I have had an interest in fitness from a young age and it's fair to say that it has always been a big part of my life. It was some time ago now but my career in the fitness industry started when I studied sports and exercise science and gained all the necessary fitness related qualifications that I needed at the time. I then looked for a way to work in the fitness industry and, as I had a keen interest in sports nutrition, ended up working in sales for a sports nutrition company and then moved on to sell health and fitness equipment. I built up my own company selling fitness equipment and then, off the back of its success, opened up a studio focusing on the use of power plates and kettlebell training. This allowed me to gain a wealth of experience working as a personal trainer, especially with regard to group training, which is something we specialise in at the studio.
Now, it might seem strange that I would choose to study with The Training Room with all that experience under my belt. However, my qualifications are quite old now and I thought it was time to bring myself, and my qualifications, into the 21st century. I think it is always worth refreshing your knowledge, regardless of how much experience you already have. The Training Room gave me the opportunity to gain an updated version of the qualifications I already had and, therefore, move forward with my business plan and training methods.
I loved the course with The Training Room and met some great people. Actually I'm still in touch with all of the people from the course and it was great to be surrounded by like minded individuals. The course gave me the opportunity to refresh my qualifications although, without wanting to sound arrogant, I did find the course fairly easy. That said, it was great to learn about the body again and how it works. I think that when you spend a lot of time in the industry you can lose the facts as most of your time is spent focused on exercises and teaching.
The time on the course has now taken me to another level. I feel more confident and know that I have everything that I need to move forward in my career and make a real difference. My real aim is that I want to teach and I have now enrolled on a course to enable me to do so. So in the near future I will be a master trainer and am in talks with rugby league clubs in the hope to do strength and conditioning coaching for them.
I plan to keep the studio running as it is the bread and butter of my business but hope to develop it into an athletic conditioning centre. The bad state of our nation's health is something that never fails to amaze me and I'm determined to do everything in my power to help make positive changes.
Justin O'Halloran