5 /5 Laura Bartkova: I have always felt intimidated by the gym. As a newcomer with no prior experience, it can be overwhelming - you don’t really know which exercises to do or how to properly use the machines for weight training in order to see real progress over time. Starting at Oxford and joining the volleyball team motivated me to return to the gym, both to improve my physical fitness and boost my volleyball performance. At the same time, being a full-time student, I’ve also found that the gym helps relieve pressure and supports my mental health.
However, since I only knew a handful of exercises and was just getting familiar with the squat rack, I was very keen to seek out professional help to achieve my goals. When I got in touch with Louis, we had a chance to get to know each other and talk before our first session about my goals and what I wanted to learn and improve. He was very understanding, and I felt he immediately grasped what I hoped to achieve.
During our first session, we focused on exercises to help me increase my vertical jump and build my core strength. Louis introduced me to a wide variety of exercises, emphasising the importance of proper technique, whether with free weights or machines. He was extremely supportive, which motivated me to push myself harder, and he was also very kind in answering every single question I had no matter how simple I thought they were. He went through everything with me thoroughly, and although I felt extremely sore afterwards, I was proud of myself for the resilience I showed thanks to his guidance and patience. I left the session not only feeling accomplished for completing such challenging exercises, which tested both my physical and mental strength, but also much more confident in the gym, something that is so important when starting out.
I definitely want to continue working with Louis. He is an expert at what he does, and I believe he can help me grow both as an athlete and achieve physical improvements I’ve never managed on my own. I would highly recommend Louis’s personal training to everyone, including other students. While I understand that financial barriers can be significant, I strongly believe that the sponsored training sessions would greatly benefit anyone, improving both their physical and mental wellbeing, and helping them become stronger individuals.
I very much look forward to continuing my training with Louis in the months ahead!