When I got pregnant I was keen to maintain my fitness level but wanted to adapt my training regime to ensure that all exercises were safe, as well as being tailored towards preparing for labour.

I looked around & found Debbie. I’d never had a personal trainer before and was a little apprehensive initially but I knew she was experienced with pregnant ladies & after the first meeting, where she took my medical history & discussed how she worked, I knew it would be great. I put my gym membership on hold & started seeing Debbie instead.

Every week as my bump grew, she offered advice on home exercises as well as things to do in the session, and ensured that my posture & core strength improved, always thinking of the long term goal. Some days I felt more able & energetic than others, and Debbie was responsive to this, but often pushing me a little more than I thought I could go so that I surprised myself & felt the benefits.

As the pregnancy progressed there were exercises that I could do initially that were no longer appropriate. I always felt confident that Debbie’s knowledge was up-to-date & accurate.

By the last session anyone watching would wonder if I was doing much at all as it didn’t bring on a sweat but when heavily pregnant the smallest thing can be tiring & a lot of the exercises involved hidden muscles.

I’m now 40 weeks & expecting to put all of this training into practise any day now!

I’m feeling very confident because I’ve done a lot of preparation, under superb guidance.

Last week 3 people told me on separate occasions that I looked taller – must be due to my improved posture & down to Debbie.

I would definitely recommend her services to pregnant women.

Thanks again Deb.

Jamie has gotten me in great shape in the 9 months I have been working with him. His classes and programs have been a great addition to my own workouts, because his encouragement makes me push myself harder, and his exercises are challenging and interesting. I like his programs because I like working hard, but from what I can see, he is patient and gentler to people that are just starting out and would like to learn fitness from scratch.

Jamie focuses especially on functional strength instead of just big muscles. He has a large selection of exercises that fighters use to develop as much power as possible across the widest possible range of movement. This is different from regular gym-centric workout programs that make me strong in one particular direction: the direction I am lifting the weight in every time. Instead, thanks to Jamie’s program, my core is stronger and more balanced, and I am able to lift much heavier weights in my own workouts without injury.

In Jamie’s circuit classes, we do a series of exercises at a high intensity, such as burpees, jumping squats, jumping lunges, various kinds of press-ups, punching pads or a bag, interspersed with some slower strength exercises. As a result, not only does this develop muscle endurance (doing a high number of reps for a minute) but it is an intense cardio workout because there is minimal rest between each minute of exercise. This is the kind of stuff it takes some pretty serious self-discipline to do alone for 45 minutes, but when we are a group in a class everyone pushes themselves a little harder. In outdoor classes we also do sprints and use a heavy medicine ball and a tow-rope. Fun stuff.

I am very glad I started working with Jamie; he is a good teacher and very creative, and his program really works.

I have been a gym member for a number of years and like many found that no matter how motivated you might be it's easy for personal performance to quickly plateau and for initial gym instruction to be forgotten. My experience of personal training sessions provided by Debbie was to take my personal goals and through discussion and a combination of exercise programmes and nutrition guidance showed measurable changes to my physical and general well being. Weight loss being an unexpected benefit as I wasn't dieting but just aware through food plans what I was putting into my body. There are no quick fixes to achieve lifestyle change and my personal trainer sessions provide me with professional advice and a measure of progress against my personal goals.

I first joined a gym with some friends five years ago after my mother had a stroke at a relatively young age. This shock led me to attend circuit classes twice a week, which were pretty high impact, and one by one my friends were injured and then about two years ago I was injured myself and had to rest for 8 weeks. After recovering from injury I changed to a gym nearer home and started doing Debbie’s circuit class and Aba’s core class.

I was immediately struck by how much harder I was working, even though the classes were lower impact. A great deal of attention was given to posture and form, which is the key to staying injury free. I was also pleased that measurements were taken to assess fitness in a quantifiable way, so that it is easy to see if progress is being made. Aba and Debbie have designed a number of training programmes for me according to the goals I have set, for example improving muscle tone and developing core strength, and the programmes have got harder as I have got fitter and stronger.

After a year of training I felt the need to change tack in my training regime and work to increase my strength and widen the range of exercises I could do, and so I engaged Aba for 5 months as my personal trainer, mainly so that I could make sure that I exercised safely and with maximum benefit. In this time I have had my running style reconstructed, transformed my technique on the rowing machine, increased my strength, and improved my posture and flexibility. Aba’s instruction is clear and to her credit she is very patient.

Her training programmes are varied but structured and she is able to adapt what is done to how I respond. I am by nature a driven person and only seem to have one setting when it comes to training, Aba both pushed me to do more, and when required to stop. Aba is able to listen to what I was telling her and what my body was telling her as well. In many areas of life, attention to detail is very important and Aba has this gift. For example, I had a problem with cramp in my feet, which was resolved by changing how I tied my shoes. I was often feeling tired when training after work, and Aba advised me on what to eat before training to get through the class and what to eat afterwards so that my body could make best use of the work done and speed recovery.

I believe there is no magic wand involved in improving fitness; instead it is a combination of hard work and doing the right things, and Aba has helped me to achieve both. In terms of tangible measures of improvement I can point to significantly reduced body fat, percentage, lower blood pressure and resting heart rate, and improved stamina at higher work rates. Perhaps less tangible is that people have noticed my muscle tone, one person kindly observed that I have the body of an athlete, and countless people have commented on my improved posture and appearance. Whilst I might not go as far as claiming to be an athlete I can feel the difference when I run for the bus, or play with my children.

I hope it is obvious why I have no hesitation in recommending Aba as a personal trainer.

I have been a regular member of a local gym for the last 20 years,following the birth of my first child,going about 2-3 times per week.

18 months ago I fell from a horse and amoungst other injuries, broke 3 ribs which prevented me from exercising for 3 months. At the end of this time I decided to start getting back to exercise by joining Aba's Core Class on the recommendation of a friend, having never participated in any classes before. I was absolutely amazed at how weak my core was, but how quickly I began to firm and strengthen up, by putting Aba's ideas into pratice.

Eager to improve further and more quickly,but with some trepidation, I asked her to be my personal trainer. I had previously been very apprehensive about the concept of "personal trainers", imagining either impossible cardiovascular workouts and heavy weights for die-hard fitness fanatics,or namby pamby "routines" for the faint-hearted. I wanted something in-between.

After an initial consultation to determine my goals, life-style, any physical problems,and fears (!), we set to work. I have now been seeing Aba 1-2 times a week for 8 months.

I have to confess I have never sweated like this before, and while at times she pushes me a bit further than I am comfortable, I realise this is the point; that before, my work-outs have not challenged me enough to improve my fitness. I am aware that all the time she is actutely aware of just want I can do, and encourages me to go just that bit further. It is her particular knowledge and attention to the small detail of how an exercise is done that makes all the difference and is so impressive.

Every session she introduces something new,making it "enjoyable" ( well, at least in parts!),such that I feel a great sense of acheivement, and look forward to the next session. I now have some of the skills to improve my own solo sessions.

Although it is not always easy to judge how far I have come, I am very aware not only that I am fitter and leaner but also that I feel less tired, more alive and full of energy.

I can whole heartedly recommend Aba as a personal trainer no matter what yout current level of fitness or goals.