REAL RATINGS, REAL REVIEWS
REAL RATINGS, REAL REVIEWS
Have a listen to our insightful conversations with some of the most interesting people from inside and outside the fitness industry.
Andy Gordon has been through a lot and now he’s helping others crush their fitness goals. Listen to Andy’s story, how he’s recovered both mentally and physically, and how it’s affected how he approaches health & fitness
Andy lets us know what he thinks about the fitness industry as well as letting us know what he thinks of “influencers” in a game of word association.
https://www.thegymadvisors.ie/versatilespf
Andy is joined by Eimear Murphy to chat about the most recent Covid-19 restrictions and how they’ve drastically impacted her life and her career.
We also talk about her love of rugby, varying levels of motivation that even PTs experience, and how our self-talk affects our self-esteem. It’s not all doom and gloom though as craic is had and we hear Eimear’s favourite part of her job as well as the proudest she’s ever been of a client.
Sticking rigidly to the no-ads policy we don’t mention this in the episode but it’s a big, big week over for The Gym Advisors as today (Friday, October 16th) we’re quietly launching our equipment store. For one week only until October 23rd, our members, their clients, and you lovely podcast listeners are getting exclusive access so head to https://store.thegymadvisors.ie and the password is: betterfitness
But here’s the thing, have you ever heard of a store opening and then demanding you don’t buy anything? Well that’s what we’re doing – do not buy something from the store until you have talked to one of the many members of The Gym Advisors who have a 10% discount code. And if you have a PT and they’re not on thegymadvisors.ie what the hell are they at? Tell them to sign the hell up, it’s absolutely free and they’ll be able to get you that discount code.
Declan Flynn joins Andy Colleran to tell us his story of weightloss, how and why he wanted to embark on that journey, and how his approach to nutrition means never cutting out any of his favourite foods, regardless of his fitness goals.
2-time World champion kickboxer Tommy “The Ghost” McCafferty joins Andy to tell us his incredible story of being bullied throughout his childhood, including being hospitalised several times, and using that to fuel his successful Martial Arts career as well as his post-fight life.
We also touch on how coaching in Kickboxing LK has also helped in his fitness photography and videography business, Ghost Productions
To celebrate the launch of The Gym Advisors Blog, Andy is joined by Jeff Heneghan to build on the article he wrote for us that focuses on returning to sport and activity after suffering an injury.
Before listening to this episode, you should take 5 minutes to read that article over on thegymadvisors.ie/blog, it’s one of five already published that have been written either by Andy or some of our other amazing members.
One of the best things about this podcast is hearing the passion and enthusiasm of some of the incredible people we have working in our industry. And that’s never been more true than with today’s guest Kelsey Brennan, a PT and coach working out of Unit 3 in Naas, Co. Kildare
The chat hits on Kelsey’s health and fitness philosophy, her passion for personal and professional development, her unusual source of inspiration, and much, much more
Do you have a sweet tooth like Andy? If so, this episode has everything you need to try and reduce the amount of sugar you consume without completely cutting out all of your favourite treats long term.
Mark Nealon, a Personal Trainer and Athletic Therapist from Mayo, joins Andy to give us some brilliant yet easy to implement tips on how to deal with over consumption of sugar, whether you’re eating it intentionally or if it’s hidden in foods you don’t even know contains sugar.
We often hear about women adjusting their training around their monthly cycle, but what about men?
Jessica Keniston, owner of FittSteps Training, has a hunch that if men slightly tweak their training throughout the month, they will see better results. But unlike many people in 2020, Jessica isn’t treating a hunch as fact and instead is going to test the idea with some volunteers
Would you be interested in testing this out and seeing better results? Listen to hear the science and logic behind this idea and to find out how to get involved
Dale Murphy-Butler, a personal trainer, S&C coach, and sprinter from Wexford joins Andy to talk about his path into fitness as well as give us some great information on speed work, how it relates to other areas of fitness and performance, and how you can begin to improve your speed.
Andy starts the episode by talking about The Social Dilemma and poses the question that he believes hangs over the entire fitness industry – “Is this the platform we want to build the fitness industry on?”
Andy is terrible at warming up before exercise – he thinks it’s a waste of time.
But much smarter people say he’s wrong so Dublin Personal Trainer Gary Austin joins Andy to convince him of the benefits of warming up, how best to do it, and even give some time saving hacks that even Andy would have to agree are incredible useful.
Jelena Bogdanovic joined Andy to chat about her journey from teenager struggling with self-confidence to successful and fearless entrepreneur
Jelena’s journey started with Zumba and it has been a constant in her life even as she launches her new program. Be.Me takes an holistic approach to health and fitness, identifying and removing limiting beliefs deep in her clients’ subconscious
You can join a private facebook group where Jelena gives free workshops on confidence, weightloss and much more: https://bit.ly/33iIwFR
Devon Geary from DG Coaching joins Andy to discuss his passion for personal development and why he believes it’s a double-edged sword and how this relates to his ideas on masculinity and life in 2020.
This is a wide ranging chat that goes from fights as young kid to an adult life in management all while fighting mental health battles and the importance of building and maintaining habits and routines along the way.
Andy is joined by Dean Holmes to discuss the cliché or perceived wisdom that a Personal Trainer is just there to count reps.
Is it true or false?
What conclusion could Dean (a PT) and Andy (Runs a business helping people find Fitness Facilities and Fitness Professionals) come to…?
Dean has some great points that Andy has never even thought of in terms of the benefits of working with a Personal Trainer and how he helps his clients in his hometown of Carlow.
Dublin PT Stephen Sheppard joins Andy (a well renowned coward) to give us a crash course in Combat Sports, from the physical and mental demands to the benefits for kids and young people who take them up early in life.
https://www.thegymadvisors.ie/stesheppardpt
Dublin PT and new gym owner (Victory Fitness) Vicky Cornick joined Andy to chat through her experiences with an eating disorders and how that has shaped who she is as a person and a coach and how her experiences have affected her approach to health, fitness and nutrition.
Does being a tennis prodigy affect how Vicky relates to her clients?
Why does Vicky have “Destroy what destroys you” tattooed on her arm?
Why does Vicky think we are our own worst critics?
You’ll have to listen to find out!
Andy hopped in the car and travelled to Mayo for a socially distanced chat with Anthony Dempsey about his fitness philosophy, what he learned during lockdown, and even the best piece of advice he has ever received.
The discussion also turns to Anthony’s favourite and least favourite thing about the industry, people with a Monday mentality, and much, much more.
https://www.thegymadvisors.ie/anthonydempseypt
Katy Harrison joins Andy to talk through her yoga journey, one that puts her in a special position to be able to help regular people who may be wary of trying yoga for the first time.
From a rebellious teen competing in every sport and activity except yoga because she didn’t like the fact her dad was a yoga teacher and how this changed so much over the years so that she experienced a moment on an idyllic beach where she realised this was the life for her.
www.thegymadvisors.ie/katyharrisonyoga
Ruairi Smyth joins Andy to talk through some misconceptions we have about toxic masculinity and how the expectations we have for ourselves and other men can affect our mental health.
This conversation touches on some sensitive topics, if you feel affected or motivated to reach out for help, here are the contact details for free professional help we mention in the episode:
Pieta House: 1800 247 247 or text “HELP” to 51444
Samaritans Ireland: 116 123
SOSAD Ireland: 041 984 8754
Text “HELLO” to 50808
David Gow, a physio and yogi from Galway joins Andy to talk us through the power of sound healing, prompting both interest and a terrible dad joke from Andy
David walks us through a sound healing session and the benefits people experience, including deep relaxation and relief from anxious feelings
The episode ends with a snippet of Tibetan singing bowls so take a couple of minutes for yourself to sit back, relax, and enjoy a fraction of the benefits of a full sound healing session
Micheál Penston joins Andy to talk about his approach to health, fitness, nutrition whether it’s his own or his clients.
The light hearted chat also touches on the current state of the fitness industry, the need for variety and balance in fitness, and how a client’s experience changes throughout their time working with Micheál and (his wife and business partner) Fiona.
Last week Declan Flynn took over @thegymadvisors stories on Instagram and to finish the day off he joined Andy live for a Q&A on nutrition for beginners.
Declan is a personal trainer from Dublin who has undergone his own transformation in recent years so is very well placed to help others on their health and fitness journey, particularly when it comes to nutrition and keeping it interesting in the kitchen.
Damien Joyce joins Andy to tackle the cliché that you cannot lose fat and gain muscle at the same time.
Is it true? Is it broscience? Is it complete rubbish?
You'll have to listen to find out...
Andy has never tried yoga, it’s just never really been his scene.
But in an attempt to expand his exercise horizons he enlists Saibh Egan to put forth the reasons to try yoga.
Saibh makes a compelling case for the benefits of practicing yoga but can she convince our hesitant host?
Listen to find out…
Recovering from injury isn’t just physical. It’s also mental and even emotional
Conor Headd was surprised how much mental strength it took to recover from his own serious injury - particularly as it occurred as Ireland was going into lockdown, making it an incredibly lonely experience. He learned a lot though and gives us some practical tips to overcome injury.
Conor is also a keen runner and we end the episode with a very simple training technique that elite runners are using and you can start implementing on your very next run
What’s the biggest obstacle in your way to achieving your fitness goals?
Whether it’s a lack of time, having young kids, not having a good relationship with food, or anything else, the chances are that Jessica Keniston, in this takeover episode of the podcast, tackles it here and gives you practical advice on how to overcome that obstacle and set you on your way to becoming happier and healthier.
Just after Jimmy’s family threw him a surprise 40th birthday party, he realised he wanted to set himself a challenge that would test him physically, mentally, and emotionally…and he was going to give himself until he hit 50 to achieve it!
10 years later, he was a blackbelt kickboxer but it hadn’t been easy, there were ups and downs, both physically and mentally, including being told by a nurse 7 years into his challenge that he was morbidly obese!
Jimmy’s inspirational story brings the phrase “age is just a number” to life.
Adam McCarthy is a Strength & Conditioning Coach and Personal Trainer who is involved in some fascinating research around the physical effects firefighters experience during their work while also tutoring some of the next generation of Trainers and Coaches in Ireland.
As well as talking about Adam’s various roles, he also gives us some much need advice for when we return to the gym here in Ireland next week.
We're constantly told the weighing scales are the only way to measure success when it comes to exercise and nutrition.
Listen to Linda Murtagh tell Andy how confidence should be the ultimate yardstick for progress and how she went from eating doritos on the couch every night to making fitness her career and inspiring women her life goal.
We also hear about an amazing event on in Navan this weekend that aims to raise money for a SOSAD, a mental health charity doing incredible work.
Are you sick of sabotaging your own efforts to reach a goal?
Are you fed up with reverting to old behaviours when you get stressed?
Are you worried you just can’t break out of these bad habits and achieve what you want to?
Fear not! Sharon Ryan of Phoenix Fitness 247 is here to tell us why we keep “falling off the wagon” and how we can begin to change our behaviours to match our ambitions.
https://www.thegymadvisors.ie/profiles/phoenix-fitness-247/460/
Working from home is here to stay. Gyms are having to change how they operate. How we exercise is about to change forever.
In this episode, Andy is joined by Jake Nalepa from BNM Therapy to discuss some articles he has written recently about how covid affects the individual, how the fitness industry will have to adapt, how we are sitting ourselves to death, and to give some advice to those of us now working from home.
https://www.thegymadvisors.ie/profiles/body,-nutrition---movement-therapy/474/
Lillie Stewart of Unit 3 Health and Fitness joins Andy Colleran to discuss the benefits of exercise before and during pregnancy, how best to go about it, and what pitfalls to avoid
Spoiler Alert- don't take up horse riding!
Mark Nealon took over our IG account recently and ended the day with a Live Q&A.
00:45 Any tips for returning to exercise post-lockdown with a shoulder injury
03:37 Given your history (of injury at a young age) what advice would you give to a young person just starting out?
05:40 What's involved in the (Free 14 Day) Kickstarter?
07:29 Is the kickstarter for men or women? And do you need a base level of fitness for it?
09:04 How do you keep motivation up to exercise long term?
12:00 Any tips for hunger management?
14:53 Best way to prevent injury?
17:27 Is keto a good way to lose fat?
20:09 Do you have any health and fitness podcast suggestions?
21:18 How much protein do you actually need and is that based on your current bodyweight or goal bodyweight?
Sign up for Mark's 14 Day Lean Muscle FREE kickstart programme here:
Kickboxing world cup multiple gold medallist Caradh O'Donovan talks about her career up to this point, including the incredible lows she has overcome to be where she is today - on the verge of Olympic qualification in Karate, a sport she took up less than 4 years ago.
The chat also turns to sports governance where Caradh has been openly critical of people in power and what she's doing to help improve the world of sport for the long term.
www.instagram.com/caradhodonovan
www.twitter.com/caradhodonovan
Alanna Kelly joins Andy to discuss the importance of doing the basics well from the very beginning and what the foundational pieces of exercise and nutrition are. They also launch a petition that would change the world as we know it!
After that earth shattering development the rest of the chat seems inconsequential but it includes the mistakes beginners make, the dangers of getting your fitness inspiration and information from social media, and why working with a coach is the ultimate time hack!
To mark the end of Mental Health Awareness month, Andy is joined by Ronan Kiely to discuss why caring about your client's physical fitness is not enough to create lasting change.
Ronan also opens up about tackling his own mental health issues and how doing so not only improved his physical and mental health, it also gave his business a new lease of life.
Andy is joined by Alan Devane to talk through the differences between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset, how to start adjusting your mindset, and the benefits that come with making that change.
Dusan Bogdanovic is a former professional basketball player, a current basketball coach, and a sports psychologist - who better to join Andy for a chat about The Last Dance - Michael Jordan's documentary that is killing it on Netflix right now.
As well as discussing Jordan's transition from the ultimate lone wolf to the ultimate team first player, his leadership techniques, and his work ethic, Dusan also compares a certain former Kerry footballer to MJ - high praise for Jordan!
Darren Connaughton joins Andy to discuss the Government's 5-step "re-opening" plan and how he sees it playing out. The chat also touches on the barriers FitPros will have to overcome before they can get back to in-person training, the difference between small and large facilities and if they should have a different opening date before finishing on the perceived black market that is forming in the fitness industry.
An outline of the plan can be found here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_rkYJEniwZ/
Bryan Foy joins Andy to talk to us about how he's coping during these times and also how a mammoth WattBike session led to the idea to run a Quarantine edition of his fitness racing event, The Battle of The Boyne that also benefits Pieta House.
Find out how you can get involved!
Sean Flannery joins Andy to give us some easy to implement behaviours to adapt effectively to life in lockdown.
Andy is joined by Orlaith White, a Personal Trainer and Coach who works in Unit 3 in Naas, Co. Kildare.
Orlaith tells us about her sports specific work with athletes and how the atmosphere created by the owners in Unit 3 allow her to go above and beyond for her clients.
We also revive an old classic feature by getting Orlaith to recommend her favourite Book, Podcast and Movie before ending with the proudest Orlaith has ever been of a client.
Amy McGuire returns to the pod to give Andy some handy tips to help tailor his nutrition and make better food decisions than he has been during isolation.
Amy also tells a couple of stories that will have you somewhere between the edge of your seat and in floods of tears with laughter, depending on your sensibilities!
We need some positivity in our lives and no one brings more of it than the returning Susan Carey.
Susan talks to Andy about hosting an amazing event BC (before Corona), how her life has been affected by the ongoing corona mess, and we finish by hearing a about the most proud Susan has ever been of a client....Aye Macarena!
Hasta la Fitness Baby!
Somehow, in an almost totla shutdown, we've had a scheduling nightmare and couldn't record a full episode - to make up for it, here's the audio of a Facebook Live Andy took part in as part of Jessica Keniston's Talking Truths series.
Jessica takes Andy to task over a variety of issues, from the idea behind thegymadvisors.ie to his most embarrassing moment!
Hasta la Fitness, baby!
Andy is joined by Marie Duffy, co-owner of Shape My Plan, to talk through the importance of adapting a small business during these trying times, and how Shape My Plan can help you structure your nutrition to avoid treating your isolation as a grotesque Christmas.
In the first episode of the revamped Gym Advisors Podcast, we bring back our first ever guest, Jessica Keniston to tell us how she is coping both personally and professionally in these weird times we are living in.
We end on a positive note as Jessica tells Andy the most proud she's ever been of a client.
Andy travelled to Glasnevin to visit the NCBI Resource Centre and definitely didn't forget to press record and miss the first 15 minutes of an intriguing chat....
Luckily, Maggie Richardson and James Flanagan were kind enough to our sheepish host and we got there in the end!
We are delighted to announce our Partnership with the NCBI and sponsorship of the amazing Shapeshifters event that takes place in the National Sports Campus on May 29th.
Andy travels to Thurles to chat with Amy McGuire – Lecturer, Gym Owner, Head of Performance Nutrition for the Tipperary Men’s GAA team, and much, much more.
Amy tells us how she balances her roles, and communicates effectively with elite athletes, gym novices, and everyone in between.
We also get Amy’s response to a listener question on binge eating and why she feels so frustrated with the lack of regulation when it comes to qualifications in the Irish Fitness Industry.
Hasta La Fitness Baby!
Andy is joined by Sean Flannery, a 1:1 Personal Trainer and Online Coach from Longford.
During the chat Sean tells us about his journey from being an anxious kid to finding a passion and a home in the world of sport and fitness.
Sean talks about his passion for mindfulness, how he sees it impacting the Fitness Industry in the coming years, and why he thinks it's an underused tool in the Personal Trainer's armoury.
We somehow finish by picking out the life lessons we can take from watching, of all movies, Forrest Gump!
Andy is joined by Jeff Heneghan of Tribesmen Training to tell us about his lifelong obsession with exercise, how it has helped him get through some tough times and the benefits of being humble in the Fitness Industry.
We also discuss the need for a constant growth mindset, and why anyone who claims their way is the only way has strayed away from fitness and into religion.
Cardio vs Weight Training - Which is "better"?
Andy is joined by Susan Carey, a Personal Trainer from Kerry who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of 14.
Susan discusses her journey from diagnosis all the way to becoming a Personal Trainer, including undergoing a mild form of chemotherapy, having to push her own limits, and how everything she has been through has made her more empathetic towards her clients regardless of their situation.
We also tackle the cliché that gyms are only for fit people, spoiler alert:
It’s false!
Andy is joined by one of the nicest guys in the business, Darren Connaughton of FitLinks Fitness in Ballyfermot, Co. Dublin.
Darren chats about his journey from barman to Gym owner, describing some dicey situations he navigated along the way to creating one of the most Family Friendly gyms in Ireland.
Talk soon turned to diet, ab exercises not creating a washboard stomach, and why you can't drop fat off a specific part of your body.
Andy is joined by Alan Devane, a Personal Trainer, Online Coach, GAA Strength and Conditioning Coach and an allround good guy.
We talk about how hard a worker Alan is in both his personal and professional life, and we touch on topics such as why a PT would need a coach of their own, the importance of mindset when trying to lose weight, and how you can make the most of the next 3 weeks before Christmas to make sure you're not going from a standing start in January.
Alan rants about the negatives of program hopping while we chat about the Netflix documentary Gamechangers, and we tackle the age-old belief that women shouldn't lift weights for fear of gaining too much muscle.
As always, we get Alan's recommendations for his favourite Book, Podcast and Movie.
Andy is joined by Jessica Keniston to tell us how she went from growing up in America to owning a Fitness Studio in Co. Galway, having fallen out of love with fitness in her early 20s.
Jessica also tells how she is using her knowledge of ballet to help talented Irish Dancers and why exercise during pregnancy is so important.
Andy and Jessica then challenge the cliche that you should "Never Miss a Monday" to see if it holds up under scrutiny, before Jessica gets to rant about the need for consistency rather than an "All or Nothing" approach to Fitness.
We finish with Jessica's recommendations for her favourite Book, Podcast and Movie.
In this episode, your host Andy lets you know what to expect from this series of podcasts and primes you for the first episode where we chat to Jessica Keniston.