The New Zealand native and Nike Master Trainer brings her knack for high-intensity workouts and fun to the Nike+ Training Club App.
According to Kirsty Godso, if you aren’t having fun while exercising you’re not doing it right. The Auckland-based Nike Master Trainer is out to eradicate one workout myth after another as she shares her fitness wisdom around the world. You think working out is boring? You think you don’t have time to work out? You don’t think there’s a mental component to working out? Godso has news for you.
Whether she is running a high-intensity Nike+ Training Club (NTC) class in her home country or traveling the world to share her passion for fitness with the international NTC community, Godso endorses a message centered on work-life balance, enjoyable workouts and building up the athlete in every woman.
“Being a Nike Master Trainer is a dream come true. I’m addicted to fitness; it’s my therapy,” says Godso. “If I have a great day or if something really great happens, I celebrate with a workout. If I’m having a really bad day, I go to the gym and walk out feeling way better. It cures everything for me, and it is so rewarding to shift people’s perspectives on exercise.”
HER TRAJECTORY
The daughter of two professional golfers, Godso dabbled in a wide range of sports before discovering her passion for fitness whilst at university. Following graduation, she used her finance and marketing degree to secure a day job while also partnering with Nike as a Master Trainer.
“Once you see that you can have a positive effect on people, you get hooked — you want to keep doing it,” affirms Godso. “I love when someone I train feels really good about himself or herself. We talk so much about looks, but I want to know: How do you feel?”
Godso says she learned discipline and focus from her parents — lessons that have helped her reach her goals and balance the important things in her life. She also learned how to integrate her passions into every day.
“When women ask me how they can fit fitness into their lifestyles, I tell them not to stress,” she explains. “Work can be stressful, relationships can be stressful; exercise shouldn’t be stressful. Fitness is the time when people get to focus on themselves and feel better about themselves.”
HER PHILOSOPHY
Godso’s fitness philosophy starts with finding exercises and workouts that each person actually enjoys — then slowly building strength and athleticism.
“When you just start out, you have to find something you love and you have to have some commitment,” Godso says. “We’re always working fun into our workouts. I’m a goof. I love to laugh and I try to bring that sense of fun into all of my workouts.”
She also believes in a combination of high-intensity workouts and strength training, all while constantly increasing goals and finding new limits. To Godso, the end goal of exercise shouldn’t be about aesthetics, it should be about exploration and building strength.
“You can’t just stick to one thing your whole life,” Godso asserts. “You’ll never find real progression. Just because you’re not an elite athlete, doesn’t mean you can’t train like one.”
HER ZOOM FAST WORKOUT
Godso’s Zoom Fast workout will debut July 21 on the NTC App. The explosive 30-minute workout unites everything that Godso loves about exercise: big, fun, fast-paced movements that tag-team muscles and lungs.
The workout includes high-intensity bursts of tuck-jumps, burpees, elevated squats, push-ups and mountain climbers. It also incorporates Godso’s favorite Tabata session: four minutes switching between sumo-plyo box jumps and speedy toe taps.
“I wanted my workout to reflect some of my favorite moves – moves that I’d do on my own training time,” describes Godso. “It’s very speed- and agility-focused. It’s going to be a hard session, but it’s going to be fun at the same time.”
The Zoom Fast workout is one of six NTC Master Trainer workouts included in the new “Find Your Fast” challenge. The 12-week program consists of training workouts that help athletes increase their speed and strength. To find out more about the challenge, visit nike.com or follow the Sport Feed in the NTC App.
To stay in touch with Kirsty, follow her on Instagram or Twitter. To shop her look, visit nike.com.
TIPS FROM MASTER TRAINER KIRSTY GODSO:
• Music is an important part of my workouts. It drives me and my girls and keeps us moving. Next time you need extra motivation, try my playlist on Spotify.
• Whenever I travel, I try out different gyms around the city. It’s a really good way to explore different exercises and figure out what you like and don’t like. It’s a great way to get new inspiration.
• My workouts are focused on speed and agility. We do the most neuro-muscularly challenging move first, then we do a secondary move for a longer duration to take us to full fatigue in the muscle. It also helps develop control.
• If I really don’t want to workout, I take a day off, or maybe I do yoga or play basketball with my friends. Then, when I go into my next workout, I feel like it’s good to be back.
