“I am something of an industry veteran these days, having gained my first certification way back in 1988 but I can remember walking into a gym for the first time as if it were yesterday. My Dad was a member of the local health club and the summer I turned 14 he bought me a 6 week membership. I didn’t know it at the time but it was the start of a lifelong passion.
In 1983 I took a part time gym instructors position at Bodyworld Health Club. It was a lively, busy gym with a vibrant, infectious atmosphere and I had no hesitation in accepting a full time management position there. I became fascinated with the art of working out and started to realize that improved health and fitness were not the only benefits of following a well structured program of diet and exercise. People had more energy and sharper focus. They became calmer and more relaxed, enjoying greater self confidence and increased self esteem. This had a positive effect on every aspect of their lives.
Although in its infancy in the UK in the 1980′s personal training was well established as a profession in the USA. My desire to excel drove me to California, where I studied firsthand the techniques being used by their top personal trainers. I came home far more knowledgeable, with a much deeper understanding of the qualities needed to truly excel in my chosen field.
On my return to the UK a chance meeting with Mike Pratt, a friend from Bodyworld and now an internationally respected sports and athletics conditioning coach, lead to us working together for over a decade on a variety of health and fitness based projects. We offered personal training services, set up Olympex to manufacture and supply gym equipment and collaborated on Healthysite.com, a fitness website (I hand wrote over 300 programs for the site, with complete performance notes!).
Mike and I also worked out together regularly, constantly refining our training techniques and improving our performance levels and I ventured into the world of competitive bodybuilding. You can read more about my bodybuilding experiences on the Factory Fitness blog and yes, that’s me (at 15 and in my first contest) in the before and after photo’s on the left!
Lazenby PT is the culmination of those years of experience and was set up with the simple aim of becoming firmly established as one of the premier providers of bespoke personal training in Edinburgh”
Qualifications
NESTA Certified Personal Trainer (2002)
The National Exercise and Sports Trainers Association (NESTA) is a professional association and certification body representing over 40,000 professionals in the health, wellness, and fitness industry. Established in 1992, NESTA provides opportunities for individuals to earn personal fitness trainer certifications which will validate their understanding of critical concepts in the health, wellness, and fitness industry. The Personal Trainer Certification is dedicated to preparing and developing qualified personal trainers who achieve a level of professional success that goes beyond the ‘average’ personal trainer programs.
Further information can be found here
www.nestapft.com
N.A.B.B.A. Gym Instructor (1988)
As far as I am aware this was the first qualification of this type to be offered in the UK. It is a testimony to the course quality that it is still available today.
Further information can be found here
www.gbmuscle.com/training_courses/nbba.html
