BEST GYM FINALIST - Momentum

Your Name: Michael Lyons

Your Organisation/Company: Momentum

Your Website: www.momentumbelfast.com

Your favourite thing about West Belfast: Honestly, it’s the people. Like anywhere, there’s good and bad, but there’s a real sense of community here. Some of my closest friends have come through the doors of Momentum. West Belfast has shaped so much of my life and I genuinely love being part of it

Your First Job: My first job was delivering the Andersonstown News when I was about 14. Funny enough, Carl who now works with me at the gym also had a paper round. He was better than me at it, had the good route!

What it taught you: But it taught me early on that if you want to earn, you’ve got to work for it. Nothing gets handed to you you have to put the effort in, take ownership, and push if you want to grow.

What do you think are the key ingredients needed to make a person or organisation the Best of the West?
I believe it comes down to passion, consistency, and service. Momentum started as a personal training business but has grown into something much bigger. It's about the people, the culture, the coaching, and constantly investing in your team, your environment, and your product. You have to care, you have to want to get better, and you have to deliver results that matter. That’s what sets the best apart.

Fitness didn’t just change my life it saved it. I was a gambling addict, and the day I committed to becoming a coach, everything shifted. Momentum Fitness was built from that turning point. We’re more than a gym we help people gain control, build confidence, and create lasting change through structure, support, and movement. Momentum moves people forward in fitness and in life.