A Columbia High School graduate has made quite a name for himself in the world of personal training and fitness over the years, and he recently garnered some new attention with the publishing of his second book.

Joey Thurman has served as a health, fitness and nutrition expert based in Chicago for many years, also working as a trainer for a number of celebrities while making a multitude of TV appearances.

“If you name it, I’ve probably done it in fitness, nutrition and television, but Columbia, I guess, is kinda where it all started,” Thurman said.

Originally from Wisconsin, Thurman and his family moved to Columbia when he was a teenager, and he ended up graduating from CHS in 2001.

While attending high school, Thurman maintained a passion for athletics he said he’s always had, acting as a goalie for the CHS soccer team but finding an even greater interest in hockey.

Thurman later attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where he said he changed his major three times, ultimately graduating with a Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree as he wasn’t able to find an athletic-related major that really interested him.

During his time in college, Thurman continued to play hockey as well as his hobby of weightlifting that began his senior year at CHS.

Thurman was eventually able to participate in a personal training program at the school thanks to a teaching assistant in the physiology department.

After his senior year, Thurman said he made his way to Chicago to get his first job at Crunch Fitness – he also considered moving to Los Angeles but wanted to stay close to home.

From there, Thurman said his career really took off. 

From meeting his wife in Chicago to all the TV appearances and celebrity fitness training he’s done, Thurman has found a great deal of success thanks to his athletic inclination, though he wasn’t sure what would come of that passion when he was younger.

“I never really knew what to do with that. I was always just naturally athletic,” Thurman said. “I just started lifting in college because it was something to do, and I really wanted to look good, and then I realized senior year and after that, I was like ‘Wow, there can be a career in this.’”

Recently, Thurman has received plenty of attention for his newest book “The Minimum Method: The Least You Can Do to Be a Stronger, Healthier, Happier You.”

This book was published in December, though Thurman also authored “365 Health & Fitness Hacks” in 2016.

Thurman said “The Minimum Method” really came together during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He explained the focus of the book is to help those simply looking to get started in improving health and wellness rather than serving as a strict training regiment.

“I wrote this book for the person struggling to get off the couch to the starting line,” Thurman said. “You’ve got so many people online and often in person like ‘Where do I start? I’ve gotta work out. I’ve gotta crush life. I see all these influencers doing these things. I gotta get one percent better every day…’ We’re bombarded with all this information.”

Thurman acknowledged the idea that everyone has the same 24 hours simply isn’t true, as many individuals simply aren’t going to have the time to invest in a full-scale, intensive exercise regiment.

With that in mind, he explained there are smaller changes people can make to their lives and daily routines to improve overall health and wellness.

He specifically pointed to sleep, noting how beneficial it can be for an individual to get a regular amount of sleep at a consistent time.

The book, Thurman said, discusses its topics with three separate tracks or levels of varying intensity, with the end of every chapter serving as a set of instructions for each level so readers are able to easily flip through and decide what they’d like to do from there.

Moving forward, Thurman said he plans to continue work in the health and fitness industry, mainly focusing on online coaching while he also works out the possibility of a TV or streaming series.

Thurman also said he’s been in some talks about the possibility of publishing another book, though wasn’t able to offer more details.

Thurman is also interested in continuing his personal athletic interests – including bodybuilding – with the overall hope of serving as a good role model for his young son.

“I’m always doing something else, striving for something else,” Thurman said. “I’m always hitting that finish line and then setting a new one, and that’s kinda how I treat my life.”

For more information on Thurman and to check out “The Minimum Method,” visit joeythurman.com.