Anamaria Vidas, 32, a personal trainer for MotivatePT (motivatept.co.uk), shows us her typical working day and four days a week, I also use this time to train myself.
Wake up.
Early morning is a peak time for clients, so I’m up and out in 20 minutes. I put on comfy fitness gear, grab the meals I prepped the night before and my backpack which contains all my essential lightweight equipment, then I’m out the door.
Session 1. My first clients are a couple I’ve been training for more than six months. We always train outdoors as nothing beats the fresh air first thing in the morning. We work on a circuit today, and as they are quite competitive, I keep a score as a way to motivate them.
Session 2. This time it’s an at-home visit to a post-natal client who gave birth and run errands. I manage to squeeze in a 40-minute nap most days – this really helps with my early wake-ups and late finishes five months ago. We’re working to help her recover, and correct some diastasis (abdominal separation). I love working with mums, and around 40 per cent of my clients are pre- and post-natal.
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PERSONAL TRAINER Photo Gallery
Session 3: Next, it’s a female client who runs her company from home. I train her three times a week and I know she really looks forward to my sessions as a chance to take a break from work. She’s set some ambitious weight-loss targets, so the focus is on cardio and toning.
Session 4: I head out to see one of my older clients. She’s retired, so we do condition-specific work. She has a weak left knee so I adapt exercises to make sure we get the most out of the hour, and we do strengthening exercises weekly.
Session 5: I drink a green smoothie on the short tube journey to see one of MotivatePT’s corporate bookings. We train in Green Park, and it’s great fun. Up to 12 people take part every week, so I need to be prepared. I used the downtime I had
Breakfast. I usually eat between 7-9am but no earlier. My breakfast today is overnight oats made with almond milk and raspberries. Staying organised with meal-prep is really important, otherwise you end up eating out all day every day, and not making the healthiest choices. home for an early lunch of two boiled eggs, wholegrain toast and an avocado. For half the week, lunch is normally on-the-go, and eggs are often my go-to and they’re so easy to make. Admin. I check emails, respond to client texts and calls, update client notes today to draw up a session plan.
Session 6: My next client is a short walk away, so I take 20 minutes to have dinner in the park. It’s salmon with vegetables and brown rice (another pre-prepped meal), but I like to keep dinner light, so it’s perfect.
‘I HAVE SO MUCH JOB SATISFACTION’
Debs Turner, 36, is a Level 4 PT at Frame (moveyourframe.co.uk)
‘I loved sport and fitness growing up, but my career soon had me swapping my trainers for heels and catching flights to New York instead of going to the gym.
It sounds glamorous, but I wasn’t truly happy. After having some PT sessions with Frame, I took the leap to train as a PT. I qualified two years ago and my life has changed for the better. I have so much energy, drive and job satisfaction, and my self-optimisation levels are through the roof. I feel privileged to be able to spend an hour with someone to work on their most important asset – their health.’
