Q&A with Pilates instructor Hollie Grant

Q. What inspired you to create The Model Method?

A. After years of teaching Pilates I was starting to feel the need to try something new. I felt that Pilates was fantastic at strengthening women’s bodies, and had really helped with my back issues, but for those who were doing onlyPilates they were missing out on the amazing benefits of cardiovascular training. I had lots of clients who hated running and spinning, so I knew I needed to create something that would give them their cardiovascular benefits but wouldn’t take long and could be snuck into their workouts without them really knowing.

HIIT was my secret weapon and after testing it out on a few clients I found it was fantastic for improving their fitness levels, reducing their blood pressure and body fat, and surprisingly they were starting to enjoy it! I began rolling it out to all of my clients and never looked back. The naming of the method followed, then a specific format and then a very long waiting list. I opened up my first studio 18 months ago and increased its size 12 months ago. We now have five instructors and a studio dog. We had lots of requests from people who weren’t London-based for online classes, so I developed The Model Method online, which launched October 2015 and has been just fantastic to create. This now means clients can either visit us in person and experience it with one of our instructors, or if that isn’t possible they can feel like they have us in their own homes with them as they work out.

Q. How is it different to other Pilates workouts

A. I trained in classical Pilates but my real love comes from my own fitness experiences, so I tend to adapt my exercises to make them more ‘dynamic’. I try to keep clients moving as much as possible to keep their heart rate lifted and their body warm, so it’s more of a power workout. Adding in the HIIT elements means clients still get the feeling of leaving the room taller, stronger and more flexible but also they feel that they have had a really good workout and don’t need to do any other exercise that day. We are killing many birds with one stone!

Q. What are the main benefits?

A. The Model Method is centred around helping women become the healthiest, fittest, happiest versions of themselves. I really do believe that these are the results you receive and so far all our feedback has shown this too. Clients should expect to see a marked increase in their fitness levels, reduced body fat and improved endurance – thanks to the powerful HIIT elements. They will also have better posture, a more toned and defined body and less aches and pains – thanks to the incredible power of dynamic Pilates. Each week clients receive a weekly email with a fitness and nutrition tip and this, partnered with the book Nourish, should help them to eat healthier, with more mindfulness and less cravings. The feedback from clients has been that they feel so much stronger, have more energy and have been sleeping better! They also feel more comfortable in their clothes.

Q. Who is it best suited to?

A. As The Model Method is personalized, anybody of any age, any fitness level and with any fitness goals can join. It’s fantastic for those who are looking to strengthen their bodies, reduce back pain, create a functional body, reduce injuries, reduce body fat, reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, have more energy, sleep better and feel more comfortable in their clothes. I have trained women of all ages, shapes and sizes over the years and heard hundreds of different fitness goals. They can all be targeted through The Model Method.

Q. What’s your background in fitness?

A. After studying Psychology at university (despite wanting to be a chef) I managed to secure my dream role as an apprentice Pastry Chef for my idol and a place at Thames Valley University on its Patisserie qualification. After an incredibly tough, stressful year, and suffering with anxiety and depression, I decided that I would never go back into the kitchen and there ended my short-lived dream career. One of my best friends worked at a Pilates studio in London and mentioned they needed a receptionist, so I decided to take the job until I knew what I wanted to do next. I became absolutely hooked on Pilates, promoted to studio manager, took my Pilates qualification, became head trainer at two studios, trained to be a PT and then opened my own studio. It all seemed to make absolute sense. I had been super fit at school – I was a 100m sprinter, played on the netball and hockey teams, went running almost every day and loved exercise. Over the years I’d also cycled from John O’Groats to Lands’ End in 14 days and ran seven marathons in seven days – so was always into fitness. The fact I had struggled with anxiety and depression over the years also meant that my reasons for exercising and motivation to help others was very much based around mental health improvements and making women love themselves more! There begun my fitness career. Everything happens for a reason.

Q. What do you think is a common misconception about Pilates?

A. That it is like yoga! I often have friends say to me: ‘oh Pilates is like yoga, no?’ and it is quite infuriating. There are so many differences (and there are somesimilarities) but the main ones are that Pilates is really focused on strengthening. We are trying to balance out the bodies muscular imbalances by strengthening weaker areas of the body. As an added benefit of Pilates, the body does become more flexible – as areas are released from the strains of over-use. Yoga however is kind of the opposite. That’s trying to create flexibility in the body, and an added bonus in yoga is that you can become stronger. Also in Pilates we use the breath to facilitate movements, in yoga the breath is used for relaxation.

I also have had many clients come to me who have tried Pilates before and found it boring, or didn’t feel anything at all. For me, I like to come away from an exercise session knowing that I have worked hard and made significant changes to my body. If you aren’t feeling this don’t give up on Pilates, just try a different instructor.

Q. What is the best fitness advice you’ve ever received?

A.Don’t trust a skinny PT! Now this is a controversial one and I remember thinking: ‘what rubbish!’ when I was told it, but I really do agree on this one. There is, like for all other women, a lot of pressure on you as a fitness instructor to look a certain way. I’m often told we should be an advert for our services and lead by example and I totally agree however…. Let’s look at me when I was newly-qualified. I didn’t teach many classes yet, I attendedlots of classes and had a lot of free time in between clients to run, climb, spin etc. I however, as hard as this is to admit, won’t have been the best instructor out there. If we look at me now I have a very busy studio, a dog, four instructors, a waiting list and a whole lot of admin. This leaves me with not a huge amount of time to exercise (although I will try to fit it in where possible) and I’m also not 25 anymore (sssh don’t tell anyone!). I am however more qualified and more experienced. I’ve seen, heard, done it all and can give far better advice than six years ago. Try not to judge a trainer on their body successes – judge it more on their clients’ successes.

Q. What would you say to encourage those who’ve never done Pilates before to try it?

A. Shop around. Pilates is not a one-size-fits-all service and a trainer’s ability to adapt classes to you is a real skill. There are so many studios, instructors and genres of Pilates out there and some you will like and some you won’t. Talk to people with similar fitness interests or goals to you and see who they go to. Read testimonials and see if the benefits they mention match what you hope to get out of Pilates. If it’s boring – try someone else. If you’re not sure you’re doing it right, just ask.

Q. What other kinds of exercise do you do?

A. I used to be an avid runner but post-marathons I found my knees simply couldn’t take it anymore – and I would urge other runners to be mindful of this also! I absolutely love HIIT as it takes minimum time, maximum effort and the health benefits are fantastic. I also love power yoga, as opening the studio has left my brain very similar to a rave (noisy, packed and stressful). I find that power yoga helps me to focus and clear my mind, even if only for an hour. I also use Headspace (the mindfulness app), which I see as an essential workout for my mind! However, reformer Pilates will always be my first and favourite partner! As mentioned in a previous answer, I am limited on time to exercise nowadays, so I have to make sure I supplement my diet to keep my energy levels up. For this, I start the day with a Bioglan ‘Supergreens’ shake. It genuinely tastes nice (unlike some others I’ve tried) and is full of superfoods and fatigue-fighting ingredients. The tropical flavour is ‘the bomb’!

Hollie Grant is the ambassador for the Bioglan Superfoods Superpower your Life Campaign. To superpower your life in 2016 and get your personalised plan, go to bioglansuperfoods.co.uk