Tom Berry
Pymble Studio Manager & Exercise Scientist
Tom is an exercise scientist/personal trainer with a Bachelor’s in Sport & Exercise Science from ACU, where he was given an Executive Dean’s Commendation for his academic achievements. Tom’s dream is to help people fall in love with strength training in the same way he has, especially neurodivergent folk and those who don’t feel they “fit in” with the stereotypical gym crowd, as well as promote the benefits of strength training for all populations, regardless of background, training or health history.
Tom is a competitive Strongman, looking to break into the national level, and has a passion for all strength sports including Olympic Weightlifting, Powerlifting, Highland Games and more. His best lifts are lifting a 150kg Atlas Stone onto his shoulder, pressing a 140kg Log overhead and deadlifting 285kg for 2 reps.
Approach
Tom is a passionate and knowledgeable trainer who emphasises the needs of you, the individual. This involves making a plan to fit your schedule, stress, recovery capacity and how your biomechanics can influence your exercise programming. Tom is all about finding what works for YOU and is a big believer that the most effective training program is the one that you enjoy doing.
When it comes to getting results, Tom’s mantra is “Effort, Consistency & Patience”. If you are willing to put the effort in during your sessions and maintain that consistently, then all you have to do is be patient and you will achieve things you never thought you’d be capable of.
About Tom
Tom has always enjoyed being active, participating in almost every sport he could from as young as 4 years old, including basketball, soccer, softball, gymnastics, etc. In high school, he focused more on basketball and began strength training at the age of 16 to help him improve his game. After about a year of strength training, Tom found he enjoyed his gym sessions even more than his basketball games and once he discovered the sport of Strongman in 2019, his passion for strength sports was sparked and there was no looking back. Even after suffering an ACL tear at a Strongman competition in 2023, Tom came back after 18 months of rehab to place second in his weight class at NSW Strongest Man/Woman 2024!
While the practical side of fitness has always been a big part of Tom’s life, he discovered his passion for the theory behind it all, completely by chance. After struggling with mental health issues throughout high school, due to undiagnosed ADHD, and eventually dropping out of year 12 as a result, Tom began his Cert III in Fitness so that he’d have something to do while looking for work. This short course ignited a powerful desire to learn more about the human body and the science behind exercise. Cert III became Cert IV, which became a Diploma of Sport Development and finally a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise & Sport Science, though Tom believes he still has much more to learn and hopes to continue his personal and educational development long into the future.
Outside of training, Tom is an animal, insect and general nature lover (his favourites being his rescue Labradors, Roxy & Blue), an avid PC gamer and tea fanatic.
