With 19 years of experience as a personal trainer, Mark Jenkins counts celebrities such as Beyoncé and Sean "Diddy" Combs among his current and former clients. Mark Jenkins is also committed to fighting youth obesity and has served as an ambassador and trainer for the United Way’s Fun, Fly, & Fit youth program.The journal Pediatric Obesity recently published a study by the National Institutes of Health that suggests teenagers and children who are ridiculed for being overweight are more likely to gain weight as they grow older than kids who are not teased. The study sought to better understand the relationship between childhood and youth overweight and obesity, which are widely considered to have reached epidemic proportions in the United States, and weight-based teasing, considered a top reason for bullying according to youths. To conduct the study, researchers assessed 110 youths at a median age of 11.8 years. Fifty-three percent satisfied the criteria for being overweight according to the body mass index (BMI), and 47 percent were viewed as at risk of becoming overweight. Forty-three percent reported being teased for their weight at least once. The study found that youths who had experienced significant weight-based teasing gained an extra .44 pounds each year compared with those who did not. This is a 33 percent increase in BMI each year. Further, the youths gained 91 percent more body fat each year.Researchers theorize that the weight gain is likely a result of unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as binge eating, as well as emotional distress, which often keeps children from engaging in healthy behaviors like exercise.
As a trainer to celebrities such as Missy Elliott and Sean "Diddy" Combs , Mark Jenkins has helped many of them reshape their bodies. One exercise system Mark Jenkins uses as a trainer is Pilates. This popular fitness regimen was developed by Joseph Pilates during World War I. While tending to wounded British soldiers, Pilates attached springs to the beds. Exercising against these springs improved the soldiers' muscle tone. This was the origin of the reformer, a sliding-platform device used in Pilates classes.The technique focuses on precise movements, breathing, and proper posture to elongate the body rather than shorten it and bulk it up. A Pilates workout strengthens the body’s core - the back, pelvic, and abdominal muscles, resulting in increased energy. The program builds stamina, flexibility, and control, with the added benefit of reducing back pain.Although it has a reputation as a tool for dancers and athletes only, Pilates can promote mental and physical fitness for everyone. While classes generally use the reformer, many Pilates exercises require only a mat.As with any fitness method, persons who have not exercised in a long time or are elderly or pregnant should first consult a doctor. It may not be suitable for those with a history of blood clots, unstable blood pressure, a herniated disk, or severe osteoporosis. Beginners should always train with a Pilates instructor.
Celebrity personal trainer Mark Jenkins is a respected presence in the fitness sphere and has successfully brought artists such as D'Angelo and Beyonce to peak condition. Emphasizing physical regimens that motivate, trainer Mark Jenkins maintains a GNC-distributed nutritional supplement line and was featured in a recent bodybuilding.com article that focuses on his new autobiography, The Jump Off.Jenkins describes his early life growing up in one of Brooklyn’s rougher neighborhoods, where he witnessed first-hand the impact of crime and drugs on vulnerable youth. He himself was relatively undisciplined health-wise and earned the early nickname "Suck in the Gut.” A major catalyst for change was joining the U.S. Navy, where a prerequisite involved maintaining peak fitness. In addition, he made a personal decision “that I didn't want to be fat anymore.” The route to a healthy body was not an easy process, given his slow metabolism, which allows strong muscles to be built but requires “always eating clean” to avoid unwanted fat and calories. In pioneering a career in fitness training, Jenkins had the realization, based on his background as a “fat kid,” that there were many people facing the same issues and challenges that he had. In particular, obesity extends beyond health problems and involves harmful psychological and self-esteem issues. Helping people overcome obesity through The Jump Off Program and the youth-focused Fun, Fly and Fit program has thus been a major life and career motivator.
A personal fitness trainer, Mark Jenkins has helped many of the world’s top celebrities, including LL Cool J, Susan Taylor, Missy Elliott, and Busta Rhymes, achieve their fitness goals from his base in New York City. Publications regularly seek Mark Jenkins’ expertise as a high-level trainer, including tips on how to fit a workout into a demanding schedule.With all of life’s demands, it can be all too easy to skip a workout in order to accomplish another task. To avoid losing out on the health benefits of regular exercise, here are some tips for accommodating exercise despite an on-the-go schedule:- Work out early in the morning - before life’s demands get in the way.- Sometimes commuting can be a workout. Consider riding a bike or running to work.- Office breaks can also be exercise breaks. Step away from the desk to stretch, walk, or complete a brief bodyweight workout. Exercise breaks at work often also bring the added benefits of improved productivity and mental clarity.- Install a home gym for easy access to exercise. It eliminates the time needed to commute to a gym, get changed, and return home or to work.
