On Monday I went to formidable fitness on the Temple Farm industrial estate. I quite liked that it was out of the way and I didn’t have to go through hoards of town goers etc to get there. It was fairly easy to find and I went straight into reception to meet the personal trainer Belaal, as agreed. I was 5 minutes early, so wasn’t surprised to not see him there waiting, but I thought that gave me a chance to suss out my surroundings. It’s a small gym, the reception is small with lots of signs and leaflets about things going on there. They had a studio behind reception which wasn’t being used at the time, but looked like it was used for classes, such as spin, as there were lots of bikes at the back. It looked like a nice area.
Belaal arrived and greeted me. He is a friendly young man and got talking straight away, as he lead me upstairs to the gym area. He took the time to get to know my current ability and goals as I warmed up on the treadmill. The gym itself was full of various bits of equipment and all looked in good condition. There were a handful of people there at the time, but I didn’t feel uneasy. After a quick warm up, Belaal put me through my paces on various bits of equipment, making sure to check my workout level at each point. We discussed his approach of building up from a level of hard, but not exhausting, in order to ensure that you get a good workout, without hurting yourself, or putting yourself off going again. I liked this idea of finding a good workout level to suit your ability, without over doing things, as I haven’t had a PT take this approach before. I definitely felt like I had done a workout and today my muscles agree!
Belaal works with clients based on their ability and their goals, which was nice to hear, he was not pushy about coming X number of times a week, or having to do a set programme, which I have found off-putting with other PT’s. He charges £20 for an hour’s session and is happy to pay as you go, as well as pay in blocks up front. I thought the idea of a flexible approach to clients needs was very appealing, as well as the variety of times and schedules. If I was a complete exercise novice I may have felt slightly intimidated in this environment, as you had to work around others in timing the use of space and equipment although all the people working out there were with PT’s who worked with each other to organise this for you. All in all, as a confident regular exerciser, I enjoyed my session with Belaal and would recommend him, if you need a bit of guidance on what and how to work out. If you prefer a more pampered approach like women only gyms, or being surrounded by other novices, this probably isn’t for you, but if you want to get stuck in and focus on your goals with support to get you there, give him a go.
I am a 32 year old mum of 3 very active and tiring boys 6, 5 and 3. After becoming ill while pregnant with my 3 year old, I decided I would not let it beat me. I have lost 4 stone to date and got back to fitness in baby steps, to a point where I am now running 2 to 3 times a week and at a healthy weight for my height and build again. So now I am looking at ways to re-build muscle and tone up, which is why I have looked at going to the gym and Personal Trainers to focus on the areas I hope to improve.
