James Anthony McDermott II

James McDermott is the Head Coach of Albany CrossFit located in Albany, New York. He specializes in Weightlifting instruction and is an avid competitor in the sport. During his tenure, James has coached numerous athletes to the podium as well as athletes competing in the CrossFit East Regionals. While he is very active in sports & fitness now – this was not always the case. As a teenager James struggled with a multitude of health issues as a result of being overweight and living an unhealthy lifestyle. As he matured into a young adult, James became increasingly unhappy with his life and decided to do something about it. He took responsibility for his personal health and fitness by eating healthier, exercising and playing sports. Eventually, through a fiery passion for fitness, James began to seek out knowledge on how he could help others live happier, healthier lives. James entered college with a simple goal: to pursue a career in the fitness industry. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology from State University of New York (SUNY) College at Cortland in 2012. His relentless passion to help others be better led him to discover Albany CrossFit where he was hired as an intern coach. James dedicated the next few years to Albany CrossFit and saw more responsibility given to him through a series of promotions in the company. He views his role in the gym and opportunity to help bring about positive change in the lives of others as a privilege and believes he truly has the best job in the world. He is always looking for ways he can improve as a coach and expand upon his knowledge to better serve his athletes. It would be that search for knowledge that led James into writing books. His first, co-authored with National Weightlifting Champion Jon North, came about after James took meticulous notes at one of North's weightlifting seminars - The Attitude Nation Level 1. Those notes, along with articles from North's online diary eventually came together years later to form the book The Dark Orchestra. This book depicts of Jon's journey in the sport of Olympic weightlifting beginning with his addiction to crystal meth and concluding with him winning the national championship. The text is also filled with North’s methods and philosophies on technique for the exercises of the Snatch, Clean, and Jerk. James co-wrote his second book, Own Your Eating: The Definitive Guide to Flexible Eating with the former owner of Albany CrossFit Jason Ackerman. The book gives instruction on how to lose weight and live a happy lifestyle through pursuing a healthy relationship with food and personal eating habits. The goal of James's books is to provide others with inspiration and tools that can be used to better their own lives any way possible. Follow James on Instagram: @jamesamcdermott www.jamesamcdermott.com