How long have you been involved in the fitness industry?

I have been a fully qualified personal trainer and involved in the fitness industry since 2005. I have worked in various gyms, including those on Cruise Ships and also worked internationally, in Australia, in particular, Melbourne.

Who are your typical trainees?

I have trained everybody. Older, younger, fit and unfit. I have trained people with conditions starting with A all the way to Z.

Who is your best success story?

I have many, many success stories. The one in particular that normally comes to mind when I get asked this is when I was working on cruise ships. I trained a lady who was around the age of 80. She walked with a hunched back, had absolutely no heel-toe action in her walk and used a stick. After a few posture pointers, and exercises to help bring her shoulders back and encourage a heel-toe action in her walk, she never used her walking stick again after that first session.

What is your approach to training people?

Everything is goal dependent. It is important to also understand that everyone is an individual. Often people compare themselves to friends of theirs, or other people in the gym, but try to focus on your own goals and journey through fitness. Once that is understood, the exercise part I design is for that individual, but it normally follows a few parameters. Included in the workout are functional exercises within the ability of the individual. You will work hard to ensure a progressive overload, i.e. increasingly difficult workouts to ensure results. Combined with healthy nutrition, this will guarantee goals are achieved.

What equipment do you use?

Anything and everything. This will include the following where possible: bodyweight, kettlebells, medicine balls, TRX suspension, battle rope, gymnastic rings, bosu, foam rollers, dumbbells, barbells, machine weights, and boxing gloves and pads. Anything for variety, function and fun! If you particularly like a specific piece of gym equipment we can always try to focus around that, so that you enjoy the session that little bit more!

What are your qualifications?

Level 3 personal trainer, Sport and Exercise Science BSc with honours, Mat Pilates and Pilates on the ball, Spinning, Boxercise, Fitball trainer and I am fully insured.

How do I get rid of my gut/bingo wings/fat in general?

I’ve included this in the FAQ because I get asked it so frequently. You can’t simply decide where to lose fat. Your body burns fat where it sees fit, depending on age, hormones and gender. To achieve that alluring 6 pack, there is always muscle there, but generally underneath a layer of fat. The key to a reduction in body fat lies within nutrition. On top of that, cardiovascular combined with resistance work is a great way to reduce body fat and tone/increase muscle mass. This helps to show through the muscles underneath and make them more prominent. There are other, not so straight forward ways where results may be seen faster!

Finally, what made you get into personal training?

I have always been sporty; my main sport being basketball. I have also intermittently participated in rock climbing, jiu jitsu, karate and kick boxing. I fell naturally into this role, enjoying the social side of personal training and teaching classes.