Certification: Certified Personal Trainer from the National Personal Training Institute

Education: Graduate of the National Personal Training Institute as well as seven years of dance training in ballet, modern, hip-hop, and jazz at Columbia College, Lou Conte Studios, Rast Ballet.

Training Philosophy: Balance is key to life and wellness. Strength is paramount, but only when coupled with flexibility and core fundamentals. Coordination is just as important as endurance and variety is indeed the spice of life.

Other Interests: My other love is performing and I have spent the last several years dancing professionally in Chicago and throughout the country. Aside from my life in dance I also spend time as "Artie the Lion" the Art Institute Mascot.

Locations: Any

Certification: American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

Education: Michigan State University

Training Philosophy: First and foremost, it's all about YOU! What is your lifestyle? What are your interests? These days, we tend to focus on everyone/everything else except ourselves, making it difficult to find time and energy to dedicate to fitness. I want to work with you to find a program that not only helps you achieve your fitness goals, but also fits into your lifestyle. Second, set specific, achievable goals for yourself...it is much easier to face a challenge when you are working toward an end goal. I will tailor a program for you that is challenging, yet safe, incorporating resistance, flexibility, cardio, as well as other modes of training. I want to empower my clients with the knowledge of training safely, yet effectively, by teaching them how to push themselves while maintaining proper body alignment and technique as they work to achieve their specific goals. Starting (and continuing) a fitness program means not only challenging yourself physically, but also mentally. There are many factors that can make it difficult to keep up the momentum; I strive to keep my programs fun, fresh,and full of variety so that my clients stay motivated, and continue to look forward to their next session!

Other Interests: Running, yoga, basketball, walking my do, spending time with my family, watching football and baseball.

Locations: Andersonville, Edgewater

Certification: American Council on Exercise(ACE) since 1992, American Red Cross - CPR, First Aid, Aed, and Lifeguard, Reebok University

Education: Florida International University - Hospitality Training

Training Philosophy: I train with hard work that includes progressive resistance training, cardiovascular and flexibility that can provide body balance and overall health with the added benefit of looking GREAT! Other interests: My personal interests that relate to fitness is working with immune compromised individuals to teach how to maintain lean muscle mass and be a strong person to have the body that can fight
for us.

Locations: Andersonville

Certification: American Council on Exercise(ACE), CPR, Crisis Counselor (CA, 2000)

Education: University of Chicago – Master of Arts in the Social Sciences (2007), University of California, San Diego – Bachelor of Arts in Sociology (2005)

Training Philosophy: The energy and confidence you gain from improving your physical health can have dramatic effects on all aspects of your life. In order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, it’s imperative to set measurable, reachable goals. Regardless of your fitness goals, you don’t need to spend hours in the gym every day to achieve your desired results. I maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of your workout by favoring exercises that work multiple muscle groups simultaneously, incorporating injury prevention training, muscle strengthening, cardiovascular conditioning, and core activation.

Other Interests: I play defensive back and wide receiver for the Chicago Force, a semi-professional women’s tackle football team in the Independent Women’s Football League (IWFL). I also love to dance, travel, and cook.

Locations: All

Certification: American Council on Exercise (ACE)

Experience: Collegiate Soccer, Marathons, Sprint Triathlon, and 10k and 5ks

Training Philosophy: Life is short why not adopt a healthy lifestyle now, today? Working out should be challenging and fun. I will help you challenge yourself to achieve your goals; whether you are a beginner trying to develop a routine or a person with experience who would like to take their workouts to the next level. Together we can make your goals happen.

Other Interests: Cycling, Hiking, Skiing, Rock Climbing, Road Trips, and Traveling

Locations: Edgewater

Certification: National Academy of Sports Medicine

Education/Experience: Bachelor of Arts (with honors) in Dance and Movement Studies, and a minor in history from the University of Iowa. Julius started his formal training at the University, and has been involved in the arena for sports and recreation since the age of seven. He was a varsity football player and a track and field competitor for 12 years. Julius was also a varsity stuntman/cheerleader for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes! Julius is a former company member of the Duarte Dance Works: A contemporary Dance Company, and made his New York City debut in the summer of 2006 as member and principle dancer for Eloy Barragan and Dancers during the New York City International Dance Festival. He is now in his first season performing with The Seldoms Dance Company based in Chicago.

Training Philosophy: The first step to wellness is to define and understand what wellness means to you. A healthy body is one that is aware of its ever-changing internal and external environments. My training embodies rejuvenating exercise programs and incorporates creative muscle toning techniques with flexibility work, core strengthening, and injury prevention.

Other Interests: Concert Dance, Musical theater, writing, yoga, and I’m currently training for the Chicago Marathon!

Locations: Andersonville

Certification: Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), APEX (A Division of 24 Hour Fitness)

Education: Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology (Adult Fitness)

Training Philosophy: My style involves a combination of functional and traditional exercises that I learned while training at San Diego and San Francisco, California.  The functional exercises that I use will challenge your core while using other muscles in the body.  Doing this will increase the ability to use your body as a whole.  I like to blend in traditional exercises for muscles that you what to emphasis.  Variety is also a major part of my exercises programming.  Having a vast amount of variety will keep the work out interesting and decrease the chances of plateaus.

Other Interests: Cooking, surfing, dancing, and music.

Locations: Andersonville, Bucktown

Certification: National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and CPR/AED

Education: BA English Literature, University of California at Santa Barbara

Experience: Mixed Martial Arts, Wrestling and Powerlifting

Training Philosophy: I believe in a very simple fact: Hard
work and consistency trump everything. Fancy, new-fangled excercises, complicated nutritional advice and "secret metabolism-boosting tricks" do not help people get stronger, leaner, faster or more powerful. The only thing that does that is putting together a clear plan that involves basic, compound excercises, both aerobic and anaerobic and sensible, balanced eating habits, then sticking to it. There are no shortcuts, there are no easy ways and there is no point in pretending that there are. Alot of people have made a very nice living convincing the general public that they can look like an athlete without working out like one and, to that end, they have concocted a baffling array of ridiculous techniques and platitudes that just confuse people and make them spend money. Excercise is not complicated, it's just hard. Direction, motivation and encouragement are the products I offer my clients, not hype.

Other Interests: Playing my guitar, Latin, reading the classics, good beer, working on cars, maccaroni and cheese with hot sauce on it and long walks on the beach.

Locations: Any

Certification:American Council on Exercise (ACE),Pre/Postnatal Fitness Instructor – Healthy Moms Fitness, Pre/Postnatal Resist-a-Ball Instructor, Motherwell Maternity Fitness, CPR –AED

Education: Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Training Philosophy: I believe that each person deserves to experience the empowerment of his or her healthiest and most confident body. Redefining how your body feels, functions, and looks really can redefine how you see all the possibilities in your life. I will challenge you to realize your full potential while maintaining patience and respect for your body.

Your tailored fitness program will combine strength training and cardiovascular work with core development, flexibility, and balance. I also incorporate elements of yoga, Pilates, kickboxing, and calisthenics to diversify the workouts and challenge your body. Are you the experienced exerciser who needs to break through that plateau to see sharper muscle definition? Are you the woman in her second trimester who wants to maintain fitness and prepare for the challenge of labor? Maybe you are the person who is working to reduce body fat, and wants to create a leaner, stronger physique. Or maybe you have no idea where to start, and want someone to guide and motivate you. Each program is specifically designed to challenge you and evolve with you.

Fitness is not a linear process with a finish line; it's a way of life. Making a life change may sound intimidating, but it's not as scary or laborious as you may think. Just making an appointment to he here guarantees you will devote a full hour to yourself, and we'll work together to make sure that hour is enjoyable and gratifying. You'll increase your energy, and your confidence with each session. Start today!

Locations: Any

Certification: National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)

Education: Anatomy, Kinesiology

Training Philosophy: The road to success and achieving your goals is one best mapped out before ever beginning the journey. As Yogi Berra once said, "If you don't know where you're going, you'll end up somewhere else". Whether you want to jump higher, run faster, or just look better in the mirror, you should make sure you're doing the right exercises and volume to get you there.

Other Interests: Golf, baseball, eventually running again...

Locations: Bucktown

Certification: American Council on Exercise (ACE) Certified Personal trainer

Education: Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, specializing in biomechanics and exercise physiology, I have been involved in two biomechanical studies working along side the likes of Dr. Sheryl Coker (Ph.D., nationally renowned bio mechanist) and Dr. Doug Briggs (Ph.D., CSCS, Master 's Olympic Weightlifting Champion). The latter of the two is soon to be published.

Training Philosophy:Physical activity should be as enjoyable as possible. Being a smaller guy myself, I know that a gym can be an intimidating place. I want to train in a way that is welcoming and approachable to clients of all fitness levels. Also, exercise is a science; to attain a fitness goal you must seek the most knowledgeable professional.

Other Interests: Olympic weightlifting, rock climbing, mountain biking, cliff diving and Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Locations: Edgewater

Certification: ACE Personal Trainer, ACE Group Fitness Instructor, CPR-AED

Education: PhD in Exercise Biology – University of Illinois at Chicago (in 5th year)
MS in Exercise Physiology – San Diego State University
BA in Biology – Boston University
Over 2000 hrs of conducting research in exercise science field; Over 4000 hrs of continuing education
Athletic Training Internship and Physical Therapy Internship

Training Philosophy: When were you in better shape? When you went to the gym, picked up a weight, bent one joint at a time, and then put the weight down again? Or was it when you played on a sports team, using your whole body to perform complex movements without even thinking about what you were doing other than getting the ball wherever it was supposed to go?

I specialize in sport-specific training to improve strength, balance, agility, power, and speed while building muscle, toning your entire body, and sculpting a new you. Whether you are the beginner exerciser just trying to get in shape, a competitive athlete looking to improve your performance, or the recreational weekend athlete interested in keeping fit while forced indoors during the cold months, training with me means using the same training secrets used by athletes. Perform innovative exercises that are specifically designed to facilitate neuromuscular and metabolic adaptations.

These research-based techniques can be performed no matter what fitness level you are starting at to increase muscle, reduce fat, speed up metabolism, improve the cardiovascular responses to exercise, increase energy levels, reduce stress, improve coordination and body control, and reduce the risk of death and disease even if you are not trying to turn yourself into a professional athlete. We drink the Gatorade that was designed for them; we wear the Nikes engineered for them; there is no reason that the general population should continue to be prescribed exercises that are not the best of the best. The body was made to move in many planes at once, producing a complex combination of forces, while simultaneously integrating and stressing the many systems of our bodies.

Unfortunately, traditional weight lifting does not simulate these complicated movement patterns. If we want our bodies improve and adapt, we must provide them with a stimulus that is challenging to both our muscles and to our motor skills, for one is dependent on the other. Just as important, sports and playing games should be fun, so while my workouts are formidable, they will also keep you interested and entertained.

Exercise should: 1) be functional and time-efficient, using several major muscle groups at once; 2) be based on biological facts and research, not colloquial myths; and 3) be interesting and different every time. My workouts include exercises that are innovative, creative, and unexpected. As a personal trainer, my job is to get you to do things you don't want to do or don't think you are capable of achieving while maintaining a safe, effective, and fun environment that is specifically directed toward reaching your goals.

Populations I have trained: Athletes – junior Olympians, law enforcement personnel, nationally-ranked athletes, professional athletes, young athletes (ages 9-18), athletes from the Olympic Training Center, year-round California lifeguards
- Healthy Adults and Members of Special Populations (e.g., multiple sclerosis, elderly, obese, hypertension, osteoporosis, diabetes, musculoskeletal injuries, pre-/post-natal, etc)

Research and Teaching Experience: - 10 years of experience performing research in exercise science
- Published many articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals
- Research topics include: muscle hypertrophy, damage, repair, soreness, and eccentric exercise; thermoregulation; training at altitude
- Teach college-level exercise physiology, anatomy, physiology, & fitness assessment courses
- Teach preparatory courses for the American College of Sports Medicine personal training certification
- Provide continuing education seminars to personal trainers

Certification: National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), American Council on Exercise (ACE), Aerobics and Fitness Association of American (AFAA), APEX, ISSA BOXING

Experience: Golden Gloves semi pro Boxer

Training Philosophy: I am a firm believer in functional training while micro managing every rep to get the maximum amount of results in the shortest time possible. Every rep is equally hard and equally painful, so its important that your body is in the correct position so not even a single rep is wasted.

Other Interests: Boxing, movies, nightlife, salsa dancing, Family

Locations: Andersonville

Certification: CSCS- Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA), NESTA Certified Fitness Trainer

Education: Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Exercise Science, Florida State University

Training Philosophy: No matter what drives your will to get in better shape, it is my responsibility to help get you there. To safely and efficiently get the most out of my clients abilities and achieve results, I use a creative approach based on knowledge and experience acquired over 16 years in the health and fitness industry. I believe a strong mind, body and spirit, positively linked together, is contagious. With these you can overcome obstacles and ensure success.

Other Interests: Any athletic endeavor or challenge- current snowboarding addict, watching/attending sporting events, travelling (especially during the winter), music/live music.

Locations: Bucktown