Why I Started Tighten Up
I didn't become a Personal Trainer because I loved going to the gym. I became one because I needed to understand how to make my own body stronger.
A spinal injury in my twenties left me dealing with years of pain, restricted movement and an arm that would go numb. At the time, I was working as a professional DJ, carrying heavy record boxes and equipment. Being strong wasn't about looking a certain way. It was about being able to do what I needed to do.
I tried the big commercial gym experience. I even bought a five-year membership and probably went five times! I didn't know what I was doing, didn't feel particularly comfortable and wasn't given much reason to go back.
Eventually, I started working with a Personal Trainer. That experience taught me a lot, including what I didn't want training to look like. I wanted to understand how the body worked, why we did certain exercises and how to build strength that actually served a purpose.
So, in 2007, I qualified as a Personal Trainer and Tighten Up was born.
Over the years, I worked across several gyms before taking over the St Kilda premises in 2019. I rebuilt the space into something I'd wanted for years: a welcoming, practical studio that wasn't intimidating, with room for both Personal Training and Small Group Training.
Today, my philosophy is much the same as when I started.
Strength is independence. It's being able to move furniture, carry heavy things, get on with life and do things for yourself.
That's why we focus on good coaching, structured training and building strength that goes beyond the gym.
We Build Stronger Bodies For Life.
Our Vision, Mission and Values
