Victory Story: How Maria Martinez Lost 34 lbs in 90 Days

In Her Own Words

The following is lightly edited from an interview with Maria Martinez, PDXtreme member since January 2026.

I had tried other gyms. Not one, not two — I think five or six different ones over the years. The problem was never the equipment. It was that I never felt like anyone actually cared whether I showed up or not. I was just another card swipe on a turnstile.

When I walked into PDXtreme for the first time, I thought the walls were going to scream at me. They kind of do. The murals, the music, the energy — it's not like anything else. Within 10 minutes of arriving, Field Commander Mendoza had introduced himself and asked what I was there to accomplish.

Nobody had ever asked me that at a gym before.

The First Month

I started with Operation Red Dawn because I wanted the full program, not a class here and a class there. The first three weeks were brutally hard. Not because the workouts were impossible — they were scaled perfectly for my level — but because I was confronting how much I'd avoided physical challenge my entire adult life.

Week 4 was a deload week. I remember thinking I'd be bored. Instead, I realized how much I'd already changed. I could do things I couldn't do a month before. I could see it. I could feel it.

The Result

At the 90-day check-in:

But the number I'm most proud of? I showed up 63 out of 63 sessions. Not once did I choose comfort over commitment.

What I'd Tell Someone Starting

The hardest part is walking in the first time. After that, the resistance carries you.

Maria is currently on Mission: Surge. She'll be testing for her first powerlifting total in September.