TESTIMONIALS
Recently my Personal Trainer said to me that I am a gym bunny, I laughed at him as I thought that was hilarious, I am not your typical poster girl for being an exercise enthusiast but it slowly dawned on me, he was actually right!I did not see this happening, I cannot tell you when it happened but I can tell you what brought it about.
Several years ago I was introduced to James McCrudden by a mutual friend in our local coffee shop. This might sound really mad but this was a defining moment for me, I did not know it at the time but meeting James would change my life for the better in ways I could not have imagined. I was a forty something year old woman who was really struggling. I was very over weight, I was very unfit and I could barely walk any sort of distance as I was suffering from chronic pain due osteo arthritis in both my knees.
I was in a vicious cycle and I had no idea how to break it. I couldnāt exercise because of the pain and it caused more pain if I tried to exercise. However these were not my only hurdles, my mental health was also taking a real battering as it was taking so much out of me to just get through a day. Then James McCrudden happened!
I got to know James and began to trust in him, I saw something special in him as both a person and a fitness expert. He is so passionate about what he does and his capacity to want to help other is infinite. He enthusiasm is infectious and I was really curious if there was any way he could help me. James was beginning a fitness boxing class and I asked if he thought if I would be able to do it? He said absolutely and that he would find a way for me to participate and get something out of it but also ensuring that it did not cause me any discomfort or distress.
That first night I arrived I did not want to go in, I was screaming inside go home not because I was going to exercise but because, this was new to me, I was on my own, I thought that this was absolutely not my type of environment, I thought I would not fit it, that everyone would be staring at me, I thought people would be thinking what is she doing here. Also I was scared what if I couldnāt do it, what if people laughed at me. What if ā¦ What if ā¦ What if ... Then the strongest what if hit me, what if I donāt try! What if I gave up! The thought of giving up and not trying scared me more all the others thoughts put together. So I put on my big girl pants (letās face it all my pants are big girl pants I mean my brave ones) and I walked in the door petrified.
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Margaret McQuillan (part 1)
Then I hear āWe are upstairs Margaretā I did not see where the voice came from but I knew it as Jamesās big northern no mess with me accent and right then it was the most reassuring thing I could of heard. (You need to know James always sees and hears everything even if you think he is not looking or you canāt see him, it one of his magic powers!)
After that James kept coming up with ways to help me. We did PT in the local pool to help with my mobility and this along with the boxing classes started to make a real difference. I then began PT gym sessions with James, he designed programmes that suited my abilities but also made sure there was room to push me and get the best from me. He made sure I felt comfortable at all time. All this work became vital to me as it enabled me to get strong enough to go through a knee replacement surgery, which again thanks to all the work myself and James put in I fully recovered from and was back training with James in just over ten weeks.
Then James designed new programmes to get me back on both feet and to get me stronger than ever.
I still require a second knee replacement, but I am not worried about this, as James challenges me through every one of our PT sessions that he has helped me become strong enough and fit enough to get through it again, with returning to PT as my reward. I want to make sure you understand, that if it were not for Jamesās relentless encouragement, his belief in me, his kindness, his no nonsense attitude that none of my achievements would have been possible. I am not the same person I was before I started training with James and thank God I am not. I am happier, I am more positive, I love to be challenged, I have a real drive in me to improve myself mentally and physically. I am still a large lady but that is who I am not what I am. I hope no one ever judges anyone by their shape or size as James never judged me.
The joy and happiness that I have found from training with James is unmeasurable plus I have made some fantastic friendships along the way. Just to be clear and so I donāt mislead you I donāt want anyone to think of James as a fluffy cuddly toy, he is more like an evil sadistic funny kind leprechaun with the biggest heart that will help get the best out of you and will help you see the best in yourself. What I donāt think is publicised enough is the enormous benefits exercise is to your mental health. It literally makes you happier, the more you look after yourself the better you feel in yourself. If you are anyway undecided and think you might like to find out more about training contact James, it might just be the best thing you do for yourself, it was for me.
In case you had not guessed it, Jamesās biggest challenge is stopping me from talking ā Never going to happen buddy, you have helped me become an incredibly happy gym bunny and I just want to spread the joy.
Margaret McQuillan (part 2)
I was tired of attending gyms and not feeling the return that I was after. I originally signed up to Jamesā morning bootcamp and immediately felt the benefits. James was always on hand to correct my form and push me that bit extra that I didnāt realise was there. James has been my PT for over two years now and I highly recommend him. Thanks to James I now enjoy going to the gym where as previously i thought of the gym as a chore.
Joe Duggan
I got in touch with James after Christmas to get into an upper body strength program with him and I canāt recommend him enough. I was moving into menās professional football and only been 17 I needed to work on my upper body strength a lot.
I trained 3 times a week with him and the sessions were brilliant. They were so good because they were specific and we worked on a lot of things that I can bringĀ ontoĀ the pitch and which will benefit me. I was training with him for 1 month and In just a week or 2 I could start to feel big benefits, My technique was getting better and I was lifting heavier for more reps and sets.
All the exercises we done, he demonstrated them thoroughly to me so I knew exactly what I was doing.
I was back in pre season recently and my legs and upper body feel stronger then theyāve ever been. I highly recommend James'Ā programs to anyone.
Kian Corbally
I've trained with James for nearly 3 years now. When I started I'd never been to a proper gym or lifted even the lightest weight. James guided me around the gym showed me proper lifting techniques and allowed me to work at a pace that felt comfortable. His sets and routines vary greatly and are always enjoyable. He has helped me recover from injury working with my physios advise to devise a suitable program. I have never felt better or more confident in my own ability. James has helped to motivate me to a point where I look forward to a gym session. Highly Recommended.
Paul O'Brien
I have been a part of James' fitness community for a couple of years now and I can't recommend him enough. The difference with James is that he cares.. He wants you to achieve your goals just as much as you want to achieve them yourself. I had always dipped in and out of gyms and gym classes until I signed up with James and have been consistent with him ever since. He makes fitness fun and enjoyable and not once did I ever feel intimidated going into one of his classes, he makes everyone feel welcome. He has created the most amazing fitness community which is very hard to find anywhere else. I can't thank him enough for making fitness a lifestyle for me.