What Feels Illegal But Isn't... Fitness Edition

The Training Paradox No one is Talking About

I’ve always felt like a bit of an odd one out when it comes to training…

While everyone else seemed to be following squat plans or religiously following their split, I’ve always been over in the corner trying to do handstands, swinging on bars, or rolling in mud on a mountain. I knew it wasn’t the “norm,” and to be honest it’s left me feeling like a rogue at best and a completely fraud at worst… like I was doing fitness wrong.

But the truth is, deep down I knew I was chasing something different—and maybe a little more meaningful. The ‘normal’ training has just never drawn me in which always felt… well, wrong.

Am I alone feeling this way? I’ll hazard a guess not and after maaany conversations over the years with clients and instagram strangers I know I’m not alone.

Fitness culture often paints a very narrow picture of what “fitness” looks like. It’s all gym PRs, progressive overload and perhaps some visible abs. And hey, those things can absolutely be part of it. But what I’ve learnt over the years is the fitness that actually changes your life? It goes way beyond aesthetics or gym numbers.

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The Training Paradox

The real reason for the confliction of right vs wrong training in my brain is because I am a personal trainer. Surely, I should be a founding member of the traditional training club yet you’ll often find me breaking the norms, shunning traditional gym equipment and promoting just doing what you enjoy.

I wholeheartedly believe that training should be whatever you want it to be. It’s completely okay to break the norms of fitness. In fact, I’d argue it’s necessary. Because the “norm” is often just a noisy echo chamber of what we think we should be doing. Endless progressive overload, clean eating, aesthetic goals, and while those things have their place, they’re not the whole picture.

If something doesn’t spark joy, build confidence, or make you feel more alive in your body, then what’s the point? Traditional fitness can absolutely provide these things but I know that’s not universal.

Fitness should fit you, not the other way around. Whether that’s calisthenics in your garden, hiking up a mountain in the rain (five stars, highly recommend), or dusting off those roller skates all these years later so you can skate with your kids, there’s power in choosing your own path even if it looks nothing like anyone else’s.

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So what is real fitness?

At the end of the day, while I am a personal trainer, I’m also just someone who wants to do the things I love, climb mountains, do handstands and try new things with confidence, maybe with the added ability to walk up stairs without getting too out of breath (questionable at times).

So the conclusion I have always come to is that fitness can look however the heck you want it to. If you have a specific fitness goal then yep, you will absolutely benefit from a detailed program, progressive overload and perhaps macro tracking (and I may has just the right program for you on my workout app) but alternatively it can just be the haphazard give-anything-a-go ‘no plan’ plan without a specific end point in mind.

And if you’ve ever doubted whether your version of fitness “counts,” ask yourself one thing: Why am I doing this? If your answer has more to do with how you want to feel or how this adds to your life in a more positive way you’re on the right track.

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How this changed me as a coach

Shifting my own perspective on fitness has completely changed how I coach, too. I’m less interested in how many reps you can do and far more invested in how you feel doing them. I care about building trust, confidence, and a mindset that supports you outside the gym, not just ticking boxes inside it - unless, of course, that’s what you want!

It’s also why I set up Made Wild Adventures. After finding my own passion (read: obsession) for all things mountains I knew I couldn’t rest until I dragged more women just like me into the amazing world of the great outdoors. You don’t need to be a hardcore hiker or ultra-fit to come along. Just a bit of curiosity, a pair of boots, and a willingness to step into something new.

If that last one is calling to you… well, let me introduce you to the Made Wild Snowdonia Adventure Weekend.

🚀 Dates: 20-22 June ‘25
📍 Where: Snowdonia, Wales
🎟 Spots are limited, so grab yours here: Eryri Adventure Weekend

For an idea of what to expect check out this reel from last years weekend.

You can find all the details here. I’d love to adventure with you.

And if nothing else, maybe this is your reminder that your fitness journey doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. It just has to work for you.

Have a beautiful week crew and I’ll see you out there! 🩵

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