How did we get here?
As individuals, we're lifelong athletes. As a couple, we've been involved in the fitness industry since 2011, when we started training at Game Time Strength in El Segundo, CA. Since then, training, holistic health and fitness have always held a special place in our hearts; to this day they are foundational to our lives. Together, we're Joe & Tatiana Buys.
In 2015, our son Clayton was born while we were living in Southern California, and "Buys Family Fitness" began — even though we didn't call it that, yet. We first came up with "The Buys Family Steel Party" to represent the party we often had around the steel (aka weight) in the weight room. (At that time, "party" meant handing our newborn back and forth while we each took our individual turns in the squat rack.)
With ten-month-old Clayton, we moved from Los Angeles, CA to Pittsburgh, PA for a three-year stay for Tatiana’s job before heading back west to Portland, OR — some quick transitions, to say the least. During that period we experienced extremely challenging life circumstances including family illness and death, but it was our time in the gym and involvement in the fitness community as a whole that provided us with strength to get through those tough times.
Early on in the Pacific Northwest, gym life was a part of the routine, but it wasn’t something we considered foundational to our lives. We always found ourselves in the gym, but it wasn’t the focal point of what we wanted to build. That all changed in 2020.
In January 2020, we found out Tatiana was pregnant with our daughter Skylar, due October 2020. Prior to Skylar being born, we started feeling a pull toward investing more time and effort into our own health and fitness again — especially for Tatiana, as her pregnancy with Skylar was more challenging than her pregnancy with Clayton.
Shortly after Skylar was born, Tatiana's motivation for a postpartum fitness routine—sparked by our newly-built-out garage gym—lit a new fire within us; we realized we needed to start giving the steel the time and attention it deserved. Our family gym became a new place of refuge and source of replenishment for all of us.
As great as it was being back in a gym under our own roof, there was still something missing — community. We felt isolated, almost trapped, and we were searching for a way to share time, fellowship and break bread with others.
With newfound motivation and knowing that if we felt that way, others may be as well — Joe started reaching out to see if others were interested in training. Since then, it's continued to grow and flourish.
Our mission is simple, provide service to those around us through what we're feeling called to do: to redefine strength & community.
JOE BUYS
A native of Ionia, Michigan, Joe has been in the gym, on the field or running up and down the hardwood as long as he can remember. Prior to becoming a strength and conditioning coach in 2012, he was a 3-sport athlete in basketball, football and baseball in high school, and played a year of NAIA basketball for Aquinas College in 2003-04.
Since becoming a fitness professional, Joe has had the opportunity to not only coach, but also compete in various USPA powerlifting meets. With a personal best deadlift of 584 lbs, his focus in the gym across all ages and demographics is the same — moving weight is both exciting and essential; but form, technique, and mechanics are crucial.
Understanding the gym is only half the battle, Joe has a deep-rooted enthusiasm for constant learning and holistic health practices. Whether it be quality nutrition through food choices, vitamin sources and other micronutrients, or making sure you're getting adequate sleep — Joe understands it's not a quick fix, it’s a transformation. He also recognizes that regardless of age, gender or starting point, the approach is the same: consistency and sustainability reign supreme.
No matter if you’re trying to perform at a high level within a sport, finding time to train around your hectic work schedule, staying fit as a new parent or chasing your grandkids around, the Buys Family Fitness Team is here to help.
Joe, the Head Trainer for Buys Family Fitness, is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA.
TATIANA BUYS
A Southern California native, Tatiana grew up with a deep love for softball and various other sports. After being a critical part of the competitive travel softball circuit, she was awarded a full-ride scholarship to play shortstop for Florida State University. During her time in Tallahassee, Tatiana graduated with a dual degree in finance and entrepreneurship, won three Conference Championships, journeyed to two Women’s College World Series and earned an All-ACC Award.
Once her time at FSU was complete, Tatiana ventured back west to work for Nike, Inc., a dream of hers since middle school. During that time she rekindled her love for sport by finding a niche in the powerlifting and training world. With multiple records and awards under her belt, it was a personal best deadlift of 414 lbs that landed her an invite to the prestigious “Mr. Olympia Powerlifting Invitational.”
As a mother of two, Tatiana understands the importance of training and nutrition and how they apply to life as a parent. She’ll be the first to tell you that getting after it in the gym is exciting, but the crossover to functionality in everyday life is what matters most.
Having experienced the impact of holistic health in her own life, Tatiana has the enthusiasm and desire to transform the lives of others through the world of fitness, nutrition and finances.
Tatiana is the Head of Operations for Buys Family Fitness.
