am thankful for all that he has done for me and look forward to the progress that’s sure to come.

I should also mention that his programming is phenomenal. He has increased my lifts substantially since we began. He has truly taken all the guess work out of my programming. Each week I check in with him, and I don’t even second guess what he puts on the sheet, I just trust him.

Dan Bertarelli
Goals & Accolades: Muscle Hypertrophy & Strength
Location: West Bridgewater, Massachusetts

Ryan Doris is one of the best in this industry. In the winter of 2014, I decided I wanted to compete in my first physique show. While asking around trying to find a coach, Ryan’s name came up quite a bit so I decided to take a shot. In my spring and fall competitions of 2015 I finished first place. I also won my IFPA pro card the same year working with Ryan. There is just not many people in this industry out there with the pedigree of education, experience and credentials as Ryan. Not only was the end result more than optimal, Ryan was incredible with communication, patient with my inexperience, and his knowledge of the sport was incomparable. I look forward to working with Ryan in the future.

Sean Weese
Goals & Accolades: Physique Competitor
Location: Schiller Park, IL