Hamson Strength
Leicester, City of Leicester, Leicestershire
(20)
Leicester, City of Leicester, Leicestershire
(20)
John has been a personal trainer for over six years, and has over twelve years of powerlifting experience, starting at the age of thirteen.
He has tried and tested countless training methods, perfecting what works best for his own training and what works for his clients, with a focus on their specific training goals.
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20 customer reviews
Jesal Karavadra Muru
It's been a few years since I've started my training with John. I can say with full confidence that the lessons learned have not only been limited to the gym, but has also impacted other areas of my life. With his guidance I have learnt the importance of patience, hard work and dedication. I have with the help of John, made the gym apart of my daily life, and through his knowledge of having a well structured training plan, as well understanding the importance of a well balance diet, have noticed a significant change not only physically, but also mentally. I would recommend John to anyone who is looking to better themselves not only in terms of fitness and health, but to grow as a person! More...
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Wilbur Carruthers
Only just started training with John, but have seen him train other people at The Gym for a few years and always liked how he seemed to focus and pay attention to every thing that his client was doing.
Now that he is training me I can say for certain that he does indeed concentrate and focus on what I am doing and will go over and over a lift, or a movement until you have got it right. In my opinion there is no point in training if you dont have the correct posture and fluidity when lifting weights, or using the machines, and John gets this done straight away, so that when I am training on my own I feel comfortable doing the training plan he gives.
I have also received help and advice on diet, nutrition, and out of hours advice if needed. Im looking forwad to achieving my goals with John, and all future sessions. If this is only the beginning i know in in good hands.
Id 100% recommend John if you want to either get on the way to achieving your goals, maintain your goals, or smash your goals.
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Asma 'Az' Aziz
I would say my training has been serious and consistent for about 2 years however, around September 2015 I hit a plateau. Although I still enjoyed going to the gym regularly, for some reason, my progress felt like it came to a halt
. I contacted John as I felt he had the skills and expertise to help me over come that platue and also get strong. It's been about 5 months now that i've been training with John and the results I've already achieved have been fantastic.
John is an excellent trainer. He is the perfect combination of tough and warm. He works with the whole person and beacuse of his efforts I am stronger. John knows how and when to encourage and when to push you. There have been times with his efforts I have pushed through those last few reps that otherwise I may have surrendered to.
John has been open to my input and suggestions, but he has also steered me in a way that I have achieved more than I thought was possible.The training programme John deviced have been challenging yet achievable. What I really appreciate about John is the high value on correct form with each exercise. Also
John has been more than happy to help me with tips and advice about training and nutrition outside the PT session.
Whatever your goals are John will listen and identify how to help you reach them. I recommend him without reservation.
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Hollie Gardner
I have been training with John for almost 6 months now including preparing for my first powerlifting competition, with his programming and coaching have increased in strength in all my lifts, and felt really prepared going into my first competition.
John has got a great amount of knowledge and really helps with motivation, would recommend him to anyone wanting to get started with strength training or powerlifting!
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Ian Ryan
I have been training with John for almost a year. I started equipped powerlifting in the IPF last year. His knowledge and experience has been invaluable helping me achieve my goals at both national and international level.
John is a great coach and communicator. He has help me develop all my lifts in both raw and equipped as well as expanding my knowledge about training and nutrition generally.
His programming knowledge is excellent and tailored to the individuals needs. I am really pleased with my progress and look forward to working with John to achieve even more in the future.
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Christopher Pepler
Trained with John for over half a year with the aim to get back into playing rugby after a slipped disc injury. John was able to mix strength training and cardio which not only enabled me to lift more weight than i ever did before, last on the pitch for 80 minutes but the reduced waist size looks good too! Relaxed but knowledgeable style made it easy and interesting to train. Would recommend John to anyone wishing to either improve their power lifting performance technique or just shifting that stubborn body fat. More...
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Alicia Diment
I started training with John at the end of May- he's really friendly, professional and explains things really well without being patronizing.
The training plans he made for me were easy to understand and if I had any queries they were answered promptly. I always looked forward to and enjoyed my PT sessions. Obviously you also have to stick to the plans he gives you and work hard in your own sessions in the gym and with your diet.
John showed me how to do low bar squats and sumo deadlifts which I actually prefer to conventional/high bar now.
My lifts increased as follows over the three months I trained with him:
Deadlift:
May - 80kgsx1 -> August 90kgsx2
Squat:
May - 67.5(ish)x2 -> August 80kgsx3
Bench:
May - 30(ish)x2 -> August 37.5kgx1
Body fat:
22% May -> 17% August
The most important thing was learning good form and having an expert who can correct and advise me depending on my body structure. No more rounded backs and squatting above parallel! The sessions aren't cheap but you're paying for experience and expertise which are priceless in my opinion.
I'm not currently training with John because I'm a student but I'd definitely recommend him to anyone who is serious about their fitness/strength goals and I'll be getting more sessions in the future.
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Rosie Sandi
I trained with John for 9 months and I will say it was probably the toughest but most rewarding 9 months ever. During the 9 months I learnt a lot about using proper form when performing exercises and also the importance of nutrition when trying to loose weight, which I had underestimated in previous years.
I was pushed to my limit. even though I'm not where I want to be, I'm extremely happy with how far I've come and the amount of knowledge I've gained along the way. John was also very accommodating and made sure the training plans were made to suit my specific goal and body type. The plans always challenged me and kept me engaged as I tend to get bored very easily.
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Bilal Manzoor
I was recommended by a fair few people at The Gym about John Hamson.
I’ve had 12 training sessions with John and I can say that he is worthy of his reputation.
His knowledge, experience and training methods allow him to tailor your individual needs and he’s helped me to increase my ability to lift heavier whilst maintaining correct form.
My overall strength and performance has increased and this was purely down to listening and implementing John’s training and nutritional advice.
John is humble and has so much knowledge about his profession, definitely worth the recommendation. Glad I listened and used him as my P.T, can’t wait to work with him again.
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Isabella Strachan
Trained with John for 4 weeks and learned so much in such a short space of time. He's very attentive and takes time out of his own schedule to help you if you need it. Would recommend him to anyone interested in powerlifting and strength training. More...
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Tom Leonard
I was training with John for quite a while, always found him knowledgeable in both workouts and food, great encouragement and motivation, highly recommend �
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Tori Fenning
Really great trainer, John taught me so many things that have helped me completely change my lifestyle for the better, very happy and satisfied with all of my sessions, amazing PT!!
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Simon Smyth
In as little as 3 months I’m a more confident powerlifter and hit a 14kg pb in my last comp.
John is a supportive and knowledgeable coach and responds to any questions you have at any time of the day.
If your serious about getting strong and making improvements in powerlifting get with John.
You will be seeing pb’s in no time at all!
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Jessica Mills
John started coaching me before my last powerlifitng competition in November. During that time not only did my form on all of my lifts drastically improve but he helped me break past barriers I had experienced for years. I added 15kg to my Squat, 7.5kg to my Bench press & 25kg to my Deadlift in only 8 weeks. He is extremely knowledgeable, professional & dedicated to his clients. I would highly recommend John to anyone looking for a PT/Coach, from beginners looking to get stronger or fitter to more experienced lifters wanting to push themselves to the next level. More...
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Holly HenchLegs Bryans
I have been training with John for about 4 months now and have improved a lot in that short space of time. He has improved all three of my lifts by a lot after being stuck for ages, helped with my nutrition and have learnt a lot from him.
He is full of knowledge and is always there to answer any questions.
I have loved working with him and I trust him fully with everything. I can’t wait to see what progress I can make with him in the future.
Would recommend to anyone!
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Ruby Hryniszak
John's an excellent coach with incredible amounts of knowledge who's always friendly and supportive. I completely trust him as my coach and I wouldn't want to train with anyone else. I've made great, consistent progress in all my lifts and had a good first powerlifting comp with thanks to John and his individually tailored programming (which is also excellent and always fun to follow). I'm pretty sure he knows my limits better than I do by now! I can't recommend him highly enough as I would never have gotten this far without him. :) More...
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Elli Leahy
I've been working with john for around 12 weeks in the lead up to my first powerlifting competition. He knows his stuff, he's improved my squat massively, and also helped with my deadlift and bench, gaining personal bests and completing all lifts on the day. Hes got a calm but motivational training style and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him! More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Robin French
John trained me for around 5 months and he's an excellent PT. I was a complete novice when I started, and he was able to teach me the main lifts in a way let me feel confident that I knew what I was doing. He also taught the accessory lifts very well, in a way that makes me understand what sort of training works well for me. He has a good attitude and is great at pushing you to your limits and helping you understand how to train intelligently for your goals. Would definitely train with him again! More...
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Marianne Gannon
I was pretty much a beginner to lifting but after a couple of months training with John my confidence and technique improved a lot! He is so patient and wants you to get the best out of the sessions. I would recommend John to anyone, he is very knowledgable, explains everything clearly, shows the best way to do new lifts and is brilliant at correcting bad form! More...
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Martin Švercl
Once you become more intermediate/advanced lifter, it gets harder and harder to progress in your lifts, thus making it quite difficult to coach yourself.
Even if you know what you should do in order to progress, it is always good to have someone else looking after you from a different point of view. At the end of last year, I found myself in a situation without a coach and with an important international meet coming up in 6 months. I have decided to take this prep seriously and try to make as much progress as possible while balancing my life between university, work, family, powerlifting and other hobbies. I have decided to hire a coach and John was my first option.
Me and John first met in September 2017 during my exchange studies in UK. He came across as very experienced and knowledgeable lifter, ready to switch on when needed, while being very calm and friendly most of the time. I think I can say that we became friends very quickly. I was trying to get as much information about his approach to powerlifting as possible, in order to find out whether I would like to hire him as an online coach once I leave UK. By the time I was leaving UK, I was decided.
We have started working together in December 2017. We had a long time to prepare me for my first big international competition, IPF World University Championship. We have figured out my weaknesses and methods that would work for me, and we have adjusted the training accordingly. John was treating me exactly the right way I needed, he was responding quickly to my questions and messages. We were keeping in touch via regular messages, my training log and videos I was sending him/posting on Instagram, via my weekly video recaps I was posting on YouTube and via phone calls when needed.
The thing I appreciate the most about John is that he takes care about my life circumstances, sudden problems, obstacles and my reactions and adjusts the training accordingly when needed. I am not paying for a program, I am paying for coach.
My competition was a success for me. I took 11th place in stacked competition, went 9 for 9, hit all time PBs on all lifts and a massive PB total (47,5 kg). I am grateful to have John in my corner and I am excited to see what next months and years shall bring. All the way, John!
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