No compromise!

I am a girlie girl. Not a high maintenance one! Just a girl. I own one pair of jeans and a hundred dresses. There is no PJ in my wardrobe; I wear nighties....just because I am a girl. I wear high heels, makeup and pink headbands. I like good guys. And flowers, lots of them. I talk to my dogs a lot, to my plants and trees. Cause I am a girl....and a dreamer. But things change when I go to the gym. Even there, I still wear my makeup and my headbands. I am still a girl.... but I lift heavy weights with rough guys. I am not gonna change for them; they have to change if they want me around. It is quite weird how they never swear or speak dirty in front of me. This is probably because they know I am a girlie girl. Let's be straight here: I am not an angel, but, for those of you who don't know this already, I am immortal. Yes, I am. I will always be around, me or somebody like me!

I train garls and guys and I enjoy my life. I also manufacture organic products. I believe in organic, in pure materials. It is amazing how oils and water mix together into white moisturizers. I wish you can all see that! Maria is my business associate for years and I see her not more that 10 times a year. The business still goes well without us waisting time on planing it. However, when we meet, just to discuss production or sales, we forget about everything and we talk about children and veggie gardens. Two blondies in business, how weird! A few months back, we turned down a huge contract, the winning ticket to our retirement really. So, here we are, blue eyed Maria and I, both wearing pink dresses,  in the huge conference room of a huge company and these guys, very arrogant by the way, offer to buy hundreds of thousands of products from us if we change our products' formula a little bit here and there. We have chosen carefully our suppliers and buy from them only certified organic ingredients and these guys ask us to go with the flow, be modern and make cheap skin care. I don't compromise on quality. Maria doesn't either. So they keep talking their talks and at one stage I turned to Maria and asked "Do you want wealth or just happiness?". And then we both  left that fancy conference room. We never heard back from the guys and this is a good thing really because I know that they haven't understood that we are just two girlies, two blondies who will never change just because we live in the 21st Century. The wild 21st one. 

I don't compromise in any aspect of my life. Neither should you.  It's all or nothing. This is my life and I am living it  my way. If you want to be part of it or just train with me, you have to understand that I will always be a girlie girl, who wears make up and high heels and dresses and headbands....and I don't compromise! :)

My peeps

I may not be Alice and I may not live in Wonderland, but my world is mine only and there is no hate, violence, discrimination, judgement in it. It's just Brigitte's world and it is full of good people. My peeps may be full of tattoos or piercing, may seem weirdos to others, but they make sense to me...and I make sense to them. My peeps are all sorts of colors and nationalities, men, women and children, young, old... My peeps are my peeps and nobody has the right to judge them! We see each other in gyms, we sweat together and there are so many belly laughings when they are around

There is that gorgeous girl, client of mine, young, beautiful soul, always perfectly dressed. Only my peeps know that she, the girlie, has so many tattoos that it would be impossible to really count them. They know it because they see her outside of the corporate world she lives in. They see her in the gym, where she is just an average girl with a young beautiful soul. Alice, sweetie, this is for you! :)

Then there is that old guy who could probably be my grandfather's age (if I would have any). I met him when I first arrived to New Zealand and I just signed my first contract with a huge gym. I used to talk with him a lot mostly  because I totally adored his 5 years old grandson. People were afraid of him and I never understood why nobody trains close to him.  I was told then that he was a gang member long time ago and he was lucky enough to escape. Actually, I wasn't told that! People only told me a name of a gang and I though "How cool! He is a former rocker", because I didn't know, and still don't know, anything about gangs. As I've already said, there is no such a thing in my world. Anyway, I still talk with that guy when I see him occasionally at the supermarket. Still with his grandson around. Just a few minutes ago, I've seen him in one of the local shops and he told me" You know blondie that you are the only one talking to me?". And, to be honest, I am quite proud of that! Bill, buddy, this is for you! :)

And there is John, the guy I used to train for more than a year, every Saturday at 2:00pm. Hard working athlete! I knew well his wife, great lady, his kids, amazing guys! One Saturday he was late for the session and I asked one of the ladies at the reception if she's seen John walking in the gym. I was quite shocked when she asked me "John, the black guy?". Nah, just John. But then, ten minutes later, when John finally arrived, I realized that John actually is a black guy from Jamaica. I never seen that. For me he was just a great athlete I trained. Again, because there is no skin color in my world! John, you taught me so much, thanks! :)

And then there is that Chinese guy, another amazing athlete I trained and prepared  for a comp. He didn't understand my accent, I didn't understood his. For the sake of the training, we both learned Chenglish. I don't remember him having too many friends around because he was different. Nobody knew that, because he had to provide for his kids, he had three jobs and he took over the fourth one only to be able to afford paying me. Jay, keep going, buddy! :)

There also is the amazing Gail. She is a client I see once a week. Super lady, hard worker, great mother, busy as, but she still finds the time to train and get to results that others can only dream about! She just got engaged and I was the first to know. What an honor really! Me, the blondie with an accent, who created a brand new world where all these people can fit in. These are my peeps, they and many others. Guys, it's never too late to live in a world like mine...no hate, no tantrums, no arguments, no fights. Just love really. I will always keep the door open, but once in, there is no escape. Just because I am a keeper! :)

Nonethical ethic

We were born in a world ruled by all sorts of beliefs and practices, where rituals, not morals though, are sacred. Nobody questions, everybody follows. If you are something like me, you would definitely try to cross boundaries so, you dreamers, see you on the other side! 

I was taught that a woman always stays on the man's left and for years I wondered what's wrong with his right. Then, I realized that, growing up in a country once part of the Roman Empire, we had to follow Roman's rules. Apparently, they were wearing their swords on the right side so nicely placed their consorts on the other side. That may be true, but I don't remember men wearing swords anymore...maybe their mobile phones, but I don't think that would be so dangerous for any woman. Also the story about opening the door to a woman except when it is about the restaurant's door, where the man would always open the door for himself (!!!) and step in first. Apparently, this comes from the times when, entering in a pub in Far West all one could expect was a bullet.  How many fire guns have you heard lately in a cafe or dinner? Then the whole story behind black cats. Good or bad luck? Just depending the nation you grow up in. 

But if you really want to see rituals taken to extremes, just hop to the gym. I love gyms, always did, always will. I grew up in gyms, I loved, cried, shared, worked in gyms. They are everything I am. And just because I love them so much, I will never follow their unwritten rituals, but I will always watch them with a smile on my face. Just look at the big guy in the centre, full of muscle and arrogance. He always breaths in loudly three times (no kidding, 3 is the magical number) before pushing almost nothing on a chest press machine. Then there is that huge noise when he finally gets the weight way up (remember that even a teenager could lift as much as him). And then everybody watches him with so much admiration; is like he invented the square hula hoop. But probably the most followed behavior in any gym I have ever stepped in is "throwing the dumbbells". Every guy does it; every chick is impressed! So, get the dumbbells, as heavy as possible, then perform a biceps curl and then very majestic throw them on the floor. As bigger the noise, as more fans! 

And then there is the ladies corner. If you want to hear a secret that nobody knows (except the whole gym!), you must go there. There you will find out about every partner, what food they like and what not, where they work and how much they earn, but mostly how lazy they are. And all this comparing their partner's bad behavior with the exceptional one of their exes. 

Cross the lines, people. Go to gyms to have a workout! Once again, I will be on the other side waiting for you! :)

One day at a time

I can't stand horror movies. Never did. Why should I pay money to be scared? They are so many twisted things in this world that would freak one out...for free. And I don't like surprises. Neither nice, nor bad! I believe in a world where what you see is what you get. Maybe this is the reason why I work in fitness. Scales, measurements, assessments don't lie. People can, but fitness testing is accurate!

I met so many people who wander around without knowing where they go. Especially in gyms; people who have some kind of goals and they believe that achieving them would be a result of running like crazy on treadmills, punching boxing bags for hours or doing supersets. It doesn't work like that. They haven't invented the law of cause-effect and neither did I. Don't get me wrong: I do believe in muscle confusion and I use it with all of my weight loss clients, but this is something a trainer can apply when ever is needed. Not a regular gym junkie. 

Take one day at a time and, when in gym, slow down. I know you've seen all the biggest ever loser TV shows, but there are shows only; not real life. How can you believe that a trainer has the right...and lung capacity to yell like a maniac while pushing those poor people to do a hundred sets of push ups? Is that the trainer you would hire? I really don't think so. 

The easiest task for a trainer is a weight loss client. A breeze really! The hard stuff starts when a client wants to put on weight. That's when a trainer gets the hard work and has to use all the knowledge in the world. Pick the trainer you feel comfortable with, but remember that pushing you to success doesn't mean yelling at you or swearing. Nothing like that.  I am a strong believer in the Law of Attraction. never had a client I didn't like. If I felt that we cannot have a connection, I referred him or her to one of my colleagues. Just because I knew that no sparkle, no results....and, at the end of the day, no pay cheque. 

Open your eyes wide when you hire a trainer and, if you cannot afford one, remember that advices are always free. And once again don't rush it: one pound at a time would do it just fine!

The last Abraham

So, finally, after being lazy for too long, I got back to my maiden name: Abraham. And if the web is still confused and cannot identify who's the new Brigitte Abraham, you guys, my clients, should know better. It is still the Brigitte you know, but much happier! With my miss missy name on my brand new driving license. 

The name on my book? Haha. Ask the editors. It will take a while until the author's name will change. It is like somebody has to reinvent the hole in the macaroni. But, once again, still me, the last Abraham in my long line of great Abrahams! :)

Always yours, :)
Brigitte Abraham

With the power invested in me....

So you want to lose some weight? Best thought ever; not just that you would look better, but just think about how your self confidence would increase. All good once the decision is taken. 

Let's just go together through your options. You could sign up at the local gym, spend there ridiculous amount of time, use the machines how you think they have to be used. You could even attend randomly fitness classes. And then wait for the results. You cannot imagine how many people I've seen, during the years as a Personal Trainer, working out hard with no results. Because of the disappointment, some of them ended on anti depressants, others in broken relationships. I am not saying here that people break up based on weight issues. I haven't. I am just saying that I've seen many people in their first day in the gym...and then one year later, noting changed. 

If exercise is not enough, you have another option: try a kind of diet you believe is the best in your case. You can even look it up on the Internet. There are so many there and, if you think that picking one that has a sophisticated name would help you, go ahead. More than welcome to try it out. You could even swallow some diet pills, fat burners or fat mobilizes or appetite suppressants, A year later, however, you could be back at the starting point; no weight shifted, no success celebration, lots of money flushed in the toilet. 

I always believed that when people are tricked into DIY fitness projects, they don't really know what they are jumping into. It is like taking some thousands from your account and throwing them in the rubbish. Same result really! On top of that, some painful injuries...and broken dreams.

People think they know how to lose weight. They also believe that what can it be so hard to lose some pounds here and there when you have a gym membership card in your wallet, plus you attend many fitness classes and cut a little bit on carbs and bubbly. Now, let me say it as it is: I don't chop my hair, I go to Jo, she's the best, she knows what I want, she has the experience and knowledge to make me look pretty....or prettier. I don't rub all sorts on my face pretending this is  a facial treatment. I go to Maria. She's the best in what she does and she will look after me. I don't chose what medication is right for me when I burn with fever. I go to Ingemar. He's my doc, he knows me.   Why on Earth I would go to the gym without using a trainer?

We, Personal Trainers, as I've said it so many times, sell you a dream and make it reality. Your reality. We are there for you at 5am and accommodate your workouts late nights or in the weekends, when others relax. We design an individual program just for you and show you what diet works for you best. We don't have an universal nutrition program, nor a fitness program that's good for everybody, woman, man, child. We can tell you how long it would take to achieve your goals and we are almost never wrong.I am a Personal Trainer;  I do the same. And, one day, not later than I decided with you that we will be working together, you would hear me saying "With the power invested in me, I pronounce you....slim and lean!". And then, I'll see you for coffees and chats! :)

Think kittens.....or puppies

What on earth can be harder than abs exercises? Nobody likes them, but everybody wants the six, or lately eight, pack. They are exhausting, boring and more than likely horrible!

When I was just a little girl, my coach taught me something I carried with me forever. He used to say that when life gets hard and you have no hope, it's better to visualize what you love more. Back in time, for me there were...kittens. When I was like a gladiator watched by the whole world and training got hard, when I was injured and nobody cared, kittens always saved me. Life around me just turned off and all I've seen were kittens, all sort of fluffy, curly, colorful kittens. 

My former coach, bless him, would be so proud knowing that I passed his advise to my clients and sometimes, during hard workouts, they make me laugh. When training gets taught, I just hear my clients saying "Think kittens"...and it seems that it works for them as well as it worked for me. 

People change and I've transformed a lot as well. Lately, kittens are not enough, so, puppies give me a better result. It comes with age, I guess, or maybe with wisdom! However, no matter what you visualize, that would take you out of the reality and push you harder. Please believe me when I say that it also works outside of fitness. When life make you crunch and taught times are the only ones you know, think kittens...or puppies

Cheating weekend

Our clients believe that us, Personal Trainers, are perfect; we exercise like crazy and eat right all the time. Just remember that we are human as well. It's true that we may exercise more than others. It's also right that we watch what we eat. At the end of the day, there are so many classes some of us teach and we have to be in shape to make them happen for you, our clients. 

I was an athlete. I used to train for fun...and for living as well, but that was such a while back. I had to be in shape then for the sake of the game and I have to be in shape now because I want it. There is no such a thing as perfection and who aims to be perfect would get badly disappointed. I never ask my clients to reach perfection, because this means living in an imaginary world. One can live in a virtual world for a while, but the fall is huge when reality kicks back. I ask my client for excellence; I truly want them to be as excellent as Apple or Adidas or Roger Federer are. I push them to live the socratic advise, to know themselves! 

As a trainer, I want excellence. As a former athlete and as an average human I want normality. Many of my clients constantly ask me where are the boundaries in fitness and how can they reach goals in a normal, 21st Century life. The truth is that cheating is part of normality and I don't mean cheating in a relationship. I believe that honesty, integrity an morality  in human rapports is sacred. Therefore, where are the boundaries? It is even simpler than you believe. Be 100% during the week, workout hard and eat right and allow yourself a cheat day in the weekend. Don't go crazy; give the body a rest time and indulge in something you craved during the week. Our bodies function as a perfect mechanism. They know when we starve them, so giving the body a little bit of junk would make it think "well, all good, he/she doesn't starve me anymore, so, yep, I am feeling just fine". Always remember that even Zeiss clocks need some grease from time to time. Not laird, just a little bit of fatty stuff. 

It's long weekend here in New Zealand. Have a little bit of fun, indulge a little bit of crazy craved food and back to the real life on Monday. See you all in the gym. Remember that you are doing it for yourself only!

Go hard or go home!

I never liked players. They lie, they cheat, they make things look worse than they really are. Even when they exercise. I may be a softy, but not when it's about my work! I wake up before 5am and keep going to late in the night . I love my job, but my house, my rules; nobody cheats on me in my studio! All my clients know how hard they had to work out with me. I may make it fun, I may laugh and joke a lot to help my clients forget for a second about the pressure of their workouts, but I ask for excellence. Because I give them excellence. 

I remember one of my dear friend who used to train with me a while back. Anytime I asked for a set of 12, he replied really serious "I am happy to do 5". Haha. Nobody decides what and how the workouts are because, behind the scene, I design every session according to the weak and strong points of my clients, based on their level of fitness, health and injury screening and focusing only on their goals. There is a science behind every workout; I don't just make it up on the spot. Same with my classes: I choreograph them and my clients know that every class is different, harder and harder in time. 

There is a written contract between me and my clients and an unwritten one as well. This one is based on the ethical code of my profession, but it also says that if you want to reach your goals you have to go hard or go home! There would never be half measures or cheating! During the years, I had clients who came to their sessions looking weird and, right after they entered the studio door, said that they "feel sluggish". So I sent them home because I knew that with that attitude there would be no achievement. I would never understand what sluggish means as well as "not to bad" is. Is it bad but not very bad or good but not so good? Anyway, this is just me. 

Thus, if you decide to change something in your life and you want to make it through fitness, go hard. Otherwise, you are just wasting your time. Put your heart where your mind is or vice versa and give it your best. Amaze yourself, make yourself proud of how committed you can be and just go for it! As said it so many times, but I will do it once again: my clients are my models, they inspire me, they are part of my life and they are really important. My clients are my champs! 

Fitness starts in your head

We were made to keep moving. The desire to be better, faster, leaner was implemented in our heads ever since humanity appeared on this planet. There is no human who can affirm that has invented fitness. Fitness was a reality centuries back when we were just hunters and gatherers.  Fitness is in our genes. 

At the beginning of life on Earth, humans exercised to survive. And what bodies they had! Just have a look at the Spartans and their exercise routines. Us, trainers, are still inspired by Spartans "bootcamps" and our desire is to help you, our clients, to look at least as an average Spartan. Once again what gorgeous bodies, what speed and what strength!

The medical/ chemical industry cheats us every year by throwing on the market a new magical pill; one that can make us be leaner, stronger, faster, better! The advertising industry stays behind every pill created; a supermodel or a famous socialite "borrows" her/ his look to prove that the new pill is something that has never been invented before. The bees knees! Once the illusion created, people buy more and more of the new pill and, before they realize that it doesn't work more than the one invented a year before, another miraculous pill is advertised by social media. If I would have only one penny for every slimming pill that I have seen during my years as a Personal Trainer, I would be a multi multi multi millionaire. But I am not!

Don't let yourself lied by overnight fitness. There is no pill and no three minutes a day workouts that can make you leaner or fitter. There is no machine that can give you a six pack in just few minutes a day. Abs are made in the kitchen! There is no cheating when it's about fitness. Fitness is no sophisticated thing. Remember that we are moving beings and at the end of the day fitness starts in our heads. If you want to make a change in your life, if you want to live better, move easier, look your best, then follow the Spartan's example. Exercise smart, don't under do it, don't overdo it. Just do it! Eat smart, dream to be fit and go for it.

 I truly believe that everybody can be as fit as it can be. There is no fitness standards. I also believe that fitness is a way of life. I wasn't be in this business if I would have a doubt. As a trainer, I look up to everybody who choses the  fitness path, especially these days when it is so convenient to live in mediocrity. These people are my inspiration in being a better trainer. 

What if there is no tomorrow? Chose to be fit today and have lots of fun.

Sweat is fat crying

There is no more sophisticated runaway than the gym. Yes, it is. The rule is simple: the shortest the better! If you want to see what's new on the market, what's the year's most wore color or what's the way of showing more than enough, then you definitely should go to the gym. All the brands are in your face there! 

I remember one of my training buddies years back who was barely able to return the ball on the tennis court, but the tops and shorts and dresses she used to wear, my oh my,  would made the world's tennis champ red of envy. Another one, a guy I met more recently, absolutely adored brands. Not made in China ones! For him a Nike T-Shirt for example had to have imprint the name of the brand as visible as possible. And in as many colors as the rainbow. Otherwise how would you know it is a Nike shirt? I always hated advertising  sports gear for free. I still do and I still believe that the gym is a place where people should exercise, not make others feel underdressed. The rule is not complicated at all. You go in, do your workout and go home! 

Tattoos are personal; why show everybody who you once loved and broke your heart or what part of Europe you have visited as part of your OE? It's fine if you decided to have a belly button ring; why should the whole gym know you have one that  sparklier than your workout buddy's one? At the end of the day, you are there to burn fat and get fitter. 

Grand mania is so visible in the gyms today. These days people prefer posh gyms and posh workout clothes. Remember that big champions trained in garages with no air cond and no flash machines and they still made it to the top! And if I mentioned posh, another buddy thought that his sports knowledge would increase and his dignity and honesty restored if he builds the most expensive training studio. Skills and knowledge comes with hard work and morals develop in a lifetime. Like your clients results actually! 

So, let's just cut it straight: you can wear the most expensive sports clothes when you workout, you can put your flashes lippy on if you don't workout hard and sweat. Because at the end of the day, sweat is fat crying! This is something my clients know very well! Once again, I salute you, my clients, for working out with me for the sake of the hard work, focusing only on being better! You are my champs! :)

You are limitless

No better time than Winter to start exercising. If you want that great beach body closer to the Summer holidays, then you have to start now! If you are like me, you would start analyzing how long it takes to achieve your goals, how hard it is and what you have to give up to have enough time to get where you want to. 

So, let's take it slowly. Firstly: your goal. You want to lose some weight. 5kg, 10kg, 40kg, it doesn't really matter how much as long as you realize that you have to do it. Secondly: the work you have to put in. I won't lie. It is hard work and you have to kick your arse even before you see any results. Visualize your dream body; wouldn't be nice to get it? My advise as a Personal Trainer is to remind yourself everytime you feel weak that you are doing it for you only. Nobody lives your life and nobody has the right to push you, not even your lover. Only you can to push yourself. The good news is that there are no limits when it's about you. You can do things you never thought you can! And let's be honest, it is fun to go beyond boundaries. Risky, adventurous and super fun! 

Thirdly, the time issue. We live in such a stressful and fast era. It's 21st century and an hour seems a second...when you don't prioritize. How many times have you skipped your gym sessions just because you were too busy doing something else?...Like a cuppa here, another one there, a few minutes listening to a goss, another few flicking through a useless girlie magazine....Add all these minutes together and here it is the hour you missed at the gym today...and maybe tomorrow. Pull yourself together. Everybody has an hour a day when it is about doing something for yourself. Let's be fully serious: your gym time is your time only. There are no children asking you to do something for them, no partner demanding attention, no work mates or bosses asking you to perform more professional. It s only you, your thoughts, your music, your goals. And I would remind you if you forgot already. You are limitless. You can achieve whatever you focus on! I would tell you what I always repeated to my children : dream big, start your journey and never stop. 

I'll be your best friend!

A beginning of a relationship is like a miracle. Nobody sees it coming and definitely nobody knows where it goes. A client/ Personal Trainer relationship is no different. It is an honest  agreement between two individuals: one has to achieve and the other has to design the way to success. 

As a Personal Trainer, during the years, I have worked with many people. Hundreds, thousands? Much more! But any time I met and assessed a new client, I had the same butterflies in my stomach because I knew I would be hired by a human, a person who may have insecurities about their look, a person who has to achieve a goal and who doesn't know how to get there. And I also knew that it was my head in the smasher if my client would not reach success. I knew that this was a beginning of a relationship that in time would become pure friendship. I also knew that my client is scared, threatened by the thought of hard work or just embarrassed. Therefore, because I've been there more times than any of my clients, I told them all "I may not make sense to you now, but you'll see that I will become your best friend". All of my clients have heard the same thing and you know what? I became their best friend right after they reached their goals. In the same time, they became my best friends as well because they listened to what I've said during the long training hours, worked their buts off, achieved their goals and I was there to see them sweating, struggling, tearing, crying or laughing. We've been on the same path together! 

No champion is born. A champion is made through hard work, perseverance, commitment and desire to be the best you can be. If you are just starting a fitness program, a weight loss one or a conditioning one, just visualize yourself at your absolute peak. How much can you achieve? The world is not enough for how far you can go. The sky is the limit! Everybody started one day. This may be your day!

My clients are all champions. Gold medal, first class ones! My clients knew that I sold them a dream and I was able to make it reality. My clients live their dreams every day! So, hat off, for you, my clients. I admire you, I salute your achievements and I celebrate your success every second! 

Fit is the new skinny

Every decade brings a new stereotype of the perfect body. In the '30s, boyish look was the ideal for every woman, the '50s brought the curves, the '60s the "free your mind body", in  the '80s and 90's the colors and complicated outfits covered the possible fatty parts of bodies. Some years back, anorexic skinny was the desire for every woman, who was decided to use not matter what to get there. Nothing was to much: slimming pills, hot patches, hours of sauna and aerobic classes. 

These days however people got smarter about their look. They realized that a great body without health worth nothing. This is how the idea of fitness for wellbeing grew more and more with every day. Now, let's get to the point. Would you like to be skinny and pale and unfit? Would you like the clothes you are wearing to look like hanging on a stick? I really don't think so. The 21st Century brought a phenomenal concept regarding our look: fit is the new skinny. Who doesn't want to look and feel fit? 

Being fit means being confident about yourself, but also means working on your body on a smart way. You don't have to spend 5 hours a day in the gym, nor to attend every possible fitness class in the world. Being fit means being active and it starts with small changes in your daily routine. Walk more instead of driving, take the stairs instead of the elevator, wash windows instead of paying somebody to do that, do some gardening, play a sport for fun, move as much as you can instead of watching TV. I know it's not easy, but make a change every day. Fight stress and depression by being active. When all these are part of your daily life, go further. Set a goal, lose some weight, start a proper fitness program, do some weights, eat right, pick a trainer, ask for some help, be honest with what you want to achieve. Not long after, your body will start changing and your mentality as well. And after a while, I can assure you that you will become your dream. Fit is truly the new skinny. As a Personal Trainer,  I have seen so many fit body and believe me when I say that they looked skinny just because they were fit. Don't worry if you are overweight. The fittest people in the world were like you one day. It is just a matter of time and perseverance. If you really want to make a change in your body, you will get there. 

Start your changes today! 

How to lose weight...and lots of it!

It is never too late to start a weight loss program. If you really want to look and feel great, get in shape for the  beach, now is the best time! You gain weight with every day of indulging, allowing yourself more food than you really need and less exercise.

 Just think about what a kilogram a month would add to your body after a year. 12 kilograms a year and if you continue with the same lifestyle, in 5 years you may end up being 60 kilograms heavier. Don't let that happen to you!

People think they know how to do it. They believe they know the equation of losing weight, getting in shape and looking great. Some may do, but most don't! Doctors know they stuff, builders know theirs, carpenters know their work, fishermen know how to fish and so on. Personal Trainers know how to help you achieve your weight loss goals. Let's admit it: that's what they do best!

Leave aside the thoughts of saving money by not hiring a Personal Trainer when you have to lose weight. It doesn't work according to your plan. You may save some money now, but let's be honest! If you don't lose what you have to now, the effects of carrying the extra weight won't just make you feel angry, fatigued and disappointed. You may end up having high blood pressure, high cholesterol, even heart problems. What about knees and lower back pain? And not getting pregnant after years of trying just because you are overweight? On top of that you will hate seeing yourself in the mirror.

No magazines that advertise miraculous diets and exercise programs will work for you. Stop spending there! Do you think that a diet in a random magazine works for everybody? We are all different. Do you possibly believe that a weight loss program, advertised in media, will make you lose 10kg in 10 days by following it 3 minutes a day? For once in your life, leave the professionals to do their job. Hire a Personal Trainer, be focused, let yourself be motivated, do exactly what your trainer says you should do and the results will show. Do you believe that it is too expensive? What about the money you spend on weight loss magazines, "healthy" foods, recommended by so called miraculous diets,  that rotten in the fridge, hopeless machines advertised on TV that promise wonders, fat burner supplements, "diet" shakes and so many other useless things? HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH WHEN IT'S ABOUT YOU?

If you want my advise, aim for the best Personal Trainer. That means somebody who has the experience, and I am not talking about 1 year in the industry; as many as possible. Find the trainer who is specialized in weight loss. Why would you choose somebody who feels more comfortable in other areas? Then check if your trainer is registered. This means that a national board considers your trainer at the right standard. And lastly, don't forget: a good Personal Trainer is a busy one, booked to the max. This is the trainer you want. This is the professional who will work with you in achieving your weight loss goal.

My name is Brigitte, I am a Registered Personal Trainer, working in the industry for many, many years, I am specialized in weight loss and body sculpting, I never had dead times and I would love to work with you. Choose a package that financially works for you, casual rate, 5 week, 8 week, 10 week or 20 week weight loss program and let's start today. You won't regret it. I NEVER HAD A CLIENT NOT REACHING HER/HIS WEIGHT LOSS GOAL AND BELIEVE ME YOU WON'T BE THE FIRST!

Click here to contact me.

Bootcamp time

It’s that time of the year again when the air is fresher, the wind is more tamed and the sunshine is slowly peaking itself out. You all know what this means? Bootcamp time! 


Our popular 5 week bootcamps have been the success stories of many part takers in the previous ones.  Our bootcamps consist in 10 workouts of 45 minutes of intensive exercises each, twice a week.  This means that  you will get to play outdoors and work towards a more leaner, toned and fitter body! The spaces are limited and the program has a very high demand so don’t find an excuse, because there isn’t one.

To book one of Brigitte's bootcamps, please email: brigitte@fitandtoned.co.nz

To book one of Dorel's bootcamps, please email: dorel@fitandtoned.co.nz

The cost for 10 bootcamp workouts is $150 per person. The spaces are limited and previous times spots got filled up quickly. 

Fundraising bootcamp for Christchurch

I am sure we are all affected by the Christchurch tragedy. We are a small country and therefore we should help each other out. Fit and Toned Personal Trainers organized on Saturday, 19th March, at 9:00am, in Stanmore Bay, an one hour bootcamp at a cost of $5 per person with all the funds raised donated to the Christchurch earthquake funds. 

We knew that this hour of your time when you exercised guided by professional Personal Trainers could help lots of the people that need us at the moment. We were right because the bootcamp was fun and we raised some serious money.

We would like to thanks to all who attended the fundraising event and donated generously to Christchurch. During this event, we raised $835. The funds raised have been deposited on Monday, 21st March, in the Christchurch Appeal Funds/ Red Cross account.


The fundraising bootcamp is only one of the charity events our trainers plan to organize this year. We would love to hear from you in regards to further charity actions.  Feel free to comment or just email us.