I remember signing up with a personal trainer shortly after the birth of my first daughter, in a bid to get myself back in shape. I looked at the picture she had posted on her website. She, like me, was also a mother of one, but there was where the similarities ended. A former triathlete, she had rock-hard abs – which I myself, was sadly lacking. This was the reason I decided to train with her. I thought to myself, if she can do it, so can I. So, with that steely determination, I booked a course with her.

At around that time, having left the classroom for a better work-life balance as a mother, tutoring was my only source of income. During one of my training sessions, I remarked to my trainer that one of my students expected to get a grade 5 in English, but was not doing any of their homework, or putting any extra effort into their studies, apart from their lessons with me. To which my trainer replied, “Do you do any additional training outside of your sessions with me?” Now that was a question and a half! The answer was of course no, and I was ashamed to admit it. With looking after the baby and trying to get enough sleep, I figured that dragging myself to my trainer once a week would be enough to get me some results. After all, it was better than doing nothing, right? Wrong. “To get optimal results,” she continued, “you need to train three to four times a week, outside of our sessions.” Oh… my eyebrows began to raise. “Think about it,” she clarified, “just one session with me a week won’t be enough to give you the transformation that you want, within the timeframe that you want it.” Bingo! Now she had hit the nail on the head. I wanted abs, and I wanted them now, darn it! I would do whatever it took.

I therefore took my trainer’s advice, and began to train three to four times a week, as well as with her; eating meals that were high in protein and low in sugar. I did strength training with weights – which I really loved – as well as cardio. And slowly, but surely, the results began to take shape. I was losing fat, I was gaining muscle, my abs were starting to peek through. She would measure my fat and muscle mass each month and the results were staggering and exhilarating. In fact, she began to tell me off for taking the diet and training a little too seriously. I was becoming underweight. “Be careful,” she warned me, “don’t lose too much weight. You are petite, so a different build to me. If I was as low as your body fat, my abs would be popping right now – but yours are only just beginning to show. Take it easy, try to put some weight on.” And so, I did. My abs were never as defined as my trainer’s; we were a different build – and that’s another thing to bear in mind with tuition, results may vary. All in all, I achieved results that exceeded my expectations. My abs were in better shape than they were even before I had kids. But then, approximately five years later, I went and got pregnant again and undid all my hard work. Now with two children, and much less energy than before, I found it difficult to find the time, yet alone the motivation to work out. I didn’t seek my trainer out again, as now, with two children in tow, I really couldn’t afford her. I’m still waiting to see my abs to this day!

Why the long story? You ask. The answer is this: with tuition, as with anything in life, you get out what you put in. I am astounded by how many students I teach and tutor (I’m now back in the classroom – another excuse not to exercise!) who magically expect to pass their English exams whilst putting in very little effort. If you try your best with anything in life, you will be rewarded. Relying on just your lessons or tuition sessions with me as the be all and end all to pass your exams, is a grave mistake to make. One that might leave you sorely disappointed come results day. All of my best students gave it their all, and then some. Some even improving their grades from a 3 to a 7. I pride myself on giving students homework every lesson, and the reason for this, is that the lessons are not enough. Even outside of the homework that I have set my students, they should be doing some reading and extra revision, just to be on top of their game. Why not try your best? You only have one shot at this. Unless you want to put yourself through endless resits, which I’m sure you don’t (no sane person would).