In this breather episode Peter & James take a focused ramble through some recent events & discussions.

James returns from his walking weekend surprisingly sore & fatigued.

We discus what Wimbledon tennis can teach us about training & lifestyle management & we review a recent episode of the Modern Wisdom podcast where Dr Mike Israetel gives his Masterclass on losing fat.

Andrew Russell is a Fitness Trainer, Strongfirst SFG1 Kettlebell Instructor, Shift worker AND the 274th person to lift the legendary Dinnie Stones in the Scottish Highlands.

Andrew (from Northern Ireland) discusses his training history, setting up his garage gym to allow him to train around his challenging work pattern, programming his training to take into account tiredness & lack of sleep & training to lift the Dinnie Stones.

This is a fascinating, down to earth conversation with a strong but humble family man which will be relatable to many of our listeners.

We are joined live from Lviv, Ukraine by the man mountain (6ft 5inch, 135kg) Pavlo Kordiyaka.

Pavlo is the 2023 Europe’s Strongest Man & has also won The Official Strongman Games World Title.

He will be competing this weekend in London at the historic & iconic Royal Albert Hall in the Giants Live Strongman Classic.

Prior to getting involved in strongman, Pavlo had taken part in many different sports, including football, acrobatics, dancing, boxing, wrestling & even mixed martial arts.

At only 29 years of age Pavlo has achieved so much in Strongman already (& he will achieve much more in the future).

This is a fascinating conversation with advice & pearls of wisdom that can be applied to your own training & approach to life. Just don’t try to replicate Pavlo’s breakfast!

Recently James was reflecting on his 25 years in the fitness industry & how the world (& our daily lives) have changed over that time.

He & Pete discuss the changes in habits, food, technology, lifestyle & the convenience culture & how despite having so much more knowledge, opportunity (& supposedly) time, we, as a collective, are unhealthier & less active than we were a quarter century ago.

Is there a way to go back to a healthier time? Possibly - Back to the Future?

We are joined for this very special 200th episode by ‘record holding’ return guest - Dan John - for his 10th appearance with us!

We talk about Dan’s latest book ‘The Armour Building Formula’. The genesis of this programme & how it exploded in popularity (along with many of Dan’s other ‘apparently’ simple programmes).

We discuss the nature of training itself, our inherit desire to find complexity in all things & how to use Dan’s programmes in a logical & systemised manner.

As always, this is an insightful & thought provoking conversation with one of the most respected strength coaches in the world.

We are joined by returning guest & 2 x Tactical Strength Challenge WINNER Alison Young.

Alison is an SFG1 (Kettlebell) & SFL (Barbell) instructor through Strongfirst & is also a Level 3 Personal Trainer embarking on a new career within the fitness industry - transferring from the world of I.T.

In this fascinating conversation Alison shares how she’s finding her way in the fitness industry in one of the most populated & competitive cities in the world - London.

How she’s learning & adapting her training to cater for the ‘general population’ & how she’s transferring her skills & insights from her former tech career into helping her clients get stronger & move better.

We are joined (following a 3 year gap) by returning guest Mark Reifkind, from San Jose, California.

At 67 Mark has his training ‘dialled in’ & knows from experience what works for him, his body - & what his current goals are.

We discuss what it takes to remain consistent for nearly 60 years, rehabbing after joint replacement surgery, rucking, overhead pressing, weight maintenance (or permanence) & how your pillow lies to you!

This is an insightful & inspiring catch up with an athlete & coach who has just about seen (and heard) it all.

We are joined today by competitive Strongwoman & SFG1, SFG2 Kettlebell Instructor Alex Nicoll Bennett.

Alex shares her personal fitness journey with us & her progression into the world of kettlebells, lifting & learning to embrace & nurture her own unique ‘strengths’.

We discuss breaking free from the prevalent ‘calorie burning’ mindset that categorises many people’s relationship with exercise & finding a way to train that you love & excites you.

This is an open, honest & frank conversation with a lady, who through training has found a way to grow in confidence, belief, ability & is now more comfortable than ever to stand out.

We are joined for the second time by Oli Mell, International Kettlebell Sport athlete from Team England & owner of Wolfpack Fitness.

We kick off the conversation by discussing Oli’s recent performances at the World Championships in Denmark then move on to discuss training in general as we age.

The toll that high level performance has on the body & mind, the importance of focus when training & competing & we even talk about weight management & diet strategies in a ‘weight class’ sport & life in general.

A fascinating chat with a driven, disciplined & dedicated man.

We meet Nick Rainbird, a highly experienced Personal Trainer, endurance coach & nature lover.

We learn all about ‘Forest Bathing’, the healing power of nature & the benefits we can all experience by detaching from our high tech dependant lifestyles & reconnecting with the natural world - & our own natural history.

Gardening, walking, exploring, adventuring, engaging all of our senses & just remembering how GOOD it feels to spend time out in nature are all discussed.

This is a feel good episode & Nick invites us all to find ways in our own lives where we can take time to benefit our mental & physical health by tapping into the natural magic all around us.