Drop a dress size.... by Amrita kaur hunjan

I came to Richard aka Rghbfitness to just lose weight, be disciplined and learn some boxing but got more than I expected. Richard saw and knew exactly what I needed. A major change to my mind, body and soul – teachings of healthy and key life skills. I was a virgin gym goer and had no level of confidence to attend the gym on my own let alone with someone and was regularly cancelling classes or just not attending. 

Richard had a vision; I could not see it until I felt and saw the results. The strength; the power; the confidence; the change in how to live life healthy and to the fullest through fitness. 

My anxiety did not help me. I wanted to run before I could walk, asked far too many questions rather than believing in myself, Richard and the training. I did not realise how in denial I was with how I was living my life and the choices I was making when it came to health and fitness.

I had only just quit smoking, vaping and drinking. To then start hardbody personal training with Richard. I was very optimistic and thought “yes I can do this” by pushing myself as hard as possible making sure I did not let myself or Richard down. All I did was put immense pressure on myself and lost sight of what was to be achieved. Richard saw and heard every hurdle or storm life was throwing at me during the 4-month journey. Even when I was not in the right mind set on more than one occasion, he knew exactly what to do, how to do it and bring me back from losing my drive and willpower. 

Richard broke the process down, showed me how to manage myself. He made me realise that I do not put myself first and taught me how through his years of life experiences, wise words of wisdom, fitness and nutrition. The nutrition was the hardest part of the training; it was not physical but was a mental process. To live with a full family of some healthy options and junk all around you – the temptation was so high. I remember Richard’s choice words which helped me get through it – “Focus & Fight it”. It took me at least 2 months to really fight it. Again, Richard had to break it down for me and I had to see it through. 

The training started with physical pain, emotional defeats, mind-numbing experiences but Richard showed care, gave support, pumped the motivation. Many reminders that I was doing so well and that I was pushing hard. The level of self-doubt in me was high but Richard showed me my worth in the way of fitness and health. 

I had opted for personal training, sport massages and online coaching. The PT was very intense and I could not see Richard’s vision – only that “we were building and working towards our end goal”. The more I trained, the more I saw the many techniques used by Richard and came to understand them by asking the right questions. As time went on, I started to see part of his vision and was impressed by his techniques and all the achievements we had accomplished through our training. The PT sessions sometimes would change up depending what life had thrown at me. The need to have a private gym sitting or to introduce “pounding the bag” before a sports massage. It changed my world and was literally breathtaking. 

The online coaching really helped with my nutrition, stretches and gym exercises. The use of the gym equipment. The app was very user friendly with times or reps and video tutorials for exercises I had never done before.

The sports massages were at first very painful but as I attended every week the massages became a necessity. The techniques, style and pressure worked wonders, leaving me recharged and reset, ready to train hard the next day. The results were phenomenal. I was able to sit, stand walk tall. My shoulders neck and back became more aligned. I could feel and see the difference in my flexibility and ability to train as hard as I did due to my corrected posture. The advice given by Richard was very helpful, but I too had to put in the hard work for the aftercare that needed to be done to my body for recovery. Richard helped me understand that recovery is needed and advised me to use the sauna, steam and ice bath as a form of recovery.  My form in doing a high plank at the end of each session became stronger. 

With only 7 weeks left of our hardbody training, I saw the muscles and strength forming in my core, legs and arms. Places where I could not even achieve without the hardbody training. I was becoming more confident, attending and performing better in my classes, achieving goals I had not even set. I was finding myself on this self-discovery journey. My speed was increasing and stamina was reaching heights I had never achieved before. I became more disciplined by applying my training and aftercare and before I knew it, I was leading a new healthy lifestyle. While Richard was my inspiration, his training and results in me meant that I became an inspiration to my family and friends. 

Then came the Injury to my left calf muscle by my own fault of pushing too hard on an exercise that did not need that level of push. It sent me down and I was worried that all our hard work would be undone. Richard showed me daily constant care, support and reassurance that we will still achieve our goal. Our PT sessions took a different turn as we started our recovery training. Richard taught me how to recover outside of the gym. I learnt the importance of my invested time and being disciplined with it. The focus on the upper body training was introduced while the leg recovered. I felt like I had to start over with the running and use of the leg in some of the fast-paced workouts. Richard taught me how to not compete with those around me and to not be defeated from that urge to train hard. That it was okay to go at my new slow pace with the correct form. He taught me how to take each step to strengthen the leg and not to aggravate the injury. He gave me a daily recovery exercise to do which helped not only my recovery but my balance. I did not feel like I was starting over but I was levelling up in my training. Slowing down helped my anxiety, patience and calmness to life. I learnt how to channel my high energy in other ways during my recovery through my classes, training with Richard and recovery at home or in the spa. 

Every step of the way from the start, middle, end and through all of my unforeseen life’s challenges that came during our hardbody training, Richard was very observant, thoroughly applied his fitness knowledge and can-do positive spirits to transform not only my body, but my mind and soul. 

In only 4 months I had achieved so much beyond belief. I faced my many fears one of which was heights. In trusting and believing Richard, I then spiritually got better in my trust and belief in myself. I had mastered self-control and a great deal of calmness. To be able to have the power, drive and stamina in my combat, weight and running classes. The resistance and core body strength in my pilates classes. To find balance and inner peace in my yoga classes. To then finally have an outer body or healing experiences from my meditation classes. 

The mental and physical hardbody training that I endured through Richard was life changing. Not only did my mind change but my body started to shape up. I became more athletic and had started to shred the weight and became leaner. I was astounded and ecstatic to learn that I had lost 3 dress sizes and got into clothes I had not worn for more than 15 years. It is possible to go from a size 20 to a fitting size 16 in four months. I am very proud of myself to have taken the courage and strength in leaving the old ways of life and now cannot live without my fitness, which is a part of my life as I build for my current and future self. I feel like a Winner in my self-growth and confidence in living life to the fullest. 

I will make my return to train with Richard again. For us both to accomplish new levels with the hardbody training, to challenge and push my limits and see where my training in health and fitness takes me. Hardbody for Life. Thank you Richard e you ready to transform your body and achieve your fitness goals? At RGHBFITNESS Fitness, we offer personalized training programs to help you get the results you want.