Curious about what your first month of personal training might look like?

This page is for those who want to dive a little deeper. My homepage gives a quick overview, but here you’ll find a more detailed picture of what to expect when we begin working together. Think of it as a behind-the-scenes look at how I help clients start their journey safely, confidently, and with the right foundations in place.

Starting personal training is exciting — but it’s also a mutual learning curve. My aim in the first month is to understand exactly where your body is right now so we can create a safe, effective, and enjoyable plan for the weeks ahead.

Step 1 – Free Consultation & Discovery Session

Before we begin, we’ll have a no-cost consultation to discuss your goals, health background, and lifestyle. Once you’re ready to start, our first session is deliberately light — it’s about assessment, not pushing you to exhaustion.

Step 2 – Understanding Your Starting Point

Our first training session is all about you — where your body is now, how it moves, and what it needs. This is the blueprint for your future progress. We’ll:

• Assess posture and movement – spotting old injuries, joint limitations, and postural imbalances that may affect training.

• Check functional movement – testing the 7 primal movement patterns (squat, lunge, push, pull, hinge, twist, gait) and your ability to move confidently in different planes.

• Evaluate core strength and stability – assessing where your core strength and stability currently sits

• Record key health metrics – blood pressure, resting pulse, weight, and waist circumference (if weight loss is a goal).

• Dig deeper into your health and lifestyle history – understanding your daily habits, previous exercise experience, and any health considerations.

This stage is essential not just for prescribing a safe and effective plan, but for laying the strong foundations we’ll build on in the weeks ahead.

Step 3 – More Than Just a PT

In your first month, I’m not just your trainer or coach — I’m your teacher.

You’ll start to understand how your body works on a biological, anatomical, and physiological level. This knowledge is key to long-term progress, and it takes time to develop.

That’s why I don’t throw most clients straight into high-intensity training. Unless you’re already an athlete aiming for performance gains, we’ll build gradually — mastering the fundamentals first.

Metaphorically speaking: before you can run, you’ve got to learn to crawl.

Step 4 – Skills & Movement Foundations

Many people haven’t exercised consistently for years — and that’s okay. In your first month, you’ll learn (or re-learn) the skills you need most from the list below. These aren’t exhaustive, and not every method will suit everyone, but they give us plenty of options to choose from:

• How to hip hinge safely – protecting your lower back and improving movement efficiency.

• Proper form for lifting free weights and dumbbells – so you get stronger without risking injury.

• Simple core strengthening and stabilising techniques – building a solid foundation for all movement.

• How to get the most from a Concept2 rower – for a powerful, low-impact, full-body workout.

• How to balance your training – avoiding overuse of certain muscles or movements.

• Safe and effective TRX techniques – for versatile bodyweight training.

• Kettlebell training basics – if you’d like to add variety and functional strength work.

• Other effective tools – such as resistance bands, calisthenics, stability balls, and BOSUs.

I’ll also identify any exercises that aren’t right for you right now, and we’ll adjust your training as needed. My goal isn’t to push you into dread! — the only way to build sustainable exercise habits is to make the process something you actually look forward to.

Step 5 – Adapting to You

This month is also about recognising what you don’t like, which exercises might feel awkward, and what methods suit your body best. True personalisation means I’ll constantly adapt to what you need in the present moment.

You might be surprised how quickly I learn your likes and dislikes. I’m not just your trainer — I’m someone you can lean on, a trusted guide and confidante. I notice when something feels too challenging, when you’re ready for something fresh, or when your eyes glaze over because it’s all sounding a bit too technical that day! When that happens, I’ll adjust the plan and keep things moving in a way that feels right for you.

Your health, fears, and anxieties matter — and I’m here to support you through every step, both physically and mentally.

Step 6 – Nutrition Awareness

In this first month, we’ll also begin exploring the nutritional side of your journey — especially if your key goal is to trim down or improve your body composition. Nutrition and mindset are absolutely vital partners to exercise. While training builds resilience and strength, we need to acknowledge how certain dietary and lifestyle factors might be fuelling inflammation or holding you back.

There’s a reason the saying goes, ‘you can’t outrun a bad diet.’ If you’re ready to face your eating and drinking habits honestly, I’ll be here to hold you accountable — whether that means fine-tuning small tweaks or planning a more significant reset.

Often, when the scale isn’t moving as you expect, it’s a signal to look a little deeper — not just at calories but at the quality of what’s fuelling your body. Together, you can decide whether to start with a full reset or aim for gradual, sustainable improvements that fit your lifestyle.

Step 7 – Becoming Body Smart

Getting the picture so far? By the end of Month One, you’ll ideally:

• Be more in tune with your body’s signals and needs.

• Know how to manage post-exercise soreness (DOMS) with tools like foam rolling, myofascial release, and mobility work.

• Have better core awareness and stability.

• Begin building neural pathways (neuroplasticity) and reactivating dormant muscles — laying the foundation for bigger gains to come.

Step 8 – Ready for Progression

By Month Two, you’ll be primed for progression. Stamina and endurance will start to improve, your form will feel more natural, and your confidence will grow. The hard work will pay off — and we’ll have a clear, personalised path forward.

The takeaway: Month One is about assessment, education, and building the right foundations — physically, mentally, and technically. We start slow, we start smart, and we start with you at the centre of the process.

Together, we’re setting you up not just for short-term results, but for lasting change and a healthier, stronger future.

Feeling ready to begin? Just click here