Testimonials
01
"Thinking back to January when I began my sessions with you and my overall general health and fitness level; I want you to know what a positive difference you have helped me make in life!
With your help I have been able to improve my balance, strength and have lost 30 pounds! Before starting our training, bending down to pick up something up off the ground was scary. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to stand back up. My knees would hurt and my legs felt weak. After just a few sessions with you I felt a difference in my legs and balance. Now I can do squats and lunges with the best of them.
It is so exciting to be able to wear the clothes I grew out of and of course, to buy some new ones in smaller sizes. Physical activities that I shied away from in the past are now new challenges that I can’t wait to take on.
Thank you so much for everything you have taught me, your patience and enthusiasm. I know you always say to me that I put in the work and achieved my results but, I could not have done it without you and your constant support.
Sincerely,
Jackie Dodson"
02
"I was driving through the streets of Fredericksburg getting ready to cross the Chatham Bridge when I noticed one of Fredericksburg's well recognized characters who I see frequently in town riding his old bike in a yellow hard hat instead of a bike helmet. This day instead of actually riding his bike he was sitting on his bike leaning up against the wall at Chatham at a rather precarious angle. I stopped my car, rolled down the window and asked him if he was ok to which he responded with an emphatic, “NO!” So I jumped out of my car without giving it a thought and proceeded to try and lift him and his bike off the wall. What was I thinking???? He outweighs me by more than 100 pounds!! He obviously had a wee sip of the strong stuff and was a total dead weight. I couldn't budge him! I wasn't worried because I figured on such a busy road with my car stopping traffic that someone would surely stop and help us. When no one came to our rescue and after a few failed attempts I thought to myself...”Come on, Girl! You've been working out with Medina 3 times/week for 6 weeks...you're strong! You CAN do this!” So I gave it all I had and picked up the intoxicated man AND his bike! Surprised both of us!!!! He was a little scraped up but no worse for the wear and rode off. I got back in my car and thought that my time with Medina has been well spent!!!! I am much stronger! I feel better about myself. I am healthier! I have no more knee pain and I can do things today that I couldn't do before I began working out with Medina at M & M! Thank you Medina & Mo for helping me to be a better version of myself! You ROCK!"
-Kate Breen
03
Getting into a figure competition was a great adventure for me, and Medina Roberts helped me in so many ways. Her influence was like frosting on the cake. There are so many nuances to the sport that Medina helped me to fully grasp. Her experience with figure competitions makes the details crystal clear -- from suggestions on what to eat and how to exercise to the suit you wear, the hair and makeup, and the shoes and tan -- all the things that can make you the absolute best you can be. I won my competition and received two trophies! Thank you Medina!
-Jill Trainor, NASM-CPT
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My name is Paige Townley and I am currently a mere 17 days out from competing in my first NPC bikini competition! Just over a year ago I graduated college and was about to embark on a new chapter in my life. This should have been an exciting time for me but instead it was clouded by an unhappiness with my body and self image so in 2012 I decided enough was enough, I began lifting weights and eating clean! After watching my body change and losing over 20lbs as well as building muscle I never had, I decided I wanted to set a goal for myself!
Being on stage my entire life from dance to competitive cheerleading I decided I wanted to compete in a fitness competition in the bikini division! So I began researching and learning all there was to know about the fitness industry! I quickly realized if I was going to do this I needed to enlist the help of a professional someone who knew the industry and there began my search to find a trainer!
After feeling like this dream of competing would never become reality I heard about Medina & M&M Xtreme, so on December 31st I drove with my boyfriend and biggest supporter the hour and a half drive to Fredericksburg, VA. It was on this day that I met Heather Traves and well, the rest is history! We instantly connected! She fed off my energy and desire to not only compete but be the BEST! She answered all my questions, she must have told me at least a million times that day I was made for this sport! After meeting with her that day I knew I had found my trainer someone who truly believed in my success and was ready to help me make my dreams reality! I'm writing this almost 12 weeks from the first meeting with Heather, I am more confident than ever and ready to take the stage! She will tell you it was all me that got me where I am today, and I say I would not be here if my trainer was anyone other than her! From day one she has made herself available to me at all times while balancing her own busy schedule!
Heather took all the hard work in preparing for my competition & all that was left for me to do was execute! She created a personalized diet & training plan that she updated whenever changes needed to be made! She made tweaks to my diet as we all saw my body respond in various ways to different types of food & kept my training program interesting and challenging so I never hit a plateau.She answers all my questions, motivates me when I am feeling exhausted and truly plays a huge part in the new found confidence I have in myself! This journey is just beginning for me and I cannot imagine anyone being by my side coaching me through other than her! She is so much more than my trainer in 12 weeks she's become family! I cannot wait to have her by my side as I compete in my first of many competitions! I am forever grateful to Medina for pairing us together, for M&M Extreme Training, and most of all for Heather!!! Again, I would not be where I am without her, she is simply the best! Choosing her as my trainer and to embark on this journey with me will forever be one of the best decisions I ever make! Here's to being a part of the best up and coming training programs, M&M Extreme!!!!
-Paige Townley, NPC Bikini Competitor
06
Good afternoon Medina I just wanted to take a minute out of my busy schedule to let you know how fortunate I am to have met you and to have you not only as a friend but a wonderful trainer. I wanted to do a figure competition since 2007 I never had the courage or the motivation to do it until I met you. The hardest part for me was having self confidence to be able to do this. We all know after having kids are body changes. I figured that my flaws would prevent me from participating in a show. When I finally got my courage up to ask you if you think that I could compete I was amazed with your response. You had such grace and determination for me that every flaw I thought I had turned into beauty and I thank you so much for that! You lit a fire in my soul. I had heard from different competitors through the years that the diet is the hardest part and at times it can be. I love how you care so much for me and your other competitors that you adjust are diet to not only make it effective but tolerable. I was so nervous to do this competition but you and your team have been so supportive and encouraging through this process that as I near closer to my show I am reminded that this is one of the best decisions I have made. I finally have the self confidence to take my shirt of and be proud of how my stomach looks! My whole body has changed and it motivates me to go harder. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for changing not only my body but my mindset. Love you M
Love,
Ashley McCallum
I was as a heavy smoker about 6 years ago and quit. Once I quit smoking I decided I needed to go to the gym because I was gaining weight. I joined Sport and health in Fredericksburg and started taking a bunch of classes. I soon met Medina and she taught me through classes to push myself to exhaustion. About 2 years into my routine she pretty much told me I was going to compete in a competition the following year. I thought yeah right this is never going to happen I am never gonna look like her or anyone else I have seen compete. Sure enough April 2 011 rolled around and she remembered that it was time for me to start dieting for my up coming competition. About a month into my diet I did my first show just for practice since I was not any where near ready and placed 3rd. I was hooked after that and did a few more shows including Linda Murray. By doing that show I was qualified to do the Arnold classic in Ohio which is a huge honor. You have to place top 5 to qualify and I did it. With Medina backing me all the way and pushing me literally lol. I started a diet in November 2011 and competed in the Arnold Classic in March 2012. I placed in the top 15 which is an honor to me and I came home a champion. How many people can say they competed in the Arnold classic Body building and figure championships? I did it! I did it with my best friend by my side the whole way (Medina) Thank you for always believing in me it was a life changing experience and I owe it all to you.
-Kim Cochran
07
Julie A. Howell, 36, is originally from Western Maryland and currently resides in Stafford Va. She has successfully competed as an endurance athlete and was one of the top amateur marathoners in San Diego during 2006. She also successfully competed in a number of triathlon and qualified for Half Ironman World Championship in Baja California. After training for just under three months, she successfully transitioned to the sport of amateur figure competition and has placed in each of her divisions under NGA and OCB during 2013. Julie won 3th place figure open Potomac Cup . 1st place figure debut 2 place figure novice and 3th place figure open at Presidential cup .Medina Roberts and mandmxtreme.com greatly contributed to her success through sound vice, nutritional guidance, and competition preparation.
Thank you mandmxtreme team !
-Julie Howell
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When I first meet Medina and the M&M extreme team I didn’t know where to start ,or if I had any business in Competitive physique. I spoke briefly with Medina and she was very matter a fact about what my strength and weakness were. She invited me to a posing session just to see if competing was for me. When I attend the posing class Medina and Heather were helpful and outgoing. They both encouraged me to compete in an upcoming show. All along the way Median was so positive and always reassured me that I would make my goals. Her advice on nutrition gave me a strong foundation on what to eat and help me understand what my body needed. At times I felt like cheating or stopping the diet all together ,but Medians constant positive motivation kept me from letting her and myself down.
In August I competed in my second Physique competition where I placed second. I cannot explain how important the positive support from Medina and her team was to me on this unbelievable journey. I don’t know a more positive and encouraging individual than Medina, when I didn’t feel like I was doing well she there to say you look great just keep going. Thank you Medina for all the coaching, encouragement, motivation, and support. Without you I would not have realized my goals.
Many Thanks,
Andrew Van Kleeck
Kate Parks
"Working with Medina during my prep for my first bodybuilding bikini competition was such an amazing experience that I will always cherish. She took me under her wing immediately and taught me nutrition, lifting exercises, and posing to get me geared up for my show. Medina taught me how to love myself and gain the self confidence that I've always wished for but never had. I'm not only physically stronger I'm mentally and emotionally stronger! Words cannot explain how grateful I am to have worked with Medina. She will always hold a special place in my heart. I have said it before and I will say it again, I could have not done this without you!" Xoxo Kate
Arina Lovernovic
My story of bodybuilding began not that long time ago, since I moved to DC. I would never think I could ever compete. But after I met and talked to Medina first time, she told me to try and offered the help, she believed in me since the first day. After the few months of training and cutting diet created by Medina, I came to her posing class and it was a blast. I felt so much more confident in my own skin so posing came to me naturally. I didn`t pick the day of my first show but Medina told me to go for the OCB Presidential Cup that was happening in 2 weeks. She convinced me of my form being ready, she gave me an extra energy and support, I decided to go! After a few sessions of posing with Medina and eating just vegies and protein for two weeks, I stood up on the stage. Here I am, my first time ever! I took 1st place in Novice, 2nd in Debut and Open. I would never do that without her believing in me and her support. Thank you! The journey just begins!
Desha Gaston
Three years ago I had a bad riding accident resulting in me being in a coma with two brain bleeds. I had to learn how to walk with terrible balance and do a lot of things to help my memory come back. I had to be babysat for months just Incase my brain did bleed again. I wasn’t able to ride or do anything physical for 6 months, resulting in me gaining 40 lbs.
Two years ago I met Medina at my apartment gym and she told me she could help me regain my balance, strength and lose the extra weight and then some.
Before I started lifting with Medina to help slow down the weight gain all I did was cardio and I didn’t really eat much food. She has instilled the importance of eating clean every 3-4 hours and lifting heavier to help me drop the weight and rebuild my muscle.
Medina has gotten my balance better than before I had the accident, and she has made me 10 x more stronger and confident in the gym. More than that Medina acts like my mom and isn’t afraid to tell me right from wrong. I will be forever grateful to her.
Shervonne Smith
Hello everyone. My name is Shervonne Smith, and I am a Natural physique competitor. I am also an adaptive athlete. Aside from competing on stage, I am also a certified adaptive Rower. Who has competed in that sport as well.
I have been fortunate enough to compete on stage as a physique competitor for a little over a year. I started last year June 2018. And it was love at first sight.
I am a physically challenged competitor. I have a mild case of cerebral palsy. In my case, The condition affects my lower extremities, (my legs). This means that I walk with a slight limp or a scissor gate as it is commonly known ass. But that does not stop me.
When I was born, I was born two months premature. This caused a lack of oxygen to my brain which caused the cerebral palsy that I have now. But I am a fighter. As a child, I went through a series of several orthopedic surgical procedures that allow me to stand as I do now. Following those surgical procedures,I went through physical therapy. This lasted From the age of two until 15. For at least two hours five days a week. And many times the sessions would be very basic things. The kinds of things that Many people take for granted.
I do believe that it was all of those years of physical therapy that taught me the discipline and the love that I have for competing now.
Although, most of my exercises are modified, I always manage to get a good training session in. And I love taking my body to new heights of strength.
I have two beautiful children who are age 18 and 25. They are very proud of me.
I'd like to thank my beautiful children, my wonderful friends, my trainer, all the wonderful people that I've met along the way who encouraged me to continue perfecting my place in this wonderful sport ❤️🤗
Elaine Self
Huge thank you to Medina Roberts for all the continued support and training she continues to do each and every day. When I first played with the idea of competing I knew I wanted to work with a trainer who was knowledgeable and actually cared about the physical and emotional health of her client. That is what I found in Medina. I have lost many inches and to date about 19 pounds but have gained muscle in the process. Still a work in progress but I know with Medina there pushing me to be better than I was yesterday I can do anything I set my mind to . And in the end I gained a friend that I cherish ❤️❤️❤️ you Medina
Michael Sikorski
My name is Michael Sikorski. Starting in my teens I always had a fascination for self-defense, the military and bodybuilders. I remember watching guys like Frank Zane, my all-time favorite, on TV along with my father and brothers during broadcasts of the Mr. Olympia. My father, Anthony Sikorski, ingrained a strong appreciation for weights, strength, and boxing into us.
He was born in 1917 and shortly after his birth he contracted the Spanish Flu. The doctor at the time told my grandmother to throw him on the trash heap because he didn't think that my father would live. His aunt decided to nurse him and, as the story goes, she fed him milk, whiskey and honey. He pulled through but not without problems. His lungs were scarred for the rest of his life and he could not walk until he was five years old. He was weak and frail throughout his childhood.
As he got older, and because of his condition, my father grew obsessed with strength and health. He looked for, and found, as much information as he could on weight lifting, strong men of his time, and boxing.
There were no weight lifting gyms around so he gravitated to boxing. He eventually became a professional prize fighter and fought for the welterweight championship of Texas. He made weights from old coffee cans filled with cement or lead connecting the together with a metal bar. I still have a pair of those lead dumbbells that he made so many decades ago. During the last year of WWII he was drafted into service. He asked to join the Marines because he had heard they were the toughest. He went through Boot Camp and Infantry training in preparation for the invasion of Japan. His unit was loaded onto ships headed overseas but Japan surrendered after the atomic bombs were dropped. His ship was turned around and he was discharged.
Around that time, my father was married to his first wife and would eventually have four kids, 3 boys and a girl. He passed his passion for strength and fitness onto his sons. They would eventually open their own gym in my hometown of Carnegie, PA. It was called Sikorski's Barbell Club. The gym was a private, not a for profit club. Membership was granted to those who could be vouched for by another member and who were willing to pay dues which helped cover the rent and utilities. It was on the top floor of an old apartment building. The equipment was not fancy. A lot of old York Barbell dumbbells, plates and homemade benches and other machines. They even used large, pit car wheels for their homemade leg press. The bare studded walls were covered with graffiti written in weight lifting chalk. There was no air conditioning in the summer and in the winter heat came from electric space heaters. The bathroom was a toilet and small sink. As time passed, more and more weights and bars were added. There was a padded section for boxing and wrestling. A platform was made for squats and dead lifting.
At this point my father had divorced his first wife and married my mother. He had 4 more kids, 3 more boys and another girl. I was 9 years old when I visited this gym for the first time with my father. I remember watching the guys doing heavy squats and dead lifts while music played from an old transistor radio. I also remember trying to pick up a weight to lift over my head. I got it up but lost my balance and fell backwards with it. I was a little embarrassed but I also felt pride at having lifted a "heavy weight" over my head. As I got into my mid teens, I joined a local boxing team and also tried my hand at weight lifting. However, my father was much older and was in poor health. As such he could not work too much so we never had a lot of money and food was a scarce resource. There were a lot of lean times in my teen years so I never had an adequate diet to help me gain and keep a solid physique.
Three days after I graduated high school, in 1984, I shipped off to Marine Corps Boot Camp weighing only 130 lbs. It was in boot camp that I was able to eat enough food to put on weight. I remember thinking the first time I ate at the chow hall that I never knew there was so much food. Because I was underweight the drill instructors made sure that I ate extra rations. By the time I graduated I had gained more than 30 lbs. I went to Infantry school and immediately afterwards I was sent to my first duty assignment in the Philippines. While there I began to study Karate and Judo. I kept up with studying the martial arts for about 20 years after that.
Towards the end of my tour in the Marines I started to, once again, lift weights. After I had left the Marines and moved back home one of the first things I did was begin working out at the family gym. I slowly gained in size and strength. I also started to teach Karate to some of the club members. In time I would reenlist in the National Guard and try out for the reserve component of the Army Special Forces. I drilled with the SF for about a year until a series of injuries (broken bones) derailed my dreams of becoming a Green Beret. I did stay in the Infantry for a couple more years but eventually, I changed my military occupation to Military Intelligence and got involved in a counter-narcotics program. I also was trained in specialized surveillance and reconnaissance and ran my own teams for several years.
Eventually 9/11 occurred and I was deployed overseas. After my first deployment I began a nearly decade long assignment in counter-terrorism. I would travel all over and received a lot of training. Through it all I kept up my weight training and martial arts. By this point I was around 200 lbs.
In 2012, I finally retired from the military. I had accumulated a number of injuries which included 9 broken bones, including 3 vertebrae fractures, and had two surgeries. I had to scale back a lot of my activities as a result. I gave up martial arts altogether. I still kept up with my weight lifting but did not push the heavy weights I used to. Fast forward to 2015. I started to work for the Army as an analyst and it was here that I met several people who competed in natural amateur bodybuilding. They were members of the National Gym Association (NGA) and the Organization of Competition Bodies (OCB). They noticed my interest and told me how to get involved in the sport.
I was 49 years old when I decided that I wanted to compete. I started to train and diet under the guidance of one of my body builder co-workers. I trained for 9 months and signed up for my first competition with the NGA. It was a week out from competition when I received a call telling me that the event was cancelled due to a problem with the venue. All that effort for nothing.
It would be a year later when I decided that I would try it again. This time with the OCB. I trained myself and adhered to the diet I used for my earlier attempt. After 10 months of training, and at 53 years old, in December of 2018, I stepped on the stage for the first time. I was the oldest athlete in the competition. I admit that I was not in as good of condition that I should have been but I did manage to take third place in both the debut and age 40+ brackets of the new, "Classic Physique" division.
A couple of weeks after the show I reflected on everything and decided that I would try it again. I felt that I could, and should have, done better and that I left something on that stage. I reached out to a friend and retired professional bodybuilder in New York who I met through my wife years earlier. He laid out a weight training program and provided some additional mentorship which I immediately put into practice.
Everything was going well for a few weeks when I injured my bicep, from my elbow to my shoulder, during a workout. It would be four months before I would be able to flex my bicep again. I finally went to a doctor who gave me a cortisone shot in my shoulder. I was really frustrated because by this time it was April and I was planning on competing in December.
In order to rehab I brought exercise bands into work which I would use during breaks and slow periods. I began to do isometric exercises for my bicep to help regain my ability to flex it again. Finally, by August, I could flex my bicep and could curl enough weight to train again. And train I did. I busted my butt in the gym but I also recognized that I needed something more.
It was then that I reached out to Medina Roberts. Medina was recommended to me by a work place colleague who had worked with her in the past. Medina was exactly what I needed. Medina coached me in posing and provided me a nutrition plan that really made the difference during the last 3 months of competition prep. She showed me not only how to hold a pose but to work into positions that brought out the most in my physique. She taught me how to "display" my physique not just hold a pose.
I took her coaching to heart and spent hours each week posing in front of the gym and home mirrors. After each set in the gym I would hold a pose. After my workouts I would spend another 15-20 minutes posing in the locker room. At home, I played YouTube videos of other shows and practiced each pose as the judges in the video called them out, practicing my transitioning from pose to pose.
Finally, it was time.
On December 14th, 2019, I stepped on stage for my second show. I entered the Novice, and Master's 40+ and 50+ brackets of the Classic Physique division. At 54, I was the oldest Classic Physique competitor in the show. The next closest competitor to my age was 42 years old. The rest of my competition was in their 20's. I honestly felt good. At 172 lbs I came in 5 lbs. lighter from the previous year, but I had still gained and held about five more lbs. of muscle. I was down to 7% body fat. I was far from the best physique in the show but thanks to the nutrition plan Medina provided me I was pleased with what I had accomplished and had a better physique than the last time.
Back stage I pumped up with exercise bands and the homemade, lead weights my father made in his youth. My son Michael Jr. was there to help me. I stepped on stage 4 times during the show, once for each bracket and again for my individual routine. Because of the sequence of events, I had to go onstage, step off, and immediately go back again 3x in a row without any rest. The younger guys who I competed against in Novice were inspired and began to cheer me on. All that coaching and posing practice paid off. I was exhausted and tired but I could still hold the poses without shaking for each stage appearance. My competition in the Master's could not say the same. By the end of the show my back was killing me.
Finally, it was time to announce the winners and receive the awards. I had no certainty as to how I did. My position onstage was changed several times during the judging. All I wanted was to walk away with a 1st place trophy in one of the brackets. In the end, I took 1st place in the Master's 40 and 50+ brackets and 4th place in Novice. I was told by other competitors that I should have placed 3rd in Novice and that I was ripped off. But the cherry on top of it all was that I was awarded the winner of the overall Master's and was elevated from an amateur to a professional athlete!! I was so surprised I did not know how to act on stage.
At 54 years old I became a professional bodybuilder and after only my second competition. I took home 4 trophies and a medal. I was the oldest Classic Physique competitor but I took home more awards than any other athlete in the show. What a day!! After my father (pro boxer) and youngest brother, who is a professional strongman athlete, I became the third pro athlete in my family. I guess the saying is true, "it is never too late". I never would have guessed that at my age I would become a pro athlete. But it happened.
After the show I received comments that my posing was excellent. The email feedback from the judges was also positive with them noting that I had put on more muscle since my first show. I can honestly say that I owe that to Medina Roberts and her coaching.
You may not remember who I am. I have to say that you are one of the most influential people in my life. Most likely you are the most influential person in many people's lives. I had the opportunity to meet you when I was a young man, a trainer at Sport and health. Dennis Overton introduced me to you. You hired me in 2008. Even today You are the cornerstone too many of my ideas and philosophies when it comes to the fitness industry. I am forever grateful. You as well introduce me to Buddhism, which has changed my life. You will never be forgotten and always be part of my personal success story. The least I can say is thank you.