Mary-Beth Manning is often called the iron butterfly of personal training.  'Strong, but kind', 'bossy, but fun', 'determined, yet gentle' are all terms used by clients who have trained with her.  Los Angeles based, and certified through the American Council of Exercise for over 13 years, she is proud to say that a number of her present clients have been with her all that time.

"When a client comes to me with a desire to change his or her body, I see the whole person, from their physical state (genetic make up, past or present injuries, lifestyle, etc.) to their psychological, mental and spiritual states.  I work with people from all walks of life, some dealing with addiction/recovery issues, some that have never exercised and some that are elite athletes. There is no one formula that I use - we are all unique. My approach is based on education, years of experience and my own intuition. I never make quick assumptions. I am with you on every level."

The initial consult with Mary-Beth involves a life style and fitness assessment.

"When I first meet with a potential client we talk about his or her history with exercise (if any), relationship to food, past or present addictions (if comfortable sharing this), past or present injuries, and any fears they may have around their desire to change their body and life style."

Strength training, cardio, yoga, ballet, and Lotte Berk are some of the means in which Manning uses to achieve desired results. Plyometrics, cross training, interval training, and functional training are also incorporated. Mary-Beth creates a food and exercise plan based on individual needs and has an excellent list of professionals she refers to if an issue arises outside of her expertise.

"If someone wants to build major muscle mass and hypertrophy, we can do that, and if someone wants to achieve long, lean and toned muscle, we can do that as well. It's a science and there's a different approach for each physique."

"I encourage food journaling for some of my clients, which is kept confidential. There is so much shame around food,overeating, under eating etc.  It takes time to build trust, but my clients know I am on their side and we're going to work the program as a team. Its a gradual process, one day at a time."

The number of workout sessions can vary depending on the individual client's needs, schedule and financial commitment. If a client can only afford once or twice a week, we can design an at home regime or a routine they can take to their local gym.  Sometimes, Manning will take clients out of the gym to run on the beach or hike in the mountains.  When needed, Manning's program has involved cleaning out and disposing of unhealthy foods from a client's kitchen. A trip to the grocery store and local farmers market can be planned as well. "It's not dieting but changing what foods we eat as well as quantity. I'm a big believer in breakfast, lots of water, a diet high in vegetables, grains,and protein such as lean chicken ,fish and very little meat if possible. Six small meals a day is ideal but the truth is any small positive adjustment made in someone's diet is beneficial."

It's Manning's belief that fitness needs to be functional, fun and reasonable so that it's life enhancing and accessible to all.

• In Client Home or Office
• Clients Health Club
• Trainers Health Club

• ACE Certified Personal Trainer

• No Preference

• English