Allow me to introduce myself…

I’m Sarah Laspas, a certified personal trainer (specializing in joint-specific + traditional strength training and pain-free performance) located in Evanston, Illinois.

I’ve had clients say things like, “Both my physical and mental lifestyles have changed dramatically,” and go on to do things like trek to Everest Basecamp (and even flatter me with statements like, “I would train with her every day if I could.” *humbly flips hair*)

And now?

I want all of that for you. Though feel free to swap Everest for your adventure of choice.

Why am I the trainer for you?

BECAUSE you really want to want to work out. But you don’t know what to do or how to do it; all you do know is that you really want the treadmill to go f*ck itself. #conundrum

BECAUSE you’re annoyed — you have pain you never used to have and your body’s not moving the way it used to move. Not to mention, maintaining muscle feels so. much. harder. these days.

BECAUSE you have energy envy. You’d love nothing more than to experience that exercise “rush” everyone seems to get, but all you feel is frustrated. And, sometimes, lazy. Which you especially can’t stand because lazy is literally the LAST thing you are!

This is exactly where I come in.

I started Muscles & Moxie® to help you forge a healthy relationship with fitness so you can stop putting off your workouts and start building the body you need to live an active and adventurous life. And whether to you that means being strong enough to hike the Tour du Mont Blanc (next on my list!) or having less soreness and stiffness at the end of a long day sitting at a desk … it’s not too much to ask. And I’ve got you.

From guiding you through a fitness program that hits the sweet spot where your wants and needs intersect to dishing out all the juicy what’s, why’s, and how’s (knowledge is power, my friend), I’ll have you confidently reveling in your newfound strength (and mobility … and vastly improved posture!) in as little as 12 weeks flat.

So the next time you find yourself in the weightroom wading through a sea of sweaty, grunty dudes or simply doing active things with your friends who are younger than you, you’ll never have that “Am I ever gonna measure up?” moment again.

BEST PART: No next-day agony or weekly weigh-ins required. Because not being able to walk the day (or week) after a workout is just obnoxious, and so is obsessing over an arbitrary number. And, when it comes to exercise? Punishment is NOT the point.

Ready to find out what is? Click here to check out my personal training services.

Wanna know how good I am?

Sign up for my FREE 4-week mobility program here — you’ll get instant access to 10 video routines that’ll help you build strength + flexibility where you need it the most.

Wanna know more about me?

Here are ten facts, in no particular order:

1. I love fitness, but the fitness industry makes me cringe. I hate the “inspirational” quotes like no pain no gain, the appearance-based before-and-after photos flooding social media, and the 30-day challenges that have you mindlessly throwing your body around in the name of calorie burn. There’s a lot of irresponsible BS out there, and I want to help you sift through it.

2. I have a Boxer/Australian Shepherd rescue dog named Lucy. And I let her manipulate me into giving her everything she wants.

3. I had asthma as a kid and was never much of an athlete. When I did start working out, I had no idea what I was doing at first, was doing it for all the wrong reasons (ahem, to “sweat out” my meals), and hated it. So, if you’re looking for someone who gets it and is patient when movements don’t come naturally, I’m that person.

4. Before becoming a personal trainer in 2016, I spent over a decade in the legal field. I even earned my M.S. in Criminal Justice; my final project was on preventing the sexual victimization of female college students. Fast forward to…

5. Early 2018. On a whim, I signed up for a self-defense workshop, which reminded me why I studied what I did. I went through IMPACT‘s Core self-defense program shortly thereafter, started practicing Muay Thai, and completed R.A.D.‘s instructor certification training in Spring 2019. Most recently, in November 2019, I graduated from IMPACT’s Defense Against Multiple Assailants program. Click here to learn more about my private, small group self-defense training for individuals and businesses in Chicago and Evanston.

6. My husband and I met the good ol’ fashioned way — in a bar, over Halloween weekend. Our first date was a week later: A football game between my alma mater, Penn State, and his, Purdue. We’ve been together ever since … a match made in Big Ten heaven.

7. I took an 8-week long storytelling class at Second City to face my fear of public speaking. It ended with a final performance on a Second City stage that real people bought real tickets to see. It was terrifying. And totally worth it.

8. I’ve run multiple marathons and 200-mile relay races despite growing up with asthma. I went skydiving even though I’m wary of heights. I did a 10-mile hike in the Andean Mountains of Colombia on the tail end of food poisoning. “Can’t” is probably the only four-letter word of which I’m not a fan.

9. I LOVE what I do. I love encouraging people to escape their comfort zones. I love proving to people that fitness is only a bitch if you’re focused on the wrong things at the wrong times for the wrong reasons. And, most of all, I love watching people get stronger than they ever thought possible —
Physically.
Mentally.
Emotionally.

10. That’s what I hope to do for you here … help you look and feel your best. Not just for your next big event. But for life.

Ready? Click here.