About Amanda B

Welcome to amandabfit.com! I am so excited to have you visit my website and hopefully I inspire you to inspire others too! I moved around a lot growing up in Oklahoma, Colorado, Arkansas, and Arizona. I attended 14 schools, 5 of them were high schools. When I was in the 7th grade, my physical education teacher inspired me, and ever since I have loved the challenge of physical fitness. I began lifting weights when I was 14 years old and playing school sports. During many years of learning and developing a strong core body, I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I started working in a nursing home right out of high school on the night shift and during the day I would work as a promotional model. My mother was a registered nurse, and since I was already working in a nursing home, I knew that nursing had many opportunities. Not to mention, nursing would be a great back up plan just incase I didn't make it as a famous promotional model. I enrolled into a local community college full time and chose basic nutrition as one of my electives. So here I was: 18 years old working the night shift at a nursing home, going to school full time, and working promotional modeling jobs every week. My tiny Geo Metro was my traveling closet everywhere I went and I would still find time to go to the gym. Sometimes I would do lunges and run in place down the hallways of the nursing home. After I finished a semester of college, I moved from Oklahoma to Yuma, Arizona so I could live with my parents. In the process of getting a job at the hospital, and finding out about the nursing program at the college, I needed a job. There were no modeling jobs in Yuma, but there was a sign at the gym asking for front desk help. I applied and got the job. What a learning and life changing experience.

I loved working at the gym. In fact, the owners of that gym inspired me to open my own gym. While I was working there, one of the gym members talked me into training for a fitness competition and helped me get started. At the same time I met this huge hunk, built out of pure muscle. Everyone at the gym called him "Superman." I couldn't keep my eyes off of him so I married this guy. Finally, I got the job at the hospital working night shift, so I had to quit my job at the gym. Working nights, going to school during the day, training for a fitness competition, newly wed, moving into a new home…then BAM! We were pregnant with our first son. My training for the competition was put on hold, but I wanted to continue working out. I asked many people about how to workout during pregnancy. It was very difficult getting any good info, and since it was my first, I was scared about everything that comes with the territory of pregnancy. Unable to get good information about training and pregnancy, I discontinued working out.

After I gave birth, I decided to educate myself more about fitness, so I looked into getting certified as a personal trainer. So much I thought I knew about exercise and nutrition was replaced with knowledge. Going through the certification helped me transform my body to get ready for a competition again. My son was almost a year old, I was personal training out of my home and local gyms, changed jobs from working at the hospital to an amazing doctor's office, three months from my first fitness competition….then BAM! We found out we were having our 2^nd son. My fitness competition was placed on hold again. However, I was educated about exercise much more this time around that I did not discontinue any of my regular workout routine. The night before I gave birth, I was still jogging and doing hanging leg raises. I felt great and I looked great! Three months after the birth of my 2^nd son, I stepped on stage and took first place in Bikini Divas, Miss Model, and second place in Miss Figure. I was hooked to competing on stage and knew that my physique would improve as long as I continued to workout and eat properly.

Finally, I hit an obstacle with child care and working that I had to choose to quit my job at the Dr.'s office. I did not want to be a stay at home mom because I knew that was the hardest job in the world. My personal training career picked up a bit after that, and my kids were with me all the time. I began working on a business plan for my dream of owning a gym one day. As I was researching and putting this plan into place, many opportunities opened up and within three months I opened the doors to my first gym, "Healthy Butz Fitness Club." My husband and I owned the gym for 3 years when we decided to close the doors with the additional traveling my career had turned into. My husband was unable to run the gym while working his job, and me traveling, so we knew this was the best decision for the business. I had been a spokesmodel for the supplement company called Panthera Labs for 2 years when my husband decided to surprise me at the 2010 Arnold Classic in Ohio while I was working in the booth. That is when he started working for Panthera as well. We began traveling together working for Panthera Labs and also teaching Zumba fitness classes. Little did everyone know that I tried my hardest to make our relationship look perfect from the outside. Everyone was convinced even though I was dying to get out. I never thought I would take that risk of losing everything to get out of my marriage. But I did. Nine years of marriage and two beautiful boys, I finally took that risk to get out, and I am currently struggling with the obstacles that go along with a divorce. I have started over with only personal belongings and have made it through to a brighter future for my boys and I.

So where am I now? I teach Zumba fitness classes at a mixed martial arts gym called Arizona Athletic Club of Yuma www.arizonaathleticclub.net , I work full time at that same doctor's office I mentioned above, and I am working with a great team at Star Chem Labs www.starchemlabs.com I now use my middle name and you will see me as "Amanda Gail" this year.

Now that you know my story, I am here to help you reach you fitness goals using my expertise and passion. I am always motivated to live healthy and I know that everyone is busy, tired, and hungry. But it is up to you to change the things in your life that you do not like and take care of the one and only body you will ever have.