Conversations with the Inspiring Sheri McAmis

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sheri McAmis .

Sheri, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I first learned I love being strong in 2009. I had been attending a class where we were regularly lifting heavy things, swinging kettlebells and even doing pull ups! As I saw myself getting stronger and pushing my own limits I was hooked! I never wanted to be ‘weak’ again.

I completed the Russian Kettlebell Certification a couple of years later in hopes that I could help others find their strength too. Soon after that I also completed the StrongFirst Kettlebell certification where I met a community of likeminded coaches who encouraged me to continue learning and teaching others.

In 2014, after pregnancy and giving birth, I quickly learned that my habits and ideas for training and caring for my body needed to evolve. I had back and tailbone pain, incontinence during workouts and I had no clue how to ‘close the gap’ where my abs were replaced by my, now squishy, midsection. I sought help from a pelvic floor physical therapist who sparked my interest in learning more about pregnancy and postpartum fitness.

I am now a Pregnancy and Post Natal Fitness Specialist, StrongFirst Kettlebell instructor and Precision Nutrition coach. I focus my training to women who, like me, may feel or have felt like strangers in their own bodies after having babies. But want to learn to love and care for the body we have now. A body that is strong and able to do the things that give us joy in and outside of the gym!

Has it been a smooth road?
I still consider myself in the beginning stages of building my business. It isn’t a smooth road. It’s a bit of a balancing act. Personally, my first priority is as wife and mother. So making contacts, accepting new clients and managing my home life wisely is taking time to figure out and it will always be evolving.

So far, patience and consistency have been key. Dedicating certain time for work and home, time for continuing education and even time for myself and then keeping accountable to those appointments are helping to keep me on track. Because life is demanding and can get out of control if we let it, so controlling your own time is imperative!

And always keep learning! Be an expert in your field. Read. Seek out other professionals who inspire you and learn from them. People spend their hard earned money on our services so making sure we deliver the best content for them is vital.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Peak Strength story. Tell us more about the business.
I’m a Pregnancy and Post Natal Fitness Specialist, StrongFirst Kettlebell instructor and Precision Nutrition coach.

When I started being more involved in personal training and fitness, specifically postpartum exercise, I noticed it seemed to be the normal advertisement directed to pregnant and post natal women to workout and ‘get your body back’. But why!? We HAVE bodies. Amazing bodies that have brought another tiny human into the world. 

Many women, pregnant and post partum, don’t know where to start. Many, like me, struggle with core and pelvic floor dysfunction. Teaching women to give our bodies grace to recover and to do it in a safe and healthy way is my goal. Helping women regain function in their core and pelvic floor so that they can continue on, as they get stronger and more confident, to reach their goals and then set more goals and reach them too! Right now attending classes I have moms who are 32 weeks pregnant, 9 week post partum and 5 years post partum! All have different skill levels, all have different goals, all feel safe and confident with the exercises and modifications they’re working on.
Classes are small groups of women who encourage and lift each other up. I’m so proud of the fact that there is no negative body talk coming from anyone while you’re in my gym. We all recognize each others strengths and when one reaches a goal we celebrate together.

For good reason, society often focuses more on the problems rather than the opportunities that exist, because the problems need to be solved. However, we’d probably also benefit from looking for and recognizing the opportunities that women are better positioned to capitalize on. Have you discovered such opportunities?
In my option, our biggest obstacle is ourselves. We doubt our ability, we stop ourselves from expanding because we wonder if people will take us seriously. Setting aside self doubt is hard but the opportunities are out there if we learn to be confident. We are smart and educated. Passionate and determined. We are a fierce community and we love to support our own.

Contact Info:

• Phone: 6056418155
• Email: ssmcamis3@gmail.com
• Instagram: @sheri.mcamis

Image Credit:
Sonlight Creations

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