Hey!

I’m (almost Dr.) Antonella Schwarz (PhD(c), MS, LAT, ATC, CSCS), founder of The Gray Zone, lover of all things exercise science, dog obsessed, and adventure junkie.

The Gray Zone was born while I was in college at the University of Florida (Go Gators!). There, I earned a Bachelors Degree in Athletic Training and a Masters Degree in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology with a specialization in Human Performance. I then went on to pursue a PhD in Exercise Science from Liberty University where my research focus was and still is on skeletal muscle hypertrophy. I am an exercise science nerd through and through!

Currently, I travel the country over the summers with my husband who plays professional baseball, I’m a college professor in Miami, FL during the fall and spring semesters, and provide contract athletic training services to sports teams all over the nation.

You can usually find me in a weight room or out running on a trail. I love lifting weights but I also love to run. And I believe you can be successful at both! I’ve competed in bodybuilding and run marathons (and everything else in between) so I pride myself in bringing not only textbook knowledge to the table, but real-life experience.

My philosophy: learn new things, try new things, step far out of your comfort zone, and remember that very little in life is black and white. The magic usually happens in The Gray Zone.