MEET THE TEAM

AT MUSCLE NERDS, WE PRIDE OURSELVES FOR HAVING NOT ONLY AMAZING EDUCATORS AND COACHES, BUT ALSO THE MOST MOTIVATED AND PASSIONATE ONES.

LUKE LEAMAN

I wrote you guys a really nice and detailed about me, but Zoe said it was too long-winded. Here’s the Reader’s Digest version, but apparently you can click through to read more (if for some odd reason you wanted to). I’m the big boss around here, the head honcho… or at least, Zoe tries her best to let me think that.

Disgruntled with the industry and the lack of empathy and science, Zoe and I started Muscle Nerds in 2015. In that time we’ve gone from not knowing anything about starting and running a business, to creating a highly successful online training and education platform.

The idea for Muscle Nerds started in 2013, when a colleague of mine started a spoof page on Facebook called “Muscle Nerd Leaman.” Muscle Nerd, absolute brilliance. I kept that idea in the back of my mind until Zoe made it a reality.

I’m the big-picture person in the company, the dreamer. I create concepts and ideas, and Zoe makes it happen. I’ve never been much for the details, so together, along with our staff, we make a complete and conquering machine, like Voltron.

My daily activities include pestering Zoe, auditing and managing our online training, research and development, creating course material, lecturing, networking, deal-making, and staring at the wall waiting for ideas to pop up. I also practice Jiu-Jitsu on Daisy periodically through the day.

When was the first time you decided the health and fitness industry for you?

When I was 8 years of age. It was 1986 and I had just watched the original Conan the Barbarian with Arnold Schwarzenegger. I became obsessed and my parents thought it would be funny to buy me a little weight set for my birthday. I started training that day and have trained ever since. When I was 14 I started the powerlifting team at my high school and competed in powerlifting until I was in my 30’s. My obsession with learning began in my early teens when I began reading every magazine and T-Nation article I could get my hands on. Being inquisitive in nature, my studies therefore naturally lead me into the why and the science. Soon I was studying textbooks and doing internships with professionals that were top of their field, from strength coaches to therapists to doctors.

How did you come about working for Muscle Nerds?

I fell into it in 2015 when I started the company. I had been online training a select few clients since early 2006 and when I finished up with Poliquin Group, I turned to Zoe and said ‘Let’s start Muscle Nerds’. (Read Zoe’s answers for more detail. She’s good at that – the detail. Me, not so much).

What goals are you working on at the moment?

Completing my level 2 ASCA. Completing an undergrad in physiotherapy in the next 3-4 years and successfully running Muscle Nerds clinic.

To become Australia’s best therapist and rehabilitation specialist in the next 5-8 years. In the next 10 years, I will be consulting Australian sporting teams on rehabilitation and sports performance.

What is your current study focus?

Cell physiology, inflammatory systems, and the immune system.

What is one piece of advice you’d tell yourself when you first started?

Never start a company. It’s a trap and the ‘freedom’ it gives is a lie!

What’s been the biggest game-changer in your career?

Meeting Zoe.

What’s been your biggest achievement?

I’ll let you know when I get there.

What has been your biggest life lessons?

1. Never trust a fart 2. Never pass up the chance to use the bathroom 3. Never let a good boner go to waste

What’s a typical day like for you?

Wake early, start working. Play with Daisy. Work some more. Annoy Zoe and distract her from work. Work more. Beat my head against the wall. Look up and realize it’s 1 AM.

Finish this sentence. On Sunday mornings, you can usually find me:

At my laptop doing work.

Name three words that describe you:

Relentless Resilient Restless

Name a few of your daily habits:

Brush teeth. Poop. Annoy Zoe. Annoy Daisy. Rant. Quit the business. Re-hire myself.

What would your personal motto be?

Help enough people get what they want out of life, and eventually, you’ll get what you want out of life.

ZOE KNIGHT

About Me’s are the hardest things to write. You feel you have a pretty good grip on who you are and what you stand for until you have to put it into words. Written words, that is. Because no one gets talker’s block – we only get writer’s block (what’s up with that by the way?!).

In short, I’m a Co-Founder of Muscle Nerds. I’ve been with the company since day dot – although you could argue it was brewing in the background long before Luke and I gave it a legal structure. My sole role in the company is to try and keep some form of order – not only in our accounts, in our team, and in our admin processes, but in the methods to our madness as well.

I am inquisitive by nature and I love to learn (almost as much as I love Luke, Daisy, reading, and having a tidy house). If you don’t find me working at my laptop, studying at my laptop, cleaning my house or at the dog park, you’ll see me in some shape or form trying to get Luke to either stop trying to pick things off the floor with his toes or getting him to take his coffee mixed with water, instead of eating the granules dry off a table spoon.

When was the first time you decided the health and fitness industry for you?

It was after a Saturday morning boxing class. Our usual trainer was away and the owner of the gym took the class. He had a completely different coaching style that was encouraging, motivating, positive, and fun. I had one of the best workouts of my life that session and I remember being at home in the shower afterward and thinking “Man I want to be like him”. As soon as I got out of the shower, I jumped online and started googling PT Schools. I submitted an application form to Max Fitness College and to the Australian Institute of Fitness. I had an interview with AIF on Tuesday and an interview with Max on Wednesday. I got accepted to the both but decided to go with Max as their application process was a lot more thorough. The next day, on Thursday, I received a call from the owner of the gym I attended boot camps at as she had heard I was starting my Cert III & IV. She offered me a job on the phone then and there. It was a crazy fast evolution, from deciding what I wanted to do on Saturday, and 5 days later I was enrolled to study and had a job. Just goes to show – if you have the balls to go after what you want, the universe will reward you for it!

How did you come about working for Muscle Nerds?

I attended a Biosignature Course in Sydney in March 2015. Luke was one of the instructors at the time and I thought he was a real dick (Let’s be honest here – sometimes I still do). I even gave him a bad review on my feedback survey for Poliquin group! A week after the course he added me on Facebook and asked me on a date. I said no for almost 2 weeks (he was annoyingly relentless – please refer to his answers on the 3 words that best describe him. He is NOT joking) until I finally caved and thought to myself “You know what Zo? You never have any fun. Just go on a date with the guy – you’ll never see him again”. So I drove down the Gold Coast one Saturday night and picked him up for a dinner date. The minute I arrived it felt like we had been together forever. What was meant to be one dinner date, turned into a 4-day date and I stayed down the Gold Coast with him until he flew out that Wednesday. We kept in touch constantly over the coming months, and in June, I quit both of my jobs, sold my car, and on July 9th 2015 I flew to America. I originally had the trip booked for 4 weeks. I obviously knew there was a chance I wouldn’t be back after 4 weeks which is the reason I handed in my resignation. That last thing I wanted to do, was call work from the other side of the world and tell them I wasn’t coming back (have integrity guys – it pays off). The day before I was meant to fly back home to Australia, I phoned the airline and changed my departure date to the day before my 90-day visa was up. About a month later, Luke finished up with Poliquin Group and we, therefore, found ourselves both Jobless. Luke looked at me and said, “let’s announce Muscle Nerds”. So. We did. That very hour. And here we are!

What goals are you working on at the moment?

My current goal and one that will probably never change is to always learn and to always raise the bar of what is expected. I want to learn business, I want to learn finance, I want to learn marketing, I want to learn all that self-development shit. (I also NEED to learn business, and NEED to learn Finance, and NEED to learn marketing. This business stuff is no joke). I want to learn science and I want to learn the art of applying that science. Stemming from that, my goal is cut through the bullshit that this industry is full of, and just offer true, real, genuine, and honest information and services. The ultimate goal is to create a huge family of coaches that can change the industry for the people who really need us. For those people, we can quite literally be the difference between life and death. My goal is to get people healthy. Help the people that need the help.

What is your current study focus?

I’m currently studying my Bachelor of Health Science and Naturopathy, so I guess you could say that is my current study focus haha. It’s a full-on workload but I’m somehow managing to keep my juggling balls all up in the air.

What is one piece of advice you’d tell yourself when you first started?

Time management is the crux. Sacrifice is inevitable if you want to go far. Get into the habit of being organised. Be as proactive as you can – be two steps ahead. Get into the mind of your clients – consider their emotions and perception. Set a quality standard and then strive to exceed it. Eat well and keep a good sleep routine – you’ll need the energy. Also. Luke is a maniac.

What’s been the biggest game-changer in your career?

Meeting Luke. For waaaaay too many reasons to count.

What’s been your biggest achievement?

The lives we are changing. Not only through the coaches we directly influence, but also their clients that we indirectly influence. Giving people a better quality of life is an absolutely priceless gift.

What has been your biggest life lessons?

The harder I work the luckier I get.

What’s a typical day like for you?

I tend not to get really warmed up for work until around midday. I have tried to fight this for years, but now I embrace it. I get all of my personal stuff done in the morning (clean the house, do the washing, walk the dog, etc), and then I work from midday/early afternoon until far too late into the night. There is typically breaks every 15 minutes for cuddles and kisses with our Dog Daisy. She’s the best.

Finish this sentence. On Sunday mornings, you can usually find me:

At the dog park or the dog beach, cramming for a test, or frantically finishing an assignment (due dates are ALWAYS Sundays. Ugh).

Name three words that describe you:

This is hard. I say: Compassionate, Happy, Loyal Luke says: Loyal, Honest, Integrity. So I don’t know. lol

Name a few of your daily habits:

Bloody good question. I really don’t have any. Every day I pash my dog and drink soda water? lol

What would your personal motto be?

Just give a shit. In everything you do – care. Do everything with the best intentions and the highest of standards.

MARGS O’FARRELL

I came into the fitness industry in 2009, driven by the urge to share what I’d learned as I rehabilitated from a motorcycle accident. Since then, I’ve been on a mission to learn as much as I can and share what I’ve learned with whoever cares to listen.

I’m a personal trainer, a group fitness instructor, mentor, fitness and motivational writer, and coach the Metamorph group training program for Muscle Nerds.

I describe my personal training style as ‘tough love wrapped in kindness’. I specialise in post-physio rehabilitation, and love nothing more than working with someone to bring their confidence in movement back.

Oh, and did I mention I’m Vegan?

When was the first time you decided the health and fitness industry for you?

During rehabilitation from a motorcycle accident, when I was struggling to find help to get my body back to where I wanted it to be, I found strength training and with it the passion to help others reclaim their lives through finding their strength.

How did you come about working for Muscle Nerds?

After following Luke since before MN started and realising what quality of education he was bringing to the industry, I was excited to get on every MN course I could. I also took the opportunity to be mentored through MN. It was definitely one of the biggest highlights of my career to be invited into the MN team.

What goals are you working on at the moment?

Personal goals at the moment include a commitment to more of the ‘yin’ activities to balance out my ‘yang’. Finding time each week to participate in a mind/body class is helping with this.

What is your current study focus?

Program design and the application of movement and training principles to post-physio rehab clients.

What is one piece of advice you’d tell yourself when you first started?

The hours are long and the work is hard, but it’s so so worth it. Take care of yourself, you need to if you want to be in this for the long haul.

What’s been the biggest game-changer in your career?

Attending my first ever ‘big’ course post trainer qual and thinking “Fuck. I’ve got SO much to learn”. From that moment my desire to take on education from wherever I could was set in stone.

What’s been your biggest achievement?

My achievements are measured by the success my clients have, everything from those who achieve performance success in their sports through to people who achieve a successful return to quality movement.

What has been your biggest life lessons?

Be yourself. In a world full of smoke and mirrors, be honestly, authentically, unashamedly real.

What’s a typical day like for you?

I start early with either clients or teaching classes. The middle of the day is my downtime – dog walks, lunch and meal prep, and on good days a nap. Mid-afternoon I’m answering messages and catching up with online contacts. Late afternoon and evening I’m back in the gym for clients and classes.

Finish this sentence. On Sunday mornings, you can usually find me:

At the gym. It’s the only day of the week that I’m not rushing through my own training to get back to work, it’s nice to have a more relaxed session.

Name three words that describe you:

Ethical, loyal, honest.

Name a few of your daily habits:

Morning coffee, evening green tea and ginger.

What would your personal motto be?

Do or do not, there is no ‘try’.

DAVID

I was the fat kid at school, through into my late teens and early 20s. I was 118kg at my heaviest and was teased about my size for a lot of my life. However, I was very active playing for 3 Rugby Union teams over winter and a lot of Basketball in the summer – I was fit and strong for my size. Until one day I had the realization that I’m not “healthy” if I’m carrying around this kind of weight.

Not understanding why I was so big, I tried many of the “fad diets” out there with little to no long-term results. I was determined to find the answers to the many questions I had. Having qualified as a personal trainer in 2006 I realized there is far more to coaching an individual’s health and wellbeing than taught in those short PT courses. The realisation that there is not a one size fits all approach left me with many more questions.

Nothing works in isolation when it comes to the human body. So, I started learning why people are where they are and how best can I motivate, educate, and guide them into a better state of health.

I see too many trainers focusing on just the training and not enough about nutrition, mindset, recovery methods, stress management, self-perception, and all of the other aspects that have huge implications on someone’s overall health. We have a powerful responsibility as coaches, we can do a lot of good if we know what we are doing – and we can cause a lot of damage if we don’t.

I will forever be a student always learning and searching for answers to questions that come up.

There is a trend slowly evolving in the fitness industry, with it moving towards a more holistic approach using many methods and allied health professionals, not just physiotherapists, myotherapists, chiropractors, and osteopaths but also using naturopaths, integrative health practitioners, kinesiologists, doctors, counsellors, and psychologists to get a full body and mind approach – there is such a strong emotional connection to behaviours.

I have a deeper understanding of all these approaches with the experiences I have had over the years. I keep fine-tuning my methods for the individual and am proud to be able to recognize when to refer out if needed.

With the understanding that we often need a more Leastmode approach rather than a beast mode approach, we are able to get people into a healthier state to truly get them ready and benefit from the effort of beast mode training.

I am a firm believer that people need less stress in their lives and to stop training like a beast for 6 days a week on little sleep, crazy work, and a busy family life. When people do that, they either do not get the results they are after or they get results only to crash and burn regaining everything they lost and losing everything they gained – and at a much quicker rate than they achieved the results in the first place.

Through stress management techniques, gaining lean muscle mass, aerobic conditioning, being more mobile, eating nutritious foods, improving ones mindset, motivation, self-perception, and much more, we are able to get someone into a truer state of health that sticks.

When was the first time you decided the health and fitness industry for you?

In 2006 I started a Master of Education and 1 week into my prac I knew I did not want to be a teacher. I had a bit of an identity crisis until I thought how much I love training and exercise. I wanted to learn more about this especially the nutrition side of things as I was still overweight, so I jumped in and did my Cert III and IV. From there my hunger for knowledge just kept growing and my journey of continuing education has never ended.

How did you come about working for Muscle Nerds?

After COVID-19 in Melbourne Australia and a horrible 2020, my wife and I decided to pursue our dream of moving back up to Port Douglas Queensland. The place where we met, got engaged, and married. I had to cut ties completely to my face-to-face clients (which I was doing close to 60 sessions a week) and start fresh up north. This was such a huge and difficult commitment not only uprooting the whole family but leaving some of my clients I have had for 12-14 years.

Luke and Zoe had caught wind of our plans and called me up to ask if I would be interested in coming on board as a coach.

I had been learning from Luke ever since the Poliquin Group days when he came out to Australia with the crew and I have been learning as much as I can from him ever since.

What goals are you working on at the moment?

My primary goal at the moment is to be able to support my family well enough after moving.

To continue to enjoy life, making my dreams come true, and live my life the way I imagine it with my family in tow.

My other goals are improving strength for my cycling, mountain biking, and road cycling.

There are a few events up here in Port Douglas id love to try out. Just depends if they are running this year but I am still preparing as if they are.

What is your current study focus?

I have just completed the Muscle Nerds Nutrition course and am making my way through the Program Design course. I am also deep into Dan Garners Nutrition and Program Design.

What is one piece of advice you’d tell yourself when you first started?

Find a mentor at the start of my career. This may sound a little cheesy, but they totally would have helped me at the start. The more you learn the more you realise you don’t know and the more you learn the more you earn.

What’s been the biggest game-changer in your career?

Learning how to train the general population apart from pro athletes. 100% of my clients were gen pop. It was always so refreshing learning these concepts through Muscle Nerds.

What’s been your biggest achievements?

I am so grateful to have had many amazing achievements I am proud of. My eldest son has half a heart. He is 8 turning 9 this year and every year since he was born I challenged myself to do something I have never done before to raise money and awareness for Congenital Heart Defects and HeartKids a charity that has done so much for our family during the early days.

Some of the things I have done are an Olympic distance triathlon, run a 50km Ultra Marathon, skydived, rappelled face-first down a skyscraper in Melbourne city, 6 hours on a Versa Climber, 21km ½ marathon, fun runs, and many other small events. Before all of this, I did 50 and 60km MTB events and a handful of Adventure Races.

I have also done some amazing travelling and done some pretty cool stuff overseas.

What has been your biggest life lesson?

I know all too well how fragile life can be. I have made sure to give my family every opportunity to live the life we all want. I truly believe in living your dreams and making them happen!

What’s a typical day like for you?

Currently, it’s early clients, getting kids ready for school, more clients, online work, and my own training. I’m currently riding 3 times a week and weight training 3 times a week. In any spare time exploring our new back yard which is the Daintree rainforest.

Finish this sentence. On Sunday mornings, you can usually find me …

At the Port Douglas Markets

Name three words that describe you.

Family, Loyal, Passionate,

Name a few of your daily habits.

Life can be chaotic in my house with 3 kids a dog a lizard and 2 geckos. My routines run mainly around my family first, work, and then my training.

What would your personal motto be?

I have always loved “Live life with no regrets” take every opportunity when it presents itself. Everything happens for a reason in life.

MAX

I am not one that likes to talk about myself so this might be short and sweet.

I came into this industry after originally starting off down a business / finance avenue, but as soon as I made the switch my passion and desire to consume and share knowledge has only been growing. I was drawn to Muscle Nerds through the depth of knowledge, the multifaceted approach and the values of teaching / sharing.

I think you can tell a lot about someone from where they spend their $$ – my top 3 are definitely education, supplements/gizmos to test out on my body, and food 😊

That’s all I’ve got, but read on if you want to know a little more.

When was the first time you decided the health and fitness industry for you?

Long story short, I filled out some of John De Martini’s value questions in the office one day when I was training to be an equity analyst. Every answer had nutrition, training, supplements or something related to these. I realised that the health / fitness industry is where my heart and passions are and haven’t looked back since.

How did you come about working for Muscle Nerds?

I first Heard Luke speak on one of the various podcasts he’s been on, and the detail blew my mind. I thought that is exactly how many layers I want to be able to peel back as a coach, so it wasn’t long before I signed up to the nutrition foundations course, got in touch about some possible mentoring and kind of just went on from there. I remember seeing an IG post from Muscle Nerds saying something along the lines of ‘if you have it, give it away’ which really struck a note with me.

What goals are you working on at the moment?

Constant improvement as a coach – being a world class problem solver.

Being a good person.

Getting on stage. Challenge and integrity.

What is your current study focus?

Understanding why things work from the inside out.

What is one piece of advice you’d tell yourself when you first started?

Commit to a destination and people will pop into your life to guide you on your journey.

What’s been the biggest game-changer in your career?

Joining Muscle Nerds 😊

What’s been your biggest achievements?

The best things are yet to come!

What has been your biggest life lesson?

Awareness is at the heart of pretty much everything.

What’s a typical day like for you?

Work / study / train / eat / spend time with family / repeat. Simple but fun.

Finish this sentence. On Sunday mornings, you can usually find me …

At my desk or training. Love it.

Name three words that describe you.

Grounded, Driven, Areté

Name a few of your daily habits.

Jedi Mind Training, 10 min walks, consuming some form of audible info

What would your personal motto be?

Give everything you do 100%.

AND, OF COURSE...

DAISY

When Mum and Dad rescued me, my name was Meg. But Dad didn’t like that, he thought it reminded him of Family Guy, so he changed it to Daisy. Mum and Dad tell me every day that I’m the most important member of the Muscle Nerds family.

I’m not very athletic (I have bad hips and bad knees, you see) but I am VERY smart. I’ve figured out how to open the front door so I let myself out whenever I want. Because I’m so independent, Mum and Dad make me Employee of the Month every month. I pretty much run the show though, all I need to do is cry and I’ll get whatever I want. Humans are so easy to manipulate.

PABLO

I’m only a puppy so I don’t have a clear sense of who I am yet. Not consciously anyway. I have a very strong intuitive sense though. I can sniff out a good pee spot, I know what food I like and what I don’t like, I know how to protect my household, and I can run REALLY fast without even practising.
Anything other than that you’re going to have to ask my family. Which is actually quite big. But I’m tiny so everything seems big to me….

FRANK

Ha! Pablo thinks HE has a strong intuitive sense. He has NOTHING on me! I have this very very very strong urge (that I cannot ignore) to chase anything that moves. Pablo has more self-control. That tells me I’m waaaay more intuitive than him.

I do love Daisy and Pablo though. Even though they only love each other and don’t love me back as much. But I just attach myself to my humans and that’s all I need. That and a ball to chase. Or a bird. Or a light…

GET STARTED

When you work with Muscle Nerds you will have a designated coach to guide and overlook your progress. Your coach will ensure you have success with your goals and are kept accountable throughout the entire process. Not only will you have your designated coach leading and supporting you along the way, but you will also have the whole Muscle Nerd’s team behind you. Our entire teams’ guidance, expertise, and experience are written into each and every program – guaranteeing you the best solutions for your goals and unprecedented care and support.

GET IN TOUCH

MEET THE TEAM

AT MUSCLE NERDS, WE PRIDE OURSELVES FOR HAVING NOT ONLY AMAZING EDUCATORS AND COACHES, BUT ALSO THE MOST MOTIVATED AND PASSIONATE ONES.

LUKE LEAMAN

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ZOE KNIGHT

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MARGS O’FARRELL

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DAVID

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MAX

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AND, OF COURSE...

DAISY

PABLO

FRANK

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