Owner Amy Mancini

About Streamline Fitness.

At first glance, Amy Mancini looks to be a delicate flower. Underneath her exterior, Amy has come to be known as a “slave driver.” She is most certainly a force to be reckoned with in the gym.

Amy Mancini, alumni of Duquesne University, owner, personal trainer, and fitness instructor at Streamline Fitness in McKees Rocks, has most certainly found her niche in life. She spends her days teaching a variety of classes, personal training, and maintaining a successful business.

Mancini has made herself known as one of the toughest trainers in the McKees Rocks area. An hour with Amy will most likely cost you a few days of recuperation. If you continue working with her, you are bound to see results. Annie Lozer, 60, friend and client of Mancini, has been training with her for seven years. The trials and tribulations of life have led her to find sanction in exercise. “My father was very sick, and my emotions were strained,” Lozer said. “I had so many duties that I couldn’t find the time. It is important to find the time. It helped me feel better physically and emotionally.” Mancini played a major role in helping Lozer maintain her well-being.

“You really have to force yourself to begin. If you have someone to encourage you, it’s better. Amy is an inspiration. She really is,” Lozer said. Not only is Mancini an inspiration to her clients, but she is also an inspiration to her co-workers. “She does it strictly for the love of it,” Julie Defillip, manager and personal trainer at Streamline Fitness, said. Before owning Streamline Fitness, Mancini was a personal trainer at a number of fitness facilities. She began training Defillip at the gym she would later come to own. “We found out this gym was going under. She wanted to save it,” Defillip said.

When the facility began to take a turn for the worst, Mancini decided to try her hand in business ownership. “It was kind of a fluke,” Mancini said. “I started working here. I helped a friend lose baby weight. I got a loan, and here we are.” Mancini is certified in personal training, group fitness training, spinning, and yoga. She has also come to learn the proper way to train and teach beginners how to optimize their workout experience. “Start off slow. Be patient. It’s not going to happen overnight,” Mancini said. She also emphasized the importance of good nutrition and motivation. She stressed the importance of a healthy lifestyle. She was particularly concerned with college students.

“You gotta gave some fun, but if you’re drinking every night, you’re gonna put on weight. If you’re hung over, you aren’t going to go to the gym,” Mancini said. Defillip also gave advice for college students. “I think they don’t realize the clock is ticking. They binge drink. They eat so poorly. I know when I was in college, you think you have forever. You’re skinny now, but our obesity epidemic is so high,” Defillip said. In fact according to an article by the New York Times, “Over the past three decades, the number of obese Americans has more than doubled.” In regards to her Silver Sneakers clients, senior citizens, Mancini avidly believes that exercise is beneficial to them. “The Silver Sneakers say they have lowered their cholesterol and blood pressure,” Mancini said. The senior citizens are also able to engage in social networking by exercising at Streamline Fitness. In asking Mancini how she came to realize she wanted to be a fitness expert, she took me through the story that shaped her life. Her path to becoming a successful business owner and personal trainer was a difficult path indeed.

After high school, Mancini wanted to become an elementary education teacher. She attended Duquesne University and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. She continued education at Duquesne receiving a Master’s degree in Elementary Education. Upon completion of her Master’s Degree, Mancini began substitute teaching for the Canon McMillan School District. She was surprised to find that a teaching career did not suit her. “I couldn’t control the kids. I’m not tough enough for that,” says Mancini. Mancini had to make a decision to either stick with teaching or change her career path to something she felt more comfortable doing. She decided to give personal and fitness training a shot.

“I am happy. I’ve found my niche late in life,” Mancini said.

by Mandie Barthurst