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I love that saying because it sums up LIFE! This is the way life is, it is the way it always has been and I am going to suggest that it is the way it always will be. And that is good! I don't think it should be any other way because it is through the trials, pains, and failings we ALL experience, that we become the person we are. The better you become at dealing with hardship, struggle, and suffering, the better equipped you are to deal with the crap life is going to throw at you. The younger you are exposed to hardship and challenges, the soon your mind adapts to accepting life as life, and the less likely you are to fall prey to the "poor me" syndrome. Every generation becomes softer than the last as modern ways of living took hold and become part of everyday life. I remember being blown away by a square dot bouncing side to side on the TV screen when the Atari first came out, I remember 2nd year and the NES and everyone talking about the AMAZING graphics. Now our children are born into a world where the internet and computers are just normal. We can video call our family with handheld devices, order anything from anywhere at the click of a button. But this ease of life has its costs. The cost is our ability to deal with discomfort. For generations, humans had to endure hardship daily. Winters were cold, clothes were hand-me-downs, kids slept 6 to a bed, food was whatever was put in front of you and you either ate it or you went hungry. Nowadays kids cry because they don't like peas or carrots or they didn't want smiley faces and us, the parents, react to their cries like trained chimps and give them what they want, even though they were the ones asked for the food they no longer want in the first place. Are we really doing them a service? Is pandering to their every desire and allowing them to vegetate in front of screens all day, helping them to become the best possible versions of themselves? What happens if the net goes down? What happens if there is a war/natural disaster/alien invasion You get the picture. We grew up building forts and dens, climbing trees, running, jumping, getting dirty. It has been something kids have always done and it is something they still will do IF we expose them to it. We give them the electronic devices because A. There mates have them B. Life has evolved and they are an integral part of society today But that doesn't mean they need them all the time. Think back to your childhood. Sports, two-man hunt, football in the street, scouts, rainy holidays in a caravan in some coastal area of Ireland playing snakes and ladders or yatzy or watching a black & white tv powered off a car battery. But we LOVED THEM! We went out in the morning and didn't come back to we were hungry then back out again, you couldn't keep us inside if you tried. Nowadays it's the complete opposite and WE are responsible! We are the parents and we gotta own this shit because then we open the door to changing that. We are helping to shape their outlook on life. What happens in 25 years when these snowflake kids are faced with REAL LIFE CHANGING decisions and events? This is why the likes of weightlifting, martial arts, team sports, athletics, etc are so important for development. It teaches ownership It teaches responsibility It exposes them to pain It exposes them to suffering It exposes them to self doubt It removes the blame on others It shows them that they are the deciding factor in their success It doesn't care if they are finding things tough or not, it is there to conquer or be conquered

Why do you train the way you do? For most people, it's a really simple answer “Because that's how you were shown to train” We believe when it comes to weights, we all need to do certain moves. These all involve a barbell Shoulder Press Bent Over Row Bench Press Deadlift Squat Why? Well there are a few common reasons If you only ever did these five exercises, you would be pretty strong Most PT's you hire will have been trained to use the barbell as their main tool The barbell is synonymous with getting strong and putting n muscle But just because others are using them, does it mean you should be as well? My opinion is a resounding NO! In fact, I would go as far as to say that for the vast majority of the demographic I train, a barbell is not necessarily the best way to train for the goals they are trying to achieve A barbell is a TOOL! It has thousands of ways to be used and the purpose for how or IF you use it is determined by the goal of the individual Let's use the squat as an example. Never in the history of modern lifting has there ever been a more misused exercise. We live in a world where the VAST majority of our time is spent sitting or lying. Compare this to 100 years ago, when we were much more active due to working requirements and access to sugar and a multitude of other food additives that weren't part of everyday life. We were fitter and more mobile AND we had no PT's or science papers explaining how's and why's of what we were doing, we just did it because it made sense. These men and women would have had the ability to squat safely but sadly not us. It doesn't mean there are people out there who can, nor does it mean that everyone reading this couldn't get themselves to a point where it is possible, I just mean that as it stands, in my experience, most people I train, do not need or should not do barbell back squats. EVERYONE who sets foot in Primal is first given a light bell and shown how to goblet squat. This is one of the most underutilised exercises there is and if you aren't capable of at LEAST 50% of your body weight for 10 reps, then there is no need to be under a barbell. The goblet squat will probably produce better results for the muscles you need to train to allow a safe and strong barbell squat. The same applies to ALL of the barbell exercises I mentioned. For a lot of untrained people, they are down the road, there are much better and safer options to use that will build the foundational levels of strength required to allow longevity in your training while keeping you safe. This is why spending time looking for a coach with a solid reputation is one of the most beneficial things you can do when starting out training again. Why risk injury or waste time making so many mistakes when there are people out there with the skills and knowledge to help you avoid the pitfalls and take you closer to your goals in a much faster time

Here is me telling everyone that you need to accept you are older now and not in your 20s. That you just aren't capable of jumping back into training the way you did, when you haven't done it in 10-15 years. Then I decide to do 10 x 3 min rounds on the punch bags and then spar for an hour. Today I CANNOT MOVE!! What did I learn? A. I am as stiff as a wooden board B. My sparring ability is as rusty as an 80 year old gate in rural Ireland C. My body is simply no longer capable of pushing the way I once could D. I don't care! The pain was 100% worth it and regardless of how bad I was, I LOVED IT!! So here is the contradiction to EVERYTHING I always talk about. Sometimes the mental game is more important than the physical outcomes. I KNEW today I was gonna be sore. I KNEW my hips were gonna hate me. I KNEW I would struggle with daily tasks. I KNOW I cannot do this everyday and expect to function normally I KNOW that I am going to make sure I pencil in some time each week to do this. Now I train regularly enough. Not as much as I would like to but enough to keep me ticking over. I do enough to keep me fit for my everyday life as a 44 year old dad. I DON'T train enough to be capable of doing 60 minutes of sparring (2 x30 minutes, with a few breaks) Even though the guys I was sparing are untrained and I was only taking them around to let them experience the adrenaline dump, I am still in AGONY and my actions have ensured I won't be capable of training properly for a few days BUT I did get up this morning and go for a swim, 100m laps x 10 sets, to loosen up (another thing I did for half my life but not for 10+ years) And this is the point I am trying to make. We do need to accept our limitations and understand we are older but we also need to make time for doing the things we LOVE. Even if we aren't capable of doing what we once were, we can still relive that time at a lesser intensity, as long as we accept each action has an equal and opposite reaction. My action was I decided to spar The reaction was my body is broken and I won't be capable of moving for days

Short version of this article Women should lift weights. The End Longer version..... Women, if you lift weights your life will improve in almost every way possible! Body composition Confidence Feeling Looks What WON'T happen is you looking like Arnie! Look at all those men in the gym, a LOT of them actually want to look like Arnie! They are there day after day TRYING to achieve this..... and yet.... They don't? Now when you understand the reason men have bigger muscles than women is due to testosterone and that the average woman has between 1/10-1/20th the amount of testosterone, compared to the average man and you think about how hard it is for men to gain muscle (so much so that those that achieve the "Arnie" look supplement their natural supply with CRAZY amounts of chemicals) It is safe to say that no matter how hard you train, you will NOT look like a man! The End If you are interested in group training and live in or around the Lisburn area, then why not try out Primal Strength & Movement Group Training? A 4 week trial of up to 20 sessions with times to suit even the busiest individual 6/7/9/10 am and 5/6/7/8 pm Monday to Friday. No need to book into sessions, just pick the one that suits you best that day, rock up, and get involved. We offer coaching for both men and women Click on the link below and get started MEN: http://www.primal4weektrial.com/signup WOMEN: http://www.primalladies4weektrial.com/sign-up We also run MMA style fighter circuits for both members and non-members on a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings at 8pm as well as teen training for 13-17 year olds on a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon from 4-5pm

One thing I can say with absolute certainty The older you get, the better you become at lying. Not just to others, but to yourself! The number of men and women (but more so men) with beer bellies, biceps like noodles, moobs, and the mobility of a rusted gate, who will stand directly in front of me, and tell me without a hint of a smirk on their face, that they train regularly, would blow you away. These people have convinced themselves that a round of golf with their mates or a game of five a side, constitutes regular exercise. What they tend to forget (omit?) from their story is the 8 hours of drinking that follows the golf or the fact that after 5 minutes they went into nets or pulled up with yet another injury. The facts are, most people in their 40's have allowed their health and fitness to slip. Working a sedentary job, comfortable in a relationship, stressful job, lack of regular sleep, poor nutrition, it all adds up and your game of golf is only allowing you to lie to yourself and others (though the belly tends to tell a different story) that you are still doing something. Like I keep saying, you need to train for your lifestyle, not Instagram. So many people have this false idea of what training involves, based off what social media tends to project as truth. If you are in your 40s or beyond, if you are a parent with limited time, you won't need to do that much to make a big impact on your life. Eat more veg Get more sleep Drink more water Walk 5-10km every day Train three times a week That is all you need to make a MASSIVE improvement in your life If you are interested in group training and live in or around the Lisburn area, then why not try out Primal Strength & Movement Group Training? A 4 week trial of up to 20 sessions with times to suit even the busiest individual 6/7/9/10 am and 5/6/7/8 pm Monday to Friday. No need to book into sessions, just pick the one that suits you best that day, rock up, and get involved. We offer coaching for both men and women Click on the link below and get started MEN: http://www.primal4weektrial.com/signup WOMEN: http://www.primalladies4weektrial.com/sign-up

Gonna try and keep this one short For years I have spoken about taking control of your actions Being personally responsible for what happens in your day to day life We live in a world of unhealthy, overweight, traumatized people Now add in this crazy WOKE culture and what we have is the perfect breeding ground for the Society we live in today. Family and friends literally hating each other because of a decision that should be personal to each one of us. This belief that everyone should do what you think, in order to make you feel safer is ridiculous! We are all responsible for ourselves first! If you have spent years avoiding dealing with trauma If you have allowed yourself to use food, drink, drugs as a means of escape If you are unhealthy and now worried about whether or not you might die now THAT IS ON YOU! It is up to YOU to take action to change get it! Now I get that there is fuck all help from the governments That they want us to be sick as it makes more money for their Big Pharma funders, there is no profit to be made in cures but they can only make that money IF we play their game I have experienced my own personal hell getting myself to this point in my life. Had it not been for the support of close friends and loved ones, I probably/maybe wouldn't be here to talk today BUT It was still me who had to make the decision to change. It was still me who had to go through all of the pain and challenges NO ONE could do it for me, I was just lucky I had the support network I needed. The reality is, this doesn't look like it is going away anytime soon, so we need to learn to live with it, just like we have the flu and cancers, and strokes, and car accidents, and suicides and all the other ways there are to die. But blaming each other, fighting with each other, getting angry with each other, it is only affecting us and our nearest and dearest. It is helping to bring the collective energy of the world down and have us existing in energy that only helps suppress our immune systems while making us feel like shit and that is something each and everyone of us can help to change by looking inside ourselves and taking the actions we need to take rather than trying to blame others about how we feel

One thing I have learnt through coaching the 40+ bracket, the average man and woman will improve their lives so much more… IF they ignore the main stream fitness message and instead find out where they currently are and build from that point. The PROBLEM is a virus that is very common among this age group, especially men and when a group of men get together, if even one man has the slightest hint of the virus, it will spread within minutes. While not deadly, it has been known to keep men fat for years and prevent them from training. It is called Usetoitis. Everyone knows some man who has suffered from it. I use to be able to play football I use to be able to run a mile in under 5 minutes I use to be able to bench press 100kg Well I use to be a 25 year old MMA fighter who was fit, strong and mobile… but I am not that man anymore so t is pointless in me comparing my current state to that of a man who was training twice a day, 5-6 times a week. But we can't help it and this need to profess to the world about what we use to be able to do, means we are setting ourselves up for failure and a fall from grace that will bruise our egos and probably help us find an excuse as to why we shouldn't train anymore. The thing is, if you are an average dude I his 40s, who is out of shape, then you need to start you training at a point suitable for an unfit dude in his 40s and that will most likely mean having to eat some humble pie for a while. It may mean doing some “embarrassing “ Jane Fonda style moves you ma done on the living room floor back in the 80s while listening to a CASSETTE tape of the exercises, but by stepping back you will allow your body the time needed to adapt and get its mojo back. It won't be too long before you are back lifting the kinda weight that makes ya feel more like a man but if you jump in with an ego fuelled mind and try what you use to be able to do, there is a good chance that injury is just around the corner

Over the last 10-15 years the industries that I refer to as the “ego” industries, have EXPLODED! The main two are fitness and beauty and it is no coincidence that their growth coincides with the growth of social media. We are all narcissistic to some level and when you have the ability to present to others a “perfect” image of yourself, it makes sense that we would take advantage of it as much as possible. This need to feel validated and accepted allows others to exploit these feelings and offer “solutions” to your problems….. Which MILLIONS grab with both hands. The problem is 95% offer short-term solutions to long-term issues. The weight you have not been able to lose this last 20 years can't be fixed with a 12 week transformation. You hating your reflection since you were 16 isn't going to be sorted with half a mill of liquid pumped into your lips. But we see others doing this day after day, we notice the recognition they get from hundreds, maybe thousands of people and we want a piece of it. We want to feel good about ourselves and this offers a simple way of filling the hole that lies within each of us, but it doesn't fix the problem. In fact, if you are honest, it is actually the reason why you are unhappy. It is easy to PRETEND everything is great, it is easy to present the manufactured image you want others to see, the lips and cheek fillers, botox, filters, contouring, transformation photos, starving and dehydrating yourself for a photoshoot but underneath it all, you are still the same person… Only maybe worse! Now you are under more pressure to live up to this image which means more restrictive diets, more doctored photos, more craving for likes, comments, and shares but always avoiding the root of the problem, YOU, and how you think about yourself. I watch grown adults, my age and older, so desperate to feel better about themselves that they listen to kids! 20 year olds with a couple of years experience in training or using makeup and a six week course which tells the world they have reached the minimum standard and men and women my age and older believe they have the answers? Now I am not knocking on the younger trainers and beauty technicians, everyone must start somewhere and I know a few who are amazing at what they do, but we can only be as good as our experiences and the facts are when you are in your 20's, you have NO IDEA what it's like to be 40/50. You can't begin to understand the levels of stress, how your body hurts, what years of abuse can do, how years of lacking confidence can affect your thoughts towards yourself. All they know is their 12 week transformation got their mate his hole and a load of likes, or the attention a certain contouring technique got some of their clients because when you are in your 20's what interests you and what you understand is what 20 somethings want and sadly what most 20 somethings want, is to fit in, to be accepted and to discover their place in society. I was the same, THOUSANDS of others are the same and we have allowed those feelings founded in our 20s to seep into our 30s and into our 40s. Truth be told, I know very few in their ears 40s who are GENUINELY happy. They may be able to hold it together better in front of others but that is because of the experience of doing it, I was the best example of this ever but I just like so many others, was just living the lie and we live this lie because our society is now built upon these lies. IMAGE IMAGE IMAGE! It's all that matters, how others perceive your public persona. It is all about success and this need to be seen as the best. 10K a month targets, six figure businesses, the need for more followers so that others think you are an expert. How can we expect to help others when we are as deep down the same hole as they are? The industries today are full of insecure people who hate themselves and find it easier to try and help others than look into themselves.

This world we live in, sorry exist in, is proof that no matter what time we live in, human nature doesn't change. Society yet again has been divided, we are looking upon neighbours, friends, and family with a sense of mistrust and in some cases, outright hatred. But do we ever stop to consider why they are feeling/acting in the way they are? Why do we believe that everyone should dance to our tune? Why do we believe that everyone must believe the same as we do? If that was the case then the world would be a miserable, boring place. Dreams would not become a reality, we would all become carbon copies of each other, life would lose its spark The problem is balance! The scales have tipped too far in a certain direction. Instead of love, there is an overwhelming feeling of fear God/source/spirituality has been replaced with science and data We live in a world where we need to have answers for everything, we need to know it all but that just isn't truly possible. Maybe we aren't designed to know it all? Maybe that IS the greatest part of life? Maybe that is the lesson we are here to understand? That life is a mystery and science can't explain it? All I know is the world we live in has drastically changed for us all in the last 18 months and we are all looking to science for the answer but we are ignorant to the possibility that WE, as a collective, hold the answers to it all? Deep? Yes, of course it is, it's me writing this lol but I still believe this to be true, and I believe it because I have PERSONALLY experienced it! On six separate occasions, I have sat in a room with people who were complete strangers and listened to them open up about the darkest and most private aspects of their lives. I in turn opened up to them about the things that I have suppressed from my family and friends for 4 decades! We all did this because we felt safe to do so! There was no pressure, no stress, no victimising, just open hearts, listening ears, and understanding souls. Honestly, the real reason we are in this position is that we have been lead down this path and we now believe (through constant repetition of the same narrative) what we hear as gospel. We avoid human contact, we have learned to fear those closest to us, we have distanced ourselves from others, and through a drip-feeding effect are slowly moving further away from what it is we need to feel safe, secure and loved. When I opened up about how I was feeling and I could feel others ACTUALLY listen to me, take in what I was saying and NOT feel judged or foolish, it was like a weight being lifted off my chest. It was the same for everyone else. It showed me that we all have the ability to heal IF we stop putting our own wants in front of everything else. As a collective, we are stronger. It is why we all turn to football teams, gyms, sports, hobbies. We want to find a community of like-minded people that allows us to be who we really are, to express ourselves, and release our emotions. The problem is we all live in a world where trauma and fear has infected all these communities and social media and camera phones make opening up and being YOU a dangerous place so we present an image of who we believe we should be in front of others, which leads to us living a lie and feeling disconnected and over time, that person becomes us but deep down we know it isn't the truth and this is why so many of us feel like frauds

Where to start? It is now Wednesday and I still don't feel 100% able to speak about my latest plant medicine experiences (though I am going to try) partly because I am still trying to process everything that happened and partly because I know to those who have never been through these types of experiences, it will sound like new age madness and leave me open to a lot of criticism from the uneducated. What I can talk about is the human connection experienced over those 4 days. What the weekend taught me more than anything is that we are living in a society that is plagued with illness. I am not talking about the virus but about how we all think, feel and act. We all REACT from a place of fear, founded on unresolved trauma from years of immersion in a society that does not have the health of humanity at its heart. Almost 30 people of varying ages between 22 and 50+, from different backgrounds and life experiences all coming together with one similar goal in mind, healing. This gathering provided each and every one of us a space that allowed us to drop the defensive veils we wear so often, that we believed them to actually be who we are. Once we allowed ourselves to be vulnerable, to go inside ourselves and be honest about our experiences, fears, and feelings, something magical happened… we felt heard, we felt understood, we felt safe! We were able to speak about the hurt and pain that we had suppressed for years, for some of us… decades! When released, we came to the realisation that we aren't alone and how our words and experiences resonated with so many others. And it is within that realisation that TRUE human connection is formed. People you would not see yourself having much in common with suddenly became much closer. All of us have damaged inner children SCREAMING for attention, CRYING to be heard and it is through the suppression of these emotions that our illnesses form. What I went through this time was not easy, in fact, it was very painful. I had to accept that I have been lying to myself for years in order to cope in this society. REAL MEN DON'T CRY! Only we do and we MUST in order to allow ourselves to heal and cry I did and I continue to cry as I go through this highly emotional process. This journey has challenged me, it has forced me to reconsider long-held beliefs that have formed my identity. It made me face repressed emotions, emotions so repressed that I actually didn't even realise they were there never mind a problem but it is within this pain that true freedom is found.

Why do you train? Most people will answer "To lose weight" "feel better" "Add muscle" etc etc If I ask 100 people that question, I will get the same generic answer, just worded differently. The reality is, for the VAST MAJORITY of us, we train as we believe it will improve our lives. Fitness is what Instagram tells us it is. Nutrition is what your favourite social media influencer tells you it is We train as we do because that's what everyone else is doing For the most part, we all have a preexisting idea of what training should entail We all know what Zumba, HIIT, circuits, Crossfit, powerlifting is. We know this because the Industry marketing machine pushes this idea down our throats on a daily basis When we are exposed to something new, self-doubt creeps in. We want to keep doing what we know because there is comfort in the familiar and fear in the unknown and trying new things is unknown I design my programs with the idea that the people who come to me are training for life and life is more than calorie deficit and boasting on Facebook about your new 1rm Recently I brought in MMA/boxing. With 20 years of experience, it is more than just winging your arms at the bags. I coach it as if I was coaching the new fighters I had under me and that means coordination, movement, power But this also exposes their insecurities, their weaknesses. It challenges a lot of them and you can see them comparing themselves to others, ultimately finding faults in their own skills while finding the good points of the others. But my ethos for training has always been it is better to have something and not need it rather than need something than not have it It is better to have the physical strength to move items It is better to have good cardio than not It is better to have an increased end range of movement It is better to know you can throw/take a punch You may never need your strength, you may never have to throw a punch, you may never have your joints pulled into a position that tears muscles BUT would you rather know you can call upon these things if and when required? Training is competitive…. against yourself but not everyone trains for competition! You don't need to test yourself (though equally, it is great if you do) but for 99% of society, the aim is just a better quality of life and that means doing the basics well and often, pushing your ceiling when it comes to limitations and new skills and having fun!!!!

Has the last 17 months succeeded in separating humanity? I have noticed a separation like never before! Friends, families, work colleagues. You are on this side or that side. There is no longer any middle ground. And it is affecting all aspects of life! I can see it in the gym, numbers are down, the desire to achieve goals has dropped because of the fear and uncertainty Will we be open next month? Is there any point in my committing to this? The collective energy of the world is low, we are all vibrating at a lower frequency, meaning our energy is low, our drive has disappeared. We are losing what it means to be human! Never before has humanity been so far apart and this very act of separation is what's helping to push us further apart! We are human! ..... Tribal! We rely on the support of like-minded people to not only survive but thrive! We are not created to live alone, isolated from others! We are designed to help and support one and other but it seems that those in power have other ideas! Look at this country! For DECADES we had a sense of mistrust about people we never knew because the box in our room told us we should! There are some among us who hated strangers so much, they were willing to kick in the door of their houses and shoot them dead in front of their families! And it all stemmed from fear! Fear led to hate, hate led to fighting, fighting led to death! Look at us now! One side is screaming for the other side to be denied rights, denied freedoms because these handheld division devices are telling us we need to hate them! People we don't know are manipulating our thoughts, preying on our fears, leading to a society that is divided and easily controlled! And it is affecting us all! Whether you believe or don't believe these actions are deserved is irrelevant, if we don't come together soon and put our fears aside, we will begin to forget what it means to be human! Nothing good for society has ever been achieved through fear and fighting! It is only when we look upon each other as we would our children do we realise that underneath, we are all similar. We have spent decades..... CENTURIES fighting each other because people we don't know or will never meet, tell us things that will divide us. It is time to let go of the fear and begin to heal

What if? What if I fail? What if I succeed? What if people laugh? What if I get it wrong? The fear of "what if" is the biggest controlling tool ever released on humanity and in today's world of instant connection, has more power than ever before.

Ok. If you know me, you know I am a slegger! I love to wind people up! I am quick-witted and sarcastic as hell and I LOVE to wind up some of the girls in my gym with 'sexist' remarks because I know I will get a rise out of them. But the reality is I have a mum, I have a fiancé, I have 2 young daughters and I help raise Gail's young daughter. I love all these women/girls, so when it comes down to it and all the slegging is set aside, I want to see them not only be treated with respect but to feel they live in a society that sees them for what they are capable of and not as a second class citizen. We live in a time when the potential for positive female role models is at an all-time high! In MMA the womens division has some of the most talented and exciting fighters on the planet and myself and Gail LOVE to record the UFC then watch it from start to finish and when the women fight, I love to watch Gail's reaction. You can see how watching these women compete in what was once seen as a men only sport, empowers her. She has taken up grappling because of it and she is FUCKING GOOD!!!! I am serious when I say she has the potential to be a champion and I have been to the UFC with one of my fighters so I am qualified to make this prediction But this fight for equality has went too far! Society today needs to catch a grip! The Olympics are starting and for the first time We are about to witness a MAN complete against WOMEN in a strength sport! How is that fair? Why should we applaud a man who has decided he should have been born a female, has the bone density of a man, the man strength built from years of weight lifting, male levels of testosterone for decades but because it is 2021, he can now decide he is a she and competes against women? So we just will raise a middle finger to all the women who have sacrificed and dreamt of this moment for a lifetime but because a group of far-left lunatics who have no ability to cope with life, decides to shout the loudest and the MSM take up their struggle (because it is a great way to divide) it has now happened that INTERNATIONAL SPORTING BODIES agree that these women's right to a fair crack does not outweigh this individuals right to be recognised as a woman? Folks this is NOT equality, it is an agenda and it is an agenda that is sexist towards the athletes who have sacrificed just as much as anyone else trying to win gold. And while we are on the Olympics The Norwegian women's volleyball team has just been fined for opting to wear shorts instead of bikini bottoms! So a man can identify as a woman and be given the right to compete against others who are CLEARLY at a disadvantage but the woman volleyballers don't have a right to NOT be creeped on while trying to become the best on the planet in their sports? WHAT THE FUCK? Folks we all need to catch a grip!!

We are all liars. Each and everyone of us get up in the morning telling ourselves lies, we spend the day feeding those lies, then go to bed thinking about those lies and manifesting a life built around those lies. “I am happy looking like this” “I don't want money, it's evil” “I am not scared of……” “I can give it up if I want to” “I love my job” “I would hate to have what they have” “They are just a bunch of assholes” “It wasn't my fault” “I don't have the time” The experience over the weekend has shown me what I knew all along but was not ready to admit to the world…. That I was a LIAR! I told myself and everyone else that I was happy. That I didn't need help. That my life was exactly the way I wanted it. I suppose there was and is some truth in what I said. I am happy for the most part but I know I could be happier if I was a bit more honest about everything. I am capable of achieving things alone but I can do SO MUCH MORE if I ask for help. My life is currently the best it has ever been I LOVE what I do, I am surrounded by people who love and support me. I have the most beautiful and perfect partner I could ever ask for and have children who show me every day what unconditional love is but I know there is always room for improving certain aspects. The problem is our lives are exposed to judgement and potential ridicule from all sides, all hours of the day. Social media brings our opinions and daily experiences to the eyes of others and opens us up to judgement. We are aware of this so we lie! We present the best possible version of our lives to the masses. We want to show how our Disney ideal family is so content. We do everything we can to keep up with the jones family. You do it and so does everyone else so now we are in this place where everyone is trying to show everyone else how amazing we all are. This is leading to jealousy as the more conditioned we become to believing that happiness can be found in the latest car/clothes/phone/games console/holiday/bigger home/better car, the more miserable we feel inside and the more pressure we are put under to keep this lie going. The weekend exposed this to me massively! No phones, no tv, no expensive clothes, no fancy restaurants, no internet. Instead we had HUMAN CONNECTION, conversations.. OPEN, HONEST, VULNERABLE talks, where we bared our soles and opened ourselves up to judgements on our darkest fears. What came from that was nothing short of a miracle! There was no judgment, just applauds for the willingness to be honest, realisations that we are all suffering, acceptance and LOVE! So much love! And it is in this place where the healing begins. You realise that you aren't as different as everyone else That these beliefs as to why we hate and distrust each other is nothing but an illusion created by the multi national corporations who bombard us with information telling us what it is we want and need to make us happy, so as they can make a profit. THIS is the real reason so many of us are so sad. When we strip all the conditioned bullshit away and look at each other through clear eyes, we find so many similarities between us all and this allows us to connect. This connection breeds understanding and compassion, which leads to acceptance of our and everyone else's flaws. The truth is, we are all human, we all make mistakes, we all have doubts and fears. The problems arise when we don't acknowledge them because we are lead to believe we are the only ones with them When we can look at ourselves with the same kind of love we look upon our children, we can begin to heal and start the transformation to becoming the person it is we are searching for.

The weekend just past I experienced what was nothing short of a LIFE CHANGING EVENT! 3 days of immersion in human connection and Amazonian medicine Rapé Yopo Kambo Ayahuasca And in my experience, THEE GREATEST medicine of all Bufo Alvarius Throughout these three days I experienced all realms of human emotions, from nervousness, to excitement, pain, suffering, ecstasy, sadness, happiness, darkness, enlightenment, anger, gratitude, hate, LOVE! What happened to me I am genuinely struggling to put into words (though I am going to try to do so) because of the distorted timelines due to being under the influence of these medicines but what I can say is IT WORKED!! In the short space of 25 minutes I went from an angry, confused 7 year old boy, trapped in a 44 year olds body, to who I am today, with no feelings of depression, no never ending conversations in my mind, no suicidal thoughts, no hate, NO HIP PAIN!!???? How this happened I am not sure of and truth be told, I don't care, all I know is in three short days I was able to leave behind the person I have been trying to rid myself of for over 32 years and step into the mind of the man I have been searching to become. Now it wasn't easy, I got a HUGE dose of my own medicine! I was called out for being a victim, the same way I call out my members and clients and I reacted in the same way they respond to me, full of excuses and justifications for being this way. But I also did what I ask my members to do, step up, own their shit and deal with it! It wasn't easy, I LITERALLY had to walk through the fires of Hell, to be allowed to walk through the gates of Heaven. It was HELL! But it was also worth it and I would not have been so appreciative of where I am today without that process. It taught me SO MUCH about myself and exposed every flaw but also highlighted the things I should be proud of myself for. For me in the work I do, it showed me that while my approach may not be for everyone (just like the Amazonian medicines may not be for everyone.... YET!) but for those that are willing to take that step, it can and does work and that what I do is worth it

The fear of change hold much more power than actually changing But this fear can overwhelm so many, to the point where they sabotage all their efforts. It is easy to lose sight of the forest because of the trees, especially when we have so many images and videos reminding us of what society says fitness and health is and these images are so far removed from your current reality that it overwhelms you. I have witnessed so many people just give up on themselves and fall back into their old habits because they felt they couldn't do it and the truth was they were twice the person they were before they started the journey. Most of them, had I been able to show them the picture of who they had become, would have been completely blown away but because they had lost sight of how far they had come, fell prey to the power of comparisons. The process of change is not easy, if it was, there would be no obesity, no self doubt, no self criticism. You NEED these obstacles placed in your way in order for you to be able to overcome them and BECOME the person you are striving to become. You can fear these obstacles or you can embrace them, it is up to you but you must recognise that battling and overcoming them are what's required for you to succeed. Each of our obstacles are unique to us as individuals and regardless of how trivial they may seem compared to others, for us, they are very real and require our full attention and focus. Everything you desire will be found on the other side of them and once you conquer them, you are one step closer to your goal but you need to accept that these obstacles will never end because change never ends. Who you are today, is not who you will be in 10 years, just as who you were a decade ago does not represent the person you are today. When you become comfortable with facing these barriers, you begin to bullet proof yourself and enable yourself to tackle harder challenges but it all starts with acceptance and commitment to the goal If you are interested in online training why not send me a message and let's have a conversation? If you live in or around the Lisburn area, then why not try out Primal Strength & Movement Group Training? Our four week trial of up to 20 sessions has times to suit even the most busy individual. 6/7/9/10am and 5/6/7/8pm Monday to Friday. No need to book into sessions, just pick the one that suits you best that day, rock up and get involved. We offer coaching for both men and women Click on the link below and get started MEN: http://www.primal4weektrial.com/signup WOMEN: http://www.primalladies4weektrial.com/sign-up

Comparing yourself to others when you start training once again is a sure fire way to failure. Equally, comparing yourself to the 25 year old you, will also only lead to you to this place of failure. It is hard for us to accept, but we are no longer that 25 year old man. We can't recover as fast as we once use to We don't have the same levels of testosterone Our injuries do come easier and will last longer Our bodies are not as bullet proof as they once were These are just simple truths that we must come to accept and THIS is where the problems lie. We simply can't bring ourselves to accept that this is the truth. So instead we resist. We fight against the curse of time and try to out do it...... Resulting in injuries, damaged egos and for a lot of men, a reason to give up. Now I am not lecturing anyone here. I am the ULTIMATE IDIOT when it comes to accepting this reality I push myself through the pain, I was/am always injured because I struggled to accept the truth. Over the last few months, that truth has become harder to ignore What I want to do and what I need to do are two completely different things. What I WANT to do is train towards my goal of cleaning and pressing a 48kg bell, 48 times at 48 years old What I NEED to do is a shit ton of mobility, some steady state cardio and lift weights in a range that doesn't put me in the "at risk of injury" category The thing is, when I do commit to that kind of training, within a week I am feeling so much better, so I KNOW what I should do, but knowing and doing are two completely different things And it is the same for so many men I encounter and coach. We all hold onto those memories of when we were at our peak. When playing a couple of football matches in a day would not even register in out minds as an effort and these memories push us further away from doing what it is we should be doing. The crazy thing is, if we were to do what we we know we should/are told to do by the coach, we probably could get to that point of playing two games in a day again.... only our age and experience would probably tell us to catch a grip. The moral of the story, accept who you are today and your current physical condition. Swallow your pride, park the ego and do what you know you need to do, Acknowledging your weaknesses and addressing them. If you are interested in online training why not send me a message and let's have a conversation? If you live in or around the Lisburn area, then why not try out Primal Strength & Movement Group Training? Our four week trial of up to 20 sessions has times to suit even the most busy individual. 6/7/9/10am and 5/6/7/8pm Monday to Friday. No need to book into sessions, just pick the one that suits you best that day, rock up and get involved. We offer coaching for both men and women Click on the link below and get started MEN: http://www.primal4weektrial.com/signup WOMEN: http://www.primalladies4weektrial.com/sign-up

With gyms opened once more there has been a steady increase in the numbers of people wanting to get back in shape after lockdown. A lot of these people would be gym virgins. People who have never set foot inside a gym before and don't have a clue what to do once there. It has taken me a while to truly appreciate just how nerve wrecking this can be for someone out of shape, lacking confidence and no real understanding of what to do Think about it, you have this room FILLED with machines that look as if they could kill you, heavy weights being lifted by people clearly much stronger than they feel they are, they see and hear them crashing to the floor, exercises being done at a pace they already know is too hard for them. Basically for a lot of people, walking into a gym is visual conformation that they aren't ready for it. No wonder so many people are intimidated So if this sounds like you, then what should you do? ANYTHING! LITERALLY ANYTHING done regularly will begin to change the body of a beginner The problem for lot of people today is that their training is overcomplicated (usually by their trainer who is trying to impress them), it is too advanced, too hard, too intense, basically too much too soon. This what I am discussing today

I was sitting at the kitchen table speaking with Gail (the wife) on Saturday night and the topic of having a purpose came up. It is the one thing that will make a human being feel like they belong somewhere or to part of something. We need to feel like we are wanted, needed, that we can contribute to something bigger than ourselves Sadly this is exactly what has been eroded over the years. This craving for an easy life, the takeover of technology, making more and more of us redundant in the endless drive for more profit is destroying our society. More of us are forced to rely on government handouts in order to survive. So many of us are no longer living, just merely existing on a day to day basis, wondering where the next meal will come from, how long will it be before they lose the roof over their head, dreading the thought of birthdays and Christmas because they do not know where they will get the money to keep the dreams of Santa alive. This leads to hopelessness, which leads to anxiety and depression, which for far too many, leads to another life gone too soon. Not that long ago people felt they had a purpose. Yes life was tougher and money wasn't as available to the vast majority but even though they lacked the financial support, they had the support of friends, family and neighbours to fall back on Back then the emotional support was much more readily available to them and most where in a similar position as far as income goes and this comparison cancer that has imbedded itself in society today was not as widespread. For the majority life was hard but it was through this struggle that people came together and acted human. Compare that to today! We live in fear of people because our governments have convinced us we could be dangerous. We have left our elderly to live their last years alone, we allowed our loved ones to die alone with no one to hold their hand in their last moments We care more about how many likes, shares and comments we get on our posts than we do about our fellow man. We scream, shout and berate anyone who has a differing opinion to ours. It is ironic that in a time when the world is more connected than ever, we are more divided. But when you look back at then and now, to me it is clear what is wrong. Too much information and distraction. We never were designed to be connected to so many billions of people. We are tribal, just because technology has moved on does not mean that we have. Yes we have become more advanced etc but when it boils down to it, we are still human beings with human needs and the main needs we have are love, safety and belonging. We can't get that from facebook. We won't get that from endlessly scrolling through our newsfeeds. We do these things BECAUSE we feel lost! We are searching for that something that will spark that feeling of being human once again, not realising that it is found in helping those around you. It's discovered in volunteering your time to help someone WITHOUT wanting something in return. THIS was how we evolved. You caught an animal for food and if I wandered to your fire, you offered me some. A time would probably come that I would return the favour We banded together realising that more hands and eyes meant more food, safety and help. Eventually we formed tribes of people with similar outlooks and wants. Today in an effort to "connect" the globe, we are allowing our greed and desire to own more, to destroy the very fabric of what it is to be human and if we aren't careful, it will be our demise!

For a lot of people, working out, training and coaching are all the same This is also one of the main reasons why some people seem to have more success in their efforts than others Understanding the differences in these things is also one of the reasons some people are willing to invest more of their money into methods that others aren't. Now I am sure PT's everywhere will have their own definitions of what they mean etc but for me, there are distinct differences in methods and results depending on what it is you are doing Workouts Workouts are just that, a workout. A few exercises thrown together to work up a sweat and make you feel like you have exerted yourself. If you have the knowledge and knowhow, you can fit a workout into a simple structure which then becomes..... Training Training is when you do these workouts on a regular basis. Think circuit or bootcamp style sessions. The classes are on X number of days a week. There is no real order or progressions to the exercises contained within them, there will be a few options in weights to choose from and usually a set time to do as many reps as possible. Big groups, high energy, very low guidance or corrections in form or alternative exercises. Coaching Coaching is structured training There is a starting point and an end goal. The exercise choices, reps, sets, weights all have a reason for doing them BTW, coaching is NOT limited to 1:1 PT. When people think about coaching, this is the image that is conjured in most peoples minds. Personally I am not a big believer in 1:1 PT, in fact I would argue that for the VAST majority of people out there, PT is just an expense that is not required and you can achieve the same results from group coaching A quality coach can manage a group of people and provide HIGH END COACHING to a group. Coaching provides the best opportunity for success. In Primal we have between 1 - 12 people in a session. Each person gets focused coaching, personalised programming, guidance, accountability AND the added benefit of the group collective to keep them focused and gives them a sense of belonging. When you understand what it is you are actually doing, it allows you to have a more honest assessment of where you are and what you need to improve on or change to increase your chances of success

One of the big problems people face is the battle between what they want and their actual reality. A lot of people want the photoshoot look but spend their weekends balls deep in pizza and beers and wonder why they can't seem to succeed Many of us have injuries or issues that prevent us from doing what it is we want to do and instead of accepting this and finding a way of adapting, we huff or find a reason to justify not doing anything else. Naturally this leads to us slipping further away from our goals and becoming even more bogged down in the place we don't want to be. The reality is that life throws these things our direction to challenge us, to give us a chance to rise to the occasion and respond in a way that makes us become 'more' than we currently are. We need to drop this thought of self entitlement. The world owes us nothing! Life isn't unfair, life is just.... LIFE! The reasons why others have more than you is because A. The universe put them in that position B. They were willing to make the sacrifices you weren't C. A lot of them made decisions to rise to the occasion when life challenged them It is what it is and if you could allow yourself to see past your pity party, you may begin to realise that this "unfair" moment of life, is EXACTLY what you need to face and go through in order to give you a better chance of reaching your true potential

Join a gym/hire a PT and you can almost guarantee that there will be 3 lifts included in your training. Bench Press Deadlift Squat Why? Because they work! But just because they work, doesn't mean everyone should be doing them! In fact, the more I train the average person over 40, the more I am inclined to say that a large portion of people over 40 have no business going near these three lifts. I am NOT saying that there isn't a time and place for them and I am not saying that the majority of people can't work up to doing them but I am saying that a lot of people who use these lifts risk injury due to poor movement patterns and lack of mobility and stability. There are viable alternatives that can allow you to build up to completing these moves while allowing you to build strength, muscle and correct movement without putting you at as much risk

This focus from the media on body positivity Is it a good thing? The problem with today is that we live in a society that is focused on inclusion for all I am not sure how it began but the premise is a good one Accept people for who they are regardless of their shape, size, race, religion etc The issues as far as I am concerned is when we take this idea and run with it Listen, if you are obese and you love yourself, then more power to you You have achieved more than most people have and long may it last BUT! And this is a BIG BUT DO NOT TRY AND PASS OFF YOUR PHYSIQUE AS HEALTHY! It isn't! In fact, it the the complete opposite of healthy and the facts are, whether you want to accept it or not, you are putting your quality of life and actual life at unnecessary risk I am not here to pass judgement on individuals, each of us have our own story and destiny and tbh, it's no one else's business BUT when influential people and magazines are PUSHING this narrative as actually healthy because of this "WOKE" society story, someone needs to call it out Healthy encompasses both body and mind If you are in the most amazing physical condition but your mind is in turmoil, then you are not in balance, you aren't healthy. The same applies to someone who is obese. You may be the most confident person and you may well believe big is beautiful (and for many people, this is a truth) but the truth also remains that you are not healthy! This talk isn't about me telling you you must change but what NEEDS to change is this story that obesity is healthy. It isn't! It never has been nor will it ever be and all the likes, comments, shares and plus sized models making it to the front cover of popular magazines won't change that no matter how hard they try Will my opinions trigger some people? Probably but the truth does have a tendency to do that

What does success mean to you? How would you define it? I was speaking to a member of Primal today He had fallen prey to the trap of using someone else's Definition of success as his own marker This had resulted in him chasing a goal for the sake of chasing a goal But the emotional connection wasn't there, meaning his desire and drive wavered This in turn meant he was finding focus hard to come by Excuses were there for whenever he needed them Meaning results were not happening And drive to train disappearing The fastest way to success is to KNOW what the outcome should be This will be personal to each of us and if you allow yourself to take others goals on as your own, you will soon find yourself losing the desire and slipping into old ways

In my experience as a coach, one of the most common reasons for failure Comes from this inbuilt need to compare ourselves to others You walk into a gym, you are out of shape and the first thing you do is Look around to see what the others are like. How many are "THE SAME AS YOU?" How many are "REALLY STRONG?" How many are in "GREAT SHAPE?" How many are "REALLY FIT?" Depending on what you see and feel, will determine how you will respond For a lot of people, if they feel out of their depth, they go into autopilot and find a reason not to come back or maybe make an excuse to leave right there. What they fail to realise is that comparing yourself to others, while a natural human act, is pointless. You have made a decision based upon the emotional story you created in that instant. The subconscious feelings you have about your current shape create an untrue story about you and the others you see. You have no reference point to know whether what you think and feel is actually true or not. That big man lifting weight you never realised possible, you don't know his story. For all you know he could have been in the exact same position as you at some point. That woman squatting in the rack who looks so strong and confident, you have no idea whether she was always in that great shape and always carried herself with such confidence All you know is that you are feeling self-conscious and your mind is looking for an escape from this pressure filled situation The thing is, you may not realise it but you are in a war and it is between your and your mind and this situation you are in means you are already into the second battle. You have fought one already and you won! You just don't know it yet. YOU ARE IN THE GYM! That means you have overcome the first battle. The battle to get there. When you realise this, you can use it to your advantage. It is tangible proof that the stories in your head that have allowed you to justify not trying before, have lost some of their power and you have discovered inner strength you didn't realise you had. This is the beauty of working towards improving yourself. You will be presented with more and more challenging opportunities to overcome and just like a war, some you will win, others you will lose but like any great general, if you analyse each battle and take the successes and apply those principles while studying the failures and learn from those lessons, you will succeed

Some thing that we all must have to succeed Some skin in the game Too many people want everything for free But what does free get you? NOTHING! The best way to achieve the success you are after Is to invest. Whether that be money, time or both The minute you commit something that costs you You are automatically more invested This increases your chances of success straight away This isn't contained to your own private goals This can be applied to society Look at so many working class areas today Vandalism, destruction, antisocial behaviour is commonplace Why? Because it costs them nothing! The councils and governments pay for it all The people themselves have no investment in their areas Imagine the difference if the people who lived there where to put their time and money into their own areas? If a sense of pride of where they are from was restored! The gangs of youths who fall into this way of life would not be allowed to do this The people would be policing their own areas, holding the locals accountable for their actions Free is appealing, free is what we have been conditioned to want but free is not the answer! Free was not the way of our grandparents and the society they grew up in was a much socially healthier way of life than the one we live in today.

The fights inside our minds that we all are dealing with •Not letting the voice in our head control us •Finding the courage to join a gym •Getting out of bed to train •Saying no to food we want When we overcome these small things, we have successfully won the battle. We are one step closer to winning the war But instead, so many of us we focus on what we think others will think. What we think others are saying and we then let these thoughts dictate our actions that ultimately determine our outcomes Social media is a breeding ground for insecurities. Unless there are HUGE changes in someones physique or they have a sixpack or an ass that stops traffic, it goes largely unnoticed and so we are conditioned to believe that this is what matters and so many start to ignore what actually matters, the conquering of another small obstacle that takes you one step closer to winning your own war. When you stop focusing on what the outside says you should be doing and instead put your energy towards focusing on you and what you want and need, you will start to realise that the only person in this war is you and all that matters is achieving what you need to in order to become who it is you want to be

What sort of attitude do you have when it comes to your health? Is it driving your towards your goal or pulling you away from it? If it is the latter, have you ever stopped and asked yourself why it is this way? Have you ever considered that this attitude is the reason you aren't as happy as you want to be? That maybe this attitude is also leaching into other areas of your life and that if you focus on changing this one thing, that the rest of your life might start clicking together? EVERYTHING that happens in your life is determined by your attitude towards it Discomfort is part of life Challenge is part of life Failing is part of life But if you continue to allow these things to dictate your decisions, then you won't ever learn how to enjoy and live your life!

Today we have far too many options and these choices leave so many of us paralysed What gym should you join? Who is the best PT to train with? Is 3 times or 5 times a week best? Should you eat Paleo, carb cycling, ITFYM? What is best? Circuits, HIIT, power lifting, transformation? Sometimes the best thing to do is just make a decision, commit and find out! You will either discover you made the right call and achieve the results you are after, or you will learn that there are better ways and you can now remove your focus from what didn't work! Stop allowing the noise of Social Media to confuse you. Make a decision, commit and see where it leads

The last 14 months have seen unprecedented things happen world wide Lockdowns, fear, deaths, divisions. But one thing that seems to have gone largely unspoken about is the affect this has had on our children. For months our kids have been separated from friends, denied education and prevented from exploring and expressing themselves. We are so focused on what they want us to focus on that we have largely ignored the effects all these procedures have had on our children's mental health There are now reports of kids as young as 11 attempting suicide!!! This is OUR doing! and we as parents need to accept this and own it! WE are failing the next generation and lying the foundations for a society scared of it's own shadow

How much of what you believe is your own opinion and how much of it is through societal and cultural conditioning? Is what you believe truly what you believe or have your opinions being influenced more than you realise (or are willing to accept) by people of influence and the general opinion of society? Now apply this to how we as men, speak to our daughters. Do you speak to them in a way that empowers them? Or do you speak to them in the way society sees them? As fathers, we are our daughters first hero, we are their kings, we are the model they will base their choices of men on, whether consciously or subconsciously, so it is crucial that we ensure that all our actions help build their sense of self belief so that when faced with the obstacles life throws at us all, they are just as equipped as our sons to deal with them

Where would you be today if you had just had decided to commit to following your dreams? Would you be in a different job? Would you be in a different country? Would you be in a different mindset? Would you be in a different relationship? Would you be a different person?

What if the goals you are setting are the reasons you are failing? What if what you WANT and what you NEED are not running congruent with each other and THIS is the reason for so many failures in your strength and health journey? What if you were to try a different approach and see what happens?

I'll start…. Tomorrow Monday Next week Next month January Then you complain about how you look and feel? It is someone else's or something else's fault that you aren't where you wanna be It is someone else's or something else's fault that you life has turned out how it has How different would all our lives be if we took personal responsibility for all our actions? No blaming others, situations, or bad luck. No making excuses or saying things to appease others and get them off your back Just 100% acceptance of you, the actions you have taken and the outcome

What type of world are we laying the foundations for? Each generation seems to become weaker and softer because technology makes life easier. But is this a false reality? Society has a gun pointed to it's head and we don't realise it At ANY POINT, the technology we rely on for EVERYTHING could be shut down could collapse, could be destroyed by a natural disaster And then what? Could you survive? Could your children cope with this upheaval ? Have you exposed your children to as many "what if" scenarios as you can? Our jobs as parents is to build resilience in our kids To teach them that they have the abilities to find hidden strength inside of themselves That they can find the mental fortitude to cope with the situations life WILL throw at them The more they are exposed to, the more they will realise what they are truly capable of but atm we ALL, myself included, are failing them Our greatest mistake is believing life will always continue on as it always has Even with all the experiences we have had over the last 13 months that showed how fragile our current lifestyle/existence is, we still fail to prepare for the future, holding onto the belief that "everything will work out in the end" We should hope for the best, this is a great attitude but a better one would be to also prepare for the worst, so that if/when it happens, we are better able to cope

The first LIVE Face to face podcast and what a guy to do it with My very good mate Chris Heath. He called around to go fora walk, instead we ended up recording a podcast filled with abuse, truth bombs, slegging, laughs, abuse, serious discussions on topics that are dictating everyones thoughts and then some more abuse, in a way that only true mates can get away with talking to each other. A genuine chat that I LOVED recording and can 100% guarantee will become a regular thing and probably morph into it's own stand alone podcast

So after my weekend spent away from the hustle and daily grind, what did I learn? •We need more time in nature •Nature isn't hard is easy, it just is what it is •We all have the ability to adapt and survive •We all have more within us, we just need to be willing to discover it •Living in nature will release the hum within you IF you allow it •Wanting life yo he easy is one of the main reasons it is so hard

Connection with nature is CRUCIAL for our mental wellbeing Just because we are "use" to something does not mean it is right for us Remember, just like every other animal and plant on this planet, we are part of nature yet we are the only one who WILLINGLY removes themselves from our natural habitat. For some of us, this is on an almost permanent basis and yet somehow we have given ourselves the title as the most advanced species on the planet? We may be advanced in a thinking way but when it comes to what is good for us and what we ACTUALLY need, we are on the bottom rung on the ladder

This is always a contentious topic So many people love HIIT that they can't have anything bad said about it But just because you love something, doesn't mean you should always do it. Loads of people love a drink but if you do it everyday, it becomes a problem HIIT while not on the same level as alcohol, can also become a problem for a lot of people. Listen, I get it, the industry is pushing HIIT like it is the saviour for all, and for some, it is But for the vast majority of men 40+ who are out of shape and undertrained, it is a disaster waiting to happen. Like all training protocols, HIIT has its place but that place is NOT in the main block of training It should be used as a finisher (though I don't like using that term as most refer to it as a way to destroy you, I rather think of it as a way to finish your session) or as a stand alone day in a structured program If you apply is STRATEGICALLY AND you understand the reasoning behind why you are doing it AND you are capable of such workloads Then it is a good addition, if you are doing it for doing it sake or because your inexperienced PT tells you to, then maybe it is time to reevaluate your thinking. If you could do me a favour? If you haven't already done so, could you click on the link below and subscribe to my channels and help me build them so I can reach more men like you. There is also a link to a FREE PDF with 21 Barbell Kettlebell and Bodyweight Complexes for you to download https://linktr.ee/DadBodBible

Most men around their 40's get yo a point in their life when they realise they have allowed themselves to fall too far. The lack of moving, lifting and over indulging in beers and “tasty” foods, has resulted in a belly and concern for their health So they do what most men my age do, join a gym or get a PT & jump into the good old faithful 3x10 split routine, pushing to failure that we all did back in the 90's Sadly though this is NOT what our bodies are craving! Our bodies want to be broken in gently! It needs tome to adapt. The more time spent allowing it to adapt, the greater the lasting results will be Our goals are simple Improve our quality of life This means •Improving strength •Improving mobility •Improving fitness When you focus on these three thing in your training, the byproduct of it is the body you are after In today's podcast I discuss the principles I use to facilitate these changes

If you were to accept that what you are doing in the gym PROBABLY isn't what you need and you were to change this and focus on what actually need, you will find that the chances are, you will start to get what it is you actually want! Most of us men around my age NEED to focus on mobility Most of us men around my age WANT to focus on strength and muscle Most of us men around my age end up injured BECAUSE of our ego and desire to LOOK good and FEEL like a man But consider this, what if you were to focus on improving your mobility, what would happen? Well you would be able to move pain free and get yourself into positions that allow you to lift more weight and do so safely, thus reducing the risk of reoccurring injuries. What does that equate to? More effective and consistent training What does that equate to? More strength, more muscle, more confidence. Better habits, better focus, better life all round. The key for us all to improve is to admit where our problems lie and ADDRESS THEM! We all hate mobility because we are all shit at it but if we were to acknowledge this and then take action towards fixing it, we would soon find, we no longer suck at it and when we FEEL the benefits of regular mobility, it would soon become the foundation of our training

Today I speak with BJ Rule, a coach who originates from Australia and now lives and works in London. He was actually the guy who gave me my first kettlebell certification (and was still one of the best certs I ever attended) and helped to get me to where I am today. We talk about the early days of the industry and how it has evolved to the monster it is today

Why do we always blame someone or something else for our lot in life? How different would our lives be if we were more willing to accept responsibility for our actions? What can you do to make the changes needed to get your life back on track? What lessons can you take away from your failures to help push you closer to success? Failure is inevitable! It is normal! It is human! But it is also a teacher! We can learn from every mistake made If you are smart about it, you can become successful from the lessons failure teaches us. The one sure way to never succeed though, is to blame others or situations for your failures. Once you embrace failure as a natural process of learning, you are free to change yourself and become the man you have been trying to become

It is very easy for us to justify living the life we have lived for the last 5-10 years Even though we KNOW this life is not the one we really want for ourselves, it is familiar and in that familiarity, we find a sense of comfort and safety Sadly it is this comfort and safety that has brought us to this point that we KNOW is not what we want for us and more importantly, for our family but the fear of change can be overwhelming and paralyse us into inaction, but inaction is still our daily action and our daily actions dictate our children's earliest influences! This habit of just accepting this life as "how it is" is laying the foundations of our children's perceptions of what they can and cannot achieve in life As parents we aren't here to live our children's lives for them, we are here to guide and influence them so it is imperative that we reflect on our daily actions and question them “Am I the man I want my son to become?” “Am I the kind of man I want my daughter to marry?” If you are honest, you can find traits you both like and dislike about yourself and you are then in a position to change the parts of you that you don't like. Life is always teaching us lessons and if we open our eyes and minds, we can see them and learn from them. The only other option is to continue being reactive to life and that only leads to more if what we have already got

We are getting closer to the gyms opening again This is gonna mean more people clambering to sign up to a new program in order to lose the lockdown belly But before you do, I want you to stop and ask yourself a question. “What is it you are actually after?” Are you wanting to just lose that stone and then go back to your old ways or do you actually want to change yourself long term? So many are going to be bought into 4-6 week programs with low calorie diets and high intensity workouts that are designed to get the results short term but the reality is, they don't last! I know this You know this EVERYONE KNOWS THIS And yet the majority of you are destined to make the same mistakes you've been making for years, condemning yourself to staying on the weight loss hamster wheel, always chasing a longterm result with short term programs Listen, if you want a kickstart, then these are great BUT you gotta know by now that they aren't gonna get you to where you want to be in 12 months? Those results take effort, commitment and consistency! No one wants to hear that but it's the truth Walk 7 days a week Lift 3 days a week X 52 weeks a year Combine that with a nutrition plan you can follow that contains the calories and macros for your goals and the results, adequate sleep and recovery and it WILL HAPPEN! That there is the true secret to success

When you are at the point in your life that staying where you currently are is more painful than changing, you will embrace the change, you WILL make the changes But what happens when you move out of that discomfort zone? When you have dropped the stone that made you unhappy? Unless you have focused on building new habits and digging down to discover the REAL, UNDERLYING reason WHY you started, there is a good chance you will fall back into the old self destructive habits! You are using the surface layer why, to do the work. “Why are you here?” “I want to lose a stone” So you lose the stone and the goal has been achieved, so you go back to the old you once again But when you use this time to focus on creating NEW habits and the self discipline required to get you to do the work even when you aren't motivated, thats when the man you want to become, starts to come into view Now IMO, trainers ask too much of their clients They are influenced by an instafamous coach who has a mentor group or email list they have signed up to and they have been told that getting up at 4.30am is the best way to “OWN THE MORNING” And as they are 25 and living at home, it's easy but not so much for their 46 year old, father of 4, client. This is probably the fastest way to failure for both the client and trainer. The key for the client and coach, is, through conversation, try and find the routine that best suits the client. Once you discover that, finding the routine and self discipline is so much easier

Our sense of belonging is founded from birth. From the moment we are placed in our mothers arms, and gathering of family who celebrate your arrival, to our own development and meeting of our own friends, the underlying feeling we get is one of belonging, and belonging equals the perception of safety. THIS is what has been slowly eroded over the years and accelerated over the last 13 months, to the point where so many of us feel lost and confused. The number of children suffering from mental health due to separation from friends is increasing massively and has been largely ignored? I can't understand how this isn't been seen as a impending crisis? These children are the future of our society and it is our duty as parents and guardians to ensure they are given the best chance possible. We need to find a balance. A balance between containing the virus and ensuring our children have the best chance possible

Allow yourself to let go To forget about the opinions of others Just embrace that inner child and get involved with doing the things that brought you joy and please as a child. Watch how playing with your children Doing the silly things like building a den Can make you happy and destress you A lot if our issues come from us trying to force ourselves to be what society says we should be and not actually acknowledging the feelings within us Use your kids to justify doing it until you realise you don't care about others opinions, after all, we are only here for a period so short that it is crazy to think we would waste it worrying about what we think others think about us

Myself and paul talk about what makes a great strength program Why his methods have produced so many world class results and then DIVE into the crazy world of FUN conspiracies