“We’re still at the start of the year so it’s just about building up that courage to get yourself into the gym”
January is a time when many of us feel motivated to think more about our eating and drinking habits alongside physical fitness
We’re now well through the month and that age old New Year motivation is starting to feel like a lasting habit.
For those still thinking of jumping on the “New Year, New Me” bandwagon, it’s not too late.
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We’ve been speaking to Andy Kirkpatrick, a Belfast-based personal trainer and nutritionist, who has been based in the city centre for the past 12 years.
The 36-year-old Co Tyrone man told us: “I love the job, the diversity of it and helping people all around. I went through different phases of my own training and can fully relate to people who are struggling.
“I used to be into football a lot through school but then a health issue meant I had to stop all sports for a couple of years.
“That hit me hard as I didn’t know what was going to happen but eventually I just found the gym. I can remember actually walking into the gym and being terrified, wanting to do certain things but just not knowing what to do.
“That’s what gave me the drive to learn as much as possible around training and food and the spark to keep going.”
For anyone thinking they may have missed the chance to get 2026 off to a good start, Andy added: “It’s never too late to make that change you may have been thinking about for a while. We’re still at the start of the year so it’s just about building up that courage to get yourself into the gym.
“That is probably the hardest step but once you get yourself in, it’s about trying to form that little routine. It doesn’t have to be 90 minutes long, it can be just 15 minutes on the treadmill but trying to form consistency around that is key.”
Andy also offered some top tips to help you with your fat loss journey:
- Organisation – get organised, sit down with a pen and paper and plan out your week, what are you eating, what time you’re going to bed etc
- Preparation – prep your meals, get organised the night before
- No pressure – this probably one that people don’t think about but take the pressure off. You don’t need to train every single day. You can train for 30 minutes three times a week. It’s all about removing that pressure and forming a habit that you can sustain for a long period of time.
Andy also runs Lean Scene, a health and wellness website to help people rebuild structure, strength and focus through “simple training, real-life food and no burnout”.
He explained: “Lean Scene is about taking out the confusion, fear, and roadblocks we sometimes feel about health, fitness, and exercise. We work alongside clients to build their confidence and help them to train and eat properly for life.
“They are taken on a weight loss journey where we will set goals and challenges to keep people motivated along the way. I want to create an all-rounder, to help them learn how to train, how to cook, and also create a community where we can all support each other and hold each other accountable.
“My thought process is to create affordable membership where everybody can do this together. I’ve had this idea for many years as a one to one trainer and formed this now to make it affordable for everybody.
“You can find me on Instagram and Facebook so come and join me, check it out and see what you think.”
Video: Justin Kernoghan
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