Fat Daddy To Fit Daddy

• I had been living and working up near Dublin and hadn’t trained or played any sports in the 5 years I was there.

  Then in the early 2000’s, got married and we moved back home to take over the family pub. 

  Around this time a little known Fitness Instructor moved back to the village and started circuit training classes in the local community centre. I don’t know why but I said I’d give this circuit training lark a go. It’ll never take off I thought, just another fad!  I’ll never forget that first class, which was also the Freaks first class back in Rathgormack. I arrived at the hall completely unprepared for what lay ahead of me. Three poor souls were all that turned up, Straight into the warm-up, Oh holy Jesus I nearly died! I hadn’t run or done any stretches in years. Of course none of us had brought water or anything so we went into the kitchen for a drink, we were inside for a few minutes gulping down water and chatting about how tough this circuit training was when in bursts the freak to hunt us back into the hall to finish off the warm-up! Any way I survived that first class and the pains and stiffness eventually eased! Rich was telling me lately when we were talking about that first class that I came in with a terrible attitude, telling him I was “too old for this SH1T”.

  That first few classes were tough alright but as you improve and start to get a little bit of fitness you can feel yourself starting to get hooked. From the minute you walk out the door at the end of a class you are counting down the days until you can come back and push yourself a little bit harder, get in one more squat or push up before he blows that whistle to move on.

  Anyway personally I persevered with my Circuit training twice a week and really enjoyed it, I was reasonably fit but my problem was I didn’t look it. Rich has always stressed the importance of a good diet and the fact that you’ll never out train a bad one. And as I moved through my 30’s this was becoming more evident. My problem was working “unhealthy” hours in the pub, late nights, a few pints with customers at the end of the night and my weight didn’t shift and I didn’t feel any fitter in comparison to my effort.

  Then in November 2013 made big step both personally and emotionally to close the family pub.
  Through the mental stresses of firstly trying to keep the pub open and eventually realising that we had to close the one thing that kept me sane and gave me an escape was my training

  Adding to the reduced stress levels, a more balanced lifestyle in terms of fewer late nights, and no pints at closing time with customers and the late night munchies that accompany it, I trained as consistently as I had probably my whole life. I started increasing the mileage with my running and not missing my any of 3 sessions a week at FF HQ.

  I’ve recently done a couple of half marathons and am toying with the idea of giving the full one a crack in Dublin later this year. If you told me that after my first circuits class all them years ago id have laughed at you!
  I dropped over 1.5 stone and am fitter than I have ever been in my life. Consistency is the key and adding to that keeping an eye on what and when you eat. My diet still isn’t wonderful, but its better! I still enjoy a pint and the odd take away, so not quiet up to the freaks standardsIf he only knew half the shite I still eat!

  The workouts have evolved over the years and so has the Fitness Freak HQ, I still go twice a week and get a buzz every time I walk up the stairs. Over the last couple of years I’ve started spinning once a week and I find this a great, intense cardio blast. Tara is tough, knows her stuff and like Rich she doesn’t listen to your SH1T and knows how and when to push you. That’s the thing about Fitness freak training it is tough whether it’s circuits with Rich or spinning with Tara. They don’t ease off ever, it’s just tough honest enjoyable classes constantly evolving, that push you, Challenge you and improve you.

  Thanks Freak

  Ned
  R

  Richard Kennedy

  to Ned
  Aug 11

  Details

  Excellent Ned

  Thanks v much

  Sent from my iPhone