About Camille
Growing up as a competitive dancer, Camille was always active, but fitness looked a lot different than it does now. Dance taught her flexibility, control, and movement, so after she stopped dancing, she gravitated toward Pilates and avoided the gym altogether. Strength training wasn’t on her radar, and her relationship with nutrition was all over the place, eating whatever she wanted, then trying restrictive diets that helped her lose weight temporarily before gaining it back again.
When Camille turned 30, she wanted to feel strong, mobile, and healthy in the long-term, the opposite of the calorie-and-cardio messaging she’d grown up with. She was looking for a real lifestyle change, not another reset, which is what led her to personal training.
Before Body + Soul Fitness, she tried working with a trainer at another gym, but it didn’t feel personal and was hard to stay motivated. Since Body + Soul Fitness was right around the corner from her apartment, she decided to give it a try. The convenience brought her in, but the welcoming atmosphere, and working with Emily, is what made her stay.
“I could tell I was working hard, but not always the right muscles.”
The Challenge
Camille came into training ready to make a real change but quickly realized there was more beneath the surface than she expected. During her assessment, she learned that she was hypermobile, and that her body was extremely good at compensating during exercises instead of using the muscles she was trying to train.
She also discovered that her mind-muscle connection was almost nonexistent. Even when workouts felt challenging, she often wasn’t activating the right areas effectively, which made strength training feel frustrating and unfamiliar at first.
Camille wanted to:
- Build strength and confidence in the gym
- Improve her mind-muscle connection
- Learn proper form and movement patterns
- Feel comfortable strength training
- Focus on her “Triple A’s” — arms, abs, and ass
- Create long-term, sustainable habits
Camille was matched with personal trainer Emily, whose approach immediately made her feel understood. When Camille jokingly told Emily her goals were the “Triple A’s,” Emily didn’t dismiss it — she listened, translated those goals into a real training plan, and built a program around what Camille wanted.
The Program
Building a Strong Foundation
Emily focused on building strong foundations first. She helped Camille learn movement patterns, understand her body and how it was moving, and finally feel at home and comfortable in the gym. That mind-muscle connection became a major focus.
Personalization and Intensification
As Camille progressed, her program evolved with her, calling it “smart and personal”. Today, she follows a three-day split with an upper-body day, a lower-body day, and a conditioning day.
Cardio has never been Camille’s favourite, but instead of forcing her into workouts she dreads, Emily introduced conditioning gradually and continues to build it up over time.
That balance between listening and challenging is what Camille appreciates most. If something doesn’t feel right because of her hypermobility, Emily adjusts on the spot, opting to strengthen the muscles causing the compensation and revisiting movements later when Camille is ready.
“She takes my goals and my preferences seriously, and then gently nudges me
toward the things I’d otherwise avoid but she knows are good for me.”
Now, workouts feel challenging in a way she genuinely enjoys. The sessions are fun, the time flies, and somehow, even those 7 a.m. starts don’t seem so bad anymore.
Accountability and Care
For Camille, the biggest difference wasn’t just the program itself, it was having someone in her corner. On the mornings when she showed up tired and unmotivated, Emily would remind her why she started in the first place. Those simple conversations helped Camille reconnect with the goals she’d set on day one and made countless 7 a.m. sessions feel worthwhile.
That support became even more important when Camille developed unexpected knee pain last fall. Many of the lower-body movements she’d been working on suddenly became off-limits, but instead of pushing through, Emily immediately adapted her program to reduce strain and keep her progressing.
What stood out most was the level of care. Emily reached out directly to Camille’s physiotherapist, comparing notes and making sure her rehab exercises and gym programming worked together.
Today, Camille is back to her full program and, by her own account, stronger than she was before the injury.
The Results
The accomplishment is consistency. For more than a year, she's shown up three days a week, every week. The gym, once something she dreaded, has become something she genuinely looks forward to. And while aesthetics may have been what brought her through the door, her mindset has changed completely.
A year into training, Camille has achieved something she never thought possible: she’s built a body and a relationship with fitness that feels sustainable.
Physically, she’s seeing muscle definition she hasn’t had since her dance days. She sleeps better, moves with more confidence, and isn’t afraid to try new things.
When she first started, Camille’s goal was simple: a body recomposition with a focus on her “Triple A’s” — arms, abs, and glutes. While she says she’s not quite at the finish line, the journey has expanded what she believes is possible.
In fact, walking into Body + Soul Fitness raised her own expectations. As she became stronger, her goals grew with her.
She noticed her progress at a friend’s birthday event: a HIIT-style fitness class. A year earlier, Camille says she would have dreaded the experience and struggled to finish. Instead, she found herself keeping up and performing among the top women in the room.
Today, Camille thinks less about calories or “fixing” her body and more about strength, capability, and longevity. She’s no longer asking, “What does my body look like?” She’s asking, “What can my body do?”
Conclusion
Over the past year, Camille has built a completely new relationship with fitness. She’s learned how to move better, build a sustainable lifestyle, and actually enjoy the process instead of chasing quick fixes.
What started with aesthetic goals has evolved into something deeper: becoming someone who feels strong, capable, and healthy at 50, 60, 70 and beyond for decades to come.
“Every single person in any gym walked in for the first time once. Nobody is born a gym person. Having someone like Emily to teach me the fundamentals is exactly why I’m comfortable now. And you do not have to be doing the craziest, most impressive thing in the room. You’d be shocked how far a couple of dumbbells and consistency will take you.”
Camille is most proud of showing up. Three days a week, every week, for over a year. And she’s just getting started.