miriam, head trainer.
I was born and raised in central New Jersey where I became passionate about the arts at a young age. I grew up singing, acting, and dancing, dreaming of becoming a performer in NYC, while staying far away from all athletics. I was accepted to NYU, where I graduated with a BFA in drama. My first few years out of college were a juggling act of open call auditions, various performance opportunities, and quite a few survival jobs. I was tired, broke, and stressed, but I quickly found the place I could go to shut out the world and decompress: the gym. It became my respite and my playground where I could unwind from my audition circuits and stressful day jobs. As I learned for the first time to have confidence in my physical capabilities, to take up space, and to embrace strength, I realized the gym was becoming more than a hobby- it was a passion. I wanted desperately to share just how empowering and life-changing it could be with others. I became certified, started teaching group fitness, and 5 years ago, established my own training business, so I could work one on one with clients and coach them through their own fitness journeys. As I worked with a variety of diverse clientele, my passion shifted from simply teaching people how to exercise into creating a safe space for women to gain confidence in movement, grow stronger, and gain the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions about their bodies without the constant pressure of weight loss or diet culture. That is how MF strong was born. Women deserve more from fitness- we’re constantly lied to, manipulated, and pressured by all the unrealistic expectations and “quick fix” fads pervasive throughout the fitness industry. Knowledge is power- and at MF Strong, we pride ourselves in educating and empowering our clients, rather than berating and guilting them.
💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼ACE Certified Personal Trainer, Pre/Post Natal Exercise Specialist, Certified Functional Movement Specialist, Size Inclusive Fitness Specialist
🍳🥞🥓 You can catch her @ brunch in NYC @ Quality Eats…
🍹🌶🌶 She’ll be the one drinking spicy margaritas, extra spice!
How MF strong are you?
I love challenging myself at the gym, but sometimes, knowing when to slow down is just as important. Strength isn’t just lifting heavy weights, but also knowing how to listen to your body, asking for help when we need it, and remembering that rest can sometimes be just as productive as a killer workout.
ANDREW, PERSONAL TRAINING MANAGER.
Born in Georgia and raised in Pennsylvanian farm country, I moved to Geneva, Switzerland when I was 13 and completed my high school education there while developing a passion for both acting and physics. At 18, I moved back to America to attend NYU, where I obtained a BFA in Acting. NYC is now home, and I still hate this city and love it even harder every single day.
I played a lot of sports growing up: soccer, rugby, martial arts, skiing, rock-climbing, etc., and realized during my teenage years that team sports weren’t for me. I felt no inherent competition against others, but loved competing against myself. Solo sports were the way to go. So when I stepped into the gym for the first time during college, I took to it like a pig in shit. I may have had no idea what I was doing in the weight room at first, but I was consistent and started to see results.
After a few years of casually working out, I decided I wanted to study the science behind how and why strength training works. Becoming a trainer was a natural progression for me - it allowed me to combine my love of physics, competition against oneself, and people skills while making a genuine change for the better in other peoples’ lives. I’ve been training now for 5 years and don’t plan on stopping anytime soon, because I’ll never get past the joy of watching somebody learn how to do the things I did to change my life.
Being strong influences every aspect of our lives. It gives you confidence in yourself, provides practical benefits to your daily routine, and helps you live a longer, healthier life where you can participate in the activities you want to.
I want to look good, to feel good, to ski every season, and to play in the backyard with my grandkids, just to name a few. I know that nothing is guaranteed, but you’d might as well stack the odds in your favor as best as you can. Come get MF strong with myself and the rest of the team.
💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼ACE Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Functional Movement Specialist
🍳🥞🥓You can catch him @ brunch in NYC @ Queen’s Comfort.
🍋🍸🍯He’ll be drinking a Bee’s Knees.
How MF strong are you?
Always trying to be stronger, but appreciative of where I am right now. There’s nothing wrong with striving to be better, but I never want to lose sight of how far I’ve already come. Staying present is crucial. Once you’ve mastered that, let’s look towards the future together.
NATALIE, TRAINER.
Natalie is a Midwest gal born & raised in Ohio, and she’s always had a love for movement. After graduating from Ohio State University, she relocated to NYC, with her heart set on doing big things in the Big Apple! She grew up as a competitive dancer through high school and into college; her passion for fitness evolved through her passion for dance. She feels her best when she’s moving her body in ways that make her happy. She aims to help others feel that same joy while they're movin' & groovin' (or lifting weights!).
💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼NASM Personal Trainer
🍳🥞🥓You can catch her @ brunch in NYC @ The Smith…
🍹🍅🍋She’ll be the one drinking a bloody mary. (any time is bloody mary time!)
How MF strong are you?
When you find a workout you enjoy, it stops feeling like a workout. My gym time is self-care; not punishment. I work hard because I love it and want to challenge myself in all areas of life, not because I feel like that's what society (or Instagram) pressures me to do.
GINA, TRAINER.
Gina was born and raised in Orange County, California and spent nearly a decade in San Francisco before relocating to New York City in 2019. Gina's fitness journey started in high school, running varsity cross-country and track all four years. One of her biggest accomplishments to date was running her first (and last) marathon in San Francisco under 4 hours. Since then, Gina found and fell in love with weightlifting herself, but also fell in love with helping other women build confidence in the gym.
Gina is equally passionate about lifting and behavior change. While she doesn't believe in toxic fitness phrases like "no excuses," she does believe in offering accountability, extending grace, growing awareness and uncovering underlying beliefs / mental obstacles. She believes in nuance and operating in the middle — where athleticism meets aesthetics meets function.
Gina's mission as a personal trainer is helping people train smart, move well, and get strong through ALL stages of life.
💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼 NASM CPT, Pain-Free Specialist (PPSC), Pre & Postnatal Certified Coach (GGS-CPPC), PPSC*Programming, Health Mindset Coaching (HMCC)
🍳🥞🥓You’ll find her brunchin’ @ Anejo
🍹🌶🌶She’ll be drinking any spicy cocktail with mezcal!
How MF strong are you?
Physical, emotional, and mental strength are all equally important. Falling in love with the process is far more rewarding than prioritizing the outcome. Train strong, live strong, be strong.
MADDIE, TRAINER.
Growing up as a dancer, Maddie didn't feel like an athlete for most of her life. She hadn't stepped foot in a gym until her first year of college, and she remembers having to read the instructions on every single machine before using it. Maddie quickly became obsessed with training, but the focus on her physical health was detrimental to her mental health. All of that changed when she took her first spin class. She realized not only that fitness can be fun, but it SHOULD be fun (fun doesn't mean easy ;)). Maddie has made it her goal to help people navigate the fitness industry and steer them away from the obstacles that once took her down. After college, she originally moved to NYC to work as an accountant (she’s serious). Maddie has now turned her passion into a career, but it's about more than just exercising. It's about helping people find enjoyable, sustainable movement that will serve them for the rest of their lives. Maddie trains you as a person, not as a body.
💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼NASM Certified Personal Trainer
🍳🥞🥓You’ll find her brunchin’ @ Poco
🍀🍸🍀She’ll be drinking a Moscow mule (in a copper mug only!!)
How MF strong are you?
When you challenge yourself in the gym, you prove to yourself that you can overcome challenges. When you believe that you can overcome challenges, you are more willing to step outside of your comfort zone. When you step outside of your comfort zone, life begins.
Eliza, TRAINER.
Eliza grew up in Connecticut, but knew she wanted to live in New York City from a very young age. She had dreams of being on Saturday Night Live. Just like any normal child, Eliza would spend her weekends writing sketches with her sisters and best friend, and would then perform them for her parents. She attended New York University where she studied comedy writing and began performing standup comedy shortly after graduating. Her parents remain her best audience. Throughout her comedy endeavors, fitness has been a key part of Eliza’s creative process. She has always been active, starting with gymnastics and then moving to cross country and track in high school. She discovered weight lifting after college and fell in love with gaining strength. She saw firsthand the impact strength training had not just on her body, but her mind as well. Getting stronger helped her realize that with consistency and dedication, you can overcome any challenge. Eliza is patient and kind, but loves to push her clients to help them realize just how strong they really are.
💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼 NASM CPT
🍳🥞🥓You’ll find her brunchin’ @ her favorite place, her home :)
🍹🌶🌶She’ll be drinking a Mezcal margarita or a pilsner!
How MF strong are you?
Strength training is more than lifting dumbbells and getting under a barbell. It’s an exercise in patience and resiliency. You don’t have to be perfect, you just have to be willing to try.
KILEY, TRAINER.
After an at-birth injury, Kiley found her movement therapy in dance. Finding joy and empowerment in movement, this passion developed into learning how the body grows, reacts, and adapts to the stimulus of exercise and training. Upon earning her Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science and Dance at the University of Alabama, Kiley moved to NYC to take up a career of movement - throwing herself into the fitness industry and performing arts communities. This love for movement has now grown into much more - a love for sharing it with people!
💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼 ACSM Certified Personal Trainer, ACSM Group Exercise Instructor, ACSM Exercise Physiologist
🍳🥞🥓You’ll find her brunchin’ @ Red Rooster in Harlem! :)
🍹🌶🌶She’ll be drinking an Aperol Spritz!
How MF strong are you?
Every single body is different, and you know your body best! "Strong" is going to mean something different for each person, and I'm here to help you discover and achieve that! For me, I'm not strong 'despite' my injury, I'm strong because of it. Let's find your strength together!