BODY PREP
WITH KATHY GRILLO / PRECISION NUTRITION COACH & FITNESS TRAINER
I met Kathy in 2015 after I got engaged. I have always been an active person, living quite a healthy lifestyle. Running has always given me enjoyment and I have also dabbled in yoga and pilates while being a member of a gym for most of my adult life. I have trained with different personal trainers and have maintain my weight but I never felt my body transform until I started training with Kathy at SomaStrong Fitness. I guess before that I was just doing what I thought would help without actually knowing what I was doing and why.
One summer’s day I walked into my mother’s house and my sister was there wearing a sporty tank top and all I could see were these beautifully toned arms staring back at me! “Um, since when have you been training and who have you been training with?” She laughed at my amazed face and replied “I’ve been training with Kathy for a few months, she’s the best!” Needless to say, I contact Kathy and booked in a consultation for the following week and I haven’t looked back.
During the lead up to my wedding I was training about 2 – 3 times per week, targeting different muscle groups with a weight-based style training. My personal goal was not to lose weight but to tone up. In fact, during our sessions Kathy actually spoke to me about ensuring I was eating more than I currently was!
A year later, on my wedding day, I felt absolutely amazing! My dress slide on perfectly and hugged and showed off all the right areas. Not only did I feel beautiful but most importantly, I felt strong!
Kathy has so much experience and a wealth of knowledge so I thought I’d take this opportunity to get in touch with her and give brides and grooms (to-be) a bit of information around how they too can feel and look their best on their wedding day by training effectively.
Kathy Grillo owner of SomaStrong Fitness is a Precision Nutrition Coach and Fitness Trainer based in a private studio in Melbourne.
“SomaStrong Fitness came about six years ago when I decided to make a move in changing my career to something I love, helping people to live a better and healthier lifestyle. Twenty-nine years in medical science and a passion in health and fitness I am now living my passion through my everyday job.
Our mission at SomaStrong Fitness is, no matter what each individual’s goals are, we provide nutrition guidance and personalised training programs to get life-changing results. We specialise in improving physique and human performance, building lean muscle and increasing strength.
Our main focus is mainly on women’s specific physiology and how that impacts on diet, nutrition and fat loss.”
Many factors need to be taken into consideration when improving your physique which is why Kathy customises a training program and nutrition plan to suit each individual based on their requirements.
When preparing for your wedding day most brides (and grooms) are focusing on looking and feeling their best in their wedding dress (or suit) hence why they feel the need to work harder on their physique during the lead up.
Remembering that each individual does have their own goals and requirements - there are some key factors that Kathy talks about that will influence the success to achieving those goals.
“In preparation of course, time is very important in achieving results, you can’t rush the process. Depending on the size and shape of the individual, diet in conjunction with the right training which includes progression is crucial in getting results. Finally, consistency and adhesion are also crucial for success”
In considering all of the this, below are some sample exercises that can be followed to target certain areas a bride or groom might be interested in focusing on.
Click the links for videos demonstrations of each exercise.
Legs and Glutes : You can target your legs and glutes by doing squats, lunges, hip thrusts, Bulgarian split squats and step ups.
Back : Targeting your back muscles includes doing exercises such as inverted rows, dumbbell rows, dumbbell lying rows, barbell rows and band pull aparts.
Shoulders: Training shoulders is a must and the best exercises for that include the military press, dumbbell shoulder press, bend over raises, lateral raises and shoulder shocker.
Arms : Arms are another must. To target arms, focus on bicep curls, the underhand inverted row, dumbbell kickbacks, bench dips and close grip push ups.
For additional exercise videos visit to the exercise library on the exrx website or follow fitness experts such as Bret Contreras (the glute guy) and Joe De Franco who have a similar style of precision training.
No matter what exercises you are doing ensure you are progressing. When a number of repetitions doesn't seem to be challenging you anymore or you're not feeling that burn, add a few reps on or increase the weight (if you are using weights).
Most importantly, eat well, nourish your body, drinks lots of water, sleep well, limit alcohol, find time to relax and most importantly, have fun with your training!
Kathy's final piece of advice is "Ensure to continue your fitness journey together in your new married life. Health and fitness is a lifelong journey and not a destination."
For more information about SomaStrong or to book in a consultation contact Kathy via facebook.