Miss MuscleBox Trainer: Sharnie Cocks
Why did you become a personal trainer?
Exercise and working out is something that has helped me overcome some hurdles in my life. During these times I decided to put my energy and focus into my own health and it really did change my life for the better. From here my love for health and fitness grew! I became the best version of myself and I am now more confident, positive and energetic than I ever could have imaged, and I wanted this for everyone around me.I became a personal trainer as I wanted to follow my dream of educating and empowering women to achieve their fitness goals. My mission is to create an army of confident women who LOVE the skin they are in. I truly believe being fit and healthy can transform every area of your life, as it truly has for me and I want everyone to experience this.I have such a passion for the fitness industry, and I am so excited to be a part of MissMB subscribers fitness journey too.
How has this impacted on your own health & fitness journey?
Getting out of my comfort zone and changing careers to become a Personal Trainer was daunting but very rewarding! I came from a Corporate 9-5pm Office Job, so this was a huge change for me. It was from here that I gained the confidence to continue challenging myself and last year decided to do a Fitness Competition. This was something I had been talking about for years. I competed in my first Fitness Competition and I became a Fitness Model Pro and World Champion for the ICN Federation.Following my passion in the fitness industry has truly opened up so many doors and this all came from taking a huge risk and getting out of my comfort zone! If you have a dream job or career you have been wanting to follow and are waiting for the right time, just go for it. There is no such thing as the right time. If it means enough to you, you will make it work!
How do you keep yourself motivated?
The hard truth is you are never going to feel motivated every single day. As a trainer, my workout schedule varies and there are days where I feel super tired and unmotivated (I’m only human).My top tips for staying motivated:* Set yourself small goals to work towards on your fitness journey. Make them exciting, something that’s going to make you jump out of bed in the morning to get to the gym! Maybe it’s feeling comfortable in your bikini or finally fitting your fav jeans again.*Remember WHY you love training. For me, it makes me feel amazing, puts me in the best mood and really does allow me to give 100% to my clients in the gym!*Train with a friend, partner or personal trainer. I am very lucky my partner is also a personal trainer so whenever I am feeling unmotivated, I book in a few sessions, he whips my butt and I leave the gym feeling so great!
Do you have a ‘style’ of training? If so, what is it?
I am all about weights. I love resistance style weight training as it has helped sculpt and tone my body and even during comp prep, I did minimal cardio and just lifted weights. Once upon a time I was afraid to lift weights as I thought they would make me chunky and unfeminine. Ladies let me tell you, this is a myth!My focus has changed from skinny to strong and this is where I have achieved some of the best results for myself and my clients. You not only get stronger in the gym– weights also help strengthen joints, bones and helps reduce the risk of injuries.
What is your pre- and post-workout meal of choice?
Pre-work I generally have a piece of fruit, but lately I have been obsessing over corn thins with smashed banana and a drizzle of honey on top. YUM! I always like to have carbs to fuel my workouts. Post workout my ritual is to always have a shake. My shakes are quite natural and include:
Milk
Frozen blueberries
Honey
Raw egg (yes I know this sounds gross, but I promise blended together it’s delicious)
1 tsp of raw cacao powder (if I am feeling a choc-raspberry flavour)
What is your favourite health food product?
I have a soft spot for cookies, at the moment I am loving the Lenny’s & Larrys Complete Cookie
How do you treat yourself?
I am a firm believer if you restrict something long enough you will crave it more and more. Moderation is always key and this is what I preach with my clients.I love Greek Food so every now and again I go to my favourite Greek Restaurant in Brisbane and enjoy a meal, guilt free. I also have a sweet tooth (who doesn’t) and occasionally enjoy dark chocolate.
Best advice for females on their fitness journey?
GOALS GOALS GOALS! If you don’t know what you are working towards you will lose motivation pretty quickly. My top tips for goal setting that have helped me achieve some really great things last year, including winning my Pro Card as a Fitness Model (this was top of my 2018 goals list)
- Set GOALS!
- Get specific with your goals.
I want to lose some weight VS I want to lose 5kg, tone my arms and hit a new squat PB by October 1st. You need to hold yourself accountable to set specific gosls with dates.
- Remember WHY? I have always found if I attach an emotional connection to my goal it makes it real and keeps me motivated to stay on track.
*Achieving this will help me grow confidence, make me feel great and love the skin I am in!*Remember always aim for progression not perfection. No one is perfect and if you do slip up or miss a training session it is O K A Y. Revisit your goals, remember your why and what it means to you and get back on track.
JACQUI TOUMBAS
Nutritionist & Owner (Miss Bliss)
Jacqui is a qualified Nutritionist and business owner. She shares her passion for nourishing food through her cafe and catering business, Miss Bliss Wholefoods. Jacqui connects with hundreds of people a day encouraging them to live blissful and nourishing lives.
Instagram: @jacqui.toumbas
Website: www.missblisswholefoodskitchen.com.au
Great read