Here at Elevate, we are all about community and working together to support each other’s fitness journeys. We hope by sharing our member’s stories you will gain inspiration and motivation to achieve your fitness goals too!
We love to celebrate your achievements, this week we caught up with Vernon to share his journey with our trainer James over the past 6 months.
Hi Vernon, please could you share your fitness journey with our readers.
“Hello, I’m Vernon. I play rugby for Oundle Rugby Club in Peterborough. I’ve played rugby since I was a teenager and have sustained many injuries over the years. I took a long break away from rugby a few years ago, however, since I’ve always been interested in my fitness, I eventually wanted to find a gateway back into moving and feeling good. This is when I was introduced to Elevate in Werrington and my personal trainer James, I haven’t looked back since.
Initially, when I joined, I took part in the Open Classes and got to know the trainers at Elevate which is when I decided to add personal training into my routine.
Due to being away from any sort of physical exercise for so long, I wanted to focus on retraining my body on how to move again, and most importantly, in the right way, this is where my personal trainer James has really supported me.”
Could you share how James has been supporting you with your fitness goals?
“He tailors his knowledge to me and my specific needs. We focus on speed and power. I play on the wing, so I have been training to improve my performance ahead of the new season – I enjoy the sessions.
All the trainers at Elevate know their stuff. They tailor the sessions around injuries/abilities and have offered me a lot of knowledge on rehab. They’re ex or current athletes themselves, so they have experienced similar problems. This became apparent when working with James, who is an active American Football player. He is very familiar with shoulder and knee problems and has aided me to strengthen those areas.”
You mention that James has been working on your injury prevention training; would you like to share how that’s been going?
“I doubt I will ever be fully injury-free, it’s the nature of the game I suppose. However, I am feeling much better. I have increased my muscle mass a good amount, which is ideal for rugby.
I feel overall functionally fitter and in a better headspace. I have an ongoing niggle in my knee which I am rehabbing now, and James is supporting me with this.”
You mentioned that you’ve increased your muscle mass, would you like to share your progress?
“Yes, I have noticed a huge difference in my physical ability playing rugby and my InBody score has improved massively.”
For those of you who might not know, Inbody is our in-house assessment machine. The machine accurately measures your whole-body composition giving you a better understanding of your composition. For more information on this, please get in touch with one of our trainers.
“My mass increased from 104.3kg to 109.6kg in 3 weeks. I’m now sitting at a healthy 111kg through sustained training, I’ve never felt stronger, faster and fitter.
According to the InBody community, I’m ‘ranked 1st lowest Percent Body Fat and 1st in Best Physique among 100 randomised people of the same gender, age and BMI of InBody date’. However, the massive mental improvements I have made have become far more important to me.
I have also felt a difference in my mood. Getting up early to go through a tough session with some friends really sets the tone for a positive day. The physical gains have become a secondary benefit to what once was the primary reason for training.
The benefits when it comes to rugby are insane. Rugby involves a lot of getting up and down – with high-velocity impacts. So, with the endless amounts of burpees and dynamic strength work thrown into the class, I was up and down like a jackrabbit!”
We’re all about creating a supportive atmosphere here at Elevate, is that something you feel your part of?
“Yes, It’s excellent. The classes are very inclusive, catering for everyone from non-sports people to more elite performers! Everyone is very encouraging which is nice to be a part of! I’ve also met people that have become more than just the ‘gym crowd’ and who I class as friends. Overall, Elevate has given me the tools to be a really good rugby player and I’m more excited and motivated than I have ever been in my life.”
This September Vernon is heading into a new rugby season, playing at the National League level with Oundle RFC. We are pleased to have supported him on his journey back to full fitness and instilled confidence in his mind and body to perform at the highest level. We wish him all the best for the season.
To find out how we can help you to reach your fitness goals by getting in touch, email info@elevatefitnessuk.com to speak with one of our trainers.
