I’ve spent the past 18+ years helping people train smarter, eat better, and live bigger — all while learning to balance my own evolution in and out of the gym.
wife, dog mom, coach, lifter, runner, athlete
Hey,
I’m Laurie
If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ve seen my journey — from CrossFit Regional athlete and 1:1 nutrition coach and founder of Paragon Training Methods, to stepping into new adventures in endurance sports and beyond.
My background? A bachelor’s degree in nutrition, thousands of coaching hours, and a lifelong obsession with understanding how training, nutrition, and lifestyle work together.
This site is my digital home — a place to share what I’m learning, creating, and training for next.
From Laurie Christine King (LCK)→ to Laurie Christine Tongate (LCT): New Name, Same Mission.
about me
Fitness shouldn’t shrink your life or it take it over — it should make life better & help you live bigger.
My approach blends science-based training, sane nutrition, and a whole lot of real talk. You won’t find extremes here, just practical advice from someone who’s lived it all over the years — the wins, the failures, the setbacks, and the messy middle.
Because strength isn’t just about how much you lift — it’s about how you show up.
My mission? Help you feel strong, confident, and capable — inside and outside the gym.
Making science-based fitness simple, sustainable, & human.
From the Screen to Real Change
The Coach & Creator
What began as client check-ins and training spreadsheets has evolved into a mission to make fitness feel fun, approachable, and empowering. Through workouts and educational posts and videos, I help people understand the “why” behind their workouts — blending evidence-based methods with a sense of humor, empathy, and real-life balance.
Always chasing better — endurance one season, strength the next.
Lifter. Marathoner. smashing limits.
The Athlete in Progress
I’ve never been defined by a single sport. Whether I’m training for a marathon, pushing weight in the gym and hitting lift PR's, or exploring what’s next, movement is how I learn, grow, and stay connected. We get a daily chance to define what “fit” looks like — and it’s never one-size-fits-all.
From the CrossFit Regional floor to ultramarathons, from spreadsheets of client macros to YouTube cameras — every phase has added a layer to who I am today.
A few milestones that shaped the journey.
Got my bachelor's degree in food, nutrition, dietetics from Illinois State. Took tons of nutrition certification courses and began working 1:1 with nutrition clients. Coached group fitness classes and worked for CrossFit Gymnastics Seminar Staff. Competed at CrossFit Regionals and became Director or Operations for a large nutrition coaching company.
2008-2016:
coaching foundations
Education & Foundation
Focus: Knowledge and Experience
Expanded online through Instagram and Youtube by sharing tons of free educational guidance and tips regarding all things food, fitness, and healthy lifestyle. In 2018, Bryan Boorstein and I founded Paragon Training Methods - an online fitness community built on evidence-based workout programming and helping others be strong, confident, and well-fed.
2017-2022: changing the health/fitness game
connection & Growth
Focus: Content & Community
After years of bodybuilding and strength training, I transitioned to also competing in endurance sports. Competed in Hyrox and ran multiple half marathons, a full marathon, and a 50-mile ultramarathon (BPN Survive the Night). Each training block and race brought new lessons in mindset, adaptability, and what it means to stay strong and push my limits.
2023-2025:
Pushing New Limits
ATHLETIC EVOLUTION
Focus: Endurance & Resilience
Continuing to blend strength, endurance, and storytelling while living my best life as a wife, dog mom, athlete, and coach. The goal? Keep inspiring others to push their limits and chase curiosity, growth, and connection through every chapter of life.
2026-present:
Living my best life
Present Day
Focus: Evolution & Balance
Not everyone has (or wants to) spend money working 1:1 with a nutrition coach, but there shouldn't be a financial barrier to women feeling great and being comfortable in their skin.
Whether you want to gain muscle, improve your athletic performance, lose body fat, or improve your health - my detailed nutrition ebook can help you get there.
And you don't have to spend life at war with your body.
The way you eat & exercise can provide freedom & peace of mind.
