My Story

My personal fitness journey is not one of weight loss, but of weight gain! I began this journey towards the end of my college years in the school gym. Countless times I tried to gain the muscle I had desired without any success. It wasn’t until I realized anxiety was taking away from my wellbeing that I found salvation in strength training. Over the course of the next couple of years I gained over 50lbs of muscle and became passionate about health and strength training. Following the completion of my Bachelors degree from Illinois State University, I quickly became certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a Certified Personal Trainer. Over the next two years I gained my experience working in multiple high-end fitness clubs, including Fitness Formula Clubs, and The Spa at Trump Health Club.  During this time, I got the inspiration to start Pure Strength Chicago. 

Consultation and Assessment

The fitness consultation and initial workout are truly the hardest part of reaching your goals—for first time training clients, setting foot in a gym can be intimidating, or if you haven’t picked up a weight in years getting started seems impossible. Life gets busy and taking care of your body becomes more and more difficult, not to mention meeting with a personal trainer—think a terrible blind date. This is the point in the blind date where I bring my laid back personality and reassure you that you I have your best interest in mind by building trust and rapport. I will build a training program tailored to your lifestyle while making your goal a reality. Here is a list of what our initial meeting will look like:

• Full interview of medical/exercise history
• We will talk about your work out style (what you actually do)
• What motivates you and what you struggle with the most

Let's talk Nutrition...and habits! 

What are your eating habits (weekdays and weekends)? Do you practice any health lifestyles? Paleo, Vegetarian, Whole30, etc.

How much alcohol do you consume? If you could be one animal, what would you be and why? What song would play in the background of your life? 

During the consultation and initial assessment, there is a Functional movement screen. These tests are in place for me to better understand what kind of exercises will help you achieve your goal faster, including: shoulder mobility, core stability/engagement, hip flexibility, push and pull strength, and muscular endurance, to name a few. Getting excited?!