Blogging about fitness led Bangs to a career within the industry
Where did the name ‘Bangs’ come from? I’ve had a blog called ‘Bangs and a Bun’ for years, so that’s always been my handle on social media. My real name (Muireann Carey-Campbell) is of Irish origin, and people mispronounce it all the time. When people started calling me ‘Bangs’, it made things a lot easier!
How did you get into the fitness industry? I actually had no intention of joining the industry. After being a couch potato for too long, I got into boxing and running in 2010 and starting tweeting and blogging about it. Before long, those became the most popular posts on my blog. I had people messaging me to tell me I’d motivated and inspired them.
I started getting groups of women together to train for half-marathons. It was more of a support group than anything else. I didn’t know any more about running than anyone else, but I liked seeing the confidence boost in people when they were surrounded by a supportive group.
I had messages from people asking where they could train with me – they mistakenly thought I was a personal trainer. I figured, if people found me motivational or inspiring in some way, I’d have to be the change I want to see, by getting into the industry and spreading the fitness message that worked for me.
How has your career progressed since then? I started teaching BOOM Cycle classes in 2014. I really threw myself into becoming the best instructor I could be. Before long, I was promoted to master trainer, in charge of training up new instructors.
I loved this new part of my job and felt it was where I could really excel. I noticed a gap in the way we did training – we’d train people up, give them some classes to teach and that’d be it. I helped to expand the training programme so it’s ongoing – once you’ve ‘graduated’, we do monthly assessments to help you grow and develop. We call it ‘BOOMiversity’ and I’ve since been promoted to Dean.
What do you think the industry needs to focus on? Mindfulness. I very rarely, if ever, hear any of my riders talking about losing weight, yet the industry still pushes this as the main goal. I believe it’s now more about seeking a balanced lifestyle, de-stressing, boosting energy levels, being social, having fun and taking time out for yourself.
How important is social media in getting people active? I think the rise of fitness blogs and columns has really helped. If you’re looking to get active, there’s so much information at your fingertips now. You’ll find people with the same passions, interests, insecurities and struggles as you. It opens you up to a whole world of people who can motivate and inspire you.
On the flip side, platforms such as Instagram tend to reduce the benefits of fitness to purely aesthetic ones, and that can be intimidating when you’re starting out. As with anything, I would say: find your tribe and what works for you and you’ll be cruising.
Active Blackpool is deploying Cornerstone Connect, a new digital interface allowing
disparate information from multiple systems to be aggregated into one dataset, to support
its focus on reducing health inequalities and improving healthy life expectancy. [more...]
Panatta brought together four of the most influential figures in bodybuilding history on the
stage of RiminiWellness 2026: Phil Heath, Lee Haney, Ronnie Coleman and Hany Rambod. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers
COMPANY PROFILES
Alliance Leisure
Alliance Leisure Services was specifically
established to respond to the changing
development need [more...]
Serco Leisure
Serco Leisure Operating Limited is one of the UK’s leading national operators of leisure centres, de [more...]
Blogging about fitness led Bangs to a career within the industry
Where did the name ‘Bangs’ come from? I’ve had a blog called ‘Bangs and a Bun’ for years, so that’s always been my handle on social media. My real name (Muireann Carey-Campbell) is of Irish origin, and people mispronounce it all the time. When people started calling me ‘Bangs’, it made things a lot easier!
How did you get into the fitness industry? I actually had no intention of joining the industry. After being a couch potato for too long, I got into boxing and running in 2010 and starting tweeting and blogging about it. Before long, those became the most popular posts on my blog. I had people messaging me to tell me I’d motivated and inspired them.
I started getting groups of women together to train for half-marathons. It was more of a support group than anything else. I didn’t know any more about running than anyone else, but I liked seeing the confidence boost in people when they were surrounded by a supportive group.
I had messages from people asking where they could train with me – they mistakenly thought I was a personal trainer. I figured, if people found me motivational or inspiring in some way, I’d have to be the change I want to see, by getting into the industry and spreading the fitness message that worked for me.
How has your career progressed since then? I started teaching BOOM Cycle classes in 2014. I really threw myself into becoming the best instructor I could be. Before long, I was promoted to master trainer, in charge of training up new instructors.
I loved this new part of my job and felt it was where I could really excel. I noticed a gap in the way we did training – we’d train people up, give them some classes to teach and that’d be it. I helped to expand the training programme so it’s ongoing – once you’ve ‘graduated’, we do monthly assessments to help you grow and develop. We call it ‘BOOMiversity’ and I’ve since been promoted to Dean.
What do you think the industry needs to focus on? Mindfulness. I very rarely, if ever, hear any of my riders talking about losing weight, yet the industry still pushes this as the main goal. I believe it’s now more about seeking a balanced lifestyle, de-stressing, boosting energy levels, being social, having fun and taking time out for yourself.
How important is social media in getting people active? I think the rise of fitness blogs and columns has really helped. If you’re looking to get active, there’s so much information at your fingertips now. You’ll find people with the same passions, interests, insecurities and struggles as you. It opens you up to a whole world of people who can motivate and inspire you.
On the flip side, platforms such as Instagram tend to reduce the benefits of fitness to purely aesthetic ones, and that can be intimidating when you’re starting out. As with anything, I would say: find your tribe and what works for you and you’ll be cruising.
According to research which tracked more than 147,000 people for 30 years, 90-120 minutes
of strength training a week may deliver some of the biggest long-term health rewards.
The UK's four Chief Medical Officers have published a refreshed edition of Physical activity
guidelines: UK Chief Medical Officers' report, updating the evidence that underpins the nation's
physical activity recommendations and placing greater emphasis on strength, balance, reducing
sedentary behaviour and, for the first time, supporting people taking weight loss medications.
Places Leisure has exchanged contracts to build and operate a flagship £60m water and leisure
destination on behalf of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.
The Republic of Ireland will become the latest market in PureGym’s expanding international
portfolio, with the first launch planned for Dublin in 2027.
Anytime Fitness opened more than one club a day in 2025 and is on track to maintain this rate
of growth this year, as parent company Purpose Brands targets further international expansion.
The £33.9 million Leighton Leisure and Community Centre has opened in Leighton Buzzard, UK,
creating a next-generation public leisure, health and wellbeing hub for the local community.
Walnuts Leisure Centre in Orpington, in the London Borough of Bromley, has reopened following
a £17m transformation designed to secure the long-term future of the public leisure asset and
reposition it as a community wellbeing hub.
The Gym Group, has announced that it's sustained positive trading momentum has continued
through the first half of 2026 and the company remains confident about the outlook.
Active Blackpool is deploying Cornerstone Connect, a new digital interface allowing
disparate information from multiple systems to be aggregated into one dataset, to support
its focus on reducing health inequalities and improving healthy life expectancy. [more...]
Panatta brought together four of the most influential figures in bodybuilding history on the
stage of RiminiWellness 2026: Phil Heath, Lee Haney, Ronnie Coleman and Hany Rambod. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers
COMPANY PROFILES
Alliance Leisure Alliance Leisure Services was specifically
established to respond to the changing
development need [more...]
