Testimonials
Unsure about personal training? Heres a few testimonials from some of my satisfied clients to help put your mind at ease.
Lewis Taylor, 20, Bridgend
January 2010
Before: May 2009
Weight: 118kg (18st 6lb)
Fat Percentage: 28%
After: November 2009
Weight: 87kg (13st 7lb)
Fat Percentage: 8.7%
"Upon realisation that I had let things slip in a big way, to a weight which was borderline obese, the severity of my non-existent training really did hit home. All my life I had played rugby at district level and always being a starting player, yet having taken a year and a half away from sport I gained roughly 3 stone. I began training on my own, using the knowledge gained from on-tracks with Craig to start cutting away the years of excess weight. The tips he provided me with and the workout regime in place ensured a steady and sensible weight loss week by week which, alongside the confidence Craig had in me and his regime really making an impact, I was highly motivated to hit the gym at least five times a week, mostly 6 or 7.
I decided that spending money on my health and wellbeing was much more important than spending money on alcohol, so I invested in personal training with Craig.
Craig made it easy for me to afford and fully understood that as an apprentice at the time, it was a significant investment for me to make. However, it did not disrupt my normal day to day life at all, I found that I was still out every weekend, but drinking non-alcoholic drinks and saving my money for better things. So all in all, this was truly one of the greatest investments I will ever make and the results speak for themselves.
Not only did Craig train me on a one to one basis, he also made a comprehensive workout guide for me, with every muscle group workout detailed, and rigorous and varied cardio regimes to follow. So essentially, the value for money is superb, as his expertise can be with you anywhere, at any time.
I think looking back, without the help I have had along the way from Craig I would not be at the stage I am today, an ideal weight for my height and age. The biggest motivator for me was that if I had not met targets set (beating previous test results, weight loss targets etc) I would have not only me to let down but Craig too and I think that every one is the same. It is easy to let yourself down but not another person. This ensured I always exceeded the targets set.
On a personal note, I think when you train with Craig you form a friendship and can really enjoy the training and laugh when he is really pushing you to your physical limits and you want to do nothing but stop, yet you keep pushing on because of the motivation drummed into you.
A genuine and professional guy,
Nice one Chief!"
Alison Peterson, 58 and Kate Peterson, 28, Bridgend
We've be attending Craig's classes for the past year now at Esporta and now at No.9 and have seen big improvements in our overall fitness. Not only can Craig push you to your limit he will make it enjoyable at the same time. After attending many of Craig's classes we started to have one to one personal training with him to focus on our fitness but also toning. Craig varies the session every week focusing on different muscle groups and working us in ways we haven't worked before. Personal training with Craig has been well worth it, it has given us some many more options for our training and continues to be enjoyable. We can't wait to see how far we can go. Thanks Craig.
I recently completed 10 x 1 hour personal training sessions with Craig Harper. I had been an occasional, often half-hearted gym-goer for a few years but always knew I wasn’t pushing myself anywhere near enough.
I always felt that personal training was a luxury but it soon became clear that having one was really making a big difference in a relatively short space of time. Craig helped me achieve my goal of losing body fat, building lean muscle and increasing fitness in a quite dramatic fashion.
The one to one sessions with Craig really helped keep me focused and hungry for change. Our sessions including a mixture of weights, circuit routines and intense cardiovascular programmes. Having Craig was a great way to keep motivated as he acted like my coach, constantly encouraging me and pushing me to do better.
Craig gave me the motivation and encouragement to push myself a little harder to achieve the desired results. I found his exercises to be really exciting, fun and easy to do both at the gym and at home. He has a 'can-do' attitude that helps you push yourself to achieve any exercise he gives you.
It is apparent that Craig enjoys what he does and this comes across in his appointments. I found Craig to be very knowledgeable in all aspects of health and fitness and he takes enormous pride in assisting his clients. He has gone to great lengths to make me more enthusiastic about my personal fitness and has prepared a specific, tailored program for me to follow. I recommend working with Craig if you are ready to achieve your fitness goals and don’t mind sweat! Thanks to Craig fitness is now an important and enjoyable part of my life, rather than a chore.
Claire Price, 38, Bridgend
I started personal training with Craig in April when my little boy was 7 months old. My goal was to regain my fitness levels after childbirth and to finish the 5k race for life - in any way I could!! After 4 months of training with Craig I not only finished the race I ran it in 42 minutes, something I could never have done without the motivation, support and encouragement I got from Craig.
Personal training has not only enabled me to run 5k but increase my all round fitness levels to be able to enjoy a more active life, regularly cycling 10 - 14k most weekends with my family, participate in spinning classes and set a new goal of the 10k race for life in 2011!
Chris Tough, 39, Bridgend
August 2010
"After joining the gym I was a bit wary of having a personal trainer especially as I felt so unfit and lacked confidence, after a couple of weeks training by myself I decided to bite the bullet and booked a personal trainer, after a few training sessions I couldn't believe the difference in what you could achieve and how much further I was able to push myself. Craig has been an exceptional motivator, he is always enthusiastic about his work and is dedicated to his clients fitness, I found he varied the sessions and introduced different training techniques to me which kept the training interesting and more enjoyable as I have found in the past I tended to get bored. Thanks to Craig its a year on and I'm still at the gym and thoroughly enjoying it and I would 100% recommend him to anyone just starting or already training."
Mark Hitchcock, 56, Bridgend
August 2010
"I found myself training on a regular basis but wasn’t seeing the benefits. At that point my motivation slipped and my passion for training began to fade into the background. I had mentioned I was looking for personal training sessions and this was when I met Craig. Craig reviewed my current routine and went straight to heart of the problem. I wasn’t varying my exercises or pushing myself to my limit. Here Craig was able to motivate to find my limits, push through the fatigue and really started testing my muscles as well as my fitness. During my time with Craig my strength has increased drastically, I’m more focussed on my training and pushing each muscle group to its limits. I thank Craig massively for the help and encouragement he has provided me and look forward to training with him more in the future."
Annie Williams, 49 and John Williams 51, Bridgend
August 2010
"I remember the first time I really noticed Craig in the gym - he was giving personal training and his client was really working hard. I made some comment along the lines of 'Poor woman' and was impressed when he replied 'she's fine doing that'. This was said with no flippancy and I got a strong impression that Craig really did know exactly how to assess clients state of fitness and work with them to help them realise their full potential.
John and I have always enjoyed keeping fit and regularly take part in a range of activities many of which such as skiing, ski touring, and hill walking require a sound fitness base if they are to be enjoyed rather than endured. In latter years we have begun to add a bit of mountaineering and scrambling to the hill walking, and in 2010 we plan to have (another) go at summiting Mont Blanc in the French Alps. In preparation for this we also planned - with a group of friends - to attempt the Welsh 3000 challenge in Snowdonia. In addition I was joining a group of women on a Taff Trail Charity bike ride.
I knew I had to get a lot fitter. I then remembered seeing Criag at work and thought it might be a good idea to give his fitness training a go. I can recall approaching the first session with a fair bit of trepidation wondering if I'd survive !! These worries proved to be foundless, as not only did I survive but even really enjoyed the first encounter. Now, after working with Craig for 8 months, I know he is an exceptionally good trainer, and have been especially impressed by the following attributes:
- Craig takes his job very seriously and has been extremely professional at all times: always on time; always making sure I hadn't forgotten the appointment; always enthusiastic -even when I wasn't!; and always giving feedback, usually within the hour.
- He took time to identify my goals, and to assess my fitness, my weaknesses, and my strengths and then planned a workout capable of consolidating strengths and developing areas of weakness
- The sessions were hard, always pushing my limits but crucially never over working me. Every time we met I felt a bit fitter and a bit stronger
- Making me use some weights and machines I used to previously avoid like the plague. Even making me almost like the rowing machine. (Well not really!)
Impressed by the difference my sessions with Craig were making to my fitness levels, John decided to try a bit of personal training. This was a big deal for him as he has always been pretty fit and wondered if it could really make a difference. John admits he was surprised and pleased by how much harder he worked when with Craig and by how much fitter he quickly became.
So far this year the Taff trail has been finished, and when the Welsh 3000 expedition took place, John and I were the only two of our group of nine who completed the 3000's. As the rest of our group were all men, with five aged between 27 - 35, I think this is a great tribute to the impact of Craig's work with us. So with Mont Blanc 2 weeks away, we both would like to say 'thank you' to Craig, and to strongly recommend him as a trainer who is great fun to work with and who, perhaps more importantly, will take your goals seriously and work hard with you to help you acheive them. Cheers Craig, we'll miss your classes when you leave the gym but I expect we'll see you again for a bit of training when we plan another new challenge!"
Joanne Elworthy, 32, Bridgend
August 2010
"I have had personal training (PT) sessions with Craig for over 12 months. My rationale for starting PT was to improve my fitness with at least one session a week where I was really pushed. I also felt that I didn’t know how to progress on my own in terms of the level I should work at or the weights I should use.
I would summarize Craig as:
Professional, approachable: Always friendly and cheerful, willing to answer questions, repeat techniques to aid understanding, available to text / call for advice when needed.
Supportive: Always positive about what you have achieved, even if it hasn’t been as successful as you had hoped. He doesn’t shout or tell you off for having the odd chocolate bar!
Adaptable: Aware of my changing personal fitness goals, for example, toning up for my wedding vs. wanting to train to run 10k.
Genuinely caring: Kept in contact during a period of injury and advised on recovery steps. Feel that your achievements are more than just part of his job.
Reliable: Sessions take place as planned.
Holistic approach: Has given me sensible advice on dietary issues and supplements, other ways of training outside the gym.
Flexible: Always willing to fit in a session if I can’t make our regular spot to train
AND MOST OF ALL…
Motivational: When I joined the gym in late 2007, Craig was assigned to do my induction and start me off on a programme. I told him I hated the gym but wanted to get fit for my wedding a year later and that I knew that I needed to keep the habit up for life. No pressure for him then! But the rest, as they say is history, as 3 years later I have been regularly attending the gym, ran my first 5k race in July and am currently training for the Swansea Bay 10k run in September.
SO…
If you have the desire to succeed and will put in the effort, with Craig on your team who knows what you can achieve!"
Ceri Richmond, 34, Bridgend
August 2010
"I have been a client of Craig’s during both his exercise classes and individual personal training sessions at Esporta. As a competitive Martial Artist who is used to vigorous squad training with a team, I joined the bike and row classes with a little trepidation that they would meet my fitness needs. From the outset, Craig was both enquiring and attentive to make sure that I enjoyed the class. Each and every class has been different and Craig endeavours to mix it up and keep it fresh. Each week is thoroughly well planned and it is clear, with so many regular attendees at 6.30 am week in week out that I am not the only one who appreciates the ‘team’ ethos and atmosphere that Craig has created. I particularly appreciate the way that Craig takes the time to get to know his clients’ individual capabilities and motivations and pushes us accordingly to improve. It was for this reason that I have also sought personal training sessions with him.
PT sessions have also been as thoroughly well planned and researched, with Craig investigating exactly what my fitness goals are and where the gaps exist in my current regime. I have been impressed during our focus pad workouts that Craig is not content unless he constantly researches new boxing combinations and updates and improves his own knowledge of techniques and sports that he not as totally familiar with. This, to me, is the mark of a professional and competent instructor.
Progress made during and between my sessions has been monitored continuously by Craig who can frequently be found ‘working the gym’, checking on the status of his clients as we work out on our own. This boosts confidence and makes clients feel valued.
It is clear to me that Craig understands the ‘personal’ part of being a personal trainer and it will be a blow to lose such a personalised service at Esporta. I have no doubt that Craig will foster the same ethos in whatever establishment he works and increase his client base accordingly. I wish him every success in the future!"
Rachel Sullivan, 26, Bridgend
August 2010
My History on Fitness:
"My name is Rachel and my job is office based, sitting in front of the computer 9 -5, 5 days a week. As for exercise then we never really got along. I love Swimming but as for going to the gym, as soon as I got a little sweaty I would stop.
My Goal and Motivation:
My boyfriend proposed to me 14 February 2009 and in August 2009 we had already booked our wedding venue and set a date. I was so excited and started planning straight away. When it came to my dress, I went shopping and found the dress of my dreams. When I was getting measured up, the lady shouted out the size 16 and I remember thinking, gosh I have never been that big before. I have always been top heavy and struggled with my weight but I had never been that size before. Anyway I ordered a size 16 wedding dress and left the shop all excited. But as I kept thinking about my dress size, the more and more it was bugging me that it was a size 16. So I rang the shop up a week after and changed it to a size 14. This is when my motivation started! I need to fit into my dress.
Both Myself and my boyfriend joined Esporta. Well a few months into the membership my motivation had seriously started to decrease. I had tried a number of classes and also going at different times of the day, just to try and motivate myself but nothing seemed to be working. So my boyfriend bought me personal training sessions with Craig for Christmas.
My Personal Training Sessions with Craig:
I met Craig in the gym and he made me feel at ease, as I remember feeling slightly scared and nervous, as I had had a Personal Trainer before who was a female. We chatted about my goals, my current diet and current amount of exercise. After our chat I went on a variety of equipment, while Craig explained to me about using the equipment safely. Upon leaving my first training session I remember feeling shattered and I couldn’t wait to jump in the shower.
As our training sessions continue, I feel that my confidence has grown dramatically and I am feeling a lot fitter in myself. I have also taken on board Craig’s advice on healthy eating and as a result, in total have lost 21 pounds and toned up considerably. What I like about our training sessions is that they are always different; I never know what we are going to do next. By Craig doing this, it keeps me motivated and always wandering what are we going to do next. When I start finding the session tough, Craig is always there to motivate me by saying encouraging things. Craig has made exercising much more fun and now I actually enjoy going to the gym (instead of it feeling like a chore). Craig is easy to talk to and I feel very much at ease with him. Craig is really reliable and has never let me down.
My wedding is in three week’s time and at the moment my size 14 wedding dress is in the shop being taken in!
This was the best Christmas present I have had ever had and that is why I have booked another pack of training sessions with Craig and will continue to do until at least my wedding."
Phil Patient, 36, London
May 2009
"Having never been in a gym before eight weeks ago I didn’t know what to expect from a Personal Trainer. All I knew was that I was overweight, tired and sluggish so I chose to do something about it and that Craig was recommended to me.
Once I got over the shock of seeing how small his arms were we very quickly clicked as a team and my objective of turning my upper body in to a dairy lee triangle began to take shape. Craig understood what it was that I was looking to do from the start, and committed to helping me achieve my goals. Whilst I will not say that it wasn’t hard work, it was a good laugh along the way too, as Craig has a way of making repetitious exercises fun, and making the gym a laugh. In a weird sort of way, his own commitment to my own vision made me want to achieve even more as it became a common goal with every routing tailored to me.
What Craig lacks in good looks and biceps he more than makes up in energy and focus. Over just an 8 week period we achieved an overall loss of 3.5% body fat, 9mm in skin folds, 6.5kg (14-15lbs) in weight and a significant drop in BMI.
This was my first ever gym membership aged 33, and now it is fair to say that I am hooked and Craig is a large part of why that has happened. I know that anything is possible with the determination to make it happen, and with somebody who believes that you can get there. Craig had the belief in himself that he could get me to where I wanted to go, and that translated in to my own belief, so I am eternally grateful (well for a while anyway).
Craig has a sense of humour (other than on the rower) that makes it all bearable, and he even was generous enough to let me beat him when we competed against each other on the handicapped 1000 metre row (England 1 - Wales 0). Sadly, now that he has gone back to the homeland my gym is worse for it, and I can say that I will have lost a friend as well as my Personal Trainer.
I have regained my confidence, my fitness and my abs. Cheers Craig!"
Paul Davis, 36, London
May 2009
"I would just like to say it’s been a pleasure training with Craig. The progress I have made has been great, I’ve noticed a big difference in muscle mass and I also feel a lot more fitter and energetic in myself. My body fat has decreased significantly with my weight staying on average the same due to body building. Craig always set me targets and recorded my results so that I could see pen to paper how I was improving, especially on the rowing machine. My power and strength on the rower was very low to begin, but over 3-4 months of training with Craig my 150m sprint had improved from 36 seconds to below 27 seconds.
I must say I think the personal training sessions and the guidance Craig has given me has been brill, every session has been well worth the money, even though I nearly dropped dead at times…….No Pain, No Gain!
It’s a great shame you have to leave London, it’s going to be real boring without you Craig. I know for a fact that you’re one of the best trainers I’ve had, you certainly know your work and what to do to train someone good and hard to ensure that they achieve their goals.
Craig is easy to get on with, has a great personality, a good nature and knows exactly how to make someone laugh when their about to drop at the end of a session. I would recommend Craig to anyone I know! It’s been a great pleasure knowing and working with Craig, a real cool geezer…….but not as cool as me!!"
Suzi Jari, 29, London
May 2009
"I have hugely enjoyed the sessions I have had with Craig. He starts each session with a welcoming smile and continues to be supportive and encouraging throughout. I have achieved my goals thanks to Craig. He is reliable, adaptable and extremely knowledgeable. Three words – please don’t leave!"
Catherine Nolan, 53, London
May 2009
"Craig helped me progress with my fitness in many ways and I thank him for that. I have had on going knee pain for quite some time now, and chatting with Craig gave me some confidence. He showed me a variety of stretches and foam roller work to help with my knee pain. Craig incorporated plenty of stretching into each session, our workouts were always fun, especially on the rower. I saw really good changes in my fitness levels and lost over half a stone along the way. Thanks to Craig my training has come on really well, my knee pain has eased drastically and I was able to go skiing in April 09 with peace of mind."
Simon Grover, 48, London
May 2009
"Training with Craig has been great. Craig was kind enough to give me a few taster sessions to ensure we created a good bond whilst boxing. Every session was varied working on a variety of boxing techniques and circuit’s which was most enjoyable. I always left the gym knowing I had worked out. Thanks, all the best."
Camelia Keinonen, 51, London:
May 2009
Camelia’s Story
"To put a long story short I had a huge accident where I fell off my horse. I had several brain haemorrhages to recover from, which had left me with a multitude of symptoms. Only the right side of my body worked partially, whilst the left was pretty redundant. When I got home with the help of a wheelchair I remained in bed for a year. I could only stay awake up to two hours a day. It took me two years to go out for the first time on my own half way down the road and back. It was quite a challenge as I no longer enjoyed normal balance and every bump on the road surface was a major hurdle.
Four years later I thought I was getting back to my almost normal state of health, only suddenly to have taken 20 steps backwards. I couldn’t even stand, and I’d fall down. I started losing sensation everywhere. When I could no longer feel my tongue or the rest of the body I was admitted to hospital. It was discovered that I had Transverse Myelitis. Only three to four people out of a million in Britain get this. Another two years after I had gotten Transverse Myelitis it was decided that I now had MS. The first few years were rather challenging with 6-7 relapses annually. Eventually I was given drugs to try and control it. I’m a strong believer in positive thinking. When I was able to go back to the gym, I welcomed this opportunity. It had been years since I had last been to one. This time I started training with a Personal Trainer. I wasn’t even able to lie down on a bench or get up on my own when I was lying on it without considerable assistance. Everything had to be done extremely slowly. I could only handle very light weights, and even they felt exaggeratedly heavy. In spite of the feather weights it was challenging, not to mention frustrating. It took a good year or a year and half to see any improvements in the strength department.
About a year ago I started rowing as I still am unable to use my legs efficiently enough to make walking worth it. In fact I cannot walk more than about 50-100m without having to stop in between. So rowing has become something I’ve gotten rather keen on. Even though only half of my body works normally, I may appear as if there’s nothing wrong with me. Every step I take is carefully calculated. A simple change of direction when walking may easily result in a fall.
I currently row five or six times a week. In spite of this the improvement in speed is torturously slow. Rowing definitely is an excellent form of exercise, and keeps the entire body in working order, the heart strong, and never stops being challenging. I am most grateful for Craig for having helped me with various aspects of rowing. He definitely is an expert on it, and a wonderful person in every respect. He’s equipped with lots of experience, a nice understanding personality, and has time to listen to your concerns, which he later accommodates with suitable suggestions.
My interest in rowing now is such that I would like to compete in the British Indoor Rowing Championships in November 2009. It has become clear that it would take a miracle for me to achieve what I’d like to by that time having had to take time off to recover from various ailments, however it would be an experience I wouldn’t like to miss. There’s nothing that says you can’t try again the following year. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for you Craig. Thank you very, very much!!! You’re a great Coach, and Personal Trainer. I wish you all the best in the future. You’ve given me the inspiration to go for the rowing."
Buchi Nzekwue, 38, London
April 2009
"Craig has been very professional throughout and provided me with some great personal training sessions. As a personal trainer he is very personable, approachable and reliable. I have lost just under a stone, seen positive improvements in my fitness and my arms have toned really really well. Each session always helped me take my mind off my work and study :-), thank you!"
Charlotte Evans, 35, London
April 2009
"I was really struggling with motivation towards my training. I would finish work with the intention of going to the gym but just couldn’t be bothered. The gym had become repetitive and boring. The same old routine of going on the treadmill for 20 minutes, the bike for 10 minutes and the cross trainer for 10 minutes along with boring stomach work was horrible to even think about let alone go and do.
Craig had built up a good reputation in the gym and was highly recommend to me by a friend. Craig was very approachable and showed to me that he was genuinely interested in my training and my goals. Craig made me feel comfortable and gave me the confidence that he could give me the results I wanted. I was a bit sceptic at first, as anyone else would be, but I was willing to give it a go.
Craig’s session really made me look forward to going to the gym, every session was different and I found out what I had been doing wrong all this time. Craig always found away to set targets for me to achieve, and when we repeated the fitness test it was great to see how I improved over six weeks. Not only that I lost a stone in weight and 3 inches on my waist. I am now also running the London 10k this year."
