Chris Anderson Personal Trainer

Chris Anderson Personal Trainer Personal Trainer and Online Coach based in Edinburgh, specialising in helping busy professionals get

You need to stop stressing about doing more workouts every week and focus on this instead…How hard you’re training inste...
12/06/2026

You need to stop stressing about doing more workouts every week and focus on this instead…

How hard you’re training instead of how often you’re training.

My client Jock is a great example of this….

Being able to pull up 40kg after never doing weighted pull ups before working with me.

Adding over 30kg onto his bench press pb.

Building up to over 100kg on his squats after never squatting with a barbell before.

It wasn’t done through 4+ workouts a week. It was done doing just two.

And I say “just two” lightly. Because so many people underestimate what you can do with “just two” workouts a week.

There’s no point in putting yourself under pressure to attend the gym 4 times a week if you don’t push hard in the sessions. And if two or three times a week is more realistic, isn’t that enough?

Jock’s work and life pretty much meant that two workouts a week were all he could fit in. There’d be the odd week where a third session was doable but almost every week it was two workouts only.

So naturally, we didn’t wait until things “calmed down” because they never did. We just worked with what time was available and got him pretty strong in the process.

So before you say you “can’t commit” because you think you have to go to the gym 4 times a week or you won’t progress, why not see if you can get two intense sessions in and just do that as much as possible week to week?

I can guarantee you will get far stronger and stress way less about your workouts. And to see how you can get the most out of your workouts, send me a message to chat about coaching!

I used to waste months of time in the gym…Just chopping and changing my workouts constantly so never really sticking wit...
09/06/2026

I used to waste months of time in the gym…

Just chopping and changing my workouts constantly so never really sticking with something long enough to get good at it…

Always getting distracted by the next shiny new exercise my instagram feed would give me, so always second guessing whether I was doing the right thing. Or even worse…

Spending more time watching YouTube videos or googling what workouts were best to do instead of ACTUALLY working out. It all got much easier when I focused on one thing…

Just picking a handful of exercises and sticking with them. That’s it.

Not deviating after a couple of weeks, not just picking whatever is free at the gym and hoping for the best. Just logging my reps and weights and trying to improve on it week to week. Almost like beating a high score in a video game.

It’s what surprises people the most when they start working with me. The fact that they never needed the most “optimal” programme or to try some super secret exercise that would skyrocket their progress.

Just that having a structure, setting some time aside each week (like an appointment) and just giving it a good go was all they had to do.

Of course, there’s more to it than just that. Having someone on your side to support you if you come across any struggles and to reassure you that you don’t in fact need to overhaul your workout routine after just two weeks does make a difference.

And even just having that little bit of accountability can be all the difference between doing that extra session or two when you can’t be bothered or waiting weeks till you train again when you feel like it.

So if you want to see how I can help you finally stick to a routine and make the most of your time in the gym send me a message and let’s chat about coaching!

A very special week. Literally blinked and the first half of the week sped by. Other than a wee knee ache, training has ...
08/06/2026

A very special week.

Literally blinked and the first half of the week sped by. Other than a wee knee ache, training has flown by!

Had a special evening where my dad stayed over and we got to hang up a painting my grandpa painted ❤️

Consumed numerous coffees and sweet treats (even if fitness gurus will tell you it’s “poison”)

Had a very nice long nature walk on Saturday from Balerno to Leith (the odd path with a lil root sticking out of it was a bonus).

Briefly dog sat a wee pal, even if he had zero interest in me and loved my gf more.

Then a mega lazy Sunday catching a couple of days at the Leith Jazz Festival

Here’s how my clients get away with making more progress while training less.A lot of people fall into the same trap, ju...
05/06/2026

Here’s how my clients get away with making more progress while training less.

A lot of people fall into the same trap, just rocking up to the gym and focusing on going more often instead of how hard they’re pushing while they’re there.

Just doing 3 sets of 10 reps for everything at a weight they kind of feel a burn at but never really pushing beyond that….

Straight from the get go, no matter who I work with, we focus on just squeezing as much out of each session as possible.

I always say I’d far rather you did two really tough sessions instead of four where you pushed to mild discomfort.

But all I see is people giving themselves a hard time and focusing on getting to the gym more and more. Always trying to show up more often when they might be missing the most important part of the puzzle.

Are you actually training hard enough when you go in? Are you actually trying to get an extra rep or two or trying that next weight up? Or are you just doing the same weights and reps you’ve been doing for the last few weeks?

Somebody who pushes hard and focuses on making progress in just two sessions a week will always make more progress than someone who comes four times a week but just goes through the motions.

It’s how my clients end up getting stronger than ever, even if they don’t believe 2-3 sessions is enough at first 😅

It helped Eric deadlift 165kg even when he was knackered from an ever changing work schedule

It helped Jamal hit lifetime pbs while juggling a job, a house move and dad duties

It helped Robbie get stronger than ever even while he was travelling for work and also losing a few kgs along the way.

It’s not anything super complex, there is no secret sauce. Just a programme with the basics you need and a coach pushing you to progress along the way. That’s it.

If you want to know more and see how you can also get stronger then ever without dragging yourself into the gym 4 times a week then send me a message about online coaching!

This may sound crazy, but you won’t see progress instantly overnight. 8-12 weeks just isn’t enough.Because it can take m...
04/06/2026

This may sound crazy, but you won’t see progress instantly overnight. 8-12 weeks just isn’t enough.

Because it can take months to make long lasting change to your habits and your mindset.

Notice how I never said it takes months to change your weight or strength level, but rather the habits and mindset that’ll help you keep your results.

I do not care how much weight I help you lose if you just gain it all back. Or how strong you get if you don’t feel comfortable going to the gym solo.

I care about you finally feeling like you aren’t scared of certain foods or certain exercises.

And most importantly, I care about you being able to navigate all that no matter where you go.

Whether it’s finally feeling like you can enjoy a meal out with friends without feeling like you’ve “fallen off the wagon” or being able to go to a gym you’ve never been to before and get a decent session in (and not take yourself out in the squat rack).

Those are the things that matter the most and there what you’ll get working with me.

Yes, you can lose a few kg if that’s your thing. Or get stronger than ever with that barbell you used to be scared of (while doing weights you’d never imagine doing).

But most of all, you can actually feel like you can do this whole fitness thing. That it doesn’t need to be a super high cortisol activity.

So send me a message and let’s get ya feeling more confident with your training and your nutrition!

03/06/2026

Probably the strangest reason someone hasn’t come in 😅

A plan is great and can still get you results. But it’s not enough to make REAL progress.Because you can search up the b...
02/06/2026

A plan is great and can still get you results. But it’s not enough to make REAL progress.

Because you can search up the best programmes in the world and still not make progress.

You can have a great programme and still not be sure if you’re pushing hard enough.

You can potentially pick up a wee ache or injury and not know how to adapt the programme.

You can find this whole “healthy eating” stuff a bit tricky and need some help that goes beyond just a calorie target.

But most of all, you maybe just need that little bit of support to steer you in the right direction.

With my online client Charlotte, it was never ever a case of not training enough. She was just knowing what to prioritise and how.

Helping her get stronger while also tackling some BIG running goals.

Helping her get comfortable with fuelling herself more so she could perform better.

Sure, we focused on a tiny bit of weight loss in the beginning and got there. But after that, we quickly shifted more to how well she felt and performed.

It wasn’t an 8 week one and done approach. It was months of working together, voicenoting back and forth outside of check ins (we all love a mini podcast when it’s needed after all) and adapting the programme whenever we needed to.

You will never get that with a generic programme or an AI.

But more importantly, you’ll never get the results Charlotte got. Stronger than ever, faster than ever and hitting lifetime prs across numerous distances.

But you can if you reach out and ask for help! So send me a message and let’s chat about online coaching!

So you wanna run faster do ya? Here’s how I helped my clients set all time pbs!-Not trying to break world records every ...
31/05/2026

So you wanna run faster do ya? Here’s how I helped my clients set all time pbs!

-Not trying to break world records every single run.

So many people seem to think that every single session you should be running for longer and faster and at full pelt.

Only to just end up knackered, injured and frustrated that they’re trying hard but not getting faster.

You need some short and fast sessions for sure, but you need to have some easy paced runs where you’re running at a pace you can talk at.

-We make sure to get some solid strength training in.

Not a few light dumbbells for high reps, not super complex “running specific” stuff. Just the basics that work.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of having more complex and niche exercises while just ignoring even some basic full body stuff. Squats, deadlift variations and even a wee bit of the ol arms will help.

And it’s ESPECIALLY important to actually train hard when you do em 👀

-We made sure to eat enough.

1500 calories a day is not enough. You must eat more if you’re trying to increase your mileage and strength train at the same time.

You cannot just keep training and training without eating enough and get shocked when you pick up injuries and feel knackered. You need to eat enough.

-We kept things flexible.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with using an app like Runna or following a plan, if you stick to it.

You often find that some apps just jack up the running volume too fast overnight and before you know it you’re picking up injuries. OR you could have a perfectly good programme then not actually start it till 4 weeks before your race 👀

With coaching, the plan can be fluid and adapted around you and how you’re feeling. And unlike an app, you have someone keeping you accountable along the way!

So if you want to finally get out of that cycle of running a few weeks at a time and feeling annoyed and burned out and want to feel the strongest you can be, drop me a message!

A pretty nice week back to normal training. Which I did NOT expect!This week has been tough because my sleep has been ab...
30/05/2026

A pretty nice week back to normal training. Which I did NOT expect!

This week has been tough because my sleep has been absolutely horrendous. Love the brighter days and how energised I feel during the day but hate how hard it is to wind down to go to sleep in the evenings 😅

So every single session has very much felt like a “just get started and see what happens” feel. And shockingly enough, they’ve all gone just fine and I’ve actually squeezed out a few extra reps on everything this week.

It’s a really tricky habit to follow since motivation and energy will be in the toilet, but I always say to clients it’s important to still rock up and just do what you can and see what happens.

Even if you don’t think it’ll be a good session, very often it ends up being one of your best!

So ya wanna get stronger do ya? Here’s how I helped my client add 20kg to his deadlift.-We focused on actually doing the...
28/05/2026

So ya wanna get stronger do ya? Here’s how I helped my client add 20kg to his deadlift.

-We focused on actually doing the exercises he wanted to get better at.

Sounds crazy simple, but you’d be shocked at how many people try to endlessly cram in loads of extra stuff that MIGHT get them better at the exercise, while not actually doing it in the first place.

Most weeks he was able to get full sessions in but during the odd busy week where 1 hr sessions weren’t possible, we kept it super simple and just made a list of lifts to tick off during the week.

-We accepted that some sessions MIGHT not go well.

This is where most people go wrong (and I used to too 🙃). They tell themselves they have to progress every single week or they’ve failed or regressed.

When really, some days you could feel raring to go and full of beans only to rock up to the gym and find everything feels like a truck. It’s normal and it happens, keep plugging away anyway and don’t stress the moment you don’t progress in a session.

Having someone to bounce off of and keep you accountable helps loads for this 👀

-We made sure to still train even when things were less than ideal.

You will never have weeks of absolute calm. It just ain’t gonna happen. And for Eric, his work schedule (and his sleep) could change week to week.

And of course we want to feel as energised before each workout as we can, but sometimes it honestly is a case of just walking in there and “seeing what happens” even if you’ve had a poor night of sleep.

Because training even when you’re not feeling “optimised” is still far better than not training and waiting weeks to until you do.

But most of all, you could be so much stronger if you were less rigid with your workout routine and your mindset towards it.

And even better, having someone to keep you accountable while you work through it.

If you’d like that, then send me a message and let’s chat about online coaching!

Address

Edinburgh

Opening Hours

Monday 7am - 6:30pm
Tuesday 7am - 6:30pm
Wednesday 7am - 6:30pm
Thursday 7am - 6:30pm
Friday 7am - 6:30pm
Sunday 12pm - 6pm

Telephone

+447539496653

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