Laura Boyd

Personal Trainer

Hey! I’m Laura.

My goal is to have the most positive impact on my clients’ lives that I can, helping them gain confidence both on & off the gym floor. I know that stepping into the gym and the idea of lifting heavy weights can be a daunting prospect, but my aim is to change that!

Whether you’re a complete gym newbie or you’re a few years into your lifting journey, I’ll provide you with the tools, knowledge and support you need to achieve your goals, and enjoy the process. I show women how physically and mentally life-changing it can be to build a strength training routine to support their fitness, health and lifestyle. Especially when life gets mega stressful and you need an outlet or a safe, judgement-free space to leave that all behind for a little while.

It can be all too easy to put the focus solely on what we look like and to try to change our bodies through exercise, but instead I encourage all my clients to shift the focus to a more positive one – challenging what we can DO with our bodies and celebrating our strength. What can you expect with me as your coach? Whether we’re using barbells, kettlebells or some of the  other weird and wonderful kit at Commando, I’ll tailor your sessions to your exact needs and meet you wherever you’re at on your fitness journey. We’ll also have a laugh and I’ll probably tell you about the dogs I spotted on the way to the gym…

But it’s not just about the time we spend together in the gym; outside of sessions I’m here to provide support, accountability and help you build sustainable lifestyle habits that stick. A big part of my coaching draws on positive behaviour change; nutrition, sleep and stress management will all be things we dive into to ensure you’re on track with your goals. And don’t worry, I won’t be asking you to follow any rigid meal plans or unrealistic workout routines!

We’ll work together to find the best approach for you.

My background:

For me personally, strength training wasn’t something that was on my radar until I hit my twenties. Before that, I saw the gym as more of a punishment and something I had to endure to change the way my body looks. I really struggled to maintain any sort of routine because I was always hopping onto some unsustainable diet plan or crazy workout program. I know how it feels to struggle with body image and see the gym as a pretty negative place.

Studying psychology at university I realised that although becoming a fully fledged psychologist wasn’t for me, I was really interested in human behaviour when it comes to health, fitness and food. I went on to study for an MSc in Public Health (Nutrition), thinking I would go into a research role, but things changed when I started working with a personal trainer in between studying. He completely opened my eyes to the world of building strength and muscle, the power of working with a coach, and actually enjoying my time in the gym. Over time I shifted my mindset from trying to make myself smaller to actually striving to build my body to be the strongest it could be. I later realised that I wanted to combine my love for lifting weights, behaviour change and helping others build positive habits, smoosh it all together and become a coach. Showing women how strong they are, and how much they’re really capable of, is my jam.

If you see me in the gym feel free to come and say hi and just ask if you need a hand with anything!

Qualifications:

• MSc Public Health (Nutrition)
• BSc Psychology
• Precision Nutrition L1 Certification (Sport & Exercise Nutrition)