Find your Fitness Confidence in Peckham!
PT EB is a new personal training service, run by 24-year-old fitness guru Evie Beaven. Evie who is local to Peckham started PT EB earlier this year after gaining her personal training qualification.
Evie offers one to one sessions, nutritional guidance and boot camps. I decided to take her up on her challenge to try out her Peckham Rye boot camp and the verdict? A super fun, sweaty and sociable workout. Evie instantly puts the group at ease with her cheerful disposition and motivating attitude. She really does embody her ethos and mission 'To help people find their fitness confidence' by creating work outs that are easy and accessible.
We caught up with Evie to find out more about her training sessions, what gets her motivated and where her favourite place for a cocktail is in SE15...
What made you start up PT EB?
Gyms are often scary places, and then they become a waste of money as people begin to fear working out. I started PT EB to educate and help people find their confidence in fitness!
So, have you always been into fitness?
I've always been sporty. I played a lot of team sports at school, but my fitness journey started about 3 years ago when I started at The Yard, Peckham. I grew in strength, and confidence. I found something I loved and continued to strive because of their friendly attitude, awesome coaching and lovely environment. I can't thank them enough.
“I want to help people find their fitness confidence”
What made you decide to start up your own personal training business?
It was a selfish reason to start with. As well as being a personal trainer, I am also an actor and an Assistant at The Actors Class, London (Training for Actors).
As an actor, it's hard to be in work all the time (as many creatives know!) and I was pretty tired of catering/ working in a job that I didn't enjoy. But, I was enjoying my fitness. So I thought HANG ON? Maybe, I can actually help other people get fit too by showing them other ways of working out. I saw a gap - so many people don't enjoy fitness because it's scary, inaccessible, and gyms are a daunting place. I believed I could show them that gyms are only scary when you don't feel confident in what you are doing.
You mention #fitnessconfidence a lot - what do you mean by that? And how can we find our fitness confidence!?
Fitness confidence - is my motto/ ethos. I want people to feel confident in whatever they do. Confident mentally as well as physically. Confident to walk into a gym and not feel intimated by those meat heads who hog the equipment! I want them to walk into the gym and head into the weights section, feeling strong, sexy and OWNING it.
Can you talk us through a typical 1-2-1 training session? How do you work out what type of training is best suited to each person?
So there isn't a typical one as such, as it's tailored to the individual. I guess a basic structure includes a warm up, a good portion of stretching/mobility work, then some strength work (like push ups or squat holds or glute activation). Then the main workout, followed by a cool down and stretch. I focus a lot on stretching and mobility because many of us never stretch - we go straight for the hard work and don't realise how many issues we can cause ourselves when we don't stretch.
For the workout: I use High Intensity Training, TRX, Kettlebells and Body weight movements - some clients prefer more of one that the other, some like to mix it up. We discuss "likes and dislikes" during our consultation, which keeps people motivated and working hard.
You offer nutritional guidance to help people find a healthy balance. What would you consider a healthy breakfast for someone who is stuck in an office job?
I guess you have to think about your output of each day. If you are sitting down, but using your brain, how are you fuelling that? I'd go for something that is got good complex carbohydrates, veg and rich in fibre. So oats, with yoghurt and fruit are always a winner, or Toasted Rye Bread, with Avocado. As these types of foods will keep your blood glucose at a nice consistent level and will keep you going for longer.
I'm a big fan of a breakfast smoothie at the minute!
Is it okay to still have the occasional cake...?
YES TO CAKE! I think life is about balance. One day of healthy eating isn't going to give you a six pack, like one day eating less healthily isn't going to make you put on weight immediately. Things take a while to change, and actually the occasional cake is fabulous. It's not about being restrictive but being aware of what you are putting in your body and the consequences of that.
You run bootcamps on Peckham Rye on Sundays and Tuesdays, what do you enjoy most about the bootcamps?
I love seeing people get stuck in, and push themselves past what they thought were capable of. Also, people suffering through together creates a lovely sense of camaraderie, battling through as one.
What gets you up in the morning and motivated to train?
It's such a release for me to work out. I am always busy and doing too much. So, having to concentrate on how I am going to do three more burpees or lift a heavy weight helps clear my head from other worries. I always feel better after a good sweat.
What do you love most about being a personal trainer?
Seeing my clients develop and get fitter. Also, seeing their attitude towards fitness change, and their confidence grow. The testimonials I have recieved so far have made me a little teary...
What's your favourite place in eat in SE15?
Rosie's for breakfast, Mr Bao for dinner and Small White Elephant for coffee.
Best place for a cocktail in SE15?
Bar Story
Describe Peckham in one word
VIBRANT
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Boot camps; 1 hour. For up to groups of 12. On Peckham Rye. Tues/Sundays. £8.50 per session or £40 for 5 sessions. (Post boot camp the group heads to Rosie's cafe in Peckham for a post workout smoothie!).
Find out more about personal training with Evie or boot camps here.