How long have you worked at JW Fitness?
'I started JW Fitness back in 2014. When I started Personal Training, I had a goal of becoming self-employed in 2 years HOWEVER I was too impatient to wait and I took the leap just 10 months later. That was singularly the best decision I have ever made.'
Why did you start JW Fitness?
'I started JW Fitness after I finished college as I enjoyed training myself and after seeing the positive benefits from training that I had seen I wanted to share that with others. By coaching, inspiring and educating them.
Personal Training for me is more than a job, it is a calling. It is something that I am passionate about, I am good at and most of all that offers a life changing experience for our members. Whether that be getting them out of pain, helping them lose considerable amounts of weight, hitting PBs with their running or competing in an event they never believed they could. '
What do you like most about working at JW Fitness?
'Great question. What I like the most about JW Fitness is:
Seeing members achieve things they once thought impossible.
Helping members improve their quality of life.
The variety of conversations. I get to learn from a vast array of members.
The day to day variety, no two days are the same.
Most importantly (possibly) I get to have my dogs with me all day.'
Describe a typical work day at JW Fitness
'This will likely be tedious for most to read but I will lay out a typical day below:
5am: Up, showered and leaving for work
6am: Team training (taking our larger group training session)
7am-10am: 1-2-1 training sessions
10.30am: My own training session
12pm: Cook and eat dinner
1-4pm: Working on the business, programming, check ins with members or chatting to our open gym members
4-8pm: A mix of 1-2-1 or semi PT sessions
8pm: Head home and walk the dogs
10.30pm: Bed, ready to go again'
Tell us what interests you most about fitness and well-being
'A great question and a simple answer for me.
There is no hack, no pill, no shortcut to fitness. You and ONLY you MUST put the work in if you want to get the results you want.'
Tell us about your own fitness journey and future goals
'This spans 21 years so I will give a brief overview below:
15 years old : Started weight training with a set of York concrete weights in my front room. I had 2 reasons.
I was small and kept getting knocked down playing football, I didn’t like that feeling.
I thought it would help me attract girls.
50% isn’t bad I guess
18 years old: I just wanted to be as big and strong as I could be. As such I ended up overweight at just under 17st (I am 5ft 7). Every year , until I was 24, I said I would lose weight but never did. Whilst I was strong, I wasn’t that strong comparatively and I also gassed out just walking up stairs
24 years old: I went to college to train as a Personal Trainer. I made the decision to lose weight once and for all. I lost just over 4 stone in 8 months. Despite not being able to run for a bus, I booked a 10 mile obstacle course to complete. I like to set big goals that make me have to put the work in and this certainly did.
25 years old : I completed the obstacle course BUT, more importantly, had a new found belief in myself and what I could achieve. I booked on to my first Powerlifting competition. I quickly fell in love with Powerlifting and went for it. I stopped competing in 2019 at 32 years old.
32 - 35 years old: I was very much in training limbo. I didn’t have anything specific to train for and as such continued to train 2-3 days a week but with the only goal of keeping moving and keeping healthy.
35 until now: I needed something to train for and booked onto my 1st HYROX competition. I had a nightmare with my calves which made running and building any consistency with my running almost impossible. I was undeterred though, I sought a physio and kept pushing. I am now able to run pain free and I am adding distance all the time. My goal now is a simple one, I want to complete as many physical challenges as I can NOW. I want to push and test my body and my mind. I want this because one day (hopefully 50 + years from now) age will take my ability to do so away from me.
This year so far I have completed:
Heaton Park 5k
HYROX London
Altrincham 10k
Battle of the Blaise
200k on the SkiErg which took around 21 hours
Next year, I plan to complete one challenge per month. So far I have booked:
HYROX individuals in Manchester on the Saturday, followed by doubles on the Sunday
A powerlifting qualifier with the Amateur British Powerlifting Union (first in 5 years)
Heaton Park Loop half marathon'
What’s the best piece of advice you can offer to someone who is thinking about becoming a Personal Trainer?
'Focus on your soft skills. Sure you need the technical knowledge to be a great Personal Trainer HOWEVER people buy people. If you don’t know how to talk to someone or have poor customer service you will not be able to build a client base that will allow you to become the best Personal Trainer.'
One final question, what is your favourite food?
'My mum's Spaghetti Bolognese. Just incredible and always a huge portion.'
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