Testimonial
Brian
From a gritty 5k and a failed 10k to qualifying for the England Masters V65 Half Marathon!
How would you describe your running history before you started training with myself?
I’d been running 5k three times a week on a treadmill and I did no gym. David, got me running outdoors and I began to do a gym programme adapted to strengthen/condition my body for running with a full matching running programme integrated with the gym work.
What level did you start at? When I started with David, I could just about break 30 minutes for a 5k but I couldn’t run 10k without stopping to walk a couple of times.
Why running? Evolution has designed our bodies to run fast and strong even, like me, if you’re a bit older. So, why not do as Nature has designed us? Running also really makes you look after yourself well and it’s a joy to run fast and strong.
What's your proudest moments to date? 2nd in the V60 category in the ASICS London 10k, which is a big event with 11,000+ runners of all ages. Completing the Berlin marathon in under 3:30:00, and therefore at a pace better than 5min/k over 42k, qualifying me for Boston.
What are main goals with your sport? With David’s programme, I’ve now been running up to 80k a week and not been injured, and I’ve developed some speed and more endurance. I’m now quite close to running a 5k in under 20 minutes, and I’m also “marathon fit”. As we step up the gym, the next goal is to run faster and stronger at a wide variety of distances, win some races and medals, and set some age records.
And why? Our DNA has designed us to be quick footed, agile, hardy, strong, and enduring, irrespective of age. Yet, as a society, we sometimes lose sight of what feats we are all capable of, mentally and physically. All that I'm doing, with David’s help, is enjoying rediscovering what I’ve been programmed to do. To quote the words of the legendary US coach Jim Murphy in the title his book on Masters’ running and cycling, it’s great fun to be “Fast after Fifty”.
Lourens
How long have you been training for?
I was a ‘late starter’ to gym and fitness training and only started going to the gym when I was 26 (1999). I played a bit of tennis at school/before then, but that was it.
I started training with David and for the first time with real commitment to goals in 2017, so in a way I feel like I have only been training for 2 years. Over the last 2 years, my training has progressed to levels I never thought I could reach and I feel there is more work to do - exciting!
Why do you train?
When I started going to the gym in 1999 my number one priority was to look good. Feeling strong and being healthy was unfortunately a lower priority. So my training was focussed on the ‘show’ muscles and not really on anything else.
Ten years into training I started to develop back issues, which helped me in a positive way to rethink my goals and what I really wanted to achieve. I initially turned to Yoga and Pilates which helped but I did not really improve my strength and my back issues still lingered.
In 2017 I realised I was not making the progress I wanted. At this stage my goals were clear to me, i.e. improving my strength, endurance and fitness, basically I wanted to be strong (addressing my back issues) and healthy. These and my overall well-being are the key reasons why I train.
My training sessions are now key highlights of my week, with me excited and looking forward to every session. Specifically the ones with David.
Why do you hire a personal trainer and why David?
There are so many reasons why I hire a personal trainer and I have to say since training with David those reasons have become more and more apparent.
Initially I hired a personal trainer to help achieve my goals, i.e. strength, endurance, and fitness. Specifically teaching me the correct techniques for exercises and help me with fitness programmes designed to achieve these goals.
The above is still the case, but working with David has made me realise there is so much more to learn, to achieve and I (we) can ‘set the bar so much higher’.
The key reasons why I train with David specifically and why I hope and plan to train with him as long as I possibly can, are:
1. Team work: David and I as a team work towards these goals, which is one of the key reasons I work with him - we are a team!
2. His approach: Listen, assess, design, implement and motivate. These are just some of the words that come to mind about the approach that David uses to create programmes and exercises I have to follow to achieve my goals.
3. Motivation and pushing me to levels I never thought I could achieve. David motivates and pushes me to achieve levels of training I never thought possible. Working together we are adjusting and re-assessing my training programmes and exercises - it is never boring, but it is tough and I love it!
4. Communication and energy between you and your trainer is key. David style and how engages with me allows us to easily communicate and we have an energy that just works - we get on!
What advice would you give to someone who currently isn't training but looking to start?
1. Set high level training goals (based on whatever you want to achieve from a fitness perspective). It does not have to be difficult, if you want to be able to run a marathon in under ‘x’ time - your trainer can help you with these goals - see 2 below.
2. Get a personal trainer, especially if you have never trained before and need help with your goals. A good trainer will help you setting your goals and design a programme(s) to achieve these and specific to your needs. The trainer is also key to help you to get do the exercises correctly.
3. Have a plan every time when you go to the gym: I find without a plan and not knowing what I am going to do at the gym I find myself wondering around the gym aimlessly and most of the time leaving the gym without doing a productive workout, basically wasting time.
4. When you don’t feel motivated, still go to the gym. David’s spot-on advice with regards to this is break your session up into sizeable chunks. This works for me - before you know it you have done a whole session by taking it one exercise, set or stage/chuck at a time.
Osama
Top coach! In person and online!! I have been training with David since 2017 3x a week, and we have recently transitioned to online bespoke coaching via software. The experience has way surpassed my expectations : full bespoke, constant and direct feedback, and full accountability as David sees everything that I have logged on. This new modus has even allowed me to increase my exercise frequency and get more out of it!! Top top recommendation to David.