Primordial Performance Labs
by
Kenton Lee
Before I begin explaining how this business was formed, let me just explain that my own fitness journey is the inspiration for this busines and it definitly wasn't an easy path getting to where I am today. Looking back at all the adversity and trials that I had to face to get here makes me appreciate them all the more. In order to master THE GRIND… You have to respect THE GRIND…… love THE GRIND… live THE GRIND!
My name is Kenton Lee, I am 30 years old and for over half of my life, I was considered to be obese. I am a first generation Asian born American citizen with parents who owned a Chinese buffet. I was born and raised in Arkansas, which has the 2nd highest obesity rate in the nation. My parents were always very busy trying to provide for my brother and I, and therefore, frequently left me unattended at the restaurant with nothing to do other than eat from an endless buffet and read. I ended up weighing over 250lbs by the start of my 8th grade year. Now, let's add all this up… I was the fat, nerdy, and unathletic Asian kid about to start high school here in the good ole' Arkansas. Needless to say I was immediately made an easy target for bullies.
I was very heavily bullied throughout my early high school years. In fact, this is where my passion for self defense and combat sports started. After having been put through a year of what felt like hell, I decided that enough was enough. I enrolled into self-defense classes without my parent's blessing and learned how to deal with bullies myself. Turns out, I was a natural at it. Combat sports just clicked for me. Moreover, it was the first time I found a form of physical activity that I actually enjoyed. It was the start of my weight loss journey.
After losing about 40 lbs from just a year of combat training, I hit a plateau. I had virtually no knowledge of traditional exercise and nutrition outside of what I had learned from my football coaches. This left me with a lot of questions and nobody to turn to. So, I did what any teenager would do and Googled it. Sure enough, I found your typical variety of fad diets, fat burning supplements, and workout programs written by guys who were on enough steroids to dose an elephant. But I bought into every single gimmick anyways because I didn't know any better and didn't have wisdom or guidance to find the answer to my problems.
While many of the methods helped me to lose the weight and gain the muscle I had always wanted, it was not without a price. I was hospitalized 4 times for dehydration, twice for kidney stones, once for heart palpitations and injured myself countless times trying to lift weights with improper form and volume, and blew out my knee due to a muscle imbalance. By the time I had graduated high school, I had lost over 95 lbs of fat and regained 45 lbs of it back in muscle. I was involved in multiple sports including football, MMA, wrestling, cheerleading, track, powerlifting, and bodybuilding. I looked great on the outside, but had no idea the irreparable damage that had already been done to my body.
My freshman year of college was spent at the University of Arkansas. I was the first freshman cheerleader to ever be put on the Varsity team. I then transferred to the University of Central Arkansas as a Kinesiology student, where I met my wife and lifelong stunt partner Nikki. In 2014, Nikki and I became National Champions in the NCA Collegiate D1-Large Coed Division. I completed my education at the University of Central Arkansas and graduated with a double Master's in Sport's Nutrition and Exercise Physiology. I received my ACSM-CPT in 2015 and my NSCA-CSCS certification in 2016. I began my career as the assistant Strength and Conditioning coach for Central Arkansas where I helped train and program for over 450 Division-I collegiate athletes. During my time as the assistant Strength Coach, I helped train UCA athletics to 16 different Conference Championships. While completing my degrees in Central Arkansas, I also worked several other jobs which included All-star Cheer Coach, Gymnastics Coach, Armed Security, and Nutritionist.
Since returning to Northwest Arkansas in 2019, I have worked several other jobs within the fitness industry including personal training, group fitness instructor, Corporate fitness management (Regional manager of HOTWORX Infrared Fitness), Online Nutrition and Wellness Coaching, and Online personal training. In other words, I have been around "the block" so to speak, and if I have learned one thing… it is this: Becoming healthy and fit is not simply a trick to be learned or a diet you try for a month or two; It is a lifestyle that constantly evolves and changes as you go. The journey is constant, just like THE GRIND.
Primordial Performance Labs is more than just another fitness and health corporation. It is a group of individuals who have dedicated their lives to mastering the elements of the path they have chosen. Each person's journey is unique, as are the obstacles they are faced with. At Primordial Performance Labs, we create unique and customized plans to help you reach and exceed your fitness and health goals.
The purpose of primordial performance is to create a community of individuals who support and assist each other in mastering the elemental forces of this life long adventure we know simply as "The Grind."
