For Fit Sake

***Due to a technical error this pod is a few weeks late. It was recorded over the June bank holiday BUT it is 100% worth the wait!*** Jess Redden is a Pharmacist, influencer, fitness enthusiast, and an online resource to her almost 80,000 followers. How does she fit it all in? Jess has been training at FFS for over 6 months and joins coaches Mike, Rudds, and Rory in an episode that dives into a wide variety of topics. Mike makes a bold prediction for his Half Marathon….. YES, he is finaly doing it! Rudds talks about adapting his training as his perspective on training has changed since becoming a father. Rory shares a story about the FFS in-house competitive animal that is Eric Cullinane and the joys of going for a run with Cully! Jess gives us an insight into what drives her and how she manages her time with so many conflicting drains on her resources. The discussion dives into overcoming setbacks after school and her career journey to date how Jess handles the good, the bad, and the ugly of social med

In this week's episode, Rory and Mike sit down with Rob Symth, CEO of UN1T, the global fitness franchise. After traveling to 29 countries across 3 continents and learning everything he could about training methods and sports philosophies from different cultures, founder Rob Smyth opened the first UN1T in April 2017 in London. By November 2018, the first franchise had opened in Munich, Germany, and then further afield into the Middle East with franchisees opening in Kuwait and Qatar and most recently in Dubai. UN1T now has 15 Franchises in 9 countries and Rob has ambitions to continue to scale globally. Rory and Mike take it right back to where it all began and talk to Rob about his early career, the challenges, the successes, and the chaos that is scaling a business globally. Enjoy!

In this episode, Mike, Rudds, and Rory talk to former FFS Intern and now Irish Womes Strength & Conditioning Coach, Cian Gormley. The guys talk about the approach to training, recovery, and planning taken by elite athletes and how it can be applied at a macro level for recreational athletes. Cian shares some insights into the preparation of the Ireland team for the Women's 6 Nations championship and the challenges the squad face, and how they will adapt, having suffered defeats in their opening two games. Cian is an avid middle to long-distance runner and the conversation touches on the importance of strength training while running. A large part of the conversation focuses on developing a consistent and enjoyable training routine as well as the emotional and mental challenges that consistent training pose.

In this episode, Mike, Rudds, and Rory talk to Keith Egan. Keith boasts a +5 Handicap, has represented Ireland in the home nations, and has reached number 80 in the world amateur golf rankings. It is safe to say he is without any doubt the best golfer to ever set foot in FFS.  Keith has worked as a personal trainer and used his professional learnings to inform his physical preparation for golf. We talk about physical, mental, and nutritional prep and how one can maximize performance with some basic structure.  We also dip into the conversation around turning pro, what drives Keith and what his aspirations are. This episode is a must-listen for all golf fans.  Stay tuned to the very end for a story from Keith on his experience playing St. Andrews with Rory and the madness that ensued as they played the infamous 17th, the “Road Hole”. Enjoy.

In this episode Mike, Rudds and Rory talk to Anna Pfeifer who has just joined the FFS teams in a Yoga and Mobility coaching capacity. Anna and Rudds talk through the benefits of adding mobility training into your regular training week and why we should all be doing it! Anna comes from a corporate background and shares her experience on moving into the fitness industry mid pandemic. We also dive into the personal setbacks that Anna faced because of a horrific freak leg break. Finally, a bombshell from Rudds on hat he has been putting his body through all in aid of the Irish cancer society, a cause very close to our hearts. Here is the link to donate… which you will 100% do after hearing what he has been up to: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ciaran-ruddock4 Happy Christmas everyone

Most people struggle to run one marathon, most never even consider running seven in seven days!  Most people also struggle with their mental health at some point in their lives, most never even consider talking about it or seeking help.  Most people aren't like FFS' very own Steo Keane.  This episode is packed with entertainment, fun, insights into what life has been like during the pandemic, and most importantly some very powerful messages from Steo on the mental health challenges people face and how we can all work together to help each other out.  You will really enjoy this episode!

We are back! After a COVID-induced hiatus from the podcast, Rory, Rudds, and a new man gracing the airwaves, Mike South are back to talk all things health and fitness. In Season 3 of For Fit Sake, the podcast brought to you by FFS gyms the guys will share insights from the coaching team at FFS gyms as well as championing the achievements of the FFS community and discussing fitness trends with industry experts. In episode 1 Mike, Rudds and Rory discuss the challenges faced during the pandemic from a physical and mental standpoint and how they sought to overcome them. The guys are then joined by FFS coach and Head of Metabolic Conditioning Catahl Cosgrove to discuss work capacity and his role as a Golf Specific PT at FFS. Enjoy the show & Stay Strong.

Episode 2 of the FFS Podcast mini series - The people of FFS and we are joined by Vicki McGrath. This episode is coming to everyone a little later than we would have liked due to the current COVID-19 situation. The ski trip is a dead give away that this was filmed at the start of February. It's actually awesome to listen back and hear about Vicki's story and journey since she joined FFS. At the time Vicki was the reigning FFS Trainer of The Month and going through the biggest battle of her life, a battle with Breast Cancer. Vicki had just finished 8 sessions of chemo a few days before the podcast was recorded. The story is full of inspiration and is a really normal down to earth chat with a lady who has inspired so many at FFS over the past 2 years. A real show of strength is that when this podcast was recorded she was still awaiting the results to see if her treatment had been successful, with all that uncertainty and worry she still joined the guys on the podcast and shared her story. We are so pleased to r

"If I don't eat in the next 15 minutes I will lose al my GAINZ?". Ever heard this from one of your buddies leaving the gym..... Or Better still, have you ever said this yourself? It's very possible, in fact I'm sure we all have! On this Myth Monday Rory, Rudds and Darragh discuss where this notion came from, how much truth there is to it and when we should pay attention to it. As usual the episode gives an insight into the context that dictates how important the Post Anabolic Window will be for you and your gainz as well as lot's of practical recommendations.  Enjoy the episode and as always if you like it, please subscribe and leave us a review. Thanks!

Thank you for tuning in to the second episode of Myth Mondays, the mini series of the FFS Gyms podcast.  This week Rudds, Darragh and Rory discuss the concept of eating late in the evening.  For the guys it comes down to three critical areas. Tune in to hear the guys thoughts!

In this mini series of the For Fit Sake Podcast we sit down with the people that make FFS what it is. A community of like minded people that want to become the strongest version of themselves.  We have an amazing community of coaches, staff and clients at our gyms and we want to showcase their experiences, their stories, their learnings and hopefully inspire our listeners with these incredible peoples stories.  In this weeks episode, Darragh and Rudds sat down with Leah McInerney. Leah shares how far she has come on her incredible journey, what made her change and where she wants to go next! Here are the links to the Dash and Dip that Leah talked about during the show: https://www.gofundme.com/f/dash-amp-dip-in-aid-of-irish-cancer-society?utm_source=whatsapp-visit&utm_medium=chat&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet Enjoy!

Thank you for checking out Episode 1 of Myth Mondays, the FFS Gyms podcast Mini Series where we give our take on some of the most commonly debated areas of the health and fitness industry. Sometimes it gets heated, but we will always try to give a balanced approach using relevant research and most importantly the experience of the FFS Gyms team.  This Monday we are discussing Strength training for women, especially the around the perception of how lifting weights "will make ladies look bulky". Enjoy our take and feel free to share with some friends who you think might be interested. Also don't forget to give us a rating on iTunes or wherever you get your Podcasts. Also we would love to hear your suggestions on topics or guests that we should get on the show. We appreciate it!

Welcome back!  The new year is in full swing and the team at FFS Gyms are delighted to be bringing you our first podcast of 2020. In this first episode of Season 2 Rory, Rudds and a now regular on the show Darragh "The Hoover" Henry catch up and discuss the plans for the podcast this year.  The guys talk though why there wasn't much content near the end of last year and offer their apologies as well as discuss for an exciting new set of "Mini-Series" under the For Fit Sake Podcast Brand.  Each of the guys also talk through some personal goal setting for the year and how they are going about things a little bit differently this time around! Enjoy the episode and stay tuned for more content coming soon.

Discussing the Menstrual cycle openly with clients and highlighting the impact that it can have on your performance is something that we have wanted to do on the For Fit Sake Podcast for quite some time.  On this week's episode Rory and Aoife are joined by Down Camogie star and Orreco employee Niamh Mallon. Niamh joined the guys to discuss both the positive and... (yes you read that correctly - positive) and negative affects that a period can have on a female athletes performance. Niamh breaks the menstrual cycle into 4 stages and highlights the physiological areas that elicit certain perfromance traits during each phase. The research is very interesting.  Niamh discusses the FitrWoman app. FitrWoman helps you track your menstrual cycle and provides personalized training and nutritional suggestions tailored to the changing hormone levels throughout your cycle. ‍ "No matter what your sport and no matter what your goal, FitrWoman takes the guesswork out of training." The software and it's coaching version of th

The impact of a sound health conscious routine on mental health is something that we have discussed on the For Fit Sake Podcast before. It is a current issue and something that our listeners want to hear more of. It is an area that our team at FFS Gyms is trying to become more conscious of and improve how we handle mental health issues with our clients, particularly around their training and nutrition.  Joe O'Brien of Spectrum Mental Health joined the team at FFS for an in service day and then jumped into the studio with Rory and Aoife (Yes we have replaced Darragh already!) Main talking points Psychology of behaviour change and the stages of change people go through (forming new habits) The statistics behind dieting and it’s success rates, and what does contribute to success Disordered eating (specifically binge eating), body image & some of the problems with dieting How to manage mental health in the fitness industry and what PT’s and fitness professionals can do with clients Mindset shifts for c

Lots of firsts in Episode number 44 of For Fit Sake; Darragh Henry's first show stepping in for Rudds. Our first telephone interview with Rudds calling in from Ireland's training camp in Portugal. Finally, and most importantly our first time getting one of FFS' most electric characters on the show, Eric Cullinane the head of FFS Physiotherapy.  Rory, Darragh and Cully talk all things Physiotherapy from getting into Physio out of school. The challenges in getting work initially. Building a practice at FFS and the expansion of the clinic.  Eric dives into detail on the three most common types of patient that he treats in the clinic and the most common injuries. Naturally back pain on posture feature and there is also an unexpected segway into the mine field that is concussion.  The stakes are higher than ever on this weeks quiz! Enjoy the show!  

 Episode: Number 43 Athletics and speed training with Jamie Martin Grace On the most recent episode of the show Rory and Rudds are joined by Jamie Martin Grace who is one of the FFS coaching team and currently represents DSD athletics club. Jamie runs 100m, 200m and is venturing into the world of 400m. He speaks to the guys about competing in athletics, transitioning from field based sports and gives an insight into athletics specific training and how he trains to run faster. Jamie also sheds some light on what it is like to compete in a club and how being a team player in a very individual sport based world is surprisingly important. 

Episode 42: How To Sustain Motivation To Train One of the most common questions we are asked is how do you motivate yourself to train consistently? In this episode Rory & Rudds will share with you their top tips for sustaining the motivation to train consistently. Key areas of discussion: 1. We are not perfect  2. Identify WHY you want to train 3. Set goals that are important to you and your why 4. Set smaller behaviour goals you can control – daily, weekly and monthly goals that you can control 5. Make choices, you will need to be prepared to say “NO” things  6. Surround yourself with positive like-minded people it helps to motivate us and our members. 7. Challenge yourself  8. Realize that motivation is not essential 10. Be patient  11. Bounce back ability  Rory and Rudds shed some light on their experiences and those of the people they have trained over the years.  Enjoy!

EPISODE 41: TRAINING & NUTRITION TIPS FOR HOLIDAYS CHALLENGES - PRIORITIES - MINDSET It's holiday time! Some people love holidays and some hate them but one thing is for sure, if you aren't mindful they can potentially derail your progress. The really important thing is being clear about your goals and knowing what a holiday should mean for you.  Rory and Rudds talk about their experiences, when it's good to take a break and when it's necessary to not. The guys also share practical strategies when it comes to getting your training done, eating in line with your goals and also switching off to destress.  A must listen for anyone who wants to have an open mindset around holidays and what they can mean for your health and fitness goals.

EPISODE 40: Pre-Natal Training MINDSET SHIFT - BENEFITS OF PRE NATAL TRAINING - TRAINING GUIDELINES Whats the best training whilst expecting.... "Can I do chin ups? One coach says I can deadlift, one says I can't? I'm confused so just won't train at all?"  If you have had these questions, or are family planning and thinking ahead then don't worry we have you covered. During this episode Rudds and Rory were joined by coach Aoife MacNeill to share their experience in working with prenatal training and the expertise that they have built up over the last 6 years.  Laura Carroll, long time FFS member who is expecting joined the pod to discuss what has changed in her training since she got pregnant, especially the mindset shift. Anyone expecting or family planning who wants to know more about giving themselves the best physical opportunity for a healthy pregnancy should listen.