Fitness Training, Sports Conditioning & Remediation
Meet our Team!
Get to know our awesome trainers! Click the CONTACT button below any trainer's bio to schedule your FREE consultation.
James Di Naso
Owner &Â Performance Consultant
James Di Naso has been involved in the strength & conditioning and personal training field for most of his life. For the past 30 years he has owned and operated The Body Club, a performance training facility in Charleston, Illinois. James also served as the Executive Sports Performance Director for Velocity Sports Performance in Willowbrook, IL during the first two years of operation from 2004-2006. He has over 33 years of full-time experience in the field and has trained thousands of individuals and athletes, including professional athletes in the NFL, NBA, and MLB, achieve their fitness and performance goals. James’ expertise in strength/power development comes from years of involvement in the sport of Olympic Style Weightlifting, where he coached school-age members of his weightlifting club at the national level. He is also a sought after speaker and presents at state, national, and international conferences. He is a published author with many articles and chapters written for national publications. James earned a Master's degree in exercise science from Eastern Illinois University, is a former national level coach with the United States Weightlifting Federation, holds both certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), and Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA-CPT). James is a former IL State Director for the NSCA, a position he served in for over seven years. He is a former competitor in the sport of powerlifting and in 2011 won the gold medal at the GPA Raw World Championships. James is co-owner of Practical Kinesiology Company and creator of the Shoulder Saver System.
Since founding the business in 1991, James now serves a limited role at The Body Club as a performance consultant where he advises the training and development of the next generation of personal trainers and sports performance coaches. He is proud to have a part in passing on his knowledge and experience to the excellent fitness professionals that now operate the facility.
Jennifer Carter
Operations Manager, Massage Therapist, & Personal Trainer
Jennifer Carter is the Manager and Director of Training Services at The Body Club. She has been involved in the fitness industry for most of her life, beginning with formal dance training at the age of three. During her high school and college years, she worked as both a dance and group fitness instructor. Prior to joining The Body Club, Jennifer was a teacher in Salem, IL and a personal trainer at the YMCA in Mattoon, IL.
Throughout her fitness career, she has appeared in a motion graphics project for McGraw-Hill publishing, starred as an exercise model for a series of educational DVD's published by Healthy Learning, and has been featured on the cover of ACSM's Health and Fitness Journal.
Jennifer earned a Bachelors degree in education, a Master's degree in counseling, and completed post baccalaureate coursework in kinesiology from Eastern Illinois University. She also graduated from Tennessee School of Therapeutic Massage and is a Licensed Massage Therapist in Illinois, Tennessee, & Florida. Jennifer has an extensive background in anatomy and physiology, and is a Certified Personal Trainer through the American Council on Exercise. In addition, Jennifer has completed certification emphasizing preventative and rehabilitative exercise through the American Senior Fitness Association, Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization Level 1 training, and is a Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist in The Biomechanics Method.
Jennifer’s knowledge and background allows her to help clients remediate musculoskeletal imbalances to improve body mechanics and achieve their overall fitness/functional goals. She focuses on restoring and/or improving core stability, strength, balance, movement, and flexibility, as well as post rehabilitation from injury or surgeries.
Malia Gunn
Sports Performance Director &Â Personal Trainer
Malia is an independent trainer working out of The Body Club. She grew up in Robinson IL before going to Danville Area Community College to play collegiate softball. From there she transferred to Eastern Illinois University to finish playing and earned a Bachelors degree in Exercise Science. Starting in the summer of 2021, she completed her undergraduate internship at The Body Club and was asked to be a part of the team.
From there she has worked with a diverse clientele base from young athletes to older populations. She specializes in general population and athletes on sports performance - agility, strength, and remediation.
Amanda Johnson
Personal Trainer / Nutrition Coach
Amanda is a NASM certified Personal Trainer, Women's Fitness Specialist, and Nutrition Coach. She has been helping individuals with their fitness and health goals since 2019. Amanda has personal experience with bodybuilding and competition prep, having earned the title of OCB Bikini Pro. Now, she mainly works with women who wish to learn safe and effective exercise techniques that fit their busy schedules. Reach out today to find your unique balance of fitness and nutrition!
Brody Polk
Personal Trainer
Brody Polk is an independent trainer at The Body Club who specializes in exercise correction and the general population. Brody attended Eastern Illinois University (EIU) where he got his Bachelors degree in Exercise Science. He went on to get his Masters degree in Exercise Physiology while working as a graduate assistant. During his time at EIU, Brody worked with an adult fitness population. He gained experience in exercise testing, evaluation, and prescription. He also has experience running various group exercise classes for various populations. While at EIU, Brody completed his internship with The Body Club during the Fall semester of 2024.
Ashlyn Hoover
Personal Trainer
Ashlyn Hoover is currently a student at Eastern Illinois University. She is a senior studying Exercise Science, intending to earn her doctorate in Physical Therapy after she completes her undergraduate studies. In addition to her studies, she is currently a member of the Eastern Illinois women’s soccer team. She earned her Personal Training certification through NASM in December of 2023. She specializes in helping the general population reach their fitness goals, including weight loss, performance improvements, and reaching a higher quality of life through remediation. Being an athlete, she also specializes in increasing athletic performance.
Knox
Meet Knox! He’s our fun-loving, playful Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who takes his job as The Body Club mascot with great pride. Knox is very upbeat, athletic, and agile, as well as very sweet-natured, making him a good therapy dog that’s healthy on our heart and calming to our daily stressors. He loves when clients play with him and toss him one of his toys to fetch. Outside of the gym, he likes going on fast walks, climbing hills so he can see what’s over the top, chasing squirrels, and going on car rides so he can hang his head out the window. On his downtime, you’ll see him napping, and sometimes hear him snoring, on his cozy blankets. He also loves a good neck and shoulder massage.