JOE WICKS’S NEW HIITS
The nation’s PT has a new mission: to make us not just fitter but happier. He spoke to MH about legacy and drive
First Joe Wicks made the nation fitter. Now, he’s on a mission to make us mentally stronger, too – in other words, he wants to make people happier. MH sat down with the most successful coach in Britain to talk about finding purpose, building a legacy and inspiring the next generation
Joe Wicks is not a man of modest ambition. When Men’s Health last spoke to him, two months into the first lockdown – and the cultural touchstone that was PE with Joe – his stated objective was
“to be the person who completely transforms the health of the nation”.
It was a formidable goal. Yet it’s hard to deny that he’s making good progress. With 2.8 million YouTube subscribers, 3.2 million cookbook sales, a multimillion-pound training app and an MBE, the 34-year-old roofer’s son from Epsom has not so much exceeded expectations as confounded them.
Now, he has another ambition: to make the nation happier. With a new role as ambassador for Lululemon, Wicks wants to teach his followers to use exercise as a tool to improve how they feel, not just change the way they look. MH sat down with the Body Coach to find out more – with a little help from Wicks’s peers, friends and famous fans.
Men’s Health: You made your name as the Body Coach. Now, you want to turn your focus away from the physical and towards the psychological. Why the change?
I don’t think it was a conscious decision. It was more of an observation. The more people I worked with – the thousands of people who do my plans, my YouTube workouts – the more I realised that the thing they celebrate most is not the before-and-after but the story behind it. I started really tuning into that. I thought, “Let’s amplify it. Let’s really shine a light.”
I know I still share the before-and-after pictures. People say, “Why do you share them? If it’s all about the mind, why are you still focusing on the body?” Some people really like those transformations. They like to see a body shape that might look like theirs, something they can aspire to. But overall, I really try to emphasise the testimonial written below – and it’s always about how people feel. It’s about how they’ve overcome anxiety, or certain illnesses, or depression. We need to talk about that more, because that’s the thing that keeps you coming back. The reason we keep returning to exercise is that it makes us feel good.
More and more people are talking about the benefits of exercise for mental health. Why is this conversation happening now?
ROMAN KEMP, RADIO HOST AND MEN’S MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATE
I’m not a psychologist, but I truly believe in the power of exercise. We know that if you feel down, or stressed, or anxious, exercise can really help. Maybe not permanently. It’s a temporary boost.
But after a workout, when you feel a bit more positive – that can save a person’s life, in some instances.
I’m not the only man talking about mental health. So many people have come out and been open about their experiences. I think it has made other people feel, like, “If Stormzy’s gone through it…” or whoever it may be. It helps people with similar issues to talk about it.
I think that during lockdown, people suffered more than ever. Whether you like to admit it or not, we’ve all been affected. From not seeing our friends and family to being disconnected from our social networks, it has affected us.
MH: After the year we’ve had, do you worry about the mental health of the nation? Do you feel a sense of responsibility?
I do worry about it. It is something I think about. I’m in tune with so many people through social media. I am aware of the energy of the nation. I am aware of the fact that people are struggling. That’s why I’m always promoting communication, talking about how you feel. I did an Instagram Live where I burst into tears. I didn’t mean to. But I had messages afterwards from people saying they felt relieved that I’d shown that side, that it’s OK to feel emotional.
I don’t feel like it’s my responsibility, but I have an opportunity to help people. That’s why I work as hard as I do. What I did with PE with Joe got a lot of people exercising at home for the first time. I made it really accessible. Hopefully, people now realise that you don’t need a lot of time to feel good. You can fit it into your day. And PE with Joe was completely free. Affluent people, people in one-bedroom flats and council houses – everyone could take part.
Would you like to see more personal trainers shift their focus from training for weight loss to training for better mental health?
DR ALEX GEORGE, PHYSICIAN AND YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH AMBASSADOR
Yes, I think it’s important for everyone with a platform. You can still talk about the physical benefits of exercise, of course. Looking good and feeling good are great. But the mental health side of things is so important.
I’m really transparent on my social media. If I have a rough day, I share it. People should show some vulnerability. It helps other people on their journey. If they’re going through a cycle of deprivation and bingeing and feeling guilty and ashamed, it helps to know that every human goes through it. We all have days when we eat junk food, and it’s totally fine. So, the more trainers we can encourage to be transparent, the better – not just sharing their best selfies with the best filters. When I share, I think, “Will this help someone to feel better?” And people love it when I have a blowout, when I’m tired, when I’m hungover. They think: Joe’s normal.
When people are struggling with their mental health, it can be hard for them to find the motivation to stay active. What advice would you give to someone who wants to support a family member or friend?
JONNY BENJAMIN MBE, MENTAL HEALTH CAMPAIGNER AND AUTHOR
Getting someone who is in a depressive state to exercise is really hard. When someone isn’t feeling good, you want them to stay healthy, but you can’t just push them into it. Trying to do things together as a family helps, whether it’s
“If you feel down, exercise can really help. After a workout, you feel a bit more positive, and that can save a person’s life”
a child, a teenager or an adult. A lot of people think that exercise means HIIT training, but it can just be moving your body. It all adds up. Do things that get you outside, even if it’s only going for a walk. There’s such a strong correlation between our mental health and being outside. Sometimes, we disconnect from that. We’re so contained in our homes and offices that we forget that we’re supposed to be connected with nature.
MH: What about in the gym?
Does a mood-boosting workout look all that different from a weight-loss workout?
It’s really about the language I use. If you look back at my early videos, I never talked about mental health and doing things just to feel good. I’d say, “Come on, let’s burn calories, we’re going to get lean for summer.” I was a different person seven or eight years ago. I was a completely different trainer. I’ve learned and evolved so much.
Maintaining a regular training routine has given me much more than just physical fitness – it’s given me mental strength, self-discipline and a sense of responsibility. What’s the biggest thing it’s given you?
PATRICK HUTCHINSON, PERSONAL TRAINER, AUTHOR AND ANTI-RACISM ACTIVIST
Emotional regulation. I don’t have those massive highs and lows. I do burn out and get exhausted by interacting with my phone and my workload. But I still feel like I’m quite content when I’m exercising. It’s really a lifestyle, isn’t it? I still have a night out and have a drink and stuff. But exercise keeps me on a nice wavelength. It’s my therapy.
The reasons why I exercise have shifted a lot. When I train now, it’s to help me feel calmer, to be more patient with my kids [Indie, three, and Marley, 18 months]. When I’m grumpy and tired and I’m not eating well, I have a shorter fuse. I don’t want to be like that. I want to be the best version of myself.
My love of the gym came from my dad. Who inspired your passion?
ROMAN KEMP
My brother [Nikki, COO at the Body Coach] hates me telling this story! But when I was little, I was really skinny.
Like, really skinny. And the one thing that upset me was when someone said I was skinny, so he’d call me that. It wasn’t just him – people at school would say I had skinny legs. I remember thinking that as soon as I could go to a gym, I would change my body. So, when I got my first job, I joined a gym in Epsom and I’d go there every single day after school.
But that was it. I just wasn’t confident. When you’re a teenager, your whole life revolves around what other people think of you. I’m not motivated by that any more. Even today, shooting this magazine cover,
I’m not taking my top off. It’s not about looking really lean. My message is beyond that. It’s beyond body image.
MH: What does your training look like? Presumably it’s not just 15 minutes of HIIT.
I’m very fluid with my training. It depends on what I’m in the mood for. I’m lucky, as I have a nice gym. I’ve got a Peloton bike, a treadmill, dumbbells and a pull-up bar. I just go in and ask, “What do I want to do right now?” Sometimes it’s cardio; sometimes it’s weights. I think that if you have a rigid routine, it can feel like you’re just repeating the same stuff. Consistency is the most important thing. I train six days a week. But when I have a heavy week of filming, I might have to do two or three workouts a day, which I don’t really like. I get well tired by the end of it.
You’re clearly a great athlete and an all-round fit guy. But is there any sporting activity that you are really terrible at, but really wish you were good at?
GORDON RAMSAY, CHEF AND RESTAURATEUR
That’s a good one! I mean, I used to love… I don’t want to say I’m good at football, but I do love football. I wish I was better. I played in Soccer Aid and I actually played with Gordon. I suppose I’m a bit naff at football.
I’d love to be a good surfer, too. I went surfing a few weeks ago in Bristol. There’s a man-made wave machine there, and it was pretty cool. If I could be a good surfer, I’d like that.
Have you ever thought about trying CrossFit?
ZACK GEORGE, UK MEN’S CROSSFIT CHAMPION
My friend has a CrossFit gym – New Wave CrossFit in Cobham. I went along
and I’ve watched some of the documentaries on Netflix. They’re beasts, aren’t they, CrossFitters – the way they train? I do like it, but I would still rather just do a quick workout on my own at home. If I lived right next to a CrossFit gym, I might have a go at it.
If you had to do just one exercise for the rest of your life, what would it be?
ZACK GEORGE
One exercise? I would probably go with press-ups, because you’re working so many muscles. You can do them anywhere, and you can do different variations. That would be my move. Or cycling, either on my Peloton or outside. But I like travelling as well. I like moving.
MH: You’ve told this magazine that you don’t claim to be the best trainer in the world, which perhaps indirectly won you even more respect. What do you think you bring that others don’t?
There are smarter trainers with degrees, Master’s and PhDs – all of these intelligent people who have dedicated their lives to learning. But I think that the most important thing is communication. How do you communicate the thing you love? I believe that all trainers have the intention of wanting to help people. But sometimes, with the way you deliver your message, it can get lost. Or it might not speak to everybody.
My mission has always been to make fitness accessible and fun. There’s a reason why two-year-olds like my workouts, and 75-year-olds like my workouts, too. It’s like when people are performing on stage and you can see that they’re having the time of their lives up there – they’re alive when they’re doing this. I come to life when I’m doing my videos.
My experience on Who
Dares Wins taught me the value of having a good team around you. What characteristics do you look for in the trainers you work with?
DJ LOCKSMITH, MUSICIAN AND STAR OF
CELEBRITY SAS: WHO DARES WINS
It’s all about their pure intention. When I was choosing coaches [for the Body Coach app], I didn’t go for the most experienced people, necessarily. I just needed to see the spark. I needed to believe that they were on the same mission as me. You can see it in their eyes. For me, it’s about hiring for personality – then, you can mentor them and help them on their journey in terms of upskilling.
You have achieved so much and pushed yourself physically and mentally in so many ways, but had anything you’ve done prepared you for the moment when you had to step up and take a penalty at your first Soccer Aid? BEN SHEPHARD, TV PRESENTER
ON GOOD MORNING BRITAIN
Oh, God, I missed, didn’t I? No, hang on, I scored! I was well nervous: there were, like, 90,000 people at Old Trafford, and it was nerve-wracking. But I also didn’t take it too seriously. Everyone else, they get so into it, and they even have trainers. They genuinely think that they’re playing for England. I just turned up having a laugh, thinking,
“If I trip over, I trip over.”
MH: You are clearly a very positive person. But social media isn’t always a wholly positive space. How do you deal with criticism and negativity?
I used to find it really difficult. It was always other personal trainers – or maybe even Men’s Health readers – who wanted a bro who was really muscly and not this guy talking to broccoli and stuff. People used to do YouTube videos about me: “Is the Body Coach a fraud?” I used to find it quite upsetting.
That 1% of noise has almost disappeared completely now. I think that I’ve transcended it, and people have realised that I’m not just someone who got lucky. When I spent the whole of lockdown doing workouts for everyone around the country, I think people realised,
“You know what? I might not agree with everything he says, but he works hard and I respect that he’s helping people.” And, as the years have gone on – you know, I’m a dad now… People know that they can attack me, but I’ll never reply.
What’s the biggest change you’d like to see in the fitness industry? JONNIE PEACOCK MBE, GOLD MEDAL-WINNING PARALYMPIC SPRINTER
I’d like to see people be more collaborative and support each other more. I feel like it’s very competitive. Maybe it’s changed, but when I was a trainer, I felt like everyone was holding on to their clients and it was very much about them. But if you collaborate, whether it’s through social media or elsewhere, you can all learn and grow – and it will lift the industry.
MH: You have referred to yourself as a “10-year overnight success”. Do you still feel you need to justify your achievements to others?
No, I don’t. But I like to share my story. I think that anyone who is successful in life has had to work hard, whether it’s building a brand or launching a career. You have to work hard to stand out. So, when I share my story, I think it’s nice for young trainers to know that I was once that guy who couldn’t afford a van, who had to go out flyering.
“My mission is to make fitness fun: two-year-olds and 75-year-olds like my workouts”
Having just had my first child, I’m learning how to balance my business, my new family and my training. How do you manage it?
ALDO KANE, ADVENTURER, EXPLORER AND TV PRESENTER
It’s tough in those early months. I think the broken sleep is something that people underestimate. It really affects your mental health. The most important thing is to go to bed early, when the kids go to bed – the earlier, the better. If you stay up to 11pm, you’re not going to get enough sleep. Sleep is so undervalued. Truly, it’s the most important thing for physical and mental health. It makes everything else feel easier.
Try to fit in a workout around your kids’ naps, or whenever you get the chance. Short workouts, done frequently, are better than one big workout a week. It’s really good to do something every day to keep yourself moving. You don’t need an hour; some of my best workouts are just 20 minutes. I think that exercise is an important part of parenting. When you’ve had a really
rough night’s sleep, or the kids are driving you mad, if you don’t have a vent, it just intensifies everything.
MH: You’ve spoken about your dad’s struggles with addiction. How has that shaped your own attitude to drink and drugs?
I still have a drink. I’m not teetotal but definitely, as a teenager, I was scared, because my granddad was an alcoholic and my dad was a heroin addict. I thought, “If I drink, I might like it.” I used to think I might become an addict. When everyone else was drinking down the park, I was doing two hours in the gym and the sauna. It was a safe space.
But imagine if I didn’t take that path, and used that money to buy weed? It’s what teenagers do, right? For me, there was just this voice in my head saying, “That’s not the path you want to go down.” I’d seen how destructive it can be.
MH: Your business is all about helping other people. Are you someone who finds it difficult to take time out for yourself ?
I’m getting better at it. I normally have really busy work periods, but then I’ll have a month travelling with the kids, or I’ll go to America for a bit and chill out. But since March last year, I haven’t stopped at all. I need to have better boundaries with my phone. I can be in the house with my kids, but I’m not fully present. I hate my relationship with my phone. If I wasn’t who I am, I wouldn’t be on social media.
As someone who trains for up to 20 hours a week, I’ve learned to prioritise recovery to avoid burnout. What does your recovery look like?
MAX WHITLOCK, GYMNAST AND FIVE-TIME OLYMPIC MEDALLIST
Until recently, I never stretched, or not enough, and I was always injured. But during lockdown, I started seeing an osteopath. And he was, like, “All the athletes I treat – the rugby players and footballers – they all have ice baths, saunas and jacuzzis.” He said, “Look down the end of your garden. What do you see?” I said, “A few trees.” He said, “Chop them down and get yourself an ice bath, sauna and jacuzzi.” It’s the best investment I’ve made. I walk down the end of the garden and it’s like this little retreat.
If you can, get an ice bath. I hate them the moment before I get in, and I hate the first two seconds. Then I breathe in and find a moment of calm. Sometimes, I can do seven minutes; other times,
I’m out in 30 seconds. It’s a good way of bringing yourself back to the moment. We’re so stressed, running around at a million miles an hour. But when you’re in that ice-cold water, you feel like there’s nothing else.
You are a legend, an inspiration, and teach millions the importance of good health and nutrition. Well done. What’s left for you to do? Stick your feet up?
JOEL DOMMETT, COMEDIAN, PRESENTER AND FITNESS ENTHUSIAST
Oh, I can’t retire yet. I really feel like what I’ve done with PE with Joe was the start of something. There has to be a legacy. Otherwise it’s just a moment in time when we all exercised, and those kids felt great for a few weeks. But I want those kids to become teenagers and adults who then promote the benefits of exercise. It’s a cycle, isn’t it? If you can get a child exercising, really into fitness, they’re going to become active adults. And they’re going to want their kids to do the same. It’s a generational thing.
If you change the culture of fitness in one person in the house, you can change it for the whole family. We don’t fight hard enough against that desire to be sedentary. Being sedentary is easy, watching TV is easy, lying on the sofa and looking at our phones is easy. We have to fight against that. So, for me, it’s: “Can I continue this mission and keep spreading this important message around mental health and exercise?”
MH: Is that how you’ll “transform the health of the nation”?
I definitely think my real passion lies in young people now. I like inspiring adults – but with the kids, it feels so important, and I feel like I get more energy from it, because I know I’m changing people’s lives. If you can get them when they’re young and really inspire them, they can fall in love with exercise.
I think, in years to come, when I’m 80 or 90 years old, I’ll be remembered for my work with kids and schools. It won’t be for cookbook sales or YouTube views. It will be the impact I had on fitness in young people.
“If you get a child exercising and really into fitness, they’ll become active adults. It’s a cycle”