Testimonials

ROSE & ALAN

Our Story

Back in 2010, as my 50th birthday was fast approaching, I set myself a goal to complete a fun run but I lacked confidence in my ability to pull it off. So I enlisted the support of a neighbour (thanks Jill 😃) and we trained up for the 6km Mothers Day Classic at Lake Wendouree, then backed it up with the 10km Run Melbourne. Despite completing these events I didn’t feel as fit as I could be, so the following year, when a friend (thanks Ange 😃) told me about a personal trainer starting group sessions in Buninyong I was keen to give it a try… and support a local business – living 25kms from Ballarat, as we do, means having to travel for most activities.

After the first six months of me coming home buzzing after a workout, my husband Alan unexpectedly said: “I think I’ll give it a go” … this from a man who regarded sufficient exercise for him as chopping wood in winter and putting out fires with the CFA in summer 😉. At first I felt a bit miffed that Alan was encroaching on my ‘me time’ but of course I’m glad that he is prioritising fitness and nutrition too – he lost approx 10 kilos within the first six months and has kept that weight off. Now Crabtree Fitness is something we (mostly!) enjoy as a family since our daughter Ciara started coming along to help relieve VCE study pressure.
Since joining Crabtree Fitness in 2011 I’ve added a couple of short runs to my weekly schedule so I was able to train up with my bootcamp buddies (thanks Fiona & Gaye 😍) to complete our first half marathon at Run Melbourne last year. Our Saturday morning ritual is now a 5km run in picturesque Buninyong followed by coffee and brunch … Aahh … Bliss!
At the end of 2016, exactly five years after my first session, we’re still going two nights per week and we regard Crabtree Fitness sessions as part of our weekly schedule that we would not think of missing. Both the physical and mental stimulation has got us through various bouts of illness and injury (hernia, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow) that are happily in the past.

JANELLE

My Story

I first joined Crabtree Fitness when my youngest child was 4 months old, he is now 4! I can honestly say it’s one of the best things I have ever done.

In the early days going to boot camp was a bit of ‘timeout’ from the sleep deprived haze I was in. Now, I have to say I love it!! I go three times a week and I have never felt fitter, healthier or stronger.

Jackie and Paul provide such a practical approach to healthy living fitness. I have learned to understand and interpret food labels, make better food choices AND we get amazing receipies!!!

It sounds crazy, but I am now in a place where I love to work out and excercise, I enjoy the variety of the workouts and I love how I feel afterwards. I have also encouraged my husband to come along and our kids even talk about boot camp. I am grateful that I can be a positive role model to my favourite little people – my kids!! Jackie and Paul are amazing.

NIGEL

My Story

After snapping my achillies in August 2015, I had 11 months of no running. My health before the injury was ok, I attended bootcamp most weeks but my diet was pretty average. By the time I was able to be active again, I’d stacked on a few more kg’s and I had a couple of health concerns creeping in. My snoring was out of control, I was taking preventatives for my asthma twice a day and nexium once or twice a day for heartburn. Pretty much ready for the knackery!
Come July 2016, physio gave me the ok to start a few small runs. My first effort I made 1km, took me 6 tries to get to a 6km shuffle in. Started attending bootcamp far more frequently and changed my diet. Jackie started setting me a few goals which we have smashed, knocking 8 minutes of my 6km time so far and running (or shuffling) the 12km Run Ballarat! Pretty happy considering I’d never gone past 5km in my life.
Health wise, 15kg dropped off, snoring now occasionally, no asthma and no heartburn at all!
The biggest impact has been on my personal life, I feel so much better all the time, I’m out and about with my little ones (7 & 9) more and my older girls (18 & 20) are both now starting to get stuck into more exercise, hopefully 2 more Crabtree nutters joining soon. Michelle is especially happy (not just because of the snoring) because I am keen to be eating much better, I do pretty much all of our menu planning and shopping which makes our chaotic lives far more mellow.
Alot about how I feel now is thanks to the support I get from Jackie and Paul and I cant wait to see what happens in 2017!

KRISTIN

My Story

I’ve been a bootcamper for about 18 months now and it’s the longest I’ve ever stuck with any kind of fitness regime. I keep coming back because of the friendships, the coffee, the variety in workouts and of course the results! I’ve lost weight & gained energy. I’m less tired. I feel strong and healthy. I enjoy spending time being active with my kids.

My husband thinks I’m addicted to bootcamp, he’s probably right, but not for the reasons he thinks.
He says it’s all about endorphins and that I’m addicted to the rush, but he’s not there to hear the chatter, the whinging, the laughing, more whinging or to see our kids running & playing with their friends.

These aren’t just the women I go to bootcamp with, these are my friends. They encourage me, inspire me, motivate me and keep me coming back.
I’m looking forward to spending 2017 sweating and swearing with them.

NAOMI

My Story

I’ve never struggled too much to maintain a healthy weight and I have always considered myself a fairly healthier eater. However, as forty rolled on by and the age of my nursing patients was getting closer to mine, I was forced to confess that I was unfit and doing nothing to maintain, let alone improve my own heath.
I used to listen to work colleagues and friends talk about running and the fun runs they had entered and I’d tease them, calling them mad and even claiming that running was bad for their health, when if I was honest with myself, I was in fact in awe and even jealous of the amazing things they were achieving and the fun they all seemed to be having. I would watch my husband go off riding and be left with my kids asking `Dad rides, Mum what do you do?’
Enter Crabtree Fitness. It’s thanks Jackie and Paul’s amazing encouragement and ability to get you to push yourself and believe in yourself, I now have run four half marathons and well as various other fun runs and while I am thrilled with my own personal achievements, the best bit of all is that I’ve been able to share this with my family.
As a family we have participated in numerous running festivals together, taking weekend trips and even travelling to Sydney for a family holiday so we could all enjoy the experience of running over the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I don’t think anything has given me has much joy, as being able to share my love of running with my family. All standing together as a family having completed our various running events, ‘bling’ in hand for my mandatory family photo, still bring tears of joy, pride and gratitude to my eyes.
Thanks to Crabtree fitness, physical activity is no longer a topic for teasing, or something I avoid, it has become a regular and enjoyable part of family life and not just running. Jackie and Paul haven’t only given me the gift of health, it has been a gift for my whole family, for which I will be forever grateful.

KAREN

My Story

I joined Crabtree Fitness Professionals back in 2012 when my friend Kirsten asked me to sign up with her. I wasn’t sure at first as I have always looked after my own fitness and felt I was going ok after having our first baby. But I straight away learnt so much. I wasn’t as fit as I thought. I could run out a game of netball in centre, but Crabtree Fitness Professionals has taken, not just my fitness, but health and wellbeing to a whole new level.
My husband Matt was intrigued by my new found fitness, so I signed him up too. He has been attending boot camp sessions since 2013 and he’s kicking goals with his fitness and is now running half marathons, which I believe he wouldn’t have done if it wasn’t for Crabtree Fitness. We made some minor adjustments to our diet. Jackie challenged us to make new choices and Matt noticed a big change in his weight.

Now Matt and I can do a challenging workout at home with our girls with limited space. Not only do we benefit from High Intensity Interval Training sessions (that Jackie and Paul are so generous to supply us with), we also educate our kids on the importance of exercise and I hope we can continue to model this positive behaviour to them in the coming years.

This year I started having a small group Personal Training Session with Jackie. It has been gold. I train with my two friends, Kirsten and Barb and I have seen great results. I feel strong, challenged and inspired.

Some weeks it’s tough with three young kids but we wouldn’t miss it. It fits in perfectly having the early mornings and gets us motivated for the day. It’s so affordable and such a positive and important investment in your health. I love Jackie and Paul’s leadership, they provide a training environment that is relaxed yet challenging with the upmost professionalism. They create interesting and fun sessions, we have such a variety in our workouts it’s amazing and keeps us all motivated. We are so lucky.

I also now consider Jackie not just as my trainer but also has my friend. She has been a huge support for Matt and I over these past few years. I believe I am now the strongest I have ever been and am still running around the netball court.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jackie and Paul and the positive impact they have had on our lives. Our fitness and health wouldn’t be where it is today without them.

2015 

 

ROHAN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My life was grand, eat what I want, drink as much beer as I want and occasionally do a big heavy weight training session. I thought I was in good shape and living the dream, until my wife enrolled my daughter and I into Crabtree Fitness Bootcamp, I didn’t know what to expect but as you can see it turned my life around!

I thought my nutrition was good but Jac and Paul told me to keep a food diary and they were able to tune a few things (okay, they reconstructed everything completely).

The first couple of weeks were a real grind, man I was sore. Soon the weeks turned into months and the grind turned to trying to push myself harder and harder. The atmosphere at bootcamp is awesome.
Life’s better since losing 19kg; no more cycling shorts under my work pants to stop my legs from rubbing, energy levels have gone through the roof. It wasn’t easy but I know it was worth it.
Thanks Crabtree Fitness.

KIM

I was a Stay at Home Mum with 2 girls and I wasn’t doing any exercise at all. I decided that the time had come to get fit and healthy, a big task really given I’d never exercised in my life and was actually very lazy.

It was 39 degrees on the day I did my very first bootcamp and all I could think was “what on earth am I doing” but at the same time I enjoyed getting out and doing something for me.

I joined the Mum’s (and a few Dad’s) 9am bootcamp which worked perfectly because I could do the school drop off and then go straight to bootcamp and I could also take my youngest child with me and she played with other kids while I was exercising. There was no excuse not to go because I was already out of the house anyway. The first few months were tough, at the start I couldn’t even run a warm up lap of the oval, but everyone was so encouraging and supportive. It was a big surprise after a few months to find that I was enjoying bootcamp and more to the point I could see an improvement in my fitness. I’ve been going to bootcamp for 2 years now (I even moved to 6.15am sessions when I was studying and couldn’t get to the 9am sessions) and over that time my fitness has improved greatly and in the process I’ve lost 8kg which has been an added bonus.

Thanks Jackie and Paul, I totally recommend Crabtree Fitness because honestly, if I can do it, and enjoy it, anyone can!

TANYA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been having personal training with Crabtree Fitness since May of this year.

Over the last few years I had been putting everyone and everything in front of myself. I slowly watched the scales creep up but kept telling myself I would lose the weight soon. When I jumped on the scales and realised that I was even heavier than when I was pregnant I knew it was time to do something about it. I had mentioned to my husband that maybe a personal trainer was the way to go. He was so supportive and encouraging that he gave me the Personal Training sessions with Jackie as my birthday present.

I had tried fitness sessions/bootcamps in the past and ended up losing my motivation and in some cases injured. I was a little hesitant to have another go as I didn’t want to injure myself again. I had many friends mention Jackie and Paul and how much they had enjoyed going to their sessions. I finally picked up the phone and called. From that first conversation, Jackie has been fantastic. She was so supportive and I love her practical approach to nutrition and exercise. She has been able to tailor my weekly workouts to my level and to help me work on my technique so that I didn’t injure myself again.

Not only has my fitness and core strength improved, so has my confidence in my own ability to push myself. Since starting Crabtree Fitness I have lost 14kg. The training sessions with Jackie gave me the confidence to start running and set myself the goal of doing a 5km fun run before I was 40. I still have a few months to go however I have achieved my goal by doing not one, but two fun runs, as well as a few laps around Lake Wendouree. Things I never thought I would achieve.

Thank you Jackie and Paul for all your help and support.

CHRIS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had been living a sedentary lifestyle for years and thought I was too busy to fit in any exercise with long hours of work and a young family keeping me busy. A dodgy knee stopped me from playing football and was another excuse for not exercising. A regular check-up with the doctor confirmed my cholesterol was out of whack and that was the second time I had received that news so I thought I really need to do something about this. A friend said come along and give this boot camp a try and I have hardly missed a session for the last 20 months.
I have found Jackie and Paul to be great trainers and I enjoy the variety in the workouts. There is no yelling or screaming but rather support, advice and encouragement which works for me. One of the most important things I have done is make the boot camps priority and actually plan my week around them rather than tyring to squeeze them in around other commitments. The early morning boot camps help with this.
I have lost around 12kg and my cholesterol is back to normal. I feel fit and healthy and most importantly I am setting a good example for my kids. New clothes are costing me a small fortune but also gives me great satisfaction when the old ones are just too big now.

SALLIE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been a regular exerciser for many years and tried everything from all codes of aerobics classes to running a marathon 10 years ago….basically I got bored easily. I joined Jackie and Paul in September 2012 and have never been bored yet!! The variety that they tap into week after week is exceptional and the manner in which they combine strength and cardio work is a real winner for me!

This year though I wanted to step it up a notch. Jackie helped me work towards my goal of building a six pack and gaining a 10 on the beep test. She also gave me invaluable nutritional advice. Seven months later I feel the fittest I have in years. I love going to bootcamp 3 mornings a week with the fabulous morning crew and for the past 4 months have been doing some PT with Jackie with the focus of building muscle.

I cannot thank Jackie and Paul enough for all they have done for me over the past 3 years. They well and truly have gone above and beyond with absolute passion for what they do!! My career is moving me to Bendigo next year and I only hope I find fitness professionals with the same knowledge, care and philosophy!

2014

CLAIRE

I have been working with Crabtree Fitness Professionals since late 2012 and have loved every minute of it!

Whilst many have said they never even noticed I was overweight, I absolutely was. With my upcoming nuptials in November, that was all the motivation I needed to do something about it. I’d been listening to “Jay Quellen” and Paul (half asleep mind you) blabbing on about nutrition for over a year, and thought I might actually take some action to improve my diet. So, since February this year I have been able to lose 15 kilos and have never felt better!

I am constantly amazed by Jackie and Paul’s creativity – we NEVER do the same workout twice. I’ve always been an active person through my involvement in sport, although I’ve never really enjoyed working out. I absolutely LOVE coming to bootcamp and sweating it out with my fellow morning comrades. The social element of morning bootcamps has really helped me with this too. Without Kirsten, Sal, Barbie, Hobes, Kaz and Heady I wouldn’t have felt the pressure to not hit snooze on the alarm, and to just get up and do it! I’m moving back to Melbourne next year, and I know I’ll never find another Crabtree Fitness – I’ll miss you guys terribly! Thanks for everything you’ve done. I could not recommend Jackie and Paul higher, they are truly absolute legends!!

MATTY

I decided to join the Crabtree Fitness Professionals earlier this year after suffering quite a few years of back pain. My wife had been going for a couple of months and suggested to give it a go. Great decision!
Getting up early a couple of times a week to improve my fitness and core strength has enabled me to do a lot more things with my two girls without discomfort. Increasing my fitness and strength has got me interested in entering some running events with the goal of a few half marathons next year.
I have always kept reasonably fit by playing footy and cricket, but by joining Crabtree Fitness it has taken me to a new level of fitness and training, with an improved quality of life.

ELISE

Over the last few years I had put on weight, I always had a plan to do more exercise, but I couldn’t find the motivation on my own. I joined Crabtree Fitness about a year ago, those first few weeks were tough going, everything hurt!
I have now lost 10kg and I am so much fitter and healthier. I really enjoy our sessions and have met some great people.
I also joined the learn to run group and completed the 6km at Run Ballarat, a huge achievement for me! Thanks Jac and Paul for your ongoing support.

ELLI

I can’t thank Jackie and Paul enough for all their help over my time at Crabtree Fitness Professionals, so far. I have learnt so much about taking care of myself.

I have changed a lot, not only physically, but have mentally developed more confidence which is something I really struggled with. They are absolute superstars!

CHRISSIE

I have been working out with Crabtree Fitness Professionals for almost 18 months. As a mother of two, it is important to me that I am able to continue to keep up with the kids and show them that being fit and healthy is the way to go.

I maintain an active lifestyle and try to do 10,000 steps a day. I have a very active lifestyle with running and the gym but I have found Crabtree’s style of fitness to be that bit extra that I needed in my exercise regime. I do a boxing and a bootcamp session each week and the ever changing workout style is one I enjoy, with no two sessions never being the same. Sometimes it can be tough going, but a good tough with Jackie and Paul on hand to motivate me through that last little bit.

No matter how hard I tried since having children I was never able to regain my body to a point that I was completely satisfied. The combination of a doing variety of workouts as well as keeping a “Jackie inspired” food diary (which made me cut back on the no so healthy snacking…) has allowed me to drop those last few kilos. I feel fit, healthy, happy and inspired.

 

 

2013

BIANCA………..”My journey to a healthy life began when I stepped on the scales and saw a number I couldn’t have imagined.  An ad in the school newsletter for “Mum’s Bootcamp” was the start I needed.  Just turning up for the first session was one of the toughest moments I have faced.  Six months later the toughest moment I face is choosing what weight to lift!

The nutritional information given at bootcamp has helped me change my eating habits and not only did I lose weight, I increased my energy levels and it has given me more confidence.  My fellow bootcampers tell me I have a glow that can only come from putting the right food in my body.

Finally, the friendships I have made with those who sweat with me, keep me coming back.  The bonds I have formed with these people make working out fun.  What can be better than that? “