HI. I’M KRISTA. WELCOME TO 12 MINUTE ATHLETE.

Krista is living proof of her philosophy that everybody is an athlete.

Growing up in a super-athletic family, Krista always felt like the athletic gene had skipped her. She never attempted a push-up until she was in college, when her brother—who called her ‘spaghetti arms’—challenged her. As she struggled through that first push-up, she realized she had never truly tried to get better at fitness. Frustrated and seeking change, she embarked on a quest to become an athlete. 

Within a few years, Krista became a certified personal trainer and started working long hours in a popular New York City gym. Despite trying various standard fitness programs—running, cardio, weight training, sports-specific training, and CrossFit—she ended up overtrained, injured, and exhausted, without the results she wanted. Discovering high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and bodyweight workouts was a game-changer.

Krista developed a system of effective, time-efficient workouts that required minimal space and equipment. These workouts transformed her fitness and that of her clients, leading her to achieve feats she never thought possible, like pull-ups, handstands, and 100 burpees in six minutes. Since launching 12 Minute Athlete in 2013, Krista has helped hundreds of thousands unlock their full athletic potential.

“You can see incredible results from these workouts in a short amount of time, even if you don’t think of yourself as an athlete.”

From ‘spaghetti arms’ to handstand push-ups, Krista is living proof of her philosophy that everybody is an athlete. With numerous certifications—from kettlebells to calisthenics, positive psychology coaching to flow coaching—Krista is passionate about building strength from the inside out through the intersection of mental and physical fitness. She is dedicated to lifelong learning and growth.

Krista has explored many athletic disciplines since that very fist push-up, from amateur boxing to mastering handstands worldwide. For the past two years, she has competed in jiu-jitsu, winning dozens of silver and gold medals in her quest to become a world champion.

Krista has been featured in The New York Post, The Washington Post, ESPN+, Muscle & Fitness HERS, and on Good Day New York. When she not training jiu-jitsu or perfecting her handstands, you can find her reading a good book, going to music festivals, or traveling the world. 

Krista also writes On Fire, a Substack newsletter exploring the depths of passion, and is the chief performance coach at the Center for Human Potential and a board member of Breaking the Chains Foundation. You can find Krista online at 12minuteathlete.top and @12minuteathlete.

For more of Krista’s story, check out her first book.