Optimise Your Life

In this episode, Peter was joined by breathing expert and personal trainer Leo Daniel. Leo has graduated from UCD with and MSc and has educated himself through his career in areas such as personal training, physical therapy, Buteyko method, Wim Hof instruction, Oxygen Advantage Method and strength and conditioning.

Leo then took himself to study under Dr. Eric Serrano during an internship. Since then he has trained hundreds of clients from recreational sports people to Olympians.

Leo and Peter discussed many topics such as: Butyeko Method, how to get started with Wim Hoff, dysfunctional breathing and how to integrate breathing into athletic development training. If you would like to learn more from Leo please see his social media details below:

In this episode, Peter was joined by a  young physiotherapist who has experience far beyond his years. Mike Murphy is owner and founder of RAPID in Dublin, Ireland. The Rehab and Performance Initiative may be in its infancy but it has already treated many clients and received incredible reviews over the past few months.

Mike has a vast experience as a physiotherapist having qualified with an MSc in Sports Medicine from world renowned Trinity College Dublin. Mike has also trained in a clinic setting in the world leading facility at Sports Surgery Clinic in Santry, Dublin. Mike then took his travels to the United States where he worked in a chiropractor clinic and specialising his work with injured golfers while there.

Now -  Mike has come back to Ireland and has set up a state of the art service. Mike treats all types of clients from the elite athlete to the normal everyday person. His system is so simple and really leaves you understanding your injury better, understanding how your body works and more importantly – a very simple plan that will rectify your problem.

Peter and Mike talk all things S&C and physio related but also dive into some career and business advice for those trying to get their small business off the ground. If you are an aspiring PT, Coach or physio there is lots of great nuggets of information for you to take from this one. Mike also takes us through his TPI Golf experience and how he can help you add so much sought after extra club speed for the next time you hit the golf course.

Finally, I could not recommend Mike as a physio enough. He really is top class and we have no doubt that his new company will be a country leading facility in the years to come. To get in touch for more information, please see Mike’s social media accounts below:

In this episode, Peter is joined by endurance runner and performance coach Shane Finn. Shane has completed many physical feats that most of us would only dream of doing. He has completed 24 marathons in 24 days and also raced across USA in 36 days through running and cycling to name a few.

Shane also runs his own online training business where he helps endurance athletes achieve their goals but also trains the normal person to be fitter and healthier. Shane and Peter discuss how to start your running journey from scratch and also talk about how Peter should train for his first marathon which is in 7 weeks time.

Shane also takes us through his career to date and the journey he went with his incredible endurance feats for charity. Shane’s story is very motivating and his knowledge of endurance sports is fascinating to listen to.

To get in contact with Shane please find his social accounts below:

In this week’s episode, Peter was joined by Eimear Shannon aka Miss Mortgage’s from her very popular Instagram page. Eimear is a qualified financial advisor but more importantly for this current climate, she is an expert in all things mortgages. Eimear works for NFP Ireland and spends her day-to-day helping clients getting ready for mortgage applications and speaking with lenders on your behalf to secure your dream home. Miss Mortgage’s Instagram page has had exponential growth in the last few months and now has 18,000 followers.

During the discussion, Eimear takes us through her initial consultation process, how she prepares clients who aren’t quite ready to apply to the lenders and she also shares some insights what lenders look for in an application. Eimear also explains the affordability required for a mortgage and how the banks stress test us. One very important aspect for our First Time Buyer’s audience would be her explanation of the Government’s Help To Buy Scheme.

This was such a valuable episode for our young listenership who are looking to purchase a property in the short term but also for people looking to prepare and get their accounts in a healthy state prior to an application in the medium or long term.

Eimear is very active on her social media and has kindly offered to answer any questions on the back of this episodes. She also host webinars and Q&A’s through her Instagram page. Her page also has a link to do your application and consultation’s all online! Please find links below to get in touch:

In this week’s episode Peter was joined by League of Ireland soccer manager Shane Keegan. Shane has been a coach for over 10 years and has coached and managed at Wexford Youth, FC Carlow, Galway United and more recently Dundalkf FC. Dundalk FC have had unprecedented success with Shane looking after Opposition Analysis and working now as the first team coach. Shane has extensive knowledge of coaching, self-improvement and how to build winning cultures. He also has acquired an MSc in Coaching and Exercise Science and is a holder of the UEFA Pro License.

Shane and Peter discussed Shane’s quick rise to the top of Irish Football as a very young coach, his failings and exit at Galway United and much more football related topics. There was lots in there for the non-football fans when chatting about how to look at self-improvement techniques and the transfer of coaching to everyday life. One particular aspect that may be of interest is Shane’s advice for people starting out in a career in coaching or whatever occupation they are in.

Our first episode for 2021 was a solo episode where our host Peter Shaw takes us through the experience of starting a podcast from scratch. This is a very simple and informative episode for anyone thinking of starting a podcast on a subject they are passionate about or perhaps to support the growth and marketing of their business.

Peter shares some great insights into the trials and tribulations of podcasting and is very open to sharing the mistakes that he made early on with the Optimise Your Life.

This is a very actionable podcast to help anyone on their journey of podcasting and has lots of nuggets of information to improve your current podcast as well. One key part is Peter shares all the information and reviews on the podcasting equipment and software he uses currently and has used in the past. Please see the links to all of these below:

In this episode of the podcast, Peter is joined by author, recovering addict and lecturer at Trinity College and UCD Brian Pennie. Brian has suffered at the hands of addiction and in particular heroin addiction. Brian tells us his story of how he transformed his life around and is now 15 years clean. He also shares his experiences and darkest moments of seizures, brain trauma, anxiety and how he went cold turkey from heroin without a detox centre.

There is some fascinating conversation in this one and is a truly inspirational story. However, Brian also shares real life practical advice on how we can trigger change. His experience of being a lecturer and academic, coupled with living with addiction gives him the authority to share tools and tactics that can be implemented by us all to optimise our lives.

Brian speaks about mindfulness, journaling and gratitude at length as strategies that he still uses today to keep on top of his recovery. The most powerful tool he utilises is the acronym for his morning routine MAVIG which triggers positivity to begin each day.

Follow Brian below on his social media and pick up a copy of his book to hear more about his remarkable story.

In this episode of the show, Peter is joined by movement therapist and co- owner and co-founder of Human Centred Movement Mark McGroarty. HCM was set up by Mark and his business partner Hugh Byrne to provide a service which specialises in getting individuals to train and move smarter by using a combination of the latest techniques in mobility training, functional movement, speed, agility, balance and strength & conditioning training.

Mark & Peter discuss working from home, injury management and setting up your home office. They also go in depth into how HCM are different to a traditional physiotherapy clinic and go through a step by step approach to their assessments.

One aspect that was very interesting in the show was the topic of back pain. Mark gives us insights into how to reduce back pain and why we may be having issues with our back given our sedentary lifestyles or changes to our lives during lockdown.

Please get in contact with the guys at HCM through the below links:

In this episode, we were joined by athletic performance coach with Leinster Rugby. Cillian has over 10 years experience working in high performance while also studying to complete his PhD. Cillian has also competed as a professional boxer during this time.

We discussed many different areas in the show. Cillian gave us some insight into professional rugby strength & conditioning and the data and metrics that are used at that level in the modern game. We also talked about his professional boxing career and the transferable skills that he has learned and applied in his practice.

Cillian gave some really valuable information about mindfulness and how he began his own practice. The most thought provoking aspect of the episode was hearing Cillian give strategies about training, routine, wellness and how we plan more effectively to be more productive and move forward to achieve our goals.

Cillian is launching a prototype of services around high performance coaching and is looking for people in this space to get in touch. Please get in touch via email if this is something of interest to you : 

Email : cillian@cillianreardon.com 

In this episode, Peter is joined by sleep expert and health scientist Tom Coleman. Tom has a vast experience in the health industry and has been researching sleep both academically and during his health practice. He has famously worked with former UFC Champion Conor McGregor to optimise his sleep quality to improve reaction time and performance.

It is a great discussion covering all aspects of sleep including sleep cycles, REM Sleep & dreaming. Tom also gives us insight into his routine for sleep and strategies we can implement to our ritual to improve our sleep onset, sleep maintenance, sleep latency and sleep quality.

Please find Tom's social media for any queries or questions you may have in relation to sleep:

In this episode, Peter was joined by Sport Scientist Shayne Murphy. Shayne has worked previously for Blackburn Rovers, Liverpool, Cardiff City, Wales, Scotland and recently Manchester City FC. 

We asked Shayne about long term athlete development and what is the best approach for developing movement competency. There is a really valuable piece in here for coaches and parents of kids that are under 16 and how to best support develop in sport at that age.

We also chatted about his new venture into performance consultancy and how high performance habits can be transferred into the average persons everyday life to help optimise their productivity and performance.

Please see Shayne's social media networks below to get in touch:

In this episode of the podcast, Peter takes us through some things to consider when it comes to your happiness and wellbeing. These are not all the usual elements you would relate with wellness and health but there is some useful tips you can implement immediately into your life.

He also discusses 5 key pillars that frame wellbeing and how we can use micro strategies to tackle any areas we feel we can improve upon.

Please find some of the links discussed in this episode of the show below:

In this episode, Peter takes us through some basics of nutrition and some principles to follow to improve your performance, health and productivity. He goes into the shift from the traditional nutrition approach towards the social media popularised calories in vs. calories out approach.

He discusses why there may be limitations in this method and some of the affects this approach in isolation may have on our long term health markers. He goes into detail into why the holistic approach is a better basis to improve a clients health status and performance also.

This is an interesting topic that has recently been the main topic in nutrition. There is little information about the affects of a flexible diet consistently over time and the affects it may have on internal health and the hormonal profile of a person.

Please if you get a spare moment leave us a review on apple podcasts and follow us on our social media pages:

In this episode, Peter was joined by independent financial planner Paul Merriman. Paul has over 18 years experience in financial planning and some of you may know him from his work with RTE 2FM. Paul also has a large social media presence through podcasting, Facebook and the Ask Paul Instagram page.

This is a must listen for anyone who is unhappy with their current financial position or have some spare cash that they would like to work a little harder for themselves. We discuss emergency funds, mortgages, budgeting, savings, investments and passive income.

Paul also takes us through alternative way to think about your first property purchase and ideas for young people who feel they can't get on the property ladder. It was a fascinating interview which has something for everyone, whether you want to invest in a more financially secure future or play it safe and save properly or join Paul in his investment club as he takes his followers on the journey through a managed Zurich fund. Check out Paul's links below for more information.

In this episode, Peter takes us through a framework to set an effective goal. He explains some of the reasons goals don't work and why we may have failed in the past.

This is a really short and practical episode that is designed to help you sit down and reflect on something that you want to achieve. Once you've done that, follow the steps set out in this episode and by the end you will have your plan drawn out and ready to action.

Please if you get a spare moment leave us a review on apple podcasts and follow us on our social media pages: 

In this episode, our host Peter was joined by performance psychologist Tony Og Regan. Tony has a background as a inter-county hurler during his time playing for Galway where he was nominated for three all stars and won numerous national titles.

After this playing career, Tony made a drastic career change from accountancy to pursue a career in psychology. Tony has now set up his own business where he offers clients from all walks of life the opportunity to improve their performance and life. Tony has worked in the corporate world with large firms, with individual athletes and in team sports also.

In the show, he takes us through how to improve our attentional focus and reasons why we should avoid multi-tasking. He also takes us through tips and advice for structuring our goals and how to reflect on and review different aspects of our lives. Finally, Tony gives us several tools which can improve our performance such as mindfulness, gratitude journaling and intention planning.

To get in contact with Tony please use the following social media links: 

Email: tonyog.regan@gmail.com

In this episode, our host Peter talks about muscle mass. He explains the importance of muscle mass. Why it is vital we maintain and preserve as much muscle as we can as we get older and also some statistics around the mortality rates of people who lose muscle mass as they age.

There is lots of interesting facts and research in this episode and why Sarcopenia is something we can avoid with a resistance training programme throughout our lives.

For anyone looking for more information on training or creating a resistance training programme that was discussed on the show, please get in contact via our social media or website below.

In this episode, our host Peter is joined by former professional Mixed Martial Arts fighter Andy Murphy. Andy has traded the gloves for life as a successful boutique gym owner, owning Urban Gym in Wexford and also a great family man. Andy has fought and trained all over the world and has rubbed shoulders with the best of the best in the Mixed Martial Arts world.

The more serious aspect of the conversation was a powerful piece, where Andy takes us from the routine training session all the way through what would ensue for the following two years. Andy was suffering with an undiagnosed brain injury and he takes us on the journey through the good and the bad. We speak about the symptoms, scan delays, process with the Neurologist and his recovery to where he is today.

We also talk about the fighting and the mindset needed and also he gives us his experience of starting a small gym which has grown into a huge community.

I really hope you enjoy the show and please share it with someone who may be dealing with something similar. Below is links to articles Andy has written and we eluded to in the show and also his gym website.

In this episode, our host Peter takes us through the podcast experience so far and the growth since the launch and finally getting on to Apple Podcasts. 

Later in the show, we go through 6 top tips on how to keep your routine on track for the weekends and how to find the balance between enjoying socialising, relaxing and staying on top of necessary tasks. This is a really nice segment for people looking to improve their weekend productivity and to prioritise different elements of their life.

In this episode of the show, our host Peter Shaw is joined by former rugby union international and coach Bernard Jackman. Bernard has played professional rugby for 12 years and has a vast coaching cv working with Grenoble in France and Dragons in Wales.

Bernard takes us through his playing career, coaching trials and tribulations and tells us what his failings have taught him. It was a very interesting discussion with lots of information to take note of.

The most powerful tool Bernard suggests for self-improvement is an Individual Development Plan (IDPs). These are simple 1-2 page documents or visual representations of your skills, knowledge and abilities. They are mainly used in the business world for staff development but can be used for any person looking to improve themselves. Bernard takes us through his own IDP and the different elements he is trying to improve while also giving us ideas on how we can start our own IDP.

For anyone , who is looking for more information on setting up an IDP we are happy to help. Contact us through the following links: 

On this episode of the podcast, we had the pleasure of being inspired by Shane Flynn. Shane is a movement specialist who runs his own gym which is currently under huge renovations as he plans to re-open after co-vid 19. Shane discusses his plans for the gym and the launch of his new venture which involved over 100k of investment back into his business.

Shane gives fantastic advice out for free on the podcast and his tips and experiences on dealing with negative people online is definitely something people can learn from. 

Shane appeared on a tv show in Ireland called "Hell Week" which involved 7 days of gruelling special forces training which was fascinating to watch and I would highly recommend you take a look to discover the mindset that Shane has built over the course of his career. 

To get in contact with Shane: 

On this episode of the show, we had the pleasure of listening to fitness influencer Nathalie Lennon on her journey so far. She discussed her training and nutrition advice as well as her current supplement intake. 

A key message that we talked about was her mistakes when she became obsessed with her physique, in a negative way, that ultimately led her to rediscover her passion for sustainable nutrition practices and overall holistic approach to well-being.

In this episode, Josh Cowan, online coach and strength and conditioning expert tells us about different aspects that can affect our adaptation to training such as sleep quality and daylight exposure. Josh also talks about gratitude journaling, body transformations and how he has built up his online coaching business.

Josh has kindly given all our listeners a 15% discount on his online coaching plans by using the word "COACHING" when you contact him. Please find links to Josh Cowan Conditioning below: