Alex - Why I started training.

I had absolutely no interest in the gym when I was younger. Avoided PE whenever I could and would always make some excuse. When I started working at Bannatynes 7 years ago I was given a free membership. It took me 6 months to venture into the gym because I was embarrassed and clueless!

I started off with the usual go to- Cardio! Treadmills and cross trainers, anything I thought would burn the most calories. I soon realized with the advice of a PT that this was not the way forward! I started strength training and weightlifting. I really enjoyed this and it made me feel good. I felt amazing!!

The results came flooding in! With this newfound love of weight lifting I educated myself on how to become a personal trainer and within time became a qualified gym instructor and personal trainer.

This only drove my ambition to help more women understand the benefits of strength training. I am always grateful for starting my job at Bannatynes to help me discover my career path! I absolutely love my job!

I am currently working at the gym and personal training on the days I’m not working. I have built a good client base and I enjoy writing programs for them so that we can see how they are progressing.

We measure clients’ body composition, this is much better than just the number you see on the scales maybe at home. It can be easy for clients to get stuck on this number. In fact,

I ask clients to take progress photos, this is a much more accurate representation of their progress. They may have gained muscle and lost fat and therefore the number on the scales may not reflect that. I often encourage clients to set non scale goals, such as being able to squat 60kg or being able to come to the gym 3 times a week. These are just as important as the visuals we see in the mirror.

I have enrolled on a Strength and Conditioning level 4 course which I am due to start very soon. I have also enrolled on a squat improvement course to develop my clients’ abilities. This keeps me up to date with clients’ needs. I am very keen to keep developing my skills with continued personal development courses. Such as a pre and post-natal strength training course or how to work with clients who have injuries. I am a strong believer that knowledge is power. There is no end to the opportunities this role allows!

I am keen to work with women. Women who may have struggled with their appearance or confidence and the gym may seem a bit scary. To these women I want to say, “you can do anything you set your mind to”. Weightlifting will not make you bulky- which is a common worry amongst gym newbies. It will in fact tone the parts of the body you may want to change, improve your strength, balance and coordination. It will keep your bones strong and reduce the risk of injury and lower the chance of you getting a serious health condition. This is not even to mention the physical benefits your body will go through.

I enjoy working with my clients. Helping them whether it be at the start of their gym journey or whether it is to motivate people bored of an existing program or have hit a plateau and they don’t know what to do to make progress. I have time and patience for every client of mine. I genuinely love seeing their progress. With my help they are starting to see that they are very capable and just need guidance and support. The role of a personal trainer is to provide one on one support, motivating them and guiding them to achieve their goals. I believe I achieve this with passion and

determination.

As I move forward I am very keen to invest time in online coaching. This has presented itself in the form of the Barbelle Project. This community was set up to encourage women to start picking up weights and realize their true potential. It is a very personal service which allows us to really connect with the client and due to this accountability we have seen some great results.

Finally, just to finish I just want to say that I understand. I understand the struggles of being a woman, a working mum, a partner, trying to juggle everything and maybe not always having time to train. However, the goal is to incorporate training and good nutrition as part of forming a new habit.

A new lifestyle that isn’t just for the short term. This is for life. This is to change your life for the better. So, ladies, if I can do it- so can you! You know where I am when you are ready to make this change!