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MY Sports Club Story: TJ + Dena

Jun 25, 2025

Meet TJ + Dena — two of our very own NYSC Instructors who are taking their fitness goals to the stage! Both TJ and Dena have recently started to compete in Bodybuilding Competitions and have the metal to prove it. Both of our fierce instructors have placed at their competitions, and even ended up on stage next to each other at their last competition! We love seeing our team members hit their goals in and outside of the gym and we could not be more proud of TJ and Dena on this journey. Read more below to hear about their fitness journey, their history at NYSC, and their experience with Bodybuilding.

Please tell us about your fitness journey.
TJ: Until last summer, all of the fitness (I thought) I needed was group exercise. I hadn’t messed with any of the pin-loaded machines or Hammer strength equipment or anything that’s not in the studio. Then, during an education session for our Fitness Managers, our CEO Bill put me on a leg press to demo its proper use to our team. I didn’t feel so intimidated after that and I used the leg press at least once a week. I started to see my legs change after a couple of months and wanted to go to the next level. Enter bodybuilding training. 

Dena: It’s been a journey! In high school, I ran two marathons and then decided I never wanted to run again. So I got into weightlifting and later joined the women’s rugby team in college, until a knee injury ended my season. Looking for an intense, safer workout I found spinning and got certified in 2008. I fell in love with leading high-energy classes.

While lifting at NYSC Mercer Street in 2011, the fitness manager challenged me to lift heavier and that sparked my passion for powerlifting. By 2012, I competed and won "Strongest Overall Female".

When NYSC added Les Mills formats, I was thrilled to teach BODYPUMP and BODYCOMBAT while staying active with weightlifting, races (yes, back to running), and bike tours. I was happy with my body and my physical performance.

Bodybuilding had been on my mind for over a decade – always as a future fitness goal, never as an idealized body type. Last year, I realized it would only get harder with age and I set a goal to compete before turning 40 (over 820 days away). I found a coach who aligned with my values and began training on September 27, 2024, aiming to improve my body composition in a healthy and sustainable way.

Surprisingly, I reached my goal in just 260 days! In the process, I learned that powerlifters transition well to bodybuilding, mature muscle matters, and most importantly that I’m capable of doing hard things.

Has your approach to fitness changed over time?
T: 1000%! Fitness has changed so much since I started teaching, which pre-dated a lot of what exists today. Back then, there was no Peloton or Barry’s Bootcamp or really any boutique studio. There were no apps, no fitness influencers. The first format I taught in 2004 was cycling - and I still do! I started teaching Les Mills programs when we launched them at NYSC in 2013. I’ve loved the evolution I’ve seen in my body through GEX classes and I’ve especially loved how our members' lives have changed due to the programming NYSC has provided.

D: My approach to fitness has evolved significantly. I now do much less high-intensity cardio to better preserve muscle mass. My strength training is more strategic with heavier weights, lower reps, and longer rest between sets. I’ve also prioritized recovery, stress management, nutrition, and sleep – all of which play a crucial role in my overall health, physique, and performance. And I still love teaching my classes. The group dynamic cannot be beat!

You were both just at the same competition, which we loved seeing! How did you get involved with competition?
T: NPC (National Physique Committee) is a well-regarded bodybuilding federation and this show was close to home. Actually, Dena and I were on stage right next to each other for the Open class in the Figure division. Dena was incredible. She placed! I didn’t, but it was still fun to be on the stage – even as the oldest person out there.

D: I had been awed by female bodybuilding competitions for years – the physiques yes, but also the sparkly bikinis, the high heels, the hair, makeup, and the pageantry of it all. When I finally decided to commit to making it happen, it made the most sense to start with a local, regional show and June 7th in Teaneck, NJ fit the bill.

Please explain what type of competition you participate in.
T: I am a Figure athlete. Within that division, I’ve competed in Masters classes (40+ and 50+), Open (all athletes), and Novice classes (new athletes). 

D: I competed in two divisions: Figure and Wellness. In both divisions, I competed in the Masters 35+ and Open classes.

How many competitions have you competed in?
T: I’ve competed twice. My first competition was the 2025 OCB (Organization of Competition Bodies) Garden State Classic in March. I placed first in Masters 50+. I also placed first in Master’s 50+ in this most recent show, the 2025 NPC Bev Francis Atlantic States Championships. Next show is August 2nd in Brooklyn!

D: This one was my first! I came in second in three categories and fifth in a fourth category. I’m excited to do it again, in late 2025 or more likely in 2026, depending on how my body responds to a brand new nutrition and training plan over the next few months.

What have you learned from your competitions?
T: How crucial Trainerize is for my training. I cannot stress enough the beauty and  simplicity of Trainerize, especially because my coach is based in Atlanta and we’ve never met in person. But she keeps track of my lifts, how I’m eating, my weight, my photos all through Trainerize. I’ve also learned how important preparation is. And that and there’s no such thing as cheating. No cheating my workouts, no cheating my flexibility training, and definitely no cheating my nutrition.

D: Consistency. Is. Key. Like TJ said, “cheating” on your training or nutrition plan doesn’t work. You can do it (and I certainly did at times) but the progress will stall until you get back on track. It is truly hard, but if you want it enough and you’re committed, it is eminently doable.


How has strength training become part of your routine?
T: Without strength training, there is no competing. 

D: In my professional life, I’m a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner and I tell all of my patients about the importance of strength training for their overall health and wellness, short and long term. For women, leg strength is correlated with longevity; when women lose their mobility, they lose their lives (in contrast, when men lose their mobility, they have women take care of them).

What do you like most about your fitness community at NYSC?
T: The support I’ve received from everyone from Bill, to my bosses, Ryan and Matt (who both helped me pick out my nail polish color for my last show - GO BLUE!), to my colleagues, to members who’ve taken my classes for years and even some of our vendors has been completely amazing. For my first show, 27 people came out to support me. The training is so much easier knowing others are rooting for you. That support makes me want to push out those extra couple of reps or even an extra set when I feel like I have nothing left in the tank. 

D: The support has been incredible! Fellow instructors and other NYSC employees from personal trainers to the Welcome Team have cheered me on every step of the way, in person and virtually. Surround yourself with supportive people and you can accomplish anything!

Are there any goals you're currently working towards?
T: Nailing my posing, a huge opportunity area for me. I’m still trying to get in touch with the artistry of posing. I look less like a figure athlete and more like Frankenstein in many of my pics. I’d love to continue competing and train for the NYC HYROX race next summer. Unfortunately, bodybuilding and fitness as a sport don’t work together.  But a girl can dream!

D: I told my family and friends that I had two goals before I turned 40. Now that I’ve checked off one of them (the bodybuilding competition), I’m dialed in on the other – finishing my doctorate of nursing practice (DNP).

What inspires you and keeps you motivated on your fitness journey?
T: When I joined NYSC as a member in 2002, it was under doctor’s orders because I had gotten up to 186lbs. My knees hated me at that weight. For much of the last couple of decades, I hovered around 150lbs and since I started bodybuilding training, I stay around 135lbs. I will never go back to the heavier weight as long as I’m able. I love being in shape enough to jog up the escalator at the 59th St/Lexington Ave subway station or play with my (extremely active) Godchildren when I visit them. 

D: Everything I’ve done — and continue to do — is shaped by my experience with type 1 diabetes. I was diagnosed over 30 years ago, and it influences every decision I make every single day. My diabetes particularly keeps me motivated to be active. If you or someone you love is living with diabetes (type 1 or otherwise), please feel free to connect with me on social media (@denabetic on Instagram and TikTok). I’m always excited to meet fellow diabuddies — because this journey is way better with company.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
T: Dena makes me so proud…I actually hired her to teach at NYSC when she was just a baby way back in 2011. I still remember the first time we met and what great energy this smiley girl had. Fast forward: she still represents our brand so beautifully. While I’m glad we competed together, I don't think my ego can take being on the stage with her again 🙂.

D: TJ is the definition of a bada**! Her group exercise classes bring the house down each and every time. Winning categories at her first two bodybuilding shows is just more evidence of what an incredibly powerful role model she is for her team and members at NYSC.