Certification/Education:
American Council on Exercise (ACE) Certified Personal Trainer
American Red Cross Adult CPR/AED Certified
Bachelor’s Degree in Physics, DePaul University
Experience/Background:
I discovered my love for sport and fitness when I joined DePaul’s club rowing team; just surviving the practices of such a grueling sport was an intensely rewarding experience, and researching how to maximize my performance solidified my love of training. I took great pride in helping teammates and peers alike with their rowing and strength training and assisted other rowers with learning proper exercise execution as well as programming after I had graduated.
In the years that followed, I coached friends and family members and read numerous textbooks, further developing my skill as a trainer and learning more about training special populations. I’m now continuing my research, as well as pursuing the most valued credentials in the industry in order to become the best trainer I can possibly be, and give back to the community in a way that impacted me greatly when I was new to fitness.
Training/Fitness Philosohpy:
I believe that strength is the king of all adaptations, and is paramount to health in general. A stronger person is harder to injure, less likely to experience muscle imbalances or postural issues, and less prone to chronic pain. Your time is valuable, and I want to waste none of it - proper execution of barbell movements (e.g. the squat, overhead press, deadlift, and bench press) combined with smart programming and ample recovery will strengthen your entire body and build muscle rapidly, even if you’ve never set foot in a gym before.
I take a very hands-on, customized approach to programming and instruction. As we conservatively increase the weight on the bar, I will coach your execution of the movement, and be right there with you during your sets, so that you are always improving your ability to perform the movements in a safe and controlled manner. When exercises get more difficult, you can trust that my skill in manipulating training variables will keep every single session productive while properly managing stress. Even if you have reduced flexibility or diminished mobility in certain joints, we will work together to find a range of motion that you can comfortably perform, and steadily progress from there.
After you have a great base of strength, you’ll be in the perfect spot to develop and pursue other fitness goals: sport-specific training, cardiovascular conditioning, bodybuilding, or even just long-term strength maintenance or body recomposition. Whether you’re an athlete looking to squeeze every bit of performance out of your body, or you’re just training to be healthy, pain-free, and able to walk up and down the stairs well into your 80’s... it’s my philosophy that proper strength training will help you get there.