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Andy

@andy_murphy_ur

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Andy Murphy | Gym Owner
Building @urban_gym_ one lesson at a time.
Former pro MMA fighter @bellator @bammauk 🥊
Dad of 4
🎙️ Diary of UR Gym Owner ↓

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So… who is Andy?
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I realised recently that I share a lot about Urban Gym on here, but I’ve never really shared much about the person behind it.
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I was born in Manchester and moved to Ireland when I was 13.
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Sport became a huge part of my life. It gave me direction, introduced me to some incredible people and eventually took me from athletics, to college, to MMA, to fighting professionally.
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Along the way I met my wife, started coaching, managed various gyms, hung up the gloves and took a chance on opening my own gym.
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That gym became Urban Gym.
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Today I’m a husband, dad of four, gym owner, still training, still building businesses and probably most importantly still figuring plenty of it out as I go.
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I’ve spent years using this page to share what I’m doing.
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I want to start sharing more about why I’m doing it, what I’ve learned, what I’ve got wrong and the people and experiences that shaped me along the way.
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Fighting. Fitness. Family. Business. Fatherhood. Urban.
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Not as someone who’s got all the answers, just someone who’s lived a few interesting chapters and is still writing the next one.
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So if you’re new here, I’m Andy. 👋
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Thanks for stopping by.
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I’ll see you on the mats 🫡
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#WhoIsAndy #DiaryOfURGymOwner #TrainForLife #GymOwner #MMA by @andy_murphy_ur

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17 days ago

Training for Life 👌
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HYBRID, to me, isn’t about being the best at HYROX, TRYKA, ATHX, BELLATOR, POLARIS or any other event.
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It’s about being able to put your hand up and say:
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“Put me in, Coach. I’m ready to play.”
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Fighting or grappling? I might not win, but I know I can take a punch, stay composed and have the tools to give myself a chance.
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Strength competitions? I’m not the strongest, but I can lift.
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Running? I’m not the fastest, but I can get to the start line and put one foot in front of the other.
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HYROX, TRYKA, ATHX or an adult sports day? I’m in.
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Having the energy and capacity to play with my kids when they want to play with dad.
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That’s what training for life means to me.
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Not chasing perfection.
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Building a body and mind capable of saying yes to the opportunities that life throws at you.
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And now, more than anything, it’s about showing my kids what that looks like.
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They’re starting to fly on their own journeys. Watching them discover what they’re capable of is one of the greatest things in the world.
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I want them to see that looking after your health isn’t about how you look. It’s how you feel.
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Your health is the vehicle that allows you to experience life, take opportunities, push yourself, and grow.
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So train with intent.
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Have a laugh.
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Try things you might not be good at.
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Get comfortable being uncomfortable.
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And don’t take yourself too seriously.
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And remember….
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Not all killers wear frowns.
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Train for life.
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I’ll see you on the mats 🫡
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#TrainForLife #AspireToInspire #Dad #Business #Fitness by @andy_murphy_ur

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2 months ago

The goal remains the same 💚🖤
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UR Why 💡
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I genuinely love what I do. I’m extremely passionate about having a positive impact on those around me. My family, my team, my friends and the community we serve at Urban Gym.
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I train for life, and genuinely aspire to inspire.
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I’ve been in the fitness and leisure industry for over 20 years now. Yes, I’m that young 😉 I absolutely love it. First and foremost I love helping people. It’s what got me in to this industry along with the love of sport and training. I’d like to think I’m good at seeing strengths in others and then helping to unlock those strengths.
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It certainly isn’t all easy, and just because you love something it doesn’t mean that doing what you love means it doesn’t take hard work. When it comes to running a business you have to love it, otherwise when things get tough (which just like life, it will) you’ll throw in the towel 💯
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On a personal level I’m coming in to what is going to be an extremely challenging couple of months for my own fitness, business and family. However, I’m excited for the challenge of it as I know it’ll force not just me but those around me to grow 👨‍⚕️ 🔪 🤕 🛌 🖥️ 👶🏼 🚶🏻‍♂️ 🏃‍♂️ 🚀
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I’ll see you on the mats 💚🖤
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#Goals #Vision #Mission #Family #Fitness #Business #Values #TrainForLife #LiveLife #Dad #Surgery #Prehab #Rehab #AspireToInspire by @andy_murphy_ur

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2 years ago

Saturday, October 10th - World Mental Health Day 🌍🧠
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Be kind to UR mind 💯 In a world where we are always ‘on’ but in many cases less connected,
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It’s worth noticing that:
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Your thoughts 💭
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affect your feelings 🦸🏼‍♂️ 💩
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which then affect your behaviour 😃😭🤬
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And here’s a gentle reminder. You have the power to create a new thought 💭
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Your mind can be your greatest ally or your fiercest adversary. It’s crucial to nurture it. While exercise is a powerful way to boost mental wellness, remember that it’s just one option among many. You might also try reaching out to a friend for a chat, grabbing a coffee together, immersing yourself in nature, diving into a good book, or simply taking a moment to rest. And let’s not overlook the incredible professional support available to us. We all face challenges, and it’s perfectly okay to seek help when you need it.
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I often use box breathing and visualisation to create a sense of calm or a workout on the mats surrounded by positive like minded people. What’s UR go to create that calm? 🧘‍♂️ Comment below and let’s help share the load 🧠
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I’ll see you on the mats 🫡
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#UrbanGym #URGym #ShareTheLoad #StrongerTogether #BeKindToURMind by @andy_murphy_ur

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17 hours ago

Gym owners…don’t fall in to the trap I did. There are so many great people in this industry that are more than willing to connect and help.
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Gym ownership can be a lonely game, especially as the leader and chief problem solver. Chances are others have experienced similar problems or overcome similar problems to you. Asking for help isn’t weakness. It’s what moves the needle 👌
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Always happy to connect ☺️💚🖤
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#gym #fitness #business #connected #valued by @andy_murphy_ur

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3 days ago

Want to know a secret? 🤫
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It’s not rocket science…..but it is science.
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Success leaves clues. There’s a reason the fundamentals, pull, push, squat, hinge, carry, move stand the test of time. No one’s reinventing the wheel when it comes to strength and conditioning so don’t be blinded by fitness trends or adult ‘sports day’ endurance circuits. Your fitness is more than a 1RM or a HYROX time 🙄
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Do the basics well. Build a strong foundation, the bigger the base, the higher the peak and don’t forget to look after your heart and lungs and rinse and repeat.
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I’ve just done myself out of a job 🤦‍♂️…..but we all know the exercise selection and equipment was never the problem…the accountability was 🫡
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If you need me or my team you know where we are.
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I’ll see you on the mats 💯
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#UrbanGym #trainforlife #aspiretoinspire #livingit by @andy_murphy_ur

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5 days ago

🕯️ THE TRAINERS 🕯️
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An evening of divilment, deception & deceit… and a little sweat 🔥
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Friday 30th October • 6:15PM • Under the lights 😉
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There are 3 Traitors among UR ranks.
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🕵️‍♂️ 1 of UR coaches
🕵️‍♀️ 2 of UR fellow members
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They’ll be training alongside you.
They’ll be working with you.
They’ll be watching you. 👀
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But who can UR crew trust?
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Can UR Faithful catch the Traitors?
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The games will begin.
The suspicion will grow.
And not everyone will make it to the end… 🕯️
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It’s going to be SPOOKTACULAR. 🎃
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30.10.26
THE TRAINERS
Trust no one. 👀
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#UrbanGym #Halloween #TheTrainers #TheTraitors #TrainEveryoneTrustNoOne by @andy_murphy_ur

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9 days ago

UR Core Values, not just fluffy words on a wall.
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Business owners, coaches, can you relate?
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#CoreValues #BusinessLighthouse #UrbanGym #FitnessIndustry #InspirationOverImitation by @andy_murphy_ur

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10 days ago

Belief in UR Product 💯
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People ask how do I do what I do? Truth is, I’m no different to many of our members and aspiring members. I’m a busy husband, dad to 4 kids and I run a business, it just so happens to be a fitness business. And no, a fitness business isn’t just training and social media.
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It’s having a clear mission, vision and core values. It’s blocking out outside noise, it’s late nights, early mornings, unsocial hours. It’s having good days and bad. It’s helping and managing people and dealing with the day to day challenges that we all face in life. It’s looking after bills, tax, vat, rates, rent, insurance, health & safety, membership enquiries, programming, planning, data and all the rest 🤪 🧠 💣
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Training, allows me an escape for 50 minutes. An opportunity to get out of my own head. Sometimes it’s to let off steam so I can be that happy all the time guy people associate me as being (trust me, if I didn’t train or have an outlet to let off steam that wouldn’t be the case!). Sometimes it’s with the intention to get a cheeky pump, a sweat or working towards a goal I’ve set for myself. Or to enable me to be my optimal self with those I love the most, my family. I always aspire to inspire, especially for my kids. Along with Marina I’ll always be my kids first hero in life and I aim to live up to that and do what heroes first and foremost do…. Show up 🦸 👌
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I believe in our product, our LIFT programme which as a team of professional and experienced coaches we have developed and refined and continue to do so. I do 3 LIFT sessions a week and 1 SWEAT or aerobic piece. I love taking part with our members because they too inspire me. Facing their own battles and challenges and still showing up regardless. It’s a supportive environment that enables us all as a collective to thrive both on and off the mats.
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Our LIFT programme mirrors movements we all perform in life (push, pull, squat, hinge, carry, breathe) and we genuinely meet each person where they are at on any given day and ensure they have a positive experience that adds value to their life and doesn’t take from it 👌
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#Trainforlife by @andy_murphy_ur

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12 days ago

What actually makes an expert? 🤷‍♂️
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Thanks so much for the thought provoking question today @pat.dorgan Not a certificate. Not a few years of preaching online. Not knowing the “right” answer because AI told you it in half a second. Not copying, plagiarising or imitating someone’s work or core values.
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Real expertise is built over years, not weeks. It’s showing up consistently, even on the days it would be easier not to. It’s staying a student long after you know enough to sound like a teacher. It’s having so much social proof that you are who you say you are. You live it.
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My dad gave me a piece of advice years ago that I still lean on: it’s better to be a sub on a good team than play on a bad one. At the time I didn’t fully get it. Now I do, being around people better than you is what actually makes you better. It’s uncomfortable. It challenges your ego. But it’s the fastest way to grow.
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That’s the standard I’ve tried to hold myself to in health and fitness and from my sporting career, learn from people ahead of you, put in the years, then pass it on to the people behind you. That cycle is what expertise really looks like.
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In a world full of quick answers, real expertise still takes time. Keep showing up, keep learning, keep passing it on.
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Train for life.
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Aspire to inspire.
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Pass it on 🤝
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I’ll see you on the mats
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#aspiretoinspire #Fitness #Business #Family #ThanksDad by @andy_murphy_ur

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25 days ago

What does growing your fitness, business and family look like?
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Fitness. Business. Family. Not always balanced but always in motion.
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People ask how I juggle it all running a gym, co building a mentorship, leading a team, growing a business, staying fit myself, and being present for my family. Honestly? Some days it doesn’t feel like juggling, it feels like controlled chaos. But that’s the job, and I wouldn’t trade it.
Here’s a glimpse into my Monday
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Train for life. Living it 💪
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#DayInTheLife #GymOwner #TrainForLife #FitnessBusiness #Family by @andy_murphy_ur

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19 days ago

‘You’re too nice Andy 🤦‍♂️’
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Something my boxing coach said to me years ago.
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There was no malice in it. At times I probably am too nice.
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In MMA I always needed to get hit before I’d bite down on the gum shield and throw with venom and try and really hurt my opponent. Probably not the best tactic.
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And being a business owner at times it’s been a similar story. Being ‘nice’ at the cost of my own personal health. Taking hits in many different forms from so many different angles.
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There’s a similarity that serves me well between fighting and business.
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And that is not being naive and knowing being out in front, that you’re going to get hit and ultimately it’s on you how you choose to react. Either take a breath, bite down on your gumshield and move forward or throw the towel in, don’t take any more hits and call it quits.
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Ultimately your why is what will keep you in any fight.
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I speak of my personal goals and what success is to me all the time. It’s no secret.
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I want to do a job I enjoy doing. With people I enjoy being around. And have quality time with my family while impacting the lives of the people I serve positively.
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The moment any of that changes. Everything changes.
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Fitness. Business. Family.
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I’ll see you on the mats 🫡
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#goals #vision #mission #aspiretoinspire #trainforlife by @andy_murphy_ur

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5 months ago