The Training Academy

Another 20 training clips from the year so far.💪🔥

20 clips from the last block. Could easily fit in a hundred more and I just might 😂. From Team World Cup fitness Challenges, to focusing a huge amount on sprint dills and max speed work at the track, to So so many gains in strength from hundreds of people, to more and more achieving their first chin up and beyond( about 50 women by the last count as well as loads of men) . The last 10 week block has been immensely satisfying seeing so many people from different walks of life all coming in , training and getting stronger and fitter. Results by this many people training on average twice per week is hard to come by. The Training Environment is everything and we have one very special training environment down at the Training Academy. Well done to everyone who has gone through the last 10 weeks . You guys have been absolutely brilliant 👏👏🔥🔥💪💪

Since 2014 ,Gym culture has changed so much! Received a wee Facebook memory today. The year of this video in the slides was 2015 and some of these pictures are 2013+2014. Women didn't strength train other than the odd exception. It  was cardio and running and cross trainers and spin classes and other hitt classes and measuring progress by the weight on the scales. 

Except in the Shed Nightclub in Glasgow . Strength group training . In a nightclub.  It was Dark. Disco lights. No mirrors. A sound system like no where else. We did it  first . Private gym "club" concepts since then, even in commercial gym classes like spin, have all came from The Shed "bootcamp" which began in 2011.  We encouraged people to sprint and not jog. Do less , not more. But focus more on quality work over quantity.

 I heard it all:

 " women will get injured lifting those weights"

" Women shouldn't lift above 10kg because is bad for their pelvic floor."

" If you let your knees go past your toes you'll ruin your knees."

" Deadlifting will damagae your spine."

"You are going to make those women get bulky by doing that. "

"You need cardio to lose weight"

"Eating protein will make you bulky"

"If you weight train and gain Muscle, it will just turn to fat as soon as you stop"

Gym culture has changed unrecognisably. These statements above seem mad now as science has caught up. But back in the 2010s this was the normal beliefs.

The Training Academy has been here for just under two years but we have been doing what we have been doing for way longer than that. Prioritising strength training and sprints. The changes I have witnessed in the fitness scene in Glasgow in the last 16 years has been incredible. A cultural shift. 💪💪💪

Another Father's Day in which I felt a lot of gratitude for these 5 kids of ours that keep us very busy. Today James's Primary 7 OLM school team were playing in a football tournament ( The Matthew Carney football tournament in memory of Matthew who was pupil at the school)

It was a long day in the heat and the team lost narrowly in the semi final 1-0 in what was their last ever game together as a team before moving on. It was bitter sweet in many ways that they didn't go all the way like they did last year but that is life and the sweet part for me was John also playing in the team alongside his older brother which, as a Dad felt quite special. As it turned out the teams last goal was James In the quarter finals with a pass made to him by John,so I guess that was the highlight of the day for me and one I'll look back fondly on.

My Dad isn't here anymore and hasn't been for a long time but I really laughed out loud when Danny wrote in my Father's day card this morning that he wished my dog was still here 😂. I was impressed with his genuine sense of empathy although My Dog died many moons ago too and have no idea why Danny had been thinking about him to the point I was sure he had meant to write I wish your Dad was still here. So I asked him does that say Dad or Dog. It says Dog, he told me. Haha. Sometimes if you don't laugh you'll cry and the unintended dark humour and irony of Danny's card to me was also something I'll remember. Being able to laugh in the face of sad times and tragedies sometimes is one of the greatest things and one of the most important as it reminds you that life is full of bitter sweet moments. Life , sport and everything else is like that and days like this are often bitter sweet for anyone whose Dad's aren't here I guess. But that life goes on. That too is just a bitter sweet part of life. But today I feel reminded of how lucky I am to be the Dad to these 5 amazing kids. James, John , Tom, Danny and Rosa and also so lucky to have Kathleen along side me with them. And my Dog, I guess I miss my dog(s) too 😂😂

Friday Team. Hopefully Scotland do the business tonight ⚽🔥🔥💪👏