I like to design training sessions that maximize your time and incorporate strength training, endurance, and flexibility.  That combination has created a TON of client success stories.  

I trained for over 5 years as the main trainer at Anytime Fitness South St. Paul, earning Personal Trainer of the Year my first year training, and built a strong reputation on building clients up quickly and responsibly through fun and high energy, but structured and challenging workouts. I ran an all women boxing bootcamp and two of my students were hired as instructors at two different schools themselves shortly after the bootcamp ended!  

My clients have had some spectacular results!  Just to name a few, a female client lost six inches off of her waist in only one month, two men lost over 10% bodyfat within two months, and EVERYONE gets stronger quickly because each workout is maximized and no time is wasted.  

I was one of a select small group of personal trainers selected to be a virtual trainer and creative writer for Anytime Fitness corporate, where I answered fitness related questions from all over the nation. I am extremely passionate about seeing people succeed and educating them so that they can workout comfortably on their own as soon as possible.  I have a TON of client success stories, and am looking to help more people achieve their goals!  Some common side effects I've witnessed besides quick strength gains, greatly enhanced flexibility and balance, weight loss and reduced body fat is elimination of the need for medication, sleeping more soundly throught the night, job raises and promotions, more positive outlook, and a personal transformation on what you think you were capable of achieving.  I am extremely knowledgable about nutrition and am a bookworm so I am always reading up on the latest fitness facts so I can deliver the best possible training session to YOU!

I have also been training in Martial Arts since 1998, including Chung Moo Do, Tae Kwon Do, Tai Chi, as well as Thai Boxing, Boxing, and Yoga.  Flexibility is a 

My favorite client story

So many flood my mind, but let me pick two; a training client that lost six inches off her waist in one month won free training sessions for being the member of the month, and when we told her she had won, the plyometric joy and tears made my heart so happy. She ended up being one of the superstars at boxing bootcamp and can throw one of the most powerful, crisp punches you could imagine. Another boxing bootcamper is a busy mother who tackled each class with such ferocity and had so much improvement every class, who later became an instructor herself shortly after. A 64 years young grandmother who can do 110lbs on the tricep pushdown with perfect form ten times (even though she doesn't weigh much more.) A women that leg pressed over 400 lbs slowly and controlled 10 times on her 5th set.

So looks like I fibbed and actually shared four stories, but that was to mentally prepare you for your first training session with me when I ask for one or two more reps than I requested at the start of an exercise (if need be.). Concidentally, my trainer nickname my rookie year of training was "four more" because I often ended up asking for four more reps than originally requested (part of that reason was the strength gains for clients were jumping up faster than usual.)

My favorite exercise

Push-Up's (modified or otherwise) They work just about every muscle in your body.
Lunges (My favorite leg exercise, because some people have difficulties with squats, and lunges are never an issue, and also a great but and leg enhancer.)
Pull-Up's (modified or otherwise; they stink to do, but so much stronger they make YOU!
Sprinting (Or anything with 80%+ intensity; because your body adapts to the controlled intensity with better results than just about anything.)
Free Weight Training, Free Weight Training, Free Weight Training (say it three times and I might appear.)

My favorite quote

“Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.”
-Shakespeare

"Perfect form is the most efficient manner to accomplish the purpose of a performance with a minimum of lost motion and wasted energy."

"If it tastes good, spit it out." -Jack LaLanne

My training philosophy

Consistency and Intensity under via the pursuit of perfect form. To build people up quickly, but responsibly to the best of their own ability (everyone is unique in this regard due to job, habits, previous workout history, injury history, past workout experience.) Building responsibly means establishing a strong foundation via perfect form, because that is not only the most efficient way to maximize each exercise, but also the best way to reduce or eliminate the possibility of injury. Quickly means efficient workouts by choosing exercises that will maximize your time spent at the proper intensity. Variety without complexity when teaching so that the client is not confused about how to workout on their own.

My training experience

I have ALWAYS been involved with exercise since I was a wee lad, watching my uncles play sports and emulating them, and working towards being able to do what they could. I bought my first weight set in 5th grade (I still have it) after saving up from mowing Grandma's lawn, and always wanted to be a martial artist after being inspired by the spin kicks of Jean Claude, the power of Bruce Lee, and the ninja skills of those mutated turtles. I ski jumped in my youth, and played baseball up until 10th grade (in 1998,) when I lost my passion for it because it wasn't fun anymore. A lot of that had to do with uninspired coaching. Shortly after I stopped playing baseball I found my life long passion through group martial arts training (in Chung Moo Do) with my brother under instructor Karl Sanders. The classes were from 6:30-8:30 at night and we went no less than four times a week, and the group camaraderie that existed in those classes was so inspiring, and watching people of all ages, genders, sizes, abilities become better through hard work to "the best of your ability," (something Karl would say every class.) The classes were not easy (understatement) but the positive energy in class and great feelings and improvements everyone attained from the hard work made me realize it was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I graduated from NPTI in 2006 after a six month program, but stayed away from training for a few years because every interview started with asking about sales background and approaching people asking if they wanted to do training, and I think training is something that a person has to go after for themselves, instead of being talked into it like a used car salesmen. In January 2011 I got my first training job at Anytime Fitness in South St. Paul, and had a lot of client success and earned personal trainer of the year at the award ceremony that December, and my knowledge has increased a lot since then. I also was hired as a "Virtual Trainer" by Anytime Fitness corporate, and wrote original blogs such as "3 Tips for Bootcamp Success," "Personal Dog Training," and "the Tale of Mick Valsalva."