After 1,000 episodes and a short break, this isn’t a reset or a rebrand. It’s a continuation. Fewer rules, less structure, more honesty. Some episodes will be long, some short. Some solo, some with guests. When there’s something worth saying, the mic comes on.

Episode 1001 reflects on the pause, the coaches summits, community, performance, regulation, and why February felt like the right time to return.

For the 1,000th episode of the InnerFight Podcast, Marcus turns the mic on someone very close to home – his dad. In this deeply personal and powerful conversation, Marcus explores the man behind so many of his own values: hard work, simplicity, honesty, and doing the right thing even when it’s hard.

They talk about:

• Taking bold career leaps – from Yorkshire to Africa, Jeddah, and Dubai, and how those risks shaped his life.
• Values that withstand time – discipline, honesty, simplicity, and doing the right thing even when it's hard.
• Choosing fulfilment over comfort – walking away from a well-paid job because he no longer enjoyed it, and why that decision defined his integrity.

This episode is full of wisdom, humour, straight-talking honesty, and emotion. It’s also a gentle challenge: if your parents are still around, sit down with them, ask the questions you don’t know the answers to, and record the conversation if you can.

A milestone episode, the final show of 2025, and an hour of pure gold from Marcus’ dad.

In episode 999 of the InnerFight Podcast, Marcus sits down for a long-awaited and deeply personal conversation with his wife, Holly — his emergency number, and the quiet force behind much of InnerFight’s growth over the past two decades.

The episode follows Holly’s journey from small-town Australia to Dubai in 2003, where she joined Emirates and spent 13 years flying long-haul around the world. She shares how her love of travel began, how she embraced exploring every layover while many crew stayed inside, and how the physical demands of flying eventually pushed her to radically improve her nutrition, leading to the creation of Smith Street Paleo.

Listeners will hear Holly open up about:

• Growing up Australian with British roots and how identity fuels curiosity
• Why she never wasted a layover and often explored cities solo between flights
• The real health challenges cabin crew face — swelling, fatigue and jet lag — and how she transformed her wellbeing through food, movement and sleep
• The shift from the structure of airline life to entrepreneurship
• What it has been like supporting Marcus through endurance challenges, uncertainty, injuries and big dreams
• Her simple but powerful formula for living well: stay healthy, stay grounded, choose good people and be unapologetically authentic

Episode 999 is an honest, heartfelt portrait of partnership, resilience and the unseen support behind a big life.

👉 If Holly’s story inspires you to clean up your nutrition or get more creative in the kitchen, go dive into her recipes and resources at smithstpaleo.com.

In this episode, Marcus is joined by coaches Vic, Andy, and Eduan for a fast-paced mix of banter, coaching insight, and real talk about training and life.

You’ll hear how the friendly rivalry between Andy and Eduan is playing out in workouts (and Movember moustaches), what actually happens when coaches train together, and why “suffering side by side” can be such a powerful part of community. The team dives into how they fuel during heavy training blocks, navigating weight changes, meal plans, under-fuelling, and why 3,500–4,000 calories of mostly whole foods isn’t as crazy as it sounds.

They also break down what makes an InnerFight class different from the noise in the fitness industry—simple basics done exceptionally well, a clear structure behind the program, and a heavy emphasis on educating members so they truly understand how to move. Vic talks gymnastics progress and smart skill work, while all three explain when it might be time to add personal training to your routine, and what a good coach should really give you beyond just a hard session.

Expect laughs, a bit of roasting, plenty of honesty, and zero actual fights—just three coaches who care deeply about making people better at life.

Jitin Joshi isn’t “just” one of the world’s most respected Michelin-star chefs. He’s also a multiple-marathon finisher who’s raced across several continents and, for his 50th birthday, took on the highest marathon in the world – the Ladakh Marathon.

In this conversation we dive into:

• What it’s really like behind the scenes in top kitchens around the world
• Long hours, brutal schedules, poor nutrition… and how he turned that around
• How running his first 10K at 40 led to 21 marathons in 10 years
• The mindset shift from “no time to train” to making endurance a non-negotiable
• Training at sea level in Dubai for a high-altitude race with very little oxygen
• The emotional story behind Ladakh, his family, and why this marathon meant so much
• How Jitin uses food, curiosity and stories to create unforgettable experiences for his guests at Revolver in Dubai

If you work long hours, struggle with balance, or think “my job doesn’t allow me to train,” this episode will challenge that story in the best way.

👉 Hit play to hear how a world-class chef rebuilt his health, his mindset and his running – while still operating at the very top of his industry.

Every day, you’re surrounded by toxins — in the air you breathe, the water you drink, and even the products you use on your skin.
In this eye-opening conversation, Marcus Smith sits down with Dr. Joe Nieusma, a toxicologist with nearly 40 years of experience, to expose the hidden dangers of modern living and what you can do to protect yourself.

Dr. Nieusma explains why humans today are living in a “soup of toxic exposure” — from chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and environmental pollutants — and how small, intentional steps can help you detox your body and take back control of your health.

💡 In This Episode:

• What “toxic exposure” really means for your body

• Why your water, air, and food may be working against you

• How pharmaceuticals can make things worse

• The link between toxins, inflammation, and aging

• Dr. Nieusma’s 3 practical steps to start detoxing today

  
  

🎧 Tune in, get informed, and take charge of your health — because awareness is the first step to change.

When Tom Hill was diagnosed with rectal cancer, he made one choice — go all in.

In this episode of the InnerFight Podcast,  Marcus Smith dives deep into Tom’s journey of fasting through chemo, rebuilding his mindset, and finding strength when there was no Plan B.

“There’s no point in having a Plan B — you just go all in.”

In Episode 994 of The InnerFight Podcast, Marcus dives deep into The Long Game — a mindset built on purpose, adaptability, consistency, and patience.

He shares powerful reflections on why instant gratification has rewired our brains for short-term thinking, and how to rebuild your ability to go long — in fitness, in career, in relationships, and in life.

🔥 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why purpose drives every long-term goal

• How to build consistency without burning out

• The role of adaptability in staying on course

• Why patience is a muscle you can train

• How community and connection amplify growth

  
  

This episode will challenge how you think about progress — and remind you that the journey is the win.

In this deeply vulnerable conversation, Eduan Viljoen—now an InnerFight Strength & Conditioning Coach—shares the inflection points that shaped him: a late surge into sport, losing (and rebuilding) confidence, navigating a complex childhood, and discovering why doing hard things matters far beyond the gym.

We unpack empathy as a coaching superpower, how to spot when validation drives your goals, and why quality movement transforms more than just your performance.

You’ll hear about:

• Turning resentment into responsibility
• The link between physical suffering and everyday wisdom
• Coaching with empathy while maintaining standards
• Choosing values daily: honesty, work, kindness, competitiveness

In this episode of the InnerFight Podcast,Marcus Smith sits down with Dr. Geoffrey Mount Varner — a Harvard-trained ER physician, former Assistant Chief Medical Officer for Washington D.C., and a three-time cancer survivor.

Through 30 years on the front lines of emergency medicine, Dr. Geoffrey has learned that overthinking kills momentum — in the ER, hesitation can cost a life. He shares the same fast-decision framework that helped him lead under pressure and survive cancer, showing how anyone can use it to make clearer, more confident choices in everyday life.

This conversation is packed with real stories, practical tools, and timeless lessons on leadership, resilience, and focus. Whether you’re running a business, leading a team, or navigating personal challenges, this episode will inspire you to act decisively — and move forward faster.