Nikki completing weighted dips…
Nikki has almost completed her first FIRE challenge at Healthy Horizons. FIRE is our focussed, intense, resistance, exercise 12 week program. I must admit when she enrolled I was thrilled. As a coach you recognise people who are coachable and who will work hard to get results. Nik had a number of injuries, interfering with almost everything she wanted to do in life. Her pre-screen form was detailed with issues that were both frustrating and deliberating. As an acupuncturist Nikki has helped so many with injuries and illnesses, it was time to give a little back to herself!
I’ve had to get Nik to put on the brakes and wait for the time to be right to really go for it…she’s got a bit annoyed with me and I had to ask her to trust me and give it some time. I actually told her I wasn’t interested in a 12 week transformation but I was interested in the next 12 months and beyond.
In just 9 weeks of FIRE most of Nik’s injuries and pain have disappeared and the energy and confidence she brings to sessions has quadrupled. An inspiration for her partner and her team, she has achieved so much in such a short time! She’s awesome to coach and acts upon everything asked of her. I asked Nik a few questions about her journey so far…
Nik’s say…
Ever since FIRE started I have been intrigued about what it might do for me, especially as I often trained at the same time as the Tuesday session and got to see everyone pushing themselves to their absolute limits. Expense was a limiting factor for me but every round of FIRE that passed was a step closer to the realisation that I HAD to give it a try. I also spoke to some of the people who had done FIRE previously and became more and more interested. I kept hearing how their injuries had improved with their training.
Over time I was noticing that I was sustaining more injuries myself and suffering from chronic pain as well as actually regressing in my weight training. Being in this position was very frustrating and I felt like I was becoming stuck in a rut. Sometimes I actually dreaded going to the gym because I knew I would be in pain. I also noticed I was losing form and limiting range in order to avoid pain.
Since starting FIRE I noticed almost instantly an improvement in my technique, especially in squats. Having small changes pointed out to me was vastly helpful in allowing me to correct my old habits and also do the exercises with more weight than before…without pain! I could gain better depth and learnt to recognise which muscles I should be switching on by adjusting posture and focusing my mind.
My old injuries are not restricting me from progressing in my training and I’m coming to the realisation that I CAN keep increasing load without pain. I LOVE this challenge now and I actually mentally prepare myself for what I will be doing in FIRE the following day so I can maximise my results (that sounds a bit crazy doesn’t it?) I’m learning to say “yes I can” (a favourite of Coach Christine) instead of “no I can’t” and this translates to all areas of life. I actually do feel more positive in other aspects of my life including my work as an acupuncturist. I feel so much stronger physically and I can see a definite change in the way I look.
Since learning how to work her back and not taking the load in wrists and shoulders her back strength and development has improved and overuse injuries have disappeared.
I’ve decided to go another round of FIRE because I can see how much I have improved. I feel AWESOME and I want to see how far I can go with this. It’s also been a good motivator for me to improve on my nutrition and make wiser choices about what I eat in order to get the best out of my training.
FIRE is the body shaper, for more information please contact christine@healthyhorizons.com.au
