ML Coaching
Since questions reach me daily on social media, I decided to run an official survey. On Instagram, you could ask me the questions on your mind the most. I've rounded up the most common questions in this article and answered them in detail. I'm sure you'll pick up some useful answers here too. Let's get into it!
1. How – and above all, why – did you become a personal trainer?
I was always active and fit, but at 17 I tore my meniscus badly during gymnastics, which put me out of action for months. During that time, I started strength training and eventually overcame the injury. That made me curious, and I got more and more into fitness and nutrition. I completed several qualifications in the field, while building a career as a bank client advisor at the same time. From then on, I spent my holidays completing the best training programmes worldwide. In California, Florida, England, Spain and many other countries, I learned from some of the best coaches out there. Combined with my hands-on experience, I'd built up so much knowledge that I felt I had to pass it on. Helping people has always been a key part of my career, but I wanted more than just optimising my clients' finances. My biggest passion is helping others with their health, so I chose to become a personal trainer.
2. What did your own transformation look like?
My transformation from banker to fitness model and personal trainer was no accident. I worked hard toward it for years and prepared myself accordingly. I'd modelled since childhood, and I used that as a springboard into the fitness industry. It's a field where I can express myself and follow my passion. I went to FIBO and presented myself there shirtless, hoping to get discovered. And that's exactly what happened – I got discovered and landed my first cover. I made the most of that moment of attention (the magazine has 7 million subscribers worldwide) and built an ever-growing reach thanks to my social media work. For a while, I worked at the bank and as a personal trainer at the same time, but then I finally took the leap into self-employment. Within a month I was fully booked, and ever since, I get to do what I love most every single day. Connecting with people matters a lot to me, and now I get to use my social skills and empathy to help my clients build a healthier lifestyle
3. What was the biggest challenge in your transformation?
For an athlete, injuries are usually the biggest challenges. My meniscus injury at 17 ended in surgery on my left knee, and months later I was still in pain and couldn't put proper weight on it. My first two physiotherapists and a round of shockwave therapy brought no improvement, but with the third therapist I finally got my breakthrough. In the gym, we built up the muscles that stabilise the knee, which led to extremely fast progress. Last year I also had a shoulder injury. The most important thing is not to see setbacks like these as defeats, but as opportunities. I fought my way back and grew through these challenges.
4. What's the most important requirement for anyone who wants to achieve a body transformation?
Simple – intrinsic motivation. The desire for change has to come from you, not from anyone else's influence. If you want to get fit for yourself, not for someone else, then the most important requirement is already in place. That drive is what helps you stick to your training and nutrition plan, even when things get hard along the way. You don't have to follow every guideline 100% of the time, but a body transformation does demand a certain amount of discipline and time investment. To follow through, the will inside you has to be bigger than the obstacles, and you need to know why you're doing this in the first place – for yourself!
5. How do you train your mindset?
I got into the psychology of success at a young age. I pulled the most important ideas and approaches from countless books and tried to apply them in practice. To reach my goal of becoming the first Swiss fitness cover model, I needed more than just training. The mind plays a decisive role, so I started creating vision boards and detailed plans. By when do I want to reach which goal, and what steps does that require? When I presented myself shirtless at FIBO and got discovered, it became clear to me that this mindset stuff really works. I developed a completely new level of self-confidence, one I still have today.
If you want to go through a transformation, it's important to clearly picture how you want to look and write down the path to get there. By when do you want to reach which body fat percentage? How do you want to look, and how do you want to feel? Picture exactly what it feels like to climb stairs 20 kilos lighter. And don't just visualise this at the start, by the way – keep doing it throughout the whole process. That's how you build the right mindset.
6. How much time do you invest in your own training, and how much time do you recommend your personal training clients invest?
That depends on whether I'm prepping for an event or not. During prep, I spend 10-15 hours a week on stretching, strength training and cardio. If you're not aiming for the stage and you stick consistently to your nutrition plan, two intense strength training sessions a week are enough to see visible progress. For most of my clients, that's plenty to improve their health and lose fat.
7. What are the most common training mistakes? What's your tip for what to always watch out for?
In my opinion, people tend to train with too much weight. Too much momentum and poor technique put unnecessary strain on the joints and quickly lead to injuries. My philosophy is joint-friendly strength training with good tension. That means less weight, but with really solid tension in the muscle. If you train with too much weight, you often feel the assisting muscles more than the one you're actually trying to train. If you train your chest with too much weight, for example, you'll feel it mainly in your triceps – that's how you know something's off. Another big mistake is assuming that more is better. Young people especially sometimes spend hours in the gym every single day. But muscles grow during the recovery phase – if your body doesn't get that, it holds back muscle growth. So: train hard, but with good tension, and plan in enough downtime. By the way, here's one of my articles on the most common diet mistakes.
8. What's the biggest benefit of being fit, for you?
Definitely the fact that I get sick far less than other people – in the last two years, not at all. Regular training massively strengthens your immune system, which is exactly why it's worth it even for managers with barely any time to carve out a little time for exercise. It seriously cuts down on missed workdays, which matters a lot to me as a self-employed person, since missed work means lost income for me.
9. What's the best part of your job as a personal trainer, for you?
Helping people improve their health is the biggest reward for me. I love connecting with all kinds of personalities, adapting to each client individually every time. That doesn't just keep things varied – I also learn something from every single one of them and become a better coach. You never stop learning in this job, and that's what makes it so great.
10. How do you deal with setbacks, disappointments and criticism? What tips do you give your clients?
As I mentioned, I don't see my injuries as setbacks. I fought my way back again and again and came out of those times stronger – physically and mentally. That motivates me not just in training, but in my job too. If you want to go through a successful transformation, you can never give up. That mindset is what makes you successful. It's also important that fitness doesn't become the only pillar in your life. If it falls away because of an injury, that can quickly lead to psychological problems. So my tip is to build other sources of strength you can draw on. I personally love photography and animals, and I leaned on those during my injuries and spent a lot of time with them. It's important not to depend on just one area of your life, and to have a certain balance.
11. What are your most valuable tips for when someone hits a motivation slump or gets hit by cravings?
Motivation slumps in training can easily be fixed with a new training plan. New exercises and different rep cycles bring in fresh energy – a good personal trainer factors this in anyway, so you don't even have to think about it.
Cheat days or cheat meals help against cravings. What matters is that they stay the exception to the rule, and that you go straight back to your usual nutrition plan afterwards, instead of thinking it's too late anyway. As long as the bulk of your diet is healthy, a few exceptions aren't a big problem. You can also turn recipes that are normally unhealthy into healthy versions – there are countless ideas online. Instead of sugary brownies, for example, you could bake protein brownies, or swap pasta and bread for low-carb versions.
12. How can you use social media to support your own body transformation?
I post my own transformations and those of my personal training clients on my social media profiles, and so do plenty of others. That's great motivation, especially because you pick up a lot of practical tips along the way – from people who've already been through the same journey or are on it right now. Sharing your own transformation on social media has plenty of benefits too. Recognition for your progress is motivating, and motivating each other builds a sense of community. You're not alone – lots of people are going through the same thing and dealing with their own challenges too. Facebook groups on nutrition and fitness are also a great place to connect with others. If that's your kind of thing, make the most of what the internet offers and surround yourself with like-minded people.
13. Did you have a personal trainer or coach? If so, what impact did they have on your transformation?
I was lucky enough to have a great coach right from the start. Even at 18, he showed me how to train my joints sustainably with the right technique and nutrition. My nutrition plan was built around clean muscle growth without gaining fat. That let me make incredibly fast progress and put me way ahead of people my age. Because I didn't make the mistakes other people made, I saved a huge amount of time. The personal training was tough but fair, and I never would have become successful this fast without a coach. I'd recommend a personal trainer to everyone. If you want to learn tennis, you take professional lessons instead of blindly hitting balls around. The same goes for strength training. A coach looks at your starting point, including any weak spots or injuries, and builds your training around that. That way you make fast progress and avoid injuries. An individual nutrition plan matters too, since the same diet doesn't make sense for everyone. Plus, you always have someone who pushes you (safely), takes you to your limits, and holds you accountable. If that sounds like something you could benefit from, feel free to reach out to me. Together, we'll get you into top shape fast!
14. What do your plans for the future look like? What can we expect from you soon?
I'm currently developing a transformation platform where the whole guide to training and nutrition will be available online. Video tutorials will help you get your nutrition changes and fitness exercises right. I haven't announced an exact date yet – so stay tuned for what's coming.
If you're looking for professional support with your fitness and nutrition plan to make fast progress, I'd be happy to help as your personal trainer in Zurich. Just drop me an email – I'd love to hear from you!