Get Fit for Summer at R-Fitness

Celebrity trainer Ricardo Macedo puts things into perspective.

‘Jesus!’

‘Ha – I have lots of names in here: Jesus, Fuck, Ow…’

My personal trainer for the afternoon (real name Ricardo Macedo) is smiling down at me as he bends and stretches my legs. It’s the end of our workout, and rather than just letting me do a few positions on my own, he’s making sure I’m properly stretched.

Everything Ricardo does is very thorough. Not only has he made a note of my height and weight, but my blood pressure, heart rate and the percentage of body fat on my body.

He’s also tested my strength, endurance and flexibility with some timed exercises. All this has been about my health, not how I look, which leaves me thinking about how I treat my body rather than how other people see it.

One thing that shocked me was the fact it took my pulse twice as long as it should do to return to normal after vigorous exercise. Clearly I need to get my arse into gear – not just to fit into skinny jeans, but to become the fit and healthy 20-something I can be.

This is my first ever session with a personal trainer, and I’m curious to know how Ricardo whips people into shape. Maybe I’d been watching too many episodes of the US TV series, The Biggest Loser, but I imagined him ripping his clients out of bed at 6am and making them run until they are sick. Doesn’t he have to be really strict with people to get the results they want?

‘I’m here to support and motivate the client, but how much they put in is up to them,’ he says with his signature smile. ‘Some people come and they really want to train, others just want to be able to tell their friends they have a personal trainer.’

Maybe it’s this honesty, as well as his knowledge and experience, that makes Ricardo so successful. He has trained everyone from Hollyoaks stars to royalty and now has his own show on Sky TV.

Ricardo’s gym, R-Fitness, isn’t a shallow beauty parade like so many top gyms in London. Grunting and giggling rings out over the two floors while clients are being put through their paces, and his specialist team are clearly having a lot of fun. After my end of session sports massage, I feel elated. I’m walking on air with some healthy menus in hand. The change starts here.

An initial consultation is £40, which includes a fitness assessment, trial workout and a full fitness report.  £60 per session, or 12 sessions for £660.

R-Fitness
62 Pembroke Road
Kensington
W8 6NX