Step #1: Introduce yourself to someone who can help you navigate your health and fitness level to where it should be!

My name is Lisa Payne. I am thirty years old and am originally from Chicago. I have a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism and a B.A. in Communications from the University of Iowa and an MFA in Writing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I’ve always been an athletic person-a dancer, runner, and overall gym girl. So, while getting my Master’s degree, I began teaching fitness classes to help pay for school. Little did I know, I was about to stumble upon my future career. I began personal training shortly after and started to take my individual interest and drive for personal fitness to a different level by motivating others to do the same. I am now an ACE-certified (American Council on Exercise) Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer and have worked in the fitness industry for the past four years. I teach and train from the perspective that all training should be kept functional, time-efficient, safe and fun. My favorite things to add in to workouts are kickboxing, agility and balance exercises, resistance band work, core-strength and activation through mat Pilates, and boot-camp style all-in-one. I also train clients on the Stott Pilates Reformer and do Pre- and Post-Natal training. I encourage my clients to keep raising the bar to prevent boredom and plateau-always keeping the workouts fresh and challenging!

Growing up, I was a string bean who was very shy and didn't have a lot of confidence about my body. Slowly I began to find my confident side by becoming more physically active and getting involved in group sports and activities. After high school, the college-late-night-pizza 10lbs. hit, then the after-college-I-now-have-a-desk-job-and-my-butt-is-growing-into-my-desk-chair 10lbs. and finally the bonus 10lbs. I-thought-I-was-done-gaining. I was frustrated to say the least. I always thought cardio was the most efficient way to lose weight. I ended up putting several miles on the elliptical trainer a day and missing a major part of my workout: strength training and variety.

So, I added a few strength classes to my schedule and lost 12lbs. in 6 weeks. It was like a light bulb went on. It got me excited enough to start educating myself on fitness, training better and then passing along my newly realized information to others. Soon enough, I was stronger, leaner and considerably more confident-and I went from a size 30 jeans to a size 25! And as I started working more closely with people, I realized I wasn’t the one who thought that cardio was the best and only way to lose weight. I also started to learn just how self-conscious people are about their own bodies. And that frustrated me even more than gaining 30lbs. after high school! So here I am! Helping people find their way to a more self-confident, positive, and healthy lifestyle!

Certifications:

• American Council on Exercise – Certified Group-Fitness Instructor
• American Council on Exercise – Certified Personal Trainer
• American Heart Association - Adult CPR/AED
• SCW Fitness Education - Mat Pilates with Small Apparatus Certification
• Schwinn – Spinning Certification
• Powerstrike!™ – Llaria Montagnani, IP Powerstrike Inc.