Colette McShane PT In MY Pocket Interview

Colette McShane PT In MY Pocket Interview

Colette McShane, a Scottish born Aussie dynamo, fitness fanatic and busy mum has now created an app that will totally change the way you look at personal training.

PT IN MY POCKET is an audio driven fitness app giving you workouts that require no equipment or gym visits. The original music is incredible, like having your own personal trainer (PT) right there with you in the room, pushing you along with motivational and upbeat cues. It was created to suit anyone looking for an amazing workout at the touch of a button.

Since its launch, in September 2014, it is now the number 2 top selling new app in the app store, and is the number one in health and fitness across both Apple and Android!

Growing up in Scotland, Colette was part of a family with a love for sport, fitness and training. Everyone in the family, from her ironman triathlete Dad to her pro triathlete sister, was into it so she was always fit. After becoming pregnant with her first child, Colette decided to give up her corporate career and focus on her first love, the fitness industry.

Having maintained a good level of fitness during her pregnancy, Colette wanted to help other women and men on their fitness journey and show them that it is possible to get fit fast, and using both short workout methods along with healthy eating. She does this through her successful Melbourne business, the Hiit Mum.

Now she has taken it a step further and has created a new app, PT IN MY POCKET that comes complete with 6 different workouts, all High Intensity Interval training-based. You can combine the workouts to give you multiple muscle group based sessions, giving you endless workout combinations.

The workouts range from 10 minutes through to 21 minutes and will send the participant right into the after-burn zone, burning extra calories long after the workout is finished. Highly effective and easy to follow, all exercises also have a video demonstration.

The app is only $3.79 and is phenomenal value for anyone looking to get super fit in the comfort of their own home, the park, the office, hotel room, the beach… or anywhere!

The app is available on both Apple and Android. Now you have no excuses left!
Available Now In Google Play for $3.79 and the Apple App Store $3.79.

Interview with Colette McShane

Question: What inspired the creation of The HIIT Mum?

Colette McShane: The HIIT Mum was born after my daughter Isla came into the world in 2012 and deciding on a career change whilst pregnant. I have been involved in fitness since a very young age, and realised that if I didn't follow my true passion at that point, I may never take the chance. I left the world of advertising, and wanted to educate as many people as possible that you can train anywhere, anytime and with no equipment necessary. When Isla was born I didn't want to leave her to head to the gym, so I started to learn everything and anything about what I could do to train at home, and started to share it with others.

Question: What is HIIT?

Colette McShane: HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training and is a super effective way to improve fitness and body composition really quickly. HIIT workouts are designed to be short and sharp, meaning it's ideal for people who lead busy lives, and especially for mums who may be trying to get a fast workout in between baby naps or after school drop offs. It's getting more and more popular as people start to realise you can train shorter & achieve incredible results!


Question: Are you surprised at how The HIIT Mum took off with women Australia wide?

Colette McShane: Yes, I guess I am as you never really 100% know where things will lead, but I know one thing, my passion for getting people fit is sky high. I genuinely, utterly love what I do and if I can have a positive impact on many, then I am a happy lady!


Question: How did you go about creating the app PT In MY Pocket?

Colette McShane: I get asked all the time to train people in other areas (I run training sessions in Melbourne) around Australia and have followers internationally, so I wanted to deliver workouts using vocal commands and motivation from me, and get it into the hands of as many as possible for next to no cost (Launched at $3.79 for the premium version of the app filled with workout tracks). Creating an app where people could just "press play" was the best way to do this.


Question: What is included in the PT In MY Pocket app?

Colette McShane: Short exercise demo vids which you will really just need to view once and try out the exercises if you are not familiar with them, and then there is a warm up track, 6 full workout tracks, and a cooldown track. The workout tracks are between 10 and 21 minutes long, and the idea is for you to add a couple together, or if you are mega time pressed, just do ten minutes, it's most certaihnly better than nothing, especially if you go hard. There are some full body tracks like "15 minutes of madness" and leg specific "legs eleven" and a fab core track "the trim tummy ten" to name a few. New workout tracks will be out each month at a very low cost option to download one.

Question: What feedback have you received from those who have already purchased the PT In MY Pocket app?

Colette McShane: I have the most incredible feedback ongoing from people all around the globe, with 5 star reviews and amazing feedback on my social media channels. The app has been in the top 10 health & fitness apps across both iTunes & Google play since it launched (and sat top for the first week) which I am really really proud of, as I am competing with some huge corporations with massive marketing budgets. I am confident word of mouth, great user experience and of course connecting with fabulous publications like this will spread the word organically & am set for strong growth.


Question: What equipment do we need to do the workouts featured in the PT In MY Pocket app?

Colette McShane: Nothing at all! A bit of energy (I am there to help with that though), a desire to get results and some water are all you need! That said, if you want to really maximise the sound, I would most certainly stick your phone in a speaker doc and ramp up the sounds for max effect! The music soundtrack is fantastic and has been an integral part of the app, working with a top composer on this.


Question: Can you provide an example of one of the workouts featured in the PT In MY Pocket app?

Colette McShane: Yes sure thing. One of my favourite workouts from the app is the "Tabata 21 minute shred" which is 5 x 4 minute "Tabata" sessions. A Tabata session is made up of 8 x 20 second intervals with 10 seconds rest in between each... just enough time to catch your breath and go again. This 21 minute shred in the app has been made up with alternating lots of burpee variations and a fair bit of flat out sprinting along with other big body-weight exercises. This is a hard one, but it will give you the result of a much longer session, so it's time well spent!


Question: What's involved in your daily schedule (food and training wise)?

Colette McShane: I like to do a good quality HIIT session most days, but try focus on different body parts. I know that even a short one will give me great results. I also like to run and am currently in training for an off road triathlon over in Hawaii. My HIIT legs (I did very little triathlon training, and I mean VERY little!) got me into a world championship race for my age group and I am excited to see what they can do in October at the race. Press ups also have a lot to answer for when it comes to swimming! My arms and legs have never been as strong in my life!

I usually train first thing in the morning before most of the world wakes, 30 minutes on the spin bike or a run, or HIIT bodyweight training, and then another short session later on in the day. I love my food and have a pretty varied diet and don't follow a specific type to a tee. I guess I would say I am closest to the Mediterranean diet if I was to choose one. I almost always start my day with eggs and believe in having a breakfast fit for a king each day, and also getting lot's of preparation in so there are always healthy options in the fridge to pull out. I have a sweet tooth so try make healthier sweet snacks, but I am also partial to chocolate, of ANY variety!


Question: What's next for The HIIT Mum?

Colette McShane: I would like to keep building on PT in my pocket and really work hard to give it a big global reach. I would like to head to the UK and the USA next year where I have most of my users outside Australia and do some promotional events / pop up workouts. I want to keep on getting lots of people fit, and also build on my recipe ebook collaboration with a fantastic Melbourne business & friend, Claire from Claire's Kitchen. I would like to expand my fitness classes out a bit further than the Inner West of Melbourne and to team up with more trainers in other areas. Oh, and I am planning on launching Bali Bootcamps in 2015!

Question: What are the top five tips you'd give a new mum who is looking at resuming her exercise?

Colette McShane: Firstly, make sure you are ready to start exercising again safely and have recovered from your birth, particularly if you have had a C-Section, you will need your obstetricians clearance and weren't able to exercise throughout your pregnancy. Give training at home a go. Aside from PT in my pocket workouts, I love at home DVD's, Tracey Anderson post pregnancy was great for me, and then I moved on to some harder stuff like the Insanity workout, but don't jump in too fast. Taking away that travel time to the gym gives you more time for other things, and being a new mum, you will be busy! All the time!

Find something you love, if you absolutely dread the thought of your workout, try something different and see how you feel. It's not one size fits all.

Get a workout buddy if you can. Even if it's not someone you actually train with, set some goals with someone from your mothers group or a family member and encourage each other along the way.

Get outside for lot's of pram walks and feel good endorphines! I found long pram walks were great for both the body and the mind. Also, if you are walking around a park, stop off half way and do a quick PT in my Pocket session, 2 birds, one stone! Ones bubs is old enough (6 months) if you are a runner, start some pram running. Make sure you have a proper running pram though and the little one's neck is nice and stable & strong.


You can download the app here: www.ptinmypocket.com.au
Follow me on facebook www.facebook.com.au/thehiitmum or www.facebook.com.au/ptinpocket

Interview by Brooke Hunter