Inside the Ravelin Community: MVP Alice

For March, we’re introducing Alice. Alice is a member whose journey shows how fitness can evolve. What started as an interest in sport has grown into a structured routine, a passion for strength training, and even a career in the fitness industry.

Her story reflects the reality for many people: finding consistency, learning what works, and building something that supports both physical and mental wellbeing.

If you’d like to share your own story, we’d love to hear from you!

Get in touch!

What inspired you to start your fitness journey?

Alice has always been into sport, growing up in a family that was very active and sport-oriented. She started out competing in swimming before getting involved in netball and other activities.

She’s been strength training in the gym for around 10-12 years, which eventually led her to take it further and train as a personal trainer, turning it into a career. The gym has also become a safe space for her, somewhere to switch off, focus on herself, and take a break from everyday life.

When she first started at 17, her training was quite inconsistent and unstructured, especially during university when she was trying to balance studying and figure out what worked for her. This went on for several years, but over the last 3-4 years, she’s become much more consistent, following a clear plan and routine to target specific goals. Since then, she’s found real enjoyment in strength training, setting targets, tracking progress, and understanding what works best for her.

During lockdown, Alice went through a phase of doing multiple workouts a day, trying different styles of training without a clear direction. It was at that point she decided to simplify things and focus on becoming the strongest version of herself.

How did you find out about Ravelin Sports Centre?

Alice first used the university gym back when St Paul’s was open. She found that having a gym spread across multiple floors made it harder to structure her workouts, often needing to plan sessions around where equipment was located.

When Ravelin opened, she was interested in trying it, but didn’t get the chance straight away, as she was away. After moving back to Portsmouth, she came in with a friend to see the space, and from there, she joined and has been training here since.

How long have you been a member?

Alice joined Ravelin three years ago after moving back to Portsmouth.

What was your fitness level like when you first joined?

By the time she joined, Alice already had a solid foundation in training, along with growing knowledge from working towards her personal training qualifications. Ravelin gave her the environment to refine her routine and focus more intentionally on her goals.

What are your current fitness goals?

At the moment, Alice is preparing for her first HYROX event. Her main goal is to get through it and build the endurance needed for that type of challenge. She’s also looking to develop a different kind of strength and muscular endurance than she’s focused on before.

Long-term, she wants to shift back towards strength and body composition goals, such as building muscle, minimising body fat, and becoming stronger while maintaining a level of aerobic fitness.

What does your current workout routine look like?

Her current routine is built around HYROX-style conditioning, with 2-3 sessions a week focusing on movements like slede pushes, burpees, running intervals, and lunges. Alongside that, she includes strength training sessions - a mix of full-body, upper-body, and lower-body workouts, as well as one run per week. Most sessions last between 60 and 90 minutes, depending on what she’s focusing on that day.

What’s your favourite class, workout, or piece of equipment?

Alice enjoys spinning classes, especially when she wants something different from her usual training.

In the gym, she tends to favour strength-based workouts, particularly back-focused sessions. Exercises like bent-over rows, pull-ups, lat pull-downs, and seated rows are some of her go-to movements, and she also enjoys using the trap bar.

How has the gym community impacted your journey?

Alice finds the Ravelin community really uplifting and supportive. She enjoys seeing familiar faces when she trains at the same time and being able to chat with people regularly.

That sense of familiarity helps with motivation, and there’s also an element of accountability. If she hasn’t been in for a while, people notice. It creates a positive and welcoming environment that makes it easier to stay consistent.

Do you train solo or with a partner?

She mainly trains solo, as it allows her to focus on her own training style and get the most out of her sessions.

That said, she also enjoys training with a partner at times, as it can help her push harder and stay motivated. Having someone there also gives her the confidence to challenge herself with heavier weights.

What keeps you motivated on tough days?

For Alice, it comes down to consistency and discipline rather than motivation. She focuses on following her plan regardless of how she feels, knowing the results will come from staying consistent.

She also recognises how easy it is to make excuses, so even if she doesn’t have time for a full workout, she’ll still do something – because something is always better than nothing.

What’s your go-to post-workout snack or meal?

It depends on the time of day. In the morning, she’ll usually go for something like scrambled eggs with a bagel and avocado. After a workout, she enjoys something simple like a ham and cheese croissant with a coffee.

What advice would you give to someone just starting out?

Focus on yourself. Most people are too focused on what they’re doing to notice anyone else. Start small, keep going, and trust the process - progress will come with consistency.

What’s a fun fact most people don’t know about you?

Alice has a surprising phobia of cows.

Who is your fitness inspiration or role model?

She’s inspired by Kelly Matthews, particularly for her balance of aesthetics and strength, which aligns with Alice’s own goals.

Alice’s journey shows how important it is to enjoy the process. Goals can change over time, but building consistency and having a reason behind what you do makes all the difference.

Her approach is simple: keep showing up, trusting the routine, and focus on becoming the best version of yourself.