GREEN COVE SPRINGS – His bark is biting. His approach is intensity. And, he teaches high school world history. Figure that one.

Clay High strength and football coach Rodney Keller is usually the most heard sideline voice during Blue Devil football games and practices while his voice is a bit subtle (just a bit) when he is pushing the Clay High girls weightlifting team to individual state titles; one this year and two in 2017.

“For 12 years at Clay, we, the coaches, have been students of our craft,” said Keller, a 2001 Clay graduate and a Div. II football player. “You have to attack what you do, but not necessarily crush every day. The path of least resistance only makes things easy.”

Now, if you care to venture to Green Cove Springs’ newly-renovated Spring Park off the St. Johns River on a Saturday morning whim, Keller, say around 8:30 a.m., will whip up an hour workout for you that may or not save your life, as he says.

Keller’s approach, with wife Shelby of nine years, a physical therapist assistant at Preferred Physical Therapy in Fleming Island, is to introduce those interested to simple, non-expensive ways to improve fitness.

“For the past four to six weeks, we have found so many effective things to do to stay fit with what we have around us,” said Keller. “Consistency is the key.”

That approach, dubbed on Facebook as 5AWeek fitness by Keller, came from a recent trip to Colorado where Keller and his family saw a simple way to offer fitness.

“I saw people there in groups doing their own fitness in these beautiful parks in Utah and Colorado,” said Keller. “I started thinking, we have a great new park in Green Cove Springs and bringing fitness there without the expense of buying a gym might be worth a try. I love my town and if I can bring some inspiration to my family and other people for an hour, I’m good with it.”

Keller introduces his fitness cohorts to four basic thoughts for achieving; Mobility-simple flexibility and movements; strength-mainly isometrics and gymnastics; speedwork-running, jumping and plyometrics, and work capacity-stations for different muscle groups set for quickness.

“It’s about teaching and coaching

fundamental movements with little or no equipment,” said Keller. “Not everyone can go to a gym, but I have had the luck of life to be around coaches and instructors that have given me this knowledge for good results. I would like to give people a way to stay fit with simple exercises that can be done in your yard. Coming to the park just brings a group element to it which is always fun to grind with others.”

One set of “mobility” exercises for Keller includes moves aptly named Crossovers, Wipers, Cobra with inchworm, Spiderman and Doorway have a simple connection to his family.

“All fitness people have their own language and most people my age have kids,” said Keller. “I have three; Evan, 8, Cade, 6, and Bryce “Bear”, 2, that are my inspiration. They are into things like American Ninja Warrior and I want them to have fun and stay fit. Kids stay inside too much.”

Along the way, Keller puts out pithy motivational quotes to keep the thinking going while grinding including

“That is my motivation,” said Keller. “Get your life right in a simple way. We are built to move.”