Sculpt And Motivate Tried and Tested

Want it! Achieve It! I Did!

"Standing by the water station in the gym, I looked up at the personal training advertisements and came across Samantha Grogan asking the following questions, jeans too tight? want to tone up? working out and not getting anywhere? And the answer was Yes to every question.
I had often found myself on the cross trainer, gazing across at the personal trainers and asking my own questions. Does it really work? Would it be like boot camp and involve someone shouting at me a lot? Isn't it just like having someone tell you how to use the equipment? Worst of all... am I really ready to admit that I need to do something?

I decided to find out for myself and booked my first session with Sam..... and having lost 36 inches of fat, I can honestly say it has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Working with Sam I have learnt life isn't about diets, fads or being deprived. Sam has taught me how to have a common sense approach to healthy eating and exercise and that you really do get out what you put in where your health and fitness are concerned.
Something that never occurred to me was just how much I was going to enjoy the programmes she gave me, how much healthier I would feel and how my energy levels would go up.

On my own I would never have tried the things, or the combination of exercises that Sam has taught me and I started to see results really quickly. Exercise plans are challenging, at the end of the day if you want to achieve results you have to expect a challenge, but they are fun at the same time, even the lunges and you never leave the gym regretting a workout.

In July 2012, inspired by the Olympics and the Brownlee Brothers I wanted to complete a Triathlon. With Sam's fantastic support, personally designed triathlon training programme and mentoring I completed my first sprint distance triathlon at Castle Howard in York, in 1 hour and 57 minutes. Since then I have gone on to complete 3 more Triathlons as part of the Markel Castle Series, and one of my biggest achievements was completing the sprint distance at Castle Howard for a second time 12 months later only this time I achieved a time of 1 hour and 40 minutes.

I also truly believe that being so fit and having a good diet helped me to have a healthy pregnancy in 2014, resulting in the birth of my daughter Darcie, who I am determined will have a healthy attitude to food and exercise as she grows up and we will continue to use what we have learnt as a family.

Everything I have learnt from Sam I am looking forward to putting into my daughters diet when she is weaned on to solid foods and we are excited about where cycling can take us as a family.

I would recommend Samantha Grogan to anybody; personal training is definitely worth it, you will learn enough to be able to go it alone or like me may even decide to put all that effort into some really great challenges. My advice... choose Sam and go for it!"

Joanna Hynes, Selby

Online Personal Training

Sam is a fantastic personal trainer! I was looking for someone to put me back on the right path and help me stay there after a few years of not being on top of my fitness goals. We started out with online sessions as there were still covid restrictions in place, but I’ve never felt that I’m missing anything by not having these in-person, so for all the convenience it offers, we’ve stayed online throughout.

Sam is fantastic at listening, motivating and providing realistic plans to get you to where you want to be. She has successfully made fitness and good nutrition just part of how I live, rather than something I take a stab at for a few weeks and drop back into old habits. Sam’s really great at explaining everything: The why, the how (even for the most uncoordinated human being!), everything you need to know to make it work and to enjoy it along the way. If you’re looking for real results and great support, you’ve found the right person.

Laura L

Sam asked me to look at her website and let her know what I thought. Well it's great, however, what I really thought was that I have never said thank you to her. So thank you very much!

I started training with Sam 10 months ago; I was 49 and had tracked a correlation of my waistline and my age since both were 32. Thankfully my waist never got to 49, however it was heading that way. Sam developed a program to use at the gym twice a week, a one hour PT session together and some enlightening nutritional advice. The results have been truly amazing with a net 44 inches of body lost to date. There has been no need for a specific diet, just some education on what to eat, a program of balanced training, some motivation and a few laughs. I'm not sure why I never did this before, today I feel great, I have much more energy and a new wardrobe that fits. Sam provided me with a balanced focus, the motivation and a methodology to get there. Thank you very much.

Dean 50 , Monk Fryston

One day I decided to take that step and ask for advice about which trainer would be good for me. I was recommended to speak to Sam. I nervously took that advise and made the decision that now is the time to change, so contacted Sam. Never in my mind would I have thought I would have accomplished what I have done to date.

The first time I met Sam she asked what I wanted to achieve, and to me that was just 'getting fit' and losing some weight. I'd tried to do it on my own but just was not getting anywhere.

Sam got me in the gym and gave me a programme to work with as well as changing some of my food to help along the way. Never on my own would I have done any of the exercises Sam gave me, in my mind getting fit was judged on how far you could run on the treadmill or how long you could last on the x-trainer and seeing if I could progress each time.

Sam's way was more energising and challenging and I could start to see results within 6/8 weeks.
Sam would change my programmes to make them progressively harder and to ensure I was still achieving the goals I'd set out with in the beginning. Over time not only could I feel the difference but other people were noticing the difference in me - having lost 49 inches and feeling so much more energised and healthier.

To keep me motivated and challenged Sam asked if I wanted a new challenge to aim for. So after a chat with Sam I nervously decided to take up Sam's challenge. That challenge would be to swim the distance of the channel (in a pool) over 4 consecutive days. Then Sam told me I would swim it in 6 months time! It was years since I'd done any proper swimming, only doing the odd swim after a gym session and that would only be 30 lengths or so and now I'd committed to do 5 1/2 miles a day [22miles in 4 days]. Sam worked out my training programme and off I started. The sessions got progressively further in the pool and I had a gym programme to complement my pool work.

In the weeks leading up to the swim Sam was way more confident of me completing it than I was. Sam's positivity rubbed off and after all the training I finished the swim faster than what I had anticipated and even managed to swim my fastest day on the last one!

Without Sam's positivity, reassurance and dedication there is no way I would ever have achieved my challenge or achieved the results I have to date. I would recommend Sam to anyone as the results she achieves are amazing, but its the way they are achieved that is astonishing. If you train with Sam you will get a trainer who listens, is dedicated to your goals and achievements and most of all is positive in you.

Paula, Selby

"So I'd just had a healthy beautiful baby but I felt my body no longer looked healthy or beautiful. I hadn't put on much weight during pregnancy. In fact I've never been one to weigh myself so weight wasn't my concern but my post natal shape was very different. It was a bit of a shock as after my first baby my body bounced back. I remember when I first met Sam I described my body as 'hanging'. My target area was my tummy as I felt I still looked pregnant. I'd had the dreadful comment from a complete stranger 'so when is you're baby due' when my baby was 8 weeks old. I also had 6 months from my beautiful baby being born until I had to squeeze into a bridesmaid dress for my sisters wedding.

After my 8 week post natal discharge from my GP I started my sessions with Sam. Sam immediately found my mummy tummy was due to diastasis which neither my midwife or GP had identified. There were certain exercises which would have worsened the diastasis and I probably would have been doing these at home, doing exactly that, if Sam hadn't identified it. Instead Sam was able to tailor an individual post natal exercise programme using her knowledge of post natal exercise & diastasis, that would still work on my mummy tummy.

Being post natal & having low confidence in my body I was quite emotional. Sam took a very holistic approach & took a lot of time listening to me & keeping me positive when I really needed it. This is something I valued most of all and will always appreciate the support which Sam gave me.

I had never really 'exercised' before & was pretty scared being in the gym. She reassured me & I soon felt comfortable. She also thought about how I'd fit exercise around my toddler and new baby and if things didn't work one week then she would make new suggestions. Sam also considered my diet so I had a weekly change. It never seemed dramatic or like dieting. Looking back I can see how the exercise and diet changes made me feel healthy & gave me extra energy to look after my children.

As my sisters wedding loomed I began to get lots of positive comments on how well I was looking and I could see a real change in my whole body not just my tummy. I was amazed at the changes in my body & on the final fitting of my bridesmaid dress there were lots of alterations to be made! I went to my sister's wedding feeling & looking happy, healthy & confident. I could not have done it without Sam."

JEM, 29

What is Diastasis? During pregnancy the two bands of recti muscles (also known as the six pack muscles) stretch to allow space for the baby to grow, in some circumstances these muscles, which normally run parallel can separate. This is perfectly normal and as you can see, the correct exercise can safely help you get your stomach back.

"Before training with Sam my visits to the gym meant doing the same old routines without really knowing what I was doing. Sam changed that, she devised a programme to suit my needs and ability.

The programmes have progressed each one more challenging and although I always say I will never be able to do it but with Sam supporting and advising on technique I somehow have managed to turn the impossible challenge into the possible. Sam offers support, encouragement and turns hard training sessions into fun leaving me with a sense of real achievement.

I have called Sam my miracle worker because she really has worked miracles with me. Sam is the ultimate professional trainer; working and supporting me, not only on gym workouts, but on general lifestyle improvements.

All I can say is Thanks a Million Super Sam."

Gill, 64, Selby

"Sam wasn't the first personal training professional I'd seen, but I decided to give her a go after hearing good feedback from a friend who praised her not just for her knowledge relating to exercise and resistance/strength training like you'd expect, but also for her advice regarding long term lifestyle and food changes.

I can honestly say I have never looked back. I didn't realise how naive I was about bad eating habits and especially the effect the wrong food can have on your energy levels and happiness.

I've struggled with motivation, dipping in and out of exercise for years but never really committing to anything for longer than a few months. Having always wanted to run a marathon, no sooner had I started seeing Sam had I signed up for one. I had 6 months to train which might sound like a long time, but with no core strength and back ache after every 10km run I was sceptical to say the least.

Not only did Sam assure me she could train me to run it all (no walking!), but she promised I would be free of my back pain and she even told me I would enjoy it too.

The training was hard, but I did it achieving a 4 hour 46 minute marathon time and I enjoyed it -not walking any of it and with no back ache! Not content with my time I decided to run another. This time we upped the training plan - but never anything beyond what I could commit to as Sam knew I had to fit everything around a busy and demanding job. The result was a 4 hours 24 minutes marathon whereby I enjoyed every single mile. It was one of the best days of my life!

The marathons are my biggest achievements but they are not the only thing that has changed thanks to Sam. I've lost weight, gained muscle & strength as well as changing my entire body shape. I've learnt the importance of a strong core and hopefully have eliminated my back ache for good, but most of all my eating habits have changed which is now something that comes naturally.

Sam has helped me to completely transform my lifestyle and I am so much happier both at home and in my working life too, thanks to good eating habits, consistent energy levels and quality sleep."

Rebecca, 31, Selby

Below are some more of Sam's satisfied clients who vary in age and gender but all of them have made amazing achievements with Sam's help.

"I cannot thank Sam enough for helping me to achieve an astonishing result in my body shape and energy levels. Mission accomplished!"

"Sam is totally committed to helping you achieve your goals. If you think Personal Training is not for you - think again!"

"Having turned 50 I found that my weight was steadily increasing... I also found I didn't have the same energy I once had... In 11 weeks I lost 21.5inches... but I also have bags of energy. Sam has proved that it's possible to beat the 'middle aged spread'!!"

"Sam's commitment never wanes throughout our training sessions, keeping me on track every step of the way."

"Sam is just marvellous and brilliant; she really encourages you, helps you and explains everything."

"Sam helped me go further with my running [performance] than I thought possible."

"Sam works me hard but makes it enjoyable, and all my friends are amazed how fit I am looking. I have been going to the gym for many years, but the difference having Sam as my Trainer is astonishing, if anyone is thinking about getting a trainer I would say stop thinking, just do it!"

"The end results far exceeded my initial expectations."

"All I can say is that I feel like a new woman."

A big thank you to my clients by Sam Grogan

I would like to thank all my clients past, present and future as you are all amazing and inspiring! To embark on a challenge, no matter how big or small it may be, to improve your health and/or wellbeing and ask for help to do that can take immense courage and sometimes a deep breath. I have trained clients as a full time self employed trainer since February 2009 and I am always in awe of the passion, commitment, determination and hard work my clients put into achieving their goals. Don't get me wrong, we have fun on the way - we can't have a session without some smiles and laughter as I need to know my clients are enjoying their fitness journey.

The effort they put into this journey though, whether it is sheer umph of effort or the honesty they show regarding how or why they would like to reach their goal and the openness to allowing me to work with them to reach it is amazing to me. You are all brilliant, it is a privilege to help you achieve your goals and you make getting up for work each day so much easier!! : )

PS: If you are thinking of embarking on a challenge and you are unsure if you will be as amazing - be in no doubt, if you pick up the phone to have a chat about how I can help you, then you have taken the first step and are on your way.

Thanks - Sam