TGt Meets... Anna Greco

We caught up with Anna Greco, Founder of Coach Greco and an experienced strength and conditioning coach who covers the Wiltshire, Gloucester and Somerset areas. We talked sports, motivation, and how to achieve top results in fitness!

How did you turn your passion for fitness into a career?
For me it was my passion for sports that has driven me to where I am today. I always needed to have a purpose for what I was doing in the gym and that has been so much more rewarding than just training. I love seeing all the hard work I was putting in translate into the sport I was doing. I started my journey as a personal trainer over ten years ago now, but I soon turned my attention to becoming a strength and conditioning coach and now my passion is with sports performance training. I made sure I studied at the best place I could at 'Team Bath' with the most amazing coaches and that has given me the solid foundations I have today. I am now proudly a UKSCA accredited strength and conditioning coach.

How do you stay fit and healthy?
I practice what I preach, I participate in multiple sports such as downhill mountain biking, indoor climbing and, depending on the season, sports such as wakeboarding and snowboarding. I also train in the gym five times a week and I make sure I balance my workouts out. I’m a big advocate of weight training, being strong and fit is really important to me. However, the most important thing I do is listen to my body when it wants to rest and refuel.

Do you have a motto or favourite motivational quote?
Not really, but I’ve always stood by my convictions and I stand up for what I believe in. Respect is so important to me. What has always motivated me is standing by my integrity even if has made me unpopular with some individuals, but I would much rather be someone honourable than well liked if it’s something I truly believe in. I’ve also never given up on myself and my sheer determination has got me to where I am today. Believing in yourself and your passion is so important.

What’s your favourite sport or exercise?
That’s really hard for me to answer as I love so many – probably the more extreme side of sports. My first loves were snowboarding and surfing, then I got in to wakeboarding and downhill mountain biking but I recently just got hooked on motocross so we will see if I can fit that one in haha.

What are your tips for people looking to get into shape?
I think getting the best advice you can from the professionals is key and then use that information to do what works for you. When you find something you really enjoy doing your more likely to keep it up. The gym isn’t always the right answer for everyone I think it’s just a very convenient way to get training in but that doesn’t mean it’s the best for every individual. Sports can play such an important part of getting you into shape too.

What are some mistakes people make when training/working towards a weight or fitness goal?
Maybe not getting the right advice for them, and not using what is best for their bodies and just copying what others do. Everything is trial and error at first and in my experience I wish I could say there is an easy way to do it. But with the right help and advice, having a clear plan, set goals and steps on how to get you there everything is achievable.

Are there any exercises you advise against?
Exercises you’re not technically ready for. Some things look very impressive to do, but I believe in building solid foundations before you move into the more technically demanding things. But again this doesn’t mean you won’t be able to do it one day when you’re ready.

What music do you listen to when you work out?
Some would say I have an eclectic taste in music as you’ll find everything from Pop Music to Classical (that comes from my love of ballet). It all depends what mood I’m in when I train.

What foods are always in your fridge?
Eggs, chicken, lots of greens, dairy free yoghurts and avocados are the essentials for me. I’m not the best cook in the world so I’m not adventurous with my food choices. But I do try and get as much variety as possible to get the most amount of nutrients in my diet.

What's the most rewarding part of your job?
Watching kids and young adults get stronger and more confident in sports is so rewarding for me. Also being able to introduce adults into sport and technical lifting who thought they’re too old or unfit and then seeing their progression. I am also really passionate about education, whether it’s other personal trainers upskilling themselves or just anyone wanting to understand the science behind what they are doing. That’s why I devised the workshops I run, I wanted a way to make it accessible and affordable to everyone. The greatest thing for me about being a coach is helping someone achieve what they thought was just not possible and exceeding all of their expectations!

To find out more about Coach Greco and how Anna can help transform your training and fitness, just click here.