STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Steve Tanen was bullied as a kid. As an obese child and teenager, his peers were never kind about his weight, Tanen recalled.
"I was no stranger to being bullied for most of my life because of my appearance. I decided to make a change, and it resulted in a well over 100-pound weight loss," he said.
However, the amount of pounds he shed wasn't the impressive part.
"It was that I felt good. I felt good about myself. I was more confident. I fit better in clothes; I felt healthy. I literally felt like I could do anything if I put my mind to it," Tanen added.
But losing weight was only half the battle. Tanen wanted to help others slim down and get healthy as well. He wanted to guide people through the same transformation he underwent.
"I knew that I wanted to help others feel this way, so after years of working on myself and helping friends and family members work on their goals, at the age of 17, I became a certified personal trainer," he said.
However, the big box gym setting didn't suit him well. And he knew others who struggle with weight could find the setting "uncomfortable."
"I worked for a commercial gym for a while and hated it. It wasn't a good fit for me. The place where I was, everything was focused on sales, which I felt diminished the idea of what I wanted to do. All I wanted to do was help people. I vowed never to work at a place like that again," he said.
That's when, at just 19 years old, he created the Transformation Fitness Studio in 2008.
NEW STUDIO
In March, Tanen wanted to branch out; he opened a new version of his old studio -- this one bigger -- 2,200 square feet -- with access to more equipment. The new studio allows Tanen to hold larger classes, as well as one-on-one training sessions, and offer more to his studio members.
"The studio that we created is one that teaches clients to exercise safely and effectively," said Tanen. "We care about every single client who walks through the door. We preach real health and wellness and push people away from the dangerous and addictive fad diets, supplements, accessories, and programs that are advertised in every possible way."
Tanen said he not only helps people become enthusiastic about exercising, he preaches about "eating clean."
"To us it's about eating balanced, clean meals, exercising to your individual potential, maintaining positivity, and having patience. It's not simply about the number on the scale. It's about how you feel and how you see yourself, and we have had such tremendous success with our clients; our reviews are testament to that," he said.
Among the classes offered at First Transformation Fitness Studio for both adults and children, are: Zumba, POUND, HIIT, Boxing, Bootcamp, Kettlebell, Zumba Kids, Kids Boxing. The studio also offers nutritional counseling with registered dietitian, Marsha Girgis.
TRANSFORMATION FITNESS STUDIO AT A GLANCE
Address: 1403 Richmond Ave., Bulls Head
Website: tfitstudio.com
Facebook: tfitstudio
Instagram: /tfitstudio/
New Businesses in Focus is a weekly column that relates the stories of new Staten Island businesses owners.
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