By, Aaron Small, Discovery learning Tutor

In 2005 I was working for a large private operator in the industry.  I had around 15 personal training clients per week and was earning a very average salary.  One day I was watching a sports therapist playing squash and it suddenly dawned on me to ask some questions that I quite clearly did not know the answers to!

If my client has a muscular compensation that causes this movement how do I address it?

I couldn’t believe it when he actually told me the answer.  I quickly ran over to the gym desk and grabbed a note pad and started to pick his brain!

He then asked me do I train my clients towards or away from dysfunction.  By this he meant risk of reoccurring injury!

I went home and thought about this for about a week.  I then decided that I, like many other fully qualified personal trainers, trained my client towards dysfunction and muscular imbalance.  I then decided to embark upon a new and exciting journey of postural correction I completed my REP’s accredited postural correction course and began to train my clients in a new way.  The results that I have had are fantastic and it has enabled me to build a referral scheme with other health professionals.  The knowledge that I have gained and most importantly learnt how to apply using personality and innovative training has enabled me to command a higher hourly rate for PT and therefore the number of sessions that I deliver has grown dramatically, to the stage where I now pick my clients rather than them picking me!

I am not saying that corrective exercise is the only way to train a client but what I am saying is that awareness and knowledge of different training systems allows me as a trainer to guide my clients towards success rather than failure!  It also pays me a very competitive wage for empowering my clients with knowledge!

http://www.discovery.uk.com/posture-correction-course

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By, Louise Court, Discovery Learning Tutor

In 2005 I decided to enter a bodybuilding competition.  For many years I had been training hard in the gym lifting weights.  For a woman, I was lifting quite good weights (bench pressing 65kg, deadlifting 80kg, squatting 85kg and pushing oult 6-8 reps on these exercises).  Someone suggested I should enter a competition.  I went and saw a competitive bodybuilder who had been Mr Great Britain, and he was also a judge.   He gave me advice and sorted out my diet plan.

I had six weeks to diet down and get in shape for the competition.  Most competitors take at least 12 weeks to diet, if not more.  I had the muscle, just had to decrease my body fat percentage.  I think I was about 20 -21% body fat when I started the diet.  At this stage I had told all my friends about the competition and they had bought tickets to the show, so there was no turning back.  I had a very short period time to cut down (get lean), but I was committed and stuck to the diet.

The diet was very strict, cooked egg whites, tuna, turkey, lots of vegetables and before I did weight training I had a small jacket potato with my protein.  I was having 5-6 small meals a day with high protein and vegetables for my carbs.  At the start, the diet was very easy because I had the fat reserve to keep me going, when that went it was tough!  My target every day was to burn 1000kcal (through weight training and cardio), and eat a strict diet.

All my hard training and focus had paid off; I managed to drop my body fat to 14%.  I won the Southern Championships for the Miss Physique class.

I was invited to the Great Britain finals.  I had 6 weeks to train hard, and that I did.  I was working as a freelance personal trainer and aerobics instructor at the time.  It was very hard to work as I had no energy, motivating my clients was a big struggle.

When you compete you have to be 100% focused, otherwise you will not do well.  This means family, friends and relationships are sacrificed.  No Sunday roasts, BBQ on the beach, drinking alcohol, movie with popcorn or chocolates and no takeaways.  My focus was only on training and preparing my food.

I got in very good shape for the Great Britain Championships and got down to 9% bodyfat, which is extremely low for a woman.   I did very well for my first national competition; I did not win but was in very good shape and gave the other competitors a run for their money!

I loved being on stage showing off, doing my routines and I had lots of fun.  But the diet was harsh and I would not recommend anyone doing it, as I lacked energy and became very weak.

After the competitions I got my health back on track, I had a healthy body fat % and my personal training business soared.  I don’t suggest you doing a bodybuilding competition, but training for an event or sport will inspire people, and that will increase your personal training clientele base.

Stuart, one of the tutors from Discovery is training for a bodybuilding competition.  So watch this space…

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