LJ Fitness Company is headed up by Lara Boocock, a level 3 qualified personal trainer, trainee PE teacher and avid dance and fitness fan! To give everyone a little insight in to who I am and how I work, I asked a few clients what they wanted to ask me most, here are the answers…

What are my main intentions when working with clients?
First and foremost, I want my clients to have as much fun being trained as I have training them. I also want to help them understand how they can work towards their goals in a healthy and enjoyable manner and ultimately ensure they reach these goals.

What is my favourite piece of equipment?
I think suspense trainers are great! I try to use them in almost every session as the exercises performed on them are so effective. I also love using kettlebells with my clients.

What do I love most about my job?
I really enjoy getting to know my clients and helping them achieve something that they’ve perhaps been working towards for a very long time. It’s great to see the positive impact that getting fitter and healthier has on their lives.

Why do I think it’s so important to keep fit?
When people think of getting fit or keeping fit they often only imagine the aesthetic benefits. I like to encourage individuals to notice the huge amount of other benefits living a healthy lifestyle provides such as feeling more energised, feeling happier and being able to have a better night’s sleep. Also, by choosing to take part in regular exercise and ‘keep fit’, most people naturally minimise other unhealthy habits such as smoking and eating unhealthy foods. Therefore you are promoting a healthier and happier lifestyle overall and significantly reducing your chances of obtaining serious lifestyle related diseases.

How did I ‘get into’ Fitness?
Growing up I went to dance classes or took part in some kind of sport almost every day; whether it was rugby, football, netball or athletics I was first to volunteer! As I got older I began to focus more predominantly on dance however I found a new kind of passion for exercise when I started learning about the theory behind it all within GCSE and A Level PE. After a nasty injury it was clear that I wouldn’t be able to make a career out of dancing so I made a last minute decision to go to university to study Dance and Fitness instead. This allowed me to combine my love for dancing whilst studying the depths of sports science, nutrition, sports psychology and injury rehabilitation; all subjects which I found incredibly interesting.

As well as gaining a First Class BA (Hons) degree in Dance and Fitness I also received my Level 2 Exercise to Music and Gym Instruction, and Level 3 Personal Training qualifications. I managed to start putting all these skills into practice very quickly when I got a job within the university gym during my final year.