Have a watch of this Video to meet SJ Fitness Clients at LBT classes

Jean, Agnes, Jean and Lucy have been coming to LBT classes for many years - they are well into their 60s, I am sure Jean would not mind me telling you she will be 70 very soon! They all work very hard in the classes and at times show up the younger bunch :-)

Amy Mackinnon

My name is Amy MacKinnon and I wanted to share my experience of SJ Fitness. I joined SJ fitness at a time where I was forgetting about myself. I work in the NHS with patients all day and on the weekends I was working as a presenter at a radio station. I was so busy that I had forgotten to take care of myself, spend time on myself, and think about my appearance and my figure. I realised that my self esteem was low because I was doing all the things I thought I should be doing and not making time to work on me – feeling better about myself and getting fit.

I was walking my dog Barley one day when I saw a Smart car with an advert for SJ Fitness on it – I went straight home and checked the website out online. I loved the idea of personal training as I knew I wouldn’t back out if I had an appointment with a trainer 1:1 and also I knew I wouldn’t be able to slack off at the back of an exercise class. I was impressed at the prices and the choice of bespoke packages available.

I was nervous about taking the first step but as soon as I emailed the girls at SJ I was welcomed and encouraged. My first session was hard – I was so unfit and wanted to tone up. The trainer assigned to me was Joanna and I can honestly say she made all the hard work bearable and distracted me with great chat – which is useful because I am usually so out of breath I only want to listen!

I have completed my first block of 10 personal training sessions and I feel great. I have now started my second block of 10 sessions. I am exhausted at the end of each session – and during – but I look forward to the next one. My friends and family have commented that I have lost weight and look great but most importantly I feel great. I have made time for myself and I can see and feel a big difference – I’m getting fitter and happier in the process!

During my first block of personal training I also joined Running for Softies – something I have always wanted to try but never thought I’d be any good at. Well slowly but surely I can run for longer and longer and I still want to get even better – it’s addictive. Michelle was brilliant and kept the group motivated whilst still teaching us solid running techniques.

I have got my family involved and they have joined activities at SJ Fitness; my Mum has joined the running group and my boyfriend is doing personal training.

SJ Fitness is not just a gym or a fitness centre; it is a homely, welcoming place that allows everyone to enjoy getting fit in their own way with professional, knowledgeable and friendly staff. Try it – I bet you love it. I love it and I won’t forget myself again.

Susan Harris

Susan Harris did not have lots to lose or lots of inches - it was more the last stone we all hold onto and then general toning. That Susan has achieved and more. Susan is 20lb lighter, feels so much fitter and we can all see the inches that have dropped off her. She now has a very slender figure - so much so clothes she just bout a month or so ago are now falling off her! Susan took 8 weeks to get the 20lb off doing a combination of things. Bootcamp, personal training and classes - she had her goal set and went for it.

See Susan's before and after video

Susan Swarbrick

Susan Swarbrick up-date on how she is getting on.

I started my first boot camp at SJ Fitness on July 27, 2009 – and fell in love with getting fit. Before that I hadn’t exercised in almost five years. I was in appalling shape. I couldn't even climb a single flight of stairs without getting out of breath.
At my first weigh-in my chest-waist-hip measurements read as follows: 40-37-47 (yup, 47-inch hips…), while my body mass index (BMI), the measure of body fat based on height and weight, was 32.8, making me clinically obese.

In just over seven months I have lost three stone and my chest-waist-hips measurements now read: 36-30-37 (four inches from my chest, seven from my waist and 10 from my hips).

The transformation to my life has been amazing. In hindsight I've realised I wasn't really living life properly before because being unfit and overweight held me back from so much.

One of my biggest achievements has been mastering running. If you had told me this time last year I would be training to run a half marathon I would have laughed (I took taxis everywhere). In fact, I’m smiling as I write this as it still seems incredibly surreal.

In the spirit of my progress, I decided to join the weekly Saturday running club at SJ Fitness. On that first outing (September 19, 2009) I ran for a minute, then walked for a minute to build up my stamina. It was tough but I loved the challenge.

Soon I started to see a huge difference. On one occasion I managed to keep going for six minutes; on another for 10. Then came my breakthrough. It was the final day of my fourth boot camp and I decided to go running for my personal training session.

I wanted to try to match my previous personal best of running non-stop for 10 minutes, but in the end surpassed that and ran for 45 minutes without stopping, covering almost four-and-a-half miles. It was November 27, exactly four months to the day since I started. There could be no better testament to how far I’d come.

On December 13, 2009, I did my first race, the 5k Glasgow Santa Dash, and completed it in 32 minutes without stopping – in a full Santa suit. I am currently training to do two 10K races in May, another in June and the Great Scottish Run half marathon in September.

The team at SJ Fitness are fantastic and the support they have given me over the days, weeks and months has been amazing. Particularly helpful has been the advice on food and nutrition (while I liked to think I was fairly educated about healthy eating, I was in fact clueless, and their guidance has been so valuable).

Because SJ Fitness is a boutique fitness studio, you get to know everyone (and the trainers get to know you, all your little nuances and help you through those tough times). There's always a great atmosphere. I would thoroughly recommend it.

Featured in the Herald Jan 2010 the start of Susan's journey

Mandi

This is Mandi, a personal training client. We used Herbalife nutrition and exercise with Mandi, to get her into her new shape! She is now 4 stone lighter and 5 dress sizes smaller!

Robert

Robert is a Bronze personal training member and attends 2 pilates classes per week along with boxfit and circuits

Robert has been coming to SJ Fitness for 5 years. He first attended a Pilates beginners course as he was having terrible problems with back pain, after he completed the beginners he then went onto the intermediate classes. After 3 months we got his back pain sorted and massively improved his flexibility that was causing huge problems to his back. Robert then went onto Personal Training sessions. he is now around 2 stones lighter, is as fit as a fiddle, has zero back pain and massively changed his body shape, composition and size.

Jean

Jean attends Legs, Bums & Tums classes Monday and Thursday

I have been going to SJ classes for 6 years now. It was hard at the start but now I keep up with everyone in the class. I have lost 2 dress sizes and managed to keep myself fit and active I am 68 and feel better now than I did in my 50's. I would recommend this class to anyone who is new or a regular exerciser — there are all shapes and sizes here!

Simmy Bajwe

Simmy attends Legs, Bums & Tums, Pilates and Salsa

I have been attending SJs classes since February 2005, I try to do at least 2 to 3 classes a week. So far I have managed to drop a dress size which has resulted in me having gained more confidence because I now feel a lot better about myself.

I would like to lose some more weight and tone up all my flabby bits.
The training I have received so far has been second to none. I have been to exercise classes before and found that I have only stuck to them for 2 months maximum because I felt that the support and encouragement that I needed to continue was lacking. I have been to S-Js classes for 12 months now and look forward to them each time. SJ is very supportive, and even with someone who is shy like myself, she makes sure that I am included in the group. SJ provides a varied number of classes so there is always one that I can fit into my personal schedule.

I would rate the classes 10/10. They’re brilliant!!

Would you recommend it to someone else?

Absolutely without a doubt, and I have.

Lynne Crawford

Lynne attends Legs, Bums & Tums class twice a week.

She has done extremely well after only having given birth to her 3rd child 9 months ago! Here are some of Lynne’s emails to me.

“Thanks a lot for your e-mail its so nice to know that you take such a personal interest in the people that you train. It makes a world of difference to know that some one out there cares about the way you look and feel.”

“Well all the hard work is working as one of the girls at the class last night commented on how she can see a big difference around my tummy area which was lovely to hear, cause it gives you a little boost to keep putting all the effort in. I am actually feeling so confident within myself now and can see and feel a huge difference to every area of my body.

So a big thank-you for all your help in letting me achieve this honey”