Interview with Succeed Physique
By admin at February 6, 2012 | 1:44 am | Print
Name: Succeed Physique
Address: PO Box 2452, Tuggeranong DC ACT 2901
Based at: Club Lime Greenway
Phone Number: 0402 997 608
Web: www.succeedphysique.com
1) Can you tell us a little bit about you as a personal trainer and the services, training you offer to your clients?
My experience as a Trainer enables me to work with a huge variety of people, all with different goals, capabilities and needs. Essentially, I service my clients by providing them with the necessary instruction, motivation and education that they need to take them where they want to go. I have a diverse client base – working with 50 year old doctor wanting to stay healthy in a stressful job, to national level natural bodybuilders preparing for competition.
My services are totally tailored to the individual – I believe in taking people out of their comfort zones to allow them to experience and achieve things that they normally would not do or attempt on their own.
2) What’s the history behind your passion for personal training, how did you get started training people?
Since I was young, I have been passionate about sport and staying fit and active. I guess getting into the industry was almost a natural progression as I began to become more serious about my own training. But more than that, I began to want to impart to others the importance of a healthy lifestyle. The way we look and feel about ourselves has a huge bearing on the way approach all aspects of our lives. Unfortunately, the vast majority of people are missing out on so many good things in life, and I really want to help change that.
After completing 2 years of study, I began working in a commercial gym and gained experience from there. In late 2005, I decided to start working for myself. With a business partner, we built Australia’s most awarded Personal Training company, Succeed Personal Development. In recent times, we have diversified our business and now my time is divided between that company and my own endeavours, Succeed Physique.
3) It seems that as Australian’s we keep trying to get fitter, but not too many out there manage to achieve their goals. What is the secret behind a successful personal training program?
It all starts with having a vision, or a goals, of where you want to get to. Once that’s set, you must banish all negativity roaming your thought processes and stay continually positive towards achieving that goal, no matter what it takes. Then with those things done and in place, the actions required to achieve your goals will flow from there.
A successful training program provides not only guidance on the physical training needed, but will also provide continual motivation and guidance in the mental aspects of training – employing willpower, using visualisation etc etc
4) Personal training is surely not just about “doing exercise” , what can you tell us about the physiological part behind any training? How important is the motivation and the mind set?
As I said above, I believe that nothing can be achieved without first having the right mind set and attitude towards what it is you are setting out to achieve. Our subconscious mind governs our conscious mind – if the subconscious mind does not believe the goal can be achieved, then the consequential thoughts and actions taken on a daily basis will be sabotaged. With continual sabotage, a goal will not be reached, regardless of the volume of physical training done.
5) What makes a good personal trainer?
A good personal trainer first and foremost needs to be able to identify how a person is motivated and ‘wired’, to then be able to effectively work with them to achieve their goals. A good trainer must be able to motivate everyone in the way that works for the individual, not simply a carbon copy approach with everyone. A good Trainer must have sufficient knowledge and experience to be able to provide safe, effective and goal-oriented sessions each and every time for their clients.
6) Tell us a little bit about your personal training sessions and classes, what type of training can someone expect while working out with you?
Put simply, my workouts will test and challenge them. Sessions that will be within their capabilities, but sometimes require them to do things they have not done before. Now this will mean different things for different people, depending on their goals and their history. I want each client to finish every session feeling like they have achieved something, and have moved closer to their goal.
7) How important is nutrition in the path to achieve any personal training goal?
If I had to put a number on it, I’d say nutrition is about 85% of the big picture. Whether the goal be weight loss, putting on muscle or improving performance in a sport, nutrition is the building blocks on which goals are built. With poor nutrition, no goal will be achieved to it’s potential.
8.) We all know there are many personal trainers out there, what do we need to ask to a personal trainer before starting a program, how can we guarantee we are a good match to work together?
A client needs to be comfortable with their Trainer, and they need to feel they can trust their Trainer. Once this is established, they need to be confident that their Trainer has the knowledge and experience to assist them with what they need.
Ask them how long they have been a Trainer? What sort of client base do they have? What results have they achieved for their clients?
9) What is a normal day in your life as a personal trainer?
I get up at 4.30am Mon-Fri, to start work at 6am at either the gym with PT clients, or at a Boot Camp with a group outdoors. I generally train people between 6am – 9.30/10am, which is when I do my own training. Following that, some days I have lunchtime clients. I then have clients between 3.30 and 7pm each night. I also work Saturday mornings, and business admin and paperwork is spread throughout the week and weekend
10) Can you tell us about a personal training success story that can inspire us? Maybe one of your students? Maybe your own?
Each story is unique and inspiring in it’s own way, but I do have a number of standouts. One such was a client who decided to enter a natural bodybuilding contest for the first time, age 42. He had battled alcoholism and depression for the majority of his life. We set him a challenge of a dieting preparation phase of 20 weeks – zero alcohol or junk food. Not only did he get into the shape of his life, he won his division and has since gone on to win more shows in the last few years. But more importantly than trophies, he’s learnt that he has the willpower and focus to beat his ‘demons’ and come out victorious on the other side.
11) Now, for the last question… we invite you to plug your personal training service. What makes you a Top Personal Trainer. what message do you want to send to anyone reading this and thinking of contacting you to start their personal training program?
Simply this – I believe in what I do and I am passionate about bringing positive change to anyone willing to put in the work required. I walk the walk myself each and every day, and understand the trials that people go through. But all those pale in comparison once the goal is achieved! This is my encouragement to people: “BE YOUR BEST YOU!”