Claire Gwynne PT

For years, I believed confidence was something you earned, and what would come if you; lost the weight, ‘toned’ up, or looked a certain way. Only then, would you feel ‘good enough’.

The truth? Confidence doesn’t magically appear when you hit a goal. This photoshoot wasn’t about having the “perfect” body. It was about celebrating a body that’s carried me through every season… and finally feeling comfortable enough to stand in front of a camera without picking myself apart.

If you’re waiting until you’ve lost another 5kg before wearing the bikini, booking the holiday, taking the photos or simply feeling happy in your own skin…

Please don’t. You don’t have to wait until you feel “ready” to start living. And if you’re struggling to know where to start, know this: you don’t have to do it alone. ❤️

✨ What would you do today if you already felt confident enough?

The problem isn’t the choice you make. The problem is pretending you didn’t have one.

You can count calories.
You can take your own food.
You can choose convenience.
You can choose the burger.

Just own the decision. Stop saying, “I had no choice.” There is almost always a choice. Some are harder, less convenient or less enjoyable than others… but they’re still choices.

You don’t need perfection. You need ownership.

Same exercise. Same athlete. Ten weeks apart 👏🏼

The goal wasn’t to lose 𝓌𝑒𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉. The goal was to lose 𝒷𝑜𝒹𝓎 𝒻𝒶𝓉 while keeping as much muscle as possible.

So what did I actually do?
✨ I kept lifting heavy. I followed my training plan; same exercises week on week, same machines week on week, same routine.
✨ I kept progressing where I could, whether it was form, tempo, reps or weight.
✨ I prioritised protein. And I mean the whole food kind, not just the bars and shakes. Every single meal had a minimum of 30g protein.
✨ I increased my daily movement. I walked 12-15k steps day in, day out.
✨ I used mostly Zone 1 and Zone 2 cardio. Sweet spot for hitting the body fat whilst preserving muscle and my ability to recover from this cardio, didn’t affect my weight training.
✨ I stayed in a calorie deficit for long enough to let the process work. Not a few days in the week, but 6 out of 7 daysI was in a deficit. Once a week, we go out to a restaurant as a family.

But what a lot of people forget… Fat loss reveals the muscle you’ve built. It doesn’t build it for you. I did not grow these muscles in this deficit. I simply revealed them.

Ten weeks. Same movement. Different physique.

📲Coaching available
🌍🏆Miss Universe Shape 2024
💳 PRO Bodybuilder Figure Athletic
🥇5 x gold
🥈3 x silver

A few reasons why I’ve factored heavy thrusts into my training…
✔️ I’m currently training glutes 3 times per week.
✔️ High-rep sets create a lot of fatigue, so keeping some of my work in the 6-8 rep range means I can train hard, recover better, and maintain performance across the week.
✔️Main reason; Because saying I hip thrust 200kg makes me feel like an absolute beast. 🤣💪🏽

Every single rep is heavy. Every single rep requires intent. My goal during this cut isn’t just to lose body fat, it’s to maintain (and if possible, build) muscle.

As a woman in perimenopause, lifting heavy isn’t optional for me;it’s a priority!!! As oestrogen begins to decline (I have had my bloodwork done and mine is LOW!), women become more susceptible to losing muscle mass, strength and bone density. Heavy resistance training is one of the most effective tools we have to fight back against that.

Heavy lifting helps:
• Preserve and build muscle
• Maintain strength
• Support bone health
• Improve insulin sensitivity
• Keep metabolism higher during a dieting phase

I’ve had my bloodwork done. I’ve got the data. I know where my hormones are. So I see my training in an investment in the woman I want to be at 50, 60 and beyond.

My next phase starts in July and will be strength-focused. These heavy lifts are laying the foundations now, and honestly… I’m very excited to see what happens next 🚀 💪🏽

Motivation is optional. Consistency isn’t.