ML Coaching
This is an excerpt from an interview about personal training with Manuela Leonhard. She is one of my valued clients in Zurich and the right hand of Mayor Corine Mauch. Today she's sharing what it's like to work with me as a personal trainer.
Is Marco your first personal trainer? If so, why did you never have one before?
Yes, Marco is actually "my first." I found him because he messaged me on LinkedIn and asked whether I'd like to try a personal training session. At that point, I was in a transitional phase, and had been travelling for a while.
The first thing I did after coming back, though, was write to Marco and set up a trial session. Somehow everything just fit, both this particular point in my life and my inner state.
What mattered to you when hiring a personal trainer?
I'd never had a personal trainer before, and I'm not a professional athlete either, so I didn't have any particular criteria. For me, it was mainly important that the chemistry was right, and with Marco, that was definitely the case.
What's your goal with personal training? Have you already seen progress?
In terms of my body, I made progress relatively quickly, which genuinely surprised me. If I'd just gone to the gym on my own, I definitely wouldn't have been able to lift as much weight as quickly as I can now, and my motivation wouldn't have come close either.
But the most important thing for my physical transformation was what happened in my head. Discipline and motivation are just completely different with Marco. When I think I can't do any more, Marco pushes me further. That's how I reach new personal bests, because my mind and body want to show him that I can do it. That builds a strong motivation and discipline that wouldn't be possible without a personal trainer, at least not for me.
What was the biggest hurdle in hiring Marco as a personal trainer?
I hadn't really thought about hiring a personal trainer beforehand. I knew such a thing existed, but I'd never considered it for myself. I think Marco simply came into my life at the perfect time, when I was in a transitional phase and open to something new.
What's the biggest benefit you get from working with Marco?
The biggest benefit for me is definitely the development in my head. I've developed perseverance and learned to do something even when it's hard and tiresome. Because I then saw the success directly reflected in my own body, I realized it really works, and I was able to change my mindset.
What's the biggest challenge in working with a personal trainer?
With Marco, honestly, everything feels pretty easy. I always love going to training and really enjoy it. Sure, sometimes I suffer physically and sweat like crazy, but afterward I'm so proud of myself that it's all worth it.
The enjoyment of training only came after I started training with Marco, I'd never experienced that before. Thanks to Marco's constant motivation and encouragement by my side, I'm incredibly motivated, completely different from training alone.
What makes Marco special? What sets him apart from others?
Marco has his own goals and training, and he's proven that he follows through and is successful with his training method. He's simply credible. And thanks to his huge wealth of experience and his great manner, he can also pass on that knowledge really well and explain it clearly to us "ordinary mortals." He's also super personable and funny, training with him is always a lot of fun. Despite his fame, Marco isn't full of himself at all.
What were you able to learn from Marco?
Besides correct and efficient training methods, what I learned most from Marco was mental training. With the right mindset, you can achieve anything in life you want, whether that's athletic or other goals. When I now watch successful athletes, I see how much their success has to do with their mindset, not just their training.
Even when I have a bad day in everyday life or at work, I can now flip the switch much more easily and change my attitude, so that I automatically end up in a better mood and achieve more than if I kept "wallowing" in that negative feeling.
My perseverance from training has carried over into my job. When I feel unmotivated and listless, I remind myself that I'm capable of accomplishing anything. After all, I've proven that to myself again and again in training. So today I follow through on much more, because I know that I'll feel better afterward and be proud of myself when I push myself to peak performance instead of giving up.
What would you recommend to someone else who's at a similar point to where you were back then?
I'd recommend simply trying out personal training. Approach the whole thing with an open mind and see what happens to you. The physical transformation is great, but the mental progress you can make is really what matters most.
Dear Manuela,
thank you from the bottom of my heart for your time and your willingness to share a little behind-the-scenes insight. Here's to many more successful and fun training sessions together!
Marco
If you're interested in a trial session yourself, simply book a free consultation right here. I'm sure you'll feel the same way Manuela did, and you'll get measurable, visible results with minimal time investment.