Trainer Bios

Carl Heininger

Fitness is a life style for Carl Heininger. Carl is the President of Premier Fitness, Inc, and has been the owner/operator since July 1, 2006. Carl holds a Master of Science degree in Systems Engineering from University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Central Pennsylvania College. Carl has lived in the Harrisburg area for 11 years now and currently resides in Hampden Township.

Carl started his fitness career while serving in the US Army, by obtaining the Army Master Fitness Trainer Certification from the US Armed Forces. This allowed him to train Army Non-Commissioned Officers to lead Physical Training sessions in groups as well as individual sessions. This certification provided the spark for his passion for health and fitness. Since 1993, he has become trained and participated in a wide range of physical activities that has made him a well rounded trainer. Carl has spent time as a San Diego Beach Lifeguard, he was an amateur boxer and kickboxer, he has trained in the martial art of judo, and he is an avid runner and biker.

While living in California and working as a lifeguard, Carl also was an instructor for CPR and First Aid Classes, which allowed him to teach other lifeguards the importance of those lifesaving techniques and provide certification. He became certified to teach swim lessons and spent time teaching adults basic, as well as advanced swimming techniques.

Carl has parlayed his passion for Martial Arts into his fitness studio. He has boxed and kickboxed in amateur fights in Pennsylvania and now trains his clients in kickboxing to incorporate a fun alternative to the standard cardio of the treadmill, elliptical or exercise bike. People love the diversity of the cardio kickboxing training and thoroughly enjoy the stress outlet that it provides.

Carl has attended numerous nutrition classes and believes that the nutritional component of fitness gets the highest priority. He teaches undergraduate classes at Central Penn College to incoming freshmen on nutrition to help them with their transition from home cooking to cooking on their own in their dorms and apartments.

Carl’s passion for fitness and diversity in training styles and techniques make him a well rounded trainer ready to take on even the most challenging clients. His positive attitude is a necessity in motivating your executive team and bringing their health to the next level. Carl truly enjoys making a difference in people’s lives and will work to provide the necessary training, motivation and encouragement to help your team achieve their goals.

 

Jennifer Garisto

Fitness has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. It all started at the age of 4 when I started gymnastics. My parents needed to find an outlet for all of my energy! I was a top level competitive gymnast for 14 years. When the intense training for gymnastics began to fade and ended, I needed to find a replacement for my love of fitness. Enter strength training and hitting the weight room! For the next decade, the weights were my outlet/therapist/confidence builder/stress reliever… all in one.

As I earned my degree Psychology and built a career as a Child Therapist, I continued to build my body and mind in the gym. I made the decision in 2005 to follow my passion and become a certified personal trainer. I left my therapy career and dove in to personal training full time and haven’t regretted it for a day! Some thought it was quite a career switch. But to me, mental and physical health go hand in hand. I also successfully competed at a state and national level as a figure competitor from 2005-2008. I took my body to another extreme in 2008 with the birth of my first child. I can now relate to the moms wanting to shed the ‘baby fat’! It is possible, let me show you how.

I have been an ISSA certified trainer for 6 years and with Premier Fitness for 4 of those years. I have worked with a very diverse clientele. The most rewarding part of my job is hearing my clients tell me how much their self confidence has improved! My goal is to have each client realize a fitness potential they never thought possible. Fitness is a lifestyle, not just a workout….helping each client to live the healthy life is very satisfying. We at Premier Fitness encourage you to schedule a free consultation! We guarantee results…or your fat back.

My Certifications Include:

  • Certified Fitness Trainer, International Sports Science Association (2005 – Present)
  • CPR and First Aid Certified, American Heart Association (1997 – Present)
  • BS in Psychology/Minor in Sociology, Indiana University of PA (1993-1997)
 

Lori Barnes

My name is Lori Barnes and I have worked for Premier Fitness since March 2010. I have always been active, but my true journey with fitness began during my sophomore year of college. I was looking for a way to become stronger and more fit, and I came across an infomercial for Tae Bo®. As soon as I saw it, I realized I had to see what it was all about. Now, over 4 years later I have developed a deep passion for Tae Bo® fitness and have had the opportunity to train with the creator and martial arts legend himself, Billy Blanks®. Tae Bo® requires a re-certification process every year in order to maintain the image and integrity of the program. After being involved in Tae Bo®, I realized I was still missing a big piece of the fitness world, which is strength training. I started as a client at Premier Fitness and was inspired by Jennifer’s training techniques. I decided that I would like to learn more about fitness as a whole, and about the anatomy of the human body. I became a Certified Personal Trainer in March of 2010 and began as a trainer right away with Premier. I have been here since then, and absolutely love the rewarding nature of my job! My goal is to challenge every client and help them realize their full potential. Every day I look for new ways to challenge myself physically, and it has been a great experience! Recently I have also begun teaching Tae Bo® classes at Premier to help spread the word of the fitness program that has influenced every program that has come after it! I encourage anyone who is new to fitness, or just looking for a change, to come in for a free consultation with myself or one of the other trainers here at Premier Fitness!

My Certifications Include:

  • Certified Personal Trainer, National Council on Strength & Fitness (March 2010 – Present)
  • Certified Tae Bo® Fitness Instructor (November 2009 – Present)
  • CPR Certified, American Heart Association
  • B.S. Business Administration, Shippensburg University
   

Jen Coyl

Jen has just recently joined our team and we are working on her Bio.