by Tony Bonvechio

Hey everyone! My name is Tony and I’m obsessed with strength training.

I’m also the newest trainer at 212 Health and Performance. You may have seen me and mistaken me for Sean. I don’t blame you. We’re both bald. We’re both nearly wider than we are tall. And we’re both geeks that get excited about anything and everything to do with lifting weights.

I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and tell everyone how truly excited I am to be a part of the 212 team. Ever since meeting Kerry, Heather and the rest of the staff here, I knew right away that it was a perfect fit. I already feel at home at 212 (thanks largely in part to all of you who have introduced yourselves and welcomed me already!) and can’t wait to help all of you get closer to your fitness goals.

So who am I?

I’m a strength and conditioning coach. I’m a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association and earned my Master’s degree in exercise science from Adelphi University in 2013. I work full-time at Cressey Sports Performance in Hudson, Massachusetts, where I train professional baseball players. I also work with young athletes and fitness enthusiasts of all ages. That’s where I met Sean one fateful Saturday morning and we’ve been barbell buddies ever since.

I’m a personal trainer. Since moving to Providence in 2013, I’ve built a loyal base of clients, several of whom have recently joined the 212 family. While helping baseball players throw 90 miles per hour is fun, it’s also incredibly gratifying to help non-athletes lose weight, move pain-free and get stronger than they’d ever imagined.

I’m a powerlifter. I’ve competed in the sport of powerlifting since 2010 and have won several competitions in the 198-pound weight class, including the title of Best Overall Lifter at the 2014 RPS New England Revolution in Johnston. At the conclusion of my college baseball career, I immediately picked up powerlifting and have posted competition personal bests of a 515 squat, 365 bench press and 555 deadlift. I continue to train and compete in powerlifting as my competitive outlet.

I’m also a writer. I got my Bachelor’s degree in journalism, of all things. Not exactly the brawniest of majors. But I love to write and I love to help people get fit, which is what I do on my blog, Bonvecstrength.com. My articles have appeared on many fitness websites, including Stack, Testosterone Nation and MyFitnessPal.

Besides that, here are a few random facts about me: I grew up in Vermont. I have a wonderful fiancé and we’re getting married in 2016. I have a dog named Eddie (an Australian Shepherd) and a cat named Aggie (a Siamese/Ragdoll mix). I play guitar. I drink a LOT of coffee. Jaws and Jurassic Park are tied for my favorite movie of all time. I love the Red Sox and Metallica and neither can do any wrong in my eyes. If you chat me up about any of these things, we’ll be fast friends!

So if we haven’t met already, come say “hi” at the gym (I’m usually around in the morning) or email me at tony@212healthandperformance.com. I’m looking forward to meeting and working with all of you!

Have fun and lift heavy,

Tony