You should know that in Georgia personal trainers are not required to be licensed by the state. Anyone can buy business cards with their name, phone number and the words "Personal Trainer" on them.

Several national organizations offer certificate programs. Some will give you the certified designation simply by taking a weekend seminar and then passing their test.

It had been over a dozen years since I first started going to the gym, and over the years I learned a lot about the right and wrong ways of using equipment. Gym equipment is kind of like water or fire; when you know how to use it, and respect it, it's extremely useful to us. But a moment of ignorance or carelessness can cause pain and injury. While I was pretty confident in knowing my way around the gym and about my ability to earn a weekend certification like most other trainer do, I decided I wanted something more. I wanted something better, something more in-depth so that I could do right by my clients.

I enrolled in a program at Gainesville State College that was quite a bit more than a long weekend; instead of one-and-a-half days, it was one and a half years. I've studied in depth about how our bodies work so that I could design programs that were smart for my client's individual situations. I learned things like how many bones are in the skull (yes, your skull is actually made of multiple bones that fuse or "suture" together as we mature. If you're curious, I'll tell you how many there are) or how your lean muscle mass affects your metabolism, or how different joints in the body work . Professors supervised my progress, guided me through hands-on activities, and gave me feedback for improvement.

While I was a little worried about going back to college after several decades, I discovered that my love for fitness made it easy for me to immerse myself in every class and enthusiastically tackle each assignment. The result? I graduated with all A's (I hope that doesn't sound egotistical. I think it was Will Rogers who said, "It ain't braggin' if you've really done it."). If you'd like to see letters of recommendation from two of my professors, click on the thumbnail images on the right.

So what are my credentials? I earned my personal training certification for the State of Georgia through Gainesville  State College. I'm also nationally certified through ACSM, the American College of Sports Medicine. Plus, I'm certified in CPR and first aid. You're safe with me!

Here are some comments from my clients:

• "Patti is an expert personal trainer. I have seen results so much sooner than I ever thought possible. Patti's advice and expertise has taught me so much about my body and myself." 

Sandy Power

• "Patti is organized, efficient, extremely competent, and has an excellent rapport with people. I highly recommend Patti as a personal trainer." 

Julie Blankenship.

I can help you put together a solid program that will work for YOU. Contact me whenever you're ready. Why wait?  Call 770-862-0357 now.

You can also email me at

inquiry_nospam@FitnessPersonalized.com, then delete
_nospam for the correct address.