Melissa Jokisch

I have been a member of the group fitness community since 1999.  I started as a class participant on my college campus, at the University of Illinois, taking various aerobic and dance classes.  I moved to California after graduation to attend graduate school.  While earning my Master's in Social Work from UCLA, I attended numerous yoga and pilates classes in Santa Monica, as well as on the UCLA campus.  Additionally, I trained with Billy Blanks and his master trainers from the Tae Bo World Headquarters in Thousand Oaks.  I was even selected to particpate in one of the Tae Bo Basic Videos in 2001.  I returned to Illinois to start a family, and attended local YMCAs, taking turbokick classes.  One of my instructors told me about a TurboKick training that was being help at a nearby gym, and so I attained my first group fitness certification, and soon after began teaching.  I started to take a number of Les Mills classes as well, and went on to get certfied in Body Pump, as well as Body Attack.  Within 5 months of teaching, I was promoted to Group Fitness Manager of Gold's Gym, while maintaining my own teaching schedule as well. I help this position for over a year, but decided that I wanted to take a step back from management to focus soley on my instructing.  In July 2009,  I was employed by both The Fitness Center and The Refinery, teaching Body Attack, Body Pump, Abs & Core, as well as various freestyle formats, including strength, kickboxing, ploymetric, hi/lo, agility, and boot-camp elements.  I continue to instruct these classes, as I currently teach 4-5 classes/ week at both gyms.  In addition to teaching, I participate in Continuing education.  I attend quartely Les Mills Events, continuing my education in various class formats, such as dance, combat, resistance training, yoga/ pilates, and step.  I have also attended Water In Motion workshops, which is a pre-choreographed aqua fitness program.  Finally, I maintian my CEU's with AFAA as well.