Meet Ryan Dougherty

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ryan Dougherty a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ryan , thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?

I have been optimistic my whole life. From working on Wall Street to running my own company and now onto my journey of being a personal trainer. My optimism comes from the endless opportunities that most people are afraid to fail at. I don’t believe you should do something everyday if you don’t enjoy it just because it pays the bills. Find that something. It took me moving across the country to California to find my something. For now, this is what I want and this is what I will pursue.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

My dad got me in the gym, weight lifting since I was about 12 years old I’d say. I was always skinny. He had me doing protein shakes and eating as much as I could for as long as I can remember. But I could never seem to put on the weight. High school I was also training a lot so I’d be burning a lot of calories everyday. College came around and I was just not as healthy as I should have been. I was still in the gym almost everyday but once again I couldn’t seem to put on the muscle. I would periodically take breaks and be in and out of the gym which never helps. After graduation I moved to Califronia and changed my ways. Til this day I have consistently been in the gym. I am Not drinking as much as I used to, quit vaping and getting my cardio in. Also, of course my diet has never been better and it’s showing. It’s funny, people think there is probably some hack to looking good and getting big like “its genetics that’s why he looks like that” or something like that.

It took me moving across the country to know what healthy really is. When I moved here I was introduced into a community who’s idea of fun was being active, going to the gym, eating healthy and being outside. My idea of fun was going out and drinking with friends. I hope to show people you don’t have to completely change your life like I did. I understand now weight lifting 5-6 days a week, cardio 2-3 days a week, and eating healthy is the hack. Well actually it’s consistency. If you keep that up for 6 months you’ll see an unbelievable difference. Also, if you drink consistently, eat unhealthy consistently, that will show as well. Consistency is key.

Mental health is also something I like to talk about. I used to revolve my day around going to the beach or if I was going somewhere I knew had to take my shirt off at. I would workout and not eat as much before going. The flaws I thought I had were unnoticeable by other people. I still will find myself overthinking about how people perceive me but I have found ways around it like getting enough sleep, fixing my diet, getting outside and of course to get in the gym.

I want to show people the right way to be healthy. I believe I can spread this message better then anybody because I have lived though being unhealthy and healthy. I choose healthy every time.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Determination: determination can be developed. Once you believe in yourself, you will be determined to be the best version of yourself. Make yourself the reason you wake up everyday. Build a routine that revolves around your schedule. Stick to the schedule and hold yourself accountable for your mistakes. Ex: If you miss a day in the gym, make sure you eat healthier that day

Background: I have always had a background in weight lifting, being active, and running. I knew what I had to do to be great. If you do not know where to begin, stick to a split routine. For beginners, weight lifting 3-4 days a week. Look up certain exercises that correlate with certain muscle groups. Start with light incline walking and gradually move your way up to jogging/Running. For eating healthy, stick to foods with little ingredients. I stick to ground beef, chicken and rice, eggs , and Greek yogurt. You can find recipes to enjoy these foods !

Leadership: I believe I was always meant to lead. That is what has got me to this point in my life. If you follow me along on my journey. I hope to motivate you to be the best version of yourself

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I would love to collaborate with brands that revolve around fitness. You can reach me at my Instagram handle ryandocfitness or my email ryandoc299@gmail.com

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Ryandocfitness