About the club

Member experience

Riina- How has the Reval-Sport sports club changed your life?

My first encounters with Reval Spordi (unfortunately I don't remember what the building was called then) were in the 70s, when basketball training and competitions for the Sports School of the Oktober district of Tallinn were held in this old, haunted building. I remember that slightly uneasy feeling, as if someone was behind you, when you had to walk alone through the dim corridors from the locker room to the gym.

I have been attending classes here with varying success since the late 80s, depending on my workload. I have always liked the location of Reval Spord, the positive atmosphere, the competent trainers, and the diverse opportunities for different training sessions.

If someone were to ask: “How has Reval Sport changed your life?”, the answer would be that Reval Sport has become a part of my life today.
life. Over the years, I have developed my own favorites: workouts, trainers and girlfriends. I am also happy that my daughter has found her way to the same sports club. If back problems were once the main reason for coming to the gym, now it has probably become an "addiction" in a good way, and a double chin and loose arms are also a bit scary.

Renee's impressions of the club

My name is Rene Jaanus and I am a 21-year-old young man. I have been a member of Reval for about six years, but I started training there regularly almost two years ago.

I have always been a big sports fan and have tried quite a few sports in my life, but now I have finally found the sport that suits me the most and is most interesting to me – bodybuilding. I first joined Reval about six years ago when my karate training took place there, but then I also went to the gym in Reval in the summer to work out.

A few years ago I started going again and for more serious purposes – for better health and good looks along with better physical endurance. I started going again to the Reval sports club because it has good prices and a lot of different options included in that price, and the location is equally good for people in every part of the city and the opening hours are always the same, even during holidays.

At first, I went to the gym on my own, but after a while, at the invitation of a friend, I started to take part in group training, which also changed my opinion that they should mainly be for women only. I started trying different group trainings and for about three quarters of a year in a row I went to seven different group trainings every week. During this time, I met many new people and gained a lot of new experiences, and I gained a lot of courage and willpower from different trainers and trainees. Being underweight, I even managed to lose an additional 3 kg of my body weight during this time. As a result, I wanted to start gaining more strength and mass, so I started to dedicate myself more to the gym.

I continued to attend BodyJam dance classes for about three quarters of a year, which was a good and fun aerobic workout for me, and I went to every workout with great joy. I went to the gym for about five months, and I have to admit that most of the people at Reval are very friendly and helpful. I have been going to the gym for eleven months now, and during that time I have met many new people and learned a lot more about this sport, which I had never had the slightest idea about before. Reval has very motivating and cheerful employees who have been very welcoming to me and have certainly been a support in getting me to where I am now. Through Reval, I also met Ott Kiivikas, whose team I joined six months ago, and now, thanks to all of the above, I am sure of what I want to achieve and what kind of workouts are exactly right for me, and the opportunities offered at Reval and all the motivating and supportive people there have been a great help in realizing all of this.

I have considered Reval my second home for quite a long time and I hope that there are others who I have introduced to Reval and seen the opportunities there. In addition to good physical shape and health, I have also gained many new friends from Reval and a lot of courage and determination, and I am quite sure that I have nothing to regret about Reval. Not a day goes by when I don't think about Reval Sport or when I don't talk about it.

Margit, who participated in the Challenge program, shares her experiences

What makes me happy is that after finishing the program, my weight hasn't increased: so my lifestyle has become healthier, and that's only a good thing.

I started the program at 77,7 kg and ended up at 71,7 kg. I would have definitely lost more and achieved my goal if I had followed the program 100%.

It was difficult at first to get used to the diet, especially the portions, but that is definitely what has helped me maintain my weight now. In the middle of the program, I got tired of going to the gym and easily gave up going to the gym at the slightest obstacle ¨C but the weekly weigh-ins were exactly what helped discipline me, otherwise the program would have no point. I still wanted to see a lower number on the scale every time.
After the program, I am much happier with myself and not as ashamed of my appearance. I didn't lose 10 kg like I wanted, but I am still very proud of what I have achieved. I gained more confidence - I would never have used a single piece of equipment in the gym on my own.

I think that the people participating in the program could be introduced to each other. For example, a joint gym circuit training once a week ¨C an opportunity to share experience and at the same time a support trainer could check the correctness of the exercises. This could happen in the first half of the program. Certainly not everyone would take part in it, but for some it would be a good motivation, how can I not leave ¨C the others are there.

It was difficult to fit in the nutrition plan for training days – snack at 16 pm, finish work at 17 pm, if you're lucky you'll get to work out by 18 pm, get home by car by 20 pm, but if you go to the gym after 21 pm (if you take public transport, you'll be at least 1 hour away) – and now you have to make and eat dinner at 22-23 pm?!?!

It would have been more helpful if the 12-week program had a meal plan with quantities for at least four weeks. For me, the quantities given are definitely important, there is a difference between an apple and an apple – I cut and weighed the exact amount from a larger apple. I needed punctuality and solid numbers. Or the foods were divided into more clearly for mornings, lunches, evenings and snacks on training days, and the same for non-training days.

A condition for starting the program could be that you have to bring at least 2 weeks of nutrition with you ¨C saves time. The club's website could have a brief description of what the nutrition writing should include (times?, quantities approximately or precisely measured?).

But your inquiry gave me motivation and I started writing down my diet again. I've been resting for a while now, my weight has stayed the same and I'm going to take the next 3 months with the goal of losing another 10kg. Let's see how much I succeed =)
I will definitely stop by in the fall to do a stress test and record the new measurements.

Olga's feedback from the challenge program

My previous training based on my own knowledge was fruitless. Therefore, I decided to join the challenge program in order to lose weight more effectively and improve my physical fitness. Participating in the program gave me knowledge and confidence for future training.

I would like to praise and thank coach Ülle, whose encouragement and guidance helped me find the right workouts and loads. Nutritional advice that helped me achieve my goal.

At the weekly meetings, the coach shared practical advice, which was shared throughout the entire challenge program. It is also a time when you can express yourself and talk about which workouts were suitable, how you feel, whether you need to change anything in your training plan and diet. Despite the weekly result (there were setbacks in weight), the coach's positive attitude motivated me again and again.

I am very satisfied. I would recommend the challenge program to everyone, it is a starting point for those who have not been able to lose weight and achieve better physical shape on their own.