Meet the Founder and Owners of
Monkey Bar Gym

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Meet the Founder and Owners of
Monkey Bar Gym

How did I get where I am today? 

Well first off I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs. My father, Bobby Hinds, was the founder and owner of Lifeline USA, a company that created and developed hundreds of functional fitness equipment. He also created the Jump for Heart program which was a popular fitness program in the 1970's.  My mom, Joy Hinds, helped run Lifeline USA but also had a strength in interior design and was featured in Better Homes and Gardens. My sister, Jil owns Lifeline Equine, a popular supplement company and my other sister Juli is an accomplished professor in Buffalo. And finally, my older brother Jef owns his own comic book restoration company and is part of a classic rock group called Mars Hall Rock.  With this kind of family, it's no wonder i was inspired to be one of the most renowned fitness experts in the country.

 

As a kid, I was obsessed with jumping.  

I trained hours a day jump training and eventually, after many trial and errors creating and developing my Power Jumper, I got an amazing result... I took my vertical jump from 25" to 48"! I developed the Power Jumper in 1997. This product is still used today by athletes like Christiano Ronaldo and Antonio Brown.

 

My Wife, Jessica Hinds  

Grew up in more of an artistic environment with her dad an art teacher and her mom a piano teacher. Jessica herself is talented at many things, design, piano, kettlebells and training. But what she has really excelled at in her almost 20 years of training and BAASE work is healing aches and pains in the body! Jessica is a Certified Neuro-muscular Therapist, Reflexologist and BAASE Yogi at an extremely high level! Her art.....is healing peoples aches and pains!!

The Best in the World using my inventions!

#1 Soccer player in the World Cristiano Ronaldo using the Power Jumper to improve his leg strength & power!

#1 Cyclist in the World Lance Armstrong used the Power Wheel to improve his Core AND hip extension balance & strength!!

NFL running back Todd Gurley and wide out Antonio Brown both shown using my Power Jumper!!

My Inventions in Fitness are Global!

Teams that used my products: Super Bowl Champs, NCAA Football Champs, teams and players in the NBA, MLB, MLS and lots more just to name a few!!

 

Beginning in 1997, I began my list of inventions with the Power Wheel.

I was inspired to create this product when I saw a documentary of Lyle Alzado doing push up plyometrics on the beach while his trainer held his feet. 

I thought it would be great if Lyle didn't have anyone holding his feet so I could go a farther distance. 

So that day, I took a tire off of my bike and strapped plates to it with a long axel rod in the center and taped my feet to the plates. 

I used it in the parking lot of the Lifeline USA building doing the same plyometric push ups that Lyle was doing. 

On my hands i jumped forward, backward and sideways. 

The next day I woke up and could barely get out of bed because my abs were so sore!

I realized that this idea worked amazing as an ab strengthening tool and the Power Wheel was born in 1997. 

In 2001, the Power Wheel was voted the #1 Fitness Tool by Mens Fitness Magazine!

Since that time I've invented a slew of other amazing fitness tools: the Power Push Up, the Power Jumper, the Lateral Resistor, the Vertical Jumper, the Power Sports Trainer and the Jungle Gym XT!! The very 1st suspension trainer in the world!!

Some of my Inventions:

  • Power Push Up - developed incredible upper body strength and power! With NO weight training this tool took my bench press to 21 reps with 225lbs!!
  • Power Jumper - THE tool that took my vertical from 25" to 48"!!
  • Power Sports Trainer - full body resistance for running, jumping, punching, skating, crawling and more!!
  • Vertical Jumper - adjustable resistance for the legs for squats, vertical and broad jumps!
  • Power Wheel - #1 Core Trainer in World!
  • C-band - Core Conditioning Tool and 1 Leg Jump Training Tooll!! Friend Costallano Huffman designed!
  • Lateral Resistor - perfect lateral movement resistor for all sports!
  • Jungle Gym XT - 1st Suspension Trainer invented in 1997!

Jon has Trained some of the Highest level Celebrities and Athletes in the world!

 

CELEBRITIES:

David Bayer - Developed what is regarded as the most advanced online personal development program by Inc 500!! Training David has been amazing! He like everyone has challenges in movement and the great thing about D is his awareness and desire to work on his weak points!

Woody Harrelson - trained Woody for over 10 years while living in LA. He got me to begin looking into doing yoga and eating more consciously. WAY ahead of his time on those points!

Steve Guttenberg - trained Steven for over 10 years while living in LA and currently on again in our MBG Exclusive Membership! Still to this day one of my best friends!!

And many many more!

PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES:

Shawn Kemp - worked with Shawn when he first entered the NBA... one of the most incredible athletes I've every trained!

Darryl Strawberry - worked with Darryl for 10 years while in LA....amazing athlete!!

Glenn Braggs - one of my first high level athletes i trained in LA, His picture below is just after he broke a bat on his back just from his powerful swing in the World Series!!, Still probably the best built athlete I ever trained.

Eric Davis - trained "E" for 10 years while living in LA! Speed and Power off the charts!! Appreciate E a lot as he always schooled this young kid about life!

Gary Sheffield, David Justce, Frank Thomas - got to train all these WITH Darryl and Eric for a few summers in 1 big group! THAT was incredible to be so lucky to train all those guys daily!!

The Los Angeles Clippers - lucky to be their Strength & Conditioning Coach at a time when most teams didn't even have one!!! What an amazing experience!!

Penny Hardaway - what an awesome guy!! Loved to be able to work with him even just for a short time! For his size and frame he's still one of the most powerful athletes I've ever trained and even nicer person!

Wesley Matthews - trained Wesley since he was in 8th grade thru getting into the NBA! Super hard worker!!

And many many more!

Featured in some of the most influential
Health & Fitness Books and Magazines in the world!!

The China Study....... WHOLE....... and now..... The Future of Nutrition by Dr. Colin Campbell. What an honor to be mentioned  by our good friend Colin Campbell. He is one of the nicest people on this planet!!

Thrive - by Brendan Brazier - met Brendan when we lived in Chicago and we talked alot on food and athleticism alot!! His books are must read for plant based athletes!!

Meat is for Pussies - by John Joseph - talk about passion!! Dang!! John is not only Hard Core, but he's hard core about being, eating, living the vegan lifestyle and he's never quiet about expressing his points....I LOVE THAT!

Forks Over Knives - met the FOKs people about a year before the book and movie came out....we were actually suppose to be IN the movie, but got cut out:) no worries!:) Great info, great started book for all plant based people!

 

 

As Featured In:

Experience, World Champion, World Class Athletic Achievement!!

One of the 1st Lecturers and Head Instructors for the National Academy of Sports Medicine! - Lectured at Universities in Europe and across the United States as well on the benefits of Functional Training!!

World & Pan American Champion in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu! Trained under the World Famous Rickson Gracie and then Luiz Claudio Augusto!!

World Class Physical Achievement! Taking my vertical jump from a modest 25" of barely touching the rim (10') to an amazing and very rarely achieved 48" vertical jump and touching 11'8" and hitting his head easily on the rim!!

Both Jon & Jessica are Master Level Yogi's! - Jon Trained directly under Roger Eischens and both have been doing BAASE alignment training for over 20 years!!!

JESSICA HINDS - On top of being a Master Yogi, Jessica is a Reflexologist, Neuro-Muscular Therapist, Master Lever MBG Trainer, Amateur Boxer, Elite Level and GS Kettlebell Sport Athlete!