Instructors

Lisa Tobias, Owner

Lisa Tobias has been teaching pilates in Tampa since 1998 to clients of all ages and levels. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of South Florida with a BA in Dance Performance and danced professionally with Moving Current Dance Collective before expanding her pilates studio. Lisa is certified through the reputable STOTT Pilates Intensive Certification program on the full repertoire of exercises and equipment. She also has previous personal training experience and certification through NASM.

Lisa started Pilates Bodies in 2000 with the initial push and support of her husband, Bryan. Today they are both excited to be entering another decade in business, serving the south Tampa community with premium instruction and a business built with high standards. Lisa and Bryan not only share a passion for positively impacting people’s lives through fitness and wellness, but also through their positive attitudes, unwavering integrity, and commitment to marriage and family. They are also the proud mommy and daddy to two young girls.

Bryan Tobias, Owner

Bryan Tobias graduated with his B.S in Exercise Science/Wellness from the University of South Florida in ’99. He obtained a M.S in Performance Enhancement from the Cal. Univ. of Pennsylvania in Dec. ’04.

Bryan’s training career started while he was at USF as the Fitness Coordinator of the Campus Recreation Center in ’98. He then worked at the University of Tampa where he worked as strength coach developing programs for the varsity teams. Bryan has worked with numerous high school, college and professional athletes from around the nation helping them increase their athletic potential. Bryan holds multiple certifications including NASM-PES, NSCA-CSCS, and USA Weight Lifting coach. He also enjoys training male and female clients with little athletic experience and provides an energetic and professional atmosphere for them in his circuit style strength/cardio class.

Mariel Schimpf

Schimpf has been an active professional in the fitness industry since 1998. Her fitness career actually began by participating in four Regional Women’s Tri-Fitness Competitions.

Following her last successful competition she decided that she had a keen desire and passion to help people achieve their fitness and wellness goals, therefore she became certified through The American Council on Exercise (ACE) and began her career as a fitness professional.

As her interests evolved, she expanded her modalities into other fitness methods. As a result, she became certified as a Peak Pilates Instructor, and received her Peak PilateSystem® Professional Certification. She is also a member of The Pilates Method Alliance, an organization whose goal is “to protect and enhance the Pilates Method”.

Melody Mason-Wiliford

Melody Mason-Wiliford traveled internationally as an adage dancer before turning to the fitness industry where she settled in the United States to work as a personal trainer. Pilates complimented her own philosophies of obtaining strength and flexibility through perfect posture and mind body connection, it was the natural step to obtaining pilates training through the University of Las Vegas and then Stott Pilates.

Until recently Melody worked for a physical therapy institute where her knowledge in pilates was used for rehabilitating patients before moving to Florida and working for Pilates Bodies. She is one of three instructors in the State of Florida to obtain instructor training status through the highly accredited Stott Pilates method.

Jill Tompkins

Jill Tompkins is a fully certified STOTT Pilates instructor. She also received her certificate to teach from the Physical Mind Institute, where she first began to teach at the B-Fit Center in Tampa.

Jill opened The Pilates Center of New Tampa 10 years ago before moving to Portsmouth , NH and opening Spinlates, a spinning and pilates studio.

Prior to her pilates career, Jill was a professional violinist with the Florida Orchestra. Sustaining severe damage to her neck and back from a lifetime of faulty repetitive movement, she sought pilates as a solution. Jill is now a walking testimony to pilates rehabilitative results and shares her compassion with the clients she trains! Jill’s strenghts as an instructor are patience, comprehensive/detailed instruction, and an endless repertoire of creative yet purposeful exercises. Jill is thrilled to be working at Pilates Bodies and to be back in Tampa, Fl.

Nicole Mintz

Nicole Mintz is a Tampa native and a Peak Pilates certified instructor. She has been an active fitness enthusiast since childhood, with a background in dance, gymnastics and as a former Spinning instructor. During her difficult pregnancy in 2003 she began experiencing chronic back pain. Months of bed-rest resulted in very weak muscles and more severe back pain, so after the birth of her twins she decided to turn to Pilates to regain strength and minimize back pain. Inevitably she decided to have back surgery in 2007, but she was able to return to pilates and made a complete recovery, free of pain!! Her personal success with Pilates as pain management and total body conditioning has motivated her to help others achieve their fitness goals. Nicole is excited to share her passion for pilates with her clients at Pilates Bodies.

Michele Neff

Coming Soon