Beginner’s guide to the gym: Katie’s first time trying PT

Trying something new is always a little bit daunting. We understand that the gym can seem like an intimidating place but, it shouldn’t! So, to put your fears to rest we’ve created our ‘Beginner’s guide to the gym’. A brand-new series where we cover all the basics, so you know exactly what to expect at our studio. 

This week we spoke with Katie, a new member here at Elevate who has recently started her first ever PT sessions with our trainer Josh and who also regularly now takes part in both our wellness sessions and our core classes.

Hi Katie, please could you introduce yourself to our readers

Hello, my name is Katie, I’m 22 years old and enjoy going to the gym and playing tennis with my dad.

How long have you been training with Josh?

I’ve been training with him for about 2 months now. 

What are your goals for PT?

My main goals are to make sure my form is correct and to build strength safely (without hurting myself). This is something I want to work on so that I can continue to progress lifting heavier weights.

How has Josh been supporting you to achieve those goals?

To help me to correct my form, especially with my squats, Josh showed me a great technique to ensure my knees point outwards. This has helped me to prevent injury especially as I’ve been adding on the weight.

With lifting heavier, he has given me more confidence. Normally I would think, I can’t do that but, because he knows my capabilities it has helped me to progress and push myself. I now know I can lift the heavier weight which has made a huge difference to my training. Breaking my mental barriers and having the confidence to give it a go and to push myself has helped me to see results faster.

This is your first-time trying PT. What has your experience been? 

I was nervous at the start but, now my mind is at ease as all the trainers are super friendly and not intimidating. They are all helpful and offer advice to help you improve especially with your techniques. They will push you but not to the limit where you can’t do it anymore.

The facilities are also really nice, I normally use the showers and they have hairdryers and GHD straighteners which are great as It means I can get ready at the studio before heading to work.

For PT it’s been nice to tweak things as it has made me more knowledgeable which is great as I can use this in my own sessions. I also enjoy the classes but for me, PT works best as I have specific goals which I want to work towards even though they could be achieved in the classes, I enjoy the 1:1 sessions.

What equipment did you use?

Taking into account my goals, we mainly focus on squatting using the Squat rack and bar and have been using a lot of free weights and bands to add resistance. However, we also use the Sled, Ropes, Cable machine and Slam balls to mix things up.

What have you achieved in the last 2 months?

People have said I look better, so it’s nice to know that others can see the difference. Although the scales haven’t changed as of yet, when I measure myself I can see I’ve changed and lost a few inches. My clothes are starting to fit nicer which is a bonus.

My own workout sessions have also benefited as I’ve been able to improve them with the knowledge I now have and I feel less intimidated to use certain pieces of equipment. I am also now able to lift more. When I started I could squat about 40kg but now I can comfortably squat 65kg which is a great improvement in a short period of time.

Interested in trying PT? Get in touch

If you’re interested in PT then feel free to get in touch, email info@elevatefitnessuk.com we’d love to hear from you. 

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