Gavin

Before joining Pioneer Performance Gavin was struggling with a shoulder injury, low motivation levels & some unwanted weight gain exasperated through spending more time at home due to the lockdown.

Although Gavin had previously been seeing a personal trainer for over 5 years, he felt like needed to be taken to the next level in order to get the significant results which he was looking for.

Now that Gavin has given up (almost all) of the takeaways and sugary snacks, he has been able to reduce his body weight by a massive 10kg! He has also learnt "You cannot put a price on your health".

"I now have a better understanding of what it takes to lose weight and I am much more disciplined with my food and my training. Pioneer helped me achieve my goals in far less time with far less difficulty than I would have done on my own"

What were your expectations and motivations when starting Personal Training?

Wasn’t quite sure what to expect to be honest! I’ve trained for about 5 years previously with another trainer back in Brighton but that was starting from scratch and was a lot less structured so I was just slowly learning basic concepts and building up muscle mass. I was hoping Pioneer would be able to teach me the next level of stuff, like how to get lean and how to properly manage food etc. I was also motivated by getting a bit out of shape over lockdown, so needed a kick up the butt to get going again, I really benefit from accountability like that.

Did you have any hesitations or uncertainties prior to starting your journey?

I guess I was concerned I’d lost too much progress or I wouldn’t be able to keep up with what was being asked of me, but those concerns melted away after my first session. Finn was very supportive and receptive and I never felt stressed out about the thought of any training.

What was your lifestyle and nutrition like before starting?

I’ve been pretty active before lockdown, I trained 3 times a week and cycled everywhere but lockdown and not being able to go to the gym really took its toll. I trained in the flat 3 times a week when the gyms were closed but the motivation was so low because of the whole lockdown situation. And then I hurt my shoulder and that just killed any drive I had in me to keep going with the exercise.

How has your diet and lifestyle changed?

I now have a better understanding of what it takes to lose weight and I am much more disciplined with my food and my training. Like I say I’ve been training for a few years, but when it’s sessions that I have to do on my own I would sometimes find an excuse to delay it or miss a session if I wasn’t feeling it. Not very regularly but the propensity was there. Now that thought very rarely crosses my mind and when it does, I push myself through it because of the discipline I’m learning at Pioneer.

What was the hardest “bad habit” to kick during this process?

Probably the junk food. It wasn’t hard as in I couldn’t stop eating it when I started training, I actually surprised myself by how strict I was with my eating once I was tracking my food, but it was definitely something that I craved for a long time. Especially during lockdown, it was so easy to just order a takeout here and there and not really think or be aware of how many calories I was eating. I’d also snack quite a lot as well as I work in an office so when we’re actually in there’s easy access to all sorts of rubbish to snack on throughout the day.

How has the change in nutrition and training impacted your lifestyle and energy levels outside of the gym?

Energy levels are up and down because of the calorie deficit, but overall I feel so much better in myself. My lifestyle is also much healthier, making better food choices, moving more, and having given up drinking regularly I just feel all round better than I have done for as long as I can remember.

What have you learned since working with your coach?

The main thing I’ve learned is proper workout structure and how to be in a calorie deficit without losing much muscle. I was always hesitant about reducing my calories in case I lost strength and muscle but I’ve learned what it takes to achieve weight loss without too much worrying if I’m doing it the right way or not.

What would you say to anyone who is on the fence about working with Pioneer Performance?

Can’t put a price on your health! Pioneer helped me achieve my goals in far less time with far less difficulty than I would have done on my own. I’d encourage everyone to work with a personal trainer, especially if they have no training experience. It’s like any skill that you need to learn, 10x quicker with someone who knows what they’re doing.

Like Gavins results? Contact to arrange your free consultation and get your own journey started!