Who Am I?

A woman’s strength is often determined by her ability to deal with stress, run a household, keep things together in a time of crisis, deal with loss, childbirth! and so on. Rarely are we determined by our physical strength. Indeed, physically we are the weaker sex (science proves it – testosterone blah blah – and that’s OK) but just because we are weaker it doesn’t mean we have to be weak.

When I started my own strength training I had no idea where it would take me. All I really wanted was a flatter stomach. I never imagined the sheer joy I would feel as my lifts went up, the thrill of moving a weight I never thought possible and the confidence it would instill in me.

And that during all of this that my body would change in the absolute best way possible.

There is a myth going around that if women look at weights they will instantly grow huge muscles and look like a man. I’m here to tell you it’s just not true. Not only is it not true, it’s actually very difficult for most of us! Some of us have genes that grow muscles more quickly than others, but generally, women find it much harder to build muscle than men – because – testosterone.

Either way, I enjoy being feminine and strong at the same time. I have no desire to grow big muscles but I do want curves in all the right places. Weight training gives you those curves and a feeling of pride you won’t find anywhere else.

Did you know that after the age of 35 (35 ffs!!) our bone density starts to deteriorate? Lack of bone density is what leads to osteoporosis, bone breaks and fractures in later life, which, as we start to age, can be very dangerous. Who else has a story about their great aunt who went into hospital with a fractured hip and never came home? Osteoporosis is a debilitating condition which affected my beautiful grandma for many years. Strength training actually puts minerals back into the bone, increasing bone density. Some women are sold on that alone.

Oh, you don’t want to build muscle you just want to tone up? That’s great!

Except that toning doesn’t actually exist! Think about it – what does toning mean to you? Nice curves? Good Shape? Defined arms and legs? Cool. Now how do you get that? Toning is actually building muscle to create the desired shape and losing fat so you can see said muscle shape. That’s it, that’s toning – defined muscles and less fat – and it all starts by lifting up some weights.

There are a whole host of other benefits you will get from strength training, which I cover in my blog 7 Unexpected Benefits of Strength Training for Women but for now…

The women I work with want to be strong physically and mentally, they want to be fit and healthy, with bundles of energy, they want to feel sexy! And they want to ensure their quality of life remains as high as possible for as long as possible.

And that’s what I offer with every single personalised programme that I create.

But wait, Who Am I?

Lucia Williams, Personal Trainer, pleased to meet you.

I am a REPS registered personal trainer with the following additional qualifications:

Sports Conditioning
Exercise Referral
Circuit Training
Group Indoor Cycling (Spin)
Group Outdoor Fitness

Having spent 12 years working in finance I ‘found’ myself and gave up a lucrative career to start my own health and wellness business. I spent 5 years working with clients online, researching the latest health trends, blogging, producing videos and designing a cutting edge, state of the art, science backed online weight loss programme before I decided I wanted to get back out into the world and work with people face to face.

In terms of my own fitness journey, I think it’s good for you to know I’m 37 and my journey started late in life when I discovered, quite by accident that exercise is a great way to relieve stress. It all started when a friend asked a few of us to do a charity 5k run and I, uncharacteristically, said yes. As with all things in life, I take my commitments very seriously. If I say I’ll run 5k for you then I’ll run 5k for you. And so, as if a marathon was on the horizon, I hit the gym (and by gym I mean treadmill) and started running. And that’s when I discovered that little oasis of space, when you are so focused your mind is at peace, there is no phone, no work, no drama, no stress, no destination, just you and the goal you have set yourself. I was hooked.

Fast forward a year and I’m sitting on a mat in the gym and a Personal Trainer approaches me and offers me a free session. Sure! Why not?! Little did I know this PT would later become my mentor and teach me the secrets so many women are missing when it comes to getting results;

The difference between cardio and weights.

The difference between exercise and training.

Again, I was hooked.

Now I take everything I’ve learned from helping others (and practicing on myself!) and I use it to create programmes designed to get you maximum results in the minimum amount of time, taking into consideration your unique and beautiful body. Together we will use a combination of weight training, HITT and body realignment techniques to maximize your full potential.

Forget what you saw on Instagram, it’s not real.

This is real. And so are the results.