Fife PT places top five in bodybuilding competition eight weeks before second back surgery

A personal trainer from Fife has placed top five in a bodybuilding competition just eight weeks before she is due her second back surgery.

Lynn Kennedy runs Lynn Hunter Fitness in Kirkcaldy and took part in only her second show at the end of April.

She placed top five in two categories at the Pure Elite Fitness competition in High Wycombe, for UK female fitness model and tattooed female fitness model.

Lynn first competed last June, 18 months after having back surgery for a herniated disc and after battling pneumonia. 

The spinal injury returned at the start of the year and she is due more surgery on it at the end of June.

The mum-of-two, who lives in Crossgates with husband Grant, also battled a new shoulder injury, which also requires surgery, and bursitis in her journey to getting show ready.

She says she took part to not let her injury beat her but placing as well as she did felt slightly bittersweet.

She said: "Winning after everything I've been through is a funny one.

"Part of me feels like well done you, pushing through and not been defeated by such a debilitating injury.

"But the other part of me thinks and questions - that's a shame if I wasn't injured where would I have placed? How better would I look? How much easier and fun would it be but I will never get to experience competing like this as my back condition is irreversible."

She had to alter her training plan, which she hired coaches to help her with, as to not worsen her back injury, but admits most of her sessions in the gym were done "through gritted teeth and discomfort".

Lynn attends monthly physiotherapy sessions, has hot baths daily, stretches every day and takes a lot of medication to help her move and ease her pain every day.

The former prison guard and gym manager says: "This time it has been incredibly hard. All of my training sessions had to be altered to not to put any pressure on my back, but with doing this most training sessions were done through gritted teeth and discomfort. 

"I'm unable to lift from the floor. I had to be creative with my training, finding new ways to do things.

"Quite often I'd use lighter weights, do more reps, used more fixed machines, work isolated muscle groups and do longer training sessions.

"When I had a spare hour in the gym I would work out in the studio."

A typical working day for Lynn in the lead up to the competition included 11 hours worth of clients at her Coal Wynd studio, a one hour weights session and one hour posing session.

A non-work day included three hours in the gym, 15 minutes of stretching and ab work and answering work emails.

Lynn, who was brought up in Glenrothes, says she gave up nights out, events at her kids' school and family celebrations to train and make sure she stuck to her diet.

She added: "I struggled to fit it all in but with the support of my husband helping lots with the kids, my colleague Jorge helping with the business and covering for me when needed, and me dedicating all my free time to work, train, and mange the kids it was possible.

"I couldn't have done it without them."

Lynn's already planning her next competition and is aiming for a top three finish as a post-surgery comeback.