It’s easy to get caught up in the gym’s downsides: the ego lifters, the scattered weights, the judgment, the sideways glances. But beneath it all, it’s a place that builds far more than muscle.
For many, those four walls represent community, friendship, a sense of purpose, and an escape from whatever’s happening in the world outside.
At its best, the gym has the ability to instil discipline and reshape lives for the better — something we shouldn’t take for granted.
That was very much the story for Naughty Boy Lifestyle founder, Clint Leigh.
He was born and raised in the unforgiving borders of Wythenshawe, one of the largest council estates in Europe at the time.
“Growing up as a teenager in Manchester — or then known as GunChester — in the 90s was no duck walk,” he said.
If you hailed from the northwest and loved football during the 90s, there was only one club to support.
Under the stewardship of the great Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United was playing out its most successful decade.
The era saw the emergence of club legends like Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Roy Keane, Eric Cantona, and many others.
United quickly developed a taste for silverware, complete with a dramatic means of achieving it.
For many young lads — Clint included — football, and Manchester United in particular, were like a religion.
“As a young boy, I had an obsession with Manchester United and played at a good level myself,” he added.
“This obsession kept me on the straight and narrow until I reached high school, but I quickly came to realise it wasn’t school that taught us survival — it was the estate.
“I continued my passion for football, playing for the County and several clubs, but it wasn’t long before I started to go down the wrong path.”
Having found himself in trouble with the law, Clint reached a crossroads: get swallowed by the place that raised him or channel his frustrations into something new.
“I knew I had to turn my life around, and the decisive moment came when my uncle introduced me to the gym that he worked at.
“This was a place I could release all my anger, frustrations and improve my health and fitness at the same time.
“It soon became my new obsession and also the point where I developed a keen interest in sports nutrition.”
Clint’s renewed motivation led him to join The Parachute Regiment, eventually training as a PT before opening his own supplement store.
“Starting a business back then was completely different with no social media,” he continued.
“But through hard work and a passion for the industry, it wasn’t long before the business was growing and we were working with world champion fighters.”
For over a decade, Clint’s day-to-day was rooted in sports nutrition. So when it came time to launch a brand of his own, he hit the ground running with years of hard-earned knowledge in his corner.
Still, he couldn’t have predicted it would hit the heights of Naughty Boy.
Approaching six years in the game, the lifestyle operator has made its mark across the globe, becoming synonymous with no-nonsense formulation and first-to-market disruption.
As part of our Founders Series, we sat down with Clint to recap the journey so far and look ahead to his plans for future world domination.
The Birth of Naughty Boy Lifestyle
Naughty Boy launched in 2019 as the UK and Europe’s first lifestyle sports nutrition brand.
If there’s one takeaway from talking to Clint, it’s that Naughty Boy is more than a label — it’s a direct extension of his story.
He’s poured his DNA into every part of the project, which is why, for him, being a lifestyle brand isn’t just a marketing line.
It’s about building something that represents where he’s been, and where he’s going.
“A lifestyle brand goes beyond just products,” he explained. “It embodies shared values, identity and aspiration. The brand aims to inspire, guide and emotionally connect.
“Naughty Boy Lifestyle stands out in the UK and EU supplement space with street aesthetic, community-driven messaging and a wide supplement portfolio.”
The first half of the name also links back to Clint’s upbringing, capturing the rebellious spirit and cultural touchstones that shaped his early years.
“The name of the brand had a lot to do with my story of growing up on a rough council estate, going down the wrong path, and turning my life around after finding my passion for fitness and sports nutrition,” he said.
“At that time, lots of lads from the estate were interested in looking good, fashion, cars, money, and I took this concept into the brand.
“It wasn’t really about bodybuilding and competing, it was about training hard, looking good, feeling good and socialising on a weekend.
“The films we used to love watching, the music we listened to — at some point a lot of this has been incorporated into the brand.
“So much has changed since the 90s. If anything, people are now more serious about health and fitness, but that lifestyle concept is still there.
“There are a lot more women involved with fitness. We may be called Naughty Boy, but females are a huge percentage of our customer base.”
The unmistakable pop culture references have played their part in making Naughty Boy the legendary brand it is today.
Combining fully-loaded formulas with the added edge of recognisable iconography has proved a recipe for success.
Naughty Boy’s first ever supplement and flavour — MENACE Pre-Workout Gotti Grape — was a clever nod to infamous American mafioso John Gotti, who’s since been the subject of multiple films and series.
And Clint described first holding that formula as the moment he realised Naughty Boy was going places.
“I had spent months and months working on a design, moulds for packaging, and also formulation and flavour,” he regaled.
“I had been around brands for 10 years, and I must say not many in that time gave me the same feeling.
“Yes, of course it was my creation, but the design and feel of this product was something different. At this point, things quickly moved onto Sickpump.”
MENACE was just the start. Naughty Boy has since released an entire catalogue of supplements covering everything from clear whey protein to creatine-boosted hydration.
But the OG recently made a return in an updated format.
In what was an unforgettable full-circle moment for fans, MENACE V2 dropped, complete with that gangster-inspired Gotti Grape flavour.
Explaining the decision to reload it, Clint said: “Gotti Grape was the first ever flavour we released, so we simply had to bring it back.
“I guess it’s a case of keeping the brand’s identity and a slight nostalgia? But yes, MENACE V2 is definitely a step up from what was a huge seller worldwide.
“The new MENACE contains an exclusive ingredient in the form of a peptide, PeptiPump®. We are lucky to have this exclusively in the UK and EU.”
Setting the Standard
PeptiPump® isn’t the first ingredient Naughty Boy has introduced to the UK supplement scene.
You could say the brand has developed a habit of breaking the mould when it comes to product innovation.
For Clint, that’s a key factor in what sets Naughty Boy apart from the chasing pack.
“Naughty Boy is a refreshing alternative to conventional brands,” he explained.
“We bring BOLD, PREMIUM branding with a zero tolerance for poor product formulation and proprietary blends.
“The brand is renowned for bringing the latest ingredients to the market, releasing over 15 trademarked ingredients to the UK and EU, including the exclusive PeptiPump.
“We offer an extensive product range, unrivalled flavours, and we keep products affordable while staying ahead of the game.”
Indeed, Naughty Boy has been bullish with new product development in recent times — releasing 118 different SKUs last year alone, which Clint described as a “remarkable achievement.”
This summer has seen further debuts. COLLAB arrived as a comprehensive wellness formula built on the synergy of magnesium, vitamin D3, and vitamin K2.
BEEF ZERO — a lactose-free, zero-sugar protein — is also set to bolster the line-up.
It’ll be joined by two new blends combining clear whey with creatine and collagen, respectively.
What’s more, two new flavours of the Narcos-inspired ESCO Bars are due to launch at the Dubai Muscle Show in October.
With Naughty Boy’s shelves now bustling with options, Clint believes the next steps have to be more strategic than ever.
“Now that we have a strong line-up, any new product launches are a lot more specific and calculated.
“It’s a case of identifying what we’re missing and what can take the brand into new sectors. COLLAB is an excellent daily health product and represents everything about the brand: innovative, effective and affordable.
“Our Beef protein is different because we’ve added essential amino acids; most competitors don’t contain all nine.
“Let’s not get started on ESCO. I believe the two new flavours will be the best tasting bars on the market.”
Riding the Highs and Lows
Every anniversary is a cause for celebration in entrepreneurship. Scaling a brand is a rollercoaster ride that comes with its fair share of dizzying highs and sobering lows.
Thankfully for Clint, the former has outweighed the latter in his near six-year journey with Naughty Boy.
“I can’t believe how quickly it has gone,” he reflected. “I believe the products speak for themselves and are a big factor in the brand’s success.
“Naughty Boy being nominated for International Brand of the Year and Overall Brand of the Year against U.S. brands are two massive achievements.
“Being approached by huge companies like Tesco, exhibiting at massive shows such as FIBO and Dubai Muscle Show — there are really so many highs.
“But when I strip it all back, the real highlight is seeing customers’ love and trust for the brand. Seeing our products make a difference to the lives of so many people, we definitely have a dedicated following.
“And lastly, being able to do what I love daily. Sure, with the growth of the brand, some days are really difficult.
“But overall, I wouldn’t change it for anything. What started out as a hobby has given me a purpose and my family a better life.”
Quick-Fire Questions With Naughty Boy Lifestyle Founder, Clint Leigh
Take us back to the day Naughty Boy Lifestyle was born. What was your first play to make it a reality?
The creation of the logo and receiving the first mould for the tub was the birth of the brand. When a customer holds a product with bespoke packaging, I believe this gives them a complete feeling of confidence.
What’s been the toughest lesson learnt so far?
There have been many tough times and lessons learnt over the past five years while building the brand. We had to overcome a fire and virtually start from scratch.
One of the things I’ve taken along the way is that it’s never as bad as it seems, and it’s never as good as it seems. When you have highs, try not to get carried away and let it go to your head, because you know very soon the tide will change.
On the bad days, keep working through the problems. When you get through the bad moment, you usually look back and realise it wasn’t actually as bad as you thought at the time.
Describe your perfect customer in five words.
ALL OF THEM ARE PERFECT!
What’s your biggest gripe with the supplement space?
A simple one: customers being sold poor products due to clever marketing!
If there’s one Naughty Boy Lifestyle product somebody who hasn’t tried the brand before should buy, which one would it be?
I would have to say HYDRATION, it’s become such a big part of the brand. If you take into account the formulation, price, look and taste, then it’s easy to see why it’s such a hit worldwide.
Wave a magic wand. Where would Naughty Boy Lifestyle be in three years?
I believe the brand has the foundation to go on and do great things. We’ve reached this point organically, but in three years, I believe the brand will be a different beast.
We are currently expanding the team, exploring new markets and have a strategy in place that will take annual sales beyond 15-20 million.
We have a lot of demand for the brand in certain countries, so actually having Naughty Boy stationed there would be a great achievement.
Let’s talk stockists. Where can people find Naughty Boy Lifestyle supplements, and where do you want to see it listed over the next 12 months?
The brand has amazing distribution and retail partners. You can find us in many countries, including China, Ukraine, right across Europe, the Middle East, New Zealand, the U.S. and, of course, the UK & Ireland. We have partners such as Tesco and Chemist Warehouse, with more big names to follow soon.
CREA-CLEAR is one of the most exciting formulas we’ve seen for some time. Talk us through the process — how long has it been in the works, and why did you want to bring it to market?
CREA-CLEAR is, of course, Clear Whey Protein and Creatine Monohydrate combined. This is something we haven’t seen before.
Most all-in-one products contain high levels of carbohydrates, sugars, etc, but this is a way to get your protein and creatine with very few calories and sugar. Plus, it tastes unreal — unbeatable on a hot day.
Can you give us a Gymfluencers exclusive? Is there anything going on at Naughty Boy HQ NOBODY knows about yet?
ERMM…We will be launching new Naughty Boy ESCO Bars at the DUBAI MUSCLE SHOW in October, which include White Chocolate Cookies & Cream and White Chocolate Peanut Butter Blondie. Both are Halal Certified.
Finally, the floor is yours. Tell us anything you think our audience should know.
I would just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has ever supported us, from the day ones to our latest supporters.
Believe me when I say: there is so much more to come from Naughty Boy. Let’s continue this journey together and STAY NAUGHTY!
