My clients have ranged from complete beginners to advanced level trainees. What ties everyone together has been the desire to do more and to be more – inside and outside the gym. It typically suits those who'd benefit from face-to-face help, regular accountability and an accelerated learning environment. You need to be 'ready, willing and able' to engage in a programme that will ask you try new things, keep to new habits and treat your programme as one of the priorities in your life.

Absolutely not The best way is to get started and get guidance, support and good habits in place, in order to break through the obstacles that have held you back in the past.

This depends on a few factors: How many sessions a week you opt for (I provide my recommendation during our consultation) Whether you're getting PT as an individual or as part of a group Whether you're a student or not I have 16 price points based on the variables above, so you'll be advised of your personal pricing during your free consultation. I offer reduced rates for those taking more sessions weekly, students, groups and (beyond the Test Drive) those who opt for longer-term agreements. Fear not: I always have a couple of alternatives for you, should price ever be an issue and, from an ethical standpoint, I never take a client on if I feel it would overly stretch them financially. If PT is out of your budget, there are many other ways to work with me. Personal Training represents an investment in yourself. It is a premium service, but the value my programmes deliver is very high.

I'm able to train a maximum of four people simultaneously, provided they have similar goals and ability levels. This has been a very popular option for some of my clients who want to step up their training with their friends, partner, colleagues and so on - at a reduced per person price. Simply tap any of the buttons on this page and you can book a Group PT consultation free of charge.

I've begun training people who have never set foot in a gym prior to their first session with me...all the way up to athletes who are highly experienced and competent. In short - your experience level isn't even a factor with me. This, combined with my empathetic approach means I'm the go-to trainer in gyms for those who are new.

A popular question - and it all depends on your starting point and goal(s), consistency, genetics and starting body composition. Some notice changes in weeks, others in months - it varies. What I will say is that I have an excellent track record of delivering results across all 4 Pillars (fitness, nutrition, lifestyle and mindset) very quickly. You can also expect to notice positive changes to your physical and mental health during our time together. I am a responsible coach, so you'll work up to more advanced exercises, nutritional protocols and so on at a pace, based on 9+ years experience, that I deem appropriate. We never crash diet or have you performing unsafe exercises. I build results that last for years.

I see Personal Training clients in the gym Monday to Saturdays currently. Beyond this, my overall business hours can be found here.

Absolutely. I've worked with nurses, firefighters, restaurant workers, store employees and many more who have changing shift patterns - often week by week. Ordinarily I do prefer regular consistent weekly session slots, but this is the real world. I have been a shift employee for many years myself and try and accommodate this with my clients. In practice, we'd work around the clients who do have their regular slots. As these will have been decided far in advance, it would be a case of you picking up the remainder - and you'd need to be flexible enough to accommodate this - coming in on your day off or before/after your shift if needed. I have a great track record helping shift workers using my systems. If it really isn't possible to fit in sessions, I do allow them to be carried over up to a point (this depends on how long your programme is). Carry-over sessions are there in case you took a holiday or had an emergency, but we'd work together to minimise these being used. The more you're able to meet your weekly sessions, the better your results.

The vast majority of the people I coach have invested into a long-term plan. With this comes the need for a level of flexibility and realism on both sides. We all take holidays and have events and things to attend. For Test Drive clients, I allow a maximum of one weeks worth of sessions to be carried over (for planned breaks, illness, emergencies, etc). On longer-term PT programmes, I can allow up to four weeks carry over - it all depends on the programme length you opt for. Ultimately, progress can be severely hindered with a stop-start approach, and these caps reflect both my flexibility and desire for you to do well. In some cases, extensions are instigated by me. Three times a year, I have a two week 'shutdown' whilst I take a personal break - these are usually around Easter, summer and the Christmas/new year period. You get a further extension to your programme during this time (unless they coincide) with the added bonus of two free weeks of programming in all aspects. I set you up fully before I go, ensuring no progress is lost whatsoever.

Absolutely. Many of my clients start with me with two or three crossover goals. For example, a beginner who'd like to reduce body fat. Or a member of a sports team, who'd like to improve performance and build muscle. On your initial Q&A, I ask you to choose one primary goal (the most important short-term objective), but we can easily combine others. We'd chat about this during your consultation, if required. We work in something called 'Training Blocks.' This is where we take, say, a 24 week programme and chunk it down into 4 blocks of 6 weeks. We then agree what we'd like you to have achieved in each of the 4 blocks. By the end of your first block, you might feel that you're well on the path to progress. By the end of your second block you might even be ahead of schedule. Come the third block, you might have already achieved much of what you set out to do - in which case we pivot. In some cases, pivoting is actually a desirable outcome. It means you've 'unlocked' other avenues of training and progression - and you're stimulated to try new things. Take Kate, an initial body fat loss client - who reached her goals ahead of time and went on to focus on athletic performance (specifically Olympic Lifting). Or Jack, another body fat loss client, who lost enough weight to be able to take up a new sport (in his case, American Football). Progress should unlock doors. Ones you might not even have known existed until you start to get closer. As your coach, I encourage you to pivot when the time is right and am able to support you fully with the transition.

I don't at the moment, no. Do, however, feel free to email me (hello@thefitlife.co) if you have any specific requests - I have trained clients in their homes before and take requests on a case-by-case basis.

It sure is! I offer a 50 minute consultation, including an extensive health check and informal chat completely free.

Typically up to 50 minutes - although I usually have some buffer time at the end, should it run over.

I run my consultations at The Gym Group, 224 Portswood Rd, Portswood, Southampton SO17 2LB. It's a lovely, modern & superbly equipped gym, close to transport links and with free parking. It has everything we need to perform a through consultation.

No - just let me know on your form that this is the case and I'll make arrangements for you to visit the gym as a non-member for your consultation. Please note that if you'd like to begin PT with me, you must be a Member of The Gym Group, Portswood throughout your PT programme, in order to receive sessions. Your membership will need to be appropriate to the time you have PT sessions (ie. you can't have an 'off peak' membership and receive PT during peak hours). There are no exceptions for this.

During our 50 minute session, we'll conduct a brief gym tour (if you're not already a member of The Gym Group Portswood), perform an individual 15-Point Health Check and hold an informal consultation. Your Health Check will measure: Height Weight Body fat% Muscle mass Bone mass Visceral fat Local muscle measurements Resting heart rate Blood pressure Somatotype Body water% Lung function Grip strength Cardiovascular endurance Mobility levels in up to 7 key areas We aim to take a 'broad sweep' of many useful health metrics. I then use the data to both help recommend a suitable programme for you and, should you begin PT, to help inform my planning. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to build a programme that'll get you the best results - now and in the future. The mantra is: 'what gets measured, gets improved.' We'll take all the measurements above, so we have a record of your current physiological and biometric 'start point', which can be extremely useful down the line - even if they don't necessarily relate to your current goal(s). For example, if you have an athletic/performance goal, you might wonder why I'm measuring your weight. This is in case your goal changes, down the line, to a body composition centric goal, we have data from the very beginning of your journey. Incidentally, measures such as weight and body fat% also help me provide you with nutritional protocols from the beginning. There is a rationale behind all the data I take and it's all stored securely. I take this data seriously and it certainly aids informed, personalised planning behind the scenes.

Just yourself! I do ask that you wear gym-appropriate clothing. You won't be breaking a sweat during your consultation, but I will be asking you to perform simple movements to gauge your current mobility and movement patterns. Ensure that you arrive fuelled and hydrated (bringing some water if you'd like). And do feel free to take the lift up to the gym, as we'll be taking a blood pressure reading early in the health check - I need you as chilled as possible!

It's my offer all new starters: 30-90 days to try out training with me - without any lengthy commitment. It's our chance to see how well we work together: how our personalities match, how you respond to my coaching & how closely (and consistently) you stick to what I ask. With up to 90 days together, you can make an informed decision about whether or not it's working for you and how you'd like to proceed.. You'll train with me 1-3 times a week during that time (with full PT inclusions) and, towards the end of that term, we'd chat about next steps. It's the perfect stepping stone and my Test Drives have an extremely high satisfaction score.

You'll have a few. If you'd like to continue PT with me, and I feel it would be a good fit, I'll offer you a renewal on either a 3, 6 or 12 month term. I'll offer my recommendation and the final decision will be yours. If you'd like to dial down from face-to-face PT but still get help, I have two proven online options to offer you. Each of these will be cheaper than PT as they don't involve direct contact hours. And finally, if you'd simply like to go it alone, we'd shake hands and part on good terms. There isn't every any pressure around any of the options. I run my business ethically and have always seen the value of providing options for clients.

All sessions last 50 minutes. I advise all clients to aim to arrive at the gym 10 minutes ahead of their scheduled start time. This gives you good time to get your things away in peace and get warmed up properly (vital). Warming up ahead of our session allows us to dedicate more session time to the progressive stuff. I have filmed a bank of warm up videos that you'll have access to on your phone, making it simple to prepare your body for proper exercise. It's extremely rare for me to ever have a late client, but if it happens we'll shift the warm up into our session. After the session, I'd expect you to stay on and spend 5 minutes or so cooling down and stretching. Again, I have videos for you to follow and this is a vital part of all PT programmes with me.

The exact make up of the sessions I deliver varies a lot from person to person (or group to group). Almost all of my sessions have an element of resistance-based work, using free weights, machines, and so on. The only exceptions to this is if you're recovering/we're working around an injury, I'm performing an assessment or we're dedicating the session to skill acquisition (mobility, etc). The rest is really dependent on your goals, experience level and equipment availability. I ensure every session is varied, so you'll not only work with resistance but also other aspects such as your stamina, co-ordination, power, breathing, mobility, stability, flexibility and more. After your first session, you'll perform your dynamic warm up ahead of your session and your cool down/recovery stretches after our session - on your own. Both take 5-10 minutes and you'll be able to perform these independently using the videos I share with you in advance. These are non-negotiable: I have a brilliant record of keeping my clients injury-free, with good reason.

I coach out of The Gym Group in Portswood, Southampton (UK). It's a lovely, modern & superbly equipped gym, close to transport links and with free parking. Address: 224 Portswood Rd, Portswood, Southampton SO17 2LB. Please note that you must be a Member of The Gym Group, Portswood throughout your PT programme, in order to receive PT sessions. Your membership will need to be appropriate to the time you have PT sessions (ie. you can't have an 'off peak' membership and receive PT during peak hours). There are no exceptions for this.

Gym-appropriate clothes, with a water bottle and a towel if required - with your belongings stashed away in a locker in advance, so you’re fully set by your start time.

Either two or three in most cases. Having coached for 10+ years, I've found this to be the sweet spot of contact time to ensure accountability and progress. I do offer single sessions for those with budget/time constraints, but these are pretty rare - they're often too infrequent for the rate of progress you're investing for.

You decide this before your very first session, via a short form I send to you, called 'Focus Areas'. Within this, you'll define up to three things you'd like to improve out of the gym. Then, with my guidance, we put the very things in place to make them happen! We always work within your capacity, so you're never taking on too much. In fact, the things you do should help you across many areas of your personal and professional life. This leverages something I call 'The Cascade Effect', where a sustained improvement in one area leads to improvements in many others. Take your sleep, for example. Improving your sleep volume and quality can greatly improve your performance in the gym, food choices and approach to mental health (not to mention workplace or study improvements). So we focus on up to three things that you initially self-define before the first session. If you renewed beyond your Test Drive, it may be that I define some areas I'd like you to develop under my guidance, based on my observations and the goal(s) you have.

Away from sessions, much of the support is delivered through my app, which you'll have free access to for the duration of your time with me. I'll set you tasks, habits, accessory workouts and more through it. It also features a great messaging system, so you can reach out via text or voice note whenever you like. I respond back within business hours. It's also powerful enough to integrate Apple/Google Health and MyFitnessPal, meaning we can co-monitor things like your steps and nutrition. Very handy. The level of accountability and extra support required varies from person to person. My sole aim is for you to have the best possible experience, so this can be dialled up or dialled down depending on your preferences. We'll also co-work on things like your food diary, recipes, sleep, stress and time management and more outside of the sessions. The PT I provide extends far beyond the gym and I always aim to meet my clients where they're at. If they're ready, willing and able to take strides outside the gym, then bring it on! I purposefully take on fewer clients in order to provide my current pool with meaningful support.

Away from our face-to-face PT time, this varies, based on clients' preferences and goals. Part of my job is to provide expert accountability, so you can expect that away from sessions from time to time, based on your preferences. Some clients prefer more accountability and motivation, some less. I'll establish this early on and take my cue from you (and your adherence to your programme overall).

Yes and no. I began coaching life as a nutrition coach many years ago, and can safely say that simply telling you what to eat won't work at the level we'll work at. I do provide you with recipes as soon as you start PT, created by me, for you to enjoy. These are nutritionally balanced and (by all accounts) delicious! They've all passed the flavour check. But they're there as a tool, rather than 'this is what you need to eat'. Instead, we'll work more within what you already like to eat. You'll look to craft a 'recipe bank', containing the kinds of meals you tend to eat. With my guidance, we'll tweak and get those recipes working in your favour, resulting in a pool of recipes that you can always use, suited exactly to your tastes and preferences! This coached approach works wonders - as you're constantly eating tasty, nutritious foods that'll support you from a health and performance perspective.

If you have a goal centered around making body composition changes (losing body fat, building muscle), or performance-based goals, then keeping a daily food diary and consuming to my targets will get you results quicker and with more sustainability. It's never forever and after you reach you goals I coach you to phase this out, if you request (although some clients do prefer retaining this as a form of control and habit - but it's all individual). I do offer a hand-portion alternative that some clients prefer as a way of managing their nutrition. This can work well too. In short, there are options - and whilst I'll advise you on the one that I feel will suit you best, the choice will always be yours.

These can be found here.

As a coach, I pride myself on getting to know my clients and getting the best out of them. I purposefully work with fewer people, in order to safeguard quality and attention. I'll ensure you're fully supported and cared for, and that your needs are fully understood and built into your programme. I put a lot of incredibly detailed work in, behind the scenes, to ensure that you have every chance of success. One look at my testimonials will show you how past and present clients feel about their experience.

I've been coaching people, in person and online, since 2014 and have several thousands of PT, fitness/class instructing and coaching hours under my belt - helping all types of people along the way. My coach-specific qualifications, in summary: - Level 2 REPS & CIMSPA Fitness Instructor - Level 3 REPS & CIMSPA Personal Trainer - LDNM Academy Nutrition Coach - Precision Nutrition ProCoach - Online Trainer Academy Certified Online Coach

At a session level, you'll have my full attention and I'm very easy going. I believe in kind, empathetic coaching that helps you develop at your natural pace. I know we all learn in different ways - and I'm sensitive to this. I'm quick to suss out potential and will push you when needed. 9+ years of coaching people means I have a very good eye for what true limits are. Eve (a Fit Life client) put it this way: "He’ll never bark orders, stare into space, mess about on his phone or any of the other really annoying stuff you see other PTs do - he’s just a genuinely kind, caring and dedicated professional who wants to help." Away from sessions, I'm in regular contact with all of my clients - answering questions about the food shop, updates on workouts, how they're managing changes and so on. I've got no qualms about giving you a kick up the bum when needed! But I'll do it in constructive way. Mike (a Fit Life client) put it this way: "I’m 5 months into the program and looking back now I’ve come so far, but only with Meg keeping me on the straight and narrow."

My life before coaching was quite varied! After graduating from university, I followed a career in marketing and account management. This culminated in me managing key accounts for two household-name brands nationwide, with direct reports, international travel, a beautiful company car and an expense account. All before I was 30. But I wasn't happy. In fact I was so stressed on a regular basis, that I decided to leave and get a one-way ticket to Asia and backpack. I landed in India on September 6th 2011 and spent seven months backpacking and having some incredible experiences. Life really changed when I got back in April 2012 - just before the Olympics were held in London. I was faced with a choice: do I go back down the 'career' route that had made me so unhappy before travelling, or do I choose a different path? I chose to pursue things that I'd enjoy. Things that would get me enthusiastically out of bed each day. That decision proved to be the best decision I've ever made. I love being active, being in front of people, helping people and organising things - those were the personal skill sets that I identified back then. So I decided, at the time, to work for a cool startup events company in Shoreditch, London. I did this whilst attending college to get my Fitness Instructor and Personal Training qualifications. I actually got those qualifications with no intention of becoming a PT. I did them because I love learning things - and I found the courses fascinating from the very first lesson, when Phil (my tutor) started explaining anatomy. After my final practical test for the Level 2 Fitness Instructor course in London, the examiner took me aside and offered me a full-time teaching job at the college on the spot. He thought the way I delivered the session was awesome. But I had a different goal in mind: to open up a healthy fast food restaurant. I even took part-time jobs at a number of different outlets, to get a true inside look at the industry. It's definitely a goal of mine to do this one day - but the time has to be right. Fast forward to more recent times, and I'd landed a job with Apple. It ticked so many boxes: being on my feet and active, being in front of people and helping others. I did this in combination with starting up my own Personal Training business in a gym - and left Apple once I got a bit too busy to combine the two. Since I've come back from travelling, I've not for one day regretted not pursuing the 'career path'. I've learnt so much from all my experiences - important stuff (in my opinion) like empathy, communication and resilience - things that 100% cross over to being an effective coach. I know my clients appreciate that I have a deep understanding of their circumstances. I've had the career roles, I've worked shifts, I've worked nights, I've had to clean toilets and I've presented to CEO's at boardroom level. I've travelled internationally for work and I've had to try and fit in things like fitness, better nutrition, study and so on. I think my life before becoming a coach has prepared me perfectly to be the best trainer, coach and mentor I can be for the people who place their trust in me.