Meet The Reviewers

My name is Michael Yarnold I am a former Fitness Australia (now known as AusActive) awards finalist for the category of “Male Personal Trainer of the year award”.

I bring an extensive amount of Health and Fitness industry knowledge to the Fitness Doctor product review team.

In 2012 I established my own successful Personal training business with premises in the heart of Sydney’s CBD, targeting business professionals for personal and group training and medium and large businesses for corporate wellness programmes.

I have successfully owned and operated my own Personal Training studio for a decade in the heart of Sydney’s CBD. During this time, I mentored more than 100 personal trainers, conducted over 25,000 individual personal training sessions and led a team of 10 full-time employees.

Personal Trainer, Wellness Coach & proud mum.

I have been a personal trainer for 17 years, I have owned and operated my own business for 2 years and have successfully managed fitness businesses for over a decade.

I have positively impacted many lives in my career as a personal trainer.
I am best known amongst my clients for providing a holistic training experience.

I have been fortunate enough to have completed over 20,000 1 on 1 personal training sessions and I bring a wealth of industry knowledge to the Fitness Doctor product review team.

My career in health and fitness has seen my experience in both, large box style gyms & small boutique personal training studios.

I pride myself on my track record for helping clients prioritise their training and thrive on educating them on how to achieve their Health & Fitness goals.

I am the proud mother of two beautiful girls and a loving wife to my husband of fifteen years. We all choose to live an active lifestyle, maintain a balanced diet and share a passion for animals and the great outdoors.

My journey to leading an active lifestyle was thrust upon me at the age of twenty five when I explored the reasons my husband and I struggled to conceive. It was soon apparent that I had Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and my exercise and nutritional habits needed to be reviewed and a plan adhered to for any chance of conception.

Following the plan was rewarding. We conceived after ten months. Unfortunately I experienced further challenges in the form of gestational diabetes soon after conception and posed further challenges and formed a deeper respect for diet and exercise while managing insulin levels through the pregnancy.

These experiences have taught me to make exercise and nutritional plans a priority in my week and set time aside in a busy schedule. I made a decision to invest in my health by setting up a basic home gym. I train while my children are asleep and consume my first meal before they rise to set a solid platform for the day. These habits have not only impacted my own health and wellbeing though, they set a positive example for my family and led me to employment ironically in the Fitness Industry.

My main goal when reviewing products is to use my experience being a regular user of domestic fitness equipment to give the consumer a real life every day summary of the positives and negatives of a given piece of equipment to make sure that an informed decision can be made when purchasing equipment. If I improve the chance of a healthier lifestyle being maintained I will be very satisfied with my work.
Yours in health and happiness !
Melissa O'Shea.

Hi Im Cheryl, I am 60 years young, a mother, a Nanna and a fitness enthusiast. I began my fitness journey around 14 years ago after losing around 50 kg and deciding that health wasn't only about diet, it was about lifestyle change. During the last 14 years I began a whole new take on life experiencing for the first time the many benefits and enjoyments that only fitness can bring. I completed a course in personal training, Played soccer, ran my own boot camps and boxing courses and finally got to experience the joys of being a Nanna that could not only thoroughly enjoy her Grandsons, but could keep up with them as well !.

Looking back over the years I wouldn't change a thing, and even though Covid put a strain on so many aspects of our lives I am so grateful for my health and ability to exercise as it was a huge factor in getting through some of the tougher lockdowns, and played a big part in not only my physical health but my mental health as well. These days I enjoy a slightly slower pace, I have finally hung up my soccer boots and stepped back from my personal training but I continue to make exercise a part of my every day life. Weekday mornings are my committed times to push my limits, and having my home gym has allowed me to keep up the intensity and eliminate the excuses.

Weekends are my me time where I get to enjoy all sorts of adventures with the Grandkids, and lots of exploring, walking and taking in a coffee with friends. Life has so much more to offer when your healthy enough to say yes I can. I am forever grateful for my journey and look forward to challenges that every new day brings.