Robert Polenik – Owner
Rob started his fitness journey at 15 years old and has been a personal trainer for over 20 years.
He has earned multiple certifications and health-related degrees in his pursuit to learn as much as possible in order to help others live their healthiest and happiest lives through physical fitness.
Rob’s background & experience are featured on the website’s homepage.
Meredith Wittman – Owner
Meredith has an extensive and varied fitness-related background including 24 years of classical dance training (6 years of competitive dancing), track, lacrosse, and competitive cheerleading. She has competed in multiple aesthetic show competitions winning Women’s Physique Overall at her first-ever competition and Top 5 at the NPC Mid-Atlantic Classic. Meredith also holds an Olympic Lifting Coaching certification that she earned at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado.
Prior to entering the world of bodybuilding, Meredith was a yoga enthusiast and trained for the Charlotte marathon.
Meredith is a certified Level-1 CrossFit Coach with coaching experience at several premier CrossFit boxes in the Charlotte area, including one that hosted The Open in 2013. In addition, CrossFit HQ filmed a program she developed for her colleagues which is currently on YouTube titled “Fit to Teach” which has over 250,000+ downloads. With the exposure from YouTube, she helped implement the program at a High School in Australia.
She’s passionate about helping others of all ages become their best selves in all areas of life including mental and emotional health in addition to physical health.
Jonathan Logan
I’ve always enjoyed the feeling of challenging myself and turning my weaknesses into strengths. When I first began exercising, it was for purely aesthetic purposes. However, over the past 20 years, my goals have ranged from building muscle, increasing strength, reducing fat, improving mobility, and increasing overall health and wellness. Regardless of the goal, the approach has always remained the same; continue learning and applying that knowledge into a practical and sustainable way of life. I’m extremely blessed to be able to share this lifestyle with my wife and children as we continually strive to be the best version of ourselves.
This mentality eventually led to earning my degree in Exercise Science at Winthrop University, obtaining an ACSM personal trainer certification, and going on to become a drug free NGA pro physique competitor. Even now, I’m still driven to gain more knowledge and experience helping others accomplish their own fitness related goals. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to learn from some amazing mentors over the years, and I’m confident in my ability to help people regardless of their goal or life circumstances. I sincerely believe that people can achieve what others may believe is impossible if they’re simply willing to learn and work to consistently apply that knowledge.
Betty Polenik
Betty has competed in multiple women’s bodybuilding and physique competitions (she placed 2nd in her first ever show!) and she’s competed in 10 powerlifting competitions culminating in Elite Totals and all State Records in two weight classes. Less than 1% of competitive powerlifters earn an Elite Total. And she has TWO!
And, most impressive… she did ALL of it AFTER the age of 50!!!
Betty started weight training at 47 years old to address Restless Leg Syndrome issues and fell in love with the process.
She’s been training for over 15 years and is driven by the desire to help others build confidence and self-worth through learning how to be their best both physically and mentally.
She will be your BIGGEST cheerleader!!!
Christian Thomas
My passion for fitness and working out started in high school when I started lifting for football. After I graduated from high school, I kept lifting and eventually decided to go to school to be a trainer. I went to college at Florida Gulf Coast University in the Exercise Science Program. While in school, I completed 2 internships at training facilities in Florida.
After graduation, I started working for a local public gym. I was there for a year and a half and then started working for a D1 that opened in the area. Then I moved to the Charlotte area and am looking to build my business here.
Nick Jacobs
Hometown: Paducah, KY
Education:
– BS Exercise Science – University of Louisville
– NSCA – CSCS (Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist)
Nick’s health and fitness journey began at the early age of 13 years old, while getting ready for a two-week backpacking trip with his Boy Scout troop. Nick was told that he was too heavy for his height and in order to go he would need to lose over 20lbs to fall within the hiking programs allowed bodyweight limits. Through this period of enduring the efforts, he discovered the gym and all that it offers.
With the weight room always remaining priority, Nick played football and threw shot-put in high school simply to lift weights with the football and track team.
In an effort to find an outlet for his training goals through college, he played a couple years of rugby for the University of Louisville while working towards his Bachelors in Exercise Science. It wasn’t until college graduation, and moving back home to Paducah, KY to manage a local gym, that he discovered the world of strength sports. Since 2013, Nick has competed in over two dozen strength sport competitions including Strongman, Powerlifting, Arm Lifting/Grip, Arm Wrestling, Highland Games, and Crossfit.
Over the past 8 years, Nick has worked in a variety of facilities and locations serving over 1,400 clients in the process; ranging from all-women’s large group fitness classes and 1-on-1 personal training sessions with corporate CEOs, to athletic training development for youth athletes and personalized training programs for world class powerlifters.
Outside of the training world, Nick has conducted long term health and wellness programs for large corporations and police departments, has written articles and produced content for a variety of fitness related websites, and currently serves as the Southeast Regional Chairman for Strongman Corporation