King Hancock Will Ignite Your Inner Flame

King Hancock is here to be the spark that’ll ignite your fitness journey, whether you’re just beginning or have been working out for years. The New York City-based trainer and group fitness instructor studied public health and became a wellness coordinator for a corporation before a serendipitous event led him into fitness: He was asked to jump in for a trainer that recently quit at the corporation’s fitness facility. 

“I took on all of his clients and was doing a group fitness class that was packed out like crazy,” he says. That was the spark that led to his business, Ignite. “I know that my purpose on this earth is to be a source of light, joy, and inspiration. Fitness just allows me to crack the shell open so I can plant the seeds in when people are at their most vulnerable.” Take King Hancock’s classes on NEOU and get to know him more in the Q&A below: 

What do you love most about your work?

Seeing people transform. It's so inspiring to see someone go from a place of [being] unsure about themselves, not the most confident, not the strongest… to just feeling good. And it's not always that you lost a bunch of weight, it's not always that you're lifting something heavier, that you ran a marathon. It's just that inner feeling that people have when they feel good about themselves, when they feel strong, when they feel confident, and when they feel that they can. 

Who in the fitness industry has inspired you?

I actually saw Shaun T [of] Insanity my senior year in school and I was like, "I want to do that.” It's amazing that my journey has now brought me to on-camera work doing the fitness thing.

What inspires you every day?

It's trying to be the best and trying to be better. I know that if I am not being the best version of myself, I am not living up to all the gifts that are within me. It really is trying to take each one of the gifts that I have [and] making the best of them so that I can shine light into the world. When you shine light into the world, it just shines right back at you. Outside of that, it's my mom and dad, my family and friends, and just being the best person I can be for them.

What's the best way to inspire others?

I really think the best way to inspire people is to be the change that you want to see in the world. Right? Be the inspiration, be it. 

How would you describe your classes?

My classes are a mix of inspiration, physical challenge, motivation, and education. I push people a little bit harder than they may want to be pushed, but that's where results lie.

Why did you choose the name Ignite?

Because I feel like I am the spark in people's lives. Fitness for a lot of people, it's 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or an hour of their 24-hour day. I know that what I'm giving people is small when it comes to time, but all it takes is one spark to ignite and you can freaking blow up.

What do you hope people can take away from your classes?

I hope people take away that they are beings of limitless potential and that every time they make a small step forward, it's doing so much more for them outside of that 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 45 minutes, that hour. Yes, I care so much about the body and you getting healthier and more fit, but honestly, I want the inside of you to be touched. If they come to NEOU and this is the only chance they get to hear “you're beautiful, you're strong, you're talented, great job, and keep it up,” then I want to give them that every single time. We all need it.

Who are you outside of the fitness industry?

In work, I am very professional and I'm very conscious of what I present to the world. Outside of that I consciously work to be someone that will go out and be a little wild and be a little crazy. The inspirational part of me is something that I can't let go of, so there have been times where I'm out and I'm trying to dance and someone's crying to me about their boyfriend and I'm like, “It's okay. You're strong and you're beautiful." That never leaves me. But I would say that outside of fitness, I'm someone that loves life and loves living. And I try to do a lot of it every single day.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your career?

To learn to meet people where they are. In order to really get someone to move in the direction that we want them to go, we have to know where you are on your journey, meet you there, give you as many tools as we can to make the step from one, to two, to three, to four. So it's really getting to people on an individual level. How I coach, it's always giving options and giving people what they need because we're all at different places in our journey. And if I want you to succeed, I can't just pull you to where I am. Sometimes I have to go to where you are and push you forward. 

Rapid Fire Questions

One thing you need on a deserted island?

Give me some sunscreen, limitless, sunscreen.

One food you could never live without?

Fajitas

Clothing size, one too small or three too big?

If you've seen any of my videos, you know that it's one size too small, sometimes more. But I work for it. So I'm like, let me show a little bit of what's going on.

Night in or night out?

I'm a night in guy. 

Shower or bath?

Oh, give me a shower. Get it over with.

Summer or winter?

Summer.

Your number one hype song of all time?

If I'm trying to get into myself, “Legend” by Drake. If I'm trying to turn somebody else up, “Pop That” by French Montana.

Pet peeve?

Negative self-talk.

Guilty pleasure?

Mexican food and margaritas.