Get the guidance you need and the results you've aways wanted with the help of out friendly and knowledgeable training staff

Ian Harrison, Founder / Certified Personal Trainer

Ian Harrison is the owner and operator of City Fitness – Bradenton. His entrepreneurial spirit, coupled with his passion for fitness and strong will to teach others drove him to open City Fitness – Bradenton in 2008. Ian has been central in the fitness world for over twenty years, and has won the industry’s leading awards in body building and fitness. Some of these accolades include:

13 fitness magazine covers
Ranked Top 10 Body Builders for 5 years straight
Pro Bodybuilder - International 1989 to 1998
Mr. Olympia Finalist, 1995
Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic - 1995, ‘97, ‘98 Top-Ten Finalist
Heavyweight & Overall British Champion, 1989 (Earning Pro Status)
Junior Mr. Universe, 1988

As the youngest person in the England to reach professional bodybuilding status, Ian now offers seminars on nutrition/exercise, and has been featured in articles on nutrition and workout theory in Flex Magazine and Fitness. Known as the authority on training and nutrition, Ian’s current focus is to help people to train injury free and be as efficient as possible in fitness and diet. With 20+ years of experience focusing on flexibility and injury prevention, Ian's training motto is: “Maximum results with minimal time.”

Rex Ruswick, Manager / Certified Personal Trainer

Thomas “Rex” Ruswick has been pursuing his passion in personal training for around four years now. Coming from a family that never placed any emphasis on health, he weighed as much as 320lbs. After losing 130lbs, coming to understand the science behind personal fitness, and gaining 50 lean pounds, Rex went after a lifelong career of teaching others that they can do whatever they put their mind to. Rex is certified through the International Sports Sciences Association, while currently pursuing a six year degree in exercise science through State College of Florida and the University of South Florida.

Rex enjoys doing anything extreme, because it involves facing his own fears. After spending some time bodybuilding, a few months powerlifting, a year or so endurance training, and some time dabbling in the mixed martial arts, Rex realized that his love of fitness can’t be pinned to a specific sport. He simply aims to keep challenging himself by taking on anything that scares him.

Rex specializes in quick, safe weight loss, and dramatic muscle gain, as well as training the nervous system for balance and stabilization. Having trained clients with ranging from age 13 to age 91, from under weight to overweight, Rex completely understands what it is like to be out of shape, as well as the physical and mental aspects of why losing that weight is so difficult. As he likes to say, “Take it from an ex-fat kid!”

Rex’s motto: “Limitations Are Self-Imposed”. This simple statement explains that the only one standing between you and your weight loss, muscle gain, rehabilitation, or any goal whatsoever… Is yourself.

Bill Hilton, Certified Personal Trainer

Bill is a multi-certified trainer who has been involved in weight lifting and resistance training for over three decades. He has competed in Olympic lifting, power lifting, and has years of experience as a bodybuilding competitor. Bill identifies with both the athlete striving for performance perfection, as well as the lay person wanting to improve their health and physical well-being.

Personal training experience: 25+ years

Fitness Focus: Training athletes

Training motto: “We are not created to be sedentary beings."

Personal bio: Lives in Bradenton, married, seven kids, four grandchildren

Guilty pleasure: Chocolate ice cream

Chris Lilley, Certified Personal Trainer

Chris was born and raised in Leeds England & recently moved to Florida to join the City Fitness Team. Having played the sport of rugby since he was 7 years old, Chris turned down several offers to join reputable rugby teams, treating the sport as more of a hobby. He stopped playing at 15, but still ate the same amount of calories, gaining a substantial amount of body fat as a result.

At a routine visit with the family doctor, he was told that he must lose weight or would risk his health and have a strong chance of becoming a diabetic. That was all the motivation Chris needed to resume serious training, this time not on the rugby pitch, but in the gym and running around his neighborhood. After losing around 80lbs and trimming 8 pants sizes in less than a year, Chris returned to the rugby field at a professional level.

Training his hardest to improve performance on the field, it was in the weight room that Chris found his true passion. As he watched the gains from lifting, he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that bodybuilding was his true passion. Chris has since competed in bodybuilding competitions over the past couple of years back in his home town. Now he wishes to pass on his knowledge, experience and guidance not only as a bodybuilder, but as one who overcame his own struggle with obesity to step foot on the professional bodybuilding stage.

Dan Furnare, Certified Personal Trainer

Dan Furnare has coached and motivated athletes and fitness clients for over 30 years now. Specializing in sports such as Soccer, Softball and Kickboxing, Dan also remains true to his own fitness commitments after having overcome several potential health complications. Having placed first in a National American Grappling Association competition, Dan knows what it’s like to train hard, compete, and achieve a hard-fought goal.

In addition to teaching our Kickit! Class, which is a kickboxing style blend of cardio and core work, Dan is also a Specialist in Senior Fitness. He is passionate about relaying the often understated message that one can always choose a higher quality of life, in addition to living
longer, staying healthier and gaining the confidence that accompanies achieving the best physical shape possible at any age. “It’s never too late”

Skip Nall, Certified Personal Trainer

Skip is a personal trainer, surfer, professional photographer and the father of his 6-year-old daughter, Jade.

He has been involved in athletics for many years. He played soccer in high school, and has surfed internationally for the past 45 years. At age 32 he began weight training and the following year began training for his first marathon.

During the past three years Skip has trained along side Mr. Universe, Ian Harrison fine-tuning his weight lifting technique, fitness and nutritional knowledge and in 2011 he received his certification as a personal trainer.

At sixty years of age Skip knows the value of training and can help you with your fitness needs whether a beginner, seasoned athlete, or somewhere in between.

He continues to surf, run and produce fine art and commercial photographs. He is also available to photograph before and after portraits of your training accomplishments.

Come meet with Skip and find out what he can do to help you with your fitness goals.

Raul Amaya, M.M.A. Bootcamp Instructor

Raul “Smash Mode” Amaya is a local mixed martial arts specialist who currently fights for the Bellator Fighting Championship. Having won the A.O.F. Welterweight Championship belt & obtaining a professional record of 10 wins & only 1 loss, Raul realizes that champions truly are born; not made. Raul worked hard at realizing his dream of being an MMA champion. Having qualified for the state championship three times and placing fourth in the state of Florida as a high school wrestler, from a young age Raul has been no stranger to hard work. From these humble beginnings arose a local legend, but he will never forget what his mother told him at a young age- “If someone ever needs your help, you must always do your best to help them”. Those words, while seemingly simple, stuck in the front of his mind until this very day. Because of that simple statement, Raul has dedicated whatever time he has left over from his training to helping anyone who desires to physically better themselves.

Despite the rough exterior of an MMA champion, Raul has a passion for helping those who need it. While working hard every day to improve his skill in the ring, he also continually works on improving his knowledge of the human body in order to best follow his mother’s heartfelt instruction given to him so long ago. Incorporating the techniques of a fighter with rapid weight loss is Raul’s specialty, and he makes sure that anyone who is willing to put in the work it takes to lose weight, loses that weight in the fastest way possible.
“If you can dream it, you can do it”

Nick Cahill, Certified Personal Trainer

Nick Cahill, a born and raised Bradenton local, Nick has been a member here at city fitness gym for over three years before joining our team. As a youth, Nick was active in many sports such as soccer, football and surfing, but throughout his teenage years Nick lost touch with his physical fitness. Knowing he was capable of a much higher degree of physical health, Nick once again found himself hard at work in the weight room. Immediately recognizing Nick’s potential as an athlete and personal trainer, our own Ian Harrison worked closely with Nick to instill in him the fundamentals of training. Having learned from the best, Nick brought his versatile skillset to our very own team of trainers.

Now a full time personal trainer at City Fitness, Nick emphasizes to his clients the importance of proper nutrition, flexibility/stretching, balance, core strength and neuromuscular control. He progresses his clients toward their goals as fast as they are willing to work. With an earnest passion to help others achieve their goals as quickly and safely as possible, Nick works with all individuals from all age groups to make them feel and look their very best.

“What is not started today is rarely finished tomorrow”