Until July, Weekly Post journalist Becks Kaysen will be throwing herself at the mercy of personal trainer Michael Kayser, the founder of KayserFitness, which has been making a name for itself in Copenhagen since its launch last November. Check out this column every week for fitness tips, workouts and Kaysen’s personal account of her KayserFitness experience.

The first week of personal training with KayserFitness saw me hit the ground running.

While I’m excited to embark on this fitness adventure – in which certified personal trainer Michael Kayser, the founder of KayserFitness, will personally oversee three training sessions a week until July combined with a full diet and training plan for the remaining days – I found myself prone to outbursts of desperate-sounding giggles during the first two sessions as my efforts resembled method acting for an upcoming role as a dying bison rather than any form of
athleticism.

Of course, I do tend to be hard on myself. As a former competitive athlete whose dream to make it to the German Olympic rowing trials was cut short by an accident at the age of 21, it is frustrating to compare my current fitness level to that of my pre-accident self.

However, after years of attempted recovery, weight-gain, reinjury through wrong training methods and chronic pain that led to mild hints of depression, the personal training sessions are clearly already having an impact.

Business with a personal vision
A former business student at Copenhagen Business School, Kayser was quick to realise that the corporate world and being employed to fulfil someone else’s vision wasn’t going to work for him.

“I knew I had to do my own thing, have my own business, and I also knew it wouldn’t be a desk job,” recalled Kayser.

Instead Kayser took his life-long passion for sports and training and combined it with his strong sense of business for his path to success.

“Football has always been my passion, but seeing as I couldn’t take it to a professional level, doing personal training is the next best thing to make my profession revolve around fitness and sports,” he explained.

Taken aback by impact
Creating and building something hands on as well as making a positive impact on people’s lives has always been the defining criteria for Kayser’s business vision.
However, Kayser admits he didn’t realise just how much of an impact he was going to be able to make.

“Although I was extremely skinny when I was younger and worked hard to get where I am now, I never suffered from insecurities when it came to my appearance,” he revealed.

“Also I was one of those who didn’t understand why overweight people didn’t ‘just do something about it’. But I have since learned and come to understand the psychological challenges many physical problems are connected to.”

Making a difference
To be able to help people with just more than one issue is an inspirational boost Kayser appreciates experiencing every day as a personal trainer.

It took a thank you present from a client who with his help lost eight kilos in eight weeks (“essential items for the Roskilde Festival as she knows I’m from there and go every year”) that made Kayser realise how much he meant to his clients.

“It’s just so overwhelming to see how much of a positive impact your efforts have on your clients and to find out just how much you mean to them,” he continued.
“It’s what motivates me to keep on doing the best I can for them.”

Tailored programs a success
KayserFitness has a strong focus on each client’s individual needs and goals, and the professionally-tailored and structured fitness programs have led to quicker success than Kayser had initially anticipated.

“I already have more than double the amount of clients I was expecting to have at this point,” revealed Kayser.

Ahead of starting complementary studies in sports science at the University of Copenhagen in August, Kayser is not intimidated by the prospect of eventually training professional athletes.

Tip of the week:
Pineapple, aside from being a great source of vitamin C, is also rich in the protein-digesting enzyme Bromelain, making it a natural anti-inflammatory agent that can reduce inflammation in the body, swelling, bruising, pain from musculoskeletal injuries, and effects of arthritis, bursitis and tendonitis. It helps reduce pain and expedite recovery.

Nine other foods with high levels of Bromelain are: cherries, apples, papaya, almonds, walnuts, ginger, turmeric, spinach and sweet potato. The inflammation-fighting foods are potent in reducing inflammation in the body, while reducing pain and thereby expediting recovery

Diet tips:
— Breakfast
We love oat porridge in the morning. However, why not try quinoa with almond milk instead! It’s less carbs and more protein and tastes amazing!

— Lunch
Tuna is one of the healthiest fish you can eat and it’s easy to include in a healthy salad or sandwich for lunch. Many varieties of tuna, however, are high in mercury, so make sure you use albacore tuna (the kind of white tuna usually canned) that has been ‘troll or pole caught’, as these fish have much lower contamination ratings and are often higher in omega-3 counts.

— Snacks
Fruit makes a great snack and it’s even better when you pair it with a bit of protein! Unlike carbohydrates, which get used up relatively quickly, protein helps sustain your energy and hunger levels. Our protein-fruit pairing option this week: 1 apple & 1 cup of skimmed milk (10 grams protein, 5 grams fibre, average 200 calories) OR half an avocado with 2 tps of 1 percent cottage cheese (9 grams protein, 7 grams fibre, average 200 calories).

Workout 1:
METCON style!
Focus on cardiovascular work, achieving a high heart rate and constant work! This specific workout focuses on the lower body and abs. It burns a lot a calories while still working the muscles hard!

5 rounds of:
10 jump squats
12 kettlebell swings
60-second high-intensity crosstrainer

5 rounds of:
20 jump lunges
16 speedskaters
60-second high-intensity crosstrainer

5 rounds of:
20 crunches
20 bicycle crunches
60-second plank

Workout 2:
Hard weight training
The aim is to work the whole body and emphasise building muscle. More muscle burns more calories.
15 reps squat (quads, hams and glutes)
15 reps Romanian deadlift (hams and glutes)
15 reps lunges (15 each leg-quads, hams and glutes)
15 reps bench press (chest, shoulder and triceps)
15 reps assisted pullups (lats, shoulders and biceps)
15 reps bendover rows (lats, shoulders and biceps)
15 reps military press (shoulders, triceps and chest)
Post weight training cardio: 2 rounds of 8-min high-intensity work on the crosstrainer with 2-min pause in between.