Farming brothers are helping others get farm fit

"We never planned to start an online fitness business. Our lives were heading in the direction of farming and ag careers. But we weren’t fulfilled. Our journey, losing weight, overcoming grief, and building confidence became our purpose,” says Michael Kennedy, who, alongside his brother Dave, has built a business connecting with farmers and those living in rural areas to help them improve their lifestyle.

Dave and Michael grew up in a pub on a small dairy farm in Skeheenarinky, Co Tipperary.

“Farming was just part of everyday life for us – early mornings milking around 80 cows, late nights pulling pints in the bar. More recently, the farm has transitioned to sheep due to the M8 motorway fragmenting it in 2012. It was a busy childhood, but we loved it. There was never a quiet moment, and looking back, it shaped who we are,” says Michael.

As they were both always surrounded by agriculture, it felt natural for them to follow that path.

After finishing school, Dave originally went to University College Cork (UCC) and did a year of environmental science, but quickly realised that it wasn’t what he wanted. He transitioned into agriculture in Cork Institute of Technology (now MTU) and never looked back.

He furthered his studies by completing a Master’s in Food Marketing at UCC.

Michael went straight into University College Dublin to study animal and crop production as he explains, “ag was always the goal”. From there, he pursued a PhD in Teagasc Moorepark.

However, their careers have gone in a different trajectory to what they expected.

In 2021, Dave returned from the Middle East after lecturing in agri-business at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) and working as an area sales manager.

“We were doing relief milking for cash but we started to ask ourselves, ‘Is this it?’ We knew we wanted something with more impact,” says Michael.

Momentum built

Then the pandemic hit – and this was a turning point for them.

Dave says, “I started helping friends and family with their health and fitness, and within a few months, I realised there was a business oppurtunity.”

The Lifestyle Blueprint was a small idea that started to grow legs, and in 2022, Michael joined part-time while finishing his PhD.

“We quickly noticed that a huge chunk of our clients were farmers or from rural areas, just like us. So we leaned into it. We started creating content around the farm instead of trying to be like every other fitness coach.

“That’s when things took off. There was no one speaking directly to farmers about weight, mindset, or grief,” explains Michael.

The brothers weren’t always into fitness. Dave hit his heaviest weight at 140kg – and a lot of that weight gain was due to emotional eating after the brothers lost their sister in 2010.

“It was a tough time. Trying to process grief while keeping the farm running and getting through school was no easy feat. During college, things got worse. There was a lot of comfort eating, drinking, and it all spiralled,” explains Dave.

It was a tough time. Trying to process grief while keeping the farm running and getting through school was no easy feat

Michael was still in school at the time, and his habits weren’t much better as he was working in the pub, grabbing snacks and fizzy drinks.

Dave took the first step into fitness around 2011, going to a semi-private gym with a friend.

“At first, it was just something to try, but after a few sessions, I realised how unfit I was and how badly the weight was affecting me.

“That kickstarted my transformation, and I lost over eight and a half stone in 17 months,” says Dave.

Michael started training at home, then joined the gym too, as his brother’s journey inspired him to make a change.

In 2016, Dave did a personal training course, not to become a coach, but simply to learn about the process. Michael did a nutrition course for the same reason. It wasn’t until years later that they started using that knowledge to help others.

“Grief has shaped us in ways we never expected. Losing our sister and more recently our mam [in December 2024] turned our whole worlds upside down,” says Michael.

Both Dave and Michael say they did not process their grief when their sister died – they both shut down, comfort ate, and avoided talking about it. Over time, Michael and Dave realised that suppressing the pain just makes it worse.

“Now, we focus on honouring their memories making our sister and mam proud by how we live,” says Michael.

Dave encourages anyone creating a business to use their own experience as “your journey is valuable”.

“It has to be about more than money. It needs purpose, a reason why. For us, it was helping people who were suffering like we once were. Don’t ignore what makes you unique. For us, it was being farmers. That was the game-changer. Once we leaned into that, everything grew,” he says.

Followers

With over 130,000 followers between them both, Dave and Michael are providing online fitness coaching and creating content to encourage more people to get active and look after their health.

“Most of our clients struggle with mindset, negative thinking patterns, emotional eating and low self-worth.

“They work long hours, don’t process their emotions properly, and often don’t realise how their eating habits are linked to how they’re feeling,” says Michael.

The biggest issue they see is mindset. “Farmers wear every hat, they’re the boss, the accountant, the vet, the nutritionist – they carry a lot on their shoulders. And when you add isolation and financial stress into the mix, it’s easy to burn out,” says Michael.

Like farming, Michael and Dave’s fitness programme works around seasons.

“You’re going to have busy periods throughout the year, whether it’s calving, planting, lambing, whatever season you’re in. And it’s important to recognise what season you’re in with your fitness, too. When things start to quiet down a bit on the farm, that’s the time to prioritise your health,” says Michael.

Here are their top tips for farmers:

See @davekennedytlb; @michaelkennedytlb