TGt Meets... Stu Gatherum, T2 Fitness Education

In our latest TGt Meets, we've been speaking to Stu Gatherum, founder of T2 Fitness Education, about his career and all things fitness!

How did you turn your passion for fitness into a career?

I worked my way through the ranks so to speak. I started as a fitness instructor while at college and during university. Once I graduated I worked in Canada for a year as a fitness consultant at an amazing facility. Following my return to England I soon started a job as a PT in David Lloyd. I soon became one of the national high-sellers in PT sessions for them. I started to branch into freelance PT work as well as a bit of education. Very soon after, I started T2 Fitness Education.

How do you stay fit and healthy?

I tend to focus on athletic types of training. I play basketball and its quite a high-octane sport so I work on quick bursts of effort. I love heavy lifting, compound exercise, kettlebells and ANKORR training. Anything that has me gassed and working hard I’m up for!

Do you have a motto or favourite motivational quote?

‘If it was easy everyone would do it!’ – I think this stands for business and personal development.

People often struggle with fitness motivation; how do you keep yours?

I’ve always been very self-motivated. I don’t usually struggle to get myself to the gym. However, like everyone else there are days when I’m less inclined to want to train. I always know I’ll feel good for it, and that as soon as I start to get a bit of a sweat on the motivation will come. I also use exercise as a bit of ‘me time’. It allows me to organize my thoughts and structure my day so in a way its more than just remaining active for me, it helps my productivity.

What are your tips for people looking to get into shape?

You need to be consistent with your efforts. It’s far too easy to become super excited about your exercise in the short term and then not follow it through in the long term. Set yourself small, achievable goals and reach them. Once you have a level of success it is easy to remain focused on your longer term aspirations.

What are some mistakes people make when working out?

Listening to anyone and everyone! We live in a world of instant gratification and we can find an ‘experts’ tips at the touch of a button on our phone and social media. I think it’s really important to follow an organized training philosophy and try not to waver. Too many approaches will eventually limit your progress.

Are there any exercises you advise against?

A long time ago I realized that there aren’t many ‘bad’ exercises, only poor application. Having said that, there are definitely more and less effective exercises for a given goal, and a good trainer will be able to help you identify a sound plan of action.

You need to consider the order of your exercise session so that you can best avoid injury and maximize your progress. A fine example of this would be to work through your main exercises early in your session so that you are fresh and more likely to perform them well.

What music do you listen to when you work out?

I’m a big fan of loads of different types of music. It kind of depends what type of training I’m doing. If I’m lifting heavy weights I would lean towards things like Linkin Park and if I’m working on Kettlebells or more conditioning types of training I would be more likely to listen to bands like New Found Glory and Offspring. I’ve always got time for Hip-Hop, too!

What foods are always in your fridge?

There will always be avocado, spinach and fruits in our fridge. We eat loads of eggs, fish and steak too. There will always be a stir-fry in the fridge too. Its quick, easy and full of veggies. I’m a big fan of Greek yogurt as well.

It’s not all clean, clean, clean in our house though. We lean towards a more realistic balanced lifestyle. You’ll often find cinema pick n’ mix (especially chocolate brazils, fizzy cola bottles and foam bananas!) in our cupboards.

What's been the most rewarding part of your job?

Watching people go off and have successful careers. It might be students heading into their first job as a PT, an established trainer developing their skills further or an athlete we support progressing in their sport. I see my role nowadays as more of a mentor to all of the people associated with T2 Fitness Education. Anything I can do to offer a platform from which to grow from to our community I will always try to do.