TekeFitness

11/20/2025

The past five weeks have humbled me in ways I didn’t expect.

Right after my competition, I planned to slide straight back into routine… but my body and life had other plans.

First came rest.
Then sickness.
Then burnout.
Then the cravings, the lack of structure, the “I should know better than this” thoughts.

In the past, this is the part where I would spiral—mentally, emotionally, physically.
But this time?
I let it be a lesson instead of a setback.

I’ve been learning that progress doesn’t disappear—it just changes form.
As long as time continues, you can’t go backwards, even if you feel like you are.

Sometimes progress looks like tracking macros and crushing lifts.
Sometimes it looks like listening to your body, rebuilding slowly, and giving yourself the grace you used to withhold.

As a coach, I never want to pretend I’m perfect or immune to the same struggles my clients face.
I go through it, too.
I cry in the gym.
I get off track.
I learn in real time.

The difference now is my mindset.
Not perfection but practice.
Not pressure but presence.
Not punishment but patience.

I remind myself (daily) that coming back is part of the process.
And honestly? Getting back into my groove these past few days has felt like oxygen for my soul.

Next up in this series: the mantras that have been holding me together—the ones that rebuilt my mindset when discipline felt lost and far away.

If you’re in a season like this too, I see you.
And you’re not starting over, you’re not starting from scratch—you’re starting from experience.

Let’s rebuild from here. Together. 💜
- ᴛʀᴀɪɴᴇʀ ᴛᴇss

11/13/2025

🌟 Big TekeFitness Update! 🌟

I’m excited to share that I’ve officially launched my new automated scheduling system through Calendly! 🎉

Booking your training sessions is now super easy—with instant scheduling, automated reminders, and flexible payment options to support your goals.

Here’s what’s new 👇

✅ Book Your Sessions Online:
You can now schedule all sessions directly here:
👉 www.calendly.com/tekefitness

Time slots are now first come, first serve, so grab the times that work best for you!

💰 Payment Options:
• 💳 Online: $45 per session
• 💵 Cash (Preferred): $40 per session—just enter the code CASH at checkout and bring cash to your session.

📅 Recurring / Multi-Session Clients:
If you pay in full for several sessions (or want to), simply schedule all of those sessions in advance.

Cash-paid recurring clients will have their time slot reserved and blocked off in Calendly so no one else can book over you. 🙌

❗️Cancellation Policy:
Please give at least 24 hours’ notice for cancellations or reschedules.
• Online payments—cancellations within 24 hrs are charged the full amount
• Cash clients—cancellations within 24 hrs are charged 50%

✨ Why this matters:
Cancellation fees help keep scheduling fair and consistent for everyone. Each session is reserved just for you, and last-minute changes often mean someone else loses the chance to train.

💡 Life happens:
I get it—emergencies pop up. Depending on the situation, I can waive up to two cancellations per quarter on a case-by-case basis.

I’m so grateful for the amazing community growing around TekeFitness. This new system will make everything smoother, more efficient, and more supportive for your fitness journey. 💪💙

If you’re ready to train, you can book your spot below ⬇️
👉 www.calendly.com/tekefitness

Train. Empower. Kickstart Your Evolution.

In Health and Fitness,
Trainer Tess

Welcome to my scheduling page. Please follow the instructions to add an event to my calendar.

10/14/2025

Progress over perfection.
Purpose over performance.
EVERY. TIME. 👏🏼

Since comparison is a tool, let’s analyze similar photos from the past two competitions…

🏋🏼‍♀️ Physique:
The left photo shows a leaner, smaller frame—defined, but not yet filled out. My muscles were shaped by discipline but still early in development. On the right, I’ve built more muscle maturity—fuller delts, stronger quads and glutes, and a balanced V-taper that came from months of intentional training and precise recovery.

⚖️ Condition:
My first prep was all about getting as lean as possible. I was shredded, but also depleted—learning the hard way that conditioning is as much about fueling as it is about cutting. In this latest show, I found a healthier balance. Still lean, but stronger. Still aesthetic, but more alive.

😊 Expression:
The smile on the left came from awe—I couldn’t believe I was there.
The smile on the right came from assurance—This is where I belong.
It’s subtle but powerful—my eyes, smile and stance tell the difference between performing confidence and embodying it.

✨ Presence:
The girl on the left was trying to prove herself.
The woman on the right is simply being herself.

Despite placing lower this time, my energy radiates more victory.
That’s growth in its purest form—purpose over performance—not just in muscles but in mindset.

🧠 The Reflection:
The first time I stepped on stage, I was chasing validation. I was proud, but also scared—of not measuring up, of being judged, of falling short.

This time, I stepped on stage with purpose. I was attracting what was meant to be. This wasn’t about proving my worth—it was about embodying it.

The left was built through discipline.
The right was built through devotion.

This comparison doesn’t just show a year of training—but of becoming.
The tangible—muscle, symmetry, presentation—mirror the intangible: peace, confidence, and composure.

Confidence doesn’t come from a medal or a mirror—it comes from alignment, delayed gratification, trusting the process and doing the damn thing anyway.

There’s still work to be done—so back to work we go. 💪

10/13/2025

You’ve heard it before: “Mindset is everything.”

But here’s the truth I’ve learned firsthand: mindset doesn’t shift overnight. It changes one BELIEF at a time.

It’s not about thinking positive—it’s about rewiring how you respond when things get hard. These are 3 mindset shifts that changed how I show up in fitness, competition, and life:

1️⃣ Cultivate a Growth Mindset
This is the belief that you can learn, adapt, and grow through effort. It’s what separates people who stay stuck from those who evolve. Every challenge becomes feedback, not failure. When I prepped for my first show, I wasn’t “ready”—but showing up before I felt ready is what made me capable. Growth doesn’t wait for perfect conditions; it’s born in imperfect action.

2️⃣ Develop Emotional Intelligence
Most people think fitness is all physical—but the body follows the mind. Recognizing how emotions shape your choices (from skipping workouts to overeating) is a gamechanger. When you start seeing emotions as data, not drama, you take your power back. You don’t have to feel motivated to act—you just have to act with awareness.

3️⃣ Set Goals & Visualize Success
You can’t build what you can’t picture. Visualization isn’t daydreaming—it’s mental rehearsal. Before every lift, posing routine, or show, I see myself succeeding (different from winning). That image keeps me grounded when my body is tired or my inner critic gets loud. Confidence isn’t built in the moment of victory; it’s built in the thousands of quiet moments you imagine it.

And sometimes, we just need someone else to believe in our potential until we can believe in it ourselves. That’s what my bodybuilding coach did for me—and it changed everything.

I dreamed about but never thought I’d actually be a bodybuilder. But having someone see something in me I couldn’t yet see myself sparked a journey I’ll never regret. It’s taught me self-trust, resilience, and joy in the process—not just the outcome.

💬 Comment “GAMECHANGER” below, and I’ll send you my free mindset training guide—the same principles that helped me rewire my thinking and rebuild my confidence from the ground up.

10/12/2025

“Tessa Kelley: Bodybuilder Edition” might look like a toy on the outside—but what this season unlocked within me was anything but pretend.

Yes, I trained like a machine.
Yes, I prepped every meal, tracked every macro, and posed until my soul felt it.
But the greatest transformation?
The joy. The fun. The inner child connection. ✨

Bodybuilding taught me how to take myself seriously… without taking life too seriously.
This whole journey reminded me how powerful it is to:
• Train with purpose
• Play with freedom
• Pray with trust
• Pause to laugh at the wildness of it all

I made a promise to little me that I wouldn’t just grind—I’d gleam with joy for the experience of it all.
I’d chase excellence and still dance no matter the outcome.
I’d step on stage and stand proud, not just with muscle or any expectation… but with grace and gratitude for God’s perfect plan. 💖

To anyone chasing a goal:
Do it with heart. Do it with joy.
And don’t forget to have fun with it.

More on my bodybuilding journey to come. 💫

10/08/2025

“Comparison is the thief of joy.”
We’ve all heard it. I’ve even said it to clients. But the truth? That phrase doesn’t tell the whole story.

Comparison can actually be useful—if you choose to use it as a tool instead of a weapon.

When I step on stage in four days, yes, I’ll technically be compared to the women next to me. That’s the sport. But the comparison that really matters? It’s me versus me. Who I was last year. Who I was two years ago. Who I was when I first stepped into a gym, silently (and embarrassingly, I’ll admit) judging others because I hadn’t yet made peace with myself.

Back then, comparison came from insecurity. I projected my struggles onto others instead of owning my own journey. And then life humbled me—through an eating disorder, body dysmorphia, setbacks, and the very opposite of confidence. That season broke me open… but it also softened me. It taught me compassion. It showed me the power of observing instead of judging, releasing instead of clinging, growing instead of tearing down.

Now, when I compare, it’s with curiosity. It’s with gratitude. It’s with respect for what others are building—and what I’ve built in myself.

If I walk away without first place, I’ll still stand proud. Because I know what it took to get here. I know what I overcame. And in my eyes, that’s winning.

So maybe comparison isn’t the thief of joy. Maybe it’s the teacher of growth.

👉 The question is: are you using it to tear yourself down… or to build yourself up?

10/02/2025

6/13/25 → 9/27/25
160lbs → 140lbs.
3.5 months.
20 pounds down.
A whole lot more gained. 🧠

The visible changes are obvious—leaner lines, tighter core, sharper back and shoulders. But what I want you to see isn’t just physical. It’s what happened in the storm of this cut. ⛈️

“Cutting” has never just been physical—it’s mental and emotional training at its core. Every day was me choosing discipline over comfort—imperfectly, stumbling over “off” days, pushing past the “I’m quitting” voice. That built something stronger than any bicep peak: my mentality. 💪🏼

Here’s the truth: anybody can lose weight by eating less and moving more. But feeling good while doing it? That takes precision: a program tailored to your body, consistent tracking, mindset awareness, recovery you don’t cut corners on. And even then—expectations don’t always equal reality.

For me, fat comes off my back first, then core, then face and neck, and arms last. That’s why spot reduction doesn’t work. You can’t crunch your way to a flat stomach. It’s consistency that changes everything. It’s getting back on the horse every time you’re bucked off.

I’ve learned that setting a deadline changes the game. Most people want a “lifestyle change,” which is great—but without urgency, consistency slips. A date on the calendar—a doctor’s appointment, wedding, vacation, race, or in my case, stepping on stage—creates accountability. It gives you a finish line. It pushes you to show up TODAY.

But the real transformation? It’s in my confidence. In the after photos, I don’t just look different—I stand taller, prouder, more grounded. Because I faced the storm instead of running. I learned again and again that I can do hard things. I showed up, I executed, and it worked. ✨

If you’re waiting for perfect circumstances, you’ll wait forever. A lifestyle shift happens when you choose differently despite the circumstances.

📆 Put something on the calendar. Give yourself a reason to start now. And then keep 👏🏼 showing 👏🏼 up 👏🏼.

“Whether you believe you can or you can’t, you’re absolutely right.”

So, you might as well believe you can, and you will. 💫

09/29/2025

Mindset is the heaviest weight you’ll ever lift. And unlike dumbbells, it never racks itself when you’re done. 🧠

These last months of prep have tested me. I’ve faced fatigue, dysmorphia, doubts, imperfections, and days I didn’t want to keep going. But here’s what I learned again and again: storms don’t last forever. And the only way through them is to walk directly into them. ⛈️

Buffalo do this instinctively—they face the storm head-on, knowing that running away only prolongs the pain. And fitness works the same way. Every rep, every cardio session, every disciplined meal has been me walking into my storm instead of avoiding it. And every time I chose discipline over comfort, faith over fear, progress over perfection—I grew. 💗

Fitness is really an internal journey. It’s about overcoming the inner critic. About compassion when you fall short. About focusing on who you’re becoming, not just the results. That resonates with me deeply, because seeing progress isn’t just physical—it’s emotional, spiritual, and mental training. It’s taught me resilience, patience, and how to keep moving even when the mirror doesn’t yet reflect the effort. 🪞

That’s why I believe the gym is never just about the body—it’s a training ground for life itself. And that’s what I coach. Yes, I’ll teach you form, nutrition, the importance of tracking macros, and how to build a progressive program. But more importantly, I’ll teach you how to build mindset—how to handle slip-ups without giving up, how to find gratitude in the process, and how to step into storms with confidence that you’ll come out stronger. Because fitness isn’t just about looking good—it’s about feeling capable, resilient, and ready for life’s curveballs.

So wherever you are—whether it’s a storm in fitness, life, or your own self-belief—don’t run. Walk into it. Growth is waiting there, inviting you to experience the joy on the other side. 🌤️

👉 If this resonates, drop a 🌩️ in the comments or share what storm you’re facing—I’d love to walk through it with you.