Frequently Asked Questions
Some sort of ultra-marathon running, ska-punk loving, Zen Buddhist heretic.
There’s some more about me on the About page.
I believe that fitness is for everyone – but all of my clients have something about them, they’re all interesting and intelligent people. Maybe I have been lucky with the people who have approached me, but if you’re the type of person who zigs when the rest of the world zags, or who likes to find marginal gains in your training, then we’re probably a good fit.
You don’t need to be a fitness junkie or a mentality monster to train with me. I’ve had clients with goals as simple as do a single push up or be able to walk up and down the stairs without pain. At the same time, I’ve worked with people who are stepping into a ring to compete against an opponent who is trying to knock them out and people who want to run for days. What these people all have in common is that they have been engaged and consistent with the training process.
Your goal is less important than your character.
Character > Process > Outcome.
If you come to me with the right character, and follow the process, the outcome will follow.
Rebel Monk Fitness takes a broader, holistic approach to fitness. There will be a combination of strength, cardiovascular and mobility training in your programme. Depending on what you are looking to achieve, your training plan may include a focus on your diet, or perhaps your mindset and the way you approach your training and your sport.
So while there will be some key sessions and exercises that critical to your programme and really target towards your goal, there will probably be a few surprises in there too. It’s good to be able to do different things.
Good for you. But I’m still going to put flexibility and mobility work into your programme. I’ll probably put some cardio in there too. Similarly if you have a goal that is strongly cardio-based expect to lift weights. Your training plan is designed to improve your fitness in the most efficient way possible.
A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyse a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. — Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love
That’s up to you. If you want to train every day, great, if you only want to train once a week, that’s okay too. That’s the benefit of a personally tailored approach.
You’ll see results quicker if you train more regularly, but sometimes life gets in the way and that’s not possible. And of course, how often you commit to training isn’t set in stone. It might be only once a week for the next few months, but then you might find you can train three times a week. Conversely you might find life getting in the way and need to drop a session or two. Any training is good training, and I’ll do my best to support you either way.
Progress is tracked via whatever methods work for you.
There are people who get the most out of counting calories, tracking every weight lifted and collecting all the data they can. Others are reluctant to step on the scales and are very sensitive about what they feel the data may say about them. I’m open to any approach that works for my clients. Sometimes I will push for one thing or another for a short window – perhaps that we will rigorously track calories for a couple of weeks, or that we should just go with the flow for a bit. I’ll always recommend what I think we should track to help keep on top of your goals, but in the end, you know you best.
Besides, tracking metrics are only a small part of the equation. Most of the time the key bits of information about how you are progressing towards your goal, are the things we talk about in 1-2-1 sessions or via email check-ins.
The software you will be using as you complete your exercises includes video examples and coaching points. If you are still unsure after watching the video, you can either film yourself doing the exercise and send it for me to look at, or book a 1-2-1 session and I’ll take a look and provide feedback as you do the exercise over Skype or Google Meet.
Online personal training is something that bridges the gap between traditional personal training and having a dedicated coach or mentor.
It involves working online, using dedicated software to follow an exercise programme, with regular in-depth communication to ensure that the programme works for you, and to help keep you on track. You’re no longer paying for an hour in a gym with a PT, but a level of coaching that expands far beyond that.
An in-person trainer is there with you for the sessions you pay for; that’s it. With a good PT you should also get a programme drawn up for training to do outside of sessions, perhaps a little bit of advice on nutrition and supplements. A good PT can easily charge £50 an hour (and that’s before you cross the M25 into London), so if you have one training session a week you’re already at £200 a month, two training sessions plus gym membership costs each year and you’re closing in on £5,000 on training. What is the PT doing for most of that time? Standing there chatting to you between reps. Don’t get me wrong, I love in-person training both as a coach and a client. And depending on where you are in your health and fitness journey it might be the right answer for you, but it might not – and it certainly isn’t the cost effective solution.
Instead, as an online coach you get all the access to my brain with much less of me rambling bullshit between sets. Effective training programme provided – check; a bit of advice on nutrition and supplements – check; video tutorials on how to do each exercise – check; someone to hold you accountable and shout at you if you keep missing sessions – you better believe it. And if you want to listen to me ramble on about training, you can find me on Discord.
Not necessarily. While you are welcome to join a gym and train in one, a good proportion of my clients train at home using a mixture of dumbbells, kettlebells and resistance bands.
Gyms can be intimidating places, especially for beginners. If you are worried about going to the gym and would prefer to train at home, then that’s where we’ll start. It may be that as you start to learn different exercises and grow in confidence that you actually want to try training in a gym, or you might be perfectly content working out from home.
One of the benefits of an online personal trainer, is that you are not tied to one workout location – you can work out at home one day of the week, the gym another, and the beach at the weekend, and I will put together effective workouts for each location you train at.
Your welcome pack will include some nutrition basics and general guidance. Your monthly membership includes access to a pool of recipe books – including vegetarian, vegan, low-carb and high-protein options.
It’s easy to get lost in fad diets and worry about what we are eating, but mostly it’s common sense – eat more veggies, get enough protein, have your treats and junk food in moderation. Simple really.
Normally, prices start from £200 per month depending on your needs.
Sometimes it can be a bit more, sometimes a bit less. It depends on your training experience, goals and preferences. Some clients prefer a little more 1-2-1 time, others would rather be left to get on with it quietly. This is not some stack ’em high, sell ’em cheap training programme, it’s built to meet your needs. What those needs are is something we’ll work out during our initial meeting.
Your monthly subscription can be cancelled at any time. Payments are taken via Stripe and can easily be paused or cancelled. Once cancelled you won’t be billed again and will keep your access to your programme and the software until the end of the month.
First of all book a chat with me.
If we both decide you’re a good fit after that chat, and if I am sure that I can help you achieve your aims, then I’ll set you up on the software and provide everything you need to get started within a few days.