After walking away from a successful corporate career in media and backpacking across the globe, Jules Ryan came home to Long Island with a new mission — to help people move better, perform stronger and live pain-free.
Ryan, 34, is the founder of Jules Ryan Performance LLC, a training and human movement assessment business based out of Pure Bread Training in Uniondale. In just over a year, he’s already helped close to 100 people — from marathon runners and dancers to truck drivers — move more efficiently and get out of pain.
“I don’t touch a client until I’ve assessed them,” Ryan told Greater Long Island. “Most pain comes from poor movement. Fix that, and the body starts to heal.”
HOW IT HAPPENED
A Floral Park native and former baseball player at Baruch College, Ryan initially pursued a degree in business and worked in corporate media for Complex Networks. But he quickly burned out.
“I quit cold turkey and went soul searching,” he said.
That journey took him across Southeast Asia and South America, where he taught English, picked up Muay Thai kickboxing, and developed a deep interest in biomechanics and the human body.
“I had some situations abroad that made me feel physically helpless,” he recalled. “When I came home, I knew I didn’t want to feel that way again.”
He began coaching Muay Thai at an mixed martial arts gym but soon realized that constantly absorbing punches from larger athletes wasn’t sustainable for his 160-pound frame.
That’s when he pivoted — getting certified in strength and conditioning under Phil Daru, a trainer for UFC stars like Dustin Poirier and Joanna Jędrzejczyk. He also pursued deeper study in biomechanics under Donnie Raimon, a world renown biomechanist and performance coach.
THE DIFFERENCE
What makes Ryan’s approach unique is his commitment to assessments. Every client — athlete or not — begins with a 54-point orthopedic measurement screening, followed by a seven-pattern movement assessment that includes squats, lunges and bends.
Only then does training begin.
“People want to jump right into box jumps and squats,” Ryan said. “But so many injuries happen because we skip the basics.”
He points to skyrocketing non-contact injuries — torn ACLs, Achilles ruptures — as evidence that movement quality has declined, even as fitness trends grow.
Ryan said most people, especially those who sit at desks or drive for a living, suffer from poor posture and weak movement mechanics. And even athletes who train rigorously often skip recovery and mobility work.
“We’ve done a great job getting these guys faster and stronger,” Ryan said. “But we’ve done a poor job at teaching real recovery.”
SUCCESS STORIES
Ryan recalled a dancer who came in with persistent pain under her shoulder blade. She had tried cupping, massage, and stretching to no avail. After a full assessment, Ryan found the issue wasn’t in her back at all — it was tightness in her pecs pulling her scapula out of position.
“I gave her some correctives, and she was out of pain,” he said. “Everyone’s a puzzle. My job is to put the pieces back in place.”
Another client was preparing for a marathon but was sidelined by knee pain. After two weeks of working with Ryan, she was running without discomfort.
THE ETHOS
Ryan doesn’t promise miracles — but says the success stories speak for themselves.
“It’s past the point of coincidence,” he said. “There are undeniable principles in the human body. If you improve alignment and stop moving poorly, the body usually heals itself.”
He likens it to buying a car.
“You wouldn’t just drive a car off the lot without checking under the hood,” he said. “So why would we treat our bodies any different?”
IF YOU GO
Jules Ryan Performance LLC
Located inside Pure Bread Training
319 Oak Street, Uniondale, NY
