Hey, I’m Julia!
I’m a full time trainer and owner of Strong Friends Gym, a strength training gym in San Francisco.
The first time I stepped into a gym was in college. Having never excelled at team sports or much of anything athletic in my youth, the gym had never felt like a welcoming space. I really had no idea how to navigate the space, or how to put together a halfway decent workout.
As a result, I wasted years on bad workouts I’d found online and quickly developed a bad relationship with food and exercise. I attribute this to a deep lack of knowledge and the complete absence of any professional guidance in the earlier years of my fitness journey.
Since becoming a personal trainer nearly 10 years ago, my goal has been to help as many people as I can to develop healthier, more informed relationships with diet and exercise than I did in those initial years. So much frustration, uncertainty, and inefficiency can be avoided when you have the right coach in your corner. I’ve made all those mistakes so you don’t have to - we can skip right to the good part!
My training principles:
Everyone is different. Your training should account for your goals, interests, lifestyle, and needs.
Have a plan. Having a structured program is the most surefire way to reach your goals. Random workouts → random results.
Structured progressive training → measurable progress.Have fun! I believe that consistency is more important than novelty when it comes to workouts (and it looks like science agrees with me), but I’m always learning and evolving my approach to keep things fresh.
Always have a why. Nothing I write is random! One time I heard a fellow trainer say that we should be prepared for anyone to come up to at any point and ask “why?” I think this is a great rule of thumb.
Performance over aesthetics. Whether you care about how you look or not, how your body functions and performs day to day is fundamentally more important.
Lift weights - heavy ones. This is good for everyone and should be a priority, regardless of what goal initially got you through the gym doors.
More About Me
While much of my life is devoted to helping people lift heavy things safely, I spend some time outside of the gym. While I took courses in personal training and exercise science in college, I double majored in Political Science and Spanish. If you’re looking to start a historical fiction book club, or find a Spanish language group please take me along for the ride!
While I have lived in San Francisco for 9+ years, I’m from a town nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and love to get back to my roots as often as I can. My ultimate fitness goal is to be able to enjoy the great outdoors well into my old age. When in SF, I enjoy a day at home tackling complex recipes, a weekend picnic with a novel in Alamo Square, or a day exploring the city by bike or foot. There’s always more to see no matter how many years I spend here.
A few other facts about me:
I grew up in the Tahoe area, but I don’t ski - sorry. Hit me up for a peaceful snowshoe trek instead.
I insist on only owning and driving manual cars despite the hills in this city.
I went to an all-women’s college in Southern California. I benefited greatly from the women-focused educational environment and it’s greatly influenced my priorities in my fitness career.
Training Credentials:
Certified Personal Trainer - American Council on Exercise
Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach - American Council on Exercise
Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist - National Academy of Sports Medicine
Certified Functional Strength Coach (L1) - CFSC
Certified Women’s Coaching Specialist - Girls Gone Strong
Barbell Rehab Method Certified Coach
PPSC (Pain Free Performance Specialist)
CrossFit - Gymnastics
Attended Catalyst Athletics Olympic Weightlifting Seminar
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