Diogo Freire – Personal Trainer in Lower Hutt, NZ

Hello!

Ten years ago I started exercising to lose some weight, and over time I felt more and more incredible and physically competent. That helped me find the woman of my dreams and marry her (that’s a lie, she married me because of my charming accent, not my looks). But let’s not get sidetracked – this is my website, I have a dapper looking photo and a space to get you interested in my personal training work, so let’s talk about why I’m good at what I do.

I love helping people get addicted to moving their bodies and feeling happy while exercising. I love helping people find more energy to play with their kids, run faster or bike further than they thought they were able to, and discover how exercise can make them healthier and more energetic.

I take the exercise and fitness part of my work very seriously – I want to help you create sustainable habits, safely, and get where you want to go. But that doesn’t mean that working with me will be serious. We all have all fears (me: snakes, lawn mowers) and insecurities (will I ever get rid of this little chub on my waist?), but having a laugh and feeling good about ourselves is what makes life worth living. A crazy goal to work towards doesn’t hurt (2024 Olympic Weightlifting Gold Medal, 96kg Category).

Now that you’ve read all of that, let’s get to what I can offer you, my amazing credentials and some testimonials from people I carefully selected to show me in a good light.

Services

Helping you get started

I was once 20kg heavier than I am now and couldn’t run to the street corner to save my life. It intimidated the hell out of me to walk into the gym and see everyone looking fit and graceful while exercising, while I was none of that (I’m still not). Talking to someone about feeling lazy or unfit can be a bit daunting.

Whether you’re starting exercising or working on getting back to it, I can help you build a path that will get things going little by little without feeling like you have to be fit before you can exercise.

I can work where and when it’s best for you

If you have some equipment at home, I can come to you. If you don’t but still want to work out at home because it fits your routine better, I can bring some equipment and get you going. I also do online training and can write programmes you can do on your own.

Our gym in Waterloo is where we’ll have the most equipment and options available, and I would love for you to come there too. We can train 1-on-1 or in a small group if you want to share the cost across some likeminded friends.

Like J-Lo, I’m versatile

Some people love running or biking. Some love weights, some don’t. Some want to feel spent at the end of a workout, some want to get a sweat on but take it easy. Some like Vegemite instead of Marmite (monsters). Some like mixing it all up to keep the body guessing. Whatever you like to do, I’ll work to create workouts that will make you want to keep coming back. Although I might throw a surprise in here and there so you don’t get too comfortable, mkay?

I also offer excellent puns.

Okay, what about the F word?

Are you keen for a strict, calorie-controlled meal plan where you deprive yourself of everything you enjoy to lose some quick weight? Me neither.

Everyone has history with failed diets and “magic” solutions around weight loss, and I won’t promise any witchcraft or $500 products that will solve that for you. But I can help you find some sustainable changes that, together with exercise, will help you move the scales.

If you want to have a chat about how you can get started, let’s talk!

My very impressive qualifications

I hold an Exercise Level 4 Certificate from NZIFH. This means I know many things that are secret to most people. Fancy things that only those who know the secret password to the Underground Personal Training Society have access to.

I love Olympic Weightlifting and I’m a certified Catalyst Athletics Weightlifting Coach. That means I coach the Snatch and Clean & Jerk and have some mean strength training knowledge.

I’ve been a CrossFit Level 1 trainer for almost 2 years and confidently navigate all the craziness and goodness associated with it.

I also hold CrossFit’s running and gymnastics certificates.

My Box’n’Burn certification is where I got the skills to punch above my weight and get people hooked on boxing fitness. Boxing workouts are so much fun to be a part of, specially with a group of friends.

I hold a certification from the Adaptive Training Academy, which taught me how to design workouts and adapt movement for people living with disabilities to develop their strength, independence and confidence.

The BrandX Method is a training method tailored for kids and teens and I hold Professional Youth Coach Certification. Coaching some small-er humans is one of the greatest pleasures of my week.

Things people that like me say about me

I’ve met Diogo early in 2019 and have been working with him exclusively since December 2019. Diogo has great enthusiasm for coaching and my experience with him as my Olympic Weightlifting coach has been nothing short of exceptional. Diogo is wise, and he knows if you die you no longer will need his services. Because of that he keeps his athletes training safely and with purpose. I look forward to continuing to build my strength, technique, and confidence with him as my coach.
Karen Eminger – Saskatoon/Canada

I’ve been coaching alongside Diogo now for a couple of years. Whilst he may speak with a funny accent and look like a not quite as awesome South American version of Matt Fraser, he is deeply passionate about making sure people move to the best of their abilities. He will always have your back and make sure you’re not going to do something so wrong you may hurt yourself. He’s a top bloke and believes in making people better through fitness.
Lee Bradford

I am not an athlete but Diogo makes me feel like I am, every single time I train. His amusing down-to-earth personality helps motivate and get the best of out people. His experience and skill ensures that he corrects techniques and provides great advice to better yourself. Thanks to his coaching, I have seen improvements in my performance and enjoyment of working out.
Rav Chandra