Starting Monday Podcast
Starting Monday Podcast
Cracking the Code to the Perfect Gym Environment
Remember that time you failed a squat at the gym? Or how about when you had to face choosing between a bear or a silverback gorilla in a hypothetical showdown? Well, grab a seat as we navigate through our own personal gym fails, and engage in some light-hearted banter on animal face-offs.
As we swap tales from our time at local gyms, we delve into the importance of a good workout environment. Is it the location, the community vibe, the staff or the member connection?
We take a broader look at how the fitness industry has evolved over the years and discuss the importance of choosing the right gym, not just in terms of equipment or location, but also the atmosphere and community it fosters. We also share some insights for anyone struggling with gym anxiety, reminding you that everyone starts somewhere, and the key is to enjoy the ride. So, buckle up and join us as we navigate through the fitness world, one laugh, and squat fail at a time!
Hi guys and welcome back to the starting Monday podcast. With myself, matthew Percival and the amazing Barry Steven, we are back with a new episode. Hello guys, it's been nice and quick. We're going to put the claps on for everyone listening in their cars right now. Woo.
Speaker 2:Love a bit of clap.
Speaker 1:That's a great start.
Speaker 2:It's going to be a good one.
Speaker 1:So how are you, barry? How are you doing? I'm good, I'm good. He's looking very relaxed right now. He's looking very, very relaxed. I'm vibing, he's vibing. He said Matthew, I am sitting back for this one, you're in charge. That's what you said to me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm taking some time out.
Speaker 1:I've got the DJ thing here and I'm very good at it, aren't I?
Speaker 2:Well, you asked me a question in the last episode. What annoys me? I forgot about something, can I?
Speaker 1:do it. No, I shouldn't do it because people are sitting in their cars. I've got their headphones on.
Speaker 2:Because you just did it. People that eat with their mouth open.
Speaker 1:I didn't, guys, I wasn't eating, I was doing that. I was doing that beside the mic, I was going and he went. Oh my God, that's so annoying. That is bad. I've got some new questions for you, barry.
Speaker 2:Okay, you ready. I've got some questions for you. I don't know if they're actually any good, but let's see how it goes.
Speaker 1:I was actually there this evening. We should go, you go, I go. You know what I said I was getting food. I didn't tell you I was getting food actually. No, that's a lie.
Speaker 2:Do you go, I go.
Speaker 1:I'm away here. I was getting food and I went to McDonald's.
Speaker 2:You went to McDonald's today. Yeah, I had to rush, you didn't I? Bloody hell man.
Speaker 1:Don't worry, the macros fit. Why didn't you get me something? Because you were half an hour late anyway. Okay, barry, what's your McDonald's order? Tell me.
Speaker 2:What's my McDonald's order? Well first of all, if I'm going to McDonald's and I'm going on the drive-through, I take M's car because I don't want to go through it with my van with my PT logos on the side.
Speaker 1:You know what? That's fair? That is 100% fair. I don't hold anything against me doing that. I would do the exact same.
Speaker 2:Which is terrible. Really, it's just what's that message? What's that message?
Speaker 1:Don't go all the way up to change your car just to get McDonald's. What's my McDonald's?
Speaker 2:order. Yeah, I think like a Big Mac. I prefer other things to McDonald's, but I'll give you my McDonald's order. Yeah, go on, large Big Mac meal.
Speaker 1:I knew it was a See. I told you, I knew it was a Big Mac. I'm not finished.
Speaker 2:In 14 cheeseburgers.
Speaker 1:You're not eating 14 cheeseburgers. Do you like go past someone's house? You hate it. I just fucking. I swear it's lobbed the map.
Speaker 2:I'm not looking to lob cheeseburgers.
Speaker 1:It takes a top of the bun off.
Speaker 2:So it's cheese and meat, large Big Mac meal and two cheeseburgers, not double cheeseburgers. Those cheeseburgers are like one-biters. They're like two-biters at a time Size of your mouth if you're having one bite.
Speaker 1:Cheeseburgers are so small they're the same size as a double cheeseburger. It's one less patty in them. That's crazy.
Speaker 2:I went to McDonald's once One bite After a night out 24 hour McDonald's and ordered 10 cheeseburgers and I think it took me about five minutes to eat the ball.
Speaker 1:Did you eat them all? Yeah, I'm sure it's like a man-v-v-food challenge. 10 cheeseburgers Bad is it, are you all right? You must be starving. Go on, watch your question for me.
Speaker 2:I'm only getting one question.
Speaker 1:No, we're doing what we're doing, back and forth, aren't?
Speaker 2:we, oh okay, red or brown sauce, that was good.
Speaker 1:It wasn't even a joke.
Speaker 2:Red as in tomato ketchup. Yeah, we had discussion before More brown sauce.
Speaker 1:More on this tomato ketchup Red sauce Do you like brown sauce. I've actually grown accustomed to it in later life, so like if brown sauce was on a bacon body I would enjoy it. Yeah, weirdly, but when I was like kid, I hate it. It's like vinegary, isn't it?
Speaker 2:It's got a bit of like, it's quite nice, I'd be red sauce all the way, 100%, and the only thing I would use brown sauce for would be shop on like Stovies or like have you ever had corned beef hash?
Speaker 1:See, this is where I differentiate from a lot of Scottish people, I didn't grow up on Stovies, didn't really have Stovies.
Speaker 2:You've had Stovies now, though, right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there's a little van near the gym that I work at and he did Stovies for a while, so I used to go get Stovies. You were getting Stovies every day. I got it like twice. It's not bad, I wouldn't love it.
Speaker 2:But you're right, I now have brown sauce on my bacon rolls. Yeah, it's better, it's nice, isn't it? It's so good.
Speaker 1:So I've got a red sauce. It's tomato ketchup. It's tomato ketchup. Tommy C, tommy K, tommy C, tommy K. Oh God, it is K, it's been a long day. No, yeah, red sauce for everything, but I put it on everything.
Speaker 2:What's your question, Matthew?
Speaker 1:I want to know where you get your clothes from. Why do you like them? To be fair, you are quite a trendy, trendy guy, especially for a dad, do you think so? Yeah, you're not. Yeah, remember what was it? You wore Not. Remember last time we met up, you wore something. I told you I was like you look good. I told you. I told you like three times.
Speaker 2:I was in a pair of shorts and a hoodie.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but you look swaggy, you look cool, you look hip, hip and trendy.
Speaker 2:No, I'm interested especially. My confidence levels have increased tenfold right now I'm an honest guy. Credit where credit should you. I'm not really vibing your north-west fleece, but never mind.
Speaker 1:That's rude. That's really rude. You know, what I've got underneath us Is an original Gymshark t-shirt that I bought when they literally just started, probably like most people, I buy online, but I do shop a lot in Attic, which is on Union Street. He's looking for a sponsor. 10% discount when you use Barry Stephen at checkout.
Speaker 2:I've shopped there for a good while. The guys there are really, really cool.
Speaker 1:They've got one in. I picture they've got one in Vrury as well, don't they? I'm pretty sure they do. But I was saying because I find it really hard to shop these days for clothes that fit or fit well. Why are you laughing? I've got the races this weekend coming up for my mate Stag do.
Speaker 2:I'm the best man by the way, you've got the races.
Speaker 1:I've got New York races I'm going to York to do. Could have been a little bit more specific where you were actually going. I'm trying to be honest but it's about the clothes, barry. We're talking about the clothes.
Speaker 2:I've been to York races by the way, Didn't ask, so I don't know why you've told me that you won't get any unless you've got a jacket and a shirt. Sorry, a tie on Depends what standard, did you?
Speaker 1:I'm guessing you went to the county stand, barry?
Speaker 2:Because we turned up with just like going out clothes on and we had to go into this tent and basically hire a jacket and a tie, were you?
Speaker 1:in the county stand, I don't know. There's a county stand and then there's the grand stand and paddock which we're in, which is a bit lower key. So that's what we're in. Anyway, back to the point. I've got to buy trousers to go. I can't get any of the bloody fit. It's a nightmare, it's an absolute nightmare, and I hate shopping. What?
Speaker 2:are you going to do?
Speaker 1:Well, I've got to pay the fit, Barry. What are you trying to imply? You're trying to tell me that I should lose some weight. No, you're a terrible friend, terrible friend. I'm just like you a lot right now. Is it me for you? Yeah, you go on. Ten percent discount on Attic, barry Steven, check out.
Speaker 2:What is in your fridge right now, if you can remember 400 protein yoghurs.
Speaker 1:I've got a lot of protein yoghurs. You're not lying as well, are you? Genuinely, I've got so many protein yoghurs. If I had to estimate, I'd probably have 10 in there right now.
Speaker 2:So do you live on your own right? Yeah, so you don't have to share the fridge with anyone, so it's all your own stuff in there Things I'm loving.
Speaker 1:right now I have protein yoghurs. They're a goat's juice. When I get home, if I'm protein as well, I'm having like a protein yogurt too.
Speaker 2:Are these the ones? What ones are you eating I?
Speaker 1:diversify, Barry.
Speaker 2:Do you have the Grames?
Speaker 1:Arla also looking for a sponsorship on them guys. I'd love it because I buy a lot of them. Yeah, loads, loads of protein yoghurs.
Speaker 2:What about the protein, like mousse things that you get out of? Is it all dear little?
Speaker 1:They're all hype, barry. Oh, shut up, they're all hype. They're not that good, do you like them? The vanilla pudding one I had once was really good. So you do like them then yeah, but like then I wouldn't go on my way to get them. I'm not going to have Aldi to get them, am I?
Speaker 2:You're also sitting quite far away from your mic, just saying.
Speaker 1:No, I'm picking up perfectly, barry. I can see that I'm the. Dj. So you just mind your own business. And let me talk about my fridge. So you've just got yogurts, you've got a venison just milk butter. I've got milk, all that sort of stuff, but mainly protein yogurts is what it mainly consists of, and then also, you know, the. Any beers? Yep got beer. You know twisters.
Speaker 2:They're in my freezer. To be fair, they can't be them in the fridge. Surely they're in the?
Speaker 1:fridge? They're in the fridge, surely? But twisters right now are like lovely, like they're like 80 calories and they're just fantastic, well class.
Speaker 2:They are a really good little treat to have if you're wanting something that's low calorie right.
Speaker 1:They do different flavours now as well, which are like a sour one, and all that so good, so good. By the way, it's my question time.
Speaker 2:OK.
Speaker 1:When was the last time you failed a lift? So I thought I should be specific Weightlifting.
Speaker 2:It doesn't happen that often, but probably because I don't lift to absolute failure that often. But deadlift, we did a little powerlifting meet at the gym, and would it have been February I can't remember when it was and I couldn't lift one of the deadlifts. I think it was 2010 or something. That's fair, though.
Speaker 1:When was the last time you failed a squat? What was the last time you failed a squat?
Speaker 2:Last time I failed a squat. I remember failing a squat badly two times. Once I was on my own and it was quite sore. Actually I want to say it was about 180, 190. It was years and years ago and the belt got stuck underneath my rib cage as well and I had bruised ribs for quite a while. And then a second time I had a spotter. Michael from the gym did a terrible job of spotting me, but, to be fair, I did a terrible job of lifting.
Speaker 1:Oh, a name and shame. Terrible job of lifting. He's named Robonatic of great guys. By the way, it's Michael Guy. Terrible, terrible, spotter, awful.
Speaker 2:To be fair, michael, it wasn't his fault, it was more my fault. I think it was my first attempt at 200. And yeah, it didn't go well.
Speaker 1:Have you got 200 before?
Speaker 2:No, that was my attempt. I was sure it was, and it didn't go well.
Speaker 1:I used to fail quite a lot. To be fair in squats, I used to really push myself in. These days I just don't, I don't care. I haven't failed at a squat in a long time.
Speaker 2:I remember seeing people fail on a regular basis when I was working in a commercial gym instructor, like seeing the same people fail in a bench press over and over again.
Speaker 1:Bench press is common though, isn't it, and I'm like I feel like a bench press and a deadly fail are common. I don't think I've seen anyone fail a squat in a long time.
Speaker 2:Good In a long time. It's not a good one to fail. Last question for you, matthew yeah, go on. Do you sleep on your front? Sorry, do you sleep on your front, on your side, or on your back, or I don't know?
Speaker 1:I sleep. How do you sleep? I'm just like I was hanging from the ceiling by my feet, my son Callum.
Speaker 2:He's only eight. He came through to the room yesterday or the day before and he was like Daddy. I woke up and my feet were on the pillow and my head was at the bottom.
Speaker 1:I was like I remember doing that as a kid.
Speaker 2:I was like brilliant it's like so good when that happens.
Speaker 1:Full pivot.
Speaker 2:That's happened to me as an adult when I don't know how, but it just did punched and kicked as you rotate. Yeah, so anyway, did you answer the question Sorry?
Speaker 1:No, I haven't added the question on my back, and you do. You know what I do? Yeah, yeah, is that you? And then, yeah, you got to sleep on your side. So I'd sleep on my back and I'm comfortable on my back. I don't get people to sleep on their front. I face in the pillow, like what are you doing with yourself?
Speaker 2:Do you ever hug the pillow?
Speaker 1:I don't want to get into that. I'm a single guy, barry. What do you think? Occasionally, it's something to you.
Speaker 2:Know, I hug a pillow. I read that if you hug, if you're hugging the pillow, it's a sign that you're missing someone.
Speaker 1:Yeah, cause you're in bed by yourself, barry, obviously yeah, you know you don't have to hug the pillow has anyone ever hugged?
Speaker 1:a pillow when they're in bed with someone else because they're missing someone else. No, they already hug a pillow because they're missing, just like a bit of company, you know, but it's nice to. Anyway, that's tragic. Let's get into my last question, which Barry said don't ask me that, but I've asked. I've asked so many people this over the years that it's just like a staple question of mine that I actually quite enjoy. Oh, here we go, and it's so stupid it is. Oh, it's a question, who would win a fight, a silverback gorilla or a Kodiak brown bear? You have to pick one and go for the bear. And in your mind, why the bear?
Speaker 2:Because I'm imaging both those animals in my head, what I think they look like, and the bear is like considerably bigger. I think he yeah, because I think there's only one, 300 pounds, I think a polar bear is bigger, right?
Speaker 1:Oh my God, guys, I asked him this question beforehand and I literally told him a couple of bear facts and he was like you know a lot about bears and he's remembered Polar bear is the largest bear, yet it is bigger. It is bigger.
Speaker 2:So is there an answer to this question?
Speaker 1:I reckon if the odds were in your favor, kodiak brown bears would in that fight. It's got like claws or razors and all that sort of stuff, but it's interesting. It's one of these questions I love asking people because you get to see their viewpoint and then, like a lot of people do go for the gorilla. But you're like, if you look at the weights of them and all that, you're like Kodiak, Can I ask you a question Because you're really clued up on bears and stuff. Yeah go on.
Speaker 2:If you were to meet a bear like any bear.
Speaker 1:But this Kodiak? No, but let me ask it.
Speaker 2:Depends on the bear. What's that button in this Kodiak bear? Right, yeah, go on Brown bear. You see you. You see him in the forest, Maybe about 50 to 100 feet away. What do I do? Do I? What should?
Speaker 1:I do. I haven't researched this a lot, but I'm pretty sure it depends on the bear. Is what you do Some bears you'll run, some bears you'll stay where you are Depends. This is not helpful. But, what would I do in that situation?
Speaker 2:I Kodiak brown bear, very similar to if there's a fire and I forgot which I know exactly what I'm going to do which extinguisher to use?
Speaker 1:And it's a 50 50.
Speaker 2:Is it this one?
Speaker 1:or is it this one? Yeah, I think what I would do is I would stand there, take my phone out for my mom and just be like, yeah, sorry, this is it. I hope you have a good life. That would be it. I reckon you're gone either way. Did you see actually did you see the revenant and Leonardo DiCaprio? He gets the bear attack crazy. You've not seen that. You should watch it. He gets attacked by a bear. It's brilliant. So you'll see what would probably happen to you. Fantastic. And we're getting to our topic. Now, to our topic, mate. We're gonna talk about like gyms, like what makes a good gym, or what you should. Well, what do you look for in a gym? You know there's a lot of reasons why you might go somewhere.
Speaker 2:So we wanna speak about you know what the key things that people would look for in a gym?
Speaker 1:or there's one which is the biggest one, isn't it by far what?
Speaker 2:Community. You might not know the community before you get there. You kind of have to yeah, true actually. So we're talking about somebody who I think a lot of people is. Location is location one of the most important?
Speaker 1:things Probably actually If you're saying like yeah, good example. Yeah, you said like, if you're just looking at going somewhere, you're probably looking at location first, right, yeah?
Speaker 2:And then you're kind of like, well, if there's a gym on your doorstep or in your little village or town or whatever you're kind of like, I'll just take this gym.
Speaker 1:And I go oh my God, that gym has such good community. But we wanna talk about that's an hour away. We wanna talk about we drive it.
Speaker 2:What makes a good gym. But before we do that, matthew, let's have a little speak about some of the gyms that we've worked in or been to, or been to, and maybe that might take us to the answers.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm trying to think of how many gyms I've been to. Where did you start?
Speaker 2:What was your first gym?
Speaker 1:I worked at Peter Nichols Squash and Fitness Centre West Hill Well what age were you?
Speaker 2:Ooh, 18. Okay, what was good about that gym at the time?
Speaker 1:Oh. Please tell me there was something, Barry. You're putting me in a sticky situation right now. To be fair, it doesn't exist anymore. Nothing really.
Speaker 1:Just tell me what wasn't good then, but it was back in the day when it was only a local gym. It didn't have much weight. It didn't have a barbell. There was no barbells, it was a Smith machine and dumbbells Dumbbells up to 20 originally, and then they bought 25s, 27.5s and 30s on a different rack Eventually, but it used to be only 20s. They had a couple of machines. It was locally ran, but it was never amazing. No, it was very small. Now it's been bought over and it's a very bodybuilding based gym, so it's completely different. I've never been into it since and it's ran by different people. It looks brilliant, to be fair, but it just lacked a lot. I lacked a lot, but there was no competition back then. No competition.
Speaker 2:Well, the first gym that I worked at was a place called HealthWorks in Perth, and it was actually there's a big headquarters in Perth for a general accident yeah, I think it changed in the Orch Union and there was a big building there that was a gym dedicated to the workers, which then was, like, open to the public after that as well. So it had a decent membership, but it was a big sports hall gym. I had a sports hall, a swimming pool, tennis courts, gymnasium that sort of stuff.
Speaker 2:And I worked there. When I first started working there, I was going through my sort of basic gym and structure qualifications but I worked on reception as a cleaner, doing all the other bits and bobs, yeah, leisure attendance vibe. Yeah, I wasn't in the.
Speaker 1:Oh, fitness instructor, like a leisure attendance sort of vibe that was the same as me, same as me.
Speaker 2:And actually my first proper job when I left university was as a cleaner. My mate was the general manager. I asked him for a job. He said you don't have any qualification to work in the gym. I've got a cleaner's opening. Do you want it?
Speaker 1:And I was like yeah, it gives it After Barry doing that.
Speaker 2:So that's how I started out and the thing I remember about that gym it's my first experience, really is it had a really good community vibe Okay, cool, yeah so a really good connection between the staff and the members, the people that went there. So it had a nice atmosphere, a nice environment. People spoke to each other, it was friendly. There was different elements to the gym. There was a swimming pool, there was the five side courts, there was the classes and it just had a nice feeling. It was a nice place to work as well and I think if you're wanting a good gym, you wanna go somewhere that makes you feel good.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean yeah 100%, where the people are nice to you, they communicate with you, they actually care about what you've been doing that day, and you want a bit of banter as well. You want a bit of banter. You don't wanna be going in somewhere where it's just no atmosphere, no vibe, no communication, no, and I don't think that gym really had like anyone driving community. It just happened. You know what I mean. It's just something that was there.
Speaker 1:Do you know what I?
Speaker 2:mean yeah, 100%, whereas I try and drive a community vibe yeah, so do we at our gym.
Speaker 1:It's community. Vibe as much as we can At our gym, but it just sort of occurred. I love it. I love going in and getting banter from members, et cetera. I think it's fantastic. I love it when I go in and a member slags me off because it's banter. I have a great time. I'm like that's my, that's a good community to me. If you can, someone can take the piss out of me and we're having a laugh. I'm like, yeah, what better community?
Speaker 2:do you want? That's good.
Speaker 1:That's like great Imagine you couldn't slag someone off.
Speaker 2:It's never good. It's a club, isn't it? It's a club, so like people wanna go and feel like they're not just a number.
Speaker 1:Yeah To the people are people from my gym. You listen to this and they'll know a better lot of the listening right now. Take the piss out of me. 100%. I hope so. What a 100%. I love it. I do love it. I think it's great. I think it's fantastic. But communities are so important. Location to initially sign up to a gym is gonna be the number one, isn't it? Like you go somewhere because it's nearby or whatever.
Speaker 2:But travel a bit further if you're gonna get a better experience. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:You're not gonna travel 30 minutes or an hour somewhere just for every day, for a better experience.
Speaker 2:Probably not, but people do come from different parts of Aberdeen to come our gym, for example.
Speaker 1:Yeah, then you've got fantastic person on trainers as well, don't you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, but they're coming for their own workouts as well. You know what I mean? Nice, that's good. So.
Speaker 1:Fligged, I will say we start.
Speaker 2:It depends what you want, Like we'll sometimes get people to join us from big commercial gyms that have a lot of good facilities, much more facilities, and I'm, you know, nice cafe bar, that sort of thing. And I'm like you know we don't have all that, so don't expect it.
Speaker 1:You've got a little coffee machine.
Speaker 2:We have an espresso coffee machine and a TV on the wall. Sometimes the pods are there, sometimes they're not.
Speaker 1:Depends if barriers are remembered.
Speaker 2:But we try and make it a nice, friendly place for people to come to.
Speaker 1:I will say this year you have not done a fantasy Premier League, though, and you didn't do one last time either.
Speaker 2:I've stopped doing it because it consumes me. Do you know what I mean?
Speaker 1:You spend too much time on your phone. I'm so proud of ours this year and I don't want to do it. Guess how many people we have doing ours this year. Let me guess Energy one year, 436.
Speaker 2:Oh chop.
Speaker 1:They've got 103. 400 people. That's good 103 is pretty damn good, my last time 400. It's been optimistic, that's so optimistic, maybe next season, maybe next season. But we do a lot of things like that. We did our boot camp recently for charity, to build community, et cetera. Our classes have great banner. The guys in that, the girls in that are fantastic. They're really good fun.
Speaker 2:I think, obviously, staff is really important. You've got to have good trainers, not just knowledgeable trainers, obviously, that's really really important, but guys that are really good communicators and nice people down to earth, people that are going to relate to the people that you're working with. You want to come in.
Speaker 1:If you do have a problem with like people that have problems like membership et cetera. They've got someone to go to and speak to or like oh, this happened or that happened, or you know I need to. Whatever any membership problems or any issues in the gym, they have someone to like, approach and chat to, like. I'm not really sure how to use this machine. Can I borrow you for a second? And again, I love it, I like it as well. People come to you in the gym. You might even be busy, but they're like can I borrow you for a minute? Can you show me this? Absolutely, people are comfortable enough with you that they'll just ask you for help. I love that.
Speaker 2:It's really good. So where's your next gym you worked at after that?
Speaker 1:Well, I didn't. I did. I took like a couple of years out and I worked. This is weird. I did. I worked as like what's the word? I'm looking for A caretaker for schools, and then I went back to gyms. After that. You were like a Johnny, basically in the evenings, to be fair. Very, this is a rough story. By the way, this is the youngest Janet.
Speaker 1:So this guy gave me a job A fantastic guy, dougie, really good guy. Sadly, both the guys that I worked with both lovely guys had a lot of time from them. They did a lot for me. Both passed away. Both got cancer. One got cancer, died about four years ago, another one I think was about three years ago Real sad, lovely guys. So I did that and then from there I then went in and I did my level three and then I got a job at David Lloyd. So I worked at well, I signed up for well. We got an interview at Purgem to get it. I got a job at David Lloyd Thanks to Mark Duncan, who you might know Shout out to Mark Thanks for hiring me Gave me the opportunity to get into the fitness industry and it was a learning experience at first. Because you're PT, you know you get used to. It's a hard thing to do, isn't it PT? And then I went David Lloyd.
Speaker 2:You know I had to thrive Quite competitive at David Lloyd, so I know there's a lot of personal trainers work there or worked there. Can I swear you have to put a pound in the jar.
Speaker 1:I was shit at first, a little confidence like, and then I sort of built up from there. David Lloyd was great. I had a good bunch of PT's. Everyone like there was a good work ethic of working hard, helping people. I met some great people along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed it. That's good Thrived. I think they have a good day. When I worked there I'm not sure now, I haven't been there for a long time, but I had a great community. People went to classes etc. Like, for example, I ran boot camps. I did two boot camps a week. Eventually I started doing blaze and all the people who came to the boot camps came to the same boot camps the four years I was there. Like we can work out.
Speaker 2:I've only been to David Lloyd's maybe a handful of times and I get the impression, like even though it's such a big gym and such a big company, that through their social media and the blaze thing and all that and the few people that I follow that work there, that there is a good sort of community.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the more there was there was fantastic, yeah, and the classes like your Les Mills people they don't think they run it anymore, but like the Les Mills group was like huge, there's loads of people and they'd go to every class. You know what I mean. So it was really good actually. And then great facilities jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, which you use a lot, I imagine. To be fair, I didn't use a lot, but the case of time when you did like. What a tough life. You come in the morning, you have a 6 am client, a 7 am client, you have breakfast and go and sit in the sauna and jacuzzi, Chop in the jacuzzi for 45 minutes, you get out, you have a drink and you start PT again. Yeah, good times. And some of my best times.
Speaker 2:How did you work at David Lois? I went to David Lois and took I did like a I think it was a two day kettlebell workshop for a company no Teaching some of the guys that worked there.
Speaker 1:Crazy moment of day, one of your guys took a kettlebell course. Well, it was a day or like a couple hours when I was at college.
Speaker 2:It would have been Rory I think I think it was Rory, yeah.
Speaker 1:We had a haul of kettlebells upstairs. It was good actually. Back then I was an idiot, though I didn't listen. Back then I was an idiot, I only thought.
Speaker 2:You've came a long way, matthew. Thanks, credit to you I know a lot about bears, and now I know a lot about bears. There you go, which is great.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was actually really good. You guys used to do your kettlebell stuff, didn't you? In the van going about? I did see you train crazy story. Did you train at RGU one day and I was there? I went from Dave Lloyd I went over to RGU to train for a session and it was when you used to do PT stuff there way back.
Speaker 1:And you were on the other rack and you just were in your own little world. I thought that's Barry. We're building up to that, mate. We're building up to that. And I was like I should go say hi to him. You should have came and said hello, but you look like you were just in the zone.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was. Of course I'm there to train. I'm not there to speak to you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you were in your joggers and your bloody hoodie still Like the usual. Look, you know what I mean. You weren't working that hard, probably not. But yeah, dave Lloyd, it was a good gym to work at, really good, I think.
Speaker 2:The facilities and obviously the so how important are facilities then?
Speaker 1:It depends what you want. Some people love to go to the jacuzzi after a workout. It's been a long day and all that sort of stuff. We spoke on the other episode, like the ice baths, it's like therapeutic for people you know to switch off, I think you need to go to a gym that suits your goals as well.
Speaker 2:Do you know what I mean? Because there is different gyms out there that are better suited to bodybuilders, that are better suited to power lifters. That are. Yeah, 100%, and it depends what you're looking for, isn't it? So, if you want a gym that involves a little bit of everything like swimming and chilling, and maybe you want to get your family, involved. Do other sports. Maybe David Lloyd is a good option for that.
Speaker 1:I think it's very family-oriented about gym, a lot of families, kids, etc. They got crash. Yeah, do you do tennis, swimming If you're a?
Speaker 2:bit more focused on.
Speaker 1:I thought about joining. I wouldn't join there.
Speaker 2:If you're a bit more focused on your training and what you want to achieve, what types of equipment that you would like to use within your training, you might delve a bit deeper as to what other gyms have, for example. Yeah, 100%.
Speaker 1:If you're taking your training or the types of people that go there what their goals are.
Speaker 2:Is it in line with my goals and my values? Because you kind of want to be around similar types of people, don't you?
Speaker 1:If you're getting into powerlifting, you're not going to go and use commercial gym bars, are you?
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:Because they'll slip out your hands when you're going heavy, etc. So you'll probably go towards a strong man powerlifting gym and then if you're into bodybuilding, you want to be around like-minded people. So going to a gym where everyone's into bodybuilding is probably going to be better for you than going to a leisurely based gym.
Speaker 2:Well, the first actual gym that I worked in in, on the gym floor so to speak, would have been Banatines. Which have you been to?
Speaker 1:Banatines? No, never. But to be fair, it used to be similar to David Lloyd. In a sense it was a more high-end gym, especially when it first opened, but obviously David Lloyd sort of I think I've trumped it in terms of like the high-endness but still quite a high-end gym by any means Never been.
Speaker 2:I loved it. I have to admit I've got mostly good things to say about Banatines. I really enjoyed working there and again for such a big commercial gym, it always had really good community vibe, friendly, and the thing that was probably more noticeable on that gym than to the previous gym that I worked at was there was kind of like a wide range of people that went there, so like older people younger people, so it was catering for everyone, you know, and it was it's got a pool as well.
Speaker 2:right, it had a pool, so had a lot Sona Sona, steven and Jacuzzi. Yeah, I know exactly what you're talking about. Sunbed as well getting involved in that, that's sunbeds. One sunbed in the change room, I think.
Speaker 1:Bet you were there all the time after your body pump classes. Yeah, so you taught Lesbos, wasn't it? 10 tokens 10 tokens.
Speaker 2:No, I'm kidding, but it was a good place for me to learn how to be a personal trainer, because there was lots of different people wanting with lots of different ailments, different goals, different abilities, and you know like you said there a minute ago you were pretty shit at the start. I mean, I was probably pretty shit at the start as well, but-.
Speaker 2:That's like two pound in the jar I know, but it was good. It was a really good I learned a lot. Good start. It's a good start and point for me. I really enjoyed it.
Speaker 1:I had a great time I do miss it in certain aspects. I do, I really do. I think I've never been to a gym that I've disliked of you. I think a lot of gyms have like certain things that I've really enjoyed, maybe things that are missing, but like, never dislike going to a gym.
Speaker 2:I think when you're traveling away and I've been in hotel gyms or I've went to a little local gym here and there I've definitely been in gyms I've thought there's no, there's no atmosphere here, there's no environment there's, there's nobody passionate working here, and you know, I'm only here because it's convenient at this time, but I don't think I would want to spend much time here and this is, this is not for me, and but Now you've said that I remember going to a gym and it's actually beside where I was born.
Speaker 1:So it was in Middlesex, in Oxbridge, and I went to this gym. I was on a course and I will say it wasn't great. It's a very high quality gym, loads of facilities. But you'll rate this again if people are listening. I saw PTs on their phones Like texting. Obviously. I'm like why are you on your phone, like yeah, two more, keep going. And like what it looks so Unprofessional. Now it was like one or two that all them were doing it all the more I switched off with their clients so I wouldn't probably enjoy being there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean that's kind of unacceptable. Really, I mean unacceptable. Yes, that is a, that's a one-to-one bit when I have a conversation about that the thing is, you don't have to be a PT, you don't have to do any job. Really, whatever job you're doing, you should enjoy it yeah.
Speaker 2:I would say this to my own children Says whatever job you're doing, you've got to try and do it to the best of your ability, and if it involves working with somebody, working with the public and actually conversing with them, communicating with them, and they're paying for your time, you have to give them. Yeah, you're all do. I mean 100%, and I'm definitely being guilty of of Probably letting my standards slip at some point In time, you know but yeah, but like you have something.
Speaker 1:It's hard, hard to speak to people like all day, every day. Yeah, it's hard work. You might be on eight hours or ten hours in a gym one day and you will struggle near the end. 100%, it's hard to think.
Speaker 2:Most of the time your intentions have to be really good and you have to try and keep your standards high. Like you'll know and well, I Don't work as hard Training people or coaching people as I used to, but we used, we used to have like Between myself and the guys that I work with, that because of all Bruce and Rory, for example, they They've they've been working with with me for a long time, you know, I mean at Banna Tynes and then the gym there, and we used to train people 10, 12, 13 people in a day.
Speaker 2:I Think the record something like 13 or 14.
Speaker 1:Who's done that?
Speaker 2:me.
Speaker 1:He's done 13 sessions in a day. Yeah, you hate yourself.
Speaker 2:I, to be fair, one day I booked that I don't know, I don't know if I was 13 hour day and I was like oh my god, what have I done?
Speaker 1:and then two people mess with me and cancel. I was like, yes, yeah, I'm not 11 in a day.
Speaker 2:I've still got the diary that's got those days in it, like so, yeah, there's like loads of 10 hour days, 12 hour days, but I was just really driven up to, yeah, you know probably make money Make money but help people, build the business, build your reputation and just like obsess with it as well. So like you're, but it was too much, it was too much.
Speaker 1:I've literally done the exact same. Shout out to a guy, lee Mitchell. This guy Worked with him for a while, such a graph to a guy. He was at university. He'd peat in the morning, peat in the evening, uni all day and then weekends he did floor hours and he was for, you know, fitness education Academy. He was a lecturer for them as well. The guy was a graph to me and him, just like together Just did loads of ideas. I build up our client base and it got massive and I was sitting down one day and be like, yeah, you can't do this anymore.
Speaker 1:You'll probably find that a lot of good pts went through a period of really pushing themselves and like yeah, yeah, well, you start that role, don't you have, like, I need to get clients, and then you just it's not sustainable. Oh, after a while you've got to think of better ways to, yeah, to do it.
Speaker 2:But I think you know, if you're just learning your, your trade and your grafting like that, I think it's, I think it's really really good 100%.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you've got to work too hard to understand what working too hard is.
Speaker 2:So you've worked in David Lloyd's, you've, you've been in a nice fancy gym.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You now work at energy fitness.
Speaker 1:Energy fitness tells about energy fitness we're like a Commercial but locally owned gym. So we're it's a franchise and it's ran and it's great. I love it.
Speaker 2:I actually love it yeah it's probably a good size gym and it's a medium-sized gym for the area as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so we've got like studios, we do classes, but we don't have like a jacuzzi, dump, swim pool, don't have a sauna and a thought and To you know, we don't need them.
Speaker 2:A lot of people don't want that from a gym. I don't think as much nowadays, oh yeah. I'm a wrong saying that.
Speaker 1:No, I think it depends what you want from a gym. Like I think it would have everything I would ever need as a member. There's an anything else I'd want. If I really wanted to go for a jacuzzi, I think I'd do a spada, you know. I mean, like I don't think, I don't think I need to go away to have one. Shall we go for a spada? Well, the thing is like from working and having a dressing gowns on Lovely. It's my birthday soon, so it sounds great, but like people have access to them. You would be surprised the amount of people who are members at Dave Lloyd and never went to the jacuzzi, you know.
Speaker 2:I mean they have it there, but they never use it.
Speaker 1:You don't need these things like. Energy is great, it's a.
Speaker 2:It's a medium-sized gym We've got, we don't have time these days, nowadays, to do an hour workout and then have another extra half an hour to go in the jacuzzi, and all that afterwards. No, you don't you.
Speaker 1:Some people do use it all the time, but like not everyone. And but yeah, medium-sized gym. We have power lifters, we have strong men, we have bodybuilders, we have the whole lot. It's great. It's a real big mix. The classes are good. So I Would say our gym, because it's in like a local community, we get everything and I love that. You again, we spoke about how some gyms have certain vibes like warehouse would probably like bodybuilding in Aberdeen and, and you got results as a more strong man, etc. Because we're like just out the way by ourselves, we get everyone coming in. So we have like Specific bars, like commercial gyms won't have like deadlift bars or power bars, but we do. We have Olympic bars with the whole lot and we get a great mix of people. It's fantastic.
Speaker 2:So how would you describe? I would gym, then well, my, my gym your gym yeah you, you.
Speaker 1:You were a member for a while and I was, I was, I was, I loved it. I, I guess, great. You've got a great gym. You've got again you're like locally owned by yourself and it's small but it's anything you'd ever need. And you've got a great selection of bars, fantastic use of space For the amount of space you have. You have great kit. You put the reverse hyper back in. For me I really appreciate that. That's for resting our water bottles.
Speaker 1:But then you've got like Swiss bars and like God knows why you bought a bloody skull crusher bar, but you go on and you've got a bicep curl bar again. What the hell Is? Your gym is fantastic. Yeah, I think it's really good, and you've got again a really good community of like. You have the class space.
Speaker 2:You have power lifters right, it has got really good kit but and you know I'm committed to getting better kit if we need it or we have to get it or whatever but I think it's not like the most important part of the gym, do you?
Speaker 2:know, what I mean. It's good that the kit is decent enough and it's well maintained and it's a high standard and people that are into training, like you, can appreciate that. But it's the most important part of our gym is the vibe that we create for the people that are there. So, like we've said, the community aspect, but just the friendliness and allowing people to not feel intimidated. Come to a gym that is. You're going to find trainers that are knowledgeable, passionate, eager to help you, but you're also going to find like-minded people.
Speaker 1:I will say you have a great bunch of pts.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you're going to find like-minded people there who are very similar to yourself or not yourself. I'm, just as an example, someone that starts our gyms. You normally a sort of beginner type person, and you'll find lots of people there that maybe aren't beginners, but they were at one point and they're all just there to help everyone.
Speaker 1:If you cater to a bit of everything, you'll have a great and I think you guys do.
Speaker 2:Well, you like to have a bit of a niche as well, because otherwise it becomes a bit too stretched.
Speaker 1:But like yeah, but then you'll have people who, like, will come in and just do their own training, right, who? Have like loads of goals, but then you'll also have your classes, and then you also have your power lifters.
Speaker 2:Well, our main thing is focusing on helping people with our personal training services, our memberships there as well.
Speaker 1:I think it's very nice that you do that, because a lot of PT studios don't tend to do that. They're like, oh, get a membership somewhere else. I think it creates more of an atmosphere, more of a vibe, but then, even if you're giving them programs, you know exactly what the kit they can use, etc. And you can build their program. And then when they're coming in they're seeing you guys there and all that sort of stuff is great, really good.
Speaker 2:If you want to train in a group, we can do it. If you want to train one-to-one, we can do it. But if you want to also have that ability to train on your own which I think is really important that you should learn we can do it To train on your own. Go and say it for me.
Speaker 1:You said, we can do it. Say it again, we can do it. Training group we can do it.
Speaker 2:Get closer to the mic Training room, we can do it. Yeah, so there we go.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think finding a gym that suits you is always good. And then yeah, but again, I've never been to a really bad gym. I've been to quite a few in Aberdeen and I've had a great time on all of them. The more simple ones with less change room facilities I can't, don't care.
Speaker 2:I like going into gyms that are new to me or haven't been for a while or things like that, because it's like you get to just experience something a bit different.
Speaker 1:I went to a gym recently and I think I saw there was a mix. There was quite a lot of young lads coming in doing similar like bodybuilding style stuff, but three young girls came in and they all did weightlifting and I loved that. Like how much has like training changed in like last 10 years? I would never seen like girls doing weightlifting or guys doing weightlifting 10 years ago. It's a rare thing to see. So three girls come in doing strong weightlifting throwing things above their head.
Speaker 2:I was like 15 years ago, which is not that long ago. 15 years ago, yeah, there was not that many women in the weight section of the gym that I was working at. There, wasn't?
Speaker 1:How many cardio?
Speaker 2:a piece of kid that was in the gym as well. Now it's like it's at least 50, 50, I would say, Would you not?
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's probably still slightly, it depends. It's probably still slightly more male dominant.
Speaker 2:probably just right, but I a lot, because I'm in that smaller set and I kind of don't really know.
Speaker 1:You've probably got a good mix. But yeah, we're probably. But it's probably just slim in terms of probably a slightly more lads. You'll notice it because, like, you'll go in at a certain time you'll look and go, oh, it's quite a lot of guys in and that's probably why it's probably. Yeah, you're a bit more noticeable, but, yeah, loads of cardio kit back in the day, wasn't it? I remember Dave Lloyd pre-referb. It had like 20 treadmills and like upright bikes. I had like 15 upright bikes, I think never got used.
Speaker 2:Well, one of the reasons me and Matthew know each other is actually because David Lloyds got flooded. Yeah, yeah, because one or two of your clients came to me.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, I think I recommended you. Yeah, I recommended you.
Speaker 2:You had to stop training them because you know you don't have a facility to train them in. So yeah, I recommended you to quite a few. They came over to me and then we started speaking.
Speaker 1:One of them here you go, maybe she's listening. One of them messes me today Said how are you doing? I said fantastic. He said have you seen Barry recently? I started seeing her about an hour.
Speaker 2:So I'm guessing.
Speaker 1:You know exactly what I'm speaking about. She said hi, Hopefully doing well the usual stuff, but yeah, I recommended you. I really appreciate it. Like Colin, I recommend you there as well.
Speaker 2:Really, appreciate it. So, yeah, good things came from that flood, you know.
Speaker 1:To be fair.
Speaker 2:Barry, if anyone ever asked me for training it over.
Speaker 1:Do you know the Range Rover's going?
Speaker 2:down the river and stuff. But I got an extra couple of clients me and you are pals now. We started this podcast.
Speaker 1:To be fair, that's not true 100%. The reason we're pals is because we were just drinking beers on a half an hour curry and I was like I've always wanted to come to your gym, barry, and you went, I should come down. I was like cool and I took you up on it.
Speaker 2:That was a good night I did.
Speaker 1:I always wanted to train at your gym and I'm glad I did. It was fantastic. It's a really good gym. That was a good night yeah.
Speaker 2:So let's round up Matthew, recap. It. Hit us with a few bullet points. What makes a gym?
Speaker 1:Just go to any gym you want to, guys, as long as you're having a good time. So, like locations obviously important. Obviously Communities are a big, really big important thing, especially around like continuing going to a gym If you're having fun, having having a good time when you're getting there. I think it's more important than actually the workouts. I love having a good laugh when I'm training. It's really good fun. And then just little bits and bobs, like if you want different facilities or different equipment, there's always good options.
Speaker 2:Or if you want to go to certain areas, but don't be scared to go to a gym, because there'll be heaps of people that won't go to the gym, matthew, because they're they're feeling a bit, you know, apprehensive about it all.
Speaker 1:Diving like the, like the ice baths Head first, head first, why not?
Speaker 2:We both did it, yeah, and I totally get that people would feel scared to go into that environment. But just know that 90% of the people that are already there felt like that as well 100%.
Speaker 1:So they all felt like that at one point when they initially stepped in that gym.
Speaker 2:they're like, oh God, and I know we've covered this in a previous episode, but you might think people are staring at you, but in reality nobody's taken any notice of you whatsoever.
Speaker 1:Everyone's staring at you barrier, and if people are, if people are saying hello, then that's a good thing. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah 100%.
Speaker 1:Well, a pleasure, guys. Thanks for listening.
Speaker 2:We will see you in the next episode. We don't know what we're going to speak about. If you want something that you want us to speak about something, then just let us know and we'll cover it. Yeah, we'll do it, see you soon.