Meet The Member - Lewis Head Personal Training and Wellness
Lewis of Lewis Head Personal Training & Wellness
We caught up with our member Lewis to talk all things fitness and how he can help you.
Hi Lewis, thanks for chatting to our We Are Community readers. You are obviously very passionate about fitness. Tell us when that started for you?
I have always been into sports and training. Not necessarily the gym but the process of doing the extra drills and the nuance of going and finding ways to improve performance across the various sports I played when I was younger, not just for my own benefit but also encouraging or helping others to improve as well. This later translated into the gym when I was a teen, and then into coaching as I started my qualifications. I fell deeper and deeper in love with the process of helping others succeed and achieve things that they themselves might not have the tools or belief to do.
When was your personal training business founded?
I launched Lewis Head Personal Training in March 2020. I rebranded and launched Lewis Head Personal Training & Wellness in June 2024.
Do you have a specific approach that stands you apart from other local trainers?
I feel that personal training has lost its individual & bespoke nature. We aim to ensure all our clients are honoured with that. We take our time to understand the individual needs and requirements. By providing a premier service to the clients, we ensure that their success is streamlined as best as possible to achieve their goals in a way that works for them in their day to day lives.
How important do you think a weekly fitness regime is for people? What are its benefits?
Incredibly important, we know that routine and structure is an aspect of life with how we get from A to B in an efficient way, we take that approach to the training. Having a sporadic regime may get you moving forward slowly but it's not necessarily very optimal. Now, we’re not all Olympians but starting to notch a few areas of our training and nutrition up a few percent as the weeks go by will have a huge impact. A training programme that fits your lifestyle, your goals and what’s realistic for you to achieve is instrumental in your progress both physically and mentally. That, accompanied with the accountability and encouragement to do so if so valuable.
Having breakers in the busy day to day by exercising in any form, is key to maintaining balance within ourselves. Whatever it is you like doing, the boost of endorphins, teamwork or physical challenge has a value which is hard to compare to anything else.
How do you make fitness enjoyable and accessible for newcomers to your training programmes?
For our new clients we conduct an in-depth consultation and initial training session which allows both the client, and coach to learn more about one another. While building a great rapport we also dive more into the client’s base knowledge and understanding of what health and wellbeing means to them. From here we can tailor their programme and nutrition. Setting realistic goals and challenges gives us a clear goal to aim towards. Using smaller targets and milestones gets the motivation rocking and instils belief and confidence within.
What does an average personal training session entail with you?
We always check in with our clients, how they’re feeling, has there been any changes since their last session. How training outside of 1-1 has been going and what we’re looking to achieve that week. Then we can get stuck into some specific mobility and warmups relevant to the session in hand, accounting for any new developments from the prior questions.
During or upon the conclusion of the session we like to give the opportunity for the clients to ask any questions about their training, nutrition, any extras we can provide or adaptations to their programme. We want to make sure everyone has what they need between sessions and create a space where nothing is off limits. Often, this leads to a little goal setting for the time between visits, small work-ons or improvements to elevate the work clients do outside of training.
In your opinion, what are common misconceptions that people have with personal training?
There are several that come to mind, the first would probably be that it is inaccessible for most people. That’s why we have several packages available to suit individuals training requirements, goals and availability and cost. This means that we maintain the value and integrity of our services for all who join.
The second would be that it’s only for people who have experience in the gym and are ultra confident. The environment we strive to create is one for all. Whether you’re an experienced gym goer looking to elevate your training and competition in a sport you play competitively, someone who has trained infrequently but wants to take their training to the next level or someone who has never picked up a dumbbell before. The knowledge, expertise and understanding of our coaches allows anyone to get the most out of their training with us.
And thirdly, I would have to say that it’s all about big heavy loud weights, sergeant-like coaching and militant commands. There is so much more to personal training, for some the former works just fine but for most, a coach being understanding, sympathetic, supportive and encouraging goes further than anything else. That’s where we see our clients excel the most, when the pathway is laid out and we work as a team to get from A to B.
You mention that you help people address nutrition and lifestyle barriers they may have. What kind of tools do you equip your clients with to do so?
We encourage a very open space when it comes to nutrition and lifestyle barriers, it’s such a personal part of the journey so we want to make sure all the bases are covered at a minimum. Ensuring good healthy routines are put in place, positive changes are made. The priority is always nutritional quality regardless of the goals, from there we can build from the ground up.
Should a client need extra specialist help with their nutrition, have specific nutritional requirements or want to dive into the depth of their relationships with food we do work with a nutritionist who can offer that next level of guidance and support.
What fitness activities do you like to pursue for yourself?
I used to play rugby for Old Albanian RFC, so rugby is always in my heart, more so watching compared to playing these days. However, that void has been filled by golf, technicality both physically and mentally challenges me frequently, it’s very different to the team sports used to play but just as enjoyable socially and competitively.
The odd run is never far from the weekly plan with my girlfriend, especially in the summer, just like tennis. The friendly competition between us is always a talking point of the weekend.
If you need to unwind after all that effort in your work, where do you like to go in Harpenden and St. Albans?
8ounce coffee while getting a haircut always goes down well for a bit of TLC. In the summer though, I’ll follow the sun whenever it’s out and the winter…well wherever the Guinness is poured well.