26/10/2026
"I'd love to work with a personal trainer, but I think I need to get a bit fitter first.”
I've heard variations of this more times than I can count.
And every time, I find myself wondering where this idea came from.
That you somehow need to reach a certain level of fitness before you're ready to ask for help.
That you need to lose some weight before you can walk into a gym.
That you need to know what you're doing before you're allowed to work with someone who teaches you what to do.
It doesn't make much sense when you think about it, does it?
You wouldn't expect someone to learn to swim before taking swimming lessons.
So why do we expect people to already be fit before working with a fitness professional?
Here's what I want you to understand.
Your starting point is just information. It isn't a judgement.
When I work with someone, I'm interested in understanding their current abilities.
Their goals.
Their training history.
Their confidence.
Their limitations.
Their lifestyle.
And what they actually enjoy doing.
Because those things help me design an appropriate programme.
If you've never lifted weights before, that's fine.
If you haven't exercised consistently for years, that's fine too.
If you're in your 40s or 50s and feel like your body has changed considerably, we can take that into account.
And if you're already exercising but don't know whether you're doing the right things, that's something we can work on as well.
The whole point of individualised coaching is that we don't expect everyone to start in the same place.
We assess.
We programme.
We progress.
And we make adjustments as needed.
That's how training should work.
And it's something I want more women to feel comfortable accessing.
Because strength training isn't reserved for people who are already strong.
And coaching isn't reserved for people who already know what they're doing.
You are allowed to be a beginner.
You're allowed to ask questions.
You're allowed to feel nervous.
And you're allowed to start before you feel completely confident.
