In today’s episode of Transparently Jordan, I sit down with personal trainer and bodybuilder Connor for one of the most honest, vulnerable, and powerful conversations we’ve had on the show.

Connor opens up about his lived experience with mental health, including some extremely dark periods in his life, and how discovering the gym became his emotional anchor and the space where he rebuilt his self-worth from the ground up.

We explore the realities of gym anxiety, comparison, identity loss after big goals, discipline vs. motivation, and why he chose to become a personal trainer who leads with empathy — not ego. This conversation is raw, grounding, and a reminder that behind every strong body is an even stronger story.

⚠️ Content Warning: This episode includes discussions about mental health and suicide. Please listen with care. Support resources are listed below.

• Connor’s early mental health struggles and what shaped his journey

• Gym anxiety and why even trainers experience it

• Comparison, pressure, and feeling “watched” in the gym

• Motivation fading vs. discipline carrying you

• Why he became a personal trainer — and the deeper mission behind it

• Bodybuilding, identity, and the emotional crash after big events

• Rebuilding confidence through small wins

• Feeling lost, finding purpose, and learning to give yourself grace

• How fitness can be both healing and confronting

If you or someone you know needs support: 🇦🇺 Lifeline – 13 11 14 🇦🇺 Beyond Blue – 1300 224 636 📱 13YARN (for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people) – 13 92 76 If outside Australia, please check your local mental health hotline.

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Follow Connor on Instagram @connortarrant_healthcoach

Use Code Jordzday 10 at https://tropeaka.com.au/

Use code Jordan10 at https://reyourrun.com.au/