SAFE STRENGTH TRAINING IN LOWER HUTT: MARK’S STORY 

Post date: 28 Nov, 2025 3:00 PM

“I look in the mirror and I feel really bad about how I look.”

That’s what Mark (49) told me in his first session when I asked what brought him in. 

He's a hard-working Kiwi guy, he was juggling long hours, rising stress, poor sleep, and the slow realisation that his strength, posture, and resilience had slipped further than he ever expected.

He felt disappointed about how he looked — and even more disappointed about how he felt.

A quiet nudge from his wife — who works in a tough, male-dominated industry — finally pushed him to do something for himself. He’d already tried home workouts, treadmill sessions, gyms, and online programmes, but nothing stuck. Everything felt too intense, too random, or designed for people who already felt fit. 

When he walked into my studio, he was tall, tight through the upper back, and carrying that rounded-forward posture that comes from years of stress and long days at work. More importantly, he was unsure where to start. 

He was managing fairly regular treadmill exercise at home, but wasn’t sure what was actually effective for losing weight, improving how he looked, or rebuilding confidence.

He wanted to feel better in his body again — without getting smashed, judged, or made to feel unfit.

Starting From Where He Was (Not Where He “Should” Be)

Instead of pushing him into high-intensity workouts, we focused on safe strength training and rebuilding confidence step by step.

We started with:

• Continuing his treadmill routine — the one habit he already had

• Simple, achievable movements that never aggravated anything

• Corrective exercise to ease tightness and improve his rounded upper-back posture

• Strength training that progressed slowly and realistically

• A structure he could trust — no guesswork, no punishment workouts

He quickly realised that training didn’t need to be brutal to work — it just needed to be right for his body.

Progress That Felt Good, Not Punishing 

Within the first few months, he noticed:

• More stability through his hips and lower back

• A noticeably more upright posture — even his workmates commented

• Better sleep and a big drop in daily stress

• A growing sense of physical confidence

• Clothes fitting better (weight loss was still a goal, but no longer the only goal)

As we kept progressing, something clicked:

He finally felt like he was becoming the version of himself he had assumed he’d “get back to one day.”

Two Years Later: Stronger, Calmer, and Consistent

Now, two years in, Mark:

• Shows up every week and includes exercise as a top priority

• Includes some home exercise like treadmill, walks and cycling

• Is stronger, calmer, and trusts the structure of his workouts

• Stands tall and straight, much healthier posture

• Has gradually lost weight, but more importantly feels proud of what his body can do

• No longer worries about sliding into feeling older than he is

His biggest win? Feeling confident, capable, and in control of his body again. He’s building a stronger future — safely and sustainably. 

If You’re in the Same Place

If you’ve been away from exercise for a while, or past attempts have left you sore, discouraged, or unsure where to start:

• You don’t need to be fit.

•  You don’t need to be confident.

•  You don’t need to know where to start.

You just start from where you are.

At my private personal training studio in Maungaraki, Lower Hutt, I help people rebuild strength, with safe, structured, no-nonsense approach programmes tailored to their body — not someone else’s. 

If you’re ready to feel better in your body again — safely and without the overwhelm — I’m here to help.

Additional Reading

How to get started with exercise: A step-by-step guide
You will be amazed at what you can achieve
15 Benefits only a Personal Trainer can provide
What is the best exercise for knee pain
Injuries, Arthritis, and Inflammatory Conditions