Get to Know your New MWU Coach Alexandra!
Welcome to our new Coach, Alexandra!
Today, we are sitting down with your brand new MWU Coach to discuss all things health and fitness, and why it is such a big passion of hers. We know you are going to love her just as much as we do!
Q: Tell us about yourself Alexandra, and how your fitness journey started
I’m Alexandra Milne, I am half-Filipina, half-Australian. I grew up in North Queensland but moved around a lot as a kid, and now live in Adelaide, South Australia.
I have always been athletic since I was young, playing netball, dancing, track, competitive cheerleading, and going to the gym in high school. However, my parents didn’t have much knowledge about health and fitness. Fortunately, I was able to be fit and healthy, due to the sheer amount of exercise I did.
At the age of 17, I moved to Melbourne for university and this was when I started to struggle with my health and fitness. I wasn’t able to do all the sports I used to and the gaps in education around how to eat started to show. Throughout uni, with high stress and no support, bad habits started to stack up and I suddenly became the unhealthiest version of myself, mentally and physically. So, I started back at the gym because it was the only training I could do around my random work and uni hours, and this is where I fell in love with training again. The gym was a place where I could go to and feel like I accomplished something, and have goals.
I was drawn to the fact you are in control of your outcomes, and you get out as much as you put in.
I started on the machines and worked my way to the barbell, with the support of friends I made through the gym. Even though I was training I still felt frustrated that I wasn't seeing the results I wanted. Some weeks, I would go every single day and then I wouldn’t go for a month, and the cycle would just keep repeating. My nutrition followed this same approach, and despite thinking I knew what I was doing and not getting help, it was the reason I wasn’t seeing results for years.
Then 6 years ago, I met my fiancé who is a very respected coach in the industry. That’s when I realised how much I still didn’t know – I was doing lots of things wrong, wasn’t consistent, and therefore not seeing results. I was so eager to learn more that I was like a sponge, soaking in and educating myself on everything about training, nutrition, female-specific responses, and hormones. When I educated myself, the results followed.
I have tried and tested many ways of dieting and training, and have worked through hundreds of programs over the years to build the physique, strength, and knowledge I now have.
With my experience, I now guide and teach women how to enjoy the gym, so they do not have to waste so many years of their lives not seeing the results they deserve.
Q: What is your style of training?
Weight training.
I love simple compound movements, taking it back to basics and really focusing on the fundamentals.
Depending on my phase and goals at the time, it’s either barbell-focused strength training or machine-based strength training. However, it will always be a gym-based training structure that is tracked and progresses towards a specific goal.
With my training, I always take a long-term sustainable approach, as I believe your training should be in balance with your life, even if it does take a little bit longer to reach your goals. As females, we can be extremely hard on ourselves – we are always trying to hit everything perfectly and sometimes set unrealistic goals that contradict our phase in life. Therefore I always prioritise balance, as life can get in the way sometimes.
Q: Why are you so passionate about Weight Training?
Weight training is important for many health factors but outside of those benefits, being a strong female is empowering.
Honestly, there is no better feeling than being able to lift some heavy ass weight in the gym as a female - you feel sexy, confident, and feminine.
Q: Do you ever get bored of your training? What do you do to overcome this?
You aren’t always going to enjoy your training. There are days when no part of me wants to train, however, you stick to your routine and get it done. It's never a question of “Will I train today?” it’s “When am I training?” – don't give yourself the option for a way out.
Committing to yourself and acting in integrity and accordance with the person you aspire to be is the way you get results.
It's okay to be bored and not want to go to the gym but don't let your emotions and instant gratification rule your actions. Make actions in line with your goals and the person you want to become and this is when the results will follow.
This mindset is the same with food as well!
Q: What is your favourite body part to train?
Legs and Back!
Q: What are your go-to meals?
Tuna and Avo Salad - been my favourite for years
Chilli Con Carne
Q: What is your advice for people starting their fitness journeys and trying to stay motivated?
Have a plan!
When you have a plan in place, all the thinking and hard work is taken out (Why make it harder for yourself?). Once you have a plan, all you have to do is follow the steps, tick the boxes, and get it done.
On the days when you don’t feel like training, it will make it easier because once you are at the gym all you have to do is the best you can that day and you will see progression. Going to the gym and getting a workout done, even if you go down 10% in your weights that week, is still better than not going to the gym.
Your plan will determine your habits and your habits will have you seeing results.
Results that have you feeling good and “motivated” are just tiny habits compounded over time. Just keep going.
You are going to be hearing a lot more from Coach Alexandra, so make sure you are signed up to the MWU mailing list so you don’t miss out!
Trust us, you are not going to want to miss what’s coming next 👀❤️🏋️♂️
