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Charles Knowles
Founder and President, Vision Fitness
Vision Fitness founder, Charles Knowles is a powerhouse personal trainer who specializes in one-on-one and group training to help clients realize their wellness goals. He takes his coaching to the next level with a holistic approach offering highly individualized training, as well as dietary and fitness coaching conducive to life outside of the gym. His knowledge, dedication, and proven results over the past 13 years have propelled him to be trusted by Philadelphia’s elite, including CEO’s, collegiate and professional athletes, such as 76ers own General Manager Elton Brand and his wife Seneca, and reality star Devin Duggan, for his motivation and fitness expertise. Charles strives to create a fun and upbeat environment where clients feel motivated to make their fitness goals come to life.
Through hard work, prayer and a promise to himself, Charles has dedicated his life to helping others through healthy living and wellness making their vision for fitness a reality.
More About
The Owner
Charles developed a passion and love for helping others through health and fitness following a family tragedy at a young age when he realized that due to poor health his family members never had the opportunity to see their visions become a reality.
Athlete/celebrity roster: His knowledge, dedication and proven results over the past 13 years have propelled him to be trusted by names such as, Michael Harris – CEO of Best Sports Consultants former agent of Kobe Bryant, Frank Knuckles – member of the Roots, Levi Brown, 76ers own General Manager Elton Brand and his wife Seneca, and former NFL player and reality star Devin Duggan.
Gives back to the community: He has spoken to kids at Schools about the importance of taking the tragic moments and turning them into positives.
About Bart "Bang" Pierre
Trainer
BART “Bang” Pierre is a driven young trainer with a passion for bringing fitness to all different levels of clients. Originally from Maplewood New Jersey, Bart moved to Philly in 2009 to attend Chestnut Hill College on a lacrosse scholarship.
After leaving Chestnut Hill, Bart decided to align his strengths as an athlete with his career goals. He has experience training college athletes, elderly men and women, and every age group in between.
The best part of training clients for Bart is seeing people crush their goals and do things they never imagined they had the ability to do. After finishing his lacrosse career, Bart started practicing various Mixed Martial Arts Disciplines. He specializes in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, American Boxing and he competes in MMA Cage Fighting. When not training clients of his own, you can find Bart training for his next fight and pushing his own body to be the best version of itself possible. Bart combines his own experience as an athlete with his care for each client to create a unique and challenging workout in every session and workout at Vision + Fitness.
The best part of training clients for Bart is seeing people crush their goals and do things they never imagined they had the ability to do. After finishing his lacrosse career, Bart started practicing various Mixed Martial Arts Disciplines. He specializes in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, American Boxing and he competes in MMA Cage Fighting. When not training clients of his own, you can find Bart training for his next fight and pushing his own body to be the best version of itself possible. Bart combines his own experience as an athlete with his care for each client to create a unique and challenging workout in every session and workout at Vision + Fitness.
David Yontef
Trainer
DAVID Y. was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. He moved to PA to pursue a doctoral degree at Temple University studying Kinesiology. He graduated from the University of Arizona in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology and has been certified as a personal trainer for 23 + years, training individual clients, small-groups, and classes bringing all his experience to Vision + Fitness to make for some memorable workouts.
David obtained a Master’s Degree from Argosy University of Phoenix, Arizona in 2003 in Sport and Exercise Psychology. He has worked with a very wide range of clients from children to seniors, professional athletes to rehab patients. David is currently certified and affiliated with; NSCA as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Spinning Instructor, USA Weightlifting, and Crossfit Level 1. He currently resides in Lafayette Hill with his wife Amy and two children, Jacob and Lainey.
David obtained a Master’s Degree from Argosy University of Phoenix, Arizona in 2003 in Sport and Exercise Psychology. He has worked with a very wide range of clients from children to seniors, professional athletes to rehab patients. David is currently certified and affiliated with; NSCA as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Spinning Instructor, USA Weightlifting, and Crossfit Level 1. He currently resides in Lafayette Hill with his wife Amy and two children, Jacob and Lainey.
Steel Russell
Trainer
As a Wyndmoor native, Steel attended Chestnut Hill Academy and was drafted to the Baltimore Orioles in 2012. After 6-seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, he transitioned into coaching baseball until he realized that his knowledge, talent, and experience could help more than just professional athletes.
As an elite athlete, Steel Russell understands the important balance of fitness and good nutrition. This is why he will leverage his experience as a professional athlete to develop custom programs for the members at Vision + Fitness LLC. He believes that education is the foundation of living a healthy lifestyle and utilizes his experience to help his clients overcome challenges and achieve their fitness goals.
Frank Jantes
Trainer
FRANK is an experienced Personal Trainer who has been working in the fitness field for the last ten plus years. His experience working in a physical therapy office as well as several different training facilities has given him a broad range of knowledge that shines bright at Vision + Fitness.
One of Frank’s favorite things to do is design creative workout programs that keep people challenged and eager to push themselves to the next level. His “think outside the box” approach to fitness maintains people’s interest while making every workout fun and exciting. With high energy and a dedicated work ethic, Frank creates a wonderful environment for working towards fitness goals.
One of Frank’s favorite things to do is design creative workout programs that keep people challenged and eager to push themselves to the next level. His “think outside the box” approach to fitness maintains people’s interest while making every workout fun and exciting. With high energy and a dedicated work ethic, Frank creates a wonderful environment for working towards fitness goals.
John Brasher
Trainer
John Brasher is a versatile trainer specializing in mobility and range of motion. He believes the key to success is creating habits through mastery. Change starts small and builds- physically, mentally and emotionally. If we create change in ourselves first, we can create change in our lives in a much bigger way. John‘s passion for health and fitness coupled with a relentless pursuit of knowledge in all areas of the field make him a big time add for Vision + Fitness an a extremely dynamic and effective coach
Jaime Frantz
Trainer
JAIME has been a fitness enthusiast for years. She grew up an active kid, always playing some type of sport, and focused on track and competitive dance in high school. Her passion for fitness grew in college and took a quantum leap after graduation. She became an avid gym goer and found herself loving the class atmosphere. With an extensive dance background and rhythm being her strong suit, she became licensed in Zumba instructor 2010, which jump started my fitness career.
The focus of her classes is to sweat and have fun! She love to inspire and motivate those around her. Her objective is to provide an atmosphere where people can completely forget about their worries/stress/bad day/to-do lists/etc… and leave with sweaty smiles on their faces.
When she’s not teaching, you can find her dining at her favorite Conshy restaurants, biking the Wissahickon or Schuykill trails, running the occasional 5k!
When she’s not teaching, you can find her dining at her favorite Conshy restaurants, biking the Wissahickon or Schuykill trails, running the occasional 5k!
Laurie Givnish
Trainer
Laurie has been in the fitness industry for 6 years and has been an athlete her whole life. Her love and passion for fitness began when she tore her ACL freshman year of high school during a basketball game. She learned how important it was to strength train and take care of her body. She fell in love with this lifestyle and knew it was her calling to help others live a healthy and happy life.
She then went on to study Kinesiology at Temple University. She is currently an ACE certified personal trainer, holds a USA weightlifting Certification and is a Precision Nutrition level 1 coach.
Molly McGraw
Trainer
Molly McGraw was raised in Delaware County Pennsylvania and currently resides in Conshohocken, PA with her husband and dog. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with her Bachelors of Science in Nursing in 2014 and Thomas Jefferson University in 2019 with her Masters of Science in Nursing. She practices as a Clinical Research Nurse Practitioner in Pediatric Endocrinology.
She has followed her passion for complementary medicine which led her to complete an Integrative Medicine fellowship, Reiki Level 1 certification and 200 hour Power Yoga Certification. She uses her understanding of brain and body to deliver a challenging yet accessible practice that is built on the foundation of intentional movement and mindfulness. Molly believes in the power of yoga and the power of community. When those two worlds collide, she is in her element. Among her friends and family, she is known to find any opportunity to connect people of all ages and experience levels together through yoga. She is so grateful for the opportunity to share the transformative effects of yoga with the Vision Fitness community.
Rachel Glass
Trainer / Sales Associate
Rachel grew up here in Conshy where she was always playing a sport or involved in some sort of activity. Her biggest passions in life have always been health, fitness, volleyball, working with kids and taking care of others.
Rachel attended Arcadia University where she earned a B.A in History in 2009 and her love for athletics led her to earn a Masters of Public Administration in Sport Management and Athletics at West Chester University in 2010.
Rachel also started coaching volleyball in 2007 where her love of playing the game turned into something bigger. Her coaches over the years inspired her to be someone her players could count on, trust and respect on and off the court. She has coached at the college, club and high school level.
She has had some injuries and health issues over the years which have pushed her to learn and pursue a Personal Training CERT through ACE and NASM. Along with becoming a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM), Rachel strives to be the best role model for those around her, to encourage them to always pursue their dreams and reach for their goals.
Sherri Ponticello
Power Yoga E-RYT 200, Certified, Kids Yoga Certified, Chair Yoga, Currently Obtaining Yin Yoga Certification
Sherri loves all things physical and challenging. Movement is her driver, power yoga her passion. Ten years ago she rolled out her mat for a heated power yoga class and has been going strong ever since. Sherri has been a certified Power Yoga Teacher for the last 7 years. She loves early mornings and motivating people.
When she is not in LOVE teaching hot power or taking classes there, you can catch her in Vision working out hard each day. She believes we have a responsibility to stay healthy and strong. When the weather gets warmer, you will find Sherri at the Schuylkill River in the evenings, as she paddle’s on a competitive Dragon Boat team. Her mindset is to show up strong for herself, her husband Tim, her children and grandchildren.
Nicole Priest
Nicole is very excited to be a part of the family at Vision Plus Fitness as a yoga teacher at LOVE! She began practicing yoga towards the end of the college and fell in love in the practice over time. Yoga has provided her many tools to help her navigate life’s challenges and remain grounded. Living a very fast-paced lifestyle, she finds that the most important lesson yoga taught her, was how to slow down.
Her favorite way to spend free time is being with friends, going to the beach, cheering on Philadelphia sports, and of course any possible to keep active and moving (except for mountain climbers). As an instructor, she hopes to provide others a safe space to show up, slow down, and be exactly as they are. She loves meeting and connecting with new people and cannot wait to see you on the mat!
Nicole Rodriguez
Chief Operating Officer
Nicole graduated from West Chester University of PA with a Bachelors of Science degree in economics and finance. Nicole’s job is to ensure Vision + Fitness is bringing the best customer service in the industry. She works closely with the CEO, Charles Knowles, to oversee and manage daily operations to meet established goals. She previously was the assistant varsity girls basketball coach for Souderton Area School District and was a pilates instructor at [Solidcore]. She now focuses her time on her full time job in supply chain, becoming a new mom and taking care of her 3 dogs.
