Mark Jenkins (fitness trainer)

Early life

Jenkins was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. As a youth, he was teased by his classmates for being overweight. As an adolescent, Jenkins felt there was an important link between healthy fitness and self-esteem. After he graduated high school, Jenkins enlisted in the Navy in a last attempt to lose weight. He started training with a fellow officer and ultimately caught the attention of the ranking officer who assigned Jenkins to train all enlisted personnel suffering from obesity.

Career

Jenkins returned to New York and began training at a local gym while working at a post office. The gym was located directly across the street from Worldwide Plaza, home to record label executives and artists including R&B vocalist Brandy, who became one of his first clients. The next big break came in 2000 when he started working with soul singer D'Angelo and became known as the man responsible for his newly formed sculpted body in the music video "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" off the platinum album Voodoo. After that his celebrity roster of clients continued to grow.

Jenkins began training Mary J. Blige in 2000, a relationship that lasted eight years. In 2003 Jenkins trained P. Diddy intensely for the New York City Marathon while additionally appearing in the MTV docudrama Diddy Runs the City. In 2004 he gave Beyoncé a 30-day intensive on the set of her filming The Fighting Temptations. He developed his own nutritional supplement line, the Pinnacle Work It kit, sold at GNC stores nationwide while also releasing a 90-Day Transformation DVD. He traveled alongside Mary J. Blige on numerous domestic and global tours, giving the R&B singer daily workouts and contributing to her overall body transformation.

Jenkins is known to construct workout programs that include a fusion of Pilates, calisthenics, martial arts, sports drills, weight training and high intensity cardio, as well as incorporate boxing, bungee cords, sand bags and kettle bells.

In 2008 he wrote a weekly fitness column for New Nation, Britain's #1 selling black newspaper, and in fall 2008 he appeared in the European MTV series Made. He has lent his expertise to various networks including BET, VH1, MTV, FitTV, E! Entertainment, and EXTRA, and appeared alongside Mary J. Blige on The Tyra Banks Show. He's been profiled in magazines such as Vibe, Cosmogirl, Essence, Ebony, People Weekly, Jet, Smooth, Muscle & Fitness, Self, Flex, Physical, King, XXL, Monarch, and J'Adore, and acted as a contributing editor to Cargo magazine.

In 2010, he became the official spokesperson for the United Way and started a new initiative called Fun, Fly and Fit Children's Program.

The Jump Off: 60 Days to a Hip Hop Hard Body

In 2004 he released his workout book, The Jump Off: 60 Days to a Hip Hop Hard Body (Harper Collins Publishing) with a forward by Mary J. Blige. In the book Jenkins narrates his life story and provides workout routines, high performance nutrition, motivational techniques and fitness tips from celebrity clientele including Beyoncé, Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J, Susan Taylor, Andre Harrell, Tom Cole and Angie Martinez. The book was co-written by Jeff O'Connell, associate editor at Men's Health.

Personal life

Known for his characteristic Japanese fire dragon and yin yang tattoos on his upper arm, Jenkins is the founder/co-owner of International Fitness, a fitness and wellness company that specializes in training performing artists. He often recruits West African drummers and other rhythms for motivation and energy in his workouts and claims that anyone who can survive his program can change his or her body type.