About

ABOUT ME AND THIS BLOG: THE SHORT VERSION

I want to help you find confidence, in yourself and in your body, through fitness. I believe most people have no idea what they’re capable of, and when they find out, they can enter a whole new era of self-love. Finally you can feel empowered, and can feel the peace that comes with challenging your body, rising to the challenge, and succeeding. It’s time for the mean little voice in your head (you know the one) to SHUT UP.

ABOUT ME AND THIS BLOG: THE LONG VERSION

My name is Jessi.

I’m a certified personal trainer with more than 5 years of experience training clients in NYC.

I live in Manhattan and I’m based out of Peak Performance (rated by Men’s Health as one of the Top 3 gyms in the US!).

I love reading, writing, training hard, cool fall days, and brightly colored nail polish.

I’m from upstate NY (by Syracuse, but a super tiny town),  and I was extremely un-athletic growing up. I used any excuse to skip gym class, and I faced the “mile run” day every year like a prisoner, with black fear in my heart. I used to believe “I can’t dance” and that MY body wasn’t designed for running (I HAAATED it), and that because I was a girl, I should be careful to look “toned” but not “bulky.”

At age 18, (I took a year off before coming to NYU) I attended a full-time dance program upstate with Sean McLeod (if you’re upstate and want to take dance classes, look him up. You won’t regret it.) First through dance, then later through training, I began to realize that all the limitations we place on ourselves are basically imaginary. I now want to help other people break these limitations down, so they can feel the incredible empowerment and confidence of knowing you can do anything.

I have since learned that I can dance. Anyone can. I learned modern, African, jazz, swing, salsa, and ballet, with various levels of success. It became important to me to dance with passion first and technique second, because dance is a celebration of one’s miraculous body, and my physique started transforming in ways I’d never imagined. My body was more capable and beautiful and strong than I had ever given it credit for, and I started to feel AMAZING.

I learned later that I’m designed to run too, it just took a very looong and grueling baby-step process to get there. I started with 60 seconds of running, and considered that a success; I kept at it until I felt like I was “running.” Eventually, I started dreaming about it, and looking forward to my 5 mile runs by the Hudson river. I now encourage everyone to start looking for those little rewards that come from knocking down walls you’ve put up to limit yourself… Finding out you can run for 60 seconds might be all it takes to start down a new path of confidence-building and body-improving.

Lastly, I believed that as a female, I had to be careful not to get too big. I’ll save my rant on the mis-information that saturates our culture for a future post, but suffice it to say, I have since learned that THAT is idiotic. Not only does it take a very specific and dedicated course of training to achieve those muscular results on women, but the pictures we’ve all seen (that have scared the shit out of us) are often pictures of women who are insanely lean and chemically enhanced. Also, women who start weightlifting and start “getting bigger” are simply not losing fat fast enough to balance out the new “toned” muscles. So diet and nutrition should be blamed for not looking long and lean, rather than the weight training.

More importantly than that though, is the fact that we should look however suits us. Maybe you don’t think being strong suits you (and hey, it might not), but most likely that’s because you’ve never had a reason to integrate movement into your life. I want people to have something physically that makes them feel GREAT; whether its weightlifting, badminton, ballroom dance, boxing, running, rock climbing, or pilates. Your body is your life-long companion; I want you to love it. Not because you reached some magical weight, or because you now have the abs of a famous celebrity, but because it makes you feel awesome.

This blog is about encouraging people to find movement and let it become a part of them. Let it define you. Be “that girl who trains with a trainer,” or “that guy who does yoga,” or just generally be someone that other people describe as “tough,” “strong,” “in great shape,” bad-ass,” or “could probably kick my ass.” Let fitness make you a stronger, better, happier, and braver person. Let it slowly blow up the ideas that you held to so dearly (“My arms are weak,” “I have no balance,” “I’m in terrible shape,” “I’m a klutz,” “I could never do that”) and replace them with CONFIDENCE. Start forming an image of your own body that you’re proud of. Let today be the first day that you look in the mirror and think “Damn, I’m strong and capable” instead of “I wish I could just cut off my lovehandles.”

I want you to feel amazing.

I’m here to help. With inspirations, musings, suggestions, and posts on things I hope will resonate on your journey to finding body peace and love, this blog is for you.