Obesity Personal Training Case Study 

This case study of one of my personal training clients in Northampton covers her 12 month journey. 

This case study has been written by Tracy in her own words 

My obesity weight loss and personal training fitness journey 

I started training with Andy in July 2018 as I had issues with my right knee and as I was getting older found I ached a lot and although I used to train with Andy as a Taekwondo student, since starting my business in July 2013, this had fallen by the wayside as time and injuries kept getting in the way or excuses! 
 
So I started personal training with Andy as I said in July 2018 and it was quite scary how little I could do and also how my body didn't move like I thought it still should, age, a desk job and little to no exercise, I didn't even like walking the dogs because I didn't like walking much. 
I had been training with Andy for several months and although I was getting stronger and able to develop my training a little, I knew that I would never be able to improve my flexibility and strength enough unless I also focused on my weight. 
 
I had never been bothered by my weight, although I was rather large, well obese and as far as the NHS Weight Chart showed I was actually quite near the very obese category. I was a dress size 18 and had been for quite a lot of years, in fact my weight was pretty stable. 
 
So the next stage of my journey was to focus on my weight, so I joined Slimming World, although I had played around with the idea for a few months before finally taking the plunge. 
 
So I got on the scales for the first time in I don't know how long and being very conscious that I was obese, I didn't actually want to know how much I weighed really, so I decided that I would record my weight on kgs as quite frankly that didn't mean anything to me, as I understood weight in stone. 
Before my personal training in Northampton
At my weight goal
So I first got on the scales and weighed in at 101.5kg, basically just under 16 stone, I had no idea what weight target I wanted to get to so thought of it in dress sizes, I wanted to lose enough weight to get back into a size 14, I don't know how many years ago that was. Well with Andy's support and help as my personal trainer and with the complete change to my diet (which was quite easy, except giving up wine, that was hard!) 
 
I never thought that I would show these photos, but the first photos were taken at the end of September 2018 and the second set were taken in July 2019, a 5 stone weight loss and now in a size 12 clothes (with a couple of size 10's) and now under 11 stone, I am now at my lightest ever weight and smallest dress size as an adult, because at 18 I was a dress size of 14. 
Before my personal training in Northampton
At my weight goal
Although most of the credit for my weight loss goes to Slimming World, my personal training has a massive to part to play as well, as I am more flexible than I have been and stronger.  

My Personal Training Journey from Obesity to Healthy Weight, Northampton 

The training at the beginning was really difficult, partly because of the problems I had with my knee but also just getting up and down off the floor wasn't the easiest and my weight itself caused a lot of issues. What seemed like the easiest of positions to get into, really weren't, so not only was it difficult physically but it was also mentally difficult, realising that I had allowed my body to get into such a state that even kneeling on the floor was painful. But Andy was amazing, he totally understood my limitations with the personal training sessions and worked around them or adapted exercises that I could perform, knowing that in time I would develop enough to be able to complete them fully. He was also aware of my moods and tailored sessions around how I was feeling, whether that was issues with my knee, my state of mind or issues with my back, as I also had quite a weak back, which also hindered things. 

My Turkish Get Up Journey 

The Turkish Get Up is was always going to be a challenge for me, my knee didn't like bending too much and my own weight made and lack of flexibility made it very difficult, although the Turkish get up is meant to be done with a kettlebell it is also a body weight exercise and these three videos show my progress across the year 
In this video, I can only perform a small part of the exercise and I have a 4kg kettlebell. 
In this video, I perform the whole exercise and this mas a massive achievement for me, although I can only do it using my own body weight. 
Full Turkish Get Up with a 6kg kettlebell, so proud of myself, I am now working on being able to complete this with a 8kg kettlebell, nearly there! 
The first few movements of the exercise with a 4kg kettlebell 
The whole Turkish get up with a 4kg kettlebell, although I cannot stand up with it in the air. 

My Kettlebell Journey 

The kettlebell has felt like my friend and my foe depending on what exercise I am doing and at what stage I am at, but I can see such great achievements as my strength has improved. Andy knows exactly when I am ready to progress and always encourages me, he seems to know my capabilities far better than I do, as he has proved this so many times, when he says I'm ready for the next step, I just believe him and sure enough I can do it. 

Kettlebell Swings 

This wasn't the first kettlebell swing that I did, but it was the first one we videoed, I am using a 12kg kettlebell here - Oct 18 
I have progressed to using a 16kg kettlebell in this video - Mar 19 
This was the first time I had tried the kettlebell swing with a 20kg, it still needs work - Jul 19 

Single Arm Kettlebell Press 

I debated whether to use these videos as there is no significant improvement from Oct 18 - Jul 19, as I struggle with the strength in my left shoulder, but then I decided to show them anyway as an example that some exercises do take longer to improve 

Single Arm Kettlebell Swing 

There isn't a lot of progression in my single arm kettlebell swing from Oct 18 - Jul 19, although I have progressed from a 10kg to a 12kg kettlebell, again this is more about my shoulder strength that still needs improving 

Kettlebell Mills 

This first video, is just two photos of my performing the Mill with a 4kg Kettlebell - Oct 18 
I have progressed to using a 6kg kettlebell in this video, although I needed to use my leg to support me back up - Feb 19 
Progressed to 8kg kettlebell, although again I needed to push against my leg to stand up and I could only do one each side - Mar 19 

My Indian Clubbell Journey 

I quite enjoy the Indian Clubbell, well most of the time, not so keen on the presses, but again that is due to lack of strength, which I am working on, there are not many videos of me using the Indian clubs early on as I did find them very difficult, but I am improving well with them now (still don't like the press, lol).  

Indian Clubbell Swings 

This first video, is a 8kg Indian Clubbell swing and is the first video that I have although I did start lower than this - Mar 19 
I progressed to using a 10kg Indian Clubbell in this video soon after Andy bought it - May 19 
I progressed to 12kg Indian Clubbell quite quickly for the swing- Jul 19 

Indian Clubbell Swing, Clean and Squat 

This is one of the exercises that I am most proud of my progression, and that is because of the squat, as I mentioned earlier I used to have massive issues with my right knee, to the point that most personal training sessions it would get aggravated as it didn't like bending too much, so to squat did cause me a lot of issues and they were also off to one side and it took a long time for me to manage more than one squat at a time. Now I am pain free when I squat, I can get very low and do multiple squats. 
This video is the first time, I attempted the Indian Clubbell Swing, Clean and Squat and as you will see I had to rest the 8kg Club on my shoulder to be able to complete the squat, this took me a long while before I was able to complete this as it needed a lot of work - Nov 18 
This is the first time that I performed the Swing Clean and Squat with a 10kg Indian Clubbell while able to hold it steady during the squat, I am so proud of this video - Jun 19 
I wanted to show this photo, just to show how my squats have developed, I am holding an 8kg kettlebell and was able to complete sets of 5 of these - Jun 19 
If you have got this far, thank you for reading, the twelve month journey hasn't always been easy and there have been times that I wanted to quit, but with my determination and with Andy's support I have seen a massive improvement in my mobility and flexibility, he is a great personal trainer and I cannot recommend him highly enough, he really is very different from any other personal trainer in Northampton and probably Northamptonshire.  
 
I am able to do so many things now that I struggled with before or couldn't do at all, I can wear high heels all day, I can't remember the last time I was able to do that, I can go into a shop and buy whatever clothes I want, without thinking, they will make me look fatter or won't suit my body shape, it really is a liberating feeling. I don't suffer with any pain in my knee now, so bending down or kneeling down are not a problem at all. I also used to suffer with my back and if I was standing for too long, I would be in agony, again no issues with this now, recently I held a BBQ for friends and was prepping food from about 7.30 and then cooking and never sat down until about 6pm, I couldn't have done that before without experiencing back pain, yes some of that is due to the weight loss, but with the personal training that I have been doing with Andy, the strength in my back has improved. 
 
So if my story has inspired you in any way, then please get in touch with Andy by clicking here or call giving him a call on 07854 7013875 and please feel free to leave a comment below 
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ANDY JACKSON - PERSONAL TRAINER 
ANDREW JACKSON SCHOOL OF TAEKWONDO 
 
If your looking for a Personal Trainer or Taekwondo Classes in Northampton please call me on 07854 701385 
or alternatively click here to complete my short contact form. 
 

  Andy Jackson, Personal Trainer and Taekwondo classes in Northampton and surrounding areas. 

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