Too Fat, too old, too uncoordinated, too injured, and too embarrassed to exercise

I have a long waiting list for clients, unfortunately it’s going to stay long, these are people who I know and bump into occasionally who say, “I need to come see you soon” and usually I nod and smile and know that “soon” might be a long way away, as in never. 

 

I completely get it, I’ve spent some time over the years trying to put myself into the shoes of people who are new to exercise, I’ve observed many a time the struggles of a newbie on the gym floor attempting an exercise like Bambi on ice. 

 

It’s easy for me to train, it’s my job, I spend most of my time in a gym, I get paid to know the right technique, which weight I should use, which order to put the exercises in and how much rest time I should take. 

 

But most of all, I’ve never been badly out of shape, I’ve never had to walk into a gym feeling like all eyes are upon me, with absolutely no idea how to use the equipment and self conscious that I’m going to make a complete tit of myself. 

 

I’ve never considered that there is something wrong with my body, that I’ve been born with bad genes, and everything is a struggle, it’s never occurred to me that it’s pointless even to try and get in shape, that I’m a lost cause. 

 

But this is how many people feel, right across the Western World there are millions of people ironically feeling like they are the only one who is so fucking useless at exercise. 

 

People seem to think that I only train elite athletes, that I would be disgusted and affronted by taking on a fat blob for a client, banging my head against the wall the minute they leave and complaining about them to all my elite fitness chums who in turn make fun of them. 

 

People think they have to get in shape to come see me, which at face value is ridiculous, because the whole point of my work, is that I’m the one who helps them get into shape!  

 

But I do get it, getting in shape is intimidating, it’s scary and it feels like a fruitless uphill ice skate. 

 

I am here to guide people through the minefield of exercise, to reduce that anxiety and help build confidence. Time and time again over the years from my little Personal Training Studio in Hull I’ve helped clients build confidence in their own fitness ability and begin to change the way they look at themselves. No longer are they the person who is a fat blob, a lost cause, a waste of effort, they see themselves as someone who goes to the gym, someone who mostly eats well but can enjoy themselves from time to time. 

 

Exercise is not something that is done to you, it is something you choose to undertake, and nobody can force you to do it, no matter how loud they shout, and I would simply find it too tiring to expend energy dragging people through a workout they didn’t want to do, and in any case, they would be in no rush to come back. 

 

I’d rather my clients take ownership, I have a good idea of how the exercise should be done, but I don’t have first-hand experience of how it is for them, was that last set too easy? Did you struggle too much or was it just right? Could we maybe do a few more reps next time? Or how about we increase the weight but aim for less reps and see how we get on. 

 

There are many ways to gradually make progress and see results, it’s a systematic process of continual improvement, the more often you do something, the better you get at it. Most of all its best to have someone who knows what they are doing guide you through the process, the seductive online training program promising results so long as you jump intensively around your living room each day is a lie, it doesn’t give you any feedback on your progress or form. 

 

My ultimate goal of each and every client is that they won’t need me, that they can walk into any gym and feel confident in putting together a decent workout for themselves, that they have a good strategy for maintaining a healthy weight when they need to, and that the only reason they carry on paying for my services is because they enjoy seeing what I have next in store for them in the continuing ever evolving journey of health, with all the ups and downs and trials and tribulations that entails. 

 

If you have any questions on where to get started please get in touch, I charge more than most in the area, the investment in your health is something I value highly. If people can’t afford to see me weekly or simply don’t have the time, I also run remote programs, seeing people fortnightly or even monthly. Inquire for further details.