In today’s article, I want to show you what happens during an LEP Fitness personal training session.

Over the last eight years or so, I’ve shared tons of content on my social media pages, and fitness blog (there are over 1,000 free articles on my site!) BUT I want to start sharing more of what goes on behind the scenes of LEP Fitness and also cover topics such as:

What Goes On During An LEP Fitness Personal Training Session

Before Joining LEP Fitness…

Before joining LEP Fitness, I offer a free consultation where I sit down with the potential client and go through a bunch of questions. This process is super important because the client needs to ‘know, like and trust’ me, and at the same time, I want to make sure the client is a good fit for LEP Fitness!

There are lots of personal trainers who will take on anybody and everyone for the sake of short term financial gain! But for me, I need to enjoy working with my clients, and they MUST be coachable, i.e., be willing to take on board my advice and stick to the plan! 

During the consultation, we will discuss the client’s goals in great detail, and I will go through 20 questions that help me gain complete clarity on their goals. Then I can go away and create a plan of action that delivers the results they want. 

All things being well and providing both the client and I are happy, then we will start working together for a minimum period of 3 months. 

First Week – Momentum Building 

During the clients first week, it’s very much about building rapport (to make them feel comfortable) and assessing their current level of fitness. To asses fitness: I will look at the client’s mobility, flexibility, cardio fitness, strength, and coordination. I will also take some data so we can asses progress along the way – body measurements, body weight, and photos. 

In a nutshell…

During the first week, I’m looking for both strengths and weaknesses – both mentally and physically. 

After the first 1-2 sessions, I know very quickly what’s going to be the best course of action moving forward. 

I’m not in a rush, and I take my time with clients, especially during their first couple of weeks. Rome wasn’t built in a day! It takes time to build momentum, and I see too many personal trainers throwing too much at their clients, to begin with (diet plans, gym plans, etc!) that all leave the client feeling overwhelmed, fatigued, and demotivated. 

It’s much better to start with the basics and build up over time. The first one to two weeks is all about laying the perfect foundations. I know that if I get this right, the intensity and results will follow! 

No Two Sessions Are The Same

Every single LEP Fitness member gets a bespoke program that is specifically designed to help them reach their goals. Although I’ll use plenty of the same exercises with clients, such as the Bulgarian squat, bench press, chin-ups, and Romanian Deadlifts… no two client programs are the same. 

That said, there is a common theme I run across all sessions, which consists off:

#1 Warm-Up 

Part 1 – 2 minutes on a cardio machine (either the rower, ski erg, or assault bike) – The aim here is to get the heart pumping and raise body temperature. 

Part 2 – Foam Rolling – 2 minutes (not all clients do foam rolling, but I will use it if a client is suffering from muscle soreness). The aim here is to loosen off tight muscles – read more about the benefits of foam rolling to appreciate it’s value.  

Part 3 – Mobility Work – 2 minutes – This is to help clients warm up further before working out. Two of my favorite exercises are:

#2 Weights

As most of my clients want to focus on weight loss (approx 70%) and muscle building/fitness (30%) the majority of each client’s session will involve lifting weights. 

Once I’ve taught the client the techniques for each exercise, I will then put together a program for them to follow and track their progress each week. 

The aim is constant progression, whether that’s adding more weight, more reps, or more sets. Pushing the body slightly further each week is what allows LEP Fitness members to achieve head-turning transformations – check out the LEP Fitness success stories page if you want to read client stories and see some impressive before and after photos. 

In terms of exercises that I do with clients, there are hundreds! That said the common ones which I do with most clients include:

• Pushing Movements – DB press, bench press, shoulder press, push-ups
• Pulling Movements – DB rows, barbell rows, pull-ups, chin-ups, deadlifts
• Core Work – plank (all variations), Russian twists, ball slams, bear walks.
• Leg Work – lots of single-leg exercises (split squats, lunges, etc.), squats, Romanian deadlifts.

Here’s LEP Fitness member Ben going through a weights workout last week:

Ben has achieved phenomenal results with this style of training – losing 20lbs in just a couple of months.

#3 Cardio 

After the weights (approx 35 minutes), I will often finish the personal training session with some HIIT cardio, using equipment such as:

• Battle ropes
• Rowing machine
• Ski machine 
• Assault bike

The aim here is to finish the session strongly and to leave very little in the tank! 

Here’s LEP Fitness member Jan doing a HIIT workout on the assault bike at the end of his session: 

Jan has lost 14lbs in just four weeks following this type of workout regime!

The assault bike workout goes as follows:

20s cycling as fast as possible, followed by 10s slow cycling. This is done, on repeat for 4 minutes! Brutal! HIIT training like this is absolutely fantastic for fitness, muscle building, and fat loss. 

#4 Cool Down 

I will always get clients to spend 5-10 minutes stretching at the end of their workout. We will do stretches such as the hurdle stretch for the hamstrings, chest stretches, and target other areas of the body that may be stiff. 

Here’s a snipper of LEP Fitness member Danuta stretching at the end of her workout: