’You become so much more to clients’: Brisbane’s best personal trainer revealed

We asked our readers to vote for Brisbane’s best personal trainer. After a week of voting, our readers have crowned a new winner! See the full list and read what our winners had to say.

Functional Fitness PT, Best of Brisbane. Picture: Supplied

We put the call out to our readers to nominate Brisbane’s best personal trainer and after hundreds of responses we narrowed the list down to a group of finalists. We can now reveal, as voted by our readers, Brisbane’s best personal trainer!

10. Ash Besse

9. Kayla Russell Fitness

Speciality: Helping women achieve their dream bodies, build confidence and create lasting habits.

Opened: 2023

Suburb: Mt Gravatt

Instagram: @kaylarussellfitness

Kayla Russell Fitness, Best of Brisbane. Picture: Supplied

Five quick facts:

1. Owner Kayla Russell compares her sessions with clients to something similar to therapy. “My clients like to think they get therapy sessions and PT sessions all in one,” she said.

2. Ms Russell believes having a healthy relationship with food will help people achieve results better than a traditional diet can.

3. Her mum helps film content in supermarkets.

4. If she could be anything else she would be a chef.

5. She likes creating healthy recipes more than training occasionally.

8. Jacinta Robinson

7. The Training Ground

Speciality: Personalised plans, coaching, small group classes, nutritional guidance, functional fitness, specialised equipment, rehabilitation and injury

Opened: 2015

Suburb: Spring Hill

Instagram: @thetraininggroundbne

The Training Ground, Best of Brisbane. Picture: Supplied

Five quick facts:

1. Directors Josh and Peter started at the business as personal trainers over a decade ago.

2. An unnamed global superstar paid the team to take the day off from work so she could train for an hour in 2011.

3. Drapl, a Brisbane artist, created the graffiti on the gym walls in 2015.

4. Potential clients are often shocked at service prices.

5. After Covid the business transformed from a personal training studio to a 24-hour gym facility.

6. GSP – Georgio Spiliarotakis

5. Katie Dall – Club PT

Speciality: Run coaching, group strength sessions, online run programs, free community run clubs

Opened: 2020

Suburb: Newstead

Instagram: @club_kt

Katie Dall – Club PT, Best of Brisbane. Picture: ProMedia Photography By Paul A. Broben

Five quick facts:

1. In 2021 director Katie Dall created a community walk and run club. “Over the past two years the group has expanded from 12 participants to over 60.”

2. Ms Dall has just launched a running app to “highlight the profound connections forged through running,” she said.

3. More Than A Run is organised annually every November by Ms Dall, helping raise funds as part of Movember.

4. Ms Dall completed a 100-mile ultra marathan at the Brisbane Trail Ultra in 2023.

5. The business focuses on guiding individuals to “push beyond their comfort zones and achieve running distances they once deemed impossible,” she said.

4. Lift HQ Sandgate

Speciality: Class based gym, specialising in the general population falling in love with moving their bodies in positive ways

Opened: 2023

Suburb: Sandgate

Instagram: @lifthq.sandgate

Lift HQ Sandgate, Best of Brisbane. Picture: Supplied

Five quick facts:

1. The business opened with more than 200 foundation members.

2. Owner Meg Zivkovic has only been in the industry for three years.

3. The business is Sandgate’s biggest group fitness facility.

4. Lift HQ Sandgate is there for the community. “Our members are our biggest asset and we treat them like that,” she said.

5. “We put the fun back in fitness,” she said.

3. Shiloh Watts

2. Mayra Oliveira

1. Troy Morris – Functional Fitness Personal Training and Gym

Speciality: Individual programs, functional movements, strength, stability and endurance

Opened: 2019

Suburb: Newstead

Instagram: @functionalfitnesspt_gym

Functional Fitness PT, Best of Brisbane. Picture: Supplied

Five quick facts:

1. Owner Troy Morris works from 3.30am to 8:00pm. “If I’m not working directly with clients in the business, I’m working on it,” he said.

2. Mr Morris has attended weddings, birthday parties and even funerals for clients.

3. It’s all about sharing in the fitness industry. “If I can’t fulfil the requirements of what a prospective gym member is seeking, I will refer them to my competitors who can,” he said.

4. The business is focused on providing a “high end, personalised and one-on-one training experience.”

5. During Covid Mr Morris conducted personal training sessions in parks around the Newstead area.