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I can’t remember a time where I looked in the mirror and liked what I saw. My goal has always been to lose weight, and this had been my mindset from a very young age. I used to think that once I lost weight, I would finally be happy and confident. I was 17 when I made my first serious attempt to lose weight, at this time I had no knowledge or understanding of the right way to do it and decided to try a ‘quick fix’ and use Slim Fast shakes and it sounded great, an easy way to lose the weight, or so I thought. Of course, it wasn’t a sustainable way to lose weight, and I was back to square one. For the next 6 years I would go through phases of eating as little as possible and weighing myself multiple times a day, then the weekend came and it would end in binges, eating all the foods that I promised myself I wouldn’t.





At the end of 2020, I moved back down from the Northwestof Scotland to Portland to be with my family. Once we were settled, I knew that I wanted to join a gym and find a sustainable routine that I would be able to stick to and make progress. I did a lot of research and watched tons of videos to help me understand what I should be doing, while this is helpful, I knew it wouldn’t help get rid of my fear and anxiety being in the gym. There were so many times I got to the gym, was too scared to go in and went back home. After a little while I decided to ask for help, I wasn’t going to let my fear stop me from going for what I wanted anymore. This is when I met Connor and scheduled my first 1-2-1 session. I was terrified and thought I would embarrass myself. I continued to lose weight and keep it off. After a few months I realised how much I enjoyed training, and it was no longer a chore. Istarted to trust the process and over time my mindset changed from ‘needing’ to lose weight to wanting to be strong. This is when I learned about powerlifting, and it really appealed to me. I doubted that I could do it, someone that had never done a sport before and thought it was too late to start. I put it offfor over a year before I decided to make the jump.


All throughout the training for my first competition, I believed I wasn’t strong enough or I didn’t look how I should to be able to be an ‘athlete’, but I kept going and did my first in Oct 2023. Everyone there was incredibly supportive, and we allcheered each other on no matter the level we were lifting at. I came out on such a high and wanted to do it all over again, so I did 2 months later. After a short break over the new year,I’m back powerlifting and planning to build my total a fair amount with the aim of competing in the October competition again.



Although it is hard to carry on when you don’t see improvements quickly, I strongly believe in trusting the process and fighting through what your mind is telling you and go for what you want. I know if I never moved from Scotland, decided to start one to one session’s, start uni and get my PT qualifications Id never be where I am now, let alone competing in a sport. Every single thing good and bad that has happened in my life has lead me to where I am today. The impact of looking after my physical health has also massively improved my mental health and now I don’t know where I would be without the gym.



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Updated: Apr 9, 2024

For years I was in out of different diets and inconsistent with workouts, I knew after moving back home from Scotland it was time to take it more seriously and invest in my health, little did I know back then, where it would take me. I was the person that was terrified of the gym environment and embarrassed to ask for help. Within a week of joining the gym I decided to take the plunge ask Connor for help, full of anxiety and fear, I was terrified of failing again.


Before I knew it, I was back on my weight loss journey, but this time sustainability and

knowledge was top priority. I lost 15kg over about 2 years, throughout this I fell in love with lifting as heavy as possible. When I found out about powerlifting, I knew it was perfect for me and have since competed in 2 competitions.




I tend to doubt myself a lot, and without the support I had I never would have believed that I could achieve everything that I have now, not too long into training with Connor I decided to start studying again, I chose Sports and Fitness with Open Uni, unsure of what direction I wanted it to take me. Eventually, I realised that I wanted to help people in the same way that GG helped me and pursue my level 2 and 3 qualifications. I got my certificates in May 2023 and now in March 2024 I joined the GG team as a Personal Trainer. Without Connor and the rest of the GG team I wouldn’t be where I am today, with the determination to succeed and improve every day. I am excited for

the future and seeing where this journey is going to go.



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Writer's picture: Joe ottonJoe otton

Happy Christmas everyone,


We hope this newsletter finds you well and that you are enjoying the Christmas break. As we approach the end of another year, we wanted to take a moment to thank you all for training with us at Gym Geek. It has been a pleasure to have you as part of the gym, and we are grateful for your support during our first year in our own premises.

We are excited to announce that we have made a significant investment in new equipment, totalling £6000. This new kit which includes a new hamstring curl and leg ext station, Dumbbells up to 40kg, Kettlebells up to 30kgs, a specific Nordic curl station to name a few will arrive early in the new year and we hope it will provide even more opportunities for you to reach your fitness and athletic goals 2023. Whether you are just starting out on your fitness journey or are an experienced athlete, we believe that this new equipment will help you take your training to the next level and we wont stop there. Next on the list is Rowing machines, Ski ergs and bikes which we will look to purchase as soon as possible in the new year. A little bit of Admin for everyone in the early part of 2023 we will be switching our membership system over to a new provider so we will need to switch all membership direct debits to be taken on the 1st or 18th of each month. Don't worry about this for now you wont need to do anything Suzi will be in charge of this process and will speak to everyone in person when we need to change it over, all you will need to do is choose a date.


We have spent some time creating more resources too for our members and from January you will all start to receive these via email. These will cover everything from training to nutrition, injury to rehab and beyond. So keep an eye out have a read and let us know what else you would like to see.


We also wanted to congratulate David Hall, our member of the month, on his recent victory in his battle with cancer. We are thrilled to hear that he is now in remission, David's strength and determination serve as an inspiration to us all, and we are proud to have him as one of our members here at Gym Geek.




Finally, we want to congratulate Matty Burrows, our sponsored football athlete, on his transfer to AFC Totton. Matty has worked hard in the gym over the last year, overcoming repeated hamstring issues signing his first contract with Weymouth FC this year before going on loan to AFC Totton scoring 8 goals in 5 games and earning a permanent move that commanded a 4 figure transfer fee to AFC Totton. We are proud to have played a small role in his success and wish him all the best at his new club.


Once again, we wish you a happy Christmas and a happy new year. We hope to see you in the gym in the coming year. P.s we know some of you have asked for Mirrors and they will be coming soon but storage space is limited in the gym and we need to make sure we have a place for all the new kit on the walls before we take up space with mirrors.

Best regards, Joe, Lloyd, Suzi and Connor

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