Chai gained some new healthy habits and has changed her life for the better thanks to ATP Personal Training
"If I was ever unlucky enough to find myself hanging off the side of a building, I wanted to be in a position where I could pull myself back up!"
Before Chai joined ATP personal Training, she exercised regularly but, like many of us, she didn’t really know what she was training for. This meant that she was putting in a lot of hours exercising without seeing any changes.Â
Over the course of the last 9 months, despite a global pandemic and the challenges that come with it, Chai was able to focus her intentions and, under the guidance of her ATP Coach she has achieved some tremendous results.
What were your goals when you first joined ATP Personal training and have you reached those goals?
My goals have never been aesthetic-related. I never wanted to look a particular way. My goals were more strength-based; I wanted to be able to do a push-up, I wanted to be able to do a pull-up. If I was even unlucky enough to find myself hanging off the side of a building, I wanted to be in a position where I could pull myself back up!
I can happily say that I can do push-ups now. I’m very close to being able to do a pull-up and I’m so excited for the new challenges that I’m going to set for myself too.
"As well as being very good for me physically, this has actually been crucial for my mental health during the pandemic too."
Tell us about the first time you met your ATP Personal Training Coach; what was your first impression?
The first time I met my coach I found her to be extremely knowledgeable about weight loss and about lifting. I have had a lot of issues with a back injury and initially I was very concerned that lifting weights would do more damage to my back. But I quickly learned that she will always prioritize my health over everything else and she was able to customize exercises for me, even after I had surgery during the course of my transformation.
I have realized that when you find a Coach that really knows what they are doing, you should listen to their recommendations and do what they suggest. Her guidance got me back on track after surgery a lot faster than I had anticipated and my faith in her has paid off, because I am much stronger now. Even despite my back injury, I can do exercises that I was never able to do before.
"I used to work out all the time before ATP. But I realise now I was working out without any intention or real thought."
What has been your proudest achievement since joining ATP Personal Training?
When I first started training at ATP Personal Training, I was barely able to manage 40 or 45kg on the leg press. Now, I can leg press my husband! He weighs around 90 to 100kg, so more than double what I could do in the beginning.
How has your lifestyle changed in the last 9 months?
My lifestyle has changed so much! It’s bizarre when you think about it because I used to work out all the time before ATP. But I realise now I was working out without any intention or real thought. I’d never actively set myself any sort of challenges or a goal and, when I started training at ATP I realised I wanted to do better for myself and for my body.
These days I consciously prioritize exercise, which I wasn’t really doing before. I set up a daily routine (which has become a habit) that works for me, which includes exercise as a daily part of my life. As well as being very good for me physically, this has actually been crucial for my mental health during the pandemic too. I find that going for a run and sweating it out gives me so much energy and peace of mind, and lifting weights makes me feel powerful, which is a great feeling.
One of the biggest shifts for me is that I have taken more of an interest in what I am eating. I’m vegetarian and never even really thought about protein before. ATP Personal Training gave me insight into the importance of protein and now I am mindful of making sure I eat protein with every meal, whether it’s in the form of eggs, tofu or tempeh, or even incorporating the occasional protein shake to help me meet my protein requirements.
All of these changes have really improved both my body and mind.
How confident are you that you can sustain the positive changes that you have made under your Coach’s guidance?
Very confident. When I first met my ATP Coach I made it very clear to her that any changes we made had to be sustainable for me for a very long time. And, so far at least, they have been! In terms of my diet for example, I am very confident that I can continue in this way indefinitely. I am actually a terrible cook and spend as little time in the kitchen as possible, but I now have a set of easy meals that I can prepare for the week ahead. It takes me hardly any time to plan and prepare my meals for the week, and it’s a habit that I am very glad I have got into thanks to ATP.
"I find that going for a run and sweating it out gives me so much energy and peace of mind, and lifting weights makes me feel powerful, which is a great feeling."
What does your transformation mean to you?
I have never really thought of my transformation as a transformation. For me, it has simply been lots of small changes that have added up over time to create a big change, but I haven’t really noticed it day to day.
I think my transformation is more evident to people around me, and my family and friends who have seen the effort that I put in. They see the meal choices that I make when we go out, which makes them feel inspired and motivated to do better themselves. I think that’s amazing, because even though I probably don’t give myself enough credit for going on this journey, the people in my life have given me so much encouragement, and I have seen this process inspire them too. It seems to have created a little bit of a snowball effect which really means something to me.
*Results will vary from individual to individual
**Results are based on each client’s circumstances.
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