HI, I'M MARTINE!!!

I met my first kettlebell in 2007

my creds
STRONGFIRST
CERTIFIED SENIOR INSTRUCTOR, SFG, SFGII, SFL, SFB
NASM
CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER
CFSC
CERTIFIED FUNCTIONAL STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH
FLEXIBLE STEEL
INSTRUCTOR & SPECIALIST INSTRUCTOR
YOGA
YOGA TUNEUP, ROLL MODEL METHOD, 300HR

For as long as I can remember, I've been fascinated with movement.

Gymnastics, hockey, soccer, swimming, yoga, dancing...
I was an active kid.
But it wasn’t until my first summer job at a local Nautilus gym that I saw exercise as a "thing," something regular (i.e. non-athletes) people did to stay healthy and keep their bodies tuned. What started as a good way to pay for college turned into a lifelong passion.

Over 25+ years as a fitness coach/instructor/trainer, I’ve studied a lot disciplines and programs and tested my fair share of high promise “innovations” (latest and greatests). Nothing impacted me more than discovering hardstyle kettlebell training in 2007. It was love at first swing...and I haven’t looked back since.
 
Kettlebell certified since 2010, I’ve helped thousands of people live fitter, be stronger, feel better...all with smart, effective, principle based training. And as a member of StrongFirst’s teaching team since 2014, I’ve coached aspiring kettlebell instructors around the world to meet the industry's highest certification standards. For us, technique is the near miracle key that unlocks strength.

"Absorb what is useful, discard what is useless,

and add what is specifically your own."

— bruce lee

What sets me apart is my goal-based approach to training. How I combine kettlebell, strength, conditioning, mobility, stability and other exercise science with years crafting the human side of coaching — what makes you special + how I see, how I cue, how I explain — with tailored programming.

YOU provide the context + THE science + MY art = RESULTS

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Kettlebells may be my favorite strength & conditioning tool...
but not my only one

Barbells, dumbbells, benches, bodyweight, pull up bars, resistance bands, BFR cuffs (I'm wearing them in both the squat & RDL videos), treadmills, rowers, weight vests, yoga blocks...you name it. If it offers a sufficient & productive challenge without encouraging funky patterns or movement hacks, I'm open.

<< I need a few reps of mind-body connection to stabilize my right hip. 
ONLINE WORKSHOP

BEGINNERS WELCOME!

Before the Iron:

Pre-Kettlebell Workshop

  • learn the foundations
  • training plan
  • video lessons & demos
  • assessment
  • no equipment necessary
  • downloads
  • ZERO experience required
The best 90 minutes any kettlebell or strength training beginner can spend.
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Exercise principles I live by

Training, coaching, and learning, are all verbs. That implies an active evolution: challenging assumptions and biases, scrutinizing new (and even old, commonly held, but badly supported) information and demanding more from mentors/sources to explain the whys. I don't apologize for evolving my own training approach nor that of my students, and switching things up when better knowledge and insight come to light or when new perspectives make compelling cases. Getting older has meant parking my ego and taking a longevity approach.

Long game informs my short game

Reverse engineering what I want to do when I'm 90 means making sure I train excess reserves now. To lift a 20kg suitcase for a trip of a lifetime, I need strength to lift 2-3x that now, given how we decline with age. Thinking about the long game sure puts what exercises I focus on in perspective.

Train to improve all the exercise pillars

Getting the most out of training time means making tradeoffs to hit all pillars: strength, aerobic efficiency, maximal aerobic output & stability. Given we have life to live outside of exercise, too much of one means not enough of another. Longevity doesn't care about your preferences.

Strength is critical for longevity

Muscles lose strength, size and metabolic function as we age — unless we strength train & eat enough protein to stop (or at least slow) the decline. Losing independence because we're undermuscled is not an acceptable default. Keeping functional lean mass is a must. Use it or lose it.

Avoid too much "medium" cardio time

Not defaulting to "medium" cardio hell — too easy on hard days, too hard on easy days — takes discipline. We need more easy that targets aerobic efficiency: just below talk test failure. Plus some hard that pushes uncomfortable into sucks for better maximal aerobic output.

Exercise newbies need support

New exercisers are more intimidated than ever. With so much attention paid to the already fit — fitspiration, fitfluencers, beast mode, swimsuit & glute goddesses, six packs and "do you even lift, bro?" attitudes — it's hard to avoid the BS hype and know how to start. So I made a course for you.  

Stability & motor control are critical

Stability & coordination are the unsung heros of physical capacity, unlocking your strength potential. Too often we obsess on big, sexy moves, neglecting critical ones that keep us safe, balanced & injury free: our proprioception, deceleration, force absorption & dissipation patterns. Make time for them.

Live the example you want for your kids

OR FAMILY, PARTNER, FRIENDS
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Live the example you want for your kids

or family, partner, friends
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