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Mark Ireland | Men’s Performance Coach

@markireland_ap

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Helping men 40+ build an athletic body that lasts
🏉 Ex-Pro Rugby Player
⬇️ Book a Performance Consultation

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Every career has its ups and downs. Mine certainly did.

At 32, my professional rugby career ended, and I had no real plan for what came next. What got me through wasn’t a strategy I had in place, it was the people already around me, and the willingness to actually ask them for help.

Your network isn’t just for opportunities. It’s for the moments you can’t see your own way through.

But ultimately, it is you who takes that step forward and makes that change, as daunting as it is.

Never underestimate the qualities you possess, and the people around you willing to help. by @markireland_ap

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25 days ago

DM “ATHLETIC” to download my 30-Day Athletic Reset.

If you’re a man over 40 and fat loss feels harder than it used to, it’s not your age — it’s your approach.

This is the exact framework I use to stay lean, strong, and athletic in my 40s:

• Progressive strength training
• Balanced nutrition (no extremes)
• Daily movement without burnout
• Proper recovery and sleep
• Consistency over quick fixes

If you want to reset your training and body composition going into 2026, this is where to start.

DM “ATHLETIC” and I’ll send you the guide. by @markireland_ap

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10 months ago

When I reflect on my career as a professional rugby player, some of the most valuable lessons weren’t just about winning games—they were about discipline, consistency, and understanding that progression isn’t linear. I had plenty of ups and downs over a 12 year career.

Each of those attributes I carry forward to today with my own personal health, wellness and wellbeing and professional career.

Here are a few relatable lessons I bring from the rugby field to your fitness journey:

1️⃣ Discipline Beats Motivation

As a professional athlete you don’t always feel like training, especially when you were out of the team—but you show up because thats what is required. Similarly, in your fitness journey, discipline keeps you going when motivation fades. Show up for yourself, even on the hard days.

2️⃣ Small Gains Lead to Big Wins

In strength and conditioning, progress is incremental—we were extremely well conditioned and I can tell you it’s about small gains. An extra rep, a heavier weight, or improved technique. These small wins stack up over time. Whether you’re chasing fat loss, muscle growth, or better health, consistency over perfection always wins.

3️⃣ Adaptability Is Key

In rugby, injuries or setbacks were commonplace and it taught me to adjust and keep moving forward. You will face the same challenges—busy schedules, stress, or setbacks. Success comes from adapting your plan and staying committed to the process.

4️⃣ Accountability Drives Results

As a player, I had coaches , teammates and myself holding me accountable. Do you have these mechanisms in place? It’s the difference between setting a goal and actually achieving it.

Your journey might not be about tackling opponents, but the mindset of discipline, consistency, and adaptability can help you overcome the challenges you face every day.

Remember, the game isn’t about being perfect—it’s about showing up and playing to win. by @markireland_ap

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2 years ago

Your week rarely goes to plan.

A board meeting overruns, a trip gets added at the last minute, or an old injury decides to flare up.

That’s exactly when most programmes fall apart, and it’s usually when men over 40 stop training altogether.

Every programme I write starts from where you actually are. That means your training history, your current fitness and any injuries you’re carrying.

From there it keeps adjusting.

When work takes over, sessions get shorter and the key lifts stay. When you’re travelling, the plan works with whatever gym and time you have. When life settles, we build again from where you left off.

That’s how progress keeps going all year, rather than stopping every time life gets busy.

What usually knocks your training off course, work, travel or injury?

If you want a programme built around your life, the link is in my bio. by @markireland_ap

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10 days ago

Happy birthday @emmajaneireland

So proud of you….. my best friend! What an extraordinary show of strength, calmness, determination and class you have been this last year following the passing of our wonderful parents.

Love seeing the woman you have become and the best mum ever to Ayla.

Here’s to you sis 🥂 by @markireland_ap

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17 days ago

“Eat more to lose weight” is one of the most confusing phrases in fitness.

It sounds backwards, but it means different things depending on where you’re starting from.

If you’ve been under-eating for months, your energy drops and your training suffers.

More quality food gives you the fuel to train hard, recover properly and hold on to your muscle.

If your eating is inconsistent, with skipped meals, a big dinner and a heavy weekend, it means eating more regularly through the day.

Protein at each meal with balanced carbs and fats keeps your hunger in check and makes the right total far easier to hit.

Either way, the calories still count.

The goal is the right amount of quality food, eaten in a way you can sustain.

So where do you sit: under-fuelled, inconsistent, or getting the balance right?

Let me know in the comments. by @markireland_ap

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15 days ago

Train your core like an athlete

We often think of core work as an ab circuit at the end of a session, but it’s so much more than just that.

From an athletic standpoint, there are multiple ways we do this.

Here are 4 ways to train your core effectively :

1. Compounds (deadlift. Squat)

2. Loaded carries ( farmers walk, front rack, sandbag/d-ball carry’s)

3. Anti- rotation/ Rotation ( Woodchop, rotational mb throw, drag plank , Pallof hold)

4. Abdominal/oblique ( hollow hold, side plank, ab wheel)

Program these in to your training and bulletproof your core.

Let’s gooo 👊🏽 by @markireland_ap

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17 days ago

A lot of my clients travel for work, and often. In your 40s and beyond, that’s just part of the job. It doesn’t mean your progress has to stall, it means we adjust the programme.

Learning to adjust when conditions aren’t perfect is all part of the journey.

Here’s what a 5-day work trip looks like for my clients:

✅ We switch to maintenance mode. The aim is to hold what you’ve built, not to chase new records.

✅ You train short and sharp, with two 30-minute full-body sessions and one steady-state cardio session (run, bike, row or ski).

✅ You hit 8-10k steps a day by walking to meetings and taking calls on foot.

✅ You build your plate at every meal. Calories will vary, but the basics stay the same: protein, carbs, fats and veg.

✅ You drink water between meetings, on the flight and with every coffee.

✅ You decide on a drinks limit before the client dinner starts.

✅ You protect your sleep rhythm with morning daylight and a consistent wake time.

None of this needs a perfect week. It just needs a plan that fits the week you’ve actually got.

If you’re travelling for work and want a programme built around your schedule, hit the link in my bio to book a performance call by @markireland_ap

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18 days ago

Tracking your sleep, recovery, nutrition and bloodwork can be incredibly useful, but it’s easy to slip into chasing perfect numbers every single day.

Your data is a snapshot of where you are right now. Some of it needs acting on straight away, like hormonal or health markers from your bloodwork. The rest should guide you over weeks and months, not dictate every meal, every session or every night out.

Give yourself some room. A glass of wine with dinner or a relaxed week on holiday won’t undo your progress. Consistency will always beat trying to be optimal.

If you want help making sense of your own data and building a plan you can actually stick to, book a call through the link in my bio by @markireland_ap

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19 days ago

Phase 2: we now build on the foundations laid in Phase 1 by raising the intensity.

This is my programming, built for my goals. Yours should be built around you.

* Heavier loading: main lifts at 75%+ of max. That’s the range where mechanical tension, the main driver of strength and muscle growth, is high on every working set.

* Giant sets: 3–4 exercises and high volume, with time under tension creating metabolic stress to drive hypertrophy.

* Shorter rest: keeping your heart rate high between sets builds anaerobic capacity, which is your ability to produce repeated efforts.

* Zone 2 and conditioning days: they keep building your aerobic base, which speeds up recovery between sets and between sessions.

More strength, more muscle, a better engine.

Programs built for men over 40. Link in bio to apply. by @markireland_ap

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20 days ago

TRAIN IN PHASES TO PROGRESS FASTER

Most people don’t struggle because they’re not working hard enough — they struggle because their training has no structure.

Progress comes from planned phases that build on each other over time.

Each phase prepares the body for the next, managing fatigue, building capacity, and allowing performance to actually show up when it matters.

Random workouts feel productive in the moment. Structured training produces results long-term.

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The three phases:
• Accumulation
• Intensification
• Specification

If you want structure instead of guesswork, DM me PHASES. by @markireland_ap

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21 days ago

At 43, this didn’t come from good genetics or living in the gym.

It comes from a handful of basics, done well, week in, week out.

I lift heavy 3 times a week with full-body sessions, plus one upper-body day.

Each full-body session finishes with 10-15 minutes of conditioning.

I hit 8,000 steps a day and take one active recovery day.

I sort my body clock first, then build sleep length.

My diet is protein led but balanced out with carbs and fats. I do drink alcohol but 80% of the year I don’t.

And I track everything: lifts, calories, sleep quality, energy and blood work.

What you measure, you can manage.

None of this is complicated.

The hard part is staying consistent while running a business, travelling and handling everything else life throws at you.

Save this and see how many you can honestly tick off.

If it’s fewer than you’d like…..

message me “CHECKLIST” and let’s talk. by @markireland_ap

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22 days ago