The House Diaries

#37: The Big Workout Edition — a chat with my PT Liv on moving with self-respect, mental health in fitness, and why weights > juice cleanses.

Here’s something I never thought I’d admit in public, let alone in print: I used to treat workouts like penance. Like a confessional in Lycra. A ritual designed not to make me feel better, but smaller - literally and metaphorically. Gym classes? Guilt-fuelled. Home workouts? Tinged with shame. And don’t get me started on burpees; if hell has circuit training, they’re leading the warm-up.

I’ve always had a complicated relationship with my body - and, by extension, with food. Not because I hated food (on the contrary, I adore it), but because I grew up believing (thanks, Tyra Banks!) it was the enemy of thinness. I measured myself against women who were taller, leaner, and flatter. It was toxic, and it did a number on both my mental health and my body image. I’d love to say I’ve grown older and wiser (I’ve definitely grown older; the jury’s still out on wiser), but my perception of what a “healthy” body should look like has always been warped by not feeling quite at home in my own. I’ve had phases where I’ve enjoyed working out - sweaty, euphoric, smug - but food? That’s the part I’ve never quite made peace with. Striking the balance between moving my body and fuelling it has always felt… elusive.

Enter Liv Sellers, personal trainer, online coach, and - if you ask me - something closer to a mythological creature: a woman who wants you to enjoy movement without hating yourself in the process. I wasn’t looking for a PT, nor was I in the market for a lifestyle overhaul. But from the moment I encountered Liv’s approach, something shifted. There was no talk of punishments, cheat meals, or aesthetic goals masquerading as wellness. Just a quiet, grounded confidence that feeling good in your body could start with being kind to it. Revolutionary, really.

Liv’s approach isn’t about before-and-after photos or bikini bodies. It’s about building strength in a way that doesn’t bulldoze your mental health. About training that flexes with your life - whether you’re post-partum, menopausal, or simply allergic to gym bros. Liv doesn’t sell six-packs. She mentors mindsets. She makes space for women to feel powerful without having to look a certain way - and that’s exactly what drew me to her.

I’ve been working with Liv for a couple of months now and, hand on heart, I’ve never felt better. I’m lifting weights (something that once absolutely terrified me), eating more, moving more, and, miraculously, not compromising the rest of my chaotic, work-filled, coffee-fuelled days to do it.

So I thought, let’s chat to Liv! Let’s ask her some questions about what it means to move with self-respect, why mental health isn’t a side dish to fitness, and how lifting weights can be more empowering than any juice cleanse ever invented. This isn’t just an interview, it’s a love letter to the kind of fitness that finally feels like home.

Can you describe the specific type of training you offer and what sets it apart from more traditional fitness programs?

Liv: I love this question, because my approach has really evolved throughout my coaching career. In essence, I teach women how to build strength in their bodies through strength and conditioning, using weights and bodyweight training. Sure, there are thousands of brilliant coaches and endless fitness apps out there doing something similar, but I truly believe what sets each coach apart is the relationship they build with their clients.

For me, it’s deeply personal. I take the time to really understand each client, what makes them tick, what they enjoy, what stresses them out at work, how they show up each day. Because all of that feeds into their mindset and, ultimately, how they treat their bodies.

If someone’s putting pressure on themselves to perform perfectly at work, for example, that often shows up in how they approach training. It’s my job to dig into that and help them shift away from self-sabotage. I don’t want to just hand over a workout plan - I see myself more as a lifestyle mentor. Fitness is so much more than turning up at the gym; it’s about the mindset and daily actions that support you.

What inspired you to focus your training on female empowerment, and how does that influence your approach?

Liv: Oh, I’ve got a bit of a backstory here! When I was at uni, we planned a leavers’ trip—classic end-of-year sun and sangria situation. For a lot of the girls, it was the first time they’d be in bikinis around our male peers. Let’s be honest, three years of university life isn’t always conducive to kale smoothies and early mornings, so naturally, there was some panic.

It broke my heart to see my closest friends feeling insecure about their bodies. At the time, I was training regularly and felt firsthand how empowering it was. I thought, “They need to feel this too.” So I ran two fitness classes a week for five months leading up to the trip, determined to help them feel strong and confident.

That’s where my mantra, “Every woman deserves to feel the best she’s ever felt every day”, was born. I want to give women the tools to block out the noise, take up space unapologetically, and feel powerful in their choices. Teaching women how to lift weights is a huge part of that - it’s transformative.

For someone just starting out, how accessible is your programme in terms of equipment, time commitment, and fitness level?

Liv: Super accessible. Everything I do is tailored to the individual. If someone only has a pair of dumbbells and a yoga mat at home - great. I’ll build a programme around what they’ve got.

Time-wise, I’m realistic. I’m not waving a magic wand here, you do have to commit to at least three 30-minute sessions a week to start seeing and feeling change. But when those sessions happen? Totally up to them. I work with women who have jobs, kids, businesses, you name it. We find a rhythm that works with their life, not against it.

As for fitness level, I train everyone from complete beginners who’ve never picked up a weight, to women training for Hyrox or marathons. Everyone starts somewhere, and every starting point is valid.

How do you support women through different life stages, like post-partum, menopause, or returning to exercise after a break?

Liv: This comes back to my obsession with getting to know each woman as an individual. Everyone’s physiology is different, and social media doesn’t always help, there’s so much conflicting information out there that it’s hard to know what to trust.

So I start with small, achievable lifestyle shifts that create big ripple effects. That might mean recognising how stress affects your recovery, or understanding that the nutrition plan that worked five years ago might not be serving you now.

It’s not a one-size-fits-all model. I offer long-term support, helping women navigate food, movement, and stress with confidence, no matter what life stage they’re in. It’s about building something sustainable, not just a quick fix.

Nutrition is such a big part of any fitness journey. How do you help clients develop a healthy and sustainable relationship with food?

Liv: Most of the women I work with have grown up in a world that demonised food. We’ve all heard the “no carbs before Marbs” nonsense. It’s so damaging. Carbs are actually our bodies’ most efficient energy source, especially for women!

I steer clients away from labelling food as “good” or “bad.” That mindset leads to obsessive calorie counting, guilt, and restriction, which is not the path to health. FOOD. IS. FUEL. We need it to move, laugh, function, and feel good.

My approach to nutrition is nurturing, not punishing. I want women to love what they eat and understand what it does for their hormones, energy, skin, mood, performance—the whole picture. It’s not about control. It’s about care.

Community seems to be a big part of your method. How have you cultivated such a strong support system around your programme?

Liv: There’s something so powerful about women cheering each other on. I’ve worked hard to create a community where comparison and competition are left at the door. Instead, we celebrate small wins, boundary setting, prioritising health and real progress.

So many women carry imposter syndrome into the gym. That nagging voice saying, “I don’t belong here” or “I don’t look like I work out.” It’s isolating. But when you realise other women—women who look like they’ve got it all together, have those exact same thoughts, it’s incredibly freeing.

That’s the energy I cultivate. A place where women feel seen, supported, and safe. It’s not just a fitness programme, it’s a movement.

What role does mental health play in your coaching philosophy?

Liv: It’s everything. Mental health is the foundation. If you’re struggling mentally, it’s almost impossible to make consistent, healthy choices for your body. Training should never feel like punishment.

My goal is to help women change the way they speak to themselves—to replace guilt with grace. I want them to see their bodies as capable, resilient, and worth taking care of. And that comes from focusing on performance, not aesthetics. How strong do you feel? How much energy do you have? How do you show up?

That’s the transformation I care about. That’s where real resilience lives.

How do you make your programmes inclusive for women who might not see themselves reflected in mainstream fitness culture?

Liv: This is such an important one. So many women have told me, “I don’t look like I go to the gym.” And my answer is always: Says who?

Fitness culture, especially online, can feel so unwelcoming. We’re bombarded with picture-perfect routines, flawless bodies, and filtered realities. But that’s not real life. If someone you’re following makes you feel like you’re not enough, unfollow them. Now.

I encourage my clients to reclaim their space. You are allowed to show up exactly as you are. You don’t need a matching set or a six-pack to belong in this space. You just need the willingness to begin—and the right support behind you.

Wanna get in touch with Liv? You can chat to her here.

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LOVE YOU THE MOST <3