A little about me..
Leonie West
Pro Athlete, Potential Coach.. Gym Dork
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UNLIKE MOST PEOPLE IN THE FITNESS INDUSTRY, I DIDN'T SPRINT OUT OF THE WOMB ALREADY IN A PAIR OF NIKE AIR MAX...
I wasn't crazy about sports as a child. I didn't always know I was destined to work in fitness. And I definitely didn't dream of lighting up a stage in a sparkly bikini.
Nope. I was bit of a geek, obsessed with books and ridiculously shy, and although fond of climbing trees - that's where my athletic ambition ended.
I came last in every cross country run, cried at every school sports day - hell I didn't even join the gym until my early 30's.
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It took years of anxiety and depression, body issues, and then finally 2 career burnouts before I turned to fitness to try and plug this gaping hole in my life - rowing, kayaking, running, although nothing really stuck.​
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It wasn't until my early 30's that I picked up a copy of "Men's health magazine" by accident and began playing around with the deadlift.. first in my kitchen with a broom (I kid you not), then at the gym.. and very very soon. I fell in love.
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Fast forward, and I am now qualified as a personal trainer & powerlifting coach, breathwork coach, and hypnotherapist.
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And I spend my days immersed in coaching in all fields of bodybuilding - Bikini Posing coaching and presentation, contest preparation, lifestyle coaching as well as confidence, mindset and hypnotherapy based Bodybuilding Potential Coaching. I also find time to be a bikini athlete myself on the international stage..
..and I feel like I've only just begun.
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Weightlifting, bodybuilding and competing has brought so much to my life. A new body, a new passion, new goals and hopes and dreams, and a new tribe of inspiring, driven, strong people to connect with...
But most of all, it's brought me a confidence, and peace with myself that I never thought I'd have.
I truly believe this industry and lifestyle isn't just a young persons game. You can fall head over heels in love with it at any age - and that we ALL have an inner athlete inside us.
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I'm passionate about helping both men and women tap deep into their own athletic and human potential through my hypnotherapy and breathwork..
But most of all I am passionate about getting women lifting, about inspiring and helping strong women to find their best self, achieve their goals and find the same inner confidence and fulfilment I have. About dispelling the myths that lifting makes you bulky, about challenging society on how women should be seen.
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Let me tell you, strong is the new sexy, it's the new black. You already own your best accessory. You have all your life.. it's time now, to shine​
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Coaching Experience & Qualifications
2018 - Today
Competition Posing & Presentation Coaching
Posing is one of my greatest passions, and there is nothing I love more than seeing my ladies flow on stage.
I've been posing ladies across all federations since 2018. I now focus solely on NPC style posing, but can put athletes in touch with some exceptional posing coaches for other federations.
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I offer 1:1 in person posing sessions in Croydon, and can travel for posing workshops. I also offer skype sessions for those further afield, as well as international clients - I regularly pose clients in the Philippines, US & India.
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2023 will see the launch of "The Posing Room", our online, on-demand posing membership site. Watch this space!
2020 - Today
Hypnotherapy & Rapid Transformations
Hypnotherapy is not something your average bodybuilding/posing coach has on their resume.. but is a powerful tool that I use for various areas of my coaching and also offer as a stand-alone-service.
Having suffered with anxiety all my life that translated awfully into confidence issues and stage phobia, I took myself off to a hypnotherapist back in 2017 in preparation for my Vegas NPC debut, and found it so helpful, it was always something I wanted to explore more, so in 2020 during lockdown I decided to gain my hypnotherapy qualification - to offer alongside my posing coaching.
However it soon became apparent to me the far reaching applications of this for bodybuilding as a whole - not only as tool for unlocking potential by letting go of limiting beliefs and "re-programming" for success. But also as a holistic aid to athletes.. anxiety, phobias, sleep disorders to name a few can eventually be overcome and enable to athlete to function to their full potential.
2020 - Today
Breathwork Coaching
Another very simple and effective tool for the athlete and lifestyle client alike is breathwork.
Practicing various techniques at different paces can have profound effects on the mind and body, it can change the PH of the blood, relieve stress and anxiety, promote sleep, improve digestion - just to name a few.
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This is something I try to work in with my coaching clients. But there are also applications for my advanced posing coaching clients.
2019 - Today
Competition Prep Coaching & Lifestyle Coaching
I've been coaching ladies for the stage, and lifestyle clients for 3 years now, and at time of writing we have had 24 placings ( of these 12 x 1st places & 2 IFBB Pro Cards) out of 26 category entries.
I only coach women here, and I only take on a small amount of clients at any time, that are committed to longer term goals, to enable me to offer the best service possible and give my clients both the best experience, and tools that will last them beyond their coaching with me.
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I'm also able to cater for international clients, having coached ladies in Sweden, Saudi and California.
2016
Level 3&4 Personal Trainer
Level 1 S&C Coach
Level 1 Powerlifting Coach
I am backed with industry qualifications for my coaching in the fields of Personal Training & Nutrition, Strength and Conditioning & Powerlifting.
I do not currently offer 1:1 Personal training sessions, but do offer workshops to my coaching team and can also be arranged if requested for specialist sessions or seminars.