What's in a Name?

Why UPSTRENGTH? What does it mean?

Choosing a name for a fitness and health website is actually surprisingly hard. Everyone's already thought of EVERYTHING. Guh. Finding something that is unique and quickly conveys who you are as a coach, a brand, a personality, a community in one catchphrase is ... kinda tough. I wanted the name to illuminate the values that are most important to me as a coach that also created action around and excitement. Everything I came up with had already been taken. So annoying. However, in the end, I'm happy it happened that way because I would have never created UPSTRENGTH had I not been challenged to keep reinventing.

So why UPSTRENGTH?

I wanted to convey the focus and style of my coaching in one or two simple words. When I am training clients I am... well, nauseatingly upbeat. Ha! I think the reason that my caffeinated pep makes even the more serious clients not want to kill me is because it is authentic to who I am. My enthusiasm stems from the work I get to do every day (and also lots of coffee). When people work with me, I want them to feel uplifted, encouraged, supported, safe and vulberable enough to take risks.

So the word "up" felt right. It's optimistic. The idea of moving up in life, standing up for a cause, and looking up toward the future instantly caught my attention. Then I started thinking of training: push up, pull up, chin up, sit up, get up, muscle up. Upping reps and upping volume. The list was endless, and each action so rewarding.

Why not UP fitness? I wanted to convey that my focus in training is not to merely get "toned" and look hot in a bikini. Of course, aesthetic goals are super important and I value training in order to look and feel good just as much as the next guy/gal. But I think if we can approach training for aesthetics with more athletic goals in mind, we will be more successful and more apt to stick to our goals. And what's more, if we train for strength and athletic achievement while eating healthy we will also get hot in the process. So why just train to look good, when you can get hot and strong and healthy at the same time?! #yas

So there you have it.

UPSTRENGTH was born.

The subtitle is FITNESS THAT STARTS WITH U. Literally. Which I think is punny. While the foundation of UPSTRENGTH is rooted in strength training, metabolic conditioning and nutrition, the heart of UPSTRENGTH is joy. So what better way to show that while I take training my clients very seriously, I do so with wit, humor and playfulness. I believe that fitness should be effective and fun. And maybe fun first, then effective. Because no matter how perfectly a program is designed, if a client isn't having fun, that program isn't an effective program. Because it will be a neglected program. (<<<a quote from the all-knowing, all-powerful Harold Gibbons)

UPSTRENGTH is uplifting strength training that inspires empowerment and fun. And it starts with U. And it starts with YOU.

I cannot wait to work with you!

smiles + protein,

Elizabeth