28 July 2023 , 22:16
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Michael Griffiths has come a long way since his Love Island days, having embraced a super-clean lifestyle following the launch of his very own personal training business last year.
The 31-year-old set hearts racing on Series 5 of the ITV reality dating show in 2019, wowing viewers with his impeccable body and lovable Liverpudlian charm. After initially coupling up with Irish pharmacist Yewande Biala - whom he is still best friends with to this day - he then got close to Amber Gill, before enjoying his last villa fling with Joanna Chimonides. Michael would be evicted from the show on Day 49, narrowly missing its final.
While he may not have been crowned the Love Island 2019 champion - with that title going to Amber Gill and Greg O'Shea - his failure to win the show hasn't exactly been to his detriment. Since leaving the Mallorca villa, Michael has gone on to accomplish a wave of professional successes, including multiple presenting gigs and even a bodybuilding award.
Michael Griffiths with Amber Gill on Love Island (Michael Griffiths)Today, the ex-firefighter is determined to help others reach their own potential with his personal training business, Hustle As One. With his one-on-one coaching, Michael hopes to give clients the confidence to achieve their individual goals - no matter what they are. "I want them to talk to me and tell me their problems, so I can help them how to decide to move forward," he exclusively told The Mirror, before adding he's not interested in simply making them do "what I want them to do."
Michael is also leading by example, having taken his healthy lifestyle to a whole new level by ditching the ultimate source of empty calories - alcohol: "I basically stopped drinking last year," he reveals. "I was drinking when I first came out of the villa because I was living life, out at parties and events. Then I was like, do I really need to go to all these events? Do I need to drink all the time?"
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Michael, who today boasts over 1m followers on Instagram, goes on to recall the moment he realized he'd lost the taste for alcohol: When I started prepping for my [bodybuilding] show, I didn’t drink, and after the show finished, I opened up a drink in my hotel room. I’d bought myself 6 bottles of magnums [tonic wine], opened one, took a sip and spat it out.
"It had been 5 months I’d not drank. And now I’ve had one drink, maybe two, in the past eight or nine months. September will be a year since I’ve drank."
Michael has reaped the benefits of almost entirely eliminating alcohol, adding that he's noticed a number of benefits from swapping the wine for water. "Does it impact my training? Absolutely," he admits. "I don’t miss it. Not at all. I go out now and just drink water or juice. It also gets to the point where I’m like, I can go to bed now, I’m tired. It means I can drive as well!"
Michael Griffiths reveals he's barely drunk alcohol in the past year
Michael Griffiths at the gymAs for diet, Michael knows all too well the importance of fuelling properly. As part of his recent collaboration with Subway, the official Lunch Partner of this year's Love Island, the committed athlete has been enjoying plenty of treats of its new Series menu. His go-to sandwich is the Notorious B.M.T., which packs in all the protein with its medley of ham, pepperoni, salami, Monterey Jack cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and chipotle Southwest sauce.
When he's looking for a bit of spice, he goes with the Tex Mexan, a tangy feast of chicken breast, double grated mozzarella & cheddar, Doritos, tomato salsa, sweetcorn, peppers, and x-spicy chipotle Southwest sauce. He also always orders the meat option, having abandoned his pescatarian diet a while ago after a craving for red meat.
"I just stopped eating meat for a bit and it turned out to be a year," he recalls. "Danny [Williams] was doing it with me. He took a step further and he cut fish out. I was like…I don’t know could I do that. I fancy a steak. It was a good year."
Michael Griffiths is now hoping to help others get fit
Michael Griffiths has drastically cut back on alcoholAs for advice to this year's Love Islanders after they leave the villa, Michael keeps it simple.
"Don’t alienate other islanders because you’re current," he advises, after revealing it was Love Island Series 4 stars, Wes Nelson and Josh Denzel, who reached out to offer him help when he first exited the show.
"As time has gone on, people are going on [the show] for different reasons and they’ve seen the level of success you can have and are thinking very independently. But in situations like this, the best thing you can have is a support network."
To celebrate Subway being an official partner of this season's Love Island, former Islanders Georgia Steel and Michael Griffiths give their take on the latest hot topics and debates surrounding season 10 whilst tucking into a delicious Sub from Subway’s brand-new Series menu – a collection of signature chef-inspired Subs, SubMelts, Wraps and Salads. Watch Georgia and Michael on 'Lunch Island' on Subway's YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/SUBWAYUKIreland
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