Why I've become a Personal Trainer

At a shade over 30 years old, a director of two businesses and the father of two young children both under 4, why would I choose to spend 9 months doing an online course to become a personal trainer? Well, in a nutshell here is my journey, from which I hope you'll find some good reasons to call me in as your PT!

Ever since I was at school I was active and loved playing sports. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to do multiple after school clubs, from Lifesaving, Martial Arts and Badminton, through to Archery, Football and Rugby - being active and sporty was soon engrained in my life. I backed this up by studying P.E at GCSE and A-Level, achieving strong grades at both levels. I had a great understanding of anatomy and physiology and since then I've always maintained an interest to some degree.

I got my first real taste of going to the gym to improve my fitness when I had ambitions to join the RAF when I was 18. This ceased as I went to university to complete my Adventure Tourism Management degree in Birmingham, and this was where my passion for mountain sports began. After university, armed with my hard earned first class degree I moved to the Lake District, gained my Mountain Leader qualification and got to work guiding in the mountains - my new life had begun.

In 2012 I got married and started my own mountain guiding company, Lakeland Mountain Guides. It was time to take control of my own diary and 9 years later 'LMG' is an amazing company, supported by an awesome team of guides, and we get to work with some of the best people around. In those intervening years I've also gained my Winter Mountain Leader award and Rock Climbing Instructor. Personally, I've developed a passion for fell running and mountain biking, both of which I'm incredibly average, but I really do enjoy performing both. I have aspirations to complete a Bob Graham Round (I had a failed attempt in 2019) and would love to run 100 miles in one hit someday too.

As well as my mountain climbing, hiking and riding exploits in the UK I've been fortunate enough to travel to the Himalayas a number of times. In 2017 I led my first clients to Nepal and we completed the Manaslu Circuit, and in 2018 I thought I'd push the International Trips to the next level by creating a second, stand-alone company. LMG Treks and Expeditions was born. In 2019 I enjoyed a fantastic expedition to Everest Base Camp, Kalla Pathar (5545m) and Lobuche East (6119m - Summit picture above). This year, we're hoping to head to Everest Base Camp, and next year we have clients lining up for EBC, or the 6476m Mera Peak.

Back in Lockdown 1.0 in 2020 I got stuck into Ross Edgley's 'World's Fittest Book' which was given to me by my sister-in-law and her partner (who are both qualified PT's) and I soon followed this up with a booked called 'The Art of Resilience' by the same author. I found myself really connecting with the science that Ross laces through his book, it took me back to my A-levels and then the cogs in my head turned - What if I became a Personal Trainer so if my UK hiking, or International trekking clients wanted to focus on getting fit in a structured way, I could help them?

I went online and found myself an online learning Personal Training Diploma and since June 2020 I have worked my way through the level 2 gym instructor and level 3 personal trainer, both of which culminated in a practical assessment. I really enjoyed this style of learning, taking it at my own pace and I'm super stoked to have it all wrapped up.

So what now? Well, just like passing your driving test or like when I first gained my Mountain Leader, it's time to really learn my craft. I have the knowledge of how to structure programmes, run gym sessions and coach exercise form, but all this could be tested in an infinite number of ways as each and every individual gives me a chance to train them. I hope to specialise with people who are looking to get fit for the mountains, but would love to work with anyone who wants to improve their health and wellbeing. I will continue to expand my knowledge and I look forward to getting stuck in with some clients.

So, even though I'm currently new to the world of Personal Training, hopefully my passion for the mountains and desire to learn is enough for you to drop me a line with the scope of being your PT.

Thanks for reading and happy training!

Fell running on the local fells