About Me

My name is Sara Fleming and I am a fitness trainer and USA Weightlifting coach in addition to being the mother of three busy kids and wife to an ER physician. I am currently training for a Scottish Highland Games in April 2012 and the Tough Mudder, probably in July 2012.  Most of my current posts will be telling the story of this training while offering bits of sometimes useful information.  Feel free to use the google search function on my home page to find workouts or training programs you're interested in.

My background and training philosophy:

I have a bachelor’s degree in biology and a masters degree in biochemistry from Georgetown University and spent 10 years as a medical researcher studying cancer and infectious disease before taking time off to start a family. I am certified through the International Sports Sciences Association and USA Weightlifting as a Certified Fitness Trainer and USA Weightlifting Club Coach. I have also attended CrossFit and Kettlebell Pump certifications.

I do not have an illustrious sports background. To put it mildly, I was an awkward child and despite playing soccer, softball, and flag football, I was always a little too uncoordinated for my own good. As a teenager and young adult, I finally found my niche in equestrian events as a competitor, trainer, and riding coach. Carrying hay bales and mucking out stalls built a strong back and body and training green-broke horses developed a mental toughness that I maintain to this day. When I traded in the barn for the laboratory, I found the weight room and have been there ever since.

I believe that strength is essential for a sound, functional body. I have found through personal experience, both with myself and others, that appropriate strength and conditioning can make the difference for those of us to whom genetics and biomechanics were not so kind. A balanced training program can prevent injuries, coordinate the uncoordinated, strengthen the weak, and hasten the slow. The foundation of a balanced training program, regardless of the ultimate goal, must be strength. Without strength, our joints cannot support the forces being applied to them, our muscles become unbalanced, and we cannot endure long periods of stress.

I teach strength and conditioning to adults and teens alike for both general fitness and athletic goals. I have a personal interest in the sport of weightlifting.  I coach lifters privately and with the Raleigh Weightlifting Club.

My main goal in training is to make it both fun as well as challenging. Being strong gives you more endurance, more energy, makes you run faster, jump higher, play harder, and helps you burn more calories at rest. Everyone can benefit from getting stronger and anyone can get strong regardless of age or disabilities.

Have fun, get strong!

Sara Fleming
flemingsj4616@yahoo.com