Hello everyone, my name is Jessie Jenkins and I am a personal trainer and nutrition coach certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. I have always had a passion for health and fitness, and it is my goal to use that passion to help as many people as possible. I aim to make each workout as enjoyable as possible while still making progress toward achieving your goals. I understand that this is a lifestyle change and it won’t be sustainable if you don’t enjoy it, and I encourage communication outside of our workout sessions to address any questions or concerns you may have. I am a Certified Nutrition Coach, so I would be more than happy to give nutrition advice and guidance as well! In return, I only ask for two things: hard work and a positive mindset. Let’s achieve your goals together!

My favorite client story

One of my favorite moments with a client happened a couple of months ago. One of Susan's biggest obstacles had always been her self-confidence when it came to resistance training. This was something we worked on since the beginning, but as we all know it can be difficult and take time to change your way of thinking. It was a Tuesday evening and one of the exercises we were doing was a chest press. This was an area she never liked working on because she thought she was weak. She mentioned that she started feeling a little sick that morning but didn't want to cancel. I took that into consideration and wasn't planning on pushing her too hard. Until we got to the chest press. She did the first set (still using the heaviest weight she had done previously) and it was looking really good! Her form was great and she was moving the weight smoothly. She seemed to be approaching the exercise with a different mentality than she had before. On the second set I told her that I thought we could go heavier and to my surprise she said, "Yeah I think so too!"
I really liked the fact that she set a new PR for that exercise, but it was the way she handled it that I loved. There was a sense of confidence and determination in her that I hadn't seen before. She has carried this mindset with her ever since and continues to make progress every day.

My favorite exercise

The pull-up. Several years ago I had surgery on my shoulder because of a basketball injury. I went through physical rehab and was cleared to continue playing, but it took almost two years before I was able to do certain exercises without pain. I was alone in my apartment gym one day and decided to do some pull-ups, but I failed. Miserably. Despite the fact that I had been working out I couldn't do a single pull-up! I was embarrassed and stayed away from pull-ups for a while. A couple of month later I started studying and doing some research. I learned where my weaknesses were and how to fix them. It was a humbling experience when I had to accept that despite the fact that I was overall pretty fit and athletic, when it came to pull-ups I was still an absolute beginner. It was an exercise that I was scared of and embarrassed to try to do in public, but the entire process taught me so much.

My favorite quote

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.” Henry Ford

My training philosophy

Working out and getting healthy doesn't mean spending 2 hours in the gym every day. All you need is a few hour-long sessions a week where you work hard and some gradual nutrition and lifestyle modifications. I believe it is important to find the balance that works specifically for you, this relates to both your training and nutrition.

My training experience

I have been fit and active my whole life. I played basketball at Piedmont College for 4 years then I started to shift my attention toward helping others. I have now been a certified trainer for over five years and have also graduated with an Exercise Science degree with a Nutritional Science minor and I've gotten my Nutrition Coach certification and Exercise Physiologist certification. I aim to improve my skill set and expand my knowledge base everyday so I can better train my clients.