Koss Marte's Prison Fitness Empire

Prison to Possibilities

Koss Marte spent six years in prison for drug dealing, lost 70 pounds in six months with makeshift workouts, and then taught fitness classes in the same park where he used to sell drugs. The result of his transformation — and driving force behind his money-making fitness business? Marte’s moonlight journey was marked by self-improvement, resilience, and a desire to lift up others. When he started working out in prison, he used every inch of his cell, even turning his toilet into a makeshift exercise tool. The tools were sparse and the environment was not conducive to fitness, but the drive was strong. By building a fitness regimen on the only tools accessible to him, Marte found a way to avoid a doctor's grim prognosis. Doctors told him his cholesterol levels would kill him. Marte credits his new regimen for the turnaround. "I remember I got my first client in a couple of weeks. My first person was my mom. My mom was coming every day with me in the park." That client, and many more, helped him build his yet another empire — a million-dollar fitness business.

The Fitness Industry

People who have spent time in prison often find it difficult to reintegrate into society. They have trouble finding jobs and fitting into communities. As one study from the U.S. Department of Justice states: "Formerly incarcerated individuals face significant employment barriers, including stigma and discrimination, lack of job skills and education, and criminal record checks." Marte decided to defy the stigma. "The resistance from former inmates is there, but it’s a societal resistance to the whole notion of giving people a second chance." ConBody. He created this fitness center with a mission: to hire employees who are formerly incarcerated. Marte uses his own story to motivate and his own skills to mentor and teach. Marte’s fitness classes and gym programs are unique. ConBody's classes are based on the workouts he did in prison — workouts you can do anywhere, not needing any equipment or much space. He prefers to use his personal experience to push his clients to the limit.

The Invisible Fitness Tools

The keys to Marte’s fitness regimen are the creativity to see exercises in every object and place, and the discipline to commit to a workout routine. Any object can become a gym tool with the right mindset. A toilet seat can become a mini, elevated workout platform. Even the toilet seat can become a mini, elevated workout platform. The space to work out was also a challenge, but Marte found a way to make his tiny cell useful. "I had my toilet right here," he said. "I would do, like, incline push-ups, get down, feet on the tip of the toilet." The space and object limitations were turned into challenges to overcome. The real challenge was maintaining the discipline to work out for three hours every single day. The regimented schedule became the invisible tool. In prison, there is not much to do, and the days blend into one another, making it easier to stick to a routine. Koss used this routine to his advantage and turned it into a fitness regimen.

Combat Prejudice

He faced prejudice from his own community once he was released, and he faced probably more when he announced he would hire only formerly incarcerated individuals. When Marte started his fitness classes in the same park, his neighbors had concerns, yet also found comfort in recognizing that everyone deserves a chance to rebuild their lives. Marte’s drive to succeed, however, proved too powerful for the community's prejudices to overcome. He did not let that alter his mission or his path. When you asked him about coming out of prison, "When we see somebody coming out of prison, we say that person is gone." He is coming out of prison, and he said that, "I wanted to do an internship as soon as I came out." The quick defiance of that line of thought is believable.

Shape Shifters

The philosophy of ConBody is to turn every inch of your body, regardless of your tools, into a gym. This is how Marte began, and this is how he vows to continue. He wants his clients to do the same — use the body weight movements and the body itself to stay fit, just like Marte did in prison. It is not about the equipment or the machines, but about the invention, dedication, and hard work. The eight-count movements, for example, are a series of compound movements that incorporate bursts of cardio and strength training to get an effective full-body workout. Do bursts of cardio and strength training.

The Resistance Game

Marte's story goes against a thought pattern that highlights the struggle of former inmates. Not only was he able to avoid a doctor's grim diagnosis, but he also found a way to succeed and hire employees who have also had the same struggle. Marte’s story is one of resilience and empowerment, and one that shows there’s always a chance for a second opportunity. We need to stop seeing inmates as people who are going to be lost and start seeing them as potential successors, he advocates.