Sarah's Drive, 10 March 09

I initially started training with Lisa via e-mail in 2005 or there abouts but due to moving from NZ to Oz back to UK (where I'm originally from) then back to Oz then from town to town my commitment wasn't very good I was still training but I wasn't just buckling down to eat.

Last year I made the commitment and got myself a trainer near home (well 1hrs drive away) and decided I wanted to compete, I got to compete however wasn't happy with how I looked just flat and no muscle and with all the "pushing my body to the limit" I actually became very sick two days from the competition so I was even flatter.

I decided not to compete for another 12 months and try to build some muscle however I'm a bit of cardio queen so again this hasn't all gone to plan. I suffered from anorexia as a teenager and I used exercise to burn the few calories I was consuming so my addiction to running or any time of hard core cardio is very much ingrained in my brain......must do more cardio, must do more cardio!!!!! I found a couple of months ago that I was feeling a little skinny and flat and hungry and basically felt like I was "flogging a dead horse".

I was frustrated and upset that here I was eating right (or so I thought), no lollies!!! training hard (way too much cardio) etc etc and I wasn't gaining anything I was just loosing muscle............again and I could see myself going down the same road again and getting sick so I thought what do I do???
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Penne Clayton

" I first contacted Lisa this time last year when the pressure of working two jobs and doing voluntary work in a fairly remote coastal area coupled with a 5.30pm vino habit was starting to impact on my previously trim figure.

In the big 09 (apparently big 09 is a coromadel expression referring to Auckland - go figure!) I had been a daily Gym/dance class type of girl. The nearest gym now was over the water in Whitianga and the nearest dance classes were over the hill, an hour away in Thames.

I was in a serious rut and down at the mouth when a girlfriend suggested I check out the Go Figure site as Lisa was doing an 8 week challenge and maybe I should give it a go (I think she was just sick of me moaning to her about my fat arse!).

I started Lisa's 8 week challenge and proceeded to eat clean, exercise and drop over 5Kg's. It literally changed my whole attitude to life, gave me heaps of energy and made me fit my old 09 clothes! Even the no alcohol, no morning latte was a piece of.... Um.... cake?! I felt virtuous and was enjoying a clear head (once the caffeine detox headaches stopped!)

Lisa was there at the end of the phone - or more often email - with support, diet tweaks and the sweet way she has of saying ‘don't be a pussy, suck it up and get on with it'; it was just the right type of motivation for me!!

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Kirstine Nelson

Meet another one of my Super troopers, Kirstine Nelson. Initially I started advising Kirstine on her nutrition leading up to her first comp, the NABBA Nth Harbour 07, but this year she's been brave enough to be trained by me every fortnight since beginning of the year. So far she's still 'enjoying' our sessions. This year we've been working on mass building as last year she was training too lightly, so Kiristine's had a few aching muscles after our sessions...and she loves it... I love sadists!

Kirstine and Lisa

We've had to find ways to overcome some of her physical issues. One of them being since she was in a car accident in her teens, one side of her body is slightly weaker than the other and she can't quite get that oomph she needs on one side to get weights up, especially when doing shoulders or chest as her wrist is a wee bit weak. So she can't go that heavy by herself.

Nonetheless, Kirstine is a fighter and we've come up with ways to try and overcome that problem. I've got her to wear a tight wrist strap on the weak wrist and have incorporate some chest and shoulder machines where she doesn't have to have too much control and can just concentrate on pushing a reasonable weight.

Kirstine is quite tall, well taller than me!, so its been challenging trying to put some size on. But slowly we've added some mass and have managed to get her legs leaner too after many plyometric sessions and stair work. We're aiming for the Nzfbb comp in June and with not too much time to go now Kirstine's working warp speed to get there. We're looking at the bigger picture and Kiristine is using a contest goal as a focus she can use to keep fit and trim but we all know the real journey is maintaining a good and healthy lifestyle which is what I try to hammer into all my peeps.

And now a word or two from Kirstine: Read More

Nat Muscles Up

" I have been training with Lisa for 6 months after never working out with a personal trainer before. I was used to exercise but not being pushed by someone else. I found Lisa's energy and determination to get me in shape was enough for me to abide by her rules and kick into action. I was very appreciative of Lisa's honesty when she told me I was a skinny fat person and that was enough for me to make the effort that has been life changing for me. After surrendering from my cheese and chocolate addiction, I am now training at a level that I never thought possible and am in the best shape of my life. You have been amazing Lisa so thank you." Nat Hammond, Jan 09

As Nat admitted, she was one of those skinny fat girls. Nat looked healthy but on closer inspection with my calipers she was 23.34% eventhough she was only 56kg. However after many months of pumping iron and a better eating regime she's now a healtier 55kg and 13%, and most importantly a 3kg increase in lean muscle mass. Since most of our workouts have been at her home, I've had to come up with some interesting exercises and uses of her home furniture. One of these exercises is for Nat to have me on her back while she squats me. I thought I'd break her! but recently she managed 12 reps for 3 sets. Good one Nat! Read More

Ivy Purkiss

Hi, well my name is Ivy, and I have enlisted Lisa to kick my butt and turn it into one mighty fine one! I'm no stranger to training, around 6-7 years ago I competed in my first ever body sculpting comp and came 4^th in the Novice Figure Tall, not bad considering it was my first. I had always yo yo dieted and after years of trying to get pregnant decided I needed something else to do to keep my mind off having babies...and I absolutely loved it, it was the hardest thing I had ever done, but the achievement afterwards was well worth the sacrifice.

Not long after competing I fell pregnant (after 4 years of trying/treatments and so fourth) and went from 58kg to 105kg! Yep I was massive, the year of no bread and all that good stuff, came back with a vengeance, it was all I craved during my pregnancy, obviously causing the huge weight gain, I can tell you that there are no pics of me pregnant and if I was at the shops and caught a glimpse of myself I didn't know who was staring back at me.

Ivy 'gimme pain' Purkiss

Not long after the birth of my daughter who is now 5 years old, I fell pregnant again when she was 3 months old, which for us was a huge shock considering we were told we would probably never have kids, then had one and dear god now I was pregnant again, so another 9 months of being 105kg! I was not happy. My son is now 4 and im starting to take control of my life again, it is so hard with little ones, and easy to make excuses for not being able to do anything. I am currently weighing in at 75kg, I am not looking to be the 58kg person I was, but I want a nice shapely toned healthy body. Read more

Testimonials

Sarah's Drive, 10 March 09

Penne Clayton

Kirstine Nelson

Nat Muscles Up

Ivy Purkiss

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