Tom Salcetti (’78) believes there are three basic principles for success: education, motivation and perspiration. He took these principles to heart when he founded the company Protocol Fitness in 2010.

Protocol Fitness is not the average training company that focuses solely on working out. Instead, Salcetti also focuses on nutrition, flexibility, supplementation, metabolic conditioning, hormonal balance, rest, recovery and rehabilitation.

While at Whitman, , Salcetti played JV basketball and boxed. He also was an area club swimmer and started playing tennis, which he continues to play competitively to this day. Taking his love for sports to college, Salcetti balanced athletics with molecular biology studies during his time at Vanderbilt University.

Salcetti started Protocol Fitness to teach people about good health habits such as nutrition, stress and sleep. He became involved with the Whitman athletic program when he trained quarterback Henry Kuhn (’11) in 2010. Kuhn went on to play football at Randolph-Macon College, inspiring 10 Whitman athletes to follow in his footsteps and train with Salcetti.

“I saw Henry’s results and Coach Kuhn recommended [Salcetti],” said defensive tackle Kyle Einwaechter, who recently committed to play at Elon University. “I’ve gotten so much stronger and quicker. The difference between my junior and senior season was incredible.”

Other football players have seen dramatic increases in their strength since they started working with Salcetti. Lineman Mark Hunley can now deadlift 365 pounds consistently, whereas before he could barely deadlift at all.

Salcetti doesn’t classify himself as a trainer, though, because he doesn’t run classes or regularly meet with clients. He prefers to think of himself as a teacher.

“I teach movement and coach proper technique with weightlifting,” he explained. “I also work on mobility and flexibility and spend a great deal on nutrition, recovery and other important health topics like stress and sleep.”

Salcetti’s regular program progresses though six levels over the course of six months. As clients master basic movements, the workouts get more complex. While Salcetti only meets with his clients about once a month to review their workout schedules, he requires them to train at least four times a week.

His D-1 program however, involves much more than working out. Salcetti also emphasizes the importance of yoga and metabolic conditioning. In order to see results from Salcetti’s strategies, athletes must be dedicated and willing to push themselves. Despite the pain of the workouts, Einwaechter said he found the results are worth it.

Almost half of Salcetti’s clients are Whitman football players, but recently baseball and basketball players Michael Yang and Andrew and Ben Castagnetti have been working with him, too.

Ben Castagnetti, a sophomore, said athletes benefit from Salcetti regardless of the sport they play.

“The way he has you work out is not really sport specific,” Castagnetti said. “It makes you a better athlete.”