Friday, 8 March 2013

Interview With Aussie Trainer, Model and Figure Competitor Rach Guy!!


Interview With Rachel Guy




Rachel is know in the industry for her no BS attitude and hard work, just have a look at the videos of her training below and decide for yourself if you train as hard as her! My guess is not. In my search for the best trainers to interview, from a female perspective Rachel’s name came up over and over again. Not only does she work hard on her own fitness but her qualifications, results and expectations of her clients put her right up there with the best. Hope you enjoy this one!


 Can you give us a bit of background about you and your business?

I graduated 2005 from the University of Birmingham, UK and started working as a Physiotherapist. Wasn’t my calling in life! Several years later I find my self in Sydney, having been and gone through university again, working as a strength coach and fit pro. Today, I own Athletic Fox Pty Ltd, which reveals the truth in Female Strength Training, Aesthetics, Nutrition, Supplementation and the Beauty Business! I also have an online training system about to launch and we also run training “fox camps”; seminars, products, apparel, eBooks and general education for females. I currently write for Mens Fitness; Shape, On Duty and The Line Magazines; in addition to being a published fitness model in Oxygen, Ironman, On Duty and Muscle and Fitness Australia. I am a presenter on The Takedown MMA TV show, Course conductor for FMA Strength Training and Head Strength Coach of Wimp2Warrior MMA. I also still train clients!


I also have another business venture launching in July. It goes without saying – I have to be exceptionally strict with my time management!

What’s your inspiration for doing what you do?
Changing lives, making people happy and living my passion and dream. My clients inspire me more than anyone or anything else. It’s the reason I do what I do.

How did you get into it?
I never wanted a career! I just wanted to be a mum and a wife! I thought by the time I hit 26 I would be married with 2.4 kids, a house 2 dogs and 3 cats! Anyway, 26 has come and gone and here I am at 29, having the time of my life with an incredible career, travelling the world living my dream and passion. – Although I do have 2 baby rats (yes as in rodents!) and an exceptionally patient man who deals with me and my wildly “busy” nature! Lol

What’s the most important factor in your own development as a professional?
Questioning everything, trialing things on myself and reading and learning from every possible source. Trainers who just learn from one “guru” are doing themselves and their clients a massive disservice.

Who is your clientele?
Varies from hot young foxes, yummy mummies, bikini hotties and high flying corporate girls to general pop, MMA specific with Wimp2Warrior and well trained guys.
Online its just girls thorough Athletic Fox.

What is your method? How do assess your client’s needs?
No BS, work hard, old school. No frills, heavy weight training. Cardio – yes! Treadmills – No! Prowlers – Yes! Zumba – not a fan!

Most of my female clientele all want the same thing: a sexy, healthy tight bikini body with confidence and curves in the right places. Box Gaps and Booty are popular this year!

Females need more mental and emotional support than guys. I have a private forum with Athletic Fox so all my foxes can talk to each other, offer support, motivation and share recipes etc.
Where do you go from there?

-  Client specific progressive, periodised weights training sessions; cardio, nutrition and supplementation guidelines. 

Do you deal with all aspects of your clients? Nutrition, Training, Psychological?
Yes. I outsource to colleagues, chiropractors, doctors, psychologists, NLP practitioners and hypnotherapists if I think necessary. I have even referred to Sharman and a medical intuitive. It is hugely important to have a big network of fellow health care and medical practitioners.

What do you say to clients/athletes who aren’t making progress as quickly as they would expect?
I know if someone is being honest with a training and food log. I have been in the industry too long to have the wool pulled over my eyes! If someone is not progressing there is always an underlying issue. I refer out to lab / testing specialists to get the issue identified and treated immediately.

Do you specialize in a particular area?
Yep – building sexy bikini bodies! J

You’re a female famed for training hard, what do you think is the biggest mistake females make generally when embarking on their quest to a bikini body?

5 top mistakes I see:
1)   Lack of correct education for training and nutrition
2)   Too much cardio
3)   Not lifting heavy enough weights
4)   Not training hard enough
5)   Not eating enough food

Who are the top 5 experts in fitness and strength in the world?

I can’t name 5, as I believe there are far more as fitness and strength are massive topics! However, I learn a lot from Derek Woodske, Francine Savard, Layne Norton, Charles Poliquin, John Beradi, Bret Contreras, Mark Buckley, my colleagues Daine McDonald, Travis Jones and Rawdon Dubois; UK boys - Calum Gore, Chris Tombs, Dan Forbes and Gavin Attorre. This is just a very small collection of my network of people I turn to for help. I don’t believe there are a “top 5 experts” unless you specify the exact field.

What are your top 5 nutrition tips?

Everyone knows we should all eat more veggies and some fruits so I am leaving that one out!

1)   Organic, Free range, Grass Fed Meats
2)   Never cut out entire macronutrients.
3)   Gluten Free
4)   Portion Control, exercise moderation
5)   Eat dark chocolate & drink red wine

Your favorite 5 exercises?

1)   Squat
2)   Hip Thrust/Glute Bridges
3)   Push Press
4)   Cleans
5)   Lateral Raises!

Top 5 tips for ensuring results?

1)   Work with a trainer either 1:1, semi private, online or in a group
2)   Have a very specific goal and tell the world about it to help you stay accountable
3)   Surround yourself with supportive people who are not afraid to say NO to you or pull you into line
4)   WORK HARD! There is no substitute.
5)   Enjoy the ride! The experience is often better than the end result!


What is wrong with the big conglomerate gyms of today?

Nothing is essentially “wrong” with them, I just don’t feel they offer the support to their members. Lack of real education is the major downfall.

What’s next for you and your company?

Finalise my online training platform with Athletic Fox, I have about 5 seminars to prepare for and 8-10 ebooks and open a gym towards the later half of the year. I won’t be competing this year but I have shoots through the year so it’s a fair bit of pressure staying in relatively decent shape when working very long hours. I am taking time off for the whole of June, hitting the US in Sept and back to Abu Dhabi/Dubai in December.


Last one:

What’s the motto you live by….

I have a few:

“Work hard, play harder”
“Do or do not, there is no try”
“You can’t fly like and eagle if you are surrounded by turkeys”
My favorite by Louis Simmons – “To be great, it takes planning, work, dedication, courage and aggression. If you lack one of these, you will fail, and you will have no one to blame but yourself."

Thank you so much Rachel, for those of you that want help directly from Rachel here are all her details. Ladies if you want online programming from here in the UK while she sun’s it up in Oz look no further!

Thank you for having me. I can be contacted via:


No comments: