Motivator, jokester, “Energizer Bunny” (or, more accurately, “Energizer Barracuda”). If you’re in the vicinity of our fitness studio on Wednesday or Friday, you’re more likely to hear coach Todd Smith before you see him. His booming voice, always relaying a jovial pun as vigorously as it’s insisting on strong posture at the TRX band station, is as signature to The Bandeen Center as the circuit-style workout itself. Members and staff come to Coach Todd when they need a pep talk, an extra push, or a broad and compassionate shoulder to lean on. Yes, he may sound like a drill sergeant—but the only trait that surpasses Todd’s big voice is his big heart.
A mainstay of the fitness industry for more than 30 years, Todd is a college professor, seasoned performance and wellness specialist, coach, veteran health club manager and former national master instructor for Equinox. When he’s not encouraging members to “go hard” during their Total Body workouts, you’re likely to find him on his native Long Island, consulting for small businesses or making time for his students at Hofstra University, where he teaches an exercise-for-Parkinson’s course. For this “Ask an Expert” feature, Todd takes us through the circuitous path that thankfully led him to supporting the PD community, what The Bandeen Center means to him, and why he’s excited about our new personal training program he helped develop.
You’re a natural at teaching and training. Was performance coaching always part of your life plan?
Growing up, I wanted to be a professional athlete. The summer before I started playing football at Slippery Rock University in Western Pennsylvania, a friend and I started a boot-camp-style education program for local kids who couldn’t afford college. That experience pushed me toward a Parks and Recreation major, which I later switched to Sports Management. Along the way, a classmate and workout buddy became invested in helping me up my game, developing strategies to make me stronger and faster. This is when I realized exercise science was where I truly belonged. So, one semester before graduation, and against my advisor’s stern warning, I switched majors a third and final time. It was hectic, but it was the right call.
With a degree in hand, I landed an internship at Gold’s Gym in East Northport, LI, working with professional bodybuilders and strongmen while teaching aerobics. As my client base grew, I joined Equinox as a full-time trainer and worked my way up to training and mentoring new instructors nationwide. The teaching was especially meaningful for me. I loved bringing high energy to 1:1 relationships, building the confidence of young professionals, and modeling the patience and support my own mentors showed me. Whether you’re a heavyweight boxer or in a wheelchair, I believe everyone is an athlete and deserves to be treated as one. My job as a coach is to see the whole person—physical, psychological, social—so I can meet them where they are, and figure out what they’ve got left to give that day. A great coach brings out the best in you because they see the best in you, even when you can’t see it yourself. So many people gave me that gift; coaching this next generation is how I repay it.
How did you get involved in Parkinson’s fitness?
The roundabout way, of course! During my time as a trainer, I was paired with a client who had severe clinical depression. With the right medical care, exercise program and support from our team, he got through it, and his gratitude for what I helped carry him through was profound. Fascinated with the brain and body correlation, a colleague recommended I take Hofstra’s Parkinson’s exercise course. Then I was asked to teach it.
Why did you want to join the Bandeen Center?
When I looked at The Bandeen Center, I saw a promising organization that, like me as a coach, embodied a whole-person philosophy. And it delivers that every day. I’m also inspired by the center’s goal to give away one third of its memberships to increase access for people who otherwise couldn’t afford to join and improve their lives. The Bandeen Center isn’t just a gym. It’s a place where people can find community, build friendships, and access resources they can trust. The community we’re building here is everything. I see it touch every part of people’s lives: work, family, social connection, faith. Just last week, a member told me her life is better because of this place, and it’s not something she could find anywhere else. Another member comes in early just to give me a hard time before his class. It’s his love language. Two others play ping pong for hours and then try to crush everyone at Trivial Pursuit. They’re not here to work out. They’re here because they belong.
What gets you up in the morning?
These days, it’s the people I meet here. One of the members thanked me recently for not letting him slack off. He’s given me more than I could ever give him.
You’re also excited about the center’s newly launched personal training program. Tell us more.
Personal training adds a level of connection you don’t get anywhere else: you’re given the opportunity to get to know someone’s family, their goals, and what matters to them. Everyone fighting PD deserves the center’s high-quality programs, and personal training is one of the ways we make that possible.
So much of what I’ve learned and been able to accomplish comes from the people who came before me—mentors, teachers, and countless colleagues who have shared their knowledge, challenged me, and taught me so much along the way.
The people I respect and have had the privilege to learn from are what made all of this possible. I’ve really just been a willing participant on an amazing ride.
To learn more about The Bandeen Center’s in-house personal training program, please visit our website or get in touch via email, info@parkinsonswf.org. To learn what you call a very dependable horse, you’ll have to ask Coach Todd!
