My name is Steph, and I’m a Personal Trainer and Online Coach with a passion for helping people become stronger, healthier and more confident - without expecting perfection along the way.
My own journey into the fitness industry began after some significant life changes in 2018 prompted me to pursue something I genuinely loved. I qualified first as a Gym Instructor and then used the 2020 lockdown as an opportunity to complete my Level 3 Personal Training qualification. Since then, my knowledge, experience and coaching have continued to evolve considerably.
Today, my approach goes far beyond simply writing workouts. I have undertaken further specialist education in supporting people living with obesity and type 2 diabetes, and I have a particular interest in women's health, perimenopause and menopause. I am also continuing to develop my knowledge around exercise and nutrition for people using GLP-1 medications, with a strong emphasis on maintaining muscle, building strength and creating sustainable habits alongside weight loss.
Over the years I have supported clients through an enormous range of circumstances and stages of life. These have included helping a client achieve remission from type 2 diabetes, supporting women through pregnancy and their return to exercise afterwards, preparing a client for total knee replacement surgery, and helping many people navigate the physical and lifestyle changes that come with midlife and menopause.
Strength training sits at the heart of much of what I do. Not because everyone needs to become a powerlifter, but because being strong has benefits that extend far beyond the gym. I love watching someone go from feeling intimidated by the gym to walking in knowing exactly what they're doing and, very often, lifting weights they once thought were completely beyond them.
Nutrition is also an important part of my coaching, but I don't believe in rigid meal plans, banning foods or expecting people to live perfectly. Instead, I help clients understand their nutrition, build better habits and find an approach that works alongside their family, work, holidays, social life and everything else that real life throws at them.
Alongside my own coaching business, VanderwoodPT, you can find me at Xcite Linlithgow, where I help members and lead high-intensity gym classes in a supportive environment where people can challenge themselves at their own level.
One of the things I'm proudest of is the community that has developed around my coaching. Fitness can be incredibly individual, but having the right people around you makes a huge difference. My clients support one another, celebrate each other's wins and understand that progress doesn't require everything to go perfectly.
Ultimately, my job isn't just to get somebody through a workout. It's to teach them, support them and help them build the confidence to take ownership of their own health and fitness.
And probably my favourite part of all? Showing people just how much stronger and more capable they are than they ever gave themselves credit for.
Strong, not perfect.
"I was diagnosed in 2019 with type 2 diabetes and my reading was 76 at the time. I was not looking after myself really until August 2021 when I started working with Steph.
In January 2022 this reading dropped to 56 and then in June 2022 I got the best news ever! It dropped to 37, which meant I am now no longer classed as type 2 diabetic. This is all down to a good exercise regime, increasing my step count and a more balanced approach in my diet.
We took little steps at a time, never changed everything at once. The best thing is: I still have some chocolate every day!" - Victoria
