David Cogley is a renowned personal trainer, known for his expertise in achieving remarkable body transformations. David’s work has gained recognition in prestigious publications such as Men's Health, The Daily Express, Manchester Evening News, and LoveIt! Magazine. Qualified with a BSc in Strength and Conditioning and an MSc in Exercise Physiology, he possesses a strong educational background that complements his practical experience. David’s contributions extend beyond training clients as he has published a peer-reviewed scientific article in the esteemed Journal of Sports Biomechanics. Moreover, he has shared his knowledge with honours degree university students and over 300 elite-level personal trainers.
David Cogley, Physique Coaching
Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better.
I was born and raised on a farm in County Wexford, in the Republic of Ireland. I was always an outdoors type, played every sport you could think of from a young age and had a keen interest in all things sport and fitness. My strongest subject in school was business studies so I decided to study in business in university, however, all my spare time was devoted to reading and learning absolutely anything I could find on the areas of health, nutrition, and exercise, so I changed my mind last minute. I wanted to be able to positively impact people’s lives and pursue my passion, so I decided to study exercise science instead. I was fortunate enough to earn an academic scholarship for my Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Strength and Conditioning and spent four years learning from some of the best minds in the country about exercise training, nutrition, and health. From this I earned another academic scholarship for a Master’s by Research programme where I conducted a research project over two years, investigating the most optimal types of exercise to improve various markers of health and fitness including novel blood biomarkers of type II diabetes and cholesterol. Whilst there, I lectured on Exercise Physiology and Biomechanics modules for honours degree students in Sports Science and Athletic Therapy courses also. After six years in formal education I moved to Manchester, UK, to work for the top personal training company in the world and learned everything I could for three years, proving myself to be one of the top trainers in my time there transforming the lives of many clients along the way to lead healthier, happier, and more productive lives. This involved working on the education team writing educational content for over 300 elite level personal trainers. After this worked for the leading personal training facility in Manchester, Frontline Fit Performance Centre. Again, I learned from some of the best minds in the personal training industry in the UK. I decided to set up my own business following this to run things how I wanted, and I continue to provide the best possible personal training and online coaching service I can under my own name and brand. My life isn’t all fitness, in my spare time I watch every type of sport from boxing, golf, tennis, to football, Gaelic football and hurling, and I’m a massive formula 1 fan also.
Can you provide an overview of your business and the services or products you offer on your website as well as the mission and core values that drive your business?
I help business executives transform their physique in the quickest possible way whilst taking a no-nonsense approach. I take a holistic approach that encompasses all lifestyle factors including stress, sleep, nutrition, digestion, wellbeing, and biomechanics. This coaching is based around optimising all lifestyle factors to have the best possible effect on body composition and performance.
All aspects of my coaching are backed with solid rationale and scientific data that I have learned from 6 years of formal education, as well as a track record of producing world class mind-blowing results. I work both in person with Manchester based clients, but also coach people online as well and have clients’ all over thew world.
My mission is to provide target driven and quantifiable results for my clients. Whether this is a measurable health outcome such as improving cholesterol, markers of diabetes, or perhaps reducing body fat to a healthy range – everything is measured, and each target is reached in the shortest timeframe possible. My online presence reflects by background in education. I don’t get caught up in the latest online fads, and I do my best to provide actionable education that can be implemented instantly to provide value to my followers, wherever they are.
Who inspires you to be the best you can be?
My parents are my inspiration. First and foremost, my parents have taught me the value of hard work, as well as the values of integrity, honesty, and humbleness. I’ve seen first-hand how hard they work and have done since I was a child to support me, my education, and my career. Without their unwavering support and understanding I wouldn’t be where I am today, and this is what drives me every day. Along with this, I have had incredible academic mentors in my former lecturers Dr Paul Byrne, and Mr Declan Browne. Both provided me with an exceptional level of knowledge and continue to inspire me to this day. My clients are all huge inspirations to me as well, as each of them are at the top of their respective fields and careers. Working with such motivated high-performers every day forces me to elevate myself and my personal standards in line with the best in the world.
If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why?
I would raise the barrier for entry into the personal training industry. At the moment, the barrier for entry is quite low, and qualifications can be achieved over a single weekend. Given we have so much influence over our clients’ lifestyles and lives I think a more stringent qualification process should be in place. Our clients invest their health, as well as heard earned money into us as trainers, and I believe we should be suitably qualified to reflect this. I don’t think a weekend or online course is sufficient.
Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far.
This question is a difficult one to answer, as there are a few achievements I am proud of in my career. Earning academic scholarships for both my degree and master’s is up there, along with publishing a peer reviewed scientific research article also. By contributing to the scientific of research community I have hopefully helped others learn and understand more about mechanisms and applications of exercise and how to build on these in the future. Having my clients published in national and international publications is a massive achievement also. When I started my career, a goal of mine was to have just one client published in a reputable publication or newspaper, as few trainers will do this in their career. To date, I have had six client’s transformation stories published in various publications from Men’s Health, The Daily Express, Manchester Evening News, Loveit! Magazine and Brainz Magazine, and I expect to double this number in the next year. Above all, my greatest achievement is the contribution I have made to each and every client I have worked with to live happier and healthier lives. Knowing I am helping people grow and develop mentally and physically to be better versions of themselves is the greatest achievement of all.
