LTB Podcast

In this episode, Maggie sits down with Caroline, physiotherapist and founder of Rebalance Physiotherapy, a mobile and care home practice serving South Manchester, Cheshire, and Derbyshire. Caroline works with some of the most complex client presentations in the field, incl neurological conditions, frailty, post-hospital rehabilitation, and falls prevention, delivering high-quality physio in people...

In this episode, Maggie and Claire explore what belonging really looks like in personal training. They discuss how trainers can create connection through listening, language, and intentional culture‑setting, without forcing community or relying on surface‑level friendliness. Drawing on real coaching examples and behavioural science, the conversation unpacks the difference between interpersonal and...

What does it take to lift over 23,834kg in a single hour? We're joined by world-record holder and personal trainer Megan Kelly to discuss the mental and physical grit required to achieve a Guiness World Record. But this isn't just a talk about stats; it's a deep dive into the heart of coaching. Megan opens up about the resilience she gained from her successful and "failed" record attempts, her jou...

In this episode, Claire chats with Steffie Murray to explore her journey as a competitive strongwoman, from discovering the sport to becoming Scotland's Strongest Woman, Britain's Strongest Woman, and finishing second in the world. Steffie shares what drew her to strongman competition, the variety of events that keep her motivated, and how the sport has transformed her confidence, discipline and r...

What is it actually like to be on the receiving end of our coaching? To find out, we've flipped the script. In this episode, Maggie sits down with three of her own client s, Mara, Helen, and Eleanor, to get the unvarnished truth from the gym floor. From the initial nerves of walking into a gym to the specific things a coach does that build (or break) trust, these women share their honest experienc...

What if your personal training business was guided by your values, not just trends or tactics? In this episode, Claire and Maggie explore how clearly defined values can act as a compass for decision making, client relationships, pricing, policies, and team culture. Drawing on real examples from Maggie's studio, they discuss how values like community, joy, and confidence show up in day‑to‑day opera...

Claire chats with  Pete Yardley Patel about his personal training career.   Pete qualified 13 years ago and has built a sustainable business in a commercial gym and it is brilliant to hear about his   long term success in an environment which can sometimes be seen as a short term stepping stone   Find Pete: @peteyardley.hf Find Out More About LTB Membership: Website:  https://liftthebar.com/  Inst...

Why do some clients struggle to achieve results despite having the 'perfect' plan? In this episode, we step outside the gym bubble to talk with Dr.  Dharm i Kapadia from the University of Manchester. We dive into the systemic, social, and environmental barriers that personal training qualifications often overlook. Dr. Kapadia shares her vital research on how the chronic stress of racism and stigma...

·         Claire chats with weight loss coach and personal trainer Simon Graham about how starting sport later in life led him to become a personal trainer and continues to shape the way he coaches people with more athletic or sports focused goals.  From fuelling strategies and periodised training plans to balancing resistance work with endurance sports, Simon shares practical tips for building st...

Maggie and Claire chat about behaviour change and relevant models to support it in clients. Exploring how individual capabilities, both physical and psychological, influence a person's ability to change, as well as the importance of identifying and addressing environmental and social opportunities that either support or hinder behavior change. Members can access more on the member site including t...

·         Claire chats with Dani from Curious Fitness to explore the art of training clients with injuries and niggles. From integrating prehab and rehab into regular sessions to fostering trust through clear communication, they share practical strategies and personal insights from their experiences of their own injuries. Discover how creativity, empathy, and experience shape effective programming...

Maggie chats with personal trainer and mother  Elle Brown to explore what it really means to help clients "find their movement groove" in a world that often makes that far more complicated than it needs to be.   Together, they dig into: The role running has played in  Elle 's life and how her relationship with movement has evolved The intersection of fitness, motherhood, identity and societal expe...

Claire and Maggie dive into the realities of New Year fitness trends, exploring why January isn't always the best time for goal-setting and how to keep clients engaged beyond resolutions. They share practical strategies for client retention, marketing timing, and re-engagement, plus insights on navigating seasonal business fluctuations. Whether you're a fitness professional or just curious about i...

Claire chats with Tom Morgan about what actually counts as plyometric training, the benefits general-population clients gain when plyos are programmed well, what coaches get wrong about it, how to progress plyometrics and much more.   Find Out More About LTB Membership: Website:  https://liftthebar.com/  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/liftthebar    

Maggie sits down with Kim from Body Image Fitness to explore what it truly means to train for joy rather than aesthetics. Kim shares how her weight‑neutral studio creates space for every body to move, belong, and thrive, free from the pressures of diet culture. Together, they unpack why fitness is best rooted in celebration, connection, and empowerment, not comparison or correction.   Find Out Mor...

Claire and Maggie chat about productivity including the negatives of hustle culture as well as some practical tips for being productive when action is genuinely needed.   Find Out More About LTB Membership: Website:  https://liftthebar.com/  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/liftthebar    

Claire and Maggie discussed the concept of self-sabotage, challenging its scientific validity as well as ways personal trainers can approach clients who may be exhibiting maladaptive / sabotage like behaviors.  Find Out More About LTB Membership: Website:  https://liftthebar.com/  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/liftthebar

Chris chats to Zac Fennell, owner of BA1 Hair about the importance of looking after your customers, creating a brilliant team and much more.   Find Out More About LTB Membership: Website:  https://liftthebar.com/  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/liftthebar

Claire and Maggie chat about the role of goals and working with clients who don't have something that fits in a nice structure. Find Out More About LTB Membership: Website:  https://liftthebar.com/  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/liftthebar

Jake talks to Sally about the world of Online Coaching and what Personal Trainers should consider having ready in the early stages of building their Online Coaching service.    Find Out More About LTB: Website:  https://liftthebar.com/  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/liftthebar

Claire chats to Maggie and Jake about how we can be confident in our knowledge and ways to verify our beliefs, or those stated by others, so that we know how to support our clients and aren't adding to the misinformation out in the world.    Find Out More About LTB: Website:  https://liftthebar.com/  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/liftthebar

Katie first stepped into the gym as Maggie's PT client and now she's one of the trainers who works alongside her. In this episode, Katie shares how her relationship with fitness has evolved: from her first goals, to discovering a love for kettlebells, to unexpectedly finding herself on a whole new career path. It's an honest conversation about growth, confidence, and becoming an 'accidental PT'.  ...

Charlie speaks about his experience starting out in the exercise industry before finding himself working with more corporate clients. He introduces some great ideas about how personal trainers could begin to look at other businesses to improve their own.   You can access a free guide from Charlie here: https://cb-nutrition.kit.com/businessclassguide   Find Out More About LTB: Website:  https://lif...

In this episode Maggie and Claire chat about confidence.  It's a topic that comes up a lot and something we have helped a lot of trainers with over the years.  Whilst it's incredibly common and normal to have doubts it's also something that we tend to hide, so when it strikes it can leave you feeling like you're the only pt who's feeling like this and that is definitely not the case.    Find Out M...

Claire chats to Kayleigh Young about her journey from casual gym goer to PT, enthusiastic runner and run coach.   Find Out More About LTB: Website:  https://liftthebar.com/  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/liftthebar