Melanie (Glasgow)

I have been interested in fitness all my life and keenly read up on the latest diet and fitness trends. Celebrities like Davina McCall & Gillian Michaels inspired me. They were clearly extremely fit and dedicated to obtaining a healthy toned physique.

I bought every DVD and diligently followed their instructions. They are technically good but I couldn’t get the results I wanted. My weight was around 54kgs at the time and at 5ft 4in weight wasn’t the problem. All I wanted a flat toned stomach, what I got was good arms.

I tried kettlebells, joined yet another gym and cut the carbs. My arms got more toned, my tummy continued to jut outwards. At this point my weight started to climb inexplicably and I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid which slows down metabolism, disaster!

At this point I was totally consumed by what the scales said. Having never struggled with weight this was a major blow, the scales edged up regardless of anything I did. I met Paul Rutherford for an initial consultation one Saturday morning just over a year ago.

Over the last year Paul has taught me the following facts:

• Everyone is different and diet and exercise need to be tailored appropriately
• His regime takes your where your body needs to go, not where it wants to take you
• A fit healthy body for life is far more rewarding than short term weight loss
• The weight on the scales doesn’t reflect how you are going to look in your favourite dress

I now have the abs I always wanted and a lot more besides. I am leaner, more toned and I stand a lot taller. I had considered that my posture wasn’t so great but I failed to spot the impact of how slumping at my desk impacted my appearance or my future health.

Paul can spot every weak point and tailor your program exactly to what you need to improve. It’s going to push you right out your comfort zone. You will see results that you could never achieve alone though. He has over 20 yrs experience in personal training and has helped people of every shape and size.

Having been a gym goer I was shocked to discover that I didn’t know how to use resistance equipment or lift weights correctly. Paul patiently explains all the moves and constantly monitors progress while pushing you to achieve beyond anything you could imagine. All this while keeping injury free, as a 4 times world champion powerlifter he can show you how to safely execute any move. It is pretty cool to be able to squat using the bar and the results are amazing!

At the outset I was looking for weight loss and toned abs.

What I got was an overall toned physic, clearer skin, more energy and a positive attitude to health and wellbeing that will last a lifetime. It took me a while to stop focusing on wanting to be thin and start being healthy. Now I can only imagine how much better I will look and feel with each month that goes by. I can’t wait to get to the gym and see what Paul has added to my uniquely tailored plan.

It’s hard to believe that I didn’t consider personal training before. I suppose I thought it was expensive and I knew how to exercise.

It isn’t and I didn’t.

I failed to see that women I aspired to look like were either personal trainers themselves or employed them. If I consider the money I spend on clothes, make up & hair the cost is small by comparison. I have received far more compliments on how well I look every day now than when I was dressed up before.

No-one can predict what will happen in the future. However, I can truthfully say I am doing everything I can to maintain my health, fitness and youth for as long as possible. I couldn’t have achieved this without Paul’s expert help and guidance.

M.Mitchell (Glasgow)