Rafael's Story

From understanding discipline to teaching it every day.

For Riza Ewes, Personal Trainer at Fitness First Highbury, consistency isn't just a strategy, it's a 14-year commitment that has defined his career.

Riza's journey began with a personal transformation, reshaping his own body through training. This self-driven change inspired him to dedicate his life to coaching, bringing his expertise from the gym floors of Dubai to London. For over a decade, Riza has been a constant presence at Fitness First, bonding with the club and its community, which he credits with continually developing him into a better PT.

Riza believes that the greatest successes are often emotional, not numerical. He recounts the client who was “over the moon” just to fit into her old jeans again, or the celebration with another client when they finally dipped below the 100 kg weight threshold after four years of shared effort.

"We both celebrate like we won the championship ... we went out at a meal, had a few drinks, it was a great celebration."

When defining progress, Riza looks beyond the scale. Success, for him, is about confidence, “how good they look within themselves, when they look at themselves in the mirror or how they carry themselves, having that posture, walking around and being able to have the confidence to go out and enjoy life.”

His philosophy on overcoming the fear of starting is straightforward: “You’re never going to be fit enough to train to start.” Motivation, he explains, comes from consistency and structure, and placing trust in your trainer.

This dedication to tailored structure is why he praises the club’s investment in technology like able. Riza notes that able is especially crucial for the older population, who may feel intimidated by traditional weights. Its structured, user-friendly nature allows them to safely isolate muscle groups and track their stats, enabling their progress.

From his early experience of clients being “scared to come to the gym floor” to fostering a community where members find the confidence to go out and enjoy life, Riza’s story proves that progress is earned through dedicated consistency, celebrating non-scale victories, and choosing to build confidence one structured session at a time.

At Fitness First, we believe progress isn't linear, results don't come from quick fixes, it's about showing up, again and again. It's not about perfection, it's about progress. Every rep, every class, every choice adds up to real change. Because when you choose progress, you don't just change your body - you change what you believe is possible.