SNJ editor Sue Smith is getting into shape for an adventurous holiday.

During my latest personal training session with Matt Collins I discovered machines are not the easy option.

NOT so easy jumping out of bed at 5.30am on a dull wet morning this week as opposed to the last few months, getting up with the sun streaming through the blinds.

But once I was in the car I was quite looking forward to my personal training session at Fifth Dimension with Matt Collins.

I cheered up even more when he said we would be mainly working on the machines. “Oh good,” I thought, “ a bit of a sit down.”

How wrong can anyone be? Matt’s upped the game a bit in a very subtle way with an extra 10kg added to my weight-lifting.

Some core exercises on the floor were followed by chest, back and leg presses which on the first set of reps were perfectly manageable but as I progressed into the second and third set I was almost begging for mercy.

Matt was very encouraging. He says all the right things and it is motivating which is why personal training works.

Had I been left to my own devices I would more than likely have skipped the last rep and had a bit of a rest on the comfy leather seat.

Matt said I did the chest weights really well, apparently women are not usually strong in their upper body and I didn’t show any preference for the left or right arm.

A little encouragement definitely goes a long way.

I had arrived feeling tired but after 45 minutes which shot by I was invigorated and pleased with my workout.