Your Mechanics
Coach Torrez
Coach T has trained personal clients, athletes, and other trainers over the past 20 years. He brings a unique mix of formal education and real-world experience to help his trainees reach their goals. As an Albuquerque coach, he holds Bachelor’s degrees in both General Science and Exercise Science.
He is an accomplished athlete, participating in Div. III collegiate football, track & field, and in the sport of Powerlifting.
Coach is a competitive powerlifter in a strict drug-tested powerlifting organization (NASA-Natural Athlete Strength Association). He has competed consistently, without major injuries, for 20 years. He has held numerous records at the State & National levels and has performed a competition Squat of 700lbs at a bodyweight of 188lbs. He was recently presented with the highest honor in NASA receiving the 2016 Overall Athlete of the Year award.
Coach Torrez is unique in that his science background allows him to make appropriate programming decisions for each individual, while his 20+ years of experience provides the teaching ability to move clients forward safely & appropriately.
As an Albuquerque coach, he starts all trainees with 2 goals in mind: 1) Build a base of bodyweight movements to improve mobility, strength, and coordination. 2) Next add external resistance to further improve the strength-to-bodyweight ratio. From this foundation, ALL other fitness goals can be achieved!
“I was never a great athlete, never really natural at any athletic event. I played football a lot longer than I should have because I worked harder than most. I put in my time in the weight room, ran my ass off, and never quit.”
-Coach T
Coach Sonja
Coach Sonja was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis at the age of 1. As a result, moving her body hurt and put physical limitations on her ability to move and play. At age 12, her arthritis went into remission but the association of pain and movement was already firm in her mind, so she never did anything athletically growing up.
As a consequence, she was always the awkward nerd picked last in PE!
She took up running after her third child to try to maintain her coveted skinny nerd status post-childbirth, progressing up to doing marathons. Although she loved the discipline and the quiet solitude of the frequent long runs, she was a truly horrible runner. In an attempt to become a better runner, she started lifting. She was still a horrible runner, but it turned out she was a not-too-shabby lifter!
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She decided to try powerlifting to see how she ranked against others. After her first competition, she fell in love with all things strength.
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She now competes regularly in both powerlifting and strongman. She holds several national records in powerlifting and regularly places in strongman events. She wins some, falls flat on her face some, but loves the journey and enjoys nothing more than helping people find their own journey to love.
Also, she is still a nerd but no longer the skinny nerd she once was!
“I could never do fitness for fitness sake. I only do fitness because it is where I am truly happy and at peace. My goal is for everyone to find that in their fitness journey. Working out doesn’t have to be a chore, but can be a welcome escape.”
– Coach Sonja
“I have taken great joy in watching Sonja grow as a strength athlete and person. As her lifting numbers have increased, so has her presence as a strong WOMAN. My first impression of her was “shyness”. She is anything but that now! There has been a direct relationship between her Deadlift and her Confidence! She truly is the Female Rock of TNT Gym and leads by example.”
– Coach T
Coach Lara (LOCA)
Lara is originally from northern Italy and has lived in the USA since 2004. She has been an active person from a young age. She participated in swimming and gymnastics competitions and then moved on to cycling races and marathons. She also competed in both Natural Figure Competitions and powerlifting, enjoying the challenges and joys of both sports.
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She always understood the importance of strength training and proper nutrition to stay strong and maintain a healthy body. She earned her BA in Business Management from University of Maryland, USAF European Division, while becoming a coach through the Italian Association for Physical Education and Weight Lifting and a certified Schwinn cycling instructor. Once she moved to the United States she became a personal trainer through the NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) and now works with clients from 18 years old to 91!
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A large part of Lara’s work focuses on nutrition. She has earned a Sports Nutrition certification from Precision Nutrition. PN is a leading company focusing on nutrition research and education for fitness professionals. Her approach is lifestyle versus fad diets and teaches about eating real food in a balanced way. She focuses on each client’s needs by analyzing habits, preferences, and goals. She enjoys seeing her clients’ improvement in sleep patterns, energy, strength, mood and overall health just by making nutritional changes. She understands the challenges that life brings and is dedicated to helping her clients break through unhealthy patterns to keep their focus on health.
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“You only have this ONE body. Take good care of it. Feed it well, train it smart and rest it as needed. Many things are out of our control, even health sometimes, but you have a responsibility to still do your part! Give yourself the chance to experience life at a higher level of enjoyment.”
– Coach Lara
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“Coach “Loca” was not chosen lightly to head our Nutrition program. I have worked with her for many years and quality recognizes quality. There is absolutely no one else I would have given this responsibility to. Her approach to nutrition is one of lifestyle and choices, not one of elimination. I trust her completely with our clients with no reservations.”
– Coach T