Ty Renner has been an athlete for most of his life. He played sports all through high school and then eventually as a college student at Texas Tech University—“through scholarship, which is great,” Ty says.
He explains the process: “It kind of happened randomly. I’d always worked to play college basketball.” While at Texas Tech, he began playing volleyball for the university as well. “Volleyball was my life for a really long time. That’s actually what moved us [to Hermosa]—I started trying to qualify for the AVP [Association of Volleyball Professionals].”
Ty’s professional volleyball ambitions were certainly a motivating factor when he and his soon-to-be husband, Randy Renner, decided to move from Texas to California. But it wasn’t the only one. Ty didn’t know it at the time, but Randy had his own reason for wanting to move west.
“He had been talking to his company for a while, without me knowing,” Ty says. “He used to work for a tech company back in Dallas, and he was trying to get transferred out here so we could get married.”
Prior to moving to California in 2014, same-sex marriage was still illegal in Texas. It wasn’t until June 26, 2015, that it was legalized in all 50 states. “His company took really good care of us,” Ty says. The couple moved to Hermosa in July 2014, and by November they were engaged.
“As much as I love the South Bay and will forever call this place my home, I want to see the world. I want to go and be the student.”
Not long after relocating to California, Ty began to shift his energy from volleyball to fitness training. “When I moved here, I was trying hard to be on the volleyball circuit,” he notes. “In Texas, I was pretty damn good. In California, not so much. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I felt like I could hold my own … but it’s a different breed out here.”
With years of experience training to compete in multiple sports, making the transition from athlete to fitness coach was a natural evolution for Ty. But it was his vivacious personality that made him a fast favorite with his clients. He got his start at a CrossFit gym where he coached for a few years before he was approached to join Afterburn Fitness. Eventually, he went from working in a gym environment to training clients independently.
Today he has fine-tuned his training style into what he describes as HIBB. “Instead of HIIT training, I call it High-Intensity Bodybuilding. It’s a mixture of bodybuilding and Olympic-style weight lifting with high-intensity training. I incorporate more methodical heavy lifting with fast body movements. So your heart rate gets high, and then you’ve got to really trick your mind to be slow and steady with perfect form.”
Ty has a wide range of clients, all with customized training programs and personalized nutrition plans. “I’m the type of person who tells you if you’re hungry, I want you to eat. If you’re thirsty, I want you to drink. Your body is smart; your body tells you what you need now. Your body doesn’t tell you to go to Krispy Kreme—that’s your mind, or maybe your growling stomach. You have to counter that with some healthier habits. But I’m a realist; donuts are my favorite thing in the world. If they’re offered to me, the answer is yes, absolutely. At the same time, I might do a little extra workout the very next day.”
Balance is key when eating for the body type you have or the body type you are aspiring to have. Ty maintains an achievable healthy lifestyle while incorporating temporary restrictions. “I love a 30- or 60-day challenge,” he says. “I do them with my husband all the time. I think it’s super smart to [occasionally] deprive your body of something that has become a habit.”
Ty loves the South Bay and feels incredibly fortunate to have the clients he has. But when asked about his goals for the future, his sights are set elsewhere. “I think I want to live abroad,” he says. “As much as I love the South Bay and will forever call this place my home, I want to see the world. I want to go and be the student.”
For now, Ty has found his groove as a trainer, while Randy stays busy as the founder of South Bay Social. But with big dreams and adventurous spirits, there’s no telling where this duo might land next.
