Tony A. Molina is all about his roots. Born in Bridgeport, his father was an upholsterer whose business brought him to Westport and its surrounding areas. In his young age, Molina recalls doing pick-ups and deliveries in town while getting to know the people who live here. He has since cemented himself as an instructor nonpareil in the fitness world, rebuilding one body at a time. He is regarded as New York City’s top celebrity trainer, preparing clients in just about every high-performance situation, including the rigors of television and movie sets, runways and red carpet, Broadway and beyond. His unique program, MPR (Multiple Planes of Resistance), targets muscle groups while challenging the body to support itself. Traditional forms of exercise, by contrast, target individual muscles while supporting the body. His niche brand has been published in Men’s Health, The Wall Street Journal, American College of Sports Medicine and Vogue (three times), just to name a few.
Now, over twenty-five years after starting his wellness passion, he has expanded his services back into Fairfield County on Post Road West and aims to help the community get back to its own fitness roots. “My passion for fitness took me to New York, but now, so many years later, the pandemic has sent a flood of New Yorkers to Connecticut,” Molina says. “This has created the right moment for us to expand our family business and come back and be a part of the community. With the changes to work and life post-Covid-19, we are meeting clients’ needs and able to expand into Connecticut for the first time. For me it’s a homecoming, and we are looking forward to being a part of the community.”
A FRESH START
Every new client begins first by filling out an assessment. “We consider a client’s lifestyle, athleticism, interests, environment and personal short/long-term goals when we tailor their program design,” Molina says. “We then work with them to achieve everything they want while making sure they get everything they need. We also have experience coordinating with other practitioners to create a collaborative team approach to ensure our clients have a better outcome, including varied medical doctors, physical therapists and alternative medicine providers. Our goal is to get our clients to their personal best level of fitness and health, a strong, coordinated, balanced body that moves well.”
Since MPR heavily relies on the body’s own self-dependency, “the perfect workout tool,” his program is offered through personal training in studio and at home through a variety of complementary fitness modalities: yoga, suspension training, cycling, martial arts, group fitness classes, running, Pilates, etc. The goal is to engage more muscles per rep, set and exercise to increase total caloric expenditure both during and after each workout. That way, his clients earn all the benefits of high-intensity interval training without suffering the trauma of high impact.
BRING IT HOME
In addition to personal training, MPR Fitness also offers home gym design services to bring the best of what Molina has to offer in the comfort of your own home. “A custom home gym used to be one of those ultimate luxuries, but the pandemic forced people to workout at home who never have before,” he explains. “Today, many people now include working out at home as a part of their regular routine. By incorporating equipment, technology, architecture and interior design we can make a home gym a space that will invite, motivate, elevate and immerse you in your workout experience. We can evaluate the right equipment and layout for an existing room or design and build an entirely new space to support your specific fitness goals and interests. We make the space fit the person.”
TRUST THE PLAN
For those maybe starting below baseline (it’s been a wild year-plus, go easy on yourself) or want to push what is possible with Molina’s plan, here are the highlights he shares:
MUSCLE MEMORY
“Start with knowing it’s easier to get back into shape than it was to get into shape the first time. We have muscle memory on our side, you can do it.”
WORKOUT SCHEDULE
“Set yourself up for success by making a realistic and practical workout schedule and be consistent about it. Pick days and times that you can realistically set aside to workout in. Remember, two workout days/week is the minimum, but two workouts a week will guarantee you get healthier and are on your way to getting back into shape. You can build on that.”
AVOID INJURY
“Make adjustments to your workout routine after taking time off or reducing the number, intensity and durations of your workouts for any extended period of time. A good place to start is at 50 percent of your former load, duration and intensity in your first week. Then gradually make increases over the coming weeks and listen to your body.”
FULL-BODY FOCUS
“Train bodies, not parts. Don’t focus on one specific muscle or area, instead do compound full-body exercises that engage muscle groups while having you support your own body weight.”
FEAR FACTOR
“It’s never as hard as you think. The biggest reasons I have seen over the years that has stopped people from getting back into shape was fear. Don’t let the fear of how awful that first workout might be, or how hard it could be to getting back into your best shape again, or the fear of failing at keeping to a program or nutrition plan stop you from achieving your goals.”
MORE INFO: See how to get started, prices and other details at tonyamolinampr.fitness. Also check out the MPR Youtube Channel for full-body workouts you can do at home.
GIVING BACK
The healthy habit of helping others
MPR FITNESS is launching a “Food Fight” charity to provide inner-city Connecticut children with a free healthy breakfast and lunch to help them get a good start in education and build good habits for life. Bridgeport will be its pilot city, and they plan to support the local business community by using all local vendors in the program. “While our business is personal fitness, corporate wellness and home gym design,” says Molina, “we believe giving back is everybody’s business.”