So the short version….

I’m a Renaissance fitness woman – I lift heavy, sprint often, box, play and take on any physical challenge that comes my way and try to look good while doing it! I train for life .

Certifications: NASM CPT, CES, PES, Fitness Nutrition Specialist, Senior Fitness Specialist, NASM Kettlebell, Battling Ropes Level 1, Spin Instructor

And now the long version…

I’ve been a fitness addict since the age of three. I blame it on my mom. She started my addiction. For her, it was more fun to play tennis with me than Barbie dolls. Can’t really blame her…Barbies are pretty boring.

So since the age of three, I’ve been an active, fitness loving person. I loved just about every physical activity – tree climbing, rollerblading, biking, baseball, running, soccer, Frisbee, gymnastics, ballet dancing…ok tutus weren’t really my thing so that didn’t last very long…But yea, I loved (and still love!) any physical activity.

When I went to college, I found a new love – weight training. Before college, I’d never really done any power lifting for tennis. Medball workouts, footwork drills, plyometric and body weight training I’d done…and I liked all of them a lot. But weight training…wow! It ranked right up there with playing tennis and eating yummy food.

All throughout college, I fed my fitness addiction. Two hours of tennis a day (at least) followed by about an hour of training. I tried to lift weights as often as I could. And then an injury my senior year of college took some of the fun out of training. It made playing tennis and working out each day a struggle. For the first time in my life, I couldn’t wait for a chance to get away from training and tennis.

Of course, after one week off, I was itching to get back into the gym and onto the court. That summer I worked out all the time. And then in August, I started my full-time job. Then the hard part was finding the time.

A full-time job didn’t allow me as much time for working out as school had. And after work, I was usually tired and had a hard time getting into a routine. When I did workout, my workouts lacked direction. They were sloppy and usually I didn’t push myself. I wasn’t used to working out on my own. I also started to get depressed since I couldn’t find the time to play tennis. My fitness addiction turned into a Chinese food and pizza binge eating addiction.

It was difficult adjusting to working out for only an hour a day. It was difficult not playing tennis. It was 10 pounds difficult. Ever seen an orange with toothpicks sticking out of it? Well that is what I looked like the fall after I graduated from college.

It was time to make a change. I refused to buy new cloths so that meant I needed to lose weight. Also, I missed working out intensely! I missed the endorphin spikes!

I started researching weight training and designing workout routines that I would do no matter if I felt full of energy or tired that day. I mapped out weights and reps. No more slacking off! I also started attending classes. I fell in love with Spin – ok actually, I dread spin classes. But I dread them because they are hard!

I gave myself no excuse to miss a workout. I started doing some of my workouts at home. P90x and insanity may be workout videos, but trust me…they are no Jane Fonda (no offense Jane Fonda…I still think you are awesome!).

I got back into a routine, which allowed me to enjoy working out again! And I changed my diet. I couldn’t just eat whatever I wanted like I did in college. I started a low-fat, lower carb diet, which took the weight right off. I dropped about 15 pounds in about 90 days. Of course, I found this tasteless diet impossible to maintain once summer hit. I love ice cream!

That whole experience just made me even more fascinated with fitness and healthy eating. It drove me to seek a job at Fitcorp. It has pushed me to study for my training certification. Its pushed me to question and research conventional wisdom about exercise and healthy eating.

And now? Well now I conduct fitness “experiments.” And these experiments have led me to create a Man Bicep workout and diet program, which is constantly evolving and becoming better even if the basic principles stay the same.

On my program I’ve increased my strength, but more importantly I’ve constantly challenged myself and made myself grow. I’ve found EMPOWERMENT through fitness.

I’ve also learned that “strength” can mean a lot of different things. While powerlifting will always be my first love, I’ve found that there are so many other strength activities out there that I enjoy and that have made me both physically and MENTALLY stronger.

And in terms of my Man Bicep diet…WHOLE NATURAL FOODS.

I eat no grains, no sugars, no gluten period (unless it is a bad cheat day of which I indulge in week…hey that works for me!). I also consume no vegetable oil. No bad omega-6s for me! Instead, I eat lots of meat (yes red meat and bacon, but uncured and naturally raised a.k.a grass-fed, free range and such!!) and vegetables. I occasionally have fruit and nuts and include carb re-feeds with rice and potatoes a couple of times a week. Oh and did I mention I eat lots of fat on the low carb days!?! Coconut oil, butter and duck fat!?! There is definitely no fear of fat on this diet!

Ready to feel better and become stronger both physically and mentally?!? Well then let’s talk! 🙂