Most people that come into my program don't come back because they don't have to.
Antonio Pugliese says this proudly. For most coaches, it would sound like bad business. For him, it's the entire point.
"Most people that come into my program, and I can say this proudly, they don't come back because they don't have to because it's more than just a workout routine. It's more than just a nutrition regimen. It's meant to give you skills."
The goal isn't to create dependency. It's to create graduates.
The Skill-Building Difference
Anyone can find a workout plan. ChatGPT will generate one in seconds. But that's not what creates lasting transformation.
"Anyone can go on ChatGPT and get a workout plan and nutrition plan, and it may work for some people, but long-term you're not learning those skills."
The difference is whether you're following instructions or building capability.
Antonio's six-month program isn't about doing workouts -it's about learning how to structure your own fitness for life. By the end, clients don't need him anymore.
"If an individual leaves the program and they feel like they actually developed skills, I know they're going to be fine for the rest of their life. And that's what the purpose of the program is."
What Real Success Looks Like
Antonio's measure of success isn't just the weight lost or muscle gained. It's the change that sticks:
"If you come through the program and you truly feel like you've built a lifestyle and habits that you can take with you, that's the ultimate goal. If you lost 30 pounds for the third time in your life, but this time you actually know how to keep it off, that's the goal."
The third time losing 30 pounds isn't success -it's a revolving door. Success is losing it once and never needing to lose it again.
That requires skills, not just instructions.
The Case Study
Antonio describes his ideal client transformation:
She was an HR professional. 50 pounds overweight. Pre-diabetic. Spending hundreds monthly on takeout. Hated her habits and her lifestyle.
The biggest thing when she started? She didn't believe in herself.
"She didn't even believe in herself. Initially. I basically had to convince her to go all in and say yes to herself."
Six months later:
- Lost the 50 pounds
- No longer pre-diabetic
- Healed her relationship with food
- Wears clothes she never thought she could
- Has a lifestyle she's proud of
"She got everything she wanted and then some. She followed the plan. She did the work and she really reinvented her lifestyle as a busy professional."
The transformation wasn't just physical. She built skills she'll have forever.
Habit Stacking Over Time
Antonio's method centers on progressive skill development:
"The way that I go about coaching is I preach yes flexibility, but I also preach habit stacking. So consistently stacking those habits over time, repeating those habits, positive reinforcement in those habits to get where you want to go."
It starts simple. One habit. Then another layered on top. Then another.
By the end of six months, clients have built an entire system -not memorized a program, but developed the actual capability to maintain their health independently.
When to Keep Going
Graduation isn't always at six months. Sometimes clients want to extend because:
- They had a rough patch and want more support to solidify habits
- They achieved their initial goal and now have new ones
- They want to go deeper into something like muscle building or gut health optimization
Antonio's honest about scope:
"If it is within my scope of profession then yes... but if it's not I would be doing them a disservice in terms of results and I would be doing them disservice in terms of my honesty as a professional."
If a client wants to pursue competitive bodybuilding and that's not his specialty, he refers them to someone better suited. The goal is the client's success, not keeping them as a customer.
The Takeaway
When evaluating any coaching relationship -fitness, business, personal development -ask yourself:
Am I building skills or just following instructions?
The right coach makes themselves unnecessary. They don't create dependency. They create capability.
If you've been working with someone for years and still can't function without them, something's wrong. Either the coaching isn't skill-focused, or you're not doing the work to internalize what you're learning.
The goal is graduation.
Antonio Pugliese coaches busy professionals on building sustainable fitness habits. Follow him on Instagram @pugliese.fitness.