Photography - Nicholas Andrews

Interview - Taj Hayer 

As lockdown restrictions began to ease somewhat around the UK in July 2020, The Rakish Gent travelled to Bournemouth to meet former Love Island contestant, footballer for Poole Town FC, influencer and personal trainer Marvin Brooks to find out how he managed to keep positive over the last few months. 

What has life in lockdown been like for you? 

It has actually been really refreshing. I’ve had time to settle myself and allow my mind to relax. Before lockdown, everything was 100 miles an hour and I found not being able to go at that pace really calming. 

Did you have any plans that had to be rearranged? 

Well the football season came to an abrupt end and it was quite difficult as we didn't know whether we would be going back to playing or not. There were also events that were cancelled. I usually plan holidays quite close to the time and nothing had been booked at that time. I very nearly booked a trip two days prior to the rules changing but thankfully I didn’t do that. 

It’s clear that working out is really important for you. For those that are new to working out, what are the benefits to mental health? 

Fundamentally, if you work out you end up spending more time with yourself. You can learn your limitations and set goals for yourself. With running for example, I found that I’m not really a great runner outside of my sport and I enjoyed being able to run more to try and improve that. A lot of mental strength increases each time you work out and afterwards, not only do you get the endorphins and that feel good feeling, you can relax for the rest of the day. Anxiety reduces and that’s so important with what we have gone through over the last few months. I’m wary of the fact that if I don’t move enough, and almost burn out, anxiety levels will be high all through the night. 

How has the dynamic changed when training people? 

At the moment its all virtual, as FaceTime sessions which I thought might be odd and not too productive but the sessions were cut from 60 to 30 minutes which made for more high intensity training. I actually found that I’m able to see more clients this way and help them stay on top of their goals. 

How did you get into personal training? 

It was through my sport really. As a footballer I am constantly around people in the sports environment and I was playing with a few personal trainers. They seemed to really enjoy their job, I was working as an engineer at the time and I knew it wasn’t for me. As soon as I started to do it, I realised why all those people that are in jobs that they love, don’t dread Sunday nights. It feels less of a job and more of a way of life. 

What were the high points and low points of Love Island?

I think initially the high points were just having the experience. When I knew that I might be going on the show, I watched a few episodes to see what it might be like. Doing the challenges were great and you can’t appreciate just how much work goes into making them happen. Things like those were once in a lifetime opportunities. In terms of low points, we were asked to be ourselves but not really given the opportunity to do that. Obviously the show is controlled to a certain extent but I didn’t really feel like I had any chance. If you aren’t in a storyline, you realise as the night goes on, that you wont get called for any conversations. 

Did you learn anything about yourself on the show?

From past experiences of being in the military and being on a ship with loads of people, I knew that I was always fine with living with other people that I didn't know. I think I was surprised at how easily I seemed to let things go. I might have reacted differently if I wasn’t aware that there was so many people watching. 

How comfortable were you with being on screen? 

It sounds weird because there were cameras everywhere, but I felt OK as I just knew that there was nothing that I could do about it. It was out of my control so I just dealt with it. It only strikes you that they are there, when they suddenly pop up. Watching it back, I remember not even recalling that certain things had happened. 

Quick fire questions

Ideal travel destination - Bali 

Best store in the world - Lidl 

Gadget of choice - iPad 

Go to pair of shoes - Converse 

Brand/ designer of choice - Asos 

Favorite fragrance - Tom Ford Black Orchid 

Essential grooming product - Kiehl’s face scrub 

Recommended app - Daily Quotes 

Icon - Michael B Jordan 

Follow Marvin Brooks on Instagram.