Janet's joining KICApp as our newest strength trainer. She's based on the Sunshine Coast and trains most days, and she believes you're capable of much more than you think. Here's how she found strength, and why she stopped chasing being 'smaller'.
Janet's path to strength will sound familiar to a lot of our community. She started training at 16 to be thin and lean. A few years ago she began training for strength and for how it made her feel, and that shift is why she became a coach.
Today she's been a personal trainer for about three years. She runs, hikes, cycles, swims and does conditioning, and she recently trained for Hyrox Sydney. Strength is the thing she always comes back to.
We sat down with Janet to talk about training, coaching and the found family that keeps her going.
How did you get into fitness?
I was always active. I did gymnastics and judo as a kid, and I got my first gym membership at 16. Even outside of coaching, my fun is still movement. Catch-ups with friends are runs. I'm an early riser and I train in the mornings. I love running, hiking, cycling, swimming and trying new things. If someone asks what kind of training I do, I do it all.
What brought you to Australia, and what has kept you here?
I grew up in Germany with a strict upbringing, where it felt like life had to follow one set path. I needed some distance and room to work out who I was. I moved here on my own about seven years ago and travelled for a year. I fell for the country and how friendly the people are. Then I met my partner about six years ago and stayed.
I've built my home, my community and my closest friendships here in Maroochydore. It's my found family. I feel more at home here than I ever did growing up.
What does a normal training week look like for you?
Roughly two upper-body sessions, two lower-body, two conditioning and two to three runs. I do conditioning at Revel with my friends. I change the split around competitions. While I was training for Hyrox Sydney, I pulled back my strength volume. It's a lot, and I'm still learning to protect my rest.
What do you love most about training?
Strength, without hesitation. I'm a strength girl. I love feeling strong. What I love most is progression: lifting a little heavier than two weeks ago and hitting new PBs. Any change in how I look is a byproduct, not the point.
Running has become a big second love. But if I had to pick one thing in the world, it would still be strength.
How did your own relationship with training change?
When I trained purely for aesthetics, it left me isolated and in my head about food. Once I started training for strength and performance, I became much more community-based. I joined a performance gym and activity clubs, and my social life grew from there. That change is exactly why I became a coach.
Who do you coach, and what do they come to you for?
All kinds of people, younger and older. A lot of them arrive with aesthetic goals. I start there, but I work to shift them towards strength, functional movement and longevity.
How do you build a program?
Consistency and sustainability come first. I start new clients at two to three days a week rather than five, because going too hard too soon doesn't last. Two days means two full-body sessions. Three days means one full-body session, one lower and one upper.
I put compound movements first, then unilateral and accessory work. I lean on functional movements, the ones you use in your daily life, across push, pull and rotation. When a client is ready and their goals call for it, I add explosive movements like push presses, dumbbell cleans or a single-arm landmine press. I bring in complexity gradually: easier variations first, then progress once the movement is solid.
How do you coach the mental side?
By celebrating small wins. Adding a 2.5kg plate. A first proper squat to depth. Seeing a 5k run as a real achievement rather than just a run. A mindset shift takes weeks and months, so patience is the job.
Where do you think aesthetic goals come from?
Social media, comparison, and algorithms that keep showing a narrow standard until it looks universal. Only a tiny share of people naturally fit the image being sold. Reaching that goal often doesn't make people happy. You reached that goal, but are you happy?
How do joy and gratitude show up in your coaching?
Gratitude for being able to move at all. One client of mine was born without full use of her hands. With a strap and a hooked wrist attachment, she's close to her first pull-up after 18 months of work. I see obstacles as hurdles, not restrictions, and I keep clients focused on what they can change.
If there's one thing I want people to know, it's this: you are capable of so much more than you think.
