Muscles and Moxie

Muscles and Moxie Get strong. Get flexible. Get your body back to doing what you want, when you want.

On a mission to recreate our appearance-based fitness culture into something that’s more health-centered and function-focused so you can finally enjoy exercise (for real) and feel confident in your body (for good).

Had the privilege of coaching these 12 coaches through a joint mobility class at this past Wednesday. Teaching your pee...
06/24/2023

Had the privilege of coaching these 12 coaches through a joint mobility class at this past Wednesday. Teaching your peers is totally daunting, but thanks to these incredible humans, I only felt like I was going to 🤮 for the first 5 minutes, and then it was SO. MUCH. FUN. Thank you for trusting me to train your people, !
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04/19/2022

Do squats aggravate your lower back? You may be going into an anterior or posterior pelvic tilt. In this video, I go over and how to maintain a neutral pelvis when squatting 👊

04/16/2022

Is a 10k obstacle course race (like or ) on your bucket list?

GOOD NEWS — I’m putting together a training program so you can NAIL IT without getting injured.

Because, while it doesn’t exist anymore, Chicago’s was one of my fave races I ever did back in my running days … but I’m still annoyed by the fact that I had to get boosted over the marine hurdles and the rope wall by random dudes around me.

I wish I had been better prepared for the strength aspect.

Sooo, while I don’t have the entire program mapped out yet, it will 💯 include joint-centered and traditional strength training.

And I filmed the first routine yesterday — a pre-run warm-up so you’re not spending the first 10min of every training run feeling like you’re dragging ass, trying to get into “the zone.”

Follow .and.moxie to stay tuned, and drop a comment 👇 if you want me to let you know when the program’s complete 🏃🏻‍♀️

And if you want to start prepping your joints NOW, head to my bio .and.moxie to grab my free 4-week mobility program 😁
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Michelle had been battling chronic neck pain for nearly a decade by the time we started working together in June 2020.Sh...
04/11/2022

Michelle had been battling chronic neck pain for nearly a decade by the time we started working together in June 2020.

She told me we needed to stay away from things like overhead presses and pull-ups, as a DPT had warned her against doing any kind of overhead pushing or pulling movements going forward in order to keep her neck safe.

Running more than 1-2 miles at a time was also a no-no because the impact might cause a flare-up.

Naturally, I was skeptical.

Because when a practitioner’s “solution” for your joint pain is to tell you to just avoid movements that are necessary for LIFE (not being able to put your own suitcase in an overhead bin is a problem when you love to travel like Michelle does) and activities that you enjoy (in this case, running), it’s a GIANT RED FLAG 🚩🚩🚩

That’s treating symptoms, not the actual problem.

So. It became my mission to find the root of her neck issue so we could eliminate her neck pain and get her safely doing overhead stuff and running again.

And, turns out, her neck pain was primarily due to a lack of scapular control and a super stubborn serratus.

Sooo … we worked on – wait for it – improving scapular control and engaging / building strength in her serratus!

Aaaaand, now she can do things like lat pulls and overhead presses. AND she’s able to run again. All without incident.

In fact, her neck rarely bothers her anymore.

But when it does, we freaking address it.

And whether you’re working with a personal trainer, physical therapist, or chiro … you shouldn’t expect anything less.

P.S. If you’re curious about joint mobility work and how it might be able to help you trade in tightness/achiness/weakness for strength/flexibility/control, you should check out my free 28-day mobility program (link in bio) – you’ll get instant access to 10 pre-recorded routines you can start today … no equipment needed!

Something every trainer has heard at least once from a new client is: “My [knees/back/shoulders] hurt when I [squat/dead...
03/23/2022

Something every trainer has heard at least once from a new client is: “My [knees/back/shoulders] hurt when I [squat/deadlift/push-up], so my doctor said I shouldn’t do that anymore.”

And even though we don’t say it, we think you got sh*tty advice and need a new doctor 🤷🏻‍♀️

Because those are movement patterns you need to LIVE YOUR LIFE, and by NOT training them, you’ll likely end up in even more pain as you age (and might even be told at some point that you need a joint replacement 😳).

So, when I learned at last month’s that a seminar would be happening in Chicago, I signed up immediately and got to spend a full weekend learning from how to better assess clients and train them in a way that alleviates pain rather than causes it.

It was easily one of the best fitness seminars I’ve ever attended.

My number one goal as a trainer has always been to help people FEEL BETTER.

And the knowledge I gained over that weekend will help me do just that.

03/12/2022

I started working with Ric 6 months into his post-stroke recovery, in 2019.

At that time, his goals were to: (1) Be able to carry an iron skillet across his kitchen in his right hand again; and (2) Do one push-up.

Fast forward two years and countless milestones later, when he told me his newest goal was to do one burpee (the only client in the history of clients who has actually *requested* burpees! 🤯😝).

Well, this past week, he nailed that one burpee … and then proceeded to do 10 more … IN A ROW 🙌😭❤️💪😁

Ric is a testament to the fact that, no matter you’re starting point, you shouldn’t let how far you think you have to go overwhelm you.

You’ll find that by setting a series of simple/realistic/meaningful goals over time and by focusing on the very next step to reach the very next goal instead of an end result, the entire process will feel way less daunting and way more enjoyable.

Which will inspire you to keep showing up.

And when you just keep showing up? You just might achieve things you never thought possible 💥

P.S. All of the above shared with Ric’s permission because, in his words: “Stroke rehab is hard and people need to be inspired.” ❤️
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I’m so grateful to have found TruFit Personal Training Studios, LLC, LLC when I first started my training business and t...
03/09/2022

I’m so grateful to have found TruFit Personal Training Studios, LLC, LLC when I first started my training business and that I get to spend multiple days per week with these women, from whom I have learned so much.

All of them are amazing business owners and coaches who are happy to take the time to share their expertise, which is a testament to the fact that:

(1) We all love what we do and thus enjoy nerding out on things like anatomy and movement 🦴💪🤸‍♀️🤓; and

(2) We don’t just care about our own clients and success but also each other’s 🥰

A workspace that is *truly* welcoming and 💯 aligns with “collaboration over competition” is a rarity, especially in this industry, but that’s exactly what you have created, IzzyFit Personal Training & Nutrition Coaching — THANK YOU (and thank YOU, Lydia Berger Gray , for introducing us)!!



TruFit Personal Training] with
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Did you know:
* 8 women run their training businesses out of TruFit?
* TruFit, also woman-owned, is a co-working space dedicated to helping fitness professionals grow and evolve in a safe and fun and bad-ass space?
* We collectively believe being strong is a right every woman should have to live their best lives?
Happy International Women’s Day, everyone! Give some love to your favorite WOBs today (and every day)!

02/22/2022

“I like that sound … ilikeitsomuchIMISSEDIT!” So happy to be back to training with at .training.hall in their new fancy space after a 2-month hiatus. Not-so-coincidentally, this is also the first time I’ve done cardio in two months (with the exception of an all-out sprint to my gate at Orlando airport 2 weeks ago 🏃🏻‍♀️… which made it abundantly clear that I hadn’t done cardio in 2 months 🥵).

As much as I ❤️ both coaching and being coached in person, there’s something to be said about pushing a button, do your ...
02/20/2022

As much as I ❤️ both coaching and being coached in person, there’s something to be said about pushing a button, do your thang, and already being home when you’re done so you can move on with your day, especially on a Saturday morning (personally, I didn’t become consistent with weekend workouts until I stopped *trying* to go to the gym and started moving my body at home instead … now the only time you’ll find me outside before Noon on a Saturday is walking my dog in hole-y sweatpants, and I wouldn’t have it any other way🚶‍♀️🐕).

Thank you to everyone who trusted me to guide you through some joint-strengthening movements yesterday AM via Zoom — you are amazing, and I hope your body FEELS amazing!

And special shoutout to for not only attending but also sharing this photo of her view 😁

This isn’t a stretch class or a yoga-like flow; it’s pure joint-specific strength training.Which is non-negotiable when ...
02/11/2022

This isn’t a stretch class or a yoga-like flow; it’s pure joint-specific strength training.

Which is non-negotiable when it comes to building a resilient body!

Because with joint-specific strength training, it’s not just about getting bendier, but also (and more importantly) bulletproofing that bendiness with strength work, which is the key to improving your brain-body connection and gaining control over your body 🧠

And with better body control comes better movement (and fewer injuries), both in and out of the gym 💪

Sooo, if you’re sick of feeling tight and achy 😣 or simply want to learn how to move more freely 🤸‍♀️ check my bio .and.moxie to reserve your spot. It’s via Zoom, so you don’t even have to leave your living room floor 🧘‍♀️💻

Yoga mat and blocks recommended but not required.

Excited to kick off my (next) Saturday with you!

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610 Davis Street
Evanston, IL
60201

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Tuesday 6am - 3pm
Thursday 6am - 3pm
Friday 8am - 1pm

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