Show Notes
In this inspiring episode, we sit down with one of Ireland's top CrossFit athletes, Andrew Desmond. Who has transformed his life from struggling with alcohol addiction to becoming a beacon of hope and strength. At 50, he shares his powerful journey of recovery, the challenges he faced along the way, and how he's found purpose in training and helping other men reclaim their lives. With his program, "Be Undeniable," he emphasises the importance of resilience, fitness, and living a sober life. Join us for an uplifting conversation that highlights the power of determination and the undeniable strength within us all.
More from The TELOS Podcast
Matt Burke spent 30 years numbing himself: drink, drugs, running a drug business out of the Liberties. In 2007 he threw his burner phone in a bin in Inchicore and started again. Today he's a breathwork coach, meditation teacher and end-of-life doula.We get into why you can't fix the mind with the mind, why your body can't tell real stress from imagined stress, and how five minutes of meditation can save you hours of your day.Think meditation, breathwork or the deeper work isn't for you? Think again.FIND MATTInstagram: @m8tt_breathworkWebsite: www.magicminds.ie Any thoughts for feedback, pop me a message
I'm 50 in January, and my feed is full of TRT ads. Low energy? Low drive? Come in, we'll sort you. Instinctively I didn't like it. But I'd nothing to argue back with, because I'd never actually looked inside my own body. So I got my bloods done with Conor Geraghty of Exodus Blood Work, who's run functional blood work on 230+ men. Optimal ranges, not the standard ranges your GP uses. This is the conversation that came out of it. WHAT WE COVER Why low testosterone is a symptom, not a diagnosis What TRT does to your natural baseline, and why you become a customer for life My own bloods, my leaky gut, and the breakfast I thought was healthy Nutrient density over macros: organ meats, egg yolks, oysters, raw dairy The piece missing from every nutrition pyramid: actually digesting your food Cortisol and overtraining, and the client who quadrupled his free testosterone by training less Sauna: how much, how often, and why I'm the only man in there icing my balls Why your mindset shows up in your bloods TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Intro 03:30 — Conor's story: sick kid, migraines, and the injury that broke him 07:50 — The vegan experiment: 75kg down to 63kg 11:30 — My bloods, my leaky gut, and the breakfast I got wrong 19:20 — Who comes to Conor, and what they're all feeling 22:50 — The TRT ads and the normalising of gear 29:30 — Customer for life: what TRT does to your baseline 33:30 — The rare case where TRT makes sense 37:00 — Nutrition: nutrient density over macros 43:50 — Digestion: the missing piece 49:00 — Seed oils, tallow and cooking like your grandparents 57:00 — Cortisol, overtraining and doing too much 1:02:50 — Sauna guidelines 1:09:20 — Mindset and testosterone CONNECT WITH ROB Instagram: @rob_telos Web: www.yourtelos.com Email: [email protected] CONNECT WITH CONOR Instagram: @connorvitality Web: exodusbloodwork.com
Most men over 35 are walking around with suppressed testosterone and blaming age. Age is one factor. Lifestyle is the one you control. In this episode I break down what testosterone actually does, why the clinical range is misleading, and what chronic stress is quietly doing to your hormonal environment. He covers the lifestyle fundamentals, the honest science behind cold plunge, sauna, and breathwork, and why the TRT industry is selling a prescription before anyone asks you about your sleep. No shortcuts. No agenda. Just the information you need to start building the right foundations.
*Note -we had an internet issue half way though.. but it resolves quickly. Rob Gallagher sits down with TELOS Head of Programming Colman Corrigan, who joined as a client in 2021 dealing with back pain, ankle issues, and the frustration of training with the handbrake on. They dig into the physio loop that keeps people stuck, the gap between easy rehab exercises and real-world strength, and why most people are stretching their weaknesses instead of building them. If you're training consistently but your body keeps letting you down, this conversation will make a lot click.
You train consistently. You eat well. You do the work. But your body is tight, always niggling, and recovery takes longer than it should. In this episode, Rob breaks down the real reason your training isn't working: unmanaged stress. Backed by research from Stanford, The Lancet, and the Mayo Clinic, this is the episode that explains what cortisol is actually doing to your muscles, your joints, your injuries, and your sleep. Plus the "false taps" you're reaching for that are making it worse, and the practical tools that actually fix it.