Andy Hood PT

16/10/2026

What does a personal trainer actually do?

Stand next to you, count your reps and tell you to do another 10? 😂

Well, there's a little bit more to it than that! For me, personal training isn't just about what happens during the time we spend together in the gym.

It's about helping you:

✅ Build confidence using gym equipment and performing exercises correctly.

✅ Follow a training plan that's personalised to your goals, abilities and lifestyle.

✅ Understand nutrition and make changes you can maintain.

✅ Become stronger, fitter and healthier over time.

✅ Stay accountable with regular check-ins and ongoing support.

✅ Adapt your plan when life inevitably gets in the way.

And perhaps most importantly, it's about giving you the knowledge and confidence to eventually train independently.

Some of my clients start with 1-to-1 coaching before moving to online coaching, where they can train at times that suit them while keeping the guidance, accountability and support.

Others simply enjoy having someone alongside them during their workouts.

There's no one-size-fits-all approach.

My job isn't just to help you achieve results. It's to help you understand how to maintain them.

If you'd like to know more about my in-person or online coaching, drop me a message.

14/10/2026

You don't need to be confident to walk into a gym.

One of the things that comes up regularly when I speak to new clients is how nervous they feel about going to the gym. The things I hear most often are:

👉Not knowing which exercises to do.
👉Feeling uncomfortable using the equipment.
👉Worrying about what other people might think.
👉Or simply feeling like they don't belong there.

And I completely understand why that can feel intimidating.

But some of the people I coach who were most nervous when they started are now walking into the gym confidently, following their own workouts and genuinely enjoying exercise.

In fact, one of my clients recently told me:

"Not in a million years did I think I'd be able to walk into a gym on my own and feel confident enough to workout around other people." Selina M

That's the kind of progress I love seeing.

You don't need to know what you're doing before you start working with a PT. You don't need to be fit and you certainly don't need to feel confident.

That's what I'm here to help you with.

If you've been thinking about starting at the gym but feel nervous about taking that first step, drop me a message. I'd be happy to have a chat.

📍 Personal training at Dunston Activity Centre.

12/10/2026

I recently asked my clients for some feedback about their coaching experience.

And one thing that really stood out was what they valued most.

Of course, people come to me wanting to lose weight, get stronger, change their body shape or improve their fitness. But when I asked what had helped them most, the answers went a lot deeper than the workouts themselves.

**Accountability** — having someone to check in with and keep them on track.

**Confidence** — going from feeling nervous in the gym to knowing exactly what they're doing.

**Support** — knowing they can ask questions, get advice and have someone in their corner.

**Knowledge** — understanding how to train, make better food choices and build healthier habits.

For me, that's what coaching should be about. Yes, I want my clients to achieve their physical goals.

But I also want them to enjoy exercise, feel confident in themselves and understand how to maintain their progress long term.

A workout plan is only one part of the service. The support, education and accountability are what bring it all together.

If you'd like to find out more about my in-person or online coaching, drop me a message.

09/10/2026

Every single one of my clients has had a bad day at some point in their journey. I've seen this mentioned plenty of times during check ins or messages.

It might be that they've:

🍔Had a takeaway.
🏋️‍♂️Missed a workout.
🥴Eaten more than they planned.
😤Had a weekend where things didn't go to plan.

And that's completely normal because nobody is perfect.

The people who make lasting progress aren't the people who never have a bad day. They're the people who learn not to dwell on it.

They don't think:

“I've messed up, so I might as well give up.”

They don't try to punish themselves the next day or wait until Monday to start again. They simply get back to their normal routine. It took me years to learn this myself but it is genuinely life changing.

Because if you're consistent most of the time, the odd bad day isn't going to have a meaningful impact on your long-term results.

It's when one bad meal becomes a bad day, which becomes a bad week, which becomes “I'll start again Monday”, that things start to snowball.

If you have a bad day, accept it and move on. Get straight back to your routine and all will be well.

That's what sustainable progress actually looks like.

Save this for the next time you have a bad day and feel like you've ruined your progress.

07/10/2026

HOW MUCH WEIGHT SHOULD YOU AIM TO LOSE EACH WEEK?

This is something I get asked a lot.

And while there are general guidelines around what might be considered a reasonable rate of weight loss, I don't think there is one magic number that everyone should be aiming for.

Because how quickly you lose the weight isn't the only thing that matters. What matters far more is how you're losing it.

If you lose weight by drastically restricting your food, cutting out all the foods you enjoy and exercising for hours every week, you might see the scales drop quickly.

But what happens when you can't keep doing that? If the plan isn't realistic for your lifestyle, eventually you're likely to struggle to maintain it, and that's when old habits can creep back in.

You don't want your weight loss phase to simply get you to your goal weight. It should teach you how to maintain that weight once you get there.

That means:

✅ Creating habits you can actually stick to
✅ Learning how to eat in a way that works for your lifestyle
✅ Getting stronger and becoming more active
✅ Still being able to enjoy meals out, weekends and holidays
✅ Making small improvements that you can maintain long-term

Some weeks you'll lose more, some weeks you'll lose less and some weeks the scales might barely move at all - that's normal.

It's not about losing weight as quickly as possible.

It's about making progress at a rate that allows you to build the habits and lifestyle that will help you keep the weight off afterwards.

If you're tired of losing weight only to put it back on again, send me a message. Sustainable fat loss is exactly what I help my clients with.

05/10/2026

There are hundreds of different diets, training programmes and weight-loss hacks competing for your attention.

But the fundamentals haven't changed:

👉You need a calorie deficit to lose body fat.
👉You need enough protein and resistance training if you want to maintain as much muscle mass as possible.
👉Being active helps.
👉And most importantly, you need to be able to do it consistently.

The “best” plan isn't necessarily the one promising the fastest results.

It's the one you can realistically stick to long enough to get the results and continue the habits afterwards.

Save this for the next time you're tempted by the latest weight-loss hack.

02/10/2026

What does sustainable weight loss look like?

For me, it looks something like this:
🍛 Eating the same foods 6 days a week because it's quick and requires less planning and cooking time. Working 2 jobs, this works for me.
🏋 5 short workouts per week - 5 or 6 exercises per workout. I prefer short workouts as they are easier to fit into my schedule. I'm not chasing perfection, I want something I can stick to most weeks of the year.
💧 2L of water per day as a minimum - usually around 3L. Dehydration can often be mistaken for hunger.
🚶 8k steps per day. I sit at a desk for most of the day so this is a realistic target for me. I often get more on a weekend but it's not about what you can manage here and there. What you can realistically manage most days is more important.
🍗Eating mostly nutritious foods. I get fewer cravings this way and feel full after my meals. I don't eat perfectly - my wife makes unreal cookies and it would be rude not to test them for her wouldn't it 🤣
🌮 Occasional meals out. If your plan can't allow for life to be enjoyed then it's not sustainable long term.
⚖ I don't stress about scale weight. Photos, measurements, how my clothes fit and how I'm feeling are all indicators of progress. I use the scale to monitor long term trends and don't care about daily fluctuations.
😤 I accept that some days will be tough. Occasionally you will have a workout where everything feels really heavy or a day where you just really can't be bothered. One day will not determine your progress but repeating simple habits for months will.

All of my clients plans look a little different to this. Every plan is built and tailored over time to be sustainable for the individual. Some clients workout twice a week and some do more. Some clients meal prep like me and others cook different meals every day. Some do 6k steps and some do 15k.

There is no one size fits all approach. Which habits have made the biggest difference for you in your weight loss journey?

30/09/2026

In this line of work, I get to meet some amazing people. Sue is definitely one of them!

When we first met, Sue was in a bit of a rut. She wanted to improve her mental wellbeing, improve her eating habits and change her body shape.

So we got to work on a plan that fitted around her lifestyle - and Sue has absolutely smashed it. 💪

We've now been working together for 26 weeks, and Sue has been in maintenance for the last few weeks.

Since starting, Sue has:

🏋️ Lost 15kg (33lbs / 2st 5lbs)
📏 Lost 6 inches from her waist
📏 Lost 6 inches from her hips
📏 Lost 6 inches from her abdomen
📏 Lost 5 inches from her chest/back
📏 Lost 4.5 inches from each thigh

And she's also seen significant changes across the rest of her measurements, while her strength has improved massively and continues to grow week after week.

But there's something else about Sue's progress that means even more to me.

Sue is enjoying semi-retirement and has had a couple of holidays during these 26 weeks.

She hasn't had to put her life on hold to make progress.

And recently, she said something that genuinely made me smile:

“I actually admitted to myself that I felt happy for the first time in ages.”

For me, that's the real win.

The fat loss, strength gains and changes in her body are fantastic.

But helping someone feel happier, more confident and more in control of their lifestyle is why I love doing this.

Sue started with me doing in-person coaching and has since moved over to online coaching. She's been an absolute pleasure to work with.

She gives every session her all, checks in every week, puts the work in - and now she genuinely loves going to the gym.

Sue, you've done brilliantly. Keep up the great work! 👏

28/09/2026

I HAVE PERSONAL TRAINING SPACES AVAILABLE NOW IN DUNSTON

If you've been thinking about getting started with your fitness but keep putting it off, this could be your opportunity.

I currently have evening 1-2-1 PT spaces available at Dunston Activity Centre.

My coaching isn't about punishing yourself in the gym or following a ridiculous diet.

It's about helping you:

• Lose weight sustainably
• Get stronger and fitter
• Build confidence in the gym
• Improve your nutrition
• Build habits you can actually maintain

Everything is tailored around you, your goals and your lifestyle.

If you're local to Dunston/Gateshead and you've been meaning to get started, send me a message with the word “PT” and we can have a quick chat either in person at the activity centre or over the phone.

27/09/2026

My wife is just getting started with her home baking company - give her a follow, she appreciates all the support she can get. She'll be launching products in the coming weeks 🍪

✨ So, who’s behind Hoods Home Bakes? ✨

Hi, I’m Sam! 👋🏼 I’m a mam of three little whirlwinds, and the face behind Hoods Home Bakes. 🤎

I’ve always loved baking, but life gets busy (especially with three little ones! 😂), and somewhere along the way it became something I didn’t get to do quite as much as I’d have liked. Then, during my maternity leave, I found my way back into the kitchen and started baking properly again. 🍪🧁

What started as something I enjoyed doing in my spare time quickly reminded me just how much I LOVE it. From trying out new flavours to perfecting recipes — and obviously having an excuse to eat lots of sweet treats along the way! 😂 I’ve always had a terrible sweet tooth, so creating delicious cookies and biscuits was probably always going to be right up my street. 🤣🍪

And now, what started as a hobby has turned into this little business — something I’m incredibly excited to grow and share with you all. Everything is baked from my home kitchen, with lots of love, plenty of taste testing and probably a little bit too much chocolate. 🤎😂

I’m so excited for you to follow along on this journey, and hopefully I can become your go-to place for a little treat, a special gift or something yummy to celebrate. 🎀

Thank you for being here and supporting my little dream — it genuinely means so much. 🥹🤎

Now I want to know… what’s your favourite sweet treat? 👇🏼🍪