1.5x BW Bench
2.0x BW Squat
2.5x BW Deadlift
VO2 Max of 69 Working on getting back to a sub 5-minute 1-mile (currently at 5:26)
PNOE Analyst
Mississippi Native; California nomad; but Texas is where the heart is! By degrees, I am a Geotechnical Engineer who specializes in subsurface aquifer storage, maintenance, and recovery. Through passion, I have grown into a coach, trainer, athlete, and data junkie. I love going to concerts, trying new coffee shops, rock climbing, kicking ass and taking names on Super Smash Bros., and playing with my doggo, Hank, who helps me achieve all of my Zone 2 training! I’ve always loved working out, but never felt like I was any good at it because work always kept me on the road for months on end. While living in California, I came across this awesome gym (shoutout to former Keola Bodyworks), where I learned everything about weightlifting and nutrition through a husband and wife duo (sound familiar?). Immediately, the style and technique of Olympic weightlifting sparked my interest in the sport, and I’ve been hookgripped ever since. After moving to Texas in 2017 and a lot of gym searching, I finally found that home gym feeling from the moment I stepped foot in EnduraLAB back in 2018. I loved it so much, in fact, that I now work here leading the crusade for Active Metabolic Rate (AMR) and Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) testing as well as training clients in developing foundational strength, conditioning, and endurance.
The road I chose for fitness has many twists and turns, but the definitive turning point was when I suffered a back injury when moving out of my house. I spent over a year getting co-payed to death by different physical therapists only to get reinjured from everyday tasks like walking the dog, putting socks on, sneezing (shoutout Texas allergens), etc. These recurrences would happen mere weeks after being discharged. Basically, I thought I had exhausted all of my options and surgery was inevitable. While researching procedures, I read a staggering statistic that 80% of people under the age of 35 who get surgery on their spine need a second surgery within two years of the first. That statistic lives rent-free in my mind; as it should - it’s an awesome motivator. So I saddled back up and went to a McKenzie Specialist’s office to try the holistic method one last time. The only difference was that she basically forced me to seek personal training as part of her program. All of the physical therapy in the world will not make a difference if you choose to discontinue strengthening the muscles needed to prevent re-injury. There was no shortage of physical obstacles I needed to overcome, but the mental blockades were the critical points that needed correcting. It wasn’t until I had several one-on-one sessions with both Lee and Isis that I regained confidence in my movements, was able to strengthen my back, and finally get back into a workout program that reinforces the strengthening of all muscles. While injuries are still prone to happen, maintaining that foundational strength will only decrease the downtime from any future injury.
As stated above, my mental hurdles were stopping me dead in my tracks. However, a few years later, I am now in the best shape of my life - and I have all the data to prove it, too! The reason I coach is to take my lessons learned and educate my clients to build and keep their foundational strength, which in turn buys down the risk of injuries happening. My biggest schtick is making sure the client knows why they’re doing a certain movement and how that will relate to a healthier, longer, and more sustainable lifestyle.
