I’ve just started the final week of my new 6 week gym programme and I have loved these past 6 weeks! I always enjoy working out but this has been a slightly different process for me. Recently I’ve felt a bit lost with my training and I have constantly been saying “I need to get back in to my gym plans”. Whilst I’ve still been going and maintaining consistency, my workouts weren’t as meaningful as they were meant to be, and one of the things I wanted to focus on for this year was to workout with intention. You can read more about my New Year focus for 2020 here.
I have worked in the Fitness Industry since I was 18 years old so I generally know what I am doing in the gym, and a few years back I even hired a personal trainer to help me (you can read more about this here) when I needed someone to help spot me with bigger weights when I was starting to progress in the heavy lifts. Then I fell pregnant, and whilst I still continued to lift weights throughout my whole pregnancy, I didn’t require this level of support anymore as I was reducing the weight and modifying my exercises appropriately.
Now some considerable time postpartum, I was really craving this commitment, accountability, and really just a fresh outlook on my training. As much as I am able to write gym plans, there is something great about someone else doing this for you! Much the same as I feel about your dinner always tasting better when someone else has cooked it for you! So an online yoga teacher than I have followed for somewhere in the region of about 6-7 years now just recently completed her personal training qualification and for a long time she has been incorporating her strength training to complement her yoga practise. This is particularly interesting to me because I try to do the same thing with coordinating my pilates workouts and strength training, and I like to dabble in yoga at home too. So her style really suits what I like and I knew she was authentic having followed her journey and knowledge. Finally, I had the pleasure of working with her last Summer and at the start of this year too for some of my work projects, so when her online personal training openings came up it seemed the perfect fit.
My gym plan is tailored to my goals, which currently are to gain whole body strength and muscle mass, but especially in my glutes and upper body as these are my weakest areas. Having it organised online means I do not have to meet anyone at any particular time and I am free to get my workouts completed when I am able. This is exactly how my life is right now as my time is restricted between my day job, the business, and looking after my son, so workouts are squeezed in whenever a free window of time crops up!
I have the motivation to push myself when I’m at the gym and get the job done because I want to meet my goals and feel good from working out so I also don’t need someone in person to do that. The headspace you get from attending the gym and switching off for a while is also much needed after working and parenting! Since I am in a programme however I still have the accountability of them checking in with me so the dedication is a little stronger than if it were just me and my own gym plan and no one to report to!
Recently I’ve also been listening to podcasts at the gym and I really look forward to this hour during my gym session to learn something new, and since most of them are around an hour in duration I haven’t skipped a set yet as I want to hear the end too! I can listen to this on my own and not have to be in discussion with a trainer for the session. Currently I’m working my way through “Run to the Top”, a running-based podcast which is great!
So online personal training is working out great for me right now and I’m looking forward to seeing what my next 6 week plan has in store for me!
If you’re looking for an online training plan and are familiar with gym exercises, then this may be great for you! Firstly, choose someone who is qualified to do this. And secondly, choose someone who matches your style. Any fitness professional could write you a plan but you want to find someone who really “gets you” and your fitness style and not just the standard gym exercises they give to everyone. For me this means incorporating pilates, yoga, and strength work and doing so in a way that compliment each other.
