Minna Lessig

Next, this elite level gymnast gracefully tansitioned into springboard diving, where she dove nationally on a private team and continued on with the University of Miami's NCAA collegiate team. While attending the University of Miami, Minna studied physical therapy, working in various rehabilitation clinics, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Biology and an associates degree in Exercise Physiology.

After graduating from the University of Miami, Minna's professional fitness career began. First up was ESPN fitness television. From 1995 to 1998 Minna appeared on various fitness shows for both Reebok and Crunch, as well as Co-Hosting a full season of ESPN2's Perfect Parts with Olympic DecathlonChampion Dan O'Brien.

In 1997, Minna was crowned Ms. Fitness USA. Immediately thereafter she gained her IFBB professional fitness athlete status by winning the 1997 National Physique Committee Championships. She signed her first ever endorsement deal with Health and Fitness pioneer, Joe Weider. Minna was the first fitness athlete to sign a Weider contract.

Minna is an internationally recognized fitness super model, gracing the covers and appearing in numerous publications over the past few years including Muscle and Fitness, Her's Muscle and Fitness, FIT magazine, Women's Fitness International, French Cosmopolitan, FLEX, and more.

In 1998, Minna signed on with CBS SportsLine as their online fitness expert where she kept company with a short list of Superstars such as Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Shaquille O'Neal, Pete Sampras, Joe Namath, Cal Ripken Jr., and Mike Schmidt. USA Today published an article in 1999 which detailed Minna's status as second in page views to Michael Jordan.

Minna's solid fitness and elite athletic background has given her a personal training client list that ranges from world class Mom's to world class athletes. Alex Rodriguez, then short stop for the Seattle Mariners, enlisted this fitness star's services and followed with a record breaking season which he attributed to Minna's off-season strength and conditioning program in an article published in USA Today.

To help others keep fit, Minna came out with 3 of her own workout videos in 2001. All three videos, Strength and Grace, Fat Eliminator, and the newest release, Workout Emergency have charted in the top 10 in Billboard magazine. With a demand for more, Minna will be releasing her next series soon!

For over 3 years, Minna authored a weekly fitness column for the Miami Herald which is archived at Herald.com. For avid fans of her writing style, keep an eye for more to come in popular health and fitness magazines.

Minna is in her third year as the Health Watch Contributor for the CBS Early Show with Bryant Gumbel and Jane Clayson. Watch for her every other Monday, and soon, Tuesdays too!