ABOUT ME
ABOUT ME
BSc Hons Biochemistry
NASM Level 3 Personal Trainer
NASM OPT Practitioner
NASM-WLS (Weight Loss Specialist)
NASM-FNS (Fitness Nutrition Specialist)
I have a passion for helping people...specifically helping people to be the best they can be. Often we know what we want to achieve and where we want to get to, but we can't always get there without a little help and assistance - my goal is to use my training and knowledge to provide assistance to anyone who feels they need it.
I am a CIMSPA registered personal trainer, fitness instructor and nutritional advisor - accredited by Active IQ NASM as an Optimum Performance Training (OPT) Model™ practitioner and I have NASM specialist qualifications in Weight Loss and Golf Performance Fitness.
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I offer a highly tailored personal service for people of all fitness levels, with particular interest in weight loss & body composition as well as general fitness & golf performance.
MY STORY
How it all started
I come from a big family of sports fanatics and from a very young age I played a ridiculous amount of sport – football, golf, cricket, tennis - you name it, I played it! A couple of decades of this eventually took it’s toll and in my late 20’s I developed osteoarthritis in my left hip which culminated in a total hip replacement when I was just 35 - not good at that age (as Andy Murray knows!). I got back into sport pretty well considering, but unfortunately I messed up my initial rehab (although I didn’t realise that at the time!) and this stopped me getting back to be the best I could be. So, cutting a very long story short, in the last few years I have revisited my rehab and gone back to the drawing board to try and get things the way they should be, and I am still on that long path - but I am winning!
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The path to personal training
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All of this rekindled my interest (after studying biochemistry at university) in the science of training, human physiology and anatomy. My own journey inspired me to want to help others with their personal challenges and this ultimately started me on the path to changing my career and becoming a Personal Trainer, and following on from that I qualified as a weight loss specialist.
Putting it all to use
I have learned a lot - through my own experiences, through education and by studying and obtaining specialist qualifications. I have learned what it means to face a daunting challenge and what it feels like to hit set-backs and what is needed physically, mentally and scientifically to succeed. It is rewarding to be able to put this to good use and steer others to success with their own challenges.
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There is much more to tell and if you are interested in hearing more about my journey and my experience with hip surgery and rehabilitation just get in touch – I am happy to share!
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MY APPROACH
How I work...
For me, personal coaching and training is about empowerment – it gives you the guidance and knowledge you need to be able to initiate positive change. I can’t physically do the work for you but I can show the way and this is as much about mindset and mental approach as it is about actual direction. Part of the challenge is to help people to rethink their current routine and re-evaluate how they approach their health, fitness and wellbeing.
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This all sounds very evangelical but in reality it’s not – it’s really about appreciating some very scientific principles with regards to the way our bodies work and adapting our lifestyles to align with the science.
Don’t cheat yourself..
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Someone said to me recently...“I am seeing my personal trainer tomorrow but I am going to have to lie again as I’ve been bingeing on chocolate this week”...now I think this probably happens a lot because people feel they don't want to let their trainer down (or get told off!) - but it makes no sense! Your PT will not mind if you fall off the wagon – but if you don’t give them the full picture how can they really help you to progress! They would rather know all the facts so they can understand why you are not progressing as fast as you should be – otherwise they will end up changing aspects of your programme that don’t need to change!
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There is a good analogy with golf here (another area where I specialise!)…if you are playing a round of golf on your own and setting yourself a personal target to beat your best score for the course – would there be any sense in marking your score incorrectly and not counting a few shots here and there? The answer is NO by the way - you are only cheating yourself!
It’s all about you!
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The most important thing to remember is that this is about you. It is you that has initiated our partnership because you want to make a change based on the goals you set for yourself. My job is to find the approach that is going to work best for you and fits your personality and lifestyle. We are all unique and have our own unique circumstances so while the underlying principles may be the same there is no “one size fits all” – this is why personal training can work for you, because your programme is tailored to suit you and only you.
Being open and honest
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When we work together it is very much a case of working as a team and it’s important that you feel comfortable being open and honest with me. Some aspects of personal training are, as the name suggests, quite personal and it can take time to build trust before you feel comfortable talking about certain aspects of personal health that you may be sensitive or self-conscious about. This is entirely understandable and it’s not a problem – remember this is about you. People are very different and what for some may be something to joke about, may for another be a deeply sensitive subject. This is something I am particularly sensitive to and you will never be expected to discuss anything you don’t feel happy talking about. (I should note here that there are of course professional ethics, standards and legislation around confidentiality and data protection that always apply and are strictly adhered to). I operate with a high degree of professional and personal integrity and generally you are likely to get more from the process the more open and honest you feel you can be. However, what matters is what is comfortable for you and so you always set the boundaries.