Today we’d like to introduce you to Kenneth Fleming.
Hi Kenneth, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
High School to College.
Like most personal trainers I fell in love with fitness as an athlete. I’m a short guy, but being short has never bothered me. Being short and skinny on the other hand was definitely a “no” for me. I’ve always tried to outlift and outwork the bigger guys. I carried that mentality with me post-high school sports.
Never to back down from a challenge I used to lift with a couple of the University of Memphis football players. Although, they all weighed probably 100+ lbs more than me they would force me to lift their weight. I went from a 135lb former HS wrestler to around 165lb sophomore in college. It was around my junior year that I started to have other guys inquire about personal training. Void of a degree or certification (Or basic exercise science knowledge) I offered to just work out with them.
That didn’t last long at all. I learned real early that individuals are super inconsistent when money is not involved. To satisfy my degree requirements I ended up taking several courses in the areas of Weightlifting, Exercise Science, and Nutrition.
Post-Graduation to Planet Fitness.
After undergrad (August 2011), I relocated to Houston, TX for a fresh start and to begin a career in Child Development. While waiting on my big break in the field I studied, I would work out with my mother at Planet Fitness-Cypress. That’s where I met Anthony Mayorga. He was the resident personal trainer and a really cool guy with a lot of knowledge about the field.
I was unemployed and spent a lot of my time in the gym lifting and learning from Anthony. I actually put on another 20lbs during that time in my life. One day, Anthony offered me his position. Said he was given an opportunity to open a new Planet Fitness and was going to relocate. I accepted. As I studied for my certification exam, he would provide me opportunities to apply my recently gained knowledge with gym members. It was great. Then he dropped a bomb on me.
Said he and the higher-ups were not seeing eye to eye and he would be leaving the company. I went from being his understudy to opening up Planet Fitness-Steeplechase. That was actually around January 2012, so 10 years I’ve been certified.
I Missed Athletes.
I enjoyed my time at Planet Fitness, but I grew bored of the organization. I was unable to really train, I was more of a facilitator so I quit and enrolled at Sam Houston State (August 2012) in order to further my knowledge of exercise science and dive into sports performance.
I learned a lot and was exposed to an athletic program that was on the rise. Meeting all of the qualifications I attempted to apply for their sports performance internship program but found out that I was too late. Disappointed but not discouraged I sent a “cold email” to every collegiate strength and conditioning department in Houston asking for an opportunity to volunteer. Weeks later, I received a response from the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach from Prairie View A&M University, Pete Longoria. He said he was cleaning out his junk folder and came across my email. He gave me my 1st opportunity to train athletes.
I was fortunate enough to train athletes in a variety of sports ranging from football to bowling. Under Coach Pete’s tutelage, I was able to earn my sports performance certification from USA Weightlifting. My knowledge of performance and athletic development benefitted greatly during my time at PVAMU (01/2013-05/2014).
GrizzFit to PE Teacher.
I relocated back to Memphis summer of 2014. Through some networking, I was offered an opportunity by the Memphis Grizzlies Foundation to assist with the development of a youth fitness initiative. My partnership with Joel Katz of the Grizzlies led to the creation of GrizzFit. I was later provided the role of the first GrizzFit coordinator.
We provided physical education and character development for school-aged children in the Memphis area. Our goal was to help bridge the health disparity gap for our youth. While working with students, I caught the attention of The Soulsville Charter School, a local high school. I was offered and accepted a position as an HS PE teacher.
I served in that role from December 2014 up until the beginning of Covid-19.
The Rebirth of Kenetix.
With schools being out I was afforded the opportunity to pursue personal training full time. My mentor, Ezell Owens of Versatile Action Fitness allowed me to train in his Crosstown location. With his assistance, I was able to grow my clientele from 15 clients to 45 in 3 months.
Since then, Kenetix has grown to an active client roster as high as 110 clients, provided internships to college students, employed 4 up-and-coming trainers, and participated in several community health programs. It has always been a dream of mine to create an environment for all body types, fitness levels, and backgrounds that was dedicated to improving physical, mental, emotional, and social health. They are my Tribe.
My apologies for the length. Long story short… God has always put me in a position to fulfill my purpose. Every step of my journey there was someone there waiting to help me.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My journey has not been an easy one. Like anyone else who is in pursuit of their purpose, my journey has been riddled with failure, doubt, insecurity, ego, poor decisions, etc.
But like Bruce Lee said, “ Don’t pray for an easy life. Pray for the strength to endure a tough one.”
I pride myself on searching for the lesson in every situation. Honestly, I can trace most of my challenges back to a poor decision I’ve made. I hold myself accountable.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a certified fitness professional with a background in personal training, sports performance, strength & conditioning, youth fitness, and physical education.
I am known for my genuine love for fitness and people. Fitness is my hobby and people are my passion. I have participated in a variety of training styles. Instead of one style, I have combined my favorite principles to create my own. I am most proud of my title, Coach. I earned that title and it means a lot to me. It represents my desire to teach, inspire, nurture, and celebrate the success of others.
I genuinely care about people. I work tirelessly to provide the Tribe with information to better improve their lives. We’re fighting more than just poor eating habits. We’re fighting a lack of accountability, depression, anxiety, hormone imbalances, stress, sleeplessness, etc.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Everyone is fighting something. Including myself. I had to learn how to train with more compassion and less ego. It’s not about me.
Pricing:
- Memberships start as low as $140/mo.
Contact Info:
- Email: Coach@kenetixpf.com
- Website: Www.Kenetixpf.com
- Instagram: @Kenetixpf
Image Credits
Trebor Jones
