Life As a Personal Trainer During COVID-19

Interview with Isabelle Maddocks, a 23-years-old personal training from Hitchin, UK about how a hobby became her career.

Photo by Evie Penington. During the Oner Active 2020 campaign

Isabelle Maddocks is a level four personal trainer, who join the fitness industry after her new hobby turned out to be her passion. Maddocks started training about 5 years and says her journey started with a lot of cardio and after two years in moved into weight training leading her to create her coaching programs and training.

Why did you decide to become a personal trainer?

‘I was doing psychology at university, and at the same time, I started training as well. Then I end up not liking my degree, so everyone was like, ‘you should do fitness’ and at first I said, ‘No, I just enjoy doing it as a hobby’ and sometime later I started my PT course.’ At first, I did like my PT course, but I didn't want to be a personal trainer. I thought I’d become a teacher and go teach children. And one-time during dinner, the job opportunity came up, so I just took it and now I love it.’

What is your favourite aspect of being a personal trainer?

‘Seeing people who come into the gym and don't like it or do not feel confident at first.

And after a few months down, they're like “I love it”. Seeing people start to enjoy training and get confident in the gym is rewarding because it feels such a chore for them at first and then they start to love it and it's nice to see’

Do you think training has changed you?

‘Yeah, it's probably made me more confident if I look back to before I used to train. I think I'm more confident, within myself. Since it's a very individual thing and you just sort of work on yourself and then it translates to other parts of life massively.’

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/ab4e97_143bf8881fc84da59998b897f9e06a5a/720p/mp4/file.mp4

Video by Sannah Amani During the Oner Active 2020 campaign

How's training different now than before COVID?

‘Well, you spend a lot of time wiping down equipment in the gym. it's very individual, some people are more comfortable with how everything is being run, and then other people are a bit more cautious…So, respect what they want, keep your distance from people.’

‘Obviously, all gyms are different, but where I go we have a booking system so it's never over their capacity limit, which is nice. It makes the gyms quieter and more spaced out, but it just seems like the norm now’

While the gyms closed during the lockdown, how was the experience of training at home?

‘I think the first lockdown had good experiences because it was during the summer and you could train outdoors and at home as well, but even without home workouts, you could go for walks, runs and you could do stuff in the garden.’

‘I think it was fresh, so everyone was trying to keep themselves occupied. Everyone was doing more and then I think the second lockdown it became much harder to stay activate or do anything just because it gets darker and colder much earlier and you don't want to go out of the house. I didn't want to go to the garage to work out and didn't do much really.’

How was training with clients, during the lockdown and when returning to the gym?

‘During the lockdown, I did a few outdoor pieces of training, which again was nice because it was summer, less nice in the lockdown just gone. As well I did quite a few on FaceTime and Zoom with people who had equipment at home, so that was very different. I'd never expected to do that, but I think now we've had to do it. It's quite nice to know that if it ever happens again, it works. It is not ideal at all, but it works...Post lockdown, training with people was pretty similar. Just other than the dynamics of cleaning all equipment at the gym, the sessions were the same.’

What are you looking forward to your career and your goals?

‘I do have a few goals, as it's coming to the end of the year I am thinking about yearly goals and then I'd break them down. I have my big goals for the year and then I'll have a few monthly goals and weekly goals'

'My life is a list...I am a very routine person, so it becomes more like habits that I want to tick off each day. I am a very active person, I like to do things otherwise, I do not know what I'm doing’

I'm looking forward to next year and just having more consistency and hopefully not being in and out of the gym. Also, I have some fitness goals. I want to do a half-marathon, but not saying it out loud. It sounds too scary. Cause I haven't run in ages, but these are little things I want to do’

What is your favourite exercise?

'Definitely a lat pulldown, that is what I missed the most during lockdown'

What does balance mean to you?

'Balance is enjoying fitness without feeling like you are compromising on other aspects of life! Not feeling as if you have to say no to things that deep down you want to do, such as enjoying certain foods! Unless of course you have a big big goal like a competition that you’re working towards'

Favourite sportswear brand to train in?

'Would you expect me to say anything other than Oner active for that! Honestly I need a set for every day of the week, it’s so comfortable'

What is your favourite exercise?

'A lat pulldown, that is what I missed the most during lockdown'

What does balance mean to you?

'Enjoying fitness without feeling like you are compromising on other aspects of life! Not feeling as if you have to say no to things that deep down you want to do, such as enjoying certain foods! Unless of course, you have a big goal like a competition that you’re working towards'

What is your favourite sportswear brand to train in?

'Would you expect me to say anything other than Oner active for that! Honestly, I need a set for every day of the week, it’s so comfortable'

Who inspires you the most?

'Such a cliche answer but I have to say both my Mum and Dad! They’re so selfless and I watch them both put so much time into helping people, which is exactly what I want to do! They just want the absolute best for everyone around them and do everything they can to help them.'

In two words, how would you describe health and fitness?

'In two words, that is hard! I have been trying to think of two words since last night and I still can not. I think I have to say ‘for everybody’

Isabelle and her brother Joe created their Instagram account called Maddocks training where they share weekly and daily workouts.

If you are ready to start your fitness journey or want to know more about her online coaching you can contact her via Instagram.