SUCCESS-STORIES: JOY IN POST-PREGNANCY TRAINING
STEEL Team
April 25, 2024
Even though the idea of personalised training is not new, the Vietnamese fitness industry has been slow to fully adopt it. The #Success-events series of articles by STEEL is based on real events and aims to show how personal trainers and clients with different physical issues, personalities, and ways of life can work together and communicate. It mostly has to do with how we find the best training environment, meet the needs of every customer, and make sure that everyone has the most success possible. Since no two people are exactly the same, there is no one solution that works for everyone.
When a woman gives birth, her body and mental state experience a lot of changes. Regaining a healthy routine and establishing a pattern for one's life after giving birth requires a significant amount of time and work. In order to see results fast, many moms choose to exercise regularly with a personal coach in a gym.
Ms. Hikari, a Japanese living in Saigon, is a mother of three. She plans to get back into shape and reduce weight at the gym three months after giving birth. Considering how little time she spent practicing, she managed to achieve a lot more. In the first episode of the #SUCCESS-STORIES series, shared by STEEL Coach Thao Lam, we follow Ms. Hikari as she discovers happiness and a healthy lifestyle.
Customer Profile:
- Age: Approximately 30 years old
- Fitness Goal: Postpartum weight loss
- Training Duration: 3 months
- Initial Fitness Condition: Lack of firmness in the body, weak endurance
Ms. Hikari gave birth three times and returned to the gym three months after her youngest child was born. She was severely fatigued after giving birth due to a postpartum problem. She had a slender figure and tended to carry extra fat around her middle. On rare occasions, she would exercise, but she had never set foot in a gym. Ms. Hiraki occasionally accompanied her husband for indoor rock climbing, but not very often. In general, she is a rookie in the gym.
Ms. Hikari's daily menu frequently includes Japanese dishes like sushi, sashimi, and noodles, which are both healthful and well-balanced. She also has some knowledge of nutrition and can prepare nutritious meals for herself and her family.
Ms. Hiraki's fitness goals include lowering weight, reducing fat, and being vigorous with a leaner physique.
Ms. Hiroki's main goals were to improve her overall fitness and lose weight, rather than focusing on specific muscle groups. So I came up with full-body exercises to fix the imbalances in her upper and lower halves.
The method of continuous progression is a key one. We used light dumbbells initially so Hiroki learned the movements safely. I increased the challenge a bit each session, either by changing the reps or adding a small amount of weight. This gradual overload ensures steady strength gains and ability to conquer newer heights.
Nutrition played a big role as well. During her first month, I provided her precise daily macros and recommended a meal prep company to make things easy. This let me closely control her calorie intake. After four weeks, Ms. Hiroki felt confident enough to start cooking balanced meals at home. I kept an eye on her food choices and was pleased to see her making independant, healthy decisions. Being proactive with her diet is a really promising sign that she's committed to maintaining this lifestyle long-term.
Because Ms. Hiroki had to take care of kids, her training had to be flexible. For the first few months, her kids' schedules meant that sessions could only last 30 minutes four or five times a week. Her body still got a good workout because she was reminded of this routine. She worked hard, and within three months, she was able to handle full-hour sessions.
Ms. Hiroki took her six-month-old and eleven-year-old kids to the gym with her all the time. I planned activities that the whole family could do together whenever I could. There were fun and safe ways for all of us to move around more, like planks, skips, and squats. The kids loved going to their Mom's classes to meet new people and burn off energy.
The nice people at the gym watched the kids so they could play while Hiroki worked out without being bothered. With this plan, she could work out without being interrupted.
Because Ms. Hiroki was breastfeeding, I didn't put her on too strict of a diet. What was more important was that she and the baby stayed healthy. She already seemed to be eating in a healthy way, so I didn't bother her with the details.
New motherhood causes women significant lifestyle changes and disrupts daily routines, which can increase stress levels. My goal is to ensure that exercise promotes wellness rather than becoming another burden. Clients like Hiroki juggle hectic schedules with caring for young children. I take a gentle, adaptable approach to meeting their needs. The last thing I want is for training to cause additional strain. During this phase, self-care activities that revitalise both the body and the mind are essential. I hope that by creating a calm gym environment, clients will view workouts as relaxing rather than a chore.
Ms. Hiroki's physical and mental transformation became clear after three months of dedicated training. Her figure became visibly slimmer, her weight decreased, and the amount of fat in her body decreased evenly. While her body firmed up, her strength has also increased significantly. Ms. Hiroki confidently performed pull-ups, push-ups, and chest presses with heavier dumbbells during each session. Nothing made her happier than challenging personal bests.
Her attitude has also changed for the better. In his spare time, Ms. Hiroki would often be found in the gym, where she took pleasure in exercising. Her progress made her shine with joy. Ms. Hiroki once guided a friend through a workout completely without a trainer, demonstrating the passion and self-assurance that come from her dedicated practice.
More than any changes to her body, Ms. Hiroki found long-term value in making exercise a permanent part of her life. She used to only want to lose weight, but with dedicated training, she found greater satisfaction in regularly pushing herself through difficult workouts. Now that Ms. Hiroki cares more about her health than how she looks, she continues to work hard to get stronger while having an active daily routine. Ms. Hiroki and I, as her coach, are both very proud of how much she has changed in all aspects. shows that serious fitness doesn't have to end when you reach your goal; it can become a source of long-term happiness if you keep appreciating good health.
Thank you Coach Thao Lam for your insight.
Customer's Review
“...I always appreciate the kindness of all the staff.
I got into the habit of exercising and became more health conscious…” - HIKARI HORIE
