SUCCESS STORY - MO MALHOTRA

Chris is intimately aware of a vast array of exercises and how to do them properly, but more importantly, the right exercises that one needs to do for (1) their ability level and (2) their fitness targets. That’s largely expected from any PT, but Chris goes above and beyond to answer my (very regular) queries about nutrition and diet, supplementation, optimal recovery methods, expected speed of progress, and a wide array of other topics related to achieving my targets.

One of the major attractions that training with Chris has for me is that I live an inordinately busy lifestyle and just don’t have time to go to the gym and have to ‘think’ about what I’m doing today. One shouldn’t underestimate how much time it actually takes to plan a fitness regime and constantly monitor it to ensure that it’s consistently challenging. Chris does this for me in a way that I feel is very tailored to me as an individual. This gives me the confidence to know that if I turn up, I’m going to have a good session.

I get bored pretty quickly and am definitely not one for the routine or the mundane. One of the big attractions that’s kept me going back to Chris is that he consistently mixes it up. No two sessions are the same and he’s very flexible on the day, pushing you that little bit harder if he can. He introduces new exercises regularly (when he thinks you can take them) and then builds up your ability on those new exercises over time. Variety is also crucial to ensure that your body doesn’t get too used to what you’re doing and Chris is very aware of this.

I honestly have no idea half the time how much I can lift on which exercise. I just turn up and lift the weight that’s been put out in front of me. What I have noticed over the last few months is that, for example, I started lunges with 10kg in each hand and all of a sudden I’m at 22.5kg. Chris very gradually increases the weight being used in each exercise, and tracks this carefully, to ensure I’m constantly improving.

I’ve had a gym membership for at least ten years and frankly the money might as well have been flushed down the toilet, because I wasn’t accountable to anyone and if I slipped there was no one to get me back on track. Partly because I train with Chris, and partly because I do so in a group session with three other guys who are always pushing each other, has meant that I’m extremely accountable and will definitely hear it if I start to slip.

The complete change from inactivity to exercising very hard is going to hurt, and this is the first hurdle where I have often given up in the past. After the first few sessions with Chris I needed to be assisted to my car, and sent lots of texts to Chris the day after saying ‘should I really not be able to walk?!’. The major benefit of having someone knowledgeable like Chris training you is that you’re not going to ‘hurt’ yourself. You’ll have pain because you’re progressing and your body is changing, not because your technique is wrong. Chris is extremely strict about ensuring the correct technique is used so that I don’t end up hurting myself.

There have been sessions with Chris where I’ve been immobile at the end. There is absolutely no way I would ever put myself through that kind of session, I’d just give up half way through. Having someone there encouraging and challenging you throughout is invaluable to the amount you’ll get out of any session.

Chris has started using social media a fair bit lately and I always learn something from the e-mails that he sends around. He also puts on a monthly challenge (with a financial incentive!) which I find is just quite nice – to compete against the other guys he’s training. You by no means have to do this, but I’m quite competitive by nature so it’s something that I quite enjoy.