Intern Spotlight: Tiffany Pinder!

We launched our internship program at the end of 2016, and so far we've had two awesome interns join our TFN team! Today's spotlight is on Tiffany, who has a professional and educational background in exercise science, and is ALSO a competitor in "bikini" level bodybuilding. Tiffany is an exciting addition to our team—read about what she's learning at our studio, and how she keeps her own fitness journey on track.

Tiffany posing in her first bikini physique competition last fall

TFN: How long have you been working with TFN?

TP: I have been interning for about 2 months.

TFN: Why did you pursue an internship at TFN?

TP: I chose to pursue this internship because there’s only so much you can learn from reading a book and watching YouTube videos. There isn’t a lot of hands on/in-person learning with most PT certifications and I wanted to learn as much as I could.

TFN: For your physique sport, one of your goals is to add more visible muscle mass. How has your physique, strength, and/or mindset changed since you started at TFN? How has your expertise about training the body (yours and clients') evolved since then?

TP: Since I have started my training at TFN, I’m a lot stronger than I was. I’m also gaining more muscle—none of my pants fit anymore! Since I started this internship, I think about programming differently than I had before. I was used to body part splits, but quickly learned that full body training is the most effective way to improve gains.

Tiffany moving some weight at the True-FN studio!

TFN: How many days a week do you exercise?

TP: I started at TFN training three times a week, then progressed to four days, and recently started training five days a week.

TFN: Life gets busy and people miss workouts, what's your strategy to stay on track?

TP: I set goals for myself to stay on track.  My goal is to compete in a physique competition later this year.  If I want to do better than I did in my last competition, I have to commit and hold myself accountable. Haven’t missed a session yet!

TFN: How has your nutrition work at TFN gotten you further toward your goals?

TP: Jenn has been very helpful with my nutrition coaching. Nutrition is very important in the physique world and she has given me great advice. I was having a few hypoglycemic episodes after lifting and she advised me on meal timing and meal choices before lifting.  I haven’t had any problems since.

TFN: On a scale of 1 to 10, how hard do you work during your workouts?

TP: 10 most days.  Every once in a while it might be a little lower, but I always push through and do the best that I can.

TFN: What is your favorite exercise?

TP: Deadlifts—there’s something about lifting a massive amount of weight from the ground that’s amazing to me.

TFN: How does being strong benefit other aspects of your life?

TP: Mentally I have learned to be more patient. Physique and strength gains don’t come overnight. You have to learn to not only trust the process but enjoy it, not just with strength training but with life in general. Being stronger has also helped me to realize that I am stronger than I think I am.  I don’t need as much help moving heavy things these days—Dylan should be proud!

TFN: What’s your #1 piece of advice to someone who wants to make significant fitness progress?

TP: Be consistent and be patient!  I started lifting a few years ago, but I wasn’t consistent. It wasn’t until I had to prep for my first competition that I saw how important consistency was.  So many people give up because they don’t see results fast enough. Change comes over time—buckle up and enjoy the ride!