Jeanette Jenkins, founder and President of The Hollywood Trainer, is teaming up with Camilla Alves and Women of Today to help us stay fit and healthy! Let’s get to know more about the woman behind the workouts!
First things first – What inspired you to begin this path towards becoming the Fitness Wonder Woman we all know and love today?
I grew up playing sports from the age of 5 and when it was time to get a part-time job, I wanted to work in the sports & fitness industry. I started as a lifeguard, swimming instructor, spring board diving instructor and aquafitness instructor. Then I progressed onto land aerobics and studied “Human Kinetics” a B.Sc program at the University of Ottawa, Canada. My inspiration changed from just loving sports, to enjoying the service of motivating people to live a healthy life through regular exercise and healthy eating.
What initially drew you to fitness?
I was initially drawn to fitness through playing sports, specifically playing sports with my older brother Roger, who is an incredible athlete. I grew up playing with the boys, and at a very young age, I enjoyed the fire of competition, teamwork and working hard to achieve a goal. I played with the boys from age 5-9 and then I was told I had to play with the girls. After 4 years of playing with the boys, I had an incredible drive to work hard to do my very best!
What does a day in the life of Jeanette Jenkins look like?
At this stage in my career a day in the life of “Jeanette” looks different every week. Typically I will train two or three clients in the morning, from Artists like P!nk & Alicia Keys, to Women Entrepreneurs like Camila Alves, Simone Smith, and CEO’s like Debra Lee. Then I will end my morning with my own 45min-60min workout.
I then start the afternoon by answering emails, shooting new content for social media & my online club www.TheHollywoodTrainerClub.com – we currently have over 330+ workouts and challenges, over 150+ Healthy Recipes, over 52 weeks of Healthy Meal Plans, Daily Motivation and so much more! I then complete deliverables for several of the brands that I work with from Eggology Organic & Cage Free Egg Whites, to STRONG by Zumba (“No It’s not a dance class” it’s high intensity interval workout HIIT training).
I then end my work day and spend time with my family, cook a healthy dinner, and often head out to support one of my friend’s or client’s many projects. As you know it takes a village, so I am there to support my friends & clients, as they are often there to support me.
What do you do on your days off (if you have any?!)? Do you still hit the gym?
I schedule the weekends off as much as possible and if I have to work on the weekend then I will schedule one or two weekdays off. Healthy Living is also about balance. When you overwork, your body does not get an opportunity to properly rest, which usually leads to adrenal fatigue, hormonal imbalance and many other health issues because your immune system is compromised. I enjoy giving 110% in everything I do and showing up to be the best Jeanette I can be. So, one of the keys of being great is learning how to say “NO”. You cannot do everything, so sometimes you have to shut it down and it will all still be there tomorrow. Take care of yourself first and set boundaries to protect your mind, body & spirit. Part of achieving balance is saying “NO” and that’s okay.
So, on my days off I enjoy family gatherings and the outdoors, snowboarding, skiing, the ocean, hiking, trying new workouts, playing with my god children, watching movies, going to concerts, dancing, home improvement projects and overall enjoying life! Yes I go to the gym and train myself 4-5x a week. I practice what I preach and training a client does not replace my workout. When I am in a session with a client it is about “their goals” and “their health considerations” and what I need to do to get them results & progress!
Is there any type of food that you can’t resist? Something that you know it’s wrong, but you still treat yourself to sometimes?
I love pizza and basically all Italian food & I treat myself to pizza or pasta 2 or 3x a month but I moderate the portion sizes so I don’t over do it.
What’s that one mandatory thing that you always have in your gym bag?
I always have water & headphones or a portable speaker for music.
What was the most drastic routine you had to go through with someone? No need to mention names, but have you ever worked with someone that needed to make a dramatic transformation in an insanely short time frame?
Yes, I have worked with several clients that have had to make dramatic transformations in a short time frame. Weight-loss is affected by many factors including your hormones, diet/caloric intake, food allergies, exercise regimen, stress levels, medications and much more. It’s important for people to realize they are bio-genetically unique and how their body reacts to specific foods and methods of training is unique to their body.
So, make sure you love yourself first, unconditionally, because you may have a specific goal in mind of what you want to achieve. You can do everything right from eating healthy to regular exercise, but your body has other plans. Don’t become married to an expectation, instead learn to love your body, learn to listen to your body, and learn to respect the journey that your body is going through.
A great friend once told me “We all get to be 21 once” and that one line carries so much. Basically love and respect your body, appreciate the miracle of giving birth, appreciate all the amazing things it can do to get you through a day, a month and a year and just continue to love it every damn day!
Ok, so, a lot of our readers are women who have crazy busy days! Is there an essential workout routine that you would recommend to wives, mothers and busy women who have literally 20 minutes to spare for a workout?
If you only have “20 minutes to spare for a workout” I would say re-organize your scheduled and on one or two of those days give yourself 45min-60min because you deserve it. In 20 mins you can do a great “HIIT” ( high intensity interval) workout that will get your heart rate up and target all of the muscles in your body. Here is a quick circuit you can do in 20min
20 Minute Workout
High Knees
30-45sec
Jump Squats
30-45sec
Push-Ups
30-45sec
Mountain Climbers
30-45sec
Bicycle Crunches
30-45sec
Repeat the circuit 3x with one minute rest after each round!
Do you have any exercises or pro tips that you recommend to mothers who are trying to get back in shape after pregnancy?
First schedule an appointment with a Physical Therapist that specializes in Pelvic Health to have an assessment of all of the muscles of your core, spine and pelvis area. These areas have gone through a lot of changes from carrying, and often women need to start with physical therapy based exercises to rehab the pelvis and core muscles before they begin intense training. Many women have tears in their abdominal and pelvis muscles, so movements in the hips and vertebrae should rehab before starting an intense exercise regimen. I honestly wish the OBGYN’s in America made it mandatory for postnatal women to have 2-4 visits with a Pelvic Health Physical Therapist before releasing them to exercise, I believe it would avoid a lot of post-natal injuries.
Is there any workout that young mothers could do with their babies and kids that you recommend?
There are all kinds of workouts that mothers can do with their kids & babies. There is mommy & me stroller workouts, yoga, water aerobics and the list goes on. You just have to do a search for “Mommy & Me” workouts in your area and you will find them! I have many women comment that they do my “Cardio Kickboxing” workout with their 5 or 6 year old children. I think kids love the following along with martial arts based movements.
What are some of your best dietary secrets? Any superfoods or recipes you swear by?
From my studies in nutrition and my own personal experience, I believe the “Alkaline/Acidic balance” in your body is the most overlooked component of healthy eating. Many illnesses in the body occur when the body is highly acidic. The side effects are inflammation, ulcers, heartburn, skin disorders & a decreased immune system which puts you at a higher risk for cancer and other illnesses. Therefore I highly recommend that everyone increases their intake of “Green Vegetables” to three times a day. Have greens with breakfast, lunch and dinner and even have a green juice in the morning or the mid-day! When I started to pay attention to the Alkaline foods I was eating about 10 years ago, I noticed that I never get sick, not a common cold, the sniffles, nothing. Hands down, alkalizing the body by increasing the alkaline foods (Green Vegetables) will strengthen your immune system and you will feel the difference.
Are there any new fitness trends in 2017 that our Women of Today readers might not know about yet?
My favorite new workout is STRONG by Zumba because it produces results and it’s fun! It’s HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) to great music specifically designed by Grammy Award Winning producers like Timbaland and more. So every push-up, high knee and squat has music that motivates you to dig deeper, push harder and do your absolute best! I started the program three months ago and not only have I seen my body leaning out, my clients have also noticed- and it’s a super fun workout! You must try a class! It’s so good!
What are your plans for the future? What are the next steps for The Hollywood Trainer brand?
My future plans are to continue to motivate and inspire people to eat healthy, exercise and live a healthy life. I plan on adding more healthy recipes, workouts and challenges to “The Hollywood Trainer Club”. I also plan on doing more fun collaborations with clients, friends and brands with a mission to always inspire people to live a healthy life. I’m also working on a fun new brand with my big sister Camille, who is currently a pilot, but we are working behind the scenes making some great content to help inspire you in other areas of your life!
