May | 2019 | Kevin Fullwood - made in Yorkshire

I recently gave notice on my HG3 membership, after months of deliberating and will be finishing at the end of May – having started on the 5th June 2012.

Frazer is going to Camp America in early July and will then be off to London shortly after returning home, to pursue his acting ambitions. He has been my training partner and main reason for coming for a while.

When I look back I realise how obsessed I was in the early years at HG3 and how much it has affected my life. At school I was the kid who was always chosen last when picking the football/cricket teams but I did manage to improve physically, when I started weight training as a teenager. Never a natural athlete, reasonably strong but quite determined – that is me.

Over the years I have attended most events at HG3 – Christmas Dos and socials, workshops and seminars etc. Skill wise it has been a rollercoaster. I have managed most lifts but remain mediocre at Olympics lifts but have done just about everything except a muscle up. Rowing, deadlifts and quite surprisingly toes to bar seem to be my strengths. I have added about 50kg to both my deadlift and back squat.

So what has changed? In short, HG3 has grown and I have gotten older. There was a time when I knew everyone by their first name and probably had a good idea about what their PB back squat and deadlift was too. As HG3 has grown and matured, the membership has swollen, with more and larger class sizes. This is a great thing for the business and I think it is fantastic that so many new classes, like Sweat and FKT, are happening. However, from a personal perspective these larger classes (plus the loss of the lifting platforms and the PT rental area) have made it more difficult for me to ‘do my own thing’. My lungs are not what they used to be (fifty something, not twenty something) and a lingering shoulder problem has made it hard to fit in to the classes on a consistent basis.

I realise that I need to focus on a training regime that is productive and suitable for me, given my age and capabilities. Fortunately, I have acquired a good amount of equipment for me to do this at home – supplemented by plenty of dog walking. Rudds quite wisely said that if the training is not enjoyable then perhaps it is time to try something else. I will concentrate on keeping my strength, mobility and with some interval based cardio. (rowing rather than running)

Apart from all the laughs and banter, my fondest memories are of taking Frazer and Zara to the kids and then teen classes. I am confident that they have gained skills that will help them throughout their lives – proper lifting technique, confidence in trying new activities and knowing the benefits of being determined and not stopping when the going gets tough. I have HG3 to thanks for this, in particular Rudds at HG3 v1.

I hope this post does not appear negative – I have loved my time and will miss everyone. Pete has kindly (but perhaps rather foolishly) said that I am welcome to come in anytime for a free coffee and perhaps a heavy lift if I feel the urge on a Sunday.

I truly hope that HG3 continues to thrive and I would like to thank Pete, Rudds and all the coaches (PJ, Tiff, Jaimie, Jane, Sarah, Chase and Tom) for their patience and hard work. I will miss the people – everyone who trains deserves credit and respect for making a positive step to improve themselves. The people who deserve the most credit are not necessarily the big lifters, the six packers or the gymnastically gifted. Consistent hard work pays off and there are plenty doing just that, week in, week out.

Here are a few of my favourite photos –