New mum Polona faced her ‘gymtimidation’ to lose 17kg and shape her dream figure

I look at myself in the mirror and I feel love towards my body. It has brought a 180-degree change in how I perceive myself.

Polona wanted to feel proud of her body at 40.

Since becoming a mother, she’d felt low on confidence and didn’t know where to begin to lose her pregnancy weight.

The gym felt intimidating, and with a young child at home and an on-the-go career, it seemed like there weren’t enough hours in the day.

But she was completely aware that her pregnancy weight wasn’t going to disappear on its own.

That was all the motivation she needed to partner with U.P.

Step by step she lost 17kg which has given he back that feeling of pride in her body after becoming a mother.

Polona has the slim waist and eye-catching abs that she doubted were ever possible after giving birth.

And best of all, it took just three one-hour training sessions every week to get these kinds of results.

Even with a six-month break from Ultimate Performance, in that time she applied the lessons and principles she learned whilst training alone to maintain her figure.

Here, she shares some of those same lessons that helped her get in shape…

What was it that motivated you to start personal training with Ultimate Performance?

I noticed that my weight was going up. So, I wouldn’t say I was super happy with my body. I was not able to squeeze myself into some of my favourite clothes, and I was very, very close to just giving them away to my friends.

In terms of physical activities, I was not strong, I couldn’t even lift my son, and many other physical activities were just impossible. I knew I had to exercise more, but I struggled to find time to dedicate to myself.

My training before U.P. was not consistent. There was absolutely no strategy, no program, no focus, and no habit of exercising where I would stick to any kind of plan. I struggled to stick with it.

I think it was also the type of exercise that didn’t bring me enough results to motivate me to keep going.

Given you were anxious about stepping foot in the gym, how did you find your U.P. experience?

I came to U.P. completely inexperienced. I was afraid of gyms, but with my trainer’s help, I made a complete shift I absolutely love coming to U.P.

One of my first impressions was that this is not like any gym I’ve seen before. The personal trainers are working hard, pushing their clients to achieve their best.

I train early in the morning. It’s a great way to start the day, and I like the environment; it is supportive and enthusiastic.

Every time you look around the gym, you can see someone who has made huge progress since you last saw them. That gives you an additional boost because you feel – if they can do it, I can do it as well.

What are the differences between the experience at U.P. and commercial gyms?

There is an absolute dedication to me as a person, both inside and outside the gym. They’re in touch daily, helping me through my struggles, explaining things, and helping me push myself.

I didn’t get that from a personal trainer at a commercial gym. The way that Ultimate Performance trainers operate in the gym, I’ve compared the two worlds. Trainers in commercial gyms don’t engage with you. My trainer at U.P. always holds my body in the right position and touches the muscles that I need to flex – even ones that I didn’t know existed.

I can take all this information and apply it when I’m training on my own. U.P. helped me understand the simple things that can make a huge difference.

Coming to Ultimate Performance, there was clearly a lot of accountability from both sides. I wanted to do the best for them because they were doing that for me. They’re interested in what I’m doing on certain days, how I’m managing the challenges of training and dieting, whereas I didn’t get that in a commercial gym.

It felt like the job of a personal trainer in a commercial gym started and ended in the gym and didn’t expand outside of it.

How has U.P. impacted you physically and otherwise?

Obviously, one big change in my life was that my body changed. I lost a lot of weight. More importantly, I gained a lot of muscle and strength. Now I am way more active.

That’s just one side of it; U.P. has also positively impacted my mental health and how I feel in general. I look at myself in the mirror, and I feel love towards my body, and I’m impressed with myself.

It has brought a 180-degree change in how I perceive myself, how I now perceive my fitness journey, and how I eat my food. I’m enjoying the new me.

What are the most powerful lessons you have learned about training and nutrition?

That you need a structure! If I talk about nutrition specifically, understanding what you’re eating was core to the process. Understanding the macros made a really big change in how I perceive my food.

Being accountable was something else that I learned at U.P. I didn’t skip a single lesson or session. Even now, when I go on my own to a commercial gym, I’m sticking to the routine.

So, the power of building that habit is very important for me.

What would you say to people like yourself who are thinking of starting at U.P.?

Two things really stood out at U.P. – the structured dedication and the team spirit at the gym. I feel like it’s not just my own personal trainer, but others as well in the gym that come and cheer you on when it’s hard and compliment your achievement.

It feels like everyone in the gym is supporting you and cheering you on. At the start of my journey, I was a bit skeptical. And if it weren’t for a friend who has gone through the journey and showed me her photos, I wouldn’t have believed it possible.

Now that I’ve been through the journey myself, all I can say is that it is possible. It’s worth doing; it’s a life-changing experience, at least it was for me. It’s incredibly hard for some of us to build that kind of routine and stick to healthy habits.

But at U.P., you can honestly do it. If I can, then everyone can.

And finally, would you recommend U.P. to others?

If I could, I would bring every single friend to Ultimate Performance.

I think if you are an experienced gym-goer, coming to Ultimate Performance will really put you to another level. You can watch all the videos online, but you need somebody to physically look at you to improve your form, posture, grip or technique, the rhythm, and to hold you accountable.

If you’re a complete beginner, afraid of the gym, not knowing what to do with a dumbbell, not knowing what to do with the cable machine, then U.P. is the best place to be. It’s like a university on the gym floor. You learn a lot. You have somebody to teach you the basics, and gradually improve your ability to perform safely.

It’s not just about looking good, it’s about making sure you don’t hurt yourself. Everyone can improve and achieve their goals. I know I am at a level now where I can exercise on my own. I can competently stand on the gym floor and do the job. I can push myself. I can look myself in the mirror and I can see what I can improve.

But if I really want to achieve great results and achieve them continuously and improve continuously, I know I need professionals around me to support my journey. I would not be able to do it on my own.

It is hard work, and you need someone who understands how hard it is to help you to go through this.

Polona didn’t think it was possible to exercise three times a week. Fast forward a few months, she can’t imagine a life without. Partner with a U.P. here to see how exercise can easily slot into your routine.

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