what to expect when training with me

What to Expect When Training With Me

I hold multiple certifications in training modalities including powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, strongman, calisthenics, bodybuilding, and conditioning. If you have specific aesthetic, rehabilitative, functional, and/or competitive goals, you can count on me to help you achieve them. My comprehensive approach to coaching and program design, combined with detailed technical instruction, will help you feel unstoppable in the gym for years to come.

When I'm coaching a client, I'm thinking about the interplay between your hardware — muscles, bones, connective tissue — and your software: your nervous, respiratory, digestive, endocrine, and lymphatic systems, and everything in between. Because everything is related, and nothing happens in a vacuum! Most coaches are only looking at half the picture.

What Makes My Approach Different

Quite frankly, many conventional strength training programs are ineffective because they instruct limited ranges of motion in limited planes, with arbitrary quantitative standards that don't work for most bodies. Programs like these commonly lead to strength plateaus and reinforce poor biomechanics — which makes injuries and chronic pain more likely, not less. I've lived this firsthand, and it's a big part of why I coach the way I do!

Every program I write is tailored to your unique history, body, goals, and skill level. You will never find me peddling one-size-fits-all templates to whoever asks for one. I'm here for YOU.

You'll Be Challenged

It's common for my clients to say things like "Wow, I've never felt that muscle engage before," or "You really know how to target my weaknesses," or even "Do you hate me???" (jk... unless??). While soreness isn't an indicator of a good workout, you should expect to feel challenged in every session with me. After all, you didn't hire me to help you do things you're already good at!

You'll Learn Stuff, and So Will I!

I want to empower my clients to learn as much as possible about their bodies and about strength training in general. I love when clients ask me "Why?" — Why did you program this? Why are we doing this variation? Why are you cueing me differently than how I've always done it or how I saw someone do it online? The answers to your "whys" will equip you with the knowledge to become a more autonomous and self-aware athlete, and that's something no one can ever take away from you.

I've been strength training for a long time, but I sure as hell don't know everything — and a lot of coaches think they do, which drives me nuts. I genuinely learn something new from every single athlete I work with, and I'm dedicated to continuing my own education through courses, webinars, articles, podcasts, and more. Sometimes I make a mistake in explaining a technique cue or programming an exercise — but I'm cognizant not to make the same mistake twice.

You'll Be Supported

I'm committed to being your number one hype person. I want to celebrate your wins, pump you up on doozy days, and show up for you with genuine gratitude that you chose to be here with me. I'll be your accountability partner and your confidant, your paparazzi and your snack provider. You can count on me every single time!

Bonus: I'm a sucker for a good dad joke and have a real knack for detecting puns — gym-related ones especially.

As a strength coach, I wear many hats - exercise specialist, physical therapist, psychological therapist, accountability partner, cheerleader, friend, and reality-checker. I bring compassion and nuance to every session and am happy to meet you where you're at on any given day, in every season of life. Clients can trust me to show up trauma-informed, anti-racist, anti-diet, and compassionate, committed to meeting you where you're at no matter your ability level or where you are in life. This isn't a footnote — it's the foundation of how I work.

IMPORTANT: I will not engage in transphobia, homophobia, racism, fatphobia, ableism,
non-consensual touch/tactile cueing, bigotry, or elitism of any kind.
There will be zero tolerance for clients who condone or engage in this behavior.

My coaching combines a variety of methodologies that stem from my own experiential learning as well as the following sources of information:

Certifications:
Modified Strongman Systems (MST) Periodization for Powerlifting and Strongman Athletes
USA Weightlifting (USAW) Level 1 Coach
DNS Level 1 (Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization) for Strength Training
Strength Systems International Powerlifting Level 1
Westside Barbell Conjugate Systems Athletic Coaching 

Relevant Webinars/Trainings/Books/Courses/Continuing Ed.:
Anatomy Trains : Myofascial Meridians for Manual Therapists and Movement Professionals by Thomas Myers
Decolonizing Fitness Patreon Subscriber
Foundations in Trauma-Informed Weightlifting
Big & Bold: Strength Training for the Plus-Size Woman by Morit Summers
Kabuki Strength: Advanced Methods for Strength Training
Deconstructing the Fitness-Industrial Complex: How to Resist, Disrupt, and Reclaim What It Means to Be Fit in American Culture by Justice Roe Williams, Roc Rochon, and Lawrence Koval
The Gift of Injury: The Strength Athlete's Guide to Recovering from Back Injury and Winning Again by Stuart McGill, Ph.D. and Brian Carroll
Westside Barbell's Book of Methods by Louie Simmons
Motivational Interviewing training
Active Listener of Restoring Human Movement podcast
Disabled Girls Who Lift podcast

Coaching Influences:
Erin Lee, DPT
Joe Stella
MST Systems
Postural Restoration Institute (PRI)
Catalyst Athletics
Calgary Barbell
Marcia Dernie, DPT
D Hudes
Rali Malcheva
Katie St. Clair
S Gold
Meghan Callaway
Powerup Movement Co
Dr. Aaron Horschig
...and more!