Trainer who does the hard yards too

Some personal trainers might take a "do as I say, not as I do" approach to clients but Brett Ronowicz is not one of them.
The trainer at Tauranga's Bodyzone gym is leading Bay of Plenty Times Weekend columnist Vanessa Pringle on her 12-week quest to lose fat and tone up.
And, as well as keeping Vanessa on her toes, Brett is doing the challenge with her - and has already lost 10kg.
"I've been in Vanessa's position. I have never been a really skinny guy. It took me a long time. Throughout uni I was quite overweight. I found it hard to motivate myself to exercise. It doesn't seem like it's going to happen."
He found the key to his success was drawing motivation from other people.
"That really helps. Fitness classes are just amazing.
"For me it was getting into a group environment. It's really supportive."
He said Vanessa's achievements so far - last week she reported she'd lost 9.2kg of body fat and gained 4.1kg of muscle - were "a huge deal".
"In four weeks she's done 12 per cent body fat loss."
Like many people on a fitness and weight-loss programme, patience was an issue for Vanessa, Brett said. "A lot of people [want to give up] because it's not coming as fast as they want.
"They think 'I'm putting in this hard work, what's the point in doing it?'
"We tell them to persevere. Just keep going, that's the main thing.
"Come to the gym for a good two weeks to get those endorphins flowing.
"After that you will crave those endorphins - you may hate the exercise when you are doing it but you will crave the endorphins."
Vanessa's fitness programme includes hitting the gym five days a week to do cardio, weights and circuit training.
To drop weight fast, each type of exercise was just as important as the others, said Brett, who has a Bachelor of Sport and Leisure from Waikato University and a Certificate of Fitness from Bay of Plenty Polytechnic.
"It's about hitting the body from all angles."
Many women feared getting "really muscly" doing a weights programme but that would not happen, Brett said.
However, resistance training and building a small amount of muscle had the advantage of burning more calories due to a higher metabolic rate.
Brett advised against over-training, and said three or four days a week at the gym was plenty for someone starting out.
And while exercise was crucial to losing weight and toning up, diet contributes to "definitely over 50 per cent" of your results, Brett said.
"You have got to eat healthy food."
Another obstacle to losing weight is eating too little. The key to losing weight is to eat more often, Brett said.
"If your body doesn't get fuel, if you are not eating enough every three hours, your body automatically wants to hold on to fat. It goes into starvation mode."
Working as a personal trainer is a dream job for Brett. "It's awesome to see their face light up when they do something they didn't think they could do."
Brett's fitness and weight-loss tips:
- Be patient - changes take time. Persevere.
- Eat regularly.
- Don't over-train - it stresses your body and makes weight loss difficult.
- Do a mix of cardio, resistance and circuit training.
- For extra motivation, exercise in a group - it will keep you going.
- Eat plenty of protein.
- Don't avoid the gym for fear of being judged - everyone is there to get fit and wants to help you.