SUCCESS-STORIES: JOURNEY TO REGAINING POSTPARTUM FITNESS
Jenny Ngan Truong
April 25, 2024
Despite the fact that personalised training is not a new concept, the Vietnamese fitness industry has been slow to fully embrace it. The goal of STEEL's #Success-events series of articles, which are based on actual events, is to shed light on how personal trainers and clients with a variety of physical problems, personalities, and lifestyles communicate and collaborate. It's primarily about how we seek out the best possible training environment, cater to the needs of each individual customer, and achieve the greatest amount of success for all involved. Because no two people are exactly alike, there is no universally applicable solution.
Regaining fitness after giving birth is a goal of every woman, but it can be challenging, particularly if the "golden period" (the first two to three months after giving birth) is missed. Further scientific calculations and persistence are required to see training benefits at this time.
In #Success-Stories #4, we follow Ms. Ngoc Bich, a Saigon resident, on her fitness journey. As a working mother with two young children, Ms. Bich spent a significant amount of time juggling her professional and personal lives, resulting in a five-year hiatus from her exercise routine. Let’s learn about Ms. Bich's journey with Coach Minh Tai to know how she overcame her own personal struggles to regain her ideal physique with the help of a dedicated professional coach..
Episode 4 of the #Success-Stories series is the training story of Ms. Ngoc Bich - currently living and working in Saigon. As a young mom to 2 children, Ms. Bich used to get carried away by the crazy workload of both taking care of the kids as well as maintaining her career in a long time - which led to a 5 long year hiatus in her exercise routine.
Through the reflection of Coach Tai, let discover Ms. Bich's journey to regain her ideal physique, her determination along way and the role of a good companion from a professional coach.
Customer Profile:
What was the client's initial physical state, lifestyle, and diet when she came to you?
Ms. Bich started going to the gym five years after she had her second child. She was at a healthy weight for her height, but the issue was the added fat that had formed around her tummy. As she had never set foot in a fitness centre before and she just didn't have the time to exercise regularly, her body wasn't well-toned.
Ms. Bich understood the importance of eating healthily, but she was not sure how to add new foods into her diet. For example, she looked for nutritious nuts, but she consumed up to half a kilogramme per day, resulting in an excess of energy. According to my observations, she tended to overeat sweets.
She wanted to get back to her pre-pregnancy weight and shape.
Ms. Bich went to the gym for the first time, totally unprepared. During the first two or three weeks, I made sure she understood the fundamentals of movement so she could get the most out of her workout sessions. The first set of exercises was similarly simple, serving mostly as an introductory and rhythmic warm-up. In addition to cardio, strength training, and 10,000-20,000 step walking, I added high-intensity interval training (HIIT) into her weekly workout routine later.
I ensured she burned fat through full-body exercises and gradually increased weights. Ms. Bich experienced positive results after increasing her workout intensity by 20% from the first to third weeks.
I explained the daily limit, what to eat, and what to avoid, so she could make an informed diet choice. Eating more nuts and avocados may help her reduce her sugar and fat intake. A moderate amount of sugar and fat, as well as sweet potatoes, brown rice, and whole grain bread, are all considered healthy carbohydrate sources.
Ms. Bich exercised regularly at the gym every week. In my full-body workouts designed for her, I would alternate between strength training and other exercises. I offered to build strength all over by doing eight or ten sets of squats, leg presses, or something similar. She also practised lighter weights and various squat variations for muscle growth. Accordingly, she was able to boost her strength, burn fat, and unleash her energy without even stretching.
I also came up with core exercises that focused on the abdominal region to help her lose weight. A fat-burning abdominal exercise was also a part of each session.
Ms. Bich's biggest problem was that she couldn’t lose weight during the optimal window of time, which was two to three months after giving birth. Therefore, weight loss became more of a radical challenge. I was assured that we communicated frequently throughout every session. In order to guarantee that she could practise with confidence, I shared with Ms.Bich proven research, stories of working mothers like she is as well as stories of successful gymmers. It built her trust and enabled her to complete the training with greater assurance and drive.
After three weeks of training, Ms. Bích was able to lift 35 kg, a 20 kg increase from her first day at STEEL. Her weekly weight gain is a direct result of her drive to reach ever higher heights. Her physical strength and endurance improve as long as she is able to lift heavier and heavier objects. Afterwards, her workouts no longer leave her feeling drained.
Ms. Bich has kept a positive and concentrated spirit during the whole training session. After witnessing the first outcomes, she has been very inspired to keep working every day towards her goals
Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Coach Minh Tai.
