Julie Burborough: Elevate member

Here at Elevate we are all about community and working together to support each other’s fitness journeys. By sharing our journeys with one another it has helped motivate and provide a fantastic support network to our members and celebrate each others achievements. Each week we will sit down for a chat with one of our members so they can share their personal journey with you. This week we caught up with Julie, who has been training with Dan and Foxy since March last year.

Hi Julie, please can you introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Julie Burborough, I’m 54 years old (I had to think about that for a moment) I have two older children and I would say my hobby is training. I normally work part time however, I’m currently part furloughed which is giving me even more time to fit in my training.

Could you let our readers know how long you’ve been training with Dan and Foxy.

I first started training with them when they were working at Escape, around March time 2019. I decided to begin training with them as I was looking for something a bit different. I had been with my previous gym for around 15 years however, I just really wanted a change. Over the years I’ve tried out lots of different types of training which is how I discovered weights. I got into weight training about 6 years ago and really enjoyed it, so I knew I wanted this to still be part of my new training.

That’s why I chose to work with Dan as my PT. I’ve found him to be very good. He’s great at all the technical stuff and helped me to lift right. Because of this he recommended I give their classes a go too and I’ve found them to be very different to what you get in a commercial gym.  You don’t get these types of classes normally and you don’t workout like you do in the Elevate classes, this isn’t like anywhere else.

What are your personal goals for coming to the gym?

At the moment, my personal goals are to keep fit and get stronger because I love doing the weights. I want to be fit and strong as it keeps you feeling younger. They say age is just a number and it really is, I’m probably fitter and stronger now at 54 than I was 30 years ago and I’m finding I’m able to do things I thought I never could.

Did you ever feel intimidated being a woman lifting weights in the gym?

I used to be terrified going to my previous gym. I remember the first time going on the squat rack, I felt out of place and thought, is this only for men. But I feel a lot more women do it now and I think that’s great. A lot more women should do weights, it’s so beneficial.

That’s why places like Elevate are so much nicer because everyone is so friendly. The first time I went, I walked in the door and everyone came to say hello and introduced themselves and that’s what’s lovely.

Now I go on a Wednesday night and you have a bit of a laugh and a joke with everyone but everyone’s also there to work hard.

During the first lockdown you took part in our free online classes. What did you think to them?

Yes I did the classes during the first lockdown, around 2 a week on average, I liked to make myself a timetable and slot the classes in as that made me stick to it and kept me motivated.

During the first lockdown Dan did a lot of kettlebell workouts, which I had never done before and found that I really enjoyed them and got to learn something new. I think that’s one positive we can all use lockdown for is learning something new.

How did the online classes help you during this difficult time?

They really helped me to keep in a routine and it was nice doing them with people I’ve trained with before. I like knowing that even though I’m at home doing the class in my living room we’re all doing the same thing together. I think there’s lots of classes and materials out there but, it’s nice when its familiar people.

I think for people who haven’t tried any Elevate workouts before this is a great opportunity to just have a go. People can try at home where they feel comfortable and if they like them, then come along to the classes when Elevate re-opens. The classes surprised my husband as he has always said he doesn’t like circuit training and that he will never do it again. But, after a session with Elevate he loved it and said he worked so hard. So, I guess you don’t know unless you try and now is a great opportunity to try something new.

How do you feel about lockdown 2.0? Will you be joining our free classes this time around?

Yes I will be joining you.  I’ve booked in for Saturday mornings at 10am for the ‘Elevate class’. I’m definitely going to be doing them as it helps keep me in my normal training routine and I think it’s even better this time around as you can book. I think that helps to make you stick to it.

I felt negative when it was first announced, but the next day I got up and thought you’ve got to look at it as 4 weeks is nothing and it will be Christmas before we know it. My attitude now is crack on and get it done. So I’d say now I feel quite positive about it. We’ve just got to quit the moaning and get on with it.

I think the best thing to do is try to keep a routine and use your Elevate workouts as you normally would by booking them. The only real difference is, you’re doing it in your living room or wherever instead.

Could you give one piece of fitness advice to our readers that’s helped you with your journey?

To be honest you have to find something you enjoy. If you don’t enjoy it, you won’t stick to it. For me it was lifting and doing weight’s, for others it might be running, or it could be going to Elevate, but you have to find what it is, and we all enjoy different things. Sometimes you also just have to find somebody who inspires you.

We want to keep you motivated and on track during lockdown 2.0 so, we have made all of our online classes free which you can now book by clicking here: 

https://www.elevatefitnessuk.com/group-classes/

 We hope to see you soon (virtually of course).

If you are a member at our Elevate gym and would like to share your fitness journey then please get in touch info@elevatefitnessuk.com we’d love to hear from you.