ABOUT
ABOUT GREEN ROCKS FITNESS
GREEN ROCKS FITNESS is about growth, progressive improvement and transforming into a way of living that respects both short term and long term wellbeing. Not only do we show our clients "what to do", but we provide our clients with the knowledge, skills, guidance, support, motivation and educational resources that will allow them to explore their own health and fitness potential. Essentially placing the control of their health back into their own hands, not being dependent on us, which will assist in enhancing the quality of their lives.
Melissa Dubois Jenkins
PERSONAL TRAINER & OWNER
Melissa is a health and fitness coach, a dance teacher, a community builder and a loving mom! She really cares about her people. She holds a BS in Kinesiology from Sherbrooke University (Canada), a Personal Training certification through the International Sports Sciences Association and recently got certified as a Holistic Lifestyle Coach level 1 through the CHEK Institute. With more than 12 years of experience in the field, her ever growing passion for health and fitness keeps her advancing into the most avant-garde information for both coaching and business management.
With her holistic coaching approach, she guides her clients towards reaching their optimal health. She believes in creating awareness and educating about health by inviting people to take personal responsibility in reaching their goals. Understanding that health is about finding balance and that one needs to start with the self, she helps people demystify the true foundation of health. She’s a high energy person who loves to inspire others and bring out their very best.
Melissa first began exploring movement as a young dancer, and she continues to share that passion as a dance teacher and
choreographer. In 2015, she co-founded the up and coming local based African dance company Steel City Kizomba. Since then, they have been traveling around the country and beyond to teach and expand their dance training.
Through Green Rocks Fitness, Melissa plans to make a greater difference in the Pittsburgh community by providing the finest health & fitness coaching opportunities.
PERSONAL TRAINER & OWNER
Melissa is a health and fitness coach, a dance teacher, a community builder and a loving mom! She really cares about her people. She holds a BS in Kinesiology from Sherbrooke University (Canada), a Personal Training certification through the International Sports Sciences Association and recently got certified as a Holistic Lifestyle Coach level 1 through the CHEK Institute. With more than 12 years of experience in the field, her ever growing passion for health and fitness keeps her advancing into the most avant-garde information for both coaching and business management.
With her holistic coaching approach, she guides her clients towards reaching their optimal health. She believes in creating awareness and educating about health by inviting people to take personal responsibility in reaching their goals. Understanding that health is about finding balance and that one needs to start with the self, she helps people demystify the true foundation of health. She’s a high energy person who loves to inspire others and bring out their very best.
Melissa first began exploring movement as a young dancer, and she continues to share that passion as a dance teacher and
choreographer. In 2015, she co-founded the up and coming local based African dance company Steel City Kizomba. Since then, they have been traveling around the country and beyond to teach and expand their dance training.
Through Green Rocks Fitness, Melissa plans to make a greater difference in the Pittsburgh community by providing the finest health & fitness coaching opportunities.
Gregory R. Taper
PERSONAL TRAINER
Gregory is an ACE-certified personal trainer with a Bachelors of Health Science, and Minor Emphasis of Gerontology, from Slippery Rock University.
Having an extensive history in health and fitness research, and first hand application of the knowledge he has accumulated over years of observation and experimentation, his personal practice not only delivers the aesthetic results which clients most often seek, but more importantly, focuses a lot on true health and lifestyle balance. This includes addressing such things as nutrition, safe and effective exercise, stress management, and a host of health-related habits that are at the root of issues which significantly affects wellbeing, and also limits progress for most people. He specializes in strength training, but is credible and available for helping with various other goals clients may have. This may explain why he has been able to retain active and satisfying long term relationships with clients, training them through their progressive goals.
His personal goals and objectives include providing clients with the awareness, support and tools needed to assist them in their journey. Not only does he give “on premise” guidance and support throughout workouts, but he goes further with support by offering suggested resources which he has compiled, remaining available for contact and correspondence between sessions, and giving special encouragement to client’s development of self-efficacy in their exploration of health, training and nutrition. Essentially working with them for as long as it’s needed for them to feel they have gained the necessary confidence and improved self-mastery and self-control in their lives, helping them help themselves. When creating programs he tailors the program individual, and not the individual to the program! While he acknowledges and addresses body development as being important, he emphasizes non-aesthetic aspects of health/wellbeing as a central focus!
PERSONAL TRAINER
Gregory is an ACE-certified personal trainer with a Bachelors of Health Science, and Minor Emphasis of Gerontology, from Slippery Rock University.
Having an extensive history in health and fitness research, and first hand application of the knowledge he has accumulated over years of observation and experimentation, his personal practice not only delivers the aesthetic results which clients most often seek, but more importantly, focuses a lot on true health and lifestyle balance. This includes addressing such things as nutrition, safe and effective exercise, stress management, and a host of health-related habits that are at the root of issues which significantly affects wellbeing, and also limits progress for most people. He specializes in strength training, but is credible and available for helping with various other goals clients may have. This may explain why he has been able to retain active and satisfying long term relationships with clients, training them through their progressive goals.
His personal goals and objectives include providing clients with the awareness, support and tools needed to assist them in their journey. Not only does he give “on premise” guidance and support throughout workouts, but he goes further with support by offering suggested resources which he has compiled, remaining available for contact and correspondence between sessions, and giving special encouragement to client’s development of self-efficacy in their exploration of health, training and nutrition. Essentially working with them for as long as it’s needed for them to feel they have gained the necessary confidence and improved self-mastery and self-control in their lives, helping them help themselves. When creating programs he tailors the program individual, and not the individual to the program! While he acknowledges and addresses body development as being important, he emphasizes non-aesthetic aspects of health/wellbeing as a central focus!
Amanda Abdelrahman
WRITER/EDITOR
Amanda is a freelance writer with a B.A. in Health and Physical Education (emphasis on health ed.) from LIU CW Post.
Beginning her college education at SUNY Albany, she majored in Communication and minored in Theatre/Dramatic Arts as she considered a career as a journalist. Having always been passionate about education, writing, health, and the arts, she transferred to Kingsborough Community College where she studied Early Childhood Education, gaining credit and experience to complete her degree at a four-year school in a field of study that can combine many of her interests.
She now spends much of her time working in the fitness industry while also maintaining her jobs in writing and childcare. Her ultimate goal is to move from Brooklyn, NY to Pittsburgh, PA to pursue a teaching career as a health educator, while taking on a larger role at Green Rocks Fitness. She’s most interested in the study of mind/body unity and appreciates the holistic approach of GRF, as it aligns with her personal philosophy that health and fitness is multifaceted and must be approached from many dimensions to create balance in our lives.
WRITER/EDITOR
Amanda is a freelance writer with a B.A. in Health and Physical Education (emphasis on health ed.) from LIU CW Post.
Beginning her college education at SUNY Albany, she majored in Communication and minored in Theatre/Dramatic Arts as she considered a career as a journalist. Having always been passionate about education, writing, health, and the arts, she transferred to Kingsborough Community College where she studied Early Childhood Education, gaining credit and experience to complete her degree at a four-year school in a field of study that can combine many of her interests.
She now spends much of her time working in the fitness industry while also maintaining her jobs in writing and childcare. Her ultimate goal is to move from Brooklyn, NY to Pittsburgh, PA to pursue a teaching career as a health educator, while taking on a larger role at Green Rocks Fitness. She’s most interested in the study of mind/body unity and appreciates the holistic approach of GRF, as it aligns with her personal philosophy that health and fitness is multifaceted and must be approached from many dimensions to create balance in our lives.
Matt Proskin
PERSONAL TRAINER
Matt is a distinguished fitness expert and personal trainer who comes from a background of athletics and strength/conditioning. He began as an intern in the strength and conditioning department during his undergraduate degree at the University of Pittsburgh, studying Exercise Science, where he gained valuable experience in all aspects of running a successful division I program.
Upon graduation, Matt was hired by the university as an assistant Strength and Conditioning coach, where he did direct supervision of men's swimming, men & women's track and field, and women's tennis. With Matt's help, the men's swim team won the big east championship. He also coached many athletes who won individual big east championships, broke big east and school records, and qualified for the NCAA championships.
From his position at the University of Pittsburgh, Matt took a position as a fitness facility manager, personal trainer, and strength coach. This move gave him an opportunity to work with more of a variety of clientele including rehabilitation, seniors, youth, teen, weight management, bodybuilding, power lifting, and recreational athletes. During this time he was also able to continue to build on his education in exercise science by completing his master's degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion: Performance Enhancement and Injury Prevention from California University of Pennsylvania. This solidified his ability to apply theory through education into practical application.
Along with his educational background in nutrition, he provides a detailed plan to help you continuously move toward your goals using nutrition alongside an innovative fitness program. His clients have achieved unimaginable weight loss, improved their fitness and conditioning to incredible levels, unparalleled strength gains, and recovered from injuries they were told they never would recover from.
PERSONAL TRAINER
Matt is a distinguished fitness expert and personal trainer who comes from a background of athletics and strength/conditioning. He began as an intern in the strength and conditioning department during his undergraduate degree at the University of Pittsburgh, studying Exercise Science, where he gained valuable experience in all aspects of running a successful division I program.
Upon graduation, Matt was hired by the university as an assistant Strength and Conditioning coach, where he did direct supervision of men's swimming, men & women's track and field, and women's tennis. With Matt's help, the men's swim team won the big east championship. He also coached many athletes who won individual big east championships, broke big east and school records, and qualified for the NCAA championships.
From his position at the University of Pittsburgh, Matt took a position as a fitness facility manager, personal trainer, and strength coach. This move gave him an opportunity to work with more of a variety of clientele including rehabilitation, seniors, youth, teen, weight management, bodybuilding, power lifting, and recreational athletes. During this time he was also able to continue to build on his education in exercise science by completing his master's degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion: Performance Enhancement and Injury Prevention from California University of Pennsylvania. This solidified his ability to apply theory through education into practical application.
Along with his educational background in nutrition, he provides a detailed plan to help you continuously move toward your goals using nutrition alongside an innovative fitness program. His clients have achieved unimaginable weight loss, improved their fitness and conditioning to incredible levels, unparalleled strength gains, and recovered from injuries they were told they never would recover from.
