The Coach
NicholasMercanti.
Bodybuilding coach in Hamilton, Ontario. One year running Beyondyourgoals, and a long road before it.
Based in
Hamilton, ON
Trains
Men who want to feel better in their own skin — beginners welcome
Competed
Toronto Naturals, 2026 — first bodybuilding show
In his words
I started at thewrong end of this.
“I started training because I was very skinny and needed to gain weight. I started weight training and it felt really good but then I tore my bicep due to incorrect training which caused me to gain weight. I ended up being 255lb at 5’10… After this I dedicated my time to learning how nutrition works and proper lifting technique. Eventually I went on and competed in my first body building show at the Toronto Naturals in 2026. After this, I knew I had what it took to help guide people in the right direction in terms of there fitness journey.”
Nicholas Mercanti, founder of Beyondyourgoals
I coach mostly bodybuilding style training that ties into strength and conditioning. That means we build shape and capability together — you get a body you're happy in and a body that works, not one at the expense of the other. Technique comes first, because I already paid for the alternative.
Fuel, not punishment. The nutrition side of my coaching is deliberately built around food you actually want to eat. When I was 255lb the thing that finally worked wasn't a stricter list of banned foods, it was understanding energy balance and protein well enough to keep steak, rice, pasta and the meals I looked forward to inside the plan. That's why my check-ins ask what you enjoyed eating, not just what you weighed. A plan you resent is a plan with an expiry date, and I'd rather coach the one you'll still be running in a year.
The other half is contact. I do daily check-ins with my clients through texts and weekly call check-ins for online clients. I refuse to let my client feel like they're alone in this process. Every mistake I made, I made with nobody watching. My clients don't have to learn that way.
“I am here to guide them the whole way.”
Nicholas Mercanti — on how he coaches
Start where you actually are.
Tell me your week and what you want to feel like. I'll tell you honestly what it takes.