What It Really Takes To Become A Personal Trainer...
Think becoming a personal trainer is an easy way to ensure you’re always at the top of your fitness game? Not so fast… We spoke to Core Collective and F45 trainer, Claire Wright, about how she reaches her personal fitness goals as a Wasps rugby player whilst balancing a hectic and demanding work schedule...
"My life motto is: You’ve got to whey it all up (sorry, I couldn’t resist the pun!)
Before I became a full-time trainer I dreamt of the days I wouldn’t have to cram my training around my 8:30am - 7:00pm estate agent life - then reality hit, hard! My latest alarm is set for 6:30am most weeks, with the norm being 4:45am. But as a London based personal trainer and group exercise instructor I know I haven’t drawn the short straw!
Sure, life’s hectic, but isn’t everyone’s? And would I change it? Not for one minute; helping people be the best versions of themselves through exercise is the ultimate reward for the brutal alarm call!
I’m more focused than ever to achieve my personal fitness goals but balancing my passion for CrossFit and rugby with a busy work life can be tricky at times. Routine helps me to stay on track with my work and training, making sure I have a positive mindset and am I’m present in everything I do.
Most weekdays I’m in the F45 Ealing studio to stretch by 5:30am before taking 3 exercises back to back with the morning crew; it’s really important that I eat and stay hydrated even though it’s early as I can burn 300 calories per class - not ideal when weight gain has always been one of my biggest challenges! I’ll often make overnight oats with cinnamon apples and Neat’s vanilla protein, that I eat on my way in. Most of my food is eaten on the go so I need travel-friendly recipes that are easy to prepare and taste yummy; the 30g protein sachets are perfect, helping me to stay on track of my protein intake without wasting time measuring it out!
I normally have a break at about 10 where I do my admin and emails and grab one of my pre-prepared meals; then it’s back to teaching for the lunchtime rush! The bulk of my time off is from 2pm to 5pm. I need to train and eat, so I normally eat a vegetarian diet during the day so that I can digest my meals quickly and train promptly afterwards.
My training regime will consist of two-three pure compound strength based sessions with auxiliary exercises; I’m just about to start pre-season again for rugby and have a powerlifting comp in July; so there’s a focus on building strength. I still need to also keep my cardio levels up, so other sessions will include more functional cross training sessions, Lift + Row and Circuit classes at Core Collective. They push me harder than I would push myself and helps keep my training fresh and varied. Then it’s time for a quick change, more food on the go and a protein shake before I’m back to teaching the twilight crew from 5pm - 9pm. A light snack on my way home and I’m in bed by 10:30 latest.
With very little time spent at home, the Neat single-serve protein sachets make my life so much easier; I can shove them in my bag and get them out when I need them!"