About Us

Free Fitness Videos (FFV) is a web-based fitness management platform that allows users to view hundreds of exercise videos and browse ready-made workouts as well as create, save, modify, send, and print custom workouts. It also allows users to create their own exercise content and upload it to either a personal database of private exercises or our ever-growing database of publically-accessible exercises. All exercises, private or public, can be used to build customized workouts. FFV is intended to enrich the lives of health and fitness professionals. Personal trainers can easily create workouts and send them to their clients via email. Workouts can include special instructions, specific weights, reps, numbers of sets and rest intervals for each exercise. When professionals use the tools on the site, clients can watch an instructional video or review the written steps, benefits, and individual pictures anytime they need to review an exercise. FFV is also invaluable to Physical Therapists and their assistants, who can easily create customized home exercise programs and send them to their patients via a very user friendly email interface. Therapists can save time at the photocopier and avoid drawing stick figures -- customized protocols can be created, saved, and modified at a moment's notice. Patients can then access the protocol through the web site, their e-mail, or for those without Internet access, through a printed copy. Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, as well as other allied health care practitioners can also benefit. FFV can increase access to care, lower the cost of care, and improve quality of care. Often, patients are clueless when it comes to physical activity at home, whether to help manage their weight or improve their quality of life. Through FFV's simple, web based platform, physicians can help improve the lives of patients. After all, exercise is the best medicine! FFV and its current database of exercises were created by a seasoned team of health and fitness professionals who work with everyday people. Our goal is to methodically add quality health and fitness content for our community of users. Please review our individual bios below to learn more about our qualifications and areas of expertise.
Current Content Contributors to FFV
Chad Marschik - founder of FFV and owner of Body Symmetry Human Performance and Conditioning in Springfield, IL. Chad incorporated Body Symmetry in 1994. He has been a personal trainer and strength coach for 20 years. Chad has his BA in Speech Communications from Eastern Illinois University. He also is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (CSCS), Certified Health Fitness Specialist through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM HFS) and CHEK Golf Performance Specialist. He has conducted over 35,000 hours of individual training sessions in the last 20 years, including thousands of movement screens and program designs for people of all ages, shapes, sizes and abilities. Jesse Vezina - content contributor to FFV. Jesse is a former personal trainer at Body Symmetry in Springfield, IL, having trained hundreds of athletes as well as sedentary adults of all abilities. Jesse currently is a full-time student and is pursuing his PhD in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition from Arizona State University. Jesse has a BS in Exercise Science from the University of Tampa and a MS in Exercise and Wellness from Arizona State University. He also is a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer (NASM CPT). Jesse has conducted and published numerous research studies in the areas of exercise and wellness. Henry Hurwitz - content contributor to FFV. Henry is a full-time personal trainer at Body Symmetry in Springfield, IL. Henry is a graduate of Illinois State University, possessing a BS in Exercise Science. He also is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (CSCS) and a Certified Personal Trainer through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM CPT). Henry is a former collegiate baseball player. He specializes in working with Division I, II, III and Junior College baseball players. His favorite joints are the shoulder and elbow! Sara Mansfield - content contributor to FFV. Sara is currently the head Cancer Exercise Specialist at SIU (Southern Illinois University) School of Medicine in Springfield, IL. She also is a part-time personal trainer at Body Symmetry in Springfield, IL. Sara was formally employed as a full-time trainer at Body Symmetry for 11 years where she conducted thousands of training sessions and fitness evaluations. Sara has her BS in Leisure Studies and her MS in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She also is a Certified Clinical Exercise Specialist (CES) and Certified Cancer Exercise Trainer (CET) through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), as well as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Sara was formally a Level II CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach. Sara is gluten intolerant, and is an expert on nutrition, human movement and holistic wellness. Katie Fowler - content contributor to FFV. Katie is a former full-time trainer at Body Symmetry in Springfield, IL. She also was the head strength and conditioning coach, as well as the assistant women's basketball coach, for the University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS). Katie is currently the Strength and Conditioning Director for the women's basketball team at the University of Virginia. Katie has her BS in Exercise Science from Truman State University and her M.Ed. in Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership from the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. She also is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Katie was a former Division II basketball player at Truman State University in Kirksville, MO. Katie specializes in working with athletes of all sports. Betsy Link - content contributor to FFV. Betsy has been a personal trainer at Body Symmetry in Springfield, IL for 10 years where she has conducted thousands of training sessions and fitness evaluations. Betsy has her BS in Health, Sports and Leisure Sciences with an emphasis on Health Promotion from the University of Iowa. She is a Certified Health Fitness Specialist through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM HFS), a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) through Yoga Alliance and is a former CHEK Certified Exercise Coach. Betsy is an avid runner, having completed several marathons, half-marathons and fun runs. She is an expert on designing programs for runners. Brigitte Cutler - content contributor to FFV. Brigitte is the co-owner of Physiotherapy Professionals in Springfield, IL. She has been a practicing physical therapist for 21 years and has helped thousands of patients. Brigitte graduated from the school of Physiotherapy at Otago University in New Zealand. She completed her Masters of Health Science (2001) and Doctorate of Physical Therapy (2007) at Washington University Medical School in St. Louis, MO. Brigitte was a former national competitor in rowing and rugby while living in New Zealand. She currently is an avid runner and triathlon participant, having completed her first Ironman in 2011. Brigitte specializes in manual therapy (Maitland and McKenzie approach), Movement System Impairment Approach (Washington University), Women's Health and Spine and Shoulder Dysfunction. Eric Spenner - content manager for FFV. Eric is a full-time personal trainer at Body Symmetry in Springfield, IL. Eric graduated from Southern Illinois University (Carbondale) where he earned his BS in Kinesiology and MS in Exercise Science. He also is an American College of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer (ACSM CPT). Eric was a collegiate baseball player and enjoys helping young athletes achieve their performance goals.