Miki’s 3 Year Journey and the 3 Key Things She’s Learnt!

3 years ago I was your average ‘active’ girl. I was pretty comfortable in the gym, and though I was pretty informed about exercise, nutrition and the best way to keep my desired body shape – lots of high-intensity cardio. I chopped and changed the kind of exercise I did – for 6 months I did yoga every day, then it was boxing 2-3 times a week for a year, then HIIT classes and spin. I lifted weights maybe once a week, but it was just what I felt like doing on the day with no structure. Everything was about high reps. While I liked being active and going to the gym, I didn’t love the exercise I was doing. I was maintaining my body but as I was getting older, I was definitely noticing that I was getting a bit softer around the middle.

Before I met Munya I thought a PT was someone to drill you through rounds and rounds of circuits, which I could just go to a class for. I didn’t really understand until we started training the full benefit that having a PT provided. For me really there have been three stand out benefits to having a PT for mt training

LESSON 1: CORRECT TECHNIQUE

First of all Munya has taught me correct technique. When I started my form was terrible, and I had no idea. Years of going to pump classes had taught me to squat and deadlift as fast as I could as many times as I could. I had never been taught bracing, the importance of bar path or the proper movements to execute a squat or deadlift. Munya and I worked for months until I had the proper technique on my squat and deadlift, going back to light weight before being able to add weight to the bar. If I had kept going the way I did I would have been risking injury and would have struggled to increase weight on the bar.

LESSON 2: TRAINING STRUCTURE

Secondly, previously my training had absolutely no structure. Gym classes were a social activity as much as for exercise and when I lifted weights it was just going through the motions. Munya taught me the benefit of programming, consistency and setting realistic goals for my training. Because I have a structured program I always train at least 3 times per week. Every time I train I am always making progress, even if it is adding just 1 rep or 2.5kg to the bar. This means that I also get the most out of every work out – I know what I am there to do each time and I know what I need to do to progress for the next session. The added bonus of this consistency is that my clothes fit well all the time!

LESSON 3: CONFIDENCE!

Third is really enjoyment and confidence. Munya took the time to find out what I really enjoyed about training, which I have discovered is lifting really heavy things (about 3-5 times!). Without Munya I would never have been able to rep a 100kg deadlift or 80kg squat – I just wouldn’t have thought I could ever lift anything so heavy and didn’t have the skills to do so. Training with Munya has taught me that the sky is the limit for what I can do, it just takes time. I have become really passionate about lifting heavy and love the community that I am now a part of. Munya has a great network of PTs and a client base that support and encourage each other.