Meet The Team

Jonny Lea

Coach

My journey started from a young age being involved with sports and my main sport being rugby. I always wanted to be the fittest, the biggest, the fastest, the best at my sport. That drive saw me through my achievements. Captaining my school and university 1st XV teams, reached the top tier national leagues and represented my county and region playing in an international festival at Wellington college. As a result I have had a passion for training my whole life and have always made it a priority because I knew the benefit of supplementing my performance in my sport in the gym.

After leaving school, and over the course of a few years at university, I (unknowingly at the time) was battling with mental health issues. I say unknowingly, as my way of dealing with my issues was to pretend they did not exist, drink myself to oblivion and not take responsibility for my physical and mental health. A combination of injury and bad decisions had a detrimental effect on my training. This haphazard cycle would repeat itself across my time at university. My mental health spiralled out of control and culminated in a mental breakdown. I deferred my final exams, unable to finish my degree that year in a world of pain and with no real understanding of how I could get to the other side or if I even could. At this point, training, sport and ultimately my life were put on hold, but thankfully, with a strong support network around me, I was able to rebuild, finish my degree and reconnect with my passion for training.

Quick Fire Round

What do you love about being a Coach and what motivates you?

I love what I do. It is my passion; being able to help individuals lead a better quality of life is like gold dust. Helping them to overcome training mistakes, many of which I have made myself along the way, and getting them the hard-earned results they deserve.

I have helped hundreds of men and women, just like yourselves, achieve the body and performance levels they never thought they could. This has been a truly transformational experience for me, and from that point on, I have never looked back.

What is your favourite and least favourite exercise?

Favourite: Boring, I know… any of the big three [Squat, Deadlift, Bench], but I think I’d have to put bench press as my favourite.

Any of the big three or derivatives of them are my favourite. They are staples in any solid training program, but the bench is my favourite just because it’s my strongest lift.

Least: Bulgarian split squats, when they are heavy enough, are so fatiguing on top of that, once you’ve done one side, you have to do the other… killer.

What is your favourite quote?

“Just as one may experience physical struggle in the gym to grow stronger muscles or greater endurance. One must suffer emotional pain to develop greater emotional resilience, a stronger sense of self, increased compassion and a generally happier life.”