testimonials

“About eight months after having my first baby and in my early thirties, I decided that it was time to get back in shape and do some exercise. I wasn’t really unfit and wasn’t overweight, I was just not entirely happy with my shape around my middle section and the fact that I had to squeeze myself into my jeans. I have never ever been to a gym and rarely did any exercise other than walking and the occasional swim or aquafit session.

My husband and I had looked at various personal trainers and spoken to a couple of people, but came away without feeling confident in their abilities to deliver what I wanted. I also visited a gym, but still did not feel that this was right for me (I assumed that I would pay the membership and then become another statistic of failed gym attendance). We met Mark at the Towcester Baby and Toddler Show early in 2010 and had a really good discussion about what I could do. The idea of someone who knew about pre and post natal exercise appealed – we were not expecting to see a personal trainer at a baby show! A couple of weeks later I signed up for a block of training sessions – the idea being that I would be more likely to keep going if it was all booked in advance. I initially started training every week, but after three months (when I was more interested in continuing work on my own at times) I trained fortnightly.

Mark listened when I explained why I wanted to exercise and has been able to provide a varied program, as I get bored of the same routines really easily. The first few weeks were really hard work as my muscles were just not used to being pushed. It became easier and I now don’t ache after a session. I have tried lots of new activities over the past few months and feel much brighter, fitter and am able to fit back into the trousers that I was wearing before having a baby comfortably! I also can see a visible difference in muscle tone, so the exercises really do work!

I still train with Mark every fortnight and have surprised myself with what I can actually do. I have got much better at sit-ups, although still need to do a lot of work on my upper body strength as I am not so great at press-ups. Mark listens and pushes me when I need it, but also eases off when I am genuinely tired. He has a very in-depth knowledge of many different styles of training and always keeps my sessions varied, which I have found works really well for me.”

Clare Hartley