ABOUT TRANG
Health Coach/ Personal Trainer/ Mum/ Female Entrepreneur
Confidence is a belief that anyone can develop
"Emphasising the personal in personal training" is how I work. I believe that when it comes to personal training, the personal is just as important as the training. I understand how difficult it is to find a trainer who can provide you with empathy and sensitivity to your needs. That’s why I work closely with my clients to build a strong rapport that leads to a mutual trust between us. This enables my clients to achieve and sustain their fitness goals in the long-term.
HARD WORK BEAST TALENT
I cannot even believe I’m writing this… I made it to open my dream private gym in 2022 where I could created a comfortable space for my clients and family to growth and achieve their growth.Firstly, thank to all my clients, without a doubt this would never have been possible without your support. With your support you help me help others and for that I am BLESSED to have you by my side.
Some of you may know and others may not know, but this did not happen over night. I am a female refugee who immigrated to the UK from Vietnam in the back of a lorry 20 years ago. I thank my mum and grandmother daily for taking the biggest risk of their lives to provide me with the opportunity and privilege to even be able to do what I do today. I love you dearly!
I stepped foot into the gym without any intention of growing a strong community or neither opening a fitness business. Rimon and I launched Dr Stretch in 2019 with the hopes of helping people build mental, physical strength and future proof their body!
I knew Dr Stretch would be amazing, I trusted my gut massively. I knew that coming from our bedroom to a small gym and now a bigger gym would be possible. I didn’t doubt us for one second! I knew because our intention has always been to make people believe it’s possible to get fit, healthier and love their body.
So here we are now, growing and improving daily. What a blessing to know that I get to wake up each day and see other people make a big change in their lives with the help of a product that we built.
Thank you, thank you, a huge thank you for believing in us. For picking us and just believing in this vision.
Lastly, to any refugee reading this… don’t you dare give up !! Trang xxxx
Why did I become a Personal Trainer?
My fitness journey began 9 years ago with a story that is very cliché: a bad break up. I had invested so much of myself into the relationship and when it fell apart, it felt as though I lost a huge part of my own identity. I decided that I would start by building myself physically and as I watched my body transform, I realised that by dedicating myself to training I had also become stronger mentally and emotionally. This transformation inspired me to pursue a career in personal training and to this day I continue to dedicate my time to empowering others.
You don’t need to go through a break up to start transforming yourself. Permanent change happens with time, dedication and patience. By pushing your body to it’s limits you are also proving to yourself that you are stronger and more capable than you think.
THE PAST RELATIONSHIP WITH MY BODY
12 years ago that I loathed my body, had no confidence and went from one crash diet to another.
I struggled with body problems and weight difficulties as a child. Seeing my mother's problematic connection with food and body image also did not help. I am all too aware of the challenges that leading a healthy lifestyle might involve since I have experienced them.
"Trang barrel" was my middle school nickname. My entire life was devoted to rigorous diets, intense exercise, and restrictive eating in an effort to achieve the "thin body," a dainty appearance, and to feel confident in my own skin.
But regardless of how much weight I shed or how many times I walked on the scale, I was never able to shake the misery and sense of defeat that came with not being "enough." Then I binged again and again. When I was 19 years old, I entirely stopped working out since nothing had worked.
MY CRASH DIET AND QUICK FIXED TRIAL
My crash diets consumed me and I spiralled into a dangerous relationship with food. I would count calories obsessively, try every and any diet and pills that hooked me in with the words “quick results” and “rapid fat loss“, exercised for hours each day, all in an attempt to lose more weight.
But painfully, the more weight I lost, the more I would only ever compare my body to others. I soon found myself on a self-destructive path that would go onto effect every area of my life.
My career struggling, my relationships suffering and my life unfulfilling.
My life revolved around food, to the point, where food controlled me and my thoughts, all day, everyday.It was overwhelming. And I felt trapped as if there wasn’t a way out.
It took me a long time to get out of the dark place I was in and learn that it’s not about weight loss . Let me say that again: it’s not about weight loss. – in fact, when you think about it, losing weight implies that you’re losing. And when we lose something, our subconscious mind wants to (re)gain it. That thing, being weight, is why I see so many today struggling with ‘yo-yo’ dieting.
The best thing training gave me was, finding the real ME.
By going on this journey of personal and professional development, I learned what it actually takes to get long-lasting results. And guess what?
You don't need to adhere to fad diets or engage in strenuous exercise to have long-lasting effects.
Instead, I was finally gaining access to the resources I required to establish balance. And as a result of doing this, I found the lifestyle that best suits me and has helped me rediscover my identity. Truly.
Looking back, I not only appreciate this time in my life, but it also shaped who I am today. It served as my best teacher and gave me the knowledge and expertise I needed to bring about long-lasting change. Sustainable change sounds great. But for so many of us, that’s all it is: a goal that sounds great.
Becoming a Mum
Prenatal
There were many ups and downs during my pregnancy, but exercise brought me so much joy, as well as physical and mental support. I grew up with weight and body confidence issues until my late 20s, and it took me a long time to adapt good exercise and nutrition habits into my routine. This explains the reason why one of my main concerns during pregnancy was if I would be able to get back to my pre-pregnancy body and gain back my strength in my 30s.
Postnatal
Pregnancy was a quite tough journey, and I’m glad that I was working out while pregnant, as it meant my recovery was so much faster and I gained back my pre-pregnancy strength and shape. Labour definitely works you like its name- the hardest workout that I have ever done. To me, giving birth is not just about having babies; it is about women's lives, women's wisdom, women's bodies, and women's empowerment. Check my birth story here
Qualifications
British Weight Lifting coach level 1
APPI Level 4 Pilates Equipment series
Pilates Diploma level 3
APPI Pilates for Spinal Surgery & Lower Back Pain
APPI Pilates for Shoulder Rehab
APPI Reformer Series Certification
LSSM BTEC level 5 Professional Diploma in Soft Tissue Therapy
Nutrition Management level 3 and level 5
Diet and Metabolic Rate Specialist Training
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Advance Kettle Bell
Boxing
HITT Training
TRX Training
Lesmills Grit Strength, Cardio and Plyo
Spin/ RPM instructor
Specialities
Body Fat Reduction (Toning up)
Weight Loss
Sport Massage (Soft Tissue Massage Therapy)
Body Building
Olympic Weight Lifting
Strength Training
Pilates and Reformer Pilates
Posture Correction
Lower Back Pain Improvement
Shoulder Rehab
Testimonial
“I am someone who hated exercise, was consistently unhappy with how I looked and just felt weak. But now I look forward to working out, both with Trang and in the tailored exercises she gives me for the gym. She is incredibly kind, is now friend as much trainer and has given me a new found appreciation not only for my body but for approaching my life with a no nonsense fun attitude. I honestly had no idea that I could become a gym lover who enjoys wearing short shorts and will, hopefully soon, have some abs! I couldn't recommend her more”.