A competitive spirit still fuels former collegiate and AFL player James Easterling. However, his goals have shifted. After years of chasing dreams on the football field, he founded the Dallas-based Elite Training. Easterling brings years of experience in athletics, ministry, and entrepreneurship to help people live a better quality of life through personal and group fitness training.
Early Talent on the Gridiron
Talent surfaced early for Easterling in Fort Worth, where he became the first student at Crowley High School to earn a Division I football scholarship. Texas Tech welcomed him as a four-year scholarship athlete. While there, he played alongside teammates like Cliff Kingsbury and West Welker. Opportunities fell short with the NFL and the Canadian Football League, but he found success in the Arena Football League, where he became a starting tailback for teams in Nebraska and St. Louis.
Football taught Easterling perseverance. When opportunities faded, he pivoted. Retail jobs and coaching stints didn’t fulfill him. A friend introduced him to personal training, and everything changed. Easterling studied the business and launched his fitness company, East Fitness, in 2010. In 2023, Elite Training was born.
A Mindset Built on Service
Customer service sits at the heart of Easterling’s work. Helping clients improve their health, gain confidence, and extend their longevity keeps him focused on results, not appearances. “It’s not about you being on social media, flexing your muscles and showing your body,” he says. “No one cares about that.”
A results-centered mindset drives the mission of Elite Training. Along with personal training, group workouts are a key part of his model. Competition fuels effort, and support creates accountability. With trends like Ozempic gaining traction in fitness, Easterling offers clients valuable advice. “I don’t mind Ozempic,” he says. “But if you are going in that direction, I would tell you to maintain your protein and lift weights.”
Belief as the Starting Point
Easterling’s truck displays the words “Believe, Train, and Excel.” The message sums up his business and personal life. To achieve fitness goals, he points out that transformation begins with believing in oneself and a higher calling. “Once you get it in your mind, you start believing it and then whatever you believe, you start implementing it; that’s training,” he says.
Family is also a motivating factor. Easterling and his wife have a 26-year-old daughter preparing for marriage and three younger children. They’re watching their father build something lasting. With that in mind, he hopes they see a man who works hard and leads with integrity. “I tell people all the time that the thing about a leader is that a leader is not born; leaders are made,” he says.
A Lasting Impact Beyond the Gym
Plans for Elite Training include expanding the team, adding more specialized trainers, and growing a fleet of mobile training vehicles. Services like sport-specific training and youth athletic development are on the horizon. Easterling may also launch an Elite Performance Center to serve professional athletes and school districts.
The focus remains on building a family-centered business that honors clients and gives glory to God. Every new trainer is selected not just for the skills, but for their alignment with the company’s values. “We all give glory and honor to God for allowing us to be part of a person’s life to help them achieve their fitness goals,” Easterling says.
Recently recognized as a Top Professional by Marquis Who’s Who, Easterling doesn’t limit success to fame or financial gain. “If you can come in and transform somebody’s life to where they will live a lot longer and will be able to enjoy their grandchildren and do things like that, that’s what I feel is personal training,” he says.
