Ashley Hasler

My name is Ashley and I have been in the fitness industry for five years. In 2007 I completed a double degree leaving me with a Bachelor of Business and a Bachelor of Information Systems majoring in Human Resource Management. I left university with two degrees and realising that my passion was working directly with people. I completed my certificate III and IV in Fitness and Personal Training toward the end of my university years and decided that was the journey I would endeavour.

My first love is running and this is where my journey started. For years I was a keen distance runner and very determined but in 2006 I ended up with two herniated discs leaving me bed ridden for six weeks. Soon after that injury, it was stress fractures. It became clear to me that common runners injuries such as shin splints, muscle cramps and prolapsed feet were the least of my worries and that much to my disappointment, PERHAPS the human body is just not made to run. It is however designed to sprint. I learnt a few things during this experience. I became very familiar with my body, working muscles and the importance of core strength in any sort of training whether it be for weight loss, resistance training, muscle gain or athletic abilities. It was through this research and learning that I realized just how amazing the human body is.

I decided to dedicate myself to helping other people learn about their bodies from a physical perspective. As a personal trainer, I not only specialise in weight loss but I also work with runners to help them increase their power / weight ratio and their speed / agility performance. My clients are given diet plans to accompany their training regimes that are specifically designed to help them toward their goals.

MY BELIEFS

As a trainer it becomes second nature to pick out technique flaws and poor training and dietary habits. Taking a glance into a gym facility we are surrounded by it. What people believe is helping them achieve their goals is quite astonishing. I tend to see a lot of inexperience in my field, and a lot of poor and misconstrued information. I believe this is due to modern exercise beliefs/theories, ignorance and lack of research beyond qualification. The two things that stand out to me are:

• Lack of core strength.
• People lifting weight far beyond their capabilities, which is the case more often than not.

My beliefs are simple. With some exceptions to the rule, a person who is NOT injured should be able to lift their own body weight with perfect technique BEFORE lifting any external weight.  Body weight exercises prove far more beneficial to strength training and provide a far more natural range of joint mobility and muscle usage.

Core strength is everything. It provides the foundation to build and strengthen muscle through the upper and lower body. Without core strength, you cannot possibly have proper balance or posture to prevent a future injury.  Core strength provides support to ones entire midsection and when lacking, is the primal reason for lower back pain making the smallest of daily activities such tying shoe laces painful. It amazes me how little attention is paid to it and for this reason, is always my focus NO MATTER what my client’s goals are.

My training methods include mostly body weight exercises including use of the TRX suspension system.  I always challenge my clients through a range of exercises, equipment and variety to motivate them to achieve their potential best. I work WITH my clients to achieve their goals no matter what their goals may be. My weight loss clients have their measurements down every six weeks for two reasons. The first reason is to help them stay motivated. The second reason is to see our progress so that I as the trainer know where to direct our training for the six weeks to follow. This also allows us to discuss any concerns that may arise regarding the training or goal specifications.

SPECIALISING IN:

• Weight Loss
• Nutrition
• Core Strength
• Athletic capabilities
• Bodyweight training
• TRX suspension system