My legs hurt every day, my knees are always sore after I have instructed an exercise classa and my back is stiff again. This week, I emptied yet another big tube of pain-relieving gel. I forgot to eat my breakfast again. I don't have any drive and feel tired. These were my overriding feelings in May when I made one of the best decisions of my life: I decided to invest in myself and my well-being. I needed more strength, a proper meal rhythm and perhaps a slight change in my body composition on the side, if it were to happen. I wanted to live and instruct exercise classes without pain. At the same time, I knew myself: I didn't have enough patience and discipline to make any long-term changes on my own. That's why I hired myself a UniSport's personal trainer.

From zero to hero

I'm a professional in group exercise. In the gym, however, I'm a novice. Even before starting, I knew a whole lot of things about nutrition and strength training – in theory. However, it has always been my challenge that I’ve never had enough enthusiasm to put this theory into practice. So, one could say that I knew the strategy of how to make a lifestyle change and do gym training, but I lacked the capacity to implement it. And, oh boy, I was much more of a novice at the gym than I ever expected! I had to learn the tacit knowledge, practices, workout rhythm and how to refine my own techniques from scratch. Fortunately, I had a coach with me.

My biggest gym dream is that one day I will be able to do a chin-up or more. When writing this, I'm very close to reaching my goal. Four months ago, I still raised myself above the bar using a box and fell straight down, even though I tried to resist the movement. With the PT's assistance, I have made some progress. At first, I did chin-ups assisted by a box, then by a rubber band and then by my PT, advancing towards doing my first chin-up using my own strength only.

With my PT's assistance, I have come further in all my actions than ever before. I have sought progress more patiently than ever before. And above all, I've had a professional to support me whenever I’ve felt that I don't want to continue. Having a Personal Trainer helped me trust the process when I would have run out of motivation.

Four months working out with a personal trainer, what changed?

• I eat more regularly and diversely. My general energy level and coping with everyday life and my own work as an instructor has improved. My body composition has changed almost by itself and my visceral fat level (i.e., the dangerous fat) has dropped five notches so far.
• All the pain is gone. I used to spend a tube of Voltaren a week when my legs were hurting. Now I don't need it anymore.
• I have not been sick even once during the training period. As a mother of two children in day-care age, that could be called a statistical miracle. A smart workout routine and diet boost immunity.
• The rapid progress at the beginning of the gym training motivated me very much. I was almost able to do my first chin-up. In May, I could hardly hang from a bar for 5 seconds. I started the deadlift training with about 40% of my body weight. Now I can pull 150% of my body weight. (This, too, would not have been possible without the PT. She soon realised that the traditional deadlift is not suited for me. Instead, the sumo deadlift with a wider stance would be better for my problematic back).
• Now I trust the process. Small things are repeated again and again, and the progress happens through routines.

If I look at these things in terms of weeks, the development is slow. If I look at these things in terms of months, the development is fast. It is incredible how much can already happen in one quarter of a year at the gym.

I would recommend gym training with a personal trainer to everyone! UniSport has incredible professionals. In my case, I immediately found a perfect PT match for me, with whom I felt I was on the same wavelength. It’s important that the chemistry with the coach works. The relationship with the coach is very intimate in its own way because, at the gym and in training, you reveal to the coach many things about yourself that you may be ashamed to admit. For me, confessing my own weaknesses and lack of self-discipline were such matters. However, when I became aware of these, I managed to make progress and I will continue to do so.

At the gym, I always tell my customers that “showing up is the most difficult part in any exercise. After that, everything else is extra.” This also applies to gym training. And it is a great help to have a friendly coach waiting for you at the gym in the early hours of the morning whenever you want her to.

By:

Hanna Huumonen
UniSport's group exercise instructor (e.g., Pilates, Bodyjam, Bodycombat, Body) and an enthusiastic novice at the gym

Get to know UniSport's Personal Training services