Johnny Hamilton is a 33-year-old personal trainer, actor, and fitness model. After growing up playing rugby, Johnny moved into the fitness industry and trained as an instructor while holding other interests in gymnastics, callisthenics, and trail running. He talks to Sundried about his goals and shares his philosophies. 

How did you get into fitness?

I started back when I was 15 playing Rugby at school and haven’t looked back. Back then it started with weightlifting to improve my game, now I stay true to my weightlifting roots and have endeavoured to learn a lot of strongman exercises and Olympic lifts.

What are your fitness aspirations?

I’m training towards a healthy life, whilst trying to maximise the skills I pick up along the way. I love the learning element of gymnastics, spending time practising and mastering new moves regardless of age. I love the challenging bodyweight exercises of callisthenics and am always finding new ways to move my body and test it with static holds.

What is your training philosophy?

I stay fit because it makes you feel good, it is that simple. If you look good, you no doubt feel good. Time in the gym is never wasted, be it for stress relief or simply to achieve that better level of fitness, it is worth it.

Why work with Sundried?

As an active person and personal trainer, I particularly warmed to Sundried’s trousers for personal trainers and Dom Tee. The trousers were very comfortable to work in and still had a professional look and feel to them. If I need to train I’m ready to just grab my bag and head off for a workout. Working as a model, I was impressed at the attention to detail and design points the brand offer. I need to be on trend and am happy I’ve got Sundried activewear to help me achieve this.

Overtraining is something that most athletes are likely to encounter at some point in their life. It can be tough to spot, but it's important to address. We investigate the causes, the signs, and how to solve it.

Causes of Overtraining

Overtraining is exactly what it says on the tin: when you over-train your body so that it can't recover properly. If you are training particularly hard for an event and limiting your calorie intake to try and get lean or lose weight, there is a high risk of developing the symptoms of overtraining. It takes quite a lot to get to this point, so it is more common in long-distance runners who are running hundreds of miles a week or bodybuilders who are lifting weights every day while trying to drop body fat than your average gym-goer. If you are overtraining you will be deficient in many of the vital vitamins and minerals the body needs to function properly and you will notice the signs but perhaps not realise they are due to overtraining as these symptoms can also be caused by many other factors.

Signs of Overtraining

Persistent muscle soreness

If you are feeling sore and achy for longer periods than normal this could be due to overtraining. Your muscles need time to recover properly and with the right nutrition.

Elevated resting heart rate

Keeping an eye on your resting heart rate is a great way to check that you're not overtraining. If your resting heart rate is elevated for more than 3 days, you could be overtraining. Most smart watches and fitness trackers will track your heart rate all day so it is easier than ever to keep it in check.

Increased susceptibility to infections

Overtraining will cause your immune system to become weaker so you will notice that you'll be suffering from colds more often and other low-level immune conditions. If you feel like you are always getting ill, it could be a sign of overtraining.

Increased injuries

In the same way, you could also notice that you're suffering from injuries more often than usual as well. They could be little things like pulling a muscle or developing cramp every time you train, but these are all signs of overtraining.

Insomnia

Insomnia, or lack of sleep, is something that can be caused by a number of health issues. However, if you are also developing the other symptoms of overtraining, this one will be easy to spot.

Solutions

Take a break

This is the most obvious solution but it's also the most important. It can be hard to allow yourself enough rest days, especially when training for an event, but it's so important to listen to your body and allow it to recover properly when you are training hard. Don't train muscles when they are already aching and don't push through injuries.

Reduce the volume

If you usually do 5 sets of an exercise, drop it to 2 or 3. If you usually lift 80% of your max, reduce it to 50-60% until you are feeling better. Reduce your mileage if you are a runner or triathlete. Ease yourself back into training full pelt when you are ready.

Increase calorie intake

If you are trying to lose weight or strip body fat, it may be tempting to restrict your calorie intake too much. However, a restrictive diet will mean you lose out on vital vitamins and minerals and this will lead to the symptoms of overtraining.  

Listen to your body! 

There is nothing more important than being healthy and well. No race or competition should come before your health. Listen to your body and take it easy, you will see better results if you work together with your body rather than against it.

James is a very passionate personal trainer who brings vivacity to everything he does. He tells Sundried how he applies his own training and nutrition principals to helping his clients achieve their goals.

Please tell us about sporting events you have taken part in or have coming up.  

Living an active lifestyle started out as a hobby and became an obsession. My passion is in anything that I find a challenge. From snowboarding competitions to rugby, Judo to endurance races. I’m not top-class at anything but for me, the love is in the variety. The biggest challenges I completed have been for charity. I climbed Kilimanjaro in 2016 and did the highest workout ever recorded at the top in aid of Hope For Children. That was the toughest thing I’ve ever done so far. Lots of plans for charity challenges so you will have to stay tuned to see what I get up to.

Tell us about your journey to fitness? Where did it all start? 

I used to be a car salesman, but I wanted to help people. I sold a car to a sports massage therapist who introduced me to the idea of doing a diploma in personal training. I quit my job and enrolled full time. Since then I’ve worked in every environment you can imagine, created a successful outdoor fitness franchise called Wild Training, and have an amazing team of trainers working with me to deliver a very exciting future for all of our members.

What are your training goals now? 

I want to be good at everything. Freedom for me comes in not being tied down to one sport or one discipline. I’m a professional trainer so I train myself like a professional athlete to develop every component of fitness. I’m working on a PB on clean and press on 120kg, and getting my next belt in kickboxing, and developing my parkour and capoeira skills. Pole fitness, aerial silks, calisthenics, strongman training and all the Wild Training functional training systems feature in my training.

Tell us one unusual fact we wouldn’t know about you: 

I lived in Russia when I was a kid and played nothing but American sports like baseball, American football and Ice Hockey.

What would future you, tell yourself when you were starting out? 

I love every mistake I make as they are a great lesson that I wouldn’t want to be without. 

Do you follow a specific nutrition plan? If so, what/when do you eat?

The Wild 5 nutrition tips we use as a base for all our members nutrition. Variety, Frequency, Quality, Balance, Colour. I keep it practical, tasty, and healthy.

What do you do to keep your clients motivated? 

Inspiration is more powerful than motivation so I try hard to understand what inspires them as individuals. Then we push forwards using that energy by building elements of that inspiration in to their training or as a challenge for them to complete.

Talk us through your training regime. 

Monday - UST parallettes + MMA + whole body functional training

Tuesday - Olympic lifting + Pole Fitness

Wednesday - MMA + UST Urban Strength bar

Thursday – Aerial Silks

Friday - Olympic lifting + UST rings

Saturday - Pole Fitness + Aerial Silks

Sunday – SUP boarding/Rock climbing/Mountain biking/Parkour (one of them... not all )

How do you keep your fitness knowledge up to date? 

I’m a fitness geek. Read. Watch. Practice. Analyse. It never stops for me. I wake up and fall asleep thinking about new ways to shape new programs to challenge both me and our Wild Training members. Make it fun, keep it effective, include everyone. That’s the mission.

What are your top 3 trainer tips? 

1. Train consistently with lots of different people in lots of different ways, it's so much more fun.
2. Do something everyday that gets your body going past 80% effort. Don’t give it the opportunity to slow down.
3. Train hard, eat well, make it a routine and it never delivers anything less than you deserve. Put your best in, get your best out.

If you could only do one workout for the rest of your life, what would it be?

The Urban Strength Bar workouts are unique and help develop fitness and strength that seems to transfer to everything so maybe that.

Why work with Sundried? 

Sundried is such a cool brand. Finally a brand that looks great, feels great and does it right. Ethically manufactured, conscious of the environment, thinking about the future. Thinking about vulnerable people in the world we can all help. All things I can get behind 100% as Wild Training do the same thing. 

Favorite fitness quote: 

Bruce Lee “Do more... Think Less”

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Thomas is a Scarborough-based personal trainer who believes strongly in self-discipline and owning your own achievements. He talks to Sundried about his goals of doing a muscle-up and how he keeps his clients motivated.

Tell us about your journey to fitness? Where did it all start?

I used to live a very unhealthy lifestyle. I ate takeaways all the time and drank too much alcohol. I remember one day looking in the mirror and saying “What have you done to yourself?!?” From then I started exercising every day. Only a little a first. Just press ups and sit ups. I used to do it in private and was mortified if anyone found me. I didn’t really know what I was doing. I wish I had the new Tom to help me back then!

What are your training goals now?

I am currently working on being able to do a muscle up and a handstand. It’s taking a lot of practice and I’m some way off still. My long term goal is to be strong and able for the rest of my life. I want to be deadlifting with my grandchildren when I’m 90!

Tell us one unusual fact we wouldn’t know about you

On a sailing trip in Malaysia, I was asked to play the part of a western man who’d run off with the main character's girlfriend. I had to walk down the pontoon pretending to chat with her whilst the boyfriend scowled at me!

What would future you, tell yourself when you were starting out?

Work harder!

Do you follow a specific nutrition plan? If so, what/when do you eat?

Nothing too specific. My diet is mainly centred around good protein sources and lots of vegetables. I try to eat organic if I can. I use nuts for healthy fats and to keep hunger pangs at bay.

What do you do to keep your clients motivated? Do you have any top tips to keep motivated?

I make sure they realise how far they’ve come since they started. I also keep them accountable for their successes. I make sure they never forget they are responsible for the improvements they’ve seen in their health and fitness levels.

Talk us through your training regime.

I currently do two training sessions a week aimed at eventually mastering the muscle-up. Wednesday is always HIIT day. Although I always finish any session with some sort of HIIT workout to give me a post-workout buzz! I practice my handstands whenever I have a minute or two spare.

How do you keep your fitness knowledge up to date?

The internet and social media is a great place to find things out. Just make sure you pick who you listen to carefully. There’s a lot of bad advice out there. I also try to attend at least one course per year. Last year I did a hardstyle kettlebell certification and this year it’ll be a sports massage course.

What are your top 3 trainer tips?

1. Try to move more during the day. If you work at a desk, see if you can get a standing desk in the office. You don’t have to stand all day, just a few minutes every hour adds up. Always take the stairs! Park a little further away from work so you can stretch your legs a little before and after work.
2. Drink more water. Even the most disciplined person probably isn’t hydrated enough.
3. Never give up. Whatever your goal is, it takes time. Keep an eye on the end game. In 6 months, a year or even 10 years, you’ll look back and feel proud on the improvements you’ve made to your health, life and fitness.

If you could only do one workout for the rest of your life, what would it be?

How about kettlebell swings, pull ups, press ups and sprints? Yeah, that sounds good.

What are your training goals?

The muscle up. I think it’s one of the best examples of a strong, powerful and capable body. Isn’t that what we all want?

Why work with Sundried?

Great looking, ethically created clothes. When you’re working out you need good quality clothes that move when you move.

Favourite fitness quote:

“Success is usually the culmination of controlling failure”

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Personal trainers were once an exclusive luxury for movie stars and celebrities who needed to look good for their next big event. Nowadays, commercial gyms are making personal trainers much more accessible to the general public, but are they worth it?

Anyone can become a personal trainer

This may come as a surprise, but you do not need any previous experience or qualifications, not even GCSEs. The government even subsidise courses so you can qualify for free! Unfortunately, this means that the industry is becoming saturated with poor-quality trainers who are not doing it for the right reasons and do not have the right experience or knowledge to give their clients the best results. That said, there are some incredibly talented trainers out there who are passionate about what they do and go the extra mile to provide the best possible service for their clients. So how can you find the right personal trainer for you?

Tips for finding a good PT

1. Ask to see their certificates and qualifications before you hand over any money.
2. Ask if they are self-employed or employed by the gym they work at. There is a huge difference and employed personal trainers are far more restricted in what they can offer you.
3. Book 1 session rather than a block. Most trainers will offer a free taster session.
4. Make sure you're comfortable with the training location. Some PTs in commercial gyms do not have job stability and may leave at short notice, leaving you high and dry especially if you have paid for a block of sessions in advance.
5. Don’t let them prescribe you shortcuts ie. diet shakes or fat burners.
6. Make sure they do a pre-assessment with you before your first session. A good PT will want to know everything about you from your physical and mental health background to your family and home life, as these are all important factors when it comes to changing your lifestyle.
7. Don't go for someone who offers 'transformation courses' as these are often copied and pasted and won't be a tailored training plan to you and your needs.
8. Most personal trainers are not qualified or legally allowed to sell you an eating plan. Check their credentials first as only dietitians are qualified to do this, and there is a difference between a 'nutritionist' and a 'dietician'.
9. Ask them how long they have been qualified. A PT who has only just qualified will not have any real world experience and will still have a lot to learn and mistakes to make. If you're happy with someone who has just qualified, you should at least get a reduced rate.
10. Ask what their speciality is and what events they have done. If your personal trainer has never run a marathon, they should not be training you for one! It's all very well and good having the knowledge on paper, but until you have completed an event like a marathon, triathlon, or bodybuilding competition, you can't possibly know what it's like or what you need to be able to train for one. If they have never done an event or have no achievements, are they dedicated enough to sports and fitness to be training you? If you are going for a broader goal like weight loss which doesn't require competing in any events, find out if they know what it's like to go on a weight loss journey themselves.

Once you've found your PT, ask yourself these questions:

Do they turn up on time?

A good PT will never be late. Most of the time, they will already be at the gym so there's little chance they'll have the excuse of being stuck in traffic. There may be the occasional emergency which cannot be helped, but as a general rule if your PT turns up late to your session, this should be the last time you see them. At the same time, if you are late to your session, it may be hard for your trainer to make up the time as they often book sessions back to back with other clients.

Do they assess your current level of fitness and talk through your goals with you?

A good PT will test your fitness, take measurements, and talk through your goals with you. If neither of you knows your goals, then you won't know if you're making progress! Work together to set your goals, as it is your body and your life. There are more goals than just weight loss, so make sure you talk them through properly and check your progress regularly. 

Do they outline what the programme will include and tailor it to you?

After your initial consultation, your PT should be able to clue you up as to what to expect from your time together. Watch out for cut-out programmes which offer every client the same session and avoid signing up for '12-week transformation' programmes as these seriously simplify the point of having a PT. Your personal trainer should be able to give you a copy of your plan to take away with you and work on in your own time.

Do they explain exercises fully?

Don't be afraid to ask your PT lots of questions, as this is a great way to catch out a bad trainer. If they can't answer your question, chances are they shouldn't be training you. If they are making you do a particular exercise, they should be able to clearly explain why you're doing it and how it will benefit you, in a way that you can understand. 

Have they pre-planned the session?

This is a big deal-breaker. If your PT has just rocked up to the gym and seems to be making the session up as they go along, there is absolutely no point in training with them as you could have done that yourself! A good PT session is one that is meticulously planned and structured with reasoning behind each of the exercises and the way they are laid out. The session should take into account your goals, the progression of each week, and contain a variety of exercises rather than always the same things.

Do they adjust according to your ability?

A great personal trainer won't be phased if you turn up and tell them you've hurt your shoulder or are not feeling great. They will be able to alter and tailor your session so that you can still get the best out of your time with them. That being said, you should always try to warn your trainer in advance as they may have spent a lot of time writing a session plan which will then go to waste. This is also where experience comes in, as a PT who is fresh out of the academy will not have the experience behind them to know how to deal with this. 

This is also a great way to spot a cowboy who makes all their clients do the same exercises, as if you have lower back pain or an injured leg you shouldn't be doing the same workout as a seasoned marathon runner. 

Do they give you exercises to work on in between sessions?

Unless you're training with your PT 4+ times per week, you’re going to need to supplement your training sessions with your own workouts in between. Your personal trainer should feed you with knowledge that you can then use when creating your own gym sessions. Having a personal trainer should help you feel more confident in what your body can do and more confident making the most of the facilities at the gym.

Can they do the exercises themselves?

This may seem like an obvious one, but if your trainer doesn't fully demonstrate an exercise to you or are not able to fully complete it themselves, they shouldn't be making you do it. Don't let your trainer use you as a guinea pig for a weird new exercise they saw on the internet, make sure they do it in their own training because they know it works. 

Does your PT make you feel good as a person?

This is the final point, but it's maybe the most important. You should be able to get on with your trainer almost like friends; in fact, sometimes trainers do become friends with their clients. It's not like a teacher/student relationship; you should be able to relate to your trainer and feel comfortable enough to tell them what you're really thinking and feeling. It's very common for PTs to also become a therapist for their clients as they are an unbiased third-party, and they don't mind you unloading all your worries and troubles onto them! If you don't like your trainer as a person or you feel intimidated by them, find a different one.

So, are they worth it?

Finding a great PT can be a tough process, but once you find one you get on with and who really knows their stuff, you will never look back. Good PTs are definitely worth it, so don't be afraid to 'shop around'. As a general rule, self-employed PTs will be better than ones who work in commercial gyms and make sure you find one who has lots of experience and other clients who can give glowing reviews. Make sure they know what they're talking about, especially if you are training for a specific sport or event.