Meet Crystal Flores | Virtual Trainer & CrossFit Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Crystal Flores and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Crystal, what do you attribute your success to?
I believe I’ve found success as a fitness professional because of my integrity and relatability as a human. I think today its easy to hide behind filters and good lighting, show your best angles and always be “perfect.” I’ve decided to represent myself unfiltered, honest and flawed because we all are. I’m not afraid to share struggles in my own journey as an athlete and a woman engulfed in her own fitness journey. I think it’s important to show your true self to your audience, and with that not “sell them a fantasy”

As a woman in the fitness industry I’ve built a brand focused on not just being Fit, but being Strong. I don’t think there is anything wrong with wanting a nice looking figure, and have spent years trying to build my own nice looking body, but at the end of the day, having a strong body that is able to move things is so very empowering and that is the message I try to send to clients, subscribers, and strangers.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve been a Fitness Professional since 2009! While obtaining my Masters Degree in Exercise Sports Science at Texas State University, I worked for Campus Recreation overseeing the Fitness & Wellness department. It was there I learned employee management, how to facilitate group fitness classes, how to train trainers.

After graduating I moved to Houston and Personal Trained and taught Yoga for LifeTime.

I wear a lot of hats in the fitness world. Today I am a Personal Trainer, CrossFit Coach and Virtual Trainer. What’s changed about the trainer I was 10 years ago vs today is my confidence in who I am, my credentials and my exposure to different populations.

I believe because of my education I had a strong foundation and understanding of exercise programming, but my experience working with different age groups, adaptive athletes, children and competitive athletes has not only helped me grow but allowed me to become what I consider to be an expert in the Fitness Industry.

What I’ve learned along the way, is no matter the fitness level, age, or goal of the person you are working with we all have one thing in common. We will age. With that, we will still need to get up and out of bed, tend to daily responsibilities, we still need to sit and stand, lay down and get up. With every client I have, I try to develop those specific strengths so that their quality of life will not diminish as they age.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I prefer active things for a fun time so if I had a friend in the city for the week we would have to ride our bikes at White Oak Bayou Bike Trail to start, a stop at Cedar Creek for a burger for lunch because balance right? Other places on the to do list would be Powder Keg Volleybar because they have a dog park, and my two doods need exercise also. My friend would absolutely have to take at least one class at Skyline CrossFit, because she has to see the best CF gym in Houston of course. Other places we might visit are Black Swan Yoga, and Mico’s Hot Chicken. I don’t do night life in Houston much, but if there was a specific sporting event that we might want to watch, McIntyres Heights has my favorite ambience. The museum district is a definite must, my favorite would be Museum of Natural Science, but most likely for a first time Houston visitor I’d say Museum of Fine Arts. One of my first Houston experiences was running hill sprints as Spotts Park. I think that would have to also be one activity we would partake in that week.

I’m very much a homebody, I enjoy exercising as hobbies and great food but if I had to entertain someone in Houston for a week, I think those are definitely the places we would go.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This one is tough! In my career I’ve evolved through so many phases and chapters and have had an amazing support system from family, to friends to professors and colleagues.

If I had to shoutout a specific group that has impacted my story and who I am, it would be the Women Of CrossFit. What that sport, and specifically the women who compete in the sport has done for me, is allow the focus in fitness to shift from “how great we can look,” to “how strong our body’s can be.”

You don’t have to be a specific height, weight or size to excel in the sport. The prerequisite is to start, to work hard, to be stronger and faster.

I think the Women of CrossFit have allowed women to tap into our strongest selves, and have definitely shifted my mindset in what the female body is capable of. It’s allowed me to transform myself inside and out.

Because of that, I am able to tap into my clients unlocked strengths and celebrate with them when they discover what their bodies can do.

Instagram: stronglikecrystal

Image Credits
Brent McCoy Trevor Gerland Sierra Prime