It is a well-known fact that the trainers and instructors at a gym can truly make or break your workout experience. At Next Gen, set programs are rarely used, leaving the direction and particular exercises undertaken that day flexible and entirely up to each individual instructor. This essentially means that no two workouts are the same, and you can really build a personal bond with your instructor!
This week at Next Gen, we had the pleasure of training with three inspiring instructors, taking the time after class to sit down with each of them and ask just a few questions in the hopes of getting to know them a little better.
Miguel Antunes
How long have you been at Next Gen?
About nine months now.
What’s your favourite class to teach?
Probably the Plyometrics HIIT class because it’s full of lots of exercises that I like doing myself; there’s lots of powerful and explosive movements.
How did you get into fitness and PT?
I’d always been a sporty person, I’ve played tennis all my life and dabbled in loads of other sports. I’d also been going to the gym for a long time and training always interested me, so I decided to follow that path.
Do you still play tennis?
I still play regularly and I also coach tennis, which is my other job outside of Next Gen.
If you could create a dream class for Next Gen, what would it be?
I think a tennis-related class, full of explosive movements. Similar to the Plyometrics class, but more tennis-specific.
Group classes at Next Gen are taken by a range of passionate and knowledgeable trainers
Mitzi Date
How long have you been with Next Gen?
Fifteen years! I came here when it had just opened.
How did you get into working with Next Gen?
Back in New Zealand I was a school teacher for junior primary, so I’ve always been teaching. When I moved to Australia, I knew the group fitness manager at Next Gen and I was looking to start teaching at a gym. I gave her a call, got a job and I’ve been here ever since.
What classes do you teach at the moment?
I do the ‘Aqua’ classes, Aqua Cardio and Aqua Sculpt, Step Combo and NXG Strength Combo currently. I used to teach the Fitball classes which were taken off the timetable, but fingers crossed they make a comeback soon!
What demographic of people to you teach in the Aqua classes?
There’s a broad range of people: everyone from the elderly, to people in their forties, to pregnant ladies. People tend to think it’s a bit of an easy, mature-aged class, but I teach it as I would teach any other class. If you’re going to come, you’re going to work. I’m not great with ‘fluffers’ and talkers, you get in and you work hard, which often only caters to a certain group of people. There’s other instructors here who will allow a bit more socialising in their classes though.
What’s your ideal workout?
I really love all my classes. I used to get in the water a lot in the ‘Aqua’ ones, but I found I was getting too many new people who weren’t doing the routines properly. I put a lot of focus on getting the techniques right. I’m a Step Combo junkie too, I love my Step classes.
What do you love most about Next Gen?
I’ve been here for so many years, I know so many people and I’m honestly invested in this gym. It’s my home away from home, I know how everything works. I come in here and I see all my friends, I teach my classes and I love it.
Mitzi and Kristen after NXG Strength Combo
Michael McBryde
How long have you been with Next Gen?
I’ve been here for six months.
Where were you working before Next Gen?
I was an electrical apprentice before this, but I was always more interested in health and fitness. I’d been teaching people to surf for years and years, so I decided to pursue that instead. I also began doing my own PT stuff, as well as continuing to skateboard and surf in my spare time which I’ve been doing since I was ten years old.
What classes do you teach here?
So far I only take the ‘HIIT’ classes, but hopefully in future once I’m further into my training I might be able to take more classes.
What is your favourite workout?
With one of my Next Gen clients we do two training sessions a week with heavy deadlifts, power lifts, bench and lots of focus on the triceps and biceps which I really enjoy personally.
What do you love most about Next Gen?
Mainly the fact that all our facilities are open to everybody. We have loads of rehabilitation stuff, all genders and demographics come here, there are opportunities for people here who are personal trainers or looking to become personal trainers and get as much exposure as possible. Everyone here is really friendly too.
What are your future goals?
I definitely want to focus on my own training, but for the mean time I just want to enjoy my time at Next Gen as much as possible.
If you want to try out Next Gen and train with some of these fantastic instructors, follow through to the link here to find out more.
