Crosstown’s Kailee Martin Will Train You (and Make You Wanna Dance)

I had mad respect for Crosstown Fitness trainer Kailee Martin after spending an hour getting my entire body absolutely #werqed with the most ADD burst of cardio that took me through a swirl of emotions. From the sassy “I got this” to the fearful “I might pass out if I spend one more second on this treadmill… SAVE ME.” Just don’t let my drama fool you. I loved every second. Though, I think my true adoration came when she said to me with the sweetest upswing, “ya know, I’m a rap-based person.” ME TOO, Kailee. If my workouts (scratch that, my DAYS!) don’t involve some level of getting down, I’m probably not having as much fun as I should be.  For the record, Kailee’s always do and she even puts out a new playlist every week on Spotify (find her by her full name – Kailee Martin) filled with all sorts of put-your-back-into-it jams.

Over a personal training session, which included Kailee’s “secret booty workout” and me doing chin-ups for the first time since grade school, I got to know this spunky trainer a little more. What I discovered was a risk taker with a bold outlook on life.  At the ripe age of 21 (yes, I almost fell out of my chair when I discovered that, too), Kailee has built a devoted fan base at Crosstown Fitness, where she personal trains and teaches nearly a dozen classes each week.

A dancer since childhood, Kailee took a chance after two years at Columbia College. “I was studying music and dance and I loved it but I just felt internally that I wanted to do something bigger. I just didn’t know what at the time.” Her love of movement and performance paved the way for her to pursue her fitness certification and eventually to a job at a big box gym. The latter had her wanting more than machines and the usual personal training regimen. “I actually walked by Crosstown before it was Crosstown and saw them training the trainers. I was like, how can I work here?!” Eventually Kailee got a job manning the front desk and was surprised one morning with a chance to prove she could command a class when an instructor was a no-show. The rest, as they say, is history.

I gleaned some life lessons from her approach to group fitness. “Bodies respond best to change,” Kailee explains.  “Don’t be afraid to pick up 10 or even 20 lbs – push yourself!” I’m guilty of going for the 5 lb weights and staying in my comfort zone. But, if Kailee can have me rowing 12 lb weights in a plank for 20 reps on each side than surely I can face the other changes charging through my life right now with equal tenacity.

Oh, and the secret booty workout? Leg lifts, baby. Lots of ‘em at all sorts of angles.