As modern life becomes ever more demanding, Eoin Deeney is living proof of how eradicating bad habits, and enjoying moving, eating and thinking well can change your life for the better. Having recently swapped his legal career for a life of training and developing others at HENCH gym in Belfast, I spoke to Eoin about how he first became involved with fitness and wellbeing and what advice he has for others wanting to make better lifestyle choices.

 

How did you get involved with fitness?

I had always played soccer to a decent level as a youth and had a loose interest in weight training; generally trying whatever “get ripped fast” programme was on the cover of that month’s Men’s Health magazine. Needless to say, I had limited (no) success with that approach and became disillusioned with the standard commercial gym experience, feeling self-conscious about my weight, and feeling intimidated by everyone else who was in good shape and knew what they were doing – unlike me!

During my time studying Law at Queen’s University I fell into the typical pitfalls of student life – fast food, late nights, alcohol. As a result, both my physical and mental health were in a bad state. I tried several times to get back playing football or into a gym routine, but I kept falling back into the same cycle of negative habits. I knew something had to change.

In a twist of fate, I had contacted a guy who had helped me rehab from knee surgery; he said he was offering treatment from HENCH. As a result, I was introduced to Rory Girvan in 2014 (Founder and Head Coach at the gym) who convinced me that I should give small group personal training a go. I was studying a masters in Law and Governance at the time; if you had predicted that 5 years down the line I’d give up my Corporate Legal career and become a coach here, and have won a NI senior powerlifting title, I wouldn’t have believed you.

 

What makes your experience at HENCH different to other gyms you tried in the past?

It’s different in a number of ways, but the main difference is the community and the focus on both physical and mental wellbeing. When I joined as a member, coaches and members alike knew my name and took an interest in me as a person – they genuinely cared about my progress. Whether it was a simple text to see how things were if I wasn’t at the gym for a few days, or just having a laugh during a session or at a social event. I’ve discovered that people come to the gym for the high calibre coaching and the results, but they stay because they feel part of something bigger, a place where they can interact with like-minded people, have fun, and develop a sustainable approach to their health and fitness. It’s not about glossy photo shoots, being body beautiful or how much you can lift – it’s about committing to prioritise your health and fitness in a way which benefits your life.

The standard commercial gym model is premised on you signing up for the year then never showing up. You go in alone, swipe your card, stick the headphones in and avoid any other human interaction. It’s all very tense, clinical and off-putting. HENCH is the opposite of this.

You mention the importance of community – tell us more about that, and why beginners benefit from it.

We live in a society where busy is glorified and we alternate between work and home; there’s rarely time for renewal of physical, mental, emotional, or even spiritual energy. The vast majority of us burnout because we can’t find a way to recharge our batteries.

The community element is vital because it represents a ’third space’ for our members – a place where they can be themselves and have fun all while working towards their goals. If you enjoy training, you look forward to the next session; before you know it, you’ve strung together 6 months of training 3-4 times a week and you’re in a completely different place physically, mentally, and often spiritually/emotionally too.

We recognise that turning up to any gym can be a pretty daunting experience, especially for a beginner. That’s why everyone who joins HENCH starts with a 30-Day Trial Membership. This allows them to get to know us, get to grips with the group sessions, and for the coaching team and members to get to know them too. This communal atmosphere helps members to settle in, take things at their own pace, and feel like they’re being catered for as a unique individual rather than another just membership number.

 

What’s your advice to someone who is considering new ways to live better and get into shape?

I find it hard to answer questions like this because we are all unique and living better and getting into shape means different things to different people. So, it depends on your starting point.

Regardless, I would say it is threefold:

1. If you want to be more active, do something you enjoy. If you find it to be a chore then your chances of sticking to it long-term are slim. It’s doesn’t matter whether it’s Zumba dancing, Parkrun, or even training at the gym. Pick an environment and activity that you enjoy.

2. Keep it simple. People often confuse simplicity with ease and go about changing their activity, nutrition, and lifestyle in one go. Make small changes over time – making the changes so small that you couldn’t possibly fail. Like having one glass of water at each meal, having one less biscuit a day, or one more portion of vegetables each day. Like accumulating interest in a bank account – you don’t notice the difference it makes that day, but over the course of time it all adds up.

3. Have a support network – be that friends, family, colleagues, or fellow park runners. You’re more likely to succeed if you share your goals with a community who are helping you towards achieving them. Similarly, having a coach or joining a club is invaluable in helping you along your journey. They can provide that support network.

What was your biggest challenge when you started to take on this new lifestyle? What keeps you motivated?

My biggest challenge was accepting that not every day is going to be a raging success in terms of training, diet, or lifestyle. I would be harsh on myself for slipping up on my diet or missing a gym session – not taking into account that I wasn’t an athlete but rather an average fella trying to become a better, healthier version of myself. I was able to overcome this once I realised (with the help of coaches) that I could see progress without perfection and that I could still have meals out, attend social events, and have a beer.

Motivation is helpful to get you started but I think it’s fair to say that it’s been commoditised by the fitness industry. Motivation is fleeting, it comes and goes. The reality is that you won’t always be motivated, and life gets in the way. I believe we’re governed by our habits – both good and bad. What helped me was having a set timetable for when I would train so I didn’t have to worry about what I was doing or whether it was right or not. I just had a habit of showing up on certain days and doing the session – the rest looked after itself.

I’m a massive fan of the author James Clear and his work on forming and breaking habits. I’d recommend to anyone on their fitness journey to check out his book Atomic Habits.

This is the same of our members at HENCH. They are busy professionals with demanding schedules and are often parents, carers, and volunteers too. We help them to identify times to train that fit their schedule and their lives: 45-60 mins, 3-5 times a week. As a coaching team we help them to develop nutrition, movement, and recovery habits which help support their lifestyle and fitness goals. The work in the gym is great but how we help people live during the other 23 hours of the day is equally important.

 

Clearly, fitness and living well are important to you. It’s something you want workplaces in Belfast to focus on, too. How can they do this, and what are the benefits to employees?

I’ve mentioned that the majority of members are busy professionals who work in Belfast. Based on the success of their employees, several corporate partners have asked us to help them deliver upon their corporate wellbeing initiatives.

We specialise in delivering bespoke corporate wellbeing programmes which focus on both physical and mental wellbeing – on training, nutrition, habits, and recovery. In particular, we’ve found that employees benefit from our holistic approach which incorporates remote and in-person coaching, body composition analysis, nutritional guidance, wellbeing, and performance screening. We connect people with the elements enabling them to perform at a high level in their jobs and also away from the workplace.

Anecdotally, our partners have reported benefits of increased levels of staff engagement, productivity, and retention. We’re always keen to work with progressive companies who value employee wellbeing.

 

Want to find out more about HENCH? You can visit the HENCH website at https://www.hench.io/, contact the team on enquiries@hench.io or find them on Twitter @thisishench.