How I picked a personal trainer

Do you use a personal trainer?  Interested in getting one?

When I first started trying to get fitter and healthier I would go to the gym but if I am honest I didn’t really know what I was doing.  I tended to opt for classes because it took the thinking out of it for me and I followed the instructions.  Whilst there is nothing wrong with this I wanted to be in a position where I could go to the gym and do a workout on my own.

Now I was the girl who didn’t want to go to the weights section as that was generally filled with men, which wouldn’t ordinarily bother me at all but they did all appear to know what they were doing and quite frankly I didn’t.

I am lucky that my best friend, Emma, is a personal trainer.  I actually met Emma at the gym as she taught the spin classes I would attend.  I was picky with my spin classes and I wanted one that had variation and good music and Emma’s class had that.  Soon after we started training together.  Soon after that I got her into OCR and running – she is always up for another crazy challenge!

What was important for me was having someone who understood my goals and what I was trying to achieve.  I knew some other people in the gym who were being trained by Emma and they all spoke highly of her.  I knew the qualifications she had and she took the time to find out what I struggled with, what my strengths were and talk over any and all injuries.  She is also very funny and I have said before I need to have fun with all my training so this made a huge difference and the sessions were always full of giggles, something not to downplay as you are there for training but there does, for me, need to be a connection in terms of personality.

Emma takes her job seriously and has a huge passion for what she does and a genuine care for those she trains.  I can’t recommend Emma enough and would struggle to find someone who would not only train me but also work out with me and laugh at me at the same time.

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They say reputation precedes you and it is true as I now know a number of friends that train with Emma and here is what they say:

Lucy: I started having sessions with Emma last July. I’d seen how well Lisa had done at the Outlaw half relay triathlon- she put her improvement on the bike down to adding strength training into her programme. I had let my strength training slip, so seeing Lisa’s improvement gave me the incentive I needed to start working with a personal trainer again. 

I really enjoyed working with Emma right from my first session. She tailors the workout to the individual’s goals and each session is completely different. I like the variety of different exercises that Emma comes up with and the different equipment she incorporates (including the home made Wheel of Doom)! She makes the workouts challenging but fun, we have a laugh during our sessions and the hour flies by. 

I’ve really noticed an improvement in my strength, fitness and endurance after a year of PT sessions, which has translated into better results in my triathlon races.

Nikki: I have been training with Emma for over a year now!  Had a go in 2015 but only did one session before life got in the way etc.  Love Emma’s way of making the most painful exercise fun!!!  She’s crazy and funny and keeps your mind off of the hurty bits and engaged in conversation or crazy random bits of equipment! The smelly horseshoe weighted sack is my fav to be honest lol!! 

The time passes so fast and to top it all my body is looking bloody amazing!!! Couldn’t have found this shape or strength without her for sure!

Brett: Once I started training with Emma she explained the importance of strength training for me to complete my Ironman event and by far this was the biggest contributor to my result.

Having trained with Emma for over two years I don’t think I’ve ever had the same session and she caters for different disciplines, and although it is in the gym it is always fun, structured, tough going and extremely beneficial.

Over the time I’ve known Emma she has become my friend first and trainer second and is the PT to have. When we train together she is not my friend, she is Satan.

Dave: Emma is a fantastic personal trainer who not only pushes you hard but makes every training session enjoyable. She will help you in any way she can and has a heart of gold!

So in short like any relationship it is a two way thing and you need to work with someone who understands you and you can trust – good luck finding your Emma!