Meet Julie Iking, personal trainer at The Brick

While The Brick has focused a lot on personal trainers in 2018, we haven’t really covered any female personal trainers. But as a lot of women train at The Brick, it might be important to mention that some of the best female personal trainers work at our gym and are ready to bring you to the next level. Get to know Julie Iking and the story behind how she became a personal trainer, and how being a woman in the sporting world can come with its challenges.  

How did you get into personal training?

It started when I had moved to Antwerp, and felt the urge to meet new people. A gym is obviously perfect for that. When I started out, the mistake I made – one that a lot of women make in the beginning – is that I only did an hour of cardio. Roy noticed that, and as we had already started talking, he helped me understand how to transform your body. It’s through this that our relationship grew, and with it my passion for sports.

When I started noticing change in my body, I became addicted to working out and getting to know more about it. I made the shift from marketing to educating myself on sports, following courses online through institutes from Belgium and Amsterdam to New York, and from there growing into a personal trainer.

And your clientele is mostly women, right?

Yes, that’s right.

Why do you think that is?

Well, in my experience, men feel more comfortable with a male personal trainer, and some women more with a female trainer. The reasons mostly have to do with their motives for working out. What I’ve found is that clients mirror themselves after their personal trainer; it’s a very personal connection. And besides wanting someone that fits your own personality.

Sometimes it could be an ego thing, where it’s hard for men to accept things from a woman, especially when their trainer is that much younger. But I also think that they think a man can be rougher with them.

What do new clients mostly want as an end result?

Probably the perfect summer body, haha. It mostly starts out with them wanting a six-pack, a thicker ass and toned legs – in general a toned body that accentuates all females forms. Some will literally show me a photo on Instagram – sometimes not even something realistic – and say that they want to look like that.

But of course, there are also a lot of women that want to gain a certain skill like back squats or deadlifting, or just to improve their condition. Women can also want that sturdy workout, but tend not to focus on muscles and bulking. Most still want to look feminine.

Monday, The Brick will continue their interview with Julie Iking about one of her specialisations. As one of the few specialists in Belgium, Julie graduated from several courses and training programs that specialise pre- and post-natal exercise.

Interested in a personal trainer to help you reach the next level? You may contact Julie by sending an email to julie.iking@outlook.com.