Michael Garry talks to Luxurious Magazine about life as one of the UK’s most sought-after personal trainers.
With several awards under his belt and an ever-growing list of celebrity clients, multi-award winning P.T. Michael Garry certainly knows a thing or two about keeping trim.
His highly effective and bespoke training methods led him to become one of London’s most in-demand personal trainers, working in prestigious hotels like The Berkeley, The Connaught and Claridge’s.
In 2006, Michael’s ‘Body Change Programme’ won the title of ‘Best Work Out’ from The Evening Standard, before appearing in the Independent, the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph. In 2010, his co-created White Room Gym, in Belgravia, won Tatler’s award for ‘Best Gym for Privacy’.
Today, Michael continues to be a hugely respected figure in the fitness industry, as he helps his high-profile clients transform their home gyms into fat-burning havens.
Michael talked to Luxurious Magazine about how he helps the rich and famous get red carpet ready, and the fitness principles he lives his life by.
LM: Why do you think your Body Change Programme is so successful?
MG: I feel it is because you achieve such a high physical fitness level not experienced by many men and women. Your physique improves so much from the exercises, which are tailored especially for your individual requirements. Today, everybody wants results quickly and The Body Change Programme, I feel, is the most efficient way to achieve this.
LM: What makes it different to other body transformations out there?
MG: We are very different because we don’t just transform your body, we totally transform your life. We empower our clients, enabling them to create a healthy consciousness on a day-to-day basis. Our main objective is to, first, create consistency to exercise regularly, and not just for a few months but for many years. Many of my clients have trained with me for 10 years or more.
LM: What essentials do we need at home, to get the same results as we would at the gym?
MG: Many of my clients are lucky enough to have a gym in their home. I normally help them with the design of their gym and advise them on the correct equipment, but you can achieve the same results with a stability ball, a set of dumbbells and an exercise mat. What is most important is that you use the correct weight.
LM: What does a typical home workout involve?
MG: The home workout would be specifically designed towards whatever your goal might be, for example, I’m currently working with a lady who is training for a 5K race in 6 weeks, so our focus is predominately on strength and conditioning for this event. This will be achieved by doing split sessions, working upper and lower body on different days. We would also work on endurance and include high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to improve her speed, followed by improvements to her flexibility by stretching.
LM: What exercises are best for fat burn at home?
MG: There are so many I could mention but here are just a few of the best:
Squats and lunges with the correct weight, followed by push-ups, are a good way to speed up your metabolism so that your body is able to burn fat more efficiently – but please remember 80% of a good fitness programme depends on a healthy diet!
LM: How do you make sure each person’s training plan is truly personalised?
MG: There are many different ways we would personalise a programme. Firstly, by identifying and correcting any weak points or muscle imbalances so that we can start training from a solid foundation. Secondly, it is important to find out what they enjoy doing or what they are actually good at, whether it be running, cycling or playing tennis. From this information we can then specifically create a programme that our client will not only thrive from, but enjoy too.
LM: What’s the most common fitness goal of your celebrity clients?
MG: Keeping them consistent with their training. We all want to look good and I can’t deny that this is not an important factor when you’re in the public eye, so we do tend to focus more on sculpturing to get those arms and legs looking amazing for the TV screens.
LM: Who are your fitness idols?
MG: I like to look back at the old coaches such as Percy Cerutty and Arthur Lydiard, and their training methods, much of what was practised way back then is very much how we train today. I also admire the late Peter Coe, the father and coach to Sebastian Coe. He wasn’t afraid to question conventional ways of training, he knew scientists didn’t have all the answers so he created his own programmes. The results were amazing: 12 World Records and four Olympic medals for his son.
LM: What training principles do you live your life by?
MG: Put quality into every workout, even if you only have 30 minutes. And, never train when you’re sick – remind yourself that this is an opportunity for your body to rest.
LM: What’s your main rule when it comes to your diet?
MG: Keep all food natural and never eat after 8pm in the evening.
LM: What are the little fitness luxuries you can’t live without?
MG: My NutriBullet! I believe everyone should have one. I love green juice; it’s one of the best sources of good nutrients.
Go to www.michaelgarry.london to find out more about Michael and his award-winning Body Change Programme.