Ian O’Dwyer

Co-Founder PTA Global.com

Fitness Personally Private Training Studio www.fitnesspesronally.com

Author, presenter and pioneer of change in the fitness industry.

Corey Bocking (CB)

Ian thanks very much for your time I know your super busy at the moment.

Ian O’Dwyer (OD)

Mate my pleasure, happy to help.

CB

Can you give me a brief overview of your journey in the fitness industry?

OD

I have been in the fitness industry for 11 years. My family are very well known in the horse industry and I grew up around some of the best animal trainers and learn a lot about behavioural change in animals from a young age. To be honest I learn so much about horses that I have been able to apply to my own training philosophy. My sporting ambition was to play AFL, unfortunately I didn’t quite make it to that level, and I had a preseason with a club and played some VFL but never quite made it at elite level. As I got older I had a bad run with injuries and finished up playing football, I was a plumber by trade and went back to plumbing. At that stage I was wondering what is next and my passion for sport and fitness got me into the fitness industry.

CB

Hang on, how do you go from training horses to people, what are the parallel between animals and people?

OD

There are so many similarities between humans and animals, and many parallel between horses and people.

For a start when horses run they land on 1 foot like humans.

Like a human, you can observe the way the body is moving. The skill of observation can tell you so much about an horse, you can tell by the way the horse carries itself weather it is stressed, the condition of the skin and a the animals coat you can tell whether the horse is well nourished and hydrated or poorly nourish and dehydrated. These same principles apply to humans, through the skills of observation and asking questions.

The moment a person walks into my studio I can make a call on what is going to be best for that person at this point in time.

Often you have a client who comes into the gym you observe that they are flat, stressed and have had a poor day with their hydration and nutrition, even though the plan for the day was a hard conditioning session, which in fact for that person at this point in time may be the worst possible thing for them at that point in time. Instead we change our focus on movement and a lower intensity session, this client is going to walk away feeling energies and positive instead of putting them into further fatigue. Through observation skills and trying different things we have been able discover a better way to do things.

CB

That is true, in a recent research project I interview a number of people who hold PhD’s in the areas of training load monitors and specialising in measuring hormonal response and training loads scientifically, I was surprised when they all said to me “You can not underestimate the value of an experienced coach who can intuitively read how their athletes are responding to the training load.”

OD

Observing your clients and adjusting their program is the key, not just blindly following a program is essential. You know I have never written and followed a 12-week program to plan. This is because we need to coach with what we see today. I can’t stress that enough you will never have a perfect program you follow from start to finish because you need to be able to observe the person and their physical status is going to be different everyday and adjust your session accordingly.

CB

So Ian, how did you go from horses, plumbing, elite level football and personal training to become one of the World’s Leading Educators working with the worlds best the likes of Paul Check, Gary Gray, Chuck Wolf, Michol Dalcourt, Paul Taylor Oliver Scott

OD

There is a bit of luck involved in everything we do. I was lucky enough to meet Richard Boyd (founder of ptonthenet.com); Richard has become one of my closest friends and is now like family.  Through Richard I was offered a few opportunities that I was able to make the most of. I have to be honest at the time when I started working s with guys like Paul Check and Chuck Wolf, I was a little scared and intimidated, I thought these guys were on another level. But when you have the pleasure of working with them and getting to know them you realise they are just like you and I, honest and passionate people who love what they do and are always happy to help.

I just took the approach that I would take the same discipline and passion that I always had and apply it in the area of education and I knew if I acted with enthusiasm and integrity I would do ok. As you said you surround your self with good people who challenge and encourage you to be your best and act with integrity you cannot go wrong.

CB

The televisions series Body and Brain overhaul (visit www.bodybrain.com.au to view all episodes) was a huge success, I was lucky enough to be in Melbourne with you the day Johnathan Hay (Former AFL star –former All Australia) came in for his first session with you. His transformation within an hour was just amazing to watch as you worked with him. Just observing his behaviour change over such a short time was unbelievable, when he started he looked like a broken man, head hanging low shoulders slumped, and within an hour walking out head up shoulders back and you could see his confident swagger coming back as he left the gym.

OD

Yes he looked like a beaten school kid when he came in. Johnathan’s transformation was noting short of amazing. His entire tests went through the roof when we rested him at the end of the program. Johnathan actually came and lived with my family for 10 days. He lived and trained with me in my studio for 10 days, at the end of the 10 days he was so appreciative for the experience.

It was such a learning experience for me. My kids asked him about his tattoos, the drugs, alcohol, why he walked away from AFL and depression, I said Johnathan you don’t have to answer any of their questions, but he was so open and honest about everything, he said Ian, I will always be honest with children as kids are unconditional and honest they don’t have an agenda they just say what they think and I will always be honest with them.

I know he learnt about training and his body in those 10 days he was with me but the lessons of life he taught me was far greater. I have the highest respect for Johnathan.

CB

Depression and mental health is major issue in our society at the moment, I think the show showed how important it is to be both physically and mentally fit and how much exercise has a positive effect on dealing with and overcoming depression.

OD

Dedication is the key to anything; Johnathan was an All Australian and dedicated his life to his sport. However when he finished he had no goals, no direction, no ambition, he had many issues away from football that no one knew about that was affecting him mentally. He was heavily medicated and this started a downward spiral. I am sure in any Personal Training Business you will have people who are fighting their own battles with mental health. As trainers often we don’t know how much we change peoples lives, as a trainer you have to wear many hats, trainer, educator, friend, counsellor, psychologist, dietitian etc. it is important to realise how much a positive influence you can actually help people make in their lives.

CB

I recently read one of your articles and you said, “We create change in the body; we do not fix it. Only the body can fix itself.” this session you did with Johnathan was a great example of that?

OD

Mate, I have never fixed anyone. What we do is give the body a chance to change. Getting the body to move better and creating the environment where the body can operate in the most efficient manner. I recently worked with a former AFL player, his knee is bone on bone and every time he walks he is in pain. I had one session with him and he was walking pain free. Now it is not because I am a guru and I don’t say it to impress you but to impress upon you the fact that I was able to look at things from a different perspective and facilitate change within the body. We did some work to get his hip and ankle complex moving more efficiently he was able to walk pain free, now we didn’t do anything with the knee but having the body moving more effectively he got a great result.

To be continued..

Part 2 of the interview with Ian O’Dwyer will be posted next week where Ian shares his views on the direction of the Fitness Industry, EMT, his business philosophy and his important advice for new trainers