CHANGING LIVES
Mark Jenkins
Celebrity Fitness Trainer
Washington, DC
Story: Amira Kidd
Photo: Peter Graham
Fitness trainer to stars like Missy Elliott and
Mary J. Blige, Mark Jenkins has made a name
for himself. Appearing on “The Tyra Banks
Show” and gracing the pages of magazines
such as Vibe and Essence, his popularity keeps
growing. Wanting to reach out to more than
just the celebrity circles, Jenkins along with his
wife, Natasha, created a lifestyle brand called
Infitness to assist others in becoming the best
they can be physically. With a book called
“Jump Off: 60 Days to a Hip-Hop Hard Body,”
his limited-edition supplement sold at GNC
and a 90-Day Transformation DVD, Jenkins is
certainly on the right path.
Was it your plan to become a fitness trainer?
I thought in school that I would be a civil
activist. As a child, I was the fat kid kind of
getting the short end of the stick. After high
school I joined the Navy and because there
was a McDonald’s near my boot camp I barely
made it through, but after boot camp, I started
training not only myself but others too.
After working with Brandy how did you
acquire more clients?
After the Navy I worked for the post office in
New York. After work I would go to a gym that
was nearby and across from the gym was a big
record company. Many recording executives
would come in, and one of them asked if I
could train Brandy for an upcoming video.
After Brandy it was more of word of mouth.
Having more than one client, how would a
regular workday go for you?
It was a little crazy, but now I’m working
with Mary J. Blige for a year or so during her
tour. If that wasn’t the case, in a day, I could
be heading to New York to meet with Diddy
for three hours, and in the next three hours
I would be on a plane to Miami training
someone else and finally flying home.
Describe your fitness program to me?
It all depends on the client I’m speaking to.
Sometimes they just want to get in shape for
an upcoming video or continuous training for
a major tour. I provide blood work to get a
good analysis of what the person needs. After
that, getting your body in shape means finding
out how much your body can recover from.
From your book Jump Off: 60 Days to a Hip-
Hop Hard Body what knowledge would they
grasp from it?
It’s giving you the inspiration to transcend,
which can affect becoming a better sister
or brother or just bringing in more income
because of your outlook on life.
What was the DVD called DVD: 90 DAY
TRANSFORMATION all about?
Well, when this was out the DVD coincided
with a supplement kit which at under a
hundred dollars was giving the buyers a bang
for their buck. I still get emails about how this
DVD has changed the lives of some people.
For someone who is obese, how can
discipline help them control their weight?
One way is to write down how you felt after
eating a meal. Were you depressed or upset?
Address the patterns to see if you are using
food to pacify yourself. It’s the first step in
discipline to getting your life straight.
What’s the future of staying healthy?
Well, it’s a two-fold story. I used to be able to
talk people out of lipo or plastic surgery, but
these days trying to do that can cost you a
job. The health business is becoming more
chemically based. People don’t want to be
patient and work the weight off anymore.
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