We were lucky to catch up with Alyssa Caliendo recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alyssa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

My path to becoming your body guru wasn’t a straight line, instead it was a wild dance filled with detours and discoveries. My journey started with a hip injury in high school and the lack of love my body got from the medical establishment lit a huge fire under my butt to do more and my path was set to go to PT school!

In addition to textbooks, I became my own science experiment and undergrad became a personalized deep dive into the human body through dance, biology, and kinesiology! I interned with the most incredible PTs, soaked up knowledge like a sponge, and got my hip happy as a clam and injury-free!. PT school was the plan until a professional dance company scooped me up, igniting a creative fire that couldn’t be ignored. While grad school sat on the back burner, the multitudes of certifications I received became the fuel for a new mission: helping YOU become a powerhouse, stay pain free, and move with joy.

Now that I had all these certifications, I decided to dive into the corporate world, climbed the ranks in personal training, and became a master instructor, all the while itching to build something of my own. That itch finally exploded in 2019 with the birth of this amazing business!

Over the past 13 years, I’ve seen countless trainers and clients unlock their bodies’ potential and banish pain and I wouldn’t trade it for the world!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My mission is all about inspiring freedom within your body. Sometimes that means kicking pain to the curb with some serious strength, other times it’s about ditching the rigid routines and embracing joyful movement. It’s about learning to trust your inner compass and become best friends with your body (nervous system included!). Whether we’re training for your next paddle boarding adventure (hello, functional movement!) or simply finding pure joy in the act of lifting, fun and confidence are always at the forefront.

Years of working with amazing humans have shown me one thing – your brain and body are deeply connected (if you want to hear more about this check out my podcast, “It’s All One Thing”!), this means, if we only focus on the physical, we miss out on the transformative power of mind-body connection! While my approach has evolved way beyond “less is more,” I still incorporate all that injury prevention knowledge into every session.

I teach you not just how to lift, but how to create a movement sanctuary you actually crave. The key to this is understanding your unique body and showing up exactly as you are. Lifting isn’t a chore, it’s a celebration woven into the fabric of your life.

What sets me apart in the field is my deep body knowledge and a joyful movement obsession. If weight loss is your jam, I’m not your jam. But if you want to appreciate every inch of your magnificent being and embrace all that life has to offer, let’s get this party started! Ditch the shame, grab the weights, and let’s celebrate the incredible human you are!

Speaking of celebrating, here’s how we can work together (all virtually, of course!):

Get Strong Again: A 3-month program for retired athletes and start again’ers ready to rewrite their lifting story. Get ready for college-level body education, fun weekly group workouts, and personalized coaching calls – it’s a life-changer!

1:1 Sessions: Want a hyper-personalized approach to strength and wellness? This is it.

Let’s Lift!: A brand-new 1-month DIY program to kickstart your strength journey.

The bottom line is that my work is a big middle finger to systems that try to dim our light. Diet culture, perfectionism, unrealistic expectations – we can learn to navigate them while living life on our own terms, full of freedom and joy.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Life throws you curveballs and mine came in a triple threat: divorce, loss, and a near-death experience – all in the same year! Juggling a business on top of that was truly a test of spirit! But instead of letting it break me, I discovered movement was my personal fireworks factory and strength training was more like sculpting my internal resilience, one deadlift at a time.

Some people think self-care is just bubble bath and face masks, but that’s just the frosting. Movement is the whole cake! It’s the endorphin rush of defying gravity, the camaraderie of joyful giggles and excitement of new wins at your fingertips. It’s NOT about shrinking yourself to fit some mold – it’s about finding your inner powerhouse, your wonderful YOU, in all its glorious shapes, sizes and beings.

This is why I built my virtual community! A space where everyone feels welcome, celebrated for their strength (both physical and emotional!), and empowered to move their bodies with joy. Because when we move together, we rise together. We build resilience, not just for ourselves, but for each other too.

Together, we’ll show the world the beauty of strong, resilient humans who lift each other up, one dumbbell at a time.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Deeply knowing that strength training is body liberation, a rebellion against the tyranny of tiny portions and endless cardio and a perfect physical metaphor for expanding yourself beyond societal expectations. When I talk about my program, Get Strong Again, what I am really talking about is reclaiming joy because without joy there is no strength. Shame and deprivation are like training wheels – they might get you started, but they won’t take you far.

Get Strong Again defies what you think you know yourself and transports you to a land of freedom, triumph and a whole lot of zesty experimental fun! Holding this little secret that strength, joy, curiosity and exploration is hidden away in a tiny corner of your house where you keep the dumbbells and you don’t even know it yet!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alyssa-caliendo.mykajabi.com/personal-trainer-1
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alyssacaliendo_/
• Other:
  Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alyssa-caliendo

Image Credits

Photos by Emily Durkin
Photos by Laini Reagan