Active Movement & Performance

I have been training at AMP for a couple months now, twice a week with Heather (and one session with Mike when Heather was out sick). I love her, I love the place, and I love the rest of the crew.
Let’s start with the place — it’s actually two storefronts, with a break in the wall between them. One side is filled with weight-​lifting platforms and bar setups (I have yet to try the «barserker» bootcamp, but it seems like my childhood gymnastics skills might come in handy!). The other side is open with astroturf and all sorts of big movement equipment — a weight sled, gigantic long ropes, mini hurdles, etc. There’s pretty much every kind of weighted item you could desire (dumbells, kettle bells, medicine balls, vibr bars), plus trickier stuff like resistance bands, TRX cables, and so on.
Now let’s talk about their philosophy. I specifically asked during my initial consultation whether they consider themselves to be like crossfit (I had a bad experience with crossfit…). They emphatically said no, that’s not their style. AMP is focused on natural movement. It’s not about bigger, faster, more more more. It’s about doing it right, even if that only means you get 3 reps in. And trust me. Heather and I spent a good 15 minutes during a session trying to get just 3 good, real pushups out of me. BUT!!! The next session after that tedious session, I busted out more good pushups. Then this morning it was like I have done pushups all my life. Heather was thrilled, I couldn’t believe it, the world is a new place. This is the whole point of AMP. Do it carefully, do it right, and you will see amazing progress at a reasonable pace.
Finally, a quick note to those who are worried about current state of fitness, prior injuries, etc. From what I can tell, the clientele at AMP ranges from SUPER fit people to average Jills and Joes, to those who are working themselves back from injury. They are very careful to match you with a trainer who can fit your specific needs and they have a great stable of people to choose from who each have a slightly different background (straight-​up trainer, physical therapist, champ weight-​lifter, etc.) So don’t worry about it — just go, get a consultation, ask questions, be honest in your needs, and you’ll love it.