I often get asked this question by family, friends, people that I meet out and about and members of the gym...”so, what do you specialise in?” And to be honest it’s often a hard one to answer. But let’s give it a go shall we...

On a basic level my role as a personal trainer is to have a positive effect on my clients which in turn creates a positive change in their lives. That can obviously take on many forms. But at its simplest, that is my goal. If I can do one thing to help a person change for the better then job done! Of course that will often lead to an exploration of many more challenges for that person and myself which is a natural by product of the first change.

Somehow I’m sensing though this is not really answering the question. Because the question is often asked with a level of intrigue. The reason for this is people may see what I’m doing with clients in the gym and they have no idea where to place it or fit in their traditional sense of what training involves.  They may see some of my content on social media and have the same reaction. Fitting things into boxes is comfortable for us, so when someone or something can be attributed a box it can be uncomfortable but at the same time intriguing for some. It is when that intrigue leads to finding out more that the question is asked.

So, “what is it that i specialise in again?” Well, to again keep it as simple as possible, I help people learn to move better. I help people to learn more about themselves in relation to how well they currently move and how we want them to move in the future. It’s as simple as that. If I help someone to improve their capacity for movement then they can choose to use that movement in what ever capacity they like. That may be dance, karate, cross-fit, netball, mountain biking or simply waking up and walking to the toilet pain free.

On the subject of pain one of the things that I’ve had some success in over the years is helping people manage their pain and eventually become pain free (I’m referring to chronic pain here. I’m not a doctor or physiotherapist and it’s not my part of my role to deal with acute injury or pain). Sometimes pain can be a very complex process to deal with, I don’t profess to be an expert but I have found a common process that helps to manage it. Firstly trying to identify the cause (this is sometimes easier said than done). Secondly educating people on the pain process, how it is created by the brain. Finally finding tasks (exercise) the body can perform pain free and slowly adding more complex tasks over time.

This final step is key for everyone that I train. Finding tasks which typically begin with joint mobility (creating better movement) and building more complexity from there is in a nut shell what I do. It takes time, consistency and a willingness to look deep into the forest, not the tree directly in front of you. If you are willing to take this approach and you are interested in seeing what your body is capable of maybe we should have a chat. I’m always up for a coffee and I love meeting people so if that’s all it ever is, that’s ok with me.