Using a Personal Trainer

Never in a million years did I think I would find myself using a Personal Trainer. I don't even like exercise; a glass of wine and a nice sit down are so much more appealing. I drag myself to the gym now and again, simply out of fear that if I don't, I'll turn into a weeble, and sometimes I even manage a short run/walk down the country lanes around our house, but only when the weather is nice.

However, the extra weight I blame on two babies is refusing to disappear all by itself, so when Russell Knight challenged me to two months of training, I couldn't think of a good enough excuse not to.

Early days

The initial assessment was quite difficult; I didn't have any particular target other than wanting to lose a little weight and tone up, and was convinced I would be Russell's worst trainee. When he suggested we aim for a four mile run, I began to wonder if I'd done the right thing. I didn't really want to run four miles, and certainly didn't think I would be capable of doing so within two months.

So I set out for my first gym session feeling more than a little apprehensive. I wasn't the least bit surprised when Russell recorded my blood pressure higher than I'd ever seen it – I was stressed for goodness sake!

I was glad though that he carried out a range of tests as a base marker, and was curious to see if I would make more progress working with him than I had managed so far on my own.

It was at this first session that I realised the target of a four mile run wasn't going to be something theoretical that might happen at the end of two months. Russell actually intended me to take part in the Oldbury Fun Run, just four weeks away. I hadn't run in public since school, and was quite sure he had lost his marbles.

What was encouraging right from the start though, was that Russell took the guesswork out of exercising. When I run, doing any sort of mental arithmetic is beyond me - it's quite enough to not to fall over. But Russell took lots of measurements, and did the counting, planning and monitoring for me. Suddenly the whole exercising business had moved from random hopefulness to controlled progress.

Nutrition Analysis

Russell asked me to fill in a Food Diary for a week, and did a full analysis of everything I ate and drank over a three-day period. I wasn't expecting any surprises from this - after all, I thought I knew what I should be doing, i.e. eating less and developing better willpower.

However, Russell did surprise me by suggesting I eat more, rather than less, to lose weight. He showed me just how much fat I was eating, and suggested increasing my protein and carbohydrate intake to make me feel fuller for longer.

First milestones

It soon became evident from the calorie counter on the running machine reaching levels I had never previously witnessed, that I was putting much more effort into each session. The training sessions were certainly challenging, but never beyond my capabilities, and I felt in safe hands all the way. Russell had far more confidence in my ability than I did, and his calm assurance that I wouldn't make an idiot of myself on the day of the Oldbury Fun Run meant I felt able to give it a go – something I would never have done alone.

What Russell did was to break the four miles down into perfectly manageable chunks, and make each step up seem so reasonable that I had no grounds to object. Three chunks of running merged into two, and two into one four mile stretch. I was amazed. I had achieved the unachievable within just three weeks, with plenty of time to spare before the Fun Run.

The following weekend, I tried the two and half mile stretch around my home that I'd puffed my way around many times before, always stopping to admire the scenery at various points. For the first time, I ran the whole thing non-stop. It may have been less spectacular on paper than running four miles on the treadmill, but for me it was a major first. Russell had raised my own expectations, and as a consequence, I achieved far more.

Oldbury Fun Run

The morning of Oldbury Fun Run arrived, and I was more nervous than I've been for years. I would never have entered the race if Russell hadn't prodded me into it, and there were moments that morning when I wished I'd never met him!

However, my husband and sons came along for support, and I knew Russell would be there, so I couldn't very well back out. I was at least confident that I could make it around four miles, even if I did have to resort to walking, as I'd done it at least twice with Russell in the gym.

Russell found me in the crowd outside the Anchor, and was very reassuring. Even in the last few minutes running up to the start of the race, he was giving me useful snippets of information, such as where to stand in the pen, where to start my stopwatch, and when to do the final stretches.

When the race started, I did panic a little as the strong runners disappeared over the horizon within seconds. The first hill was anything but fun, and by the time I reached the primary school near the top, I was beginning to doubt that I would last the course. However, Russell had prepared me well. He had promised that after that first mile the track would flatten out, and he was right. I settled into a steady pace and decided that I would definitely try to get all the way round without walking.

Russell's maths in the gym began to pay off. I reached the first mile marker at around 11 minutes, and knew that it was now going well - four times that would bring me in at under the 48 minutes I was hoping for, which was about right.

Plenty of other people around me were doing a combination of walking and running, which was reassuring in itself, although slightly strange that we were continually overtaking each other. One woman congratulated me on running an uphill slope - I don't think she realised that if I slowed down, there was a strong chance I'd never speed up again!

Oldbury Fun Run

Running outside is very different to running in the gym, with Russell at your side to push you along. However, the fact that Russell had worked with me towards this specific event meant that I kept remembering his advice as I went around, and it made all the difference.

It wasn't until I crossed the final mile marker that I realised there was a chance I might actually complete this, and began to relax and enjoy myself. Plenty of people were overtaking me, including a little boy half my size, who grinned as he trotted past, but I didn't care.

Russell was there at the final corner, and although I didn't see him, I did hear a "46 minutes" emerge from the crowd. That focused me on the clock at the finish, and gave me the final push I needed.

Crossing the line was a huge surprise and relief. Just a few weeks previously I had thought this would be impossible, but here I was, and it was all credit to Russell.

I caught up with another of Russell's trainees in the crowd, who had also had a successful run, and found the rest of my family before heading to the Ship for a much-appreciated cider. We caught up with Russell there, and by the time the cider was finished, my nine year old son and I had decided we'd have a go together next year!

Russell Knight

One month in...

Back in the gym a month after we'd started, Russell re-did the initial fitness tests, and the results were more dramatic than either of us expected. Although my weight hadn't changed, my body fat had dropped by 2 and a half percent. It also took 15 seconds longer for my heart rate to reach the same level, and my blood pressure was down. Even without the tests, I knew I was fitter and more toned than I had been at the start.

With the Fun Run out of the way, we were able to spend less time on the running machine, and Russell introduced plenty of variety to our workouts, with rowing, cycling and weights, as well as floor work and the fitball. I'd never used weights before, but Russell kept them light and showed me how to use them to tone muscle, rather than build bulk. Even the run itself was different – I ran shorter distances but slightly faster each time, and most sessions I managed to knock a few seconds off. Nothing that I would have noticed myself - it's all I can do to keep going in a straight line - but with Russell keeping an eagle eye on the numbers, I could tell I was progressing, and that kept me motivated.

I started to feel the benefits of Russell's workouts in my daily life too; little things that had been challenging before, such as the uphill bike ride to our local shop, were suddenly much easier.

Trade Secrets

One of the things that surprised me throughout my training was that, although I was undeniably working harder than ever before, I didn't feel any pain or stiffness the day after. The stretches that Russell encouraged me to run through near the start and at the end of each session did the trick. Until I'd tried it, I wouldn't have believed the difference they could make.

I have always suffered from stitches when running, and I've never understood why. Russell explained that there are a few theories about what brings them on, including eating or drinking too close to exercising, but suggested that I try ignoring them as they will get easier and less frequent in time. Amazingly, it worked, and I don't now give up the minute I start to feel them.

Commitment

There were many days when, left to my own devices, I would never have made it to the gym. It's so easy to come up with excuses, but when you've made an appointment, you force yourself to go, and once I'd started the session, I was always glad I'd made the effort. An hour with Russell goes much faster than an hour on your own, and you feel terribly virtuous when it's over.

Russell didn't push me further than I wanted or was able to go, it was simply that stubbornness kicks in when there's someone recording your progress. His feedback and encouragement, showing me the progress I was making, was a big incentive too. When you know you're getting better, and the numbers show it, you do want to carry on.

Final Achievements

As well as losing body fat, I built a good deal of strength in the second month with Russell. I doubled and even tripled the weight I could lift comfortably, as well as almost doubling the number of lifts with each one. There was no bulk to show for it, luckily, but I was definitely less squishy.

On our last few sessions, Russell concentrated on a couple of routines I could follow once we had finished, and made sure that I would be able to follow them independently.

My two month challenge is now over, but the benefits of my time with Russell will continue. I'm far more knowledgeable about what I can achieve and how to get there, as well as feeling more confident in my ability and generally better motivated.

I'll get much more out of my own sessions in the gym as a result of the work I've done with Russell, and as and when I feel I need a boost, I'll know who to call.