Q&A with Lucy Denver

We caught up with PT, fitness model and WHL fave Lucy Denver to talk fitness and fashion.

Have you always had a passion for fitness?

My dad got me into keeping fit in all sorts of crazy ways when I was very little: climbing, caving and fell running were the norm for me! I suffered from an eating disorder throughout my teens and early twenties though, and began to use exercise as a negative rather than a positive. Two years ago I realised it was time to start loving my body again. That’s when I started training properly and eating healthily. Fitness really has saved my life!

You’re obviously into clean eating from all your gorgeous Instagram posts. Are they recipes you’ve come up with yourself?

I’m terrible at following recipes. It can be right in front of me and I still won’t follow it! So yes, they are all my own creations. I take inspiration from my friends, a lot of them are into therapeutic eating, paleo or Zone. I like simple meals because I can never be bothered to spend hours in the kitchen. Unless I’m making sushi or a cake, in which case I’ll happily spend all day on it!

Tell us more about your body confidence seminars.

My seminars are all about honesty. I speak about my own experiences of eating disorders, and the pressure on women and girls to look a certain way. You can be beautiful and not realise it, and waste years thinking you’re not good enough. Girls are often surprised when I tell them I eat bacon and porridge most days because it goes against everything we’ve been taught about carbs and fats being ‘bad’. It’s about re-educating women to understand that training hard and eating well is WAY more fun than starving yourself!

We love your articles on SportsStylist.com. How did you get involved with fitness writing?

I’ve always loved writing, but I got into fitness writing when I started working with Sam Bawden, the Director of Cheltenham Fashion Week. I met the SportStylist team at a LFW event two years ago and have been writing for them ever since. I’ve never actually had my own blog (although that’s about to change!) but that’s a great way to write regularly and build yourself a portfolio of work if you want to get into any kind of writing or journalism.

If you had to choose, what is your favourite brand of sportswear to work out in and why?

That’s a tough one! I adore Reebok Nano 5s for my feet, because they’re great for everything from lifting to running. My favourite training kit is usually Reebok or Sweaty Betty, as their fabrics are soft and easy to move in. I have two favourite luxury brands, which are Charli Cohen and Miss Matahari, and I often save those pieces for wearing out for coffee, shopping or in the evening. They’re so gorgeous I feel bad sweating in them!

You walked for the amazing new Charli Cohen line earlier this year, how did you get involved with that?

I was lucky enough to meet Charli a couple of years ago at her first LFW trunk show, and have modelled for her on a few occasions since then. She is such a creative talent and her collections continue to revolutionise the luxury sportswear market – definitely one on track for world domination! Charli is an incredible person and I feel very privileged to have worked with her.

And what was the best part of that whole experience?

It was the most incredible experience. I’ve always wanted to model and LFW was a childhood dream of mine. I was kept away from that industry when I was younger because for someone who was already suffering with anorexia it wouldn’t have been a great environment for me to be in. Opening the show for Charli was amazing because it taught me that dreams come true through hard work and positivity, not through self-destruction.

As you do lots of personal training, what advice would you give to someone who wanted to improve their fitness but didn’t know where to start?

I would say to start by finding a personal trainer you trust or one who has been recommended to you, or going along to a CrossFit Box. I’ve never met an unhelpful or unfriendly CrossFitter! Getting the basics right is so important because it’s easy to injure yourself if you don’t really know what you’re doing in a gym. I’d also say not to underestimate the importance of nutrition! It’s true that abs are made in the kitchen!

What is your favourite way to work out at the moment?

I’m really enjoying high intensity workouts at the moment. I’m taking a break from heavy weights due to injury but I was up to a 110kg deadlift, which I was pretty proud of! Right now I’m doing lots of squats, interval sprints, core work like kettlebell swings and skills like developing my pull ups and handstands. It’s all about enjoyment!

What are your plans for the future? We’ve heard rumours about ‘Fit Missions’?

Fit Missions are the method I use for my own training, which I’ve been writing for the last couple of years, and are a high intensity mixture of bodyweight movements, light weights that develop core strength and barbells, which give overall tone. They’re great for men too, but I want to show women that they don’t have to be afraid of barbells, and that they can give you an amazing figure if you use them in the right way! I’m developing this method with my partner, who is a PT and rugby coach, so anyone, anywhere can use Fit Missions to become even fitter. They are always challenging and work for beginners right through to professional level athletes. When I’m not working on Fit Missions or training myself, you can probably find me working on SportStylist projects or writing about something to do with fitness!