Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Allison Tenney. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Allison, appreciate you joining us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

GET UP. Those are the two words I said to myself that saved me.

My name is Allison Tenney. I have played and coached soccer at some of the highest levels.
And it nearly killed me. It was the mentality – if you’re not the best – you’re worthless. And I felt worthless.

Two weeks postpartum. There I was – Exhausted. Defeated. Shattered – So I did something I had never done before. I quit.
But the athlete in me had practiced those two words. An automatic response. GET. UP.

So when I finally did get up – I knew it had to be different. I had to be different.

You see, after a successful playing and coaching career, my body had become the only measure of success. I couldn’t keep up with it.

I had created my world view and my identity of being liked, valued, even loved – for what I could perform.

As a Coach…then a Mother, I knew there had to be a better way. I couldn’t go on like this.

So I chose to do better… for them, and for me.

There aren’t many strength coaches talking about healing through movement.

I started my business to be something different in the fitness industry. A space where you are more than a size, or number, where you don’t need to perform your worth.

You will not hear me talk about weight loss.

I’m more interested in what you can gain.

Your worth is more than the narrow beauty standards.
Or the number on the scale.
Or the number on the barbell.

Through strength and conditioning, we can reclaim our relationship to our body.

Iron can teach us to GET UP, and choose ourselves.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am a strength and conditioning coach who specializes in strength programming for women to learn as they train and enjoy lifting, without the shame the fitness industry uses to motivate you into being a smaller version of yourself.

I am uniquely qualified because of my experience in collegiate athletics as a sport coach AND strength coach. I’ve been through the journey—learning to live fully in my body without fear of criticism or shame—and now I’m on a mission to help other women build strength, confidence, and the courage to step into their personal power.

When we’re going it alone, setbacks feel like mountains and we wonder if our successes are even making a difference. It’s why I created my online community – a shared path maintains our individual momentum, even amongst diverse goals. Community accountability puts us back on track.

I run two coaching programs:

1. The Wolfpack – is a 6-month, high touch, intimate group coaching program for the person looking for a well-rounded training program written to help you accomplish your strength goals, who is also ready to build the necessary mindset skills for all the physical training to be impactful. There can be no outer transformation without doing the work on the inside as well.

2. The Den – is my online group strength and conditioning program (3 month minimum with 3+ years of progressive programming) for the person who wants ease in your life & movement routine, needs efficiency in strength/movement, and also has the desire for expert-level programming.

I am most proud of my business for being able to bring in the intersections of strength, exercise AND autonomy, compassion, and healing. We talk about the deeper WHY of training – that the longest relationship you have is with yourself and your body is your home. How are we honoring that?

While I do believe we are “more than our bodies” we also ARE a body. We show up and walk around in these bodies and connect with other humans, all in our bodies. Each of us has our own experiences in the world based on the body we walk around in. We need to acknowledge that. We need a deep understanding of Self to be able to connect authentically and honestly with others. It’s how community is built and how change is made. And I believe we need a lot of change in the fitness industry. I am here to disrupt.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Struggles and challenges are always a part of the story. If things were easy, everyone would do it.

The biggest struggle in building my business has truly been getting out of my own way. It’s a practice to offer yourself the grace and compassion it takes to wake up every day and be a solo entrepreneur – the CEO, CFO, CMO, etc. – and not get caught up the grind/hustle culture of “never enough.”

I work really hard to stay inside my values as a business owner. That means making hard decisions, saying No to opportunities, walking away from people I don’t align with, and leaving money on the table. It’s also how I grow a sustainable business with people I adore and admire.

In our “flash in pan success,” social media, glitz and glam culture – this can be really difficult. What you see online may (or may not) be true. You have to show up to find your voice, practice using it, know people may not like it, decide to do that anyway, build trust with the ones who ARE listening, and ask them to come along with you on the journey.

It’s one of the most frustrating AND rewarding things about running your own business.

I’m also a mom of two kiddos – so running carpool, family schedules, and all the things that go on at home takes time. I am very discerning about where my time goes… and I’m not nailing it all the time. Let’s just get that out of the way right now. I complain. I get tired. I drop some balls. I think this idea that you can “have it all” pushes women further into this narrative that we need to “do it all” and it’s dangerous and harmful. I don’t want my children to see their Mom burned out, stressed, and unhappy. That’s not why I started my business. So I work hard (on myself) to try to find some ease, joy, and rest as well along this journey.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Sports have always played a major role in who I am and has always shaped the way I run my own business now. I grew up a competitive soccer player and transitioned my playing career into a Division I collegiate coaching career where I not only was responsible for on-field coaching I was also the Strength & Conditioning Coach for the team.

I knew from my own playing experience the demands of the sport and was able to program on field AND off field for our athletes to help them perform at their best and stay healthy.

I started my business because I loved the strength aspect of what I got to do with my college athletes. I saw how impactful it was for women to understand the true strength of their bodies.

Athletes are judged by how they perform. There is a lot of pressure. It’s also how women are brought up to internalize those beliefs and see our own bodies – that our worth is only in how our body LOOKS or for what it can DO.

I saw a major gap and how flawed those beliefs were and wanted to fill that gap and change those narratives.

I wanted women to see that movement shows us possibilities and strength can be a gateway for healing.

So much of what is sold to us in the fitness industry is rooted in weight loss, shrinking, and taking up less space to fit some standard of beauty and mold that *most* of us have never agreed to in the first place. We are handed shame, told our bodies are a problem, and that it’s ours to fix. I call bull shit. I created my business to take the shame out of strength training and hand women a strength program withOUT the shame and that gives them permission to take up as much space as they want. Not only do we get strong, but we learn that compassion is always the starting (and ending) point.

Being a college athlete and college coach taught me the resilience and grit it takes to achieve big goals. Sports are an amazing metaphor for life, and it truly does take a TEAM if you want to go far. Community building, connections, and relationships are a huge part of my business. I get to work with the most amazing people all over the world. The online space has opened up a whole new world or amazing people and I am grateful for the opportunities it has brought to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://allisontenneyfitness.com/
• Instagram: @allisontenney