Fitness
About Ollie Marchon — former pro rugby player turned fitness entrepreneur
OLLIE Marchon is a former rugby pro who went on to to build a successful health and training empire.
Here’s everything you need to know about the fitness entrepreneur.
Who is Ollie Marchon?
Ollie Marchon is personal trainer, fitness coach, businessman, entrepreneur and former rugby player.
Injury ended his professional playing career early, forcing him to retire at “around 27”.
But he went on to become a personal trainer before setting up a number of businesses centred around health and fitness.
He founded his first online coaching platform in 2014, and has gone on to build a successful fitness and training empire.
In 2023, speaking about the transition from pro athlete to businessman, Ollie told Men’s Health: “When I retired from rugby at around 27, that was when I was my biggest, in terms of how much I weighed, how strong I was.
“I was fit for function, trying to stay robust.
“When I moved into the fitness industry full-time, I spiralled into a place that wasn’t constructive.
“You start looking at other people’s physiques… Back then, the industry was a different place.
“It was all about protein supplements and clothing brands.”
Who did Ollie Marchon play for?
During his time as a rugby player, Ollie played for Saracens and represented his country with England rugby sevens.
He made his debut for England in the 2012 HSBC Sevens World Series in Dubai, six years after a knee injury ended his hopes of securing a senior Saracens contract and threatened to finish his career altogether.
At the time Ollie said: “After the injury I went travelling, went to university and for a little while kind of resented rugby and didn’t take it too seriously.
“Last summer was my first of trying to play serious Sevens. A teammate of mine asked the coach of the Wailers, who play on the invitation circuit, to have a look at me.
“I played the first tournament, got invited back, played on the Super Sevens Series this summer and it all took off from there.
“I might have played for Portugal – my dad’s Portuguese by nationality, my mum’s from Nuneaton – then after the last tournament of the summer [England Sevens assistant coach] Russell Earnshaw approached me about training with England and that’s how it came about.
Why sit-ups are a waste of time
By Personal Trainer Jenny Francis-Townson
It’s one of the most common exercises you see people doing every day in the gym but could be negatively impacting your health.
Jack Claxton, Expert Personal for Trainer David Lloyd Clubs says the sit-up does “absolutely nothing for your abs whatsoever”, while also being an injury hazard.
Many fitness professionals admit they tell others to leave out of their workout routines in order to avoid causing injury.
If performed incorrectly, actually causes the body to strain in all the wrong places, leaving long-lasting muscle damage and injury.
“The sit-up is one of the most common exercises associated with having visible abs,” says Jack.
“However, people do not realise that at the wrong speed or performed with the wrong form, it can actually have a negative impact on the neck and lower back and does absolutely nothing for your abs whatsoever.”
Performing sit-ups fast is the most common mistake Jack sees.
“Not only does this make them a lot less effective as you are not challenging your core muscles, it also encourages you to lose form and have poor posture” he warns.
Poor posture during a sit-up could put pressure on the wrong places, and may also reinforce bad posture habits day-to-day.
Jack says: “Many people round their backs, yank their necks and allow their lower back to arch off the floor, all of which result in the use of back and neck muscles rather than the core.
“The problem with poor posture is that it puts unwanted strain on the back and neck which can overstretch or even tear these muscles which can be very painful.
“Poor posture when performing exercise can also cause reduced circulation and breathing issues, both of which can seriously impact a person’s overall health and wellbeing.”
That’s not where the health issues end – straining the wrong muscles when exercising can also lead to long-term chronic pain, it’s claimed.
Jack says: “A small strain of a muscle isn’t going to suddenly cause you life-long pain, but consistent misuse of back and neck muscles can be serious.
“Muscle tears or spasms can lead to scarring on the muscles, which can cause further back stiffness, tightness and pain that can last a long time if not taken care of.
“All muscle damage wants to be avoided for optimum health.”
It might be worth re-thinking whether you want to eliminate sit-ups from your workouts and try some better core muscle exercises.
“I’m over the moon about it. I didn’t envisage it happening and I’m hoping I take the opportunity.”
Ollie was also a semi-pro player for National League One side Old Albanians.
What businesses does Ollie Marchon own?
Ollie is the founder of Marchon and the PFCA.
His website explains: “MARCHON is the UK’s leading Functional Fitness brand, comprised of multiple gym locations, a custom built app delivering their programmes across the world, as well as offering their own sports nutrition and clothing.
“The PFCA is Ollie’s education business which he co-founded with Jenz Robinson in 2019.
“Their primary focus is to raise the standards of coaching within the fitness industry whilst also supporting fitness professional and gym owners in the private sector to run a more profitable and successful business.”
His company currently has three UK-based gyms — Marchon HQ in Harpenden, Marchon LDN in Stratford, and Marchon White City House.
His team also mentors more than 1,000 aspiring athletes remotely via his Marchon Training app.
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