Our Team

Mike Matuz, CEO

Mike started working as a personal trainer in several different sports clubs while attending college at Chapman University. There, as a collegiate athlete he used his sports background to create a variety of innovative training systems for his clients. After graduating, Mike received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing from Chapman University along with several National accreditations in health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness. From humble beginnings in 2007 for local college students, Mike has since grown First Step Fitness to serve a diverse population of entrepreneurs and emerging young professionals from Orange County, Long Beach and Los Angeles.  Mike has built First Step Fitness into the largest, personal and private training gym in Long Beach and is proud to have created a fitness system that is a platform for creating vibrant health and wealth for his clients.  It is his hope to not only help his clients physically, but help create strategic business connections among all of his clientele.

Amanda Matuz, COO & Nutrition Expert

With a natural spirit and gregarious attitude, Amanda Matuz has quickly gained prominence as the face of women's personal training in Long Beach. Originally from South Orange County, Amanda settled in Long Beach after graduating from Chapman University with a degree in Dance. Amanda's enthusiasm for personal training and fitness were inspired by her background in dance, which dates back to her early childhood. Along with her husband Mike, Amanda founded First Step Fitness in Long Beach 3 years ago as an innovative personal fitness training center, blending the solidarity of team-building group workouts with the personal attention of highly skilled trainers. Because of Amanda, First Step Fitness has grown rapidly with a client base as diverse as the workouts that are offered. Her fitness programs build a new body from the inside out, with dietary changes and proper hydration, combined with high-intensity resistance training at an aggressive pace. Skeptics need only meet Amanda to understand that her training works, and that it can help them too. Her passion for personal training exudes, and is superseded only by her love for her family and the Long Beach community. Last October Amanda gave birth to her first child, a son named Noah. As an ambitious business owner and mom, the way she balances work and life is relatable to many of her clients, who not only see her as coach in the gym, but one in life.

Adam Ferris, MMA/Combat Coach

Adam served in the United States Marine Corps Reserves as Military Police. He has also been working in Law Enforcement for ten years and has been studying martial arts for 22 years. Adam has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and Chinese Boxing and has trained in Muay Thai for several years while also obtaining a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu jitsu. Adam carries over his workouts and combat training into his every day life as a member of law enforcement.

Erika Gasztonyi, Private/Team Trainer

A Long Beach native herself Erika started training as a client with First Step Fitness at the age of 16. At that very young age , she developed a keen interest in the science of Movement and nutrition. That interest soon ignited a passion when she enrolled as a Physical Education major at Chapman University, the alma mater of her mentor Amanda Matuz. Upon completion at Chapman, she is becoming a certified Yoga instructor and a Physical Education coach at Our Lady of Refuge Catholic School in Long Beach. Erika has taken the core principles of FSF and is now forging a new path with her dynamic skill set. She has elevated the FSF arsenal. Make no mistake, she is a force to be reckoned with!

Vishal Kumar, Private/Team Trainer

Once realizing how the human body was able to develop strength, adapt, heal and exceed the minds expectations was when Vishal’s interest in health and fitness began. Growing up in the Bay Area his main sport of interest was soccer in which he played for club teams and also throughout high school. During this time Vishal began working with a personal trainer and learned both traditional and functional methods of training in which he was intrigued by. While continuing his education at Long Beach State, Vishal wanted to be in a competitive sport other than soccer and that’s when he began to train jiu-jitsu with Brazilian Top Team. Once again discovering that team atmosphere and competitive nature he felt compelled to pursue an education in health and fitness. Vishal received his Bachelors of Science degree in Kinesiology: Exercise Science in 2011 and since then has been working to share his knowledge and help others through instruction and personal training.

If you are thinking of attaining a certain weight, raising your level of health through diet and exercise, or just need a fitness trainer to make sure you stay on track so your daily experiences do not stray you, then you definitely need to contact Amanda at First Step Fitness."

— Paul Podraza, First Step Fitness Member
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