Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Life

Fitness expert and author Krista Stryker opens up about new book (Includes interview)

On her new book, she said, “I actually started out my career as a writer. I always thought I’d end up as a journalist, and actually worked as an intern for local papers in the Portland, Oregon area where I’m from, as well as the local NPR station.”

“After graduating from college I worked as a freelance writer for a couple of years before getting interested in fitness and eventually getting my personal training certification while I was living in Amsterdam, the Netherlands,” she said.

“After that, I mainly focused on personal training for a couple of years before deciding to combine my interests in writing and fitness by starting my blog, ’12 Minute Athlete.’ From there, it was only a matter of time before I decided to write a book,” she added.

She continued, “Aside from being another resource for people to turn to, the book really ties everything together in one place rather than having to search my site for it. I also talk a lot about my own personal journey as well as creating the right mindset for lifelong fitness in the book.”

On her daily inspirations as a fitness expert, she said, “I am a huge fan of the concept of a fixed vs. growth mindset, outlined in the book Mindset by Carol Dweck.”

“Personally, I grew up with mostly a fixed mindset around anything to do with fitness, essentially believing that my athletic skills and abilities were predetermined and that I was either good or had no hope of getting better at it,” she said.

“When I began to get into fitness, and specifically into HIIT and bodyweight training, I slowly began to switch to more of a growth mindset, which basically means that no matter where you’re starting from, you believe you can make progress,” she added.

She continued, “This is the mindset that helped me progress from not being able to do a single push up to eventually being able to do pull-ups, one-legged squats, and handstands. It’s the mindset that I try so hard to communicate to all my readers and followers because once they finally believe they can improve, that’s when they start to really make progress towards their goals.”

On the impact of technology on the contemporary fitness industry, she said, “Technology has been a huge game-changer for the fitness industry. From the availability of fitness apps, YouTube tutorials, live online workouts, and more, fitness has never been more accessible to people all around the world.”

Regarding her use of technology in her daily routine, she said, “I am a huge fan of technology, and use it both in my business as well as my personal workout routine. In terms of fitness, I use the 12 Minute Athlete app on a daily basis both for the workouts as well as the timer functions.”

She continued, “I’ve also been testing out the Whoop app and wearable device to monitor my workout recovery and sleep, and have been pretty impressed by the functionality so far. Fitness trackers still have a long way to go before their data can be deemed as totally reliable, but this is the best I’ve seen so far.”

“Lastly, I use Sam Harris’s meditation app Waking Up to get in around 10 minutes of meditation on most days,” she said.

For young and aspiring fitness professionals, she said, “My best advice is to find a niche that you’re personally interested in and passionate about, and learn everything you can about that area of fitness so you can teach it to others.”

“Don’t be overly concerned if you’re not sure at first, just keep trying different things,” she said. “When I was first starting out as a trainer, I tried everything from CrossFit to triathlon training to traditional weightlifting before I finally fell in love with the blend of HIIT and bodyweight training that I do today. This is the style of workout that I do personally as well as the main style that I teach my readers and clients.”

“Having a specialty or niche will not only help you stand out in the fitness industry but will also play a huge rule in keeping you motivated in your career,” she said.

She remarked, “The 12 Minute Athlete book is a practical resource for getting into the best shape of your life, with my personal story included. First, I share my own journey and why I believe anybody can be an athlete, and I explain the philosophy behind high-intensity interval training and the 12 Minute Athlete approach.”

“Then the book covers everything you need to know to start your own 12 Minute fitness journey,” she said. “It’s got a breakdown of basic bodyweight exercises with progressions for all fitness levels. There’s a guide for teaching yourself to do impossible feats like pull-ups, pistol squats, and handstands. I include some nutrition basics and what I call the ‘non-diet diet,’ which includes nine easy rules for eating healthy most of the time.”

“The final part of the book is a detailed 8-week fitness program with two tracks (regular athlete and super athlete) plus bonus Tabata workouts,” she said. “I strongly believe that everyone: no matter your age, gender, or previous fitness experience. One can learn something from this book.”

Markos Papadatos
Written By

Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News. Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 20,000 original articles over the past 18 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a 16-time "Best of Long Island" winner, where for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022), he was honored as the "Best Long Island Personality" in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.

You may also like:

World

Immigration is a symptom of a much deeper worldwide problem.

Entertainment

The Swedish city of Malmo is preparing to host the Eurovision Song Contest in early May under high security.

Business

Traveling in NY is already costly, but it just got worse: transit authorities have approved a controversial $15 toll, set to take effect in...

Tech & Science

A look at the sector that could help annually boost the global economy by $1 trillion