Pregnancy and postnatal personal training in Hong Kong
One-to-one strength training during pregnancy and after birth, at our studio in Central. We start from your doctor's go-ahead and build your core, strength and fitness in stages, planned around your sleep, your work and your baby's routine.
Book a Free Consultation- 320+ Google reviews
- Female coaches available
- Studio at Li Dong Building, Central
Who this is for
- Pregnant women who want to start or keep training with a coach.
- Mothers of babies a few months old or children a few years old.
- Women who have never lifted weights and want to be taught from the start.
- Mothers who tried home workouts or dieting alone and could not keep it going.
- Mothers who work full time and need sessions booked around work and childcare.
- Women recovering from a C-section, or told by a doctor or physio that they have diastasis recti.
Your body in pregnancy and after birth
Three research findings, and what each one means for your training.
A study followed 300 first-time mothers from pregnancy to 12 months after birth. A separation of the abdominal muscles (diastasis recti) of two finger-widths or more was found in 33.1% at week 21 of pregnancy and in 60% six weeks after birth. At 12 months, 32.6% had it.1
What we do: We ask about it at your consultation and build your core work around it.
The WHO's 2020 guidelines cover pregnant women and women who have given birth. If there is no medical reason not to, they recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week, plus muscle-strengthening activities. Women below that level should start small and build up gradually.2
What we do: Strength sessions at the studio, a walking target between sessions, and heavier weights only when you are ready.
A Cochrane review of trials in women after childbirth found that exercise alone did not lead to significantly more weight loss than usual care. Diet alone and diet plus exercise both did. The authors add that diet plus exercise preserved fat-free mass while diet alone reduced it, and say this needs confirming in larger trials.3
What we do: A nutrition plan that fits broken sleep and family meals, with strength training so you keep muscle while you lose fat.
Built around pregnancy and recovery
Before your first session we ask about your pregnancy or the birth, your recovery so far and anything your doctor or physio has told you. The programme is written around the answers.
During pregnancy
Your programme changes as your pregnancy progresses. After the first trimester, anything done lying on your back is swapped for another position, as the WHO's guidelines advise2.
Diastasis recti
Core work starts with breathing and trunk control. Exercises are chosen to suit the gap and progress as you control them, in line with your physio's advice.
C-section
Abdominal work and heavier lifting progress more slowly than after a vaginal birth. Exercises are changed if anything around the scar is uncomfortable.
Pelvic floor
If you notice leaking, heaviness or pelvic pain, we ask you to see a women's health physiotherapist and we train to their plan. Running and jumping stay out of your programme until your physio says you are ready for them.
Breastfeeding
Your food targets are set for a nursing mother, and sessions are booked between feeds.
Broken sleep
Your coach asks how you slept and sets the weights and the amount of work for that day.
How it works
Free consultation
A sit-down chat at the studio with a senior coach. No payment and no obligation.
A plan for your stage
A strength plan for your first 8 to 12 weeks, set to your stage of pregnancy or recovery, plus a nutrition plan that fits your current routine.
Two or three sessions a week
One-to-one, 60 minutes, at the Central studio. Your coach teaches each exercise, sets the weights and logs every set in the ATP app.
Reviews every 4 to 6 weeks
Your coach reviews your progress with you. After birth that means skinfold calipers, body weight, strength and photos. During pregnancy it is strength and how you feel, with no calipers. A strategy meeting each quarter sets the next targets, and senior leadership reviews your results.
Postnatal results from Hong Kong mothers
Each of these clients trained with us after having children. Every number is from that client's published story.
Wing Wing, Hong Kong
Lost, taking her back to her pre-pregnancy weight. She had trained at other gyms for years without much progress.
Read Wing Wing's storyMalvi, Hong Kong
Lost after her pregnancy, having tried diets, running and walking on her own first.
Read Malvi's storyBrenda, 37, Hong Kong
Lost, plus 20 cm from her waist, after her second child. She had never done weight training before.
Read Brenda's storyGiorgia, Hong Kong
Lost after having her baby, while working long days with late-night calls to the US.
Read Giorgia's storyJC
Lost, plus 10 cm from her waist, after her second child. She had been eating 800 calories a day. Her coach increased her calories and her weight kept dropping.
Read JC's storyVictoria, Hong Kong
She could not do any when she started, six weeks after her second child. She trained two hours a week and was back in her pre-pregnancy clothes much sooner than after her first.
Read Victoria's storySwipe for more
In their words
“The biggest difference to me has been in my strength, I am so much fitter and stronger and that has made being a mum of 2 so much easier!”
“With my coach I feel like I can really progress, and I can see the result, not only in the weight loss but also in my strength.”
“It is motivating and affirming knowing that I can accomplish my fitness goals while being a mother.”
Swipe for more
Talk to a senior coach
Book the free consultation in Central, or message us on WhatsApp if that is easier. Tell us how many weeks pregnant you are or how old your baby is, and when you could train.
Book a Free Consultation Message Us on WhatsAppWho coaches you
Two of our female coaches at Central coach clients during pregnancy and after birth. Every coach recertifies each year and specialises in at least one area, such as postnatal recovery. Senior leadership reviews each coach's client results every quarter.
Questions
Can I train with you while I am pregnant?
Yes, with your doctor's go-ahead. Tell us how many weeks pregnant you are when you book, and your coach adapts the programme for each trimester.
When can I start postnatal training?
When your doctor has cleared you to exercise. Many women have that postpartum check about six weeks after birth. Starting later is fine too, whether your child is one or six.
I have diastasis recti. Can you help?
Yes. Tell us what your doctor or physio found and advised, and your coach follows it. If you have not been checked, ask your doctor or a women's health physio before you start. ATP coaches do not diagnose or treat diastasis.
I had a C-section. Is it different?
Yes. Recovery usually takes longer, so clearance often comes later than six weeks. Tell your coach about the scar and any limits your doctor has set.
Can I train while breastfeeding?
Yes. A small 1994 randomised trial of 33 women in the New England Journal of Medicine tested aerobic exercise four or five times a week, starting six to eight weeks after birth. It had no adverse effect on breast-milk volume or composition, or on the babies' weight gain4.
I have very little time with a baby. How does it work?
Sessions are booked at times that suit you. The Central studio is open 6am to 10pm on weekdays, 7am to 6pm on Saturdays and 8am to 5pm on Sundays.
Can I bring my baby to sessions?
No. Babies and prams cannot come to sessions, so book a time when a partner, helper or family member can look after your baby.
I've never really been fit. Is this for me?
Yes. Your first session begins with a movement assessment. Your coach starts you on weights you can control and adds more as you get stronger.
Can I have a female coach?
Yes. Two of our female coaches at Central coach clients during pregnancy and after birth. Ask for one when you book, or message us on WhatsApp on +852 5139 0416.
What does it cost?
Prices depend on how many sessions a week you choose. Sessions are sold in packages only. Your coach goes through the options and prices at the free consultation, and there is no obligation to sign up.
Book a free consultation
Three details. A coach will contact you to arrange a time.
- Meet a senior coach at our Hong Kong studio.
- Talk through your goals, any injuries and your schedule.
- No payment and no obligation to sign up.
Your details stay with ATP. Or message us on WhatsApp: +852 5139 0416