We caught up with recent Applied Sport and Exercise Biomechanics graduate, Monty Simmons, on his experience doing a master's in biomechanics.
Monty had been a personal trainer for 10 years before deciding to do the postgraduate course at St Mary's.
We asked Monty how he found doing a master's without previously having done an undergraduate degree, as well as what he has been up to since finishing.
What made you choose a master’s in Applied Sport and Exercise Biomechanics at St Mary’s?
I didn't actually do an undergraduate degree, instead I'd been working as a personal trainer for 10 years. I’d been reading about biomechanics and studying movement for a while and was interested in doing a master’s in the area, so I spoke with the course lead at the time and explained my background to her. I asked if she would let me onto the course and she did.
St Mary's has one of the top biomechanics courses in the country, the education is truly gold-standard. The lab equipment is excellent, and I knew that the course was really going to stretch me.
How did you find doing a master’s and what was the teaching like?
Going from not doing an undergrad degree to going into a master's was actually quite difficult. For example, I hadn't ever read a paper before starting the course. But my tutors were great, and they really supported me through that transition.
It was a very steep learning curve, but I was diligent and I wanted to learn, which is what saw me through.
Did anything surprise you about the course?
It was better than I expected it to be. I really wanted to gain a better understanding of movement and be able to understand how movement happens and the physical laws that govern it. What I ended up learning was not only that, but also how to use some pretty advanced technology. Overall, I gained more skills than I thought I would.
It enabled me to start off in a new direction after finishing the master’s. It's enhanced what I do as a personal trainer already, but it's also opened a lot of new avenues for me.
What have you done since finishing your master’s?
Since graduating I've been working on a start-up app that blends virtual reality with artificial intelligence. I’m combining my background as a personal trainer with what I learnt on the biomechanics course to create an AI trainer, accessible on your phone.
It was learning about motion capture at St Mary’s that really started this path for me, as I didn’t even know it existed. The St Mary’s motion capture tech enabled me to see and movement in a whole new way. I knew that other people needed to see it too.
The aim of the app is to help people overcome their fear of not knowing what to do in the gym, without having to fork-out excessive money for a trainer. I want to be able to show people that there are lots of different affordable exercise opportunities available, so that they can really learn how to exercise in a way that’s best for them.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking about doing the Applied Sport and Exercise Biomechanics course?
It's a hard course, so if you want to be stretched and challenged then I’d say it’s for you. If you genuinely enjoy movement, and you’re hungry to learn, you’ll be doing it for the right reasons - and then I have no doubt you’ll see the distance.
If you want to gain a deep understanding of the body and human movement, then you have to do this course. You’ll be so glad you did.