Built From Nothing.
Neither of us started with anything. Laie and Emily both come from very poor families — the kind of poor where you learn early that nobody is coming to hand you a better life. You build it, or you don’t have it.
Laie grew up the fat kid. Joining the U.S. Army changed his life — the discipline, the training, the food. People started asking what his “secret” was, and he became a personal trainer. Sixteen years of coaching later, changing lives is still the whole job.
For more than eight years, this gym has been ours. Emily runs the floor as head coach. Laie builds every member’s program from their Fit3D scan — we don’t guess. And just down Airline Highway, our family runs Xtreme Performance Nutrition too. Everything we have, we built from nothing — and everything we teach, we learned by doing it ourselves.
We got married in Utah, and after my last pro show in Florida — a trip that doubled as our honeymoon — I hung up my competing shoes for good. Twenty-two years ago we moved our family to Louisiana with no relatives here and not knowing a soul. I worked days as a signal communication engineer on the railroad. Emily raised our baby and hustled every gym job she could find — spin instructor, personal trainer, corporate boot camps, even coordinating wellness events at one of the big plants. When we opened the nutrition store, the baby was in the back room and we tag-teamed it: Emily worked mornings, I came in evenings after the railroad, and we switched off.
We’ve made good investments since, and some really bad ones — made some, lost some, and learned the expensive lessons either way. What carried us was never money. It was community: the people in this gym world and in our faith who pushed us to be better. If you want to succeed at anything, find your community — going alone is never a good idea. We owe a lot of people for where we are, and we try to pay it forward on this floor every day.
And that’s the pattern behind everything we own — every business was born because I lived the problem first, then built the answer myself. This gym came out of my own transformation and sixteen years of coaching. Our marketing company, SERP Maverick, was born the exact same way — the agencies burned me, so I learned it and built it. And I still live this life. Back in my competing days I won the Utah State open as the only natural athlete on stage, then the Mountain West Natural overall and a pro card. These days my stage is the beach, vacations with my family, and the clients right here in this gym. I walk the talk and lead by example — what we teach you is never theory. It’s our life.
No hype. Just results.
Meet Your Coaches
You’ll see the same coaches every session. They know your name, your numbers, and your goals — and they coach every workout, start to finish.
Coach L — Laie Wong
Owner | Programming & Nutrition
Coach L leads programming and nutrition at Regymen Fitness Ascension. He’s the owner of Regymen and Xtreme Performance Nutrition, and he personally builds every member’s nutrition program around their Fit3D scan numbers — protein first, no starvation diets.
Emily Wong
Owner | Head Coach
Emily Wong moved to Louisiana from Utah in 2005. At the age of 19 Emily discovered fitness helped with anxiety and depression and has made it her mission to share that message ever since. She is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer, 2007 and holds certifications in Pilates, ELDOA, Myofascial Stretching, and many more through the SOMA TRAINING TEXAS Institute. She has worked for many local organizations and companies heading up their wellness programming. Emily is always seeking to learn, grow and study more and teach others along the way. She is full of energy with enough to share! With over 21 years in the fitness industry, Emily has seen the benefits of committing to fitness in herself and those she works with. As the owner of REGYMEN Fitness Ascension, she stays busy but also loves to cook for her family, and will sneak away to a beach any chance she gets. “REGYMEN FITNESS has given me so much to be grateful for, but above all are the amazing relationships with the people I get to serve each week.”
Certifications: ACE Certified Personal Trainer · Pilates · ELDOA · Myofascial Stretching
Fun fact: Emily stays busy but also loves to cook for her family, and will sneak away to a beach any chance she gets. She loves hiking, camping, and climbing each time she visits her family back home.
Audra Collett
Coach
Audra Collett has been in the fitness industry as an ACE Certified Group Fitness Instructor since 2014. She also holds certifications as an ACE Fitness Nutrition Specialist, Maddogg Spin Instructor, TRX Instructor, and MOSSA Fight and Yoga Instructor. Originally from Shreveport, Audra developed a spirit of competition as a young athlete. She competed in track/field, gymnastics, and tennis. Audra feels the very best part of being a REGYMEN coach is engaging with people to change their lives not just physical but mentally. “To witness the transformation is truly an amazing experience.”
Certifications: ACE Group Fitness Instructor · ACE Fitness Nutrition Specialist · TRX · Spin · MOSSA Fight & Yoga
Fun fact: Audra loves to travel, read, cook, spend time with family, and of course work out!
Christy Canale
Coach | Senior Fitness Specialist
Christy received her Personal Training Certification through NASM in 2012. She is also certified as a Senior Fitness Specialist. Christy has always had a love for fitness. Being involved in sports at a young age was a huge part of her childhood through adolescent life. After her second child was born, she decided to really dive into the fitness industry and became a personal trainer. The biggest reward for her is to see the positive change that exercise can create in people’s lives. Christy believes REGYMEN is life changing for so many who might have otherwise given up on fitness. One of the many things she loves about REGYMEN is the personal connections she makes on a daily basis.
Certifications: NASM Certified Personal Trainer · Senior Fitness Specialist
Fun fact: In her spare time, she and her husband are usually at one of the many sporting events her two girls are involved in or having family game night.
Colby Jackson
Coach
Colby has been involved with sports his whole life, ranging from football, track and field, boxing, ultimate frisbee, golf, anything to stay active. For the past 4 years he’s been devoted to people’s health by becoming a personal trainer, boxing trainer, group fitness trainer, and flexologist. He enjoys having a good laugh and a great time!
Certifications: Personal Trainer · Boxing Trainer · Group Fitness Trainer · Flexologist
Fun fact: Coach Colby is a crowd favorite at REGYMEN for his playlists.
Joshua Andrews
Coach
I’m originally from Gonzales, Louisiana, and a proud graduate of Grambling State University, where I earned my degree in Kinesiology and Psychology. As a former collegiate athlete, I’ve always had a passion for movement, performance, and helping others reach their potential.
I bring over two years of experience in physical therapy and more than seven years of combined training, including sports performance, strength, and functional fitness. My background allows me to blend athletic-level training with injury prevention and recovery strategies to help clients perform — and feel — their best.
When I’m not in the gym, you can probably find me planning my next adventure — I make it a point to go on at least one cruise every year to relax, recharge, and explore new places.
Certifications: Kinesiology & Psychology, Grambling State University · Physical Therapy Experience
Fun fact: I have been out of the country 6 times: Belize, Bahamas, Jamaica, Mexico, Cayman Islands, & The Dominican Republic.
Come meet them in person — free.
Your first workout is free, your Fit3D scan is free, and your consultation with Coach L is free. By appointment.
