Today we’d like to introduce you to Thomas Padilla.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My fitness journey started when I was seven years old having to lose 11 pounds to make my Pop Warner football team The Chula Vista Aztecs. I’ve always been a big kid, tall, but when I was younger I was overweight and out of shape. Ever since I was a little guy I LOVED eating food. Bread, cheese, donuts, cookies, sodas, fruit juices, were all my loves. However, I BADLY wanted to play football so I committed to losing weight and going on a diet.
It was a rough start. The first two weeks of “Hell Week” we’re brutal for me. The man killers, suicides, bear crawls, and gasers would push me to the edge and I remember I could hear my throat wheezing as I was gasping for air while running. I would stay after practice and wear a trash bag as me and my dad would run the lines for extra cardio and a sweat. On non-practice days, I would put a trash bag on and set an egg timer to 30 minutes while I pushed an old Nordic Track treadmill while watching SpongeBob, peaking at the egg timer every 30 seconds wondering how much longer I’d have to do this.
I remember walking through the aisles of Von’s with my dad picking out Lean Cuisine meals for the week as well as meal replacement bars, rice cakes, etc. I remember my dad would dress me up in sweats at night so I could sweat while I sleep to “lose weight” when that’s not the way to burn fat. My mother would sneak in with tears in her eyes and give me a cookie because her baby was hot, uncomfortable, and hungry. I love my father he did whatever he could with the information he had to help his son. I would always hear his voice in my head while running sprints with my teammates telling me “Whatever you do Tom, don’t finish last.” That always stuck with me.
My coaches knew how hard I was working. My team knew how hard I was working and when to weigh in day came I was a nervous wreck. When it was my turn to step on the scale, I gently placed my feet in the middle and the scale bounced up and down and settled PERFECTLY at the 75-pound limit. My lineman coach jumped up and shouted: “Yes!!, Padilla, I’m going to buy you a donut!!” That was the most rewarding donut I’ve had in my life.
That set the stage in my life. I had to lose weight every year before football season to make the limit but the 4 years that I had to do it (age 7, 8, 9, 10) taught me so much. The value of hard work, dedication, commitment, consistency, and when you put all of those together, you get results. It matured me a lot at a young age and now I have a deep passion to help others do the same.
I know what it feels like to be out of shape, overweight, uncomfortable with your body, but most importantly, I know what it feels like to be in good shape, have tons of energy, and be confident in who you are. And now I want to show others how to bridge the gap as well.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There has definitely been ups and downs along the way thats for sure. Dealing with disappointing injuries in high school athletics, changing my direction after my second year of junior college, and leaving 24-hour fitness with doubters telling me I wouldn’t make it on my own and I would be back in three months.
I had a lot of promise in baseball as a tall left-handed pitcher. I was able to play with the varsity baseball team at Hilltop High as a freshman. We went all the way to the CIF championship game against Grossmont High and I was fortunate enough to have a good game as a designated hitter. After my freshman year, college letters started rolling in but that’s when a slew of injuries affected my athletic play.
After high school, I played two years of junior college baseball but realized during those two years my passion wasn’t in baseball. It no loner became fun and my performance suffered on the field. I was at a crossroads of life because ever since I was four years old I had dreams of playing professionally. I had a teammate named Jeff that was doing personal training at 24-hour fitness at the time and that was VERY intriguing to me. After falling into a rut, being depressed, and ashamed of my performance, I decided to stop playing baseball and pursue a career in the fitness industry.
I worked for 24-hour fitness for a little over four and a half years and it was an excellent experience. A great place to build skills as a personal trainer and salesman. I excelled in the position and decided to open my own personal training business when I was 25. The dream was met with a few doubters disappointed in my leaving the company to pursue my dream but I didn’t let that phase me.
There has been a lot of personal obstacles that I’ve had to overcome but everything in my life has had its role and has made me the man I am today. I have always put the client first and have made sure to deliver more than what is expected from me. That philosophy has carried me to where I am today.
Please tell us about THP Fitness.
THP Fitness is a 400 square foot private personal training studio that offers one on one, partner, and small group training. The gym is equipped with a squat rack, weight plates, dumbbells, weight bench, Bosu ball, medicine balls, plyometric boxes, resistance bands, tubing bands, and kettle bells. My gym also has a bathroom with cubbies for clients who need to change after work.
I specialize in weight loss and muscle building for clients who are new to fitness and/or moderate fitness level. However, in my six years in the industry, I have experience training a WIDE range of clientele from the ages of 9 to 76 years old, endurance athletes, physique competitors, clients with injuries and medical history, and everyone in between.
I make sure I take the time to cultivate strong personal connections and truly understand everything thats happening in my client’s life. This understanding of every challenge/obstacle that my clients face helps me design a plan custom suited to their needs. I create clear cut long term and short term goals with weekly accountability which allows my clients to develop the habits necessary for success in the short term AND the long term.
Personal training is so much more to me than losing a few pounds or gaining some muscle. I take a habit based approach backed with a progressive training model that focuses on the little wins along the way. I don’t advertise shortcuts, fad diets, or any other medium but hard work, consistency, and a vision for the future. I engrain patience into my clients but show them how they can achieve great results and lifestyle improvements starting in week 1.
Being my client’s coach is not work to me. It is my passion and developing these connections/relationships are what I believe to be the reason for THP Fitness’s success and longevity. I like to think I bring a lot of enthusiasm, energy, and excitement into my client’s lives. One thing that is of the utmost importance is always doing more than what’s expected of me and providing a commitment to excellence for my clientele.
There are many things I’m proud of as I look at my business and the time at THP Fitness. The group of 10+ clients that completed the Spartan “Trifecta” with me in 2018. My client Glenn aka “Super Frog” that completed his first half Iron Man in 2017. The 100+ pound weight loss mark my client Miles just hit and the numerous other client success stories along the way. Seeing my clients do more and be more than they ever thought they could is what gives me life!
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
The people you surround yourself with can make you or break you. The easiest way to catch a cold is to hang out with people that have colds. The easiest way to catch a negative mindset is to hang out with negative people. If I had to start over, I would make sure to associate myself will individuals with a higher identity and a deeper passion for life.
I made the mistake of spending my time with people that didn’t have the habits conducive to growth and prosperity. It was all centered around short term pleasure which created toxic habits in my life that I had to work through and overcome.
Reading and growing my skills as a personal trainer and entrepreneur have been HUGE factors in my growth. If I had to do it over, I would start digging into books at a younger age.
Everything has played its role in my life and struggle is only here to serve those who choose to use it. Luckily, I have been able to harness the “negative” things in my life for good. It has made me the man I am today.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1231 Third Avenue Suite C Chula Vista, CA 91911
- Website: www.thpfit.com
- Phone: 619-985-6737
- Email: thomas@thpfit.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/thpfit
- Facebook: facebook.com/thpfit
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