Exclusive Interview: Jay Younger on Functional Fitness, Recovery, and Favourite Kit
At Fitshop, we pride ourselves on connecting with athletes and fitness enthusiasts from all walks of life. Today, we turn our attention to Jay Younger, a 31-year-old fitness devotee from Edinburgh who has spent the last decade honing his skills and dedication to functional fitness. Coming from a sporting family—his grandfather played professional football for Liverpool FC—Jay brings a refreshing authenticity to the fitness world.
This interview is the latest in a series where we’ve had the privilege of speaking with some remarkable athletes. Earlier this year, we sat down with Neil Adams MBE, a five-time European judo champion, world champion, and two-time Olympic silver medallist, to explore his storied career. Now in his 60s, Neil continues to inspire through coaching and commentary, sharing his insights on training, judo’s evolution, and the 2024 Paris Games.
We also caught up with Ellie Natasha-Baker, one of Britain’s rising stars in athletics. Known for her impressive performances in the 800m and 1500m events, Ellie has won multiple medals at European championships and continues to break records, including Zola Budd’s long-standing record in the 1500m. Ellie credits her Fitshop-supplied home gym as a key part of her training success, and during our interview, we discussed how personalised equipment has helped her push her limits and achieve new personal bests.
Ready to get inspired? Let’s jump into Jay’s story about his functional fitness-based routine, the challenges of recovering from injury, his go-to equipment, and what he aims to achieve in the coming months.
Functional Fitness Training and Equipment Preferences
Q: What is your current training plan?
Jay: The type of training I’ve been doing is a lot of high-intensity functional workouts. I actually started with basic functional fitness, so that involved a lot of cardio kit integrated with compound movements. Then I moved into high-intensity functional workouts, which have been really fun—learning gymnastics and the more technical Olympic lifts. I’m coming back from an injury, so my training is a bit different at the moment, but hopefully by June or July, I’ll be back to doing what I used to, including the gymnastics and all that stuff.
Q: What’s your experience with Fitshop?
Jay: I went into Fitshop probably back in 2014. That was when I was first getting into proper weight training after leaving Loughborough University. I remember buying a pair of dumbbells, and I had these skinny biceps trying to do bicep curls with 14kg weights! But yeah, that was my first experience, and since then, I’ve always come back, bought kits from you guys, and it’s served me well.
Q: What’s your favourite piece of equipment or exercise?
Jay: My favourite equipment would probably be a squat rack. I love squatting—it’s the king of all exercises. I believe it works every muscle in the body. It’s amazing, especially if you haven’t got a lower limb injury. I feel like it’s the perfect exercise to build your base fitness or to progress your strength. It’s really good.
Injury Recovery and Rehabilitation
Q: How have you managed to overcome your current injury?
Jay: The injuries have really humbled me. I tore my pec, so I’ve had to do a lot of external rotations, internal rotations, adduction, abduction—you know, all that stuff. But it’s been good. It’s actually taught me how to move better, especially in terms of engaging the right muscle groups. The movements I’ve been doing are just basic things like pec decks, basic flys to try and get that range of motion back in my chest. I’ve also been doing some military presses. But now I’m starting to get more confident with the injury. I’m nearly at the stage where I can move into more of the gymnastics phase again. Hopefully, I’ll be doing some bar muscle-ups and ring muscle-ups soon.
Q: What kind of exercises have you been doing during injury rehabilitation?
Jay: Since my surgery, I’ve been doing a lot of rehab around my shoulder and pec area. It’s involved a lot of basic movements like pec deck, pec flys, abduction, adduction, flexion, extension—all the fun stuff. But it’s been really good because it’s taught me more about my biomechanics and how to move properly again. Instead of just going through the motions, I’m actually engaging my lats and the proper muscle groups. Hopefully, within the next two or three months, I’ll be back doing more complex gymnastics movements like bar muscle-ups, ring dips, and ring muscle-ups. So yeah, it’s been a positive experience.
Future Fitness Ambitions
Q: What are your future fitness plans?
Jay: I’m hoping to compete again in June. I’ve got another competition in August, and then I’ll probably be competing again around October or November. It was really frustrating with the injury because just as I was getting really fit and ready to compete in a proper functional fitness competition, I tore my pec. So hopefully, by the end of this year or early next year, I’ll be doing the Open again, and maybe I’ll make the quarterfinals—who knows!
Highlighting the Equipment:
In the video, Jay features some fantastic equipment from Fitshop:
- Taurus Elite Ergo-X Air Bike: This air bike is perfect for high-intensity interval training and cardio sessions. Its smooth resistance transitions make it an excellent choice for building endurance and burning calories. Find it here
- Taurus Elite Half Rack V2: This half rack is ideal for serious strength training. Its robust and durable design offers a wide range of training possibilities, including squats and presses, making it a key piece for any home gym. Find it here
- Taurus Black Olympic Rubber Bumper Weight Plates: These Olympic plates are designed to withstand intense use. They offer a solid rubber build for safety and durability during lifts, ensuring they perform well under pressure. Find them here
- Taurus 7ft Elite Olympic Barbell: This Olympic barbell is perfect for everything from heavy squats to Olympic lifts. Its sturdy build and high performance make it a reliable tool for serious strength training. Find it here
Jay Younger’s fitness journey is a great example of how staying committed, even when things don’t go as planned, can help you overcome challenges. His focus on getting stronger and recovering from injury shows the kind of dedication many of us aim for in our own fitness routines. We’re excited to see where Jay’s fitness path takes him next and wish him all the best!
At Fitshop, we’re happy to be part of your journey by providing the equipment that helps you train. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to up your game, Fitshop has everything you need to keep moving forward.
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