Matthew's Success Stories

Shleah Joseph

Fitness was always part of my life from when I was five years old learning to dance in beginners classes and watching my mother dance in many shows around Barbados. After I graduated in Music and moved to Bath, I joined the gym to fill the gap that was left by dancing and incorporated exercise and dance classes. However, I got into the routine of not challenging myself to increase weights or speed. Needless to say, my fitness slipped and so did my body shape.

However, with a goal in mind, My Wedding Day, I decided it would be the perfect time to look again at my targets. I decided to take that step with Personal Training to rebuild stamina and strength. I liked the fact that Matt explained the reasons behind different ways of working out and that he had a warm personality.

In the first session I explained my goals and my previous experiences with gym and dance. I told him my focus was not necessarily losing pounds but toning up and increasing my overall fitness.

I had 3 months of intensive training (plus the morning after aches). I have never before seen progress so quickly. I focused on suspension training which allowed me to work on stability, core and strength all at the same time. As I have never done anything like it, I enjoyed trying something new and adding variety to my training programme. I also did interval training on the treadmill and seeing that stamina was my least confident area while I was a dancer I did not expect much progress in this area. However, I was able to increase my speed to levels I never dreamed of and the number of intervals soon piled on. I think it was his quiet encouragement that kept me pushing the boundaries of my fitness. My cool down session was usually the highlight of my hour long training session and encouraged me to keep coming back for more.

I think that whenever you choose a personal trainer they need to do more than just increase your fitness level or help you lose a few pounds. I think his warm personality was what made this process more enjoyable than anyone I have ever experienced. Chatting about my plans for my wedding while running on the treadmill made the sessions a painless experience. In addition, his flexibility with the sessions meant that I could tailor-make a programme to suit my busy lifestyle. I was able to increase my sessions before the wedding as I would have missed a couple while on honeymoon. This caring approach is what keeps me coming back week after week.

I am sure my confidence on my wedding day was due to the fact that under all the nail polish, hair curls, makeup and dress there was someone who had reached a personal fitness goal.

Meryl Williams

I have been doing the Purple Training sessions for three months now and I am enjoying the workouts very much, particularly the fact that they change regularly; keeping my interest alive. I am now wearing a size 14 jogging trousers down from a size 20 a year ago, and I now wear a size 18 top down from a size 22. I feel much stronger and fitter and my mental health has improved dramatically.

My swimming has also improved greatly. Two years ago I was able to swim 10 lengths in 30 minutes. Now I have reached 24 lengths in 50 minutes and hope to reach a mile.

Working with Danielle Collins has also been of great benefit and I am eating far more healthily and have more motivation to cook.

I will continue to work with Matt and we have been setting new targets for 2009.