The Personal Trainer's Handbook

Teri O'Brien is an author, speaker, radio personality, and founder and president of Teri O'Brien Fitness Systems, Inc., a fitness consultation firm located in the Chicago area. Since starting the company in 1991, shortly after completing her master's degree in exercise science at the University of Illinois at Chicago, she has designed optimum performance programs for people of all ages and conditions. A variety of women's and professional groups have enjoyed her entertaining talks and workshops on effective exercise programming, personal effectiveness, successful aging, and optimum performance.

Teri is not your usual fitness expert. Coaching and motivational speaking are a second career for this self-described recovering (as in nonpracticing) lawyer, who practiced law for seven years. She received her bachelor of arts degree from Arizona State University (ASU), where she graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. She discovered the energy-boosting and stress-busting powers of exercise while she was in law school at ASU. To relieve her anxiety from school pressures, Teri began running and continued for nearly 10 years, completing five marathons and dozens of 10K races. After abandoning running in favor of weight training, Teri competed in several bodybuilding competitions, including the Gateway Classic, where she placed fourth in the lightweight class.

Teri is certified as a health fitness instructor by both the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Council on Exercise. In addition, she is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

She hosted a popular radio talk show on health and wellness on a major Chicago radio station and was featured twice in Shape magazine's One on One column. Teri also wrote and was featured in eight videos for fitness professionals in the American College of Sports Medicine's Healthy Learning series.