Johnny Hamilton Personal Trainer
Johnny is a personal trainer who is embarking on a triathlon journey. He talks to Sundried about training and motivation.
Please tell us about any sporting events you have completed or have coming up.
At this precise stage in my life I am all about triathlon. I do not have any races set up as yet but for me it is about challenging myself. I have run a lot of marathons, very few official but mostly just for me, by me, when I felt like it. I love the lone wolf style of training, just me on a road clocking the miles.
My longest run to date would be a 50k (32 miles) but I feel I could better this next time I get 5-6 hours free. I have competed in a number of CrossFit competitions both team and individual. I love fitness, exercise and the general feeling of being wrecked after pushing your body to its limits through whatever sport you choose.
Tell us about your journey to fitness? Where did it all start?
I started training back at school through rugby and took it up to club level. I was introduced to the gym at a young age so got hooked on achieving the body beautiful. I then qualified as a trainer and became really passionate about running, taking myself of for impromptu marathons when I was bored. I have always been keen on bettering myself and had my eyes opened when I started CrossFit. A very competitive, ego driven sport but I loved it, made a lot easier by the great community behind it. I definitely caught the bug for it. Currently I am swimming, cycling, running, lifting and just generally trying to be the best version of me.
What are your training goals now?
I am currently buzzed to do a triathlon and one day I will do an Ironman. The funny thing is that my swimming is horrendous. I think the last time I did it was back at school some 20 years ago. I am determined however and really embrace new things, so I am going to enjoy the process, nail the swim and enjoy getting pains from sitting on a saddle for way too long.
Tell us one unusual fact we wouldn’t know about you:
I starred as a background artist in 7 seasons of Game of Thrones, playing a character from nearly every different house, doing stunts and also being a stand-in for some of the lead actors.
What advice do you wish you'd been given when you first started out?
I sort of wish I had stuck with a sport and tried to master it. I do feel you need to try everything and I encourage people to do that but I suppose the curious side of me thinks that if I pumped the amount of time and energy into one sport and only that sport I could have achieved big things in it. Then again, I have no regrets.
Do you follow a specific nutrition plan? If so, what/when do you eat?
Honestly, not really. Don't get me wrong I watch my macros and eat around 2900 calories a day with a well balanced diet, but because I am training a lot I do occasionally throw in a bar of chocolate or post long run I tend to eat absolutely EVERYTHING going in the house.
What do you do to keep your clients motivated? Do you have any top tips to keep motivated?
Try to see the bigger picture. I have been training for years and it is now an essential part of my life but when I started out, it was slow, I had to learn to enjoy it. I would say just be consistent, going for the first time to anything new is always the hardest but after your first session you have done the hard bit, so just sit back and enjoy the process no matter how slow or hard you think it is. It never gets easier you just get better at doing it. The barrier always moves, that's called progression
Talk us through your training regime.
I train 6 days a week currently with a rest day on Sunday. I start each morning with a 2.5 mile run and a cold shower. I usually workout best at midday when I do a full body functional fitness style workout. Recently, I have set my goals on a triathlon so I have been incorporating 2 rides, 3 swims and 3 runs a week, on top of my strength training at the gym.
How do you keep your fitness knowledge up to date?
As with every industry, you are always learning and to do this you need CPD, Continuing Professional Development. Try new sports, try new training methods and most importantly surround yourself with people who are better than you and feed off their knowledge.
What are your top 3 trainer tips?
- Eat well
- Sleep well
- Keep it 'stupid simply'. My biggest accomplishments to date have come from just doing the basics great and turning up without fail.
If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I love chocolate and I know coming from a trainer this is bad, so I would have to say sushi. I love the stuff and with its high protein and omega 3 content you cannot go wrong.
What do you like about Sundried and what's your favourite bit of our kit?
I absolutely love the training t-shirts, in the gym you can have a great level of figure hugging comfort whilst not getting too warm or cold. The cycling gear is great too
Favourite fitness quote:
"It is what it is" by definition, "This circumstance is simply a fact and must be accepted or dealt with as it exists". I always find this pushes me on with my training. Whether I pick up an injury or a workout was not as productive, I accept the current situation, address it, make changes and carry on as a better human.