Platinum Personal Training Services

Platinum Personal Training offers a variety of professional training-, nutritional- or fitness-based services, each delivering fantastic results to help you achieve your own unique goals!

Basic services include, but are not limited to:

- Complete 12 Week Body Transformation
- Muscle & Strength Gain programs
- Weight Loss & Toning programs
- General Fitness
- Sports-Specific Performance Programming
- Nutritional Plans
- Holiday Training Plans

For more information on these services, please click the links to the left. Please see the Client Transformations section for the incredible results people have achieved using Platinum Personal Training!

If you would like to enquire about any of these services, please don't hesitate to Get In Touch.

All services come with an absolutely FREE, no obligation consultation before we start, so we can decide the best training and dietary approach to take for you to achieve your goals.

12 Week Body Transformation

In this section I will describe how I undertook a 12-week body transformation plan, its stages and outcome, and best of all, how I can help you to achieve the same incredible results!

For a period in my training career, even though I always had knowledge at my disposal, it was often a case of talking a good talk but not always walking the walk and my own training and diet left much to be desired, training hard but neglecting certain muscle groups because I felt that they were weak and not working to improve them, and with my diet eating foods that I knew would not benefit me, drinking heavily at weekends with the lads and generally not taking care of my body.

So it was time for change! Using the body for life programme by Bill Phillips as motivation I was going to apply all my knowledge I have as a successful personal trainer and make the biggest body transformation possible in 12 weeks.

I emptied my cupboards of all the unhealthy foods that were going to hold me back making the change to my physique that I so badly needed and wanted. To hold myself accountable and to let all my friends and family know what journey I was embarking on I launched my Platinum Personal Training group on facebook and advertised to everyone the master plan! Thank God everyone was very supportive and I was very lucky to have the friendship and support of one of my own clients Sean Birch who also decided to follow the programme with me.

Don't get me wrong even though I had a strong will and desire to follow this through to the end it wasn’t going to be easy by any stretch. The first 5 weeks I followed a 6 day a week training schedule that included 3 days of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and 3 day resistance training this was broken down into upper and lower body parts, and then from weeks 6-8 I changed to a split routine to concentrate on lagging body parts and take the weights up on all areas. Then for the final 4 weeks I was going to stick with this formula for the weights but raise my game on the cardio maximizing my fat burning potential.

With regards to my diet I was eating 6 small meals each day high protein, moderate carbs and essential fats and vitamins/vegetables, and having one cheat day a week where I would eat what I wanted. For the final 4 weeks I was going to be very strict with the diet and gradually start cutting the carbohydrates from my diet.

I cut bread, pasta and most wheat products from my diet and all simple sugar excluding fruits for pre- and post-workout. I increased my water intake drastically and kept stimulants to a minimum. Alcohol was also removed from my diet as was all junk food and takeaways.

Now after many a small setback like picking up a sickness and diarrhoea virus, having a small rotator cuff tear and a trapped nerve giving me pain and discomfort in my shoulder, and of course the on-going struggle with keeping a clean diet and training routine I am almost at the finish line but.. "This isn't the end merely the beginning".

When the final week of training was upon me, as sod's law would have it I picked up a head cold! I believe this is from the intense training I have been putting my body under still I'm going to push through till the end. At this stage I have cut my carbohydrates more so and added glutamine to my supplement stack. I am going to do cardio twice every other day the first one being first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. This was definitely the hardest week of all.

With the 12 weeks over I felt fantastic and was in the best shape of my life! During this process I learned so much about my body and how I can make it work as effectively as possible. Now I wish to pass this knowledge and experience to all my clients so you too can achieve fantastic results you deserve.

You've seen what 12 weeks of dedication can do - it's now your turn! Let's start the journey to a new you!

2011 Update

After having time to refect on my previous bodytransformation in January 2011 I decided to go through the process again. After spending more time studying nutrition and also learning how my body responds to certain foods, I was confident I could look even better this time round if I did things slightly different. I decided to diet as if I was getting ready to step on stage in my first bodybuilding contest, so it was going to be MEGA strict! The principle was the same, eating 5-6 small meals a day but this time i really limited my grains and ate more sweet potato as my carbohydrate source. I had no cheat meals, it was clean all the way through I didn't even add sauces to my food! During this body transformation I realised the importance of rest and maintenance so I always got to bed by 11pm and had a minimum of 8 hours sleep, and also had regular massage and practised meditation every day. In the final week I manipulated my water and carb intake to achieve a really lean look for the day of my photo shoot and I was really impressed with the results!

Now it's your turn! Sign up today for your body transformation!

Gain Strength and Muscle!

My number one service is helping people gain strength and muscle. I believe everyone can benefit from being stronger and more muscular. "Strong of body and mind", quoth the Ancient Greeks, for them the ideal person was a strong, muscular man or woman as depicted in their art. Throughout both history and fiction, the strong man was idolised as a hero, and with good reason: a muscular individual exudes confidence, determination and inspires awe in their fellows. As well as being aesthetically appealling, increased strength and muscularity protects the body against illness, disease, injuries, accidental knocks and helps you recover more quickly if you do get hurt. Some scientists also believe that increased muscularity extends lifespan as the body becomes more resistant to age-related atrophy and ailments.

Of course, I am not suggesting that everyone bulks up to a 300lb monstrosity! If becoming a competitive bodybuilder is your goal then I do provide such a service, but the majority of my clients aspire to the statues of the Ancient Greeks, or the athletic, moderately muscular physiques on covers of magazines such as Men's Health, and those are my speciality! But the principles of gaining muscle are mostly the same whether you want to gain five lbs or fifty lbs, and in either case I can help you!

My muscular gains service isn't men-only either! Women of any age can also benefit from increased muscle mass, and don't worry ladies, you won't become big and bulky - but the absolute best way to firm and tone those 'problem areas', i.e. your hips, thighs and buttocks, is to grow some muscle under them!

Train To Gain

In order to help you gain muscle, I will first go through a comprehensive interview process with you to gauge any particular weaknesses or imbalances, or any pre-existing injuries which may affect the structure of your training as regards exercise choice, volume, frequency and rep ranges.

I am an experienced professional with years of training with weights under my belt, and will be on hand to teach, guide and motivate you in your training. I believe in, and will show you, correct form and technique with the no-nonsense compound exercises I favour in my programs, such as squats, deadlifts, barbell benches, overhead presses, chinups, dips and rows - not forgetting of course the obligatory curls and pushdowns!

I will set up your program and training parameters such that you will be able to progress each and every workout, making gains every time you're in the gym - not only is this the most efficient way of getting bang for your buck, it is also incredibly motivational to see and feel changes from every workout.

So if you are interested in gaining strength and size, Get In Touch!

Personal Training for Fat and Weight Loss

The ideals promoted by the media are of smiling, healthy, slim people. You will rarely find an overweight man or woman in mainstream commercials, and for good reason: the ideal human both aesthetically and physiologically is lean and toned, not fat. As well as being physically unappealling, excess bodyfat is linked to a host of health problems including heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, insulin resistance, artherosclerosis and cancers.

The vast majority of us have, at some point, wanted or needed to lose weight. From wanting to just shedding a few lbs for a holiday, wedding or other function or perhaps to get rid of a post-Xmas 'bloat', to needing a significant weight loss to improve health and well-being, we've all faced the prospect of dieting in our lives and unfortunately, it is rarely a pleasant one!

The term 'dieting' itself conjures images of eating salads and water, countless hours on the treadmill, abstaining from all but the most low-calorie foods, not to mention weakness, low energy levels and irritability caused from deprivation and hunger. I'm sure you've heard stories about such diets, or have been on one yourselves, perhaps a more appropriate term is 'starvation regime'. The majority of dieters employing such (unnecessarily) radical short-term measures rarely succeed, they lose weight but at a terrible cost to their (physical and mental health), ending up scrawny and weak, with their metabolisms and thyroids beaten to a proverbial pulp; followed by the inevitable 'rebound' as they try to return to their usual eating habits which simply results in their weakened, starved bodies simply storing the food as bodyfat and leaving the poor dieter no better (and often worse) off than they started. People become depressed and disillusioned, and convince themselves they will never lose weight. As a result, society gets fat, stays fat, and then gets even fatter!

Simple, Sustainable Fat Loss

This is where I come in. My clients and I are testament to the fact that anyone can lose weight and keep it off, providing they have a sensible and intelligent dieting regime in place. Their eating and training plans are not extreme, but sustainable and easy to stick to, as well as being better overall for the dieter's health and sanity. I do not advocate starvation diets nor do I suggest you spend all day in the human equivalent of a hamster wheel. The ease with which my clients stick to their diets and training programmes is due to me being fully aware of what doesn't work, and I show them what does work!

I have achieved some incredible weight loss transformations with my clients, which went beyond the expectations of most! My clients lose fat and tone their bodies at a rapid but ultimately maintainable pace, shedding lbs of bodyfat while often gaining some muscle mass in the process. This is attributed to the training, dieting and mental techniques I employ, making compliance with my plans easy, even downright enjoyable!

Nutritional Plans & Consultation

Nutrition is a vast, ever-expanding science. Everything we eat has an effect on our body composition, health, energy, wellbeing, vitality, mental acuteness - in fact we can simply refer to the classic, but totally accurate adage of " you are what you eat" as it is quite simply, the plain truth! But while that is a simple phrase, the science behind the truth is mind-boggling.

Did you know, for example, did you know that fat has over twice as many calories per gram than protein or carbohydrates? Or that a lack of dietary fibre is linked to a number of diseases including colon cancer? Or that most of us don't get enough essential fatty acids? Or that there are essential amino acids as well, to be found in complete proteins? Perhaps you knew those, but did you know that the body will breakdown protein for energy in the absence of carbohydrates? Or that ketosis can be achived with as many as 100g of carbohydrates a day? These are but a few facts from a myriad facets of nutritional science, and nobody will ever know them all!

However I do know a fair amount, and I can certainly pass on some of our knowledge, especially as pertaining to your individual circumstances. Perhaps you are a diabetic or have Crohn's disease, and have specific dietary requirements, but aren't sure how to devise a meal plan for your situation. Or perhaps stress and poor eating habits have prematurely aged you, and you would like to 'turn back to clock' (so to speak!) and regain some your previously-had youthful glow and vigour? Perhaps you're interested in increased longevity, or a diet to boost your immune system, or to combat allergies. Or maybe you want to know how best you can formulate your child's nutrition to help them develop optimally in the presence of the unfortunate but dangerous environment estrogens we encounter on a day-to-day basis. I can help you!

The Science Of Supplements

In addition to nutritional consultancy and plans, I also offer advice and information on supplements, either for health or performance. Our nutritional plans come with supplement recommendations, ranging from the absolute basics such as fish oil and multivitamins, to specific plans involving specific anti-oxidants such as Coq10 and acetyl-l-carnitine. I explain which supplements are worth the money, and which are not.

I also cover herbal products such as tribulus, plant extracts such as green tea and fruit/vegetable replacements such as greens products.

I am more than confident that with my consultancy, you will be equipped with the knowledge to devise your own meal plans and dietary protocols for yourself and your family, either for plain and simple healthy living, or to account for a particular ailment or circumstance.

Fitness & Performance

Not all of my clients want to simply lose weight or gain some muscle. Indeed a large amount of my trainees are athletes, either competitive or recreational, whose goal is not only body composition but also fitness and performance. Being an athlete myself and being equipped with sports science qualifications, I have first-hand knowledge and experience in making people faster, stronger, fitter, more powerful and better conditioned, and I have worked with specific sportsmen such as rugby players, mma fighters, footballers, cyclists, marathon runners and sprinters, as well as ordinary members of the public who just want to be as fit as butcher's dogs!

Sports-specific training is a more specialised branch of training knowledge, and requires a somewhat different approach to more basic weight-loss or weight-gain programs; my performance-based training routines centre around exercises and techniques which improve general or particular athletic qualities, such as speed, stamina or relative strength. In addition I employ protocols which simulate sporting or athletic conditions, for example with my grapplers I use floor-based exercises as much of those fighters' time in an event is spent on the mat! My nutritional recommendations are also going to be condusive to performance in sporting situations, for example I devise carb-cycling plans for MMA fighters which fluctuate carbohydrate and calorie intake depending on whether it is a rest day, cardio day, training day or fight day.

Teamwork

My services for performance-oriented trainees is not limited to individual sportsmen however; I also have a great deal of experience dealing with sports teams and training their members as a unit. Our team-based training programs are designed to maximise each athlete's time with the coach, while the rest practise different skills and drills to avoid unnecessary downtime - I find this especially important with children's sports teams where attention spans may wane!