Cheryl Perkins: Princess of Fitness
I know for a fact that everybody with a shape ain’t in shape. I have had people come in who are fine as wine but could not last 10 minutes in my class. You need to be healthy inside and out. Your heart and lungs need to be right. Exercise is an important part of that process.”
Cheryl K. Perkins is known around Memphis as the “Princess of Fitness.” As a certified personal trainer, each day for the past four years she has been helping men and women get the body they’ll love. This mother of two is a former track athlete and has always had an interest in fitness but began to truly dedicate herself after she noticed her jeans weren’t fitting her the way they used to. She began working out regularly and soon her desire to better herself turned into a desire to better others. After realizing her true calling, she decided to quit her job of 16 years at a local bottling plant and embark on a life changing profession. Now, each week Cheryl teaches aerobics, runs a boot camp, conducts strength and conditioning and total body low impact workouts at Jay Lo Fitness Studio in Olive Branch, MS. She also spends a large amount of time working one on one with women and men who want to be at their personal physical best. She LOVES her job and was happy to share with us some insight on the necessity of exercise.
Jae: Is there an easy way to get in shape?
Cheryl: I look at it like this, anything you want is worth working for. If you want that perfect body it won’t come overnight. You didn’t gain weight overnight and you won’t lose it overnight. I am at work by 5 a.m. every morning helping dedicated people get in shape. If you really want it, you have to get up and work for it. I believe if you got it real easy you wouldn’t appreciate it anyway. If you work for it, you will enjoy it more.
Jae: What’s the first thing you do when someone comes to you saying they want to lose weight or live healthier?
Cheryl: My initial discussion will be about what you’re putting in your mouth. I need to know your eating habits because what you eat is 60% - 65% of your progress. You can work out all day and then go to the buffet and throw it all away. The next step is working out a schedule. We have to determine how many days a week can you train and how dedicated you are to losing weight.
Jae: What are your nutrition tips?
Cheryl: First thing I say is cut the fried foods. You don’t have to stop completely, eat them in moderation. I don’t believe anybody is going to stop eating something they love for the rest of their life but you can limit yourself and learn self control. I talked to a young lady today and I told her if you love Oreo cookies and you know if you buy them you are going to eat the whole row then don’t even buy them. But if you learn self control, you eat two cookies and then put the rest of them away. Or buy the box of 100 calorie packs and eat one pack but don’t eat all six packs (LOL) because that’s 600 calories!
Jae: Do you have to exercise to lose weight? Can you just eat healthier?
Cheryl: You have to do something physical to lose weight. I suggest you do something at least three days a week with a sufficient diet. You will see results, but you have to stick with your plan. Do some cardio and strength training with weights. Every session I do, I incorporate abdominal exercises. There isn’t a woman in the world who doesn’t want a flat stomach.
Jae: I know that’s right! How often do you work out?
Cheryl: I personally work out five times a week. I work out when I’m bored. I can be sitting here watching TV and I’ll work out during the commercials. As a personal trainer, I have to be a walking billboard. I can’t tell you to get in shape and I ain’t looking like nothing myself.
Jae: What are your suggestions for people like me who HATE to work out, and know they are out of shape and need to do better?
Cheryl: I look at it like this. If you make it fun you will enjoy it. Come to Jay Lo Fitness. My aerobics classes are off the chain! I play all the good music. We are going to dance and have fun but in the same sense we’re getting in shape. You can also do some things on your own. Find yourself a buddy and go for a walk in the park. I know for a fact that everybody with a shape ain’t in shape. I have had people come in who are fine as wine but could not last 10 minutes in my class. You need to be healthy inside and out. Your heart and lungs need to be right. Exercise is an important part of that process.
Jae: Yes ma’am! Are most of your clients women or men?
Cheryl:I have mostly women. I think the men are kind of scared of me! A lot of the men don’t want to look too wimpy in front of a woman. Their thinking is I can’t let this woman train me. She might ask me to do something and I can’t do it. I can count on one hand the number of men I’ve trained. The men I do have are in pretty good shape. One of my clients is K97’s Devin Steel. Yeah, I think the men are a little intimidated by me, but I don’t want them to be. I like training men!
Jae: Why do you call yourself the “Princess of Fitness”?
Cheryl: A princess is a ruler of something. Whether it’s a country or whatever and I feel like when it comes to fitness I RULE.
Contact Cheryl Perkins, “Princess of Fitness,” and begin to look your personal best at 901.605.7093 or princess@jaylofitness.com.
Cheryl K. Perkins is known around Memphis as the “Princess of Fitness.” As a certified personal trainer, each day for the past four years she has been helping men and women get the body they’ll love. This mother of two is a former track athlete and has always had an interest in fitness but began to truly dedicate herself after she noticed her jeans weren’t fitting her the way they used to. She began working out regularly and soon her desire to better herself turned into a desire to better others. After realizing her true calling, she decided to quit her job of 16 years at a local bottling plant and embark on a life changing profession. Now, each week Cheryl teaches aerobics, runs a boot camp, conducts strength and conditioning and total body low impact workouts at Jay Lo Fitness Studio in Olive Branch, MS. She also spends a large amount of time working one on one with women and men who want to be at their personal physical best. She LOVES her job and was happy to share with us some insight on the necessity of exercise.
Jae: Is there an easy way to get in shape?
Cheryl: I look at it like this, anything you want is worth working for. If you want that perfect body it won’t come overnight. You didn’t gain weight overnight and you won’t lose it overnight. I am at work by 5 a.m. every morning helping dedicated people get in shape. If you really want it, you have to get up and work for it. I believe if you got it real easy you wouldn’t appreciate it anyway. If you work for it, you will enjoy it more.
Jae: What’s the first thing you do when someone comes to you saying they want to lose weight or live healthier?
Cheryl: My initial discussion will be about what you’re putting in your mouth. I need to know your eating habits because what you eat is 60% - 65% of your progress. You can work out all day and then go to the buffet and throw it all away. The next step is working out a schedule. We have to determine how many days a week can you train and how dedicated you are to losing weight.
Jae: What are your nutrition tips?
Cheryl: First thing I say is cut the fried foods. You don’t have to stop completely, eat them in moderation. I don’t believe anybody is going to stop eating something they love for the rest of their life but you can limit yourself and learn self control. I talked to a young lady today and I told her if you love Oreo cookies and you know if you buy them you are going to eat the whole row then don’t even buy them. But if you learn self control, you eat two cookies and then put the rest of them away. Or buy the box of 100 calorie packs and eat one pack but don’t eat all six packs (LOL) because that’s 600 calories!
Jae: Do you have to exercise to lose weight? Can you just eat healthier?
Cheryl: You have to do something physical to lose weight. I suggest you do something at least three days a week with a sufficient diet. You will see results, but you have to stick with your plan. Do some cardio and strength training with weights. Every session I do, I incorporate abdominal exercises. There isn’t a woman in the world who doesn’t want a flat stomach.
Jae: I know that’s right! How often do you work out?
Cheryl: I personally work out five times a week. I work out when I’m bored. I can be sitting here watching TV and I’ll work out during the commercials. As a personal trainer, I have to be a walking billboard. I can’t tell you to get in shape and I ain’t looking like nothing myself.
Jae: What are your suggestions for people like me who HATE to work out, and know they are out of shape and need to do better?
Cheryl: I look at it like this. If you make it fun you will enjoy it. Come to Jay Lo Fitness. My aerobics classes are off the chain! I play all the good music. We are going to dance and have fun but in the same sense we’re getting in shape. You can also do some things on your own. Find yourself a buddy and go for a walk in the park. I know for a fact that everybody with a shape ain’t in shape. I have had people come in who are fine as wine but could not last 10 minutes in my class. You need to be healthy inside and out. Your heart and lungs need to be right. Exercise is an important part of that process.
Jae: Yes ma’am! Are most of your clients women or men?
Cheryl:I have mostly women. I think the men are kind of scared of me! A lot of the men don’t want to look too wimpy in front of a woman. Their thinking is I can’t let this woman train me. She might ask me to do something and I can’t do it. I can count on one hand the number of men I’ve trained. The men I do have are in pretty good shape. One of my clients is K97’s Devin Steel. Yeah, I think the men are a little intimidated by me, but I don’t want them to be. I like training men!
Jae: Why do you call yourself the “Princess of Fitness”?
Cheryl: A princess is a ruler of something. Whether it’s a country or whatever and I feel like when it comes to fitness I RULE.
Contact Cheryl Perkins, “Princess of Fitness,” and begin to look your personal best at 901.605.7093 or princess@jaylofitness.com.
