התמלול המלא של 💥 BEN CHIVERS: Balancing Fitness, Family, and Competition

minutes on the assault bike most calories he's a good athlete i 00:04:14.508 --> 00:04:17.948 know and i saw leon's uh was 88 calories and 00:04:17.948 --> 00:04:20.848 this is this is annoying because it's still it's months ago and still ingrained 00:04:20.848 --> 00:04:23.868 in my head uh that he and Mike had got 81 and 00:04:23.868 --> 00:04:26.988 then I was like okay okay I could I'm aiming for Leon's got 00:04:26.988 --> 00:04:29.788 to like a few seconds to go and I was like oh no 00:04:29.788 --> 00:04:32.608 no no and then I got to like 80 and so and Mike 00:04:32.608 --> 00:04:35.428 was like yeah I wasn't he wasn't trying that hard on that one either 00:04:35.428 --> 00:04:38.128 and I was like oh and then it annoyed me for the rest of the day and then he 00:04:38.128 --> 00:04:41.188 beat me on a number of other things but saying that he's in 00:04:41.188 --> 00:04:44.048 such like the thing that kind of made me 00:04:44.048 --> 00:04:46.968 really get into one athlete it was when uh when i 00:04:46.968 --> 00:04:49.708 was doing high rocks a while ago mike came down 00:04:49.708 --> 00:04:52.648 and was just supporting he wasn't even competing that day and it was like he followed 00:04:52.648 --> 00:04:55.608 me around the whole way and he was like saying right take it 00:04:55.608 --> 00:04:58.148 easy here you're gonna make it up on the run and stuff like that and it's like 00:04:58.148 --> 00:05:02.268 what what an absolute legend doing that yeah i'm sure i'm sure i don't know 00:05:02.268 --> 00:05:05.828 if he's a podcast listener i will find out when we release this but he i think 00:05:05.828 --> 00:05:09.228 mike's kind of one of those guys that you've got the obvious guys haven't you 00:05:09.228 --> 00:05:13.908 that all do high rocks and you know So they may be perhaps a bit younger, 00:05:14.088 --> 00:05:16.228 et cetera, without offending Mike. And then you've got Mike. 00:05:16.508 --> 00:05:21.028 And funny enough, I've sat down with a couple of lads to do podcasts and they've 00:05:21.028 --> 00:05:24.648 all said that Mike is on their list of people that really pushes them. 00:05:25.288 --> 00:05:30.788 And there is absolutely no doubt that even though he's played a lot of rugby 00:05:30.788 --> 00:05:34.148 in his life and all the rest of it, he's in amazing physical condition. 00:05:34.408 --> 00:05:36.768 I think his son massively makes a difference to that. You know, 00:05:36.868 --> 00:05:39.668 George is really into competing side of High Rocks. 00:05:39.668 --> 00:05:42.528 You know i think he's a solid sub 110 um high 00:05:42.528 --> 00:05:45.368 rocks runner they're doing it together aren't they're doing it together 00:05:45.368 --> 00:05:48.288 yeah so um it's good anybody else that pushes 00:05:48.288 --> 00:05:51.208 you in the gym who pushes you on the cardio let's open these questions 00:05:51.208 --> 00:05:54.008 up um steven's up there like 00:05:54.008 --> 00:05:57.368 he's such a such a good runner as a car and i 00:05:57.368 --> 00:06:00.288 used to think like running was my thing and then trying to keep up with him 00:06:00.288 --> 00:06:05.788 it's like no no he's pushing really hard um matt pope as well um he i mean the 00:06:05.788 --> 00:06:11.388 other week when we had i think it was 50 warbles in in one go and and we could 00:06:11.388 --> 00:06:15.788 split like as a set and i was like right do these in sets of 15s practicing 00:06:15.788 --> 00:06:17.268 for the high rocks and then uh, 00:06:17.788 --> 00:06:20.568 matt just did a hero set just did it yeah and 00:06:20.568 --> 00:06:23.508 i was like i was just gonna i was trying to hold on to that so we 00:06:23.508 --> 00:06:26.268 managed to do that together so it's one of those things like 00:06:26.268 --> 00:06:29.108 where group training really makes a difference because 00:06:29.108 --> 00:06:32.208 there's no way i'd go with the right people yeah i would there's no way i'd 00:06:32.208 --> 00:06:35.748 go to a gym train on my own and just say oh i'll do 50 warbles it's not it's 00:06:35.748 --> 00:06:39.148 not going to happen but then when you come into this group environment and then 00:06:39.148 --> 00:06:42.928 it's like right you've got someone next to you who's similar sort of level and 00:06:42.928 --> 00:06:48.108 it's like right they're pushing you get pushed at that little bit harder i think i think like that's a. 00:06:49.183 --> 00:06:52.183 So we're quite lucky here. Obviously, for people that don't know, 00:06:52.303 --> 00:06:54.383 I've owned a gym previous to this gym a long time ago. 00:06:54.463 --> 00:06:57.823 And we really, I say we, I really didn't get it right. It was a community gym. 00:06:58.123 --> 00:07:00.943 We were offering sort of as high a level of service as we could, 00:07:01.083 --> 00:07:04.443 but really undercharging. We couldn't quite make it work. And it was also in 00:07:04.443 --> 00:07:05.823 a very different area to St. Albans. 00:07:07.543 --> 00:07:12.503 But one athlete is probably, of all the gyms that I've worked in, 00:07:12.803 --> 00:07:16.883 is probably the one place where I'd say that almost every single member has 00:07:16.883 --> 00:07:20.683 that attitude of the minimum requirement is maximum effort on any given day. 00:07:20.823 --> 00:07:23.943 And I say that, I do say that a lot, sometimes cheesy when we're in the gym. 00:07:24.103 --> 00:07:29.223 But I really believe that members really grab that concept, which is probably 00:07:29.223 --> 00:07:33.383 why we're lucky we don't pick up any kind of like, any drossy members that are 00:07:33.383 --> 00:07:34.903 just here to party and swish the ponytail. 00:07:34.903 --> 00:07:39.383 You know, the people here, I think they recognise that there's a response, 00:07:39.623 --> 00:07:43.363 hopefully like the coaches to a degree, you know, chiming in at the right time, 00:07:43.503 --> 00:07:47.503 not just constantly, you know, having a go at someone or

correcting technique. 00:07:47.643 --> 00:07:51.263 There is a time, but I think the members recognise that they have a responsibility 00:07:51.263 --> 00:07:55.403 as part of that community to also help other people, whether that person's been 00:07:55.403 --> 00:07:57.983 here for five years or they're coming in for the first time. 00:07:57.983 --> 00:08:01.343 And I definitely think people like Mike, for example, Stephen, 00:08:01.523 --> 00:08:03.903 Matt Pope, you know, three guys that get mentioned quite regularly, 00:08:04.003 --> 00:08:05.943 Scott Desborough, four guys get mentioned quite regular. 00:08:06.763 --> 00:08:10.603 They're the kind of people that recognise that. And I think it helps them train 00:08:10.603 --> 00:08:15.503 harder when they've got someone like you alongside them, giving them a little push. 00:08:15.623 --> 00:08:18.063 So thanks for that, Ben. That's a nice little opener. 00:08:18.243 --> 00:08:20.923 What we're going to do now is jump into a few questions. We're going to just 00:08:20.923 --> 00:08:22.203 learn a little bit about you, really. 00:08:22.423 --> 00:08:26.083 But we're going to start by talking, rather than just going to what's your job, 00:08:26.283 --> 00:08:29.203 you know, your age and all that silly stuff. I'm going to start by hopefully 00:08:29.203 --> 00:08:32.663 learning a little bit about where your fitness journey actually began. 00:08:33.523 --> 00:08:38.263 So if you can talk to us a little bit or let us inform the listeners a little 00:08:38.263 --> 00:08:41.883 bit about when you got into fitness, if it's always been there in your life, 00:08:42.283 --> 00:08:44.063 different types of fitness throughout your life. 00:08:44.603 --> 00:08:49.223 Yeah, I mean, I did my first race in 1988. 00:08:49.623 --> 00:08:56.783 So I was like, I was five at the time. 00:08:56.783 --> 00:08:59.803 So like you just uh you uh that my 00:08:59.803 --> 00:09:03.103 dad was really into his running massively so and so he kind of took me along 00:09:03.103 --> 00:09:07.123 with with him to those races and there was always like a junior little like 00:09:07.123 --> 00:09:11.423 1.5 3k or something like that so i i got into running then and then it was only 00:09:11.423 --> 00:09:17.223 like in teenage years i started competing and doing quite doing quite well um 00:09:17.223 --> 00:09:19.123 there was one time actually i'd um. 00:09:20.628 --> 00:09:25.108 I did a race and I was like, I must've been 12 at the time. It was like in this 00:09:25.108 --> 00:09:28.168 little tiny village of 5K and it was, uh, came last. 00:09:28.428 --> 00:09:33.968 It was depressing. It was like- Nothing's changed. Yeah. It was like, is it cold November? 00:09:34.248 --> 00:09:36.708 I came last in this race and normally my dad and I would hang around and watch 00:09:36.708 --> 00:09:39.588 the trophies and I was like, nah, let's just, let's just go home. Really depressed. 00:09:40.108 --> 00:09:42.708 Got home. And then there was like, later on the afternoon, there was a knock 00:09:42.708 --> 00:09:44.828 at the door saying, oh, it's Ben Chivers here. And I was like, yeah, hi. 00:09:45.188 --> 00:09:47.668 They're like, oh, well done. You won your category under 13. 00:09:47.848 --> 00:09:50.368 So I was like, we're going back next year. 00:09:50.628 --> 00:09:53.988 Then that was um that was just yeah coming last 00:09:53.988 --> 00:09:56.908 but still you win your category it's like it was good fun but then 00:09:56.908 --> 00:09:59.988 yeah so I did a lot of running uh and then played badminton 00:09:59.988 --> 00:10:02.928 as well and then but then training properly 00:10:02.928 --> 00:10:07.388 I think I is when I started um I 00:10:07.388 --> 00:10:10.848 trained for a marathon back in like I was 27 okay 00:10:10.848 --> 00:10:14.188 I've heard a stat that most people most young men do a 00:10:14.188 --> 00:10:17.068 marathon when they're 27 because they realize they're not going to compete in 00:10:17.068 --> 00:10:21.108 any sort of professional sports they have to do something to sort of the mid-midlife 00:10:21.108 --> 00:10:26.948 crisis yeah uh so yeah did my midlife crisis of uh 27 did a marathon and that 00:10:26.948 --> 00:10:30.848 was when I had proper programming so I got proper training plans out six times 00:10:30.848 --> 00:10:35.588 a week and doing it a structured a structured training plan which was something 00:10:35.588 --> 00:10:36.528 I hadn't ever done before. 00:10:37.210 --> 00:10:39.830 And then um didn't get the time i 00:10:39.830 --> 00:10:42.610 wanted i got three hours 33 and i'm 00:10:42.610 --> 00:10:45.450 waiting for three hours 30 yeah i mean let's let's be honest 00:10:45.450 --> 00:10:48.970 that three hours 33 is a pretty respectable time for most people 00:10:48.970 --> 00:10:51.850 but it's important to focus on the fact that you're quite 00:10:51.850 --> 00:10:55.430 a competitive guy i think people will pick that up really quickly um from 00:10:55.430 --> 00:10:59.230 this podcast but but competitive in the right way um it's. 00:10:59.230 --> 00:11:02.050 Important to say that it's great it's respectable but if it's 00:11:02.050 --> 00:11:04.890 not the time you set out to achieve that can still be that can 00:11:04.890 --> 00:11:07.810 still leave its mark on you can't it a hundred percent as soon 00:11:07.810 --> 00:11:10.810 as i as soon as i crossed the finishing line i'd had a 00:11:10.810 --> 00:11:14.030 little bit of a cry because it was emotional and then but 00:11:14.030 --> 00:11:16.750 then as two seconds later i was like i'm doing this 00:11:16.750 --> 00:11:19.610 again no matter what so then uh what marathon was that 00:11:19.610 --> 00:11:22.910 can you remember that was london london yeah and then um then. 00:11:22.910 --> 00:11:25.670 Did uh entered the next year and picked up an 00:11:25.670 --> 00:11:28.870 injury uh did my hip flex i couldn't i tried go 00:11:28.870 --> 00:11:31.710 to about

20 miles and then um that was 20 miles 00:11:31.710 --> 00:11:34.550 training and then just realized i wasn't going to get in my why do. 00:11:34.550 --> 00:11:37.190 You think you why do you think you picked up an injury so you're a bit older at that 00:11:37.190 --> 00:11:39.970 point would you but in 28 i was a year older i was. 00:11:39.970 --> 00:11:42.610 Also put on a i was with work i was on. 00:11:42.610 --> 00:11:45.370 A project out in the states so i wasn't eating the. 00:11:45.370 --> 00:11:48.830 Most healthy and i was training we were out like drinking 00:11:48.830 --> 00:11:51.790 a lot as well do you mean to say that american food he's not that healthy no who 00:11:51.790 --> 00:11:54.590 knows it's a shortcut uh yeah three times you've heard 00:11:54.590 --> 00:11:57.870 it here first yeah that bombshell um three times 00:11:57.870 --> 00:12:00.490 a week three times a day you're eating out and it was just it was trying you're trying 00:12:00.490 --> 00:12:03.830 to be healthy but it was very very hard to and then training out 00:12:03.830 --> 00:12:06.950 there it was it was winter as well so it's bitterly bitterly 00:12:06.950 --> 00:12:09.670 cold there's times when i was going out running and then my hair would freeze because of 00:12:09.670 --> 00:12:12.350 sweat that cold yeah um but that was 00:12:12.350 --> 00:12:15.030 and then yeah pulled out of the marathon that year and then deferred to 00:12:15.030 --> 00:12:17.830 the next year which was 2012 olympic year i thought that's kind of 00:12:17.830 --> 00:12:20.590 cool and then got in went into the training a 00:12:20.590 --> 00:12:23.390 little bit more relaxed than the first time round and then 00:12:23.390 --> 00:12:26.510 um yeah smash my time did uh 3 3 23 00:12:26.510 --> 00:12:29.910 um but then and then it 00:12:29.910 --> 00:12:32.630 was hard after that to work out what i want 00:12:32.630 --> 00:12:35.250 to do next because to beat that time it's like 00:12:35.250 --> 00:12:38.630 how what am i what am i going to do like and yeah 00:12:38.630 --> 00:12:41.330 i could probably shave a few minutes off that but 00:12:41.330 --> 00:12:44.770 then you're dedicated three months of six times a week and at 00:12:44.770 --> 00:12:47.810 that point that was when i i just started getting into crossfit as 00:12:47.810 --> 00:12:50.710 well and i quite like the the lifting side 00:12:50.710 --> 00:12:53.930 of things there was a competitive nature to all the classes new challenges 00:12:53.930 --> 00:12:58.470 yeah exactly and start and then so i carried on doing crossfit for a while and 00:12:58.470 --> 00:13:01.690 then that that was again there was a set program in there like like you've got 00:13:01.690 --> 00:13:04.810 here as well so it's like where are you living at this point are you local uh 00:13:04.810 --> 00:13:09.150 clapham in clapham yeah and then um there's a good crossfit there isn't it yeah 00:13:09.150 --> 00:13:11.630 yeah a really really good one um and then. 00:13:12.661 --> 00:13:15.741 Then I started doing triathlons because I wanted to go back to being bad at 00:13:15.741 --> 00:13:19.441 something. So swimming, I probably should get some tips from you. 00:13:20.101 --> 00:13:25.161 But yeah, I was very, very bad at swimming, still am. But then enjoyed the triathlons 00:13:25.161 --> 00:13:26.881 and started doing obstacle course racing as well. 00:13:26.961 --> 00:13:29.681 I mean, the great thing about being bad at something is if you're competitive 00:13:29.681 --> 00:13:34.181 in nature anyway, there's only one line of trajectory in terms of improving, right? 00:13:34.281 --> 00:13:36.961 So swimming is great for that as well. I mean, you're never going to make up 00:13:36.961 --> 00:13:41.941 the most amount of time in your swimming event out of the three component parts of triathlon. 00:13:41.941 --> 00:13:45.481 But the great thing about being bad at swimming is actually like i've worked 00:13:45.481 --> 00:13:49.141 with a few adults i don't teach swimming anymore but a few adults that are great 00:13:49.141 --> 00:13:53.161 runners great cyclists terrible swimmers so they have to but they become great 00:13:53.161 --> 00:13:56.261 runners and cyclists because they've had to work so hard at those to compensate 00:13:56.261 --> 00:13:58.461 for the fact they're rubbish at swimming and just a few, 00:13:59.021 --> 00:14:02.281 like a few things in the swimming about over this is a bit boring for everybody 00:14:02.281 --> 00:14:07.781 else but not over rotating um learning learning to extend with your arm as you 00:14:07.781 --> 00:14:10.341 swim learning to swim with a high elbow to overcome, you know, 00:14:10.421 --> 00:14:11.661 if you're swimming outside, et cetera. 00:14:12.081 --> 00:14:15.441 Little things like that can make a massive difference to time without actually 00:14:15.441 --> 00:14:17.901 needing to pay silly amounts of money for coaching for swimming. 00:14:19.201 --> 00:14:21.941 I just wanted to touch on something. You said something really interesting, 00:14:21.941 --> 00:14:25.641 and I thought, well, that's a really, really good point to pick up with people. 00:14:25.821 --> 00:14:28.541 You mentioned, this is way back in the conversation, but you mentioned about 00:14:28.541 --> 00:14:33.001 being under 13, doing that under 13 event, going home, feeling pretty rubbish 00:14:33.001 --> 00:14:35.361 about yourself, and then getting knocked on the door to say that you won the category. 00:14:36.521 --> 00:14:37.761 And I think... 00:14:38.300 --> 00:14:41.400 I think I'm going to try and relate a very tenuous link. 00:14:41.520 --> 00:14:44.860 I'm going to try and relate that to people coming into the gym because you see, 00:14:45.280 --> 00:14:46.900 and Leon touched on this in his pocket. 00:14:46.980 --> 00:14:50.520 If you haven't listened to Leon's podcast, go back. It's one of the first ones that we've done. 00:14:50.920 --> 00:14:55.720 He talks

about, he just assumed that there was two levels of fitness, fit or unfit. 00:14:56.180 --> 00:15:03.560 And I think that under 13 thing is a really good example of not constantly comparing 00:15:03.560 --> 00:15:04.960 yourself to somebody else. 00:15:04.960 --> 00:15:09.000 You know, and when somebody comes into the gym and they say, 00:15:09.060 --> 00:15:12.120 well, I'm not an athlete, so I don't really understand where I'm going to fit 00:15:12.120 --> 00:15:13.580 in here. You know, my answer is always the same. 00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:19.020 You know, if you put at the extreme, if you put a marathon runner next to a 00:15:19.020 --> 00:15:23.060 sumo wrestler, you know, they look incredibly different. But they're both classes 00:15:23.060 --> 00:15:26.160 athletes at the top of their field at the level that they compete at. 00:15:26.280 --> 00:15:30.680 And, you know, it's important if you're under 13, comparing yourself to somebody 00:15:30.680 --> 00:15:34.660 at 25 in their prime, you know, there is no comparison in terms of, say, running 5K. 00:15:35.600 --> 00:15:38.720 Really that that prime 25 year old should win you 00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:42.020 know 99.9 times out of 100 barring injury and 00:15:42.020 --> 00:15:44.840 i think that's something that members can take away you 00:15:44.840 --> 00:15:48.120 know we all stand in the gym and we look at you know we look at a guy bench 00:15:48.120 --> 00:15:52.960 pressing more than us or we look at a girl that's you know maybe doing chin-ups 00:15:52.960 --> 00:15:56.640 and we can't do them um or as well as her and i think it's really important 00:15:56.640 --> 00:16:00.180 to touch on the fact that actually a lot of what we're trying to do at one athlete 00:16:00.180 --> 00:16:02.100 is help people find their place. 00:16:02.280 --> 00:16:05.800 And when I do the work with the kids, particularly around rugby and swimming, 00:16:05.980 --> 00:16:10.580 we talk a lot, particularly for the young girls, talk a lot about identifying their superpower. 00:16:10.920 --> 00:16:13.980 So if their superpower is that they're really good at doing chin-ups, 00:16:14.120 --> 00:16:16.540 let's really work on that, being good at that. 00:16:16.620 --> 00:16:19.920 And we're still encouraging them to improve on the things that can be improved. 00:16:20.040 --> 00:16:24.320 But I just thought that under 13 thing was a real good point to note where, 00:16:24.900 --> 00:16:27.560 you know, we're constantly looking at the whole situation. 00:16:27.560 --> 00:16:30.280 I think social media is terrible for this nowadays but we look 00:16:30.280 --> 00:16:32.980 at the whole situation comparing us and say well i'm obviously not as good as that 00:16:32.980 --> 00:16:36.120 person or that person but the reality is in the 00:16:36.120 --> 00:16:38.900 right in the environment that you're in in the category that you were 00:16:38.900 --> 00:16:42.240 in with the distance you're in you actually ended up finishing first 00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:45.600 without realizing and that that's i think where we can compare ourselves to 00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:50.060 be better or improve looking at the people that are most like us and saying 00:16:50.060 --> 00:16:55.140 well i can be that little bit better tomorrow by carrying on doing this situation 00:16:55.140 --> 00:16:58.920 and then compare to people that are like-minded because like Leon said in his podcast, 00:16:59.080 --> 00:17:01.320 you know, there's loads of different types of fitness and loads of. 00:17:02.579 --> 00:17:05.639 So sorry, man, I've interrupted, but you said, I think you got to the point 00:17:05.639 --> 00:17:08.499 where you were going into the next marathon. You're a bit more relaxed about it. 00:17:08.819 --> 00:17:13.779 You've done a 3.23, which was an amazing time to knock 10 minutes off of already a fast marathon. 00:17:14.179 --> 00:17:17.159 And then you were talking about getting into CrossFit up in Clapham. Yeah. 00:17:17.899 --> 00:17:22.399 Just on your point there where you said about training the kids and stuff. 00:17:22.899 --> 00:17:25.339 Do you get, and sorry, we're going off on a bit of a tangent here, 00:17:25.439 --> 00:17:28.279 but do you tell them to strengthen the strength or strengthen the weakness? 00:17:28.379 --> 00:17:32.799 Because if you've got someone good at Like, okay, I'm great at doing pull-ups. 00:17:33.099 --> 00:17:36.599 I'm going to be, that's what I want to focus on. But then obviously skipping 00:17:36.599 --> 00:17:40.959 leg day and the cardio stuff. Like what is the... Okay. 00:17:41.199 --> 00:17:46.639 I mean, I think what coaching in the UK teaches you, having done a few coaching 00:17:46.639 --> 00:17:48.979 qualifications, including some running and athletics and stuff, 00:17:49.359 --> 00:17:53.519 coaching in the UK teaches you to grab a kid, tell them what they're not good 00:17:53.519 --> 00:17:54.819 at, and then trying to improve that. 00:17:54.899 --> 00:17:58.579 We have an attitude in the UK sport. This is, again, it's opinion, so don't lynch me. 00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:02.759 I believe we have an attitude towards uk sport where we 00:18:02.759 --> 00:18:05.539 we try and make kids into all-rounders and there's definitely some 00:18:05.539 --> 00:18:08.399 great examples of where being an all-round athlete in 00:18:08.399 --> 00:18:11.479 particular sports will set you apart from other 00:18:11.479 --> 00:18:14.379 athletes like i'm trying to think of an example of 00:18:14.379 --> 00:18:17.059 that um swimming is a good example if you're a 00:18:17.059 --> 00:18:19.739 good all-round swimmer at all strokes you're going to be really really good 00:18:19.739 --> 00:18:22.579 at an individual medley and now i'll give 00:18:22.579 --> 00:18:25.839 you the swimming example about 15 years ago british 00:18:25.839 --> 00:18:28.919 swimming did a review of what 00:18:28.919 --> 00:18:32.079 what events were most likely

00:18:32.079 --> 00:18:35.099 to be meddled in because they had less 00:18:35.099 --> 00:18:38.199 competition now i i fucking hate that attitude yeah 00:18:38.199 --> 00:18:40.899 it's an attitude of saying oh we're only well now and what they ended 00:18:40.899 --> 00:18:43.759 up choosing was backstroke and breaststroke and they pushed 00:18:43.759 --> 00:18:46.879 those strokes heavily into the marketplace 00:18:46.879 --> 00:18:49.799 of swimming um and over the next five or ten years 00:18:49.799 --> 00:18:52.839 there was this big big thing around backstroke and 00:18:52.839 --> 00:18:57.339 breaststroke now i was a front crawl swimmer so to suddenly be doing you know 00:18:57.339 --> 00:19:00.839 square pegs around holes to suddenly be doing a load of backstroke and breaststroke 00:19:00.839 --> 00:19:06.959 I found that was you know detrimental and there's a guy that most people remember 00:19:06.959 --> 00:19:10.159 from Strictly Come Dancing called Mark Foster who's a little bit older than me. 00:19:11.330 --> 00:19:14.630 He kind of redefined how swimming looked 00:19:14.630 --> 00:19:17.510 in the uk because at the time what they 00:19:17.510 --> 00:19:20.370 did with him was said well you're a sprinter but you need to be in the pool 40 hours 00:19:20.370 --> 00:19:23.430 a week now he realized that actually really 00:19:23.430 --> 00:19:26.190 only need to be in the pool five times six times a week and he 00:19:26.190 --> 00:19:29.330 needed to do a shed ton of gym training because he 00:19:29.330 --> 00:19:32.070 only swam 50 meters so for people that don't know of an 00:19:32.070 --> 00:19:35.170 olympic size pool that's one length um of a non-olympic that's 00:19:35.170 --> 00:19:39.070 usually two lengths so 50 meters is a 00:19:39.070 --> 00:19:42.150 sprint it's you know splash and dash most i mean most 00:19:42.150 --> 00:19:45.090 people at top level competition are doing that in 21 22 00:19:45.090 --> 00:19:49.170 seconds front crawl that is um so he 00:19:49.170 --> 00:19:52.050 took the stuff that he was already good at he was a big framed 00:19:52.050 --> 00:19:55.370 guy wide-shouldered super powerful and he 00:19:55.370 --> 00:19:58.250 trained that to be to be the best at 00:19:58.250 --> 00:20:01.430 it rather than saying well you know i the most 00:20:01.430 --> 00:20:04.470 popular event is 100 meters or 200 meters now he 00:20:04.470 --> 00:20:08.230 said no i'm really good at 50 that's what i'm built to do and actually that 00:20:08.230 --> 00:20:13.190 changed some of the landscape around in swimming landscape around taking what 00:20:13.190 --> 00:20:16.430 that individual child is actually good at and then enhancing that even more 00:20:16.430 --> 00:20:21.470 so my not just from that example but my belief is it's complex. 00:20:22.030 --> 00:20:24.810 And in typically i always kind of deal in black and white 00:20:24.810 --> 00:20:27.570 but i would say to a child that's good 00:20:27.570 --> 00:20:30.550 at

chin-ups but perhaps not so good at squatting for 00:20:30.550 --> 00:20:33.510 whatever reason i personally think you have 00:20:33.510 --> 00:20:36.870 to encourage that child by saying you're amazing 00:20:36.870 --> 00:20:39.970 at chin-ups let's do more of them and that is your weapon that is your superpower 00:20:39.970 --> 00:20:42.790 that then i think breeds confidence not just 00:20:42.790 --> 00:20:45.710 in the child but in the coach um and then from that 00:20:45.710 --> 00:20:48.350 i think it's easy to say right you're already really good at 00:20:48.350 --> 00:20:52.490 this we're going to keep doing them and your next week's target is 11 chin-ups 00:20:52.490 --> 00:20:55.870 rather than 10 but we're going to add some leg strength in there because leg 00:20:55.870 --> 00:20:59.190 strength fundamentally will help with core strength and core strength also helps 00:20:59.190 --> 00:21:03.630 with chin-ups so i think the most important thing is instead of constantly telling 00:21:03.630 --> 00:21:08.330 kids what they're not good at and they need to improve which i i'm not convinced is great 00:21:08.770 --> 00:21:10.590 a great way of coaching. 00:21:10.750 --> 00:21:13.890 I think they need to understand that there's areas they can improve, 00:21:14.490 --> 00:21:17.990 but I still think it's really important to say, you know, I use, 00:21:18.070 --> 00:21:18.990 I'm going back to an example. 00:21:19.110 --> 00:21:22.290 I use netball. I've done a bit of coaching in strength and conditioning in netball, 00:21:22.370 --> 00:21:24.710 not gameplay, but the S&C side of it. 00:21:25.130 --> 00:21:31.110 And quite often what you get is some really, really tall young ladies, 00:21:31.310 --> 00:21:35.450 young women who have been tall all their life and they come in with a degree 00:21:35.450 --> 00:21:37.830 of lack of confidence because they, you know, quite literally, 00:21:37.970 --> 00:21:38.930 they stand out from the crowd. 00:21:39.990 --> 00:21:43.350 If you start telling those girls, well, you know, your footwork's not too good, 00:21:43.470 --> 00:21:46.450 so we're going to work on agility, actually all that does is underpin the fact 00:21:46.450 --> 00:21:47.570 that they have a lack of confidence. 00:21:48.370 --> 00:21:53.250 So what we try and do with the netballers is say, well, you're amazing at catching 00:21:53.250 --> 00:21:57.190 a high ball, so let's work on vertical jump because that's going to make you 00:21:57.190 --> 00:21:58.790 even more amazing at catching a high ball. 00:21:58.870 --> 00:22:01.190 And to work on a vertical jump, you break those components down. 00:22:01.350 --> 00:22:05.150 It's really simple, really. Like, fitness is not complicated. S&C is not complicated. 00:22:06.334 --> 00:22:10.314 I find that in the UK particularly, we don't do that very well. 00:22:10.474 --> 00:22:13.514 Whereas you look at places like America and not so much now, 00:22:13.594 --> 00:22:16.814 but Australia and what they do in China is a great example. 00:22:17.114 --> 00:22:21.374 They pick an athlete out and say, mechanically, you look like you're going to be a really good runner. 00:22:21.594 --> 00:22:24.794 Yeah. That's what you're going to be. Now there's pros and cons and some people 00:22:24.794 --> 00:22:27.274 will be shouting and saying, no, you shouldn't do that. All round athlete. 00:22:27.414 --> 00:22:31.574 That's the way that I totally get that. but if if 00:22:31.574 --> 00:22:36.734 for example that child is an amazing 100 meter sprinter sprinter why would you 00:22:36.734 --> 00:22:39.394 train them to run a marathon because that's the bit they're not good at what's 00:22:39.394 --> 00:22:42.214 your opinion because i waffle on about it no no i'm passionate about it yeah 00:22:42.214 --> 00:22:45.814 i'm really interested especially with my my kids being so so young they're sort 00:22:45.814 --> 00:22:49.414 of getting into it and it's like i um i totally agree that we. 00:22:50.234 --> 00:22:52.994 I don't think it is a one-size-fits-all you can't i 00:22:52.994 --> 00:22:56.114 think there's a difference between fitness and competitive fitness as 00:22:56.114 --> 00:22:59.414 well so like getting someone all around just being healthy is 00:22:59.414 --> 00:23:02.294 is one thing but then actually competing there's no point 00:23:02.294 --> 00:23:05.314 training someone up to like if someone's really 00:23:05.314 --> 00:23:08.354 small what's the point in making them like a big swimmer and 00:23:08.354 --> 00:23:11.334 sprint sprint yeah they're probably not going to be a basketball player 00:23:11.334 --> 00:23:14.554 yeah exactly yeah i mean you mentioned 00:23:14.554 --> 00:23:17.314 i mean that's a really good talking point i think a lot of 00:23:17.314 --> 00:23:20.234 members and a lot of people listening will probably have their own opinion on 00:23:20.234 --> 00:23:22.854 that um i'm only ever going to 00:23:22.854 --> 00:23:26.034 share my opinion which is that i just think you should really harness what 00:23:26.034 --> 00:23:29.114 kids are really good at and encourage them to feel 00:23:29.114 --> 00:23:32.214 and i think that breeds it's kind of like when you come to the gym right you turn 00:23:32.214 --> 00:23:34.994 up i talk about this in the podcast all the time i've already we've done through a 00:23:34.994 --> 00:23:37.914 few podcasts already and i talked about this every single time when someone 00:23:37.914 --> 00:23:41.774 comes into the gym i'm kind of gesturing with my fingers again here you know 00:23:41.774 --> 00:23:46.714 about an inch gap between my my finger and my thumb and i'm sort of saying well 00:23:46.714 --> 00:23:49.334 at the moment you've got that level of confidence they must have some confidence 00:23:49.334 --> 00:23:51.894 because they've walked through the door right they're here they've they've managed 00:23:51.894 --> 00:23:56.254 to through sheer bloody ignorance or because they're

happy in the environment, they've come in. 00:23:56.674 --> 00:23:59.274 What I really want to say to that person is in three months time, 00:23:59.874 --> 00:24:03.114 you draw a line on a piece of paper as long as you want, because you're now 00:24:03.114 --> 00:24:04.354 going to be that much more confident. 00:24:04.974 --> 00:24:08.454 And I guess it's a bit salesy, but you're kind of saying to that person, 00:24:08.594 --> 00:24:12.314 but that confidence will spill over into your personal life and you'll feel 00:24:12.314 --> 00:24:16.194 more confident at work. And all of a sudden, good things start happening because 00:24:16.194 --> 00:24:19.774 you carry that degree of, yeah, I'm going to make this happen. And it's not magic. 00:24:20.494 --> 00:24:24.634 It's because you're feeling better about yourself. You walk into your day feeling 00:24:24.634 --> 00:24:25.894 more confident, et cetera, et cetera. 00:24:26.054 --> 00:24:29.174 And I think the same can be said for kids there. 00:24:29.294 --> 00:24:32.994 If you take kids and you empower them by saying, you're really good at this, 00:24:33.114 --> 00:24:35.734 you're amazing at this, and you can't be good at everything, 00:24:35.774 --> 00:24:37.354 but let's work on these parts as well. 00:24:37.454 --> 00:24:39.834 But you push to the forefront what they're really good at. 00:24:40.334 --> 00:24:44.034 I think they then carry that. They can potentially carry that through life as 00:24:44.034 --> 00:24:46.334 well. And ultimately, we all want the same for our kids, right? 00:24:46.394 --> 00:24:48.214 We want them to grow up being healthy, confident. 00:24:48.674 --> 00:24:51.814 And, you know, I'm trying to teach my kids about competition at the moment. 00:24:52.054 --> 00:24:53.894 My eldest is not quite understanding. 00:24:54.474 --> 00:24:57.394 And foolishly, I'm using the example of, well, you know, when you apply for 00:24:57.394 --> 00:25:00.894 a job, you'll be competing against other people and there's no second places then. 00:25:01.094 --> 00:25:03.234 And terrible example for a nine-year-old, she doesn't get it. 00:25:04.443 --> 00:25:06.863 What I've done now is taken a different approach. And I think, 00:25:06.963 --> 00:25:09.463 right, instead of teaching her about competition, I'm going to teach her about being confident. 00:25:09.763 --> 00:25:13.863 And, you know, actually that doing your best can relate to winning, 00:25:14.183 --> 00:25:16.143 but it doesn't always relate to winning, et cetera, et cetera. 00:25:16.243 --> 00:25:17.743 And there's no right way or wrong way of parenting. 00:25:17.943 --> 00:25:21.623 People, again, be shouting at me saying, that's terrible parenting, but it is what it is. 00:25:22.203 --> 00:25:27.463 But I do really believe that teaching kids about what they're good at is a really 00:25:27.463 --> 00:25:30.583 fundamentally important part that they'll carry into the adulthood that will 00:25:30.583 --> 00:25:34.063 spill over

into schoolwork, into your relationship with your kids. 00:25:34.203 --> 00:25:39.303 And and sharing that shared experience with your kids of saying to them, 00:25:39.423 --> 00:25:40.323 you're really good at this. 00:25:40.443 --> 00:25:44.643 Like, I don't think you get that many opportunities to genuinely say to your 00:25:44.643 --> 00:25:45.903 child, you're brilliant at this. 00:25:46.043 --> 00:25:48.583 There's a lot of patting little Johnny on the head and said, 00:25:48.663 --> 00:25:52.583 oh, well done. You know, that's a good piece of art. Put it on the fridge, bin a week later. 00:25:53.703 --> 00:25:56.423 But taking something that I'm actually really, really good at, 00:25:56.483 --> 00:25:57.783 whether that's academic, 00:25:58.163 --> 00:26:02.743 whether that's sport or whatever, and then encouraging them along those lines, 00:26:02.743 --> 00:26:09.323 I think personally, that can make a massive difference to how they shape and 00:26:09.323 --> 00:26:10.343 structure their life they're on. 00:26:10.483 --> 00:26:15.663 You can't shelter kids from winning or losing. I think it's too big a part of life. 00:26:16.863 --> 00:26:20.183 Like you say, if they are sheltered by that and they're thinking, 00:26:20.223 --> 00:26:21.703 oh, I'm going to win at everything. 00:26:22.646 --> 00:26:25.786 Come 18 when they're they are looking for a job yeah and 00:26:25.786 --> 00:26:29.006 then that that's an even bigger problem to solve then yeah and 00:26:29.006 --> 00:26:32.006 actually it's a it's a problem it's a 00:26:32.006 --> 00:26:35.406 problem probably that will fall back on parents to to solve 00:26:35.406 --> 00:26:38.086 especially obviously for those that have listened me and 00:26:38.086 --> 00:26:41.086 abby's talked a little bit about um gen gen zed 00:26:41.086 --> 00:26:44.346 in the world and fitness etc but um by 00:26:44.346 --> 00:26:47.666 the same token i do feel like that element of. 00:26:47.666 --> 00:26:50.626 Problem solving is getting lost with 00:26:50.626 --> 00:26:53.526 kids and i do think exercise and sport 00:26:53.526 --> 00:26:56.626 and competition is a great way to help 00:26:56.626 --> 00:26:59.486 youngsters particularly figure problems out 00:26:59.486 --> 00:27:02.346 and solve problems whether it's racing or just taking 00:27:02.346 --> 00:27:05.326 part you know occasionally we bring the kids our kids 00:27:05.326 --> 00:27:08.106 into the gym when it's closed and i just let them run right 00:27:08.106 --> 00:27:11.246 around the gym really i don't give them any structure apart from imogen she's 00:27:11.246 --> 00:27:14.346 the eldest like she's kind of looking for that little bit of inspiration but 00:27:14.346 --> 00:27:16.966 just letting them run on the treadmill and figure out how to use it 00:27:16.966 --> 00:27:19.866 themselves and all the rest of it I think that's good for kids later 00:27:19.866 --> 00:27:22.746 on in life and go on you're gonna say but that's that's 00:27:22.746

--> 00:27:25.686 the level of confidence like having actually just having an experience 00:27:25.686 --> 00:27:28.606 and coming into a gym like this and saying okay I know how to use a treadmill I 00:27:28.606 --> 00:27:31.706 know how to use a bike I think that and that's what you've it's 00:27:31.706 --> 00:27:34.586 a it's a nice safe environment here to come in and just say 00:27:34.586 --> 00:27:37.566 okay if I want to learn how to lift I've got the classes to 00:27:37.566 --> 00:27:40.446 do if I want to learn how to get stronger I've got I've got the classes to 00:27:40.446 --> 00:27:43.606 do it it's just a decent safe environment yeah I 00:27:43.606 --> 00:27:46.346 well i appreciate that i think i think that's why we have no mirrors and stuff like 00:27:46.346 --> 00:27:49.086 that i think it's um i think it's a 00:27:49.086 --> 00:27:52.546 safe environment physically but also mentally hopefully um we've 00:27:52.546 --> 00:27:55.166 talked a little bit about you kind of mentioned your kids and all that sort of 00:27:55.166 --> 00:27:57.946 stuff tell us a bit about family life what you do for a job all the 00:27:57.946 --> 00:28:00.906 boring stuff necessarily but people are interested so i 00:28:00.906 --> 00:28:03.846 i work in in ad tech um so that's i'm 00:28:03.846 --> 00:28:06.786 making sure the uh right ad is shown at the right time to 00:28:06.786 --> 00:28:12.586 the right person um some big big clients so it gets it's fairly busy so i've. 00:28:12.586 --> 00:28:18.306 Got a team in australia and i have to work with the us as well so it's all over. 00:28:18.306 --> 00:28:23.046 The place so working hours like this morning i've done calls in australia with 00:28:23.046 --> 00:28:26.066 from like 8 a.m to like 9 30 or so so it's. 00:28:26.968 --> 00:28:30.168 It works because I can juggle my time and then just come to the gym when, 00:28:30.248 --> 00:28:33.688 when I need to. So it's quite hard fitting that in, uh, family wise. 00:28:33.988 --> 00:28:36.748 I've got, uh, two little kids, wife and two little kids. Uh, 00:28:37.108 --> 00:28:41.048 Freddie is one and Grace is, Grace is three. I won't say Claire's age. 00:28:41.528 --> 00:28:45.548 Uh, then, uh, that has been, there's no way she's going to listen to an hour's 00:28:45.548 --> 00:28:46.788 podcast of your voice. Yeah. 00:28:47.408 --> 00:28:51.748 Um, I, the last having Grace was fine. 00:28:51.848 --> 00:28:55.188 She was like a perfect child and she like slept in, 00:28:55.188 --> 00:28:58.288 and like was fine i was back in the gym like three months 00:28:58.288 --> 00:29:01.888 after after what a lad it was 00:29:01.888 --> 00:29:04.588 yeah uh and it was back back training we got 00:29:04.588 --> 00:29:07.368 into we had a routine and like both of us were like doing it 00:29:07.368 --> 00:29:10.128 and grace was your first wow yeah so she she was really good 00:29:10.128 --> 00:29:13.168 then freddie was quite the the 00:29:13.168 --> 00:29:16.448 opposite

really it's quite a bit of a handful he had real bad reflux problems 00:29:16.448 --> 00:29:19.128 his weight dropped a lot he wasn't sleeping well and that 00:29:19.128 --> 00:29:22.268 coupled with grace becoming a toddler and just not doing 00:29:22.268 --> 00:29:24.908 not doing well at all so it the last year has been 00:29:24.908 --> 00:29:27.548 a real struggle struggle i think you and i chatted about it i was 00:29:27.548 --> 00:29:30.148 like this this year i don't really want to get fit i just want to 00:29:30.148 --> 00:29:32.928 keep that yeah yeah exactly and so 00:29:32.928 --> 00:29:36.088 you've got like work pressure you've got like family 00:29:36.088 --> 00:29:38.988 pressure sleep on top of that and then also seeing 00:29:38.988 --> 00:29:41.668 friends and then staying healthy it's almost like you've got 00:29:41.668 --> 00:29:44.908 all these different things pulling you in different directions and you 00:29:44.908 --> 00:29:48.228 can't you can't do everything none of them and none of them are conducive 00:29:48.228 --> 00:29:50.908 to actually keeping yourself in the 00:29:50.908 --> 00:29:54.268 best shape possible exactly exactly so it's the last. 00:29:54.268 --> 00:29:57.168 The last year has been a bit of a kind of keep my head above water and 00:29:57.168 --> 00:30:00.388 now like this forms of normality 00:30:00.388 --> 00:30:03.608 but even like last night when like after 00:30:03.608 --> 00:30:06.848 the the half marathon yesterday it's like absolutely shattered 00:30:06.848 --> 00:30:09.728 freddie woke up at 5 30 and normally sleeps through to like 00:30:09.728 --> 00:30:12.468 at least six like oh it's just 00:30:12.468 --> 00:30:15.868 half hours big yeah yeah exactly so it's 00:30:15.868 --> 00:30:18.968 just uh it's little things that and it's i think it's just being being 00:30:18.968 --> 00:30:23.108 flexible and like that's what my work allows me to be a little bit more flexible 00:30:23.108 --> 00:30:27.208 especially if like kids are ill or i've had a bad day training it allows me 00:30:27.208 --> 00:30:31.408 to like go to the gym at a different time of the day so i still find it hard 00:30:31.408 --> 00:30:36.108 to train in the evenings and so having that flexibility from work is is really really good, 00:30:36.861 --> 00:30:43.901 Yeah, it's interesting, isn't it? With the family dynamic is modern day family dynamic. 00:30:45.021 --> 00:30:49.081 And I think intrinsically to a degree, exercise is almost selfish, 00:30:49.281 --> 00:30:50.701 especially if you're someone that enjoys it. 00:30:50.841 --> 00:30:55.001 Because ironically, you kind of have that sense of, if we're honest, 00:30:55.161 --> 00:30:57.021 we have that sense of, I need this in my life. 00:30:58.381 --> 00:31:01.941 It's a bit of identity. It keeps me who I am. And 00:31:01.941 --> 00:31:05.981 most people would argue that they're probably a more well-rounded 00:31:05.981 --> 00:31:09.901 human if they exercise and get it out of their system um trying. 00:31:09.901 --> 00:31:12.821 To have that like i've i've had this exact same conversation with 00:31:12.821 --> 00:31:16.021 claire i was like right i i know it's like all hands. 00:31:16.021 --> 00:31:18.861 On deck at the moment with the kids and stuff but give me 90 minutes get. 00:31:18.861 --> 00:31:22.061 Down the gym i'll be a better person and i i find i 00:31:22.061 --> 00:31:24.881 know this is probably a bad trait to myself but i if i don't do 00:31:24.881 --> 00:31:27.861 any exercise in a day i'm a grumpy and i'm 00:31:27.861 --> 00:31:30.761 like i i just it's just I don't 00:31:30.761 --> 00:31:33.661 know what it is but I just I have to do a little bit of exercise whether it's 00:31:33.661 --> 00:31:36.761 like going out for like a 30 minute run or something like that ideally coming 00:31:36.761 --> 00:31:39.641 in here because it's like that it's quite 00:31:39.641 --> 00:31:42.581 an intense especially like the hybrid and the cardio class they're 00:31:42.581 --> 00:31:45.501 quite intense and then you you come in and you're like by 00:31:45.501 --> 00:31:48.941 the end of it if you push yourself hard enough you lie on your back absolutely screwed and 00:31:48.941 --> 00:31:52.021 then that's that's what I want to get out especially right 00:31:52.021 --> 00:31:55.081 now with the time is such a premium yeah sure 00:31:55.081 --> 00:31:58.041 that's that's kind of what I want to get out of the gym class what do 00:31:58.041 --> 00:32:01.001 you think you mentioned hybrid there lots of 00:32:01.001 --> 00:32:03.781 people well lots of people talk about hybrid has been one of their favorite classes of 00:32:03.781 --> 00:32:06.881 the week because it's got a bit of everything it's a monday you 00:32:06.881 --> 00:32:10.121 know you kind of set you up for the week or gives you that decompression 00:32:10.121 --> 00:32:12.941 from a real busy monday but when you when you 00:32:12.941 --> 00:32:15.761 lay down obviously this isn't a question that we necessarily write down but 00:32:15.761 --> 00:32:18.621 when you lay down on your back at the end of one of those sessions and you you are 00:32:18.621 --> 00:32:21.441 one of those members that lifts as heavy as you can moves as fast as 00:32:21.441 --> 00:32:24.281 you can sprints on the treadmill you know when you lay down on your back at. 00:32:24.281 --> 00:32:27.781 The end of that session sweat running off you you know mentally what 00:32:27.781 --> 00:32:30.801 sort of state are are you in are 00:32:30.801 --> 00:32:34.781 you do you feel more ready to go home and tackle you know because i i have to 00:32:34.781 --> 00:32:39.701 i have to sit in the van before i go into home yeah take a big deep breath and 00:32:39.701 --> 00:32:43.581 okay we're back in with three kids and you know and tied in how does it you 00:32:43.581 --> 00:32:47.141 know how do you feel when you you finish that workout and that that last minute 00:32:47.141 --> 00:32:48.741 and

you think right i'm ready to go home now. 00:32:49.267 --> 00:32:53.987 Yeah, I mean, euphoric is why I think it's a job done. 00:32:54.187 --> 00:32:57.287 And I really, really happy. I think Monday's a great bit. 00:32:57.507 --> 00:33:01.487 And at that point, I don't like the kids all out and Claire's in at work. 00:33:01.487 --> 00:33:03.287 So I'm like, I'm going back into work. 00:33:03.407 --> 00:33:07.067 So it's like, right, I can get head down now I can rest the day no matter what 00:33:07.067 --> 00:33:09.227 I've achieved this little bit of it as well. 00:33:09.327 --> 00:33:12.907 So I think that's, that's really useful to have that in my back of mind as well. 00:33:13.127 --> 00:33:15.987 Cool. Okay. So let's move on to talking a little bit about um 00:33:15.987 --> 00:33:20.207 you're competing and stuff um talk talk to us a little bit i don't want to ignore 00:33:20.207 --> 00:33:23.787 this just because we don't do it but talk to us a little bit about um getting 00:33:23.787 --> 00:33:27.087 into crossfit because you're living down in clapham you're now in st albans 00:33:27.087 --> 00:33:30.787 what is your journey watch i've got to stop using the word journey but what 00:33:30.787 --> 00:33:34.867 does your fitness look like um between those points and what 00:33:35.107 --> 00:33:39.147 are you taking part in what you're doing i mean after the marathon i there was 00:33:39.147 --> 00:33:42.367 even less upper body than what i've got right now and like turn sideways you 00:33:42.367 --> 00:33:44.347 can see through me uh and uh. 00:33:45.567 --> 00:33:48.847 I so getting into lifting was something that I it was 00:33:48.847 --> 00:33:52.607 really cool there was this back then it was like a six-week course 00:33:52.607 --> 00:33:55.747 to like train to be okay you're ready for crossfit and 00:33:55.747 --> 00:33:59.007 that was a great way of doing it I would love to replicate that but we haven't 00:33:59.007 --> 00:34:02.047 got the space but yeah it's a great idea it was it was really cool and I like 00:34:02.047 --> 00:34:05.507 learned the the central movements and then building up into like the more complex 00:34:05.507 --> 00:34:08.787 ones like snatch and stuff like that it was it was fantastic and then it was 00:34:08.787 --> 00:34:14.087 it was great to kind of see the progress because again going back to being so bad or something, 00:34:14.247 --> 00:34:17.287 you could see like each week you added more and more, and then you got into 00:34:17.287 --> 00:34:19.607 the proper, the proper CrossFit class after that. 00:34:19.867 --> 00:34:24.407 And then I, I probably, I did CrossFit for about 10 years or so. Yeah. 00:34:24.807 --> 00:34:28.967 So, but then at no point did I do a bar muscle up and no point did I do a handstand 00:34:28.967 --> 00:34:31.727 walk or anything like that. So that again, going back to the strength and the strength. 00:34:32.703 --> 00:34:36.403 Didn't really enjoy the gymnastics part of it and

then after it's 00:34:36.403 --> 00:34:39.503 quick quick to point out those people that don't know crossfit that is 00:34:39.503 --> 00:34:42.943 very much how it started it started as a kind 00:34:42.943 --> 00:34:45.683 of cult movement it it was actually i think the 00:34:45.683 --> 00:34:48.683 the guy that really pushed it originally was a gymnast and 00:34:48.683 --> 00:34:51.703 he kind of wanted to put this whole fitness for 00:34:51.703 --> 00:34:54.523 everybody but all-round fitness not just 00:34:54.523 --> 00:34:57.823 treadmill fitness not just weight lifting bring everything together because 00:34:57.823 --> 00:35:00.563 that's what gymnasts gymnasts do um and actually 00:35:00.563 --> 00:35:03.803 originally it's kind of evolved now into mountain biking 00:35:03.803 --> 00:35:06.763 and swimming and you know crazy things 00:35:06.763 --> 00:35:09.523 that the average person probably looks at and thinks that actually that's 00:35:09.523 --> 00:35:12.323 not me not for me but originally CrossFit was just 00:35:12.323 --> 00:35:15.403 that it was teaching people to lift weights you know. 00:35:15.403 --> 00:35:18.643 In a controlled environment and graduate and evolve 00:35:18.643 --> 00:35:21.703 into that so you've gone on that journey you've done your six-week course 00:35:21.703 --> 00:35:24.343 and at some point I'm assuming something happened within that six-week course and you 00:35:24.343 --> 00:35:27.223 thought yeah actually this is for me I quite like this because 10 00:35:27.223 --> 00:35:29.983 years is a long time right i like the it was 00:35:29.983 --> 00:35:32.703 the competitive nature of it right okay yeah so they kind of 00:35:32.703 --> 00:35:35.863 i said i'm never going to be in the cult and then eventually sort 00:35:35.863 --> 00:35:39.143 of just started getting a t-shirt drinking the kool-aid yeah 00:35:39.143 --> 00:35:42.023 and then yeah you then started doing 00:35:42.023 --> 00:35:44.923 the the opens which was really good fun like seeing 00:35:44.923 --> 00:35:48.183 like everyone in the whole world doing the same sort of workouts which 00:35:48.183 --> 00:35:51.443 was really really good cool idea um and then but then 00:35:51.443 --> 00:35:54.163 after after kids i was doing it 00:35:54.163 --> 00:35:56.923 for a little bit but then it was just like well i don't i don't 00:35:56.923 --> 00:36:01.163 want to go to the gym and just learn how to like practice my clean movements 00:36:01.163 --> 00:36:05.903 for 20 minutes or try and do a handstand walk which i'm never going to get i'd 00:36:05.903 --> 00:36:11.923 rather come in and just have bursts of like i like you say being on yeah do 00:36:11.923 --> 00:36:14.703 the intense stuff and like having easy movements and i think that's why. 00:36:15.183 --> 00:36:18.183 I think that's why hyrox has kind of taken off a lot more than 00:36:18.183 --> 00:36:21.203 like just balloon because it's like entry level like 00:36:21.203 --> 00:36:24.383 the the movements are easy it's a safe safe workout 00:36:24.383 --> 00:36:27.243 to do and it's it's accessible for everyone like 00:36:27.243 --> 00:36:29.983 you look at some of the crossfit open workouts this year 00:36:29.983 --> 00:36:32.823 like there's just insane ones which is is 00:36:32.823 --> 00:36:35.683 great for those elite athletes but it's almost like there's a 00:36:35.683 --> 00:36:38.943 there's a gap there so i think after um um i 00:36:38.943 --> 00:36:41.783 was doing yeah switched over and it was just kind of managing my 00:36:41.783 --> 00:36:45.563 time once i once i got into um once once 00:36:45.563 --> 00:36:48.503 i had kids how long how long have you lived in st albans then uh 00:36:48.503 --> 00:36:51.643 four years now yeah okay so you would have been did you you 00:36:51.643 --> 00:36:54.703 used to be a member of crossfit in st albans yeah yeah was that 00:36:54.703 --> 00:36:57.963 the one that burnt down yeah yeah and is 00:36:57.963 --> 00:37:00.683 that when is that when you joined us after that or uh no i 00:37:00.683 --> 00:37:04.523 tried i um tried a few other gyms yeah and uh 00:37:04.523 --> 00:37:08.923 you looked at me really sheepishly yeah i was like i tried it 00:37:08.923 --> 00:37:12.443 i tried a few other i tried a few other gyms um i tried the crossfit out in 00:37:12.443 --> 00:37:16.863 um out the other side of town it was a bit too far to go again times a premium 00:37:16.863 --> 00:37:21.003 so like driving half an hour out there and back it was it was a bit too much 00:37:21.003 --> 00:37:25.403 um and then tried a few other gyms but nothing really nothing really clicked 00:37:25.403 --> 00:37:28.823 and um tried a bit of PT as well and then. 00:37:29.453 --> 00:37:32.293 Um as just on I think I saw on your your 00:37:32.293 --> 00:37:35.153 ads and then just uh messaged Janie and then she was like there's 00:37:35.153 --> 00:37:38.093 a free class do you want to come in now so it's literally like half 00:37:38.093 --> 00:37:40.953 an hour after messaging her I was in here training doing one 00:37:40.953 --> 00:37:45.173 of the I think it was peak on a Wednesday and I was like this is exactly what 00:37:45.173 --> 00:37:50.553 I was looking for like that sort of mix between cardio lifting and and just 00:37:50.553 --> 00:37:55.273 fit like and the community was fantastic mini pockets of challenges I've kind 00:37:55.273 --> 00:37:58.933 of changed my It's funny you mention peak because peak is probably, 00:37:59.033 --> 00:38:01.173 it's one of my favorite classes to instruct. 00:38:02.353 --> 00:38:05.933 But I always look at that class and think, God, this is the most basic that we do. 00:38:06.053 --> 00:38:10.273 Like there's nothing interesting here. But ironically, that is a lot of people's 00:38:10.273 --> 00:38:12.853 like first or second favorite class peak because it is just, 00:38:12.893 --> 00:38:16.453 you know, unadulterated, all out, sweaty mess cardio. 00:38:16.593 -->

00:38:19.713 If you really want to go for it, it's that family downtime. 00:38:19.813 --> 00:38:23.253 I'm in the gym as hard as I can go on a ski erg and then, oh, 00:38:23.293 --> 00:38:26.073 brilliant. and now I can go home feeling like I'm a better person. 00:38:26.293 --> 00:38:29.053 That one last week, I honestly thought I was going to be sick at the end of it. 00:38:29.453 --> 00:38:32.213 It was a really, really tough one. You're welcome. 00:38:32.393 --> 00:38:37.173 I mean, the great thing about peak is it is classic. You only get out what you put in. 00:38:37.333 --> 00:38:40.393 So hybrid, for example, if you pick up a few lighter weights, 00:38:40.673 --> 00:38:42.893 all right, you're still there. You're still doing something. 00:38:43.053 --> 00:38:45.133 And if you don't work as hard on the treadmill, you're still there. 00:38:45.593 --> 00:38:50.273 There's value in that. With peak, though, the handbrake is off. 00:38:50.273 --> 00:38:53.413 You kind of really really 40 seconds eight times 00:38:53.413 --> 00:38:56.153 is just long enough to really tear into a ski or a 00:38:56.153 --> 00:38:59.153 rug or something to see the difference in heart rate so 00:38:59.153 --> 00:39:01.793 um you you mentioned around like the 00:39:01.793 --> 00:39:04.693 competing level though so i think like i went through triathlons i 00:39:04.693 --> 00:39:07.793 went through obstacle course races and i was like a constant 00:39:07.793 --> 00:39:10.793 i still did the running as well like every now i entered 00:39:10.793 --> 00:39:13.533 a 10k or half marathon and stuff like that and then 00:39:13.533 --> 00:39:16.413 like the low why was that though what just just i'd really 00:39:16.413 --> 00:39:19.333 enjoy running yeah i still i still like even with 00:39:19.333 --> 00:39:22.333 the gym i try and come like do 10ks and and 00:39:22.333 --> 00:39:25.013 just go out for a run because i find it mentally it really clears my 00:39:25.013 --> 00:39:27.693 head and i know i can i'm i'm all right at that so i 00:39:27.693 --> 00:39:30.573 can i quite enjoy i really got into it during uh during lockdown 00:39:30.573 --> 00:39:33.773 as well really really got back into running um besides i 00:39:33.773 --> 00:39:36.953 still do those those sort of races but then the the 00:39:36.953 --> 00:39:39.873 other stuff is kind of looking for what next and then after joining here 00:39:39.873 --> 00:39:43.453 then uh entered high rocks uh stupidly 00:39:43.453 --> 00:39:46.253 entered it just before my son was born and thinking he 00:39:46.253 --> 00:39:49.833 was going to be the same as grace and he definitely wasn't so it was i entered 00:39:49.833 --> 00:39:54.033 it with one of my mates who lives up north and the night before this i think 00:39:54.033 --> 00:39:58.033 with any sort of race if you've done the prep it should be the most boring race 00:39:58.033 --> 00:40:02.733 in the world like if you've done and then that i'd done such little prep because 00:40:02.733 --> 00:40:04.533 i just hadn't been in here enough i hadn't. 00:40:05.328 --> 00:40:08.528 Sled pull and sled push i've never done it in my life so going 00:40:08.528 --> 00:40:11.248 into that thinking at the start line i was like oh my god 00:40:11.248 --> 00:40:13.888 am i am i even going to be able to push this weight i haven't done 00:40:13.888 --> 00:40:16.568 i don't even know how to do it and we're like practicing and i was 00:40:16.568 --> 00:40:19.868 just like this is going to be really bad and then the night before grace was 00:40:19.868 --> 00:40:23.008 up all night so i'd had like three hours sleep on an inflatable mattress 00:40:23.008 --> 00:40:25.908 excellent preparation yeah and then just look at that i was like damage 00:40:25.908 --> 00:40:28.548 limitation but then the album that was it was 00:40:28.548 --> 00:40:31.368 really cool the hyrox event anyone who hasn't done it they should 00:40:31.368 --> 00:40:34.388 because it's like really accessible it's so much fun and then 00:40:34.388 --> 00:40:37.488 got there with my mate and then we went i planned it all wrong all 00:40:37.488 --> 00:40:40.288 wrong so i got onto the ski erg like shirt was 00:40:40.288 --> 00:40:43.128 off which you'll hate and then uh the photographer's there and 00:40:43.128 --> 00:40:46.368 i was like going ripping into it and i was like this is quality and then 00:40:46.368 --> 00:40:49.588 like i was like get my good side yeah yeah exactly and then 00:40:49.588 --> 00:40:52.368 i was thinking well i've got if you go i go so i've got loads of. 00:40:52.368 --> 00:40:55.148 Time to rest but then in a partner one you don't 00:40:55.148 --> 00:40:58.068 have enough time to recover at all so i if you go at it yeah 00:40:58.068 --> 00:41:01.048 i was i was gassed and then i out 00:41:01.048 --> 00:41:04.268 of the two of us i was the better runner so my mate matt was like right 00:41:04.268 --> 00:41:06.988 you coach get me around the runs and stuff I was 00:41:06.988 --> 00:41:09.748 like in a world of pain he's like what's going on right and then uh 00:41:09.748 --> 00:41:12.468 just really really struggled again and this kind of 00:41:12.468 --> 00:41:15.668 goes back to that kind of failure and then what 00:41:15.668 --> 00:41:18.608 next as soon as I crossed the finish line a bit like the marathon I 00:41:18.608 --> 00:41:21.428 was like I'm doing this on my own no matter what I'm doing this on my own because 00:41:21.428 --> 00:41:24.688 then that's like that's the the big aim and then that 00:41:24.688 --> 00:41:27.888 was in May last year and then in did the the 00:41:27.888 --> 00:41:30.548 singles in december and then that was 00:41:30.548 --> 00:41:33.528 when i kind of upped the train and hit with your your program 00:41:33.528 --> 00:41:36.388 in like you had in for high rocks i was there every single 00:41:36.388 --> 00:41:39.388 week and then had the the sims that you ran on the sunday 00:41:39.388 --> 00:41:42.128 i started

to get to know like okay sled pull and 00:41:42.128 --> 00:41:45.568 sled push they're not my most fun things and after going for 00:41:45.568 --> 00:41:48.728 a run after those you're a bit like i'm a bit screwed so 00:41:48.728 --> 00:41:51.948 then but then burpees and the the rowing 00:41:51.948 --> 00:41:55.828 and the uh the uh the sandbag 00:41:55.828 --> 00:41:58.868 carrying the lunges i'm absolutely fine so it's like okay that's 00:41:58.868 --> 00:42:01.608 where i can start pushing you start to get to know your own body a lot more 00:42:01.608 --> 00:42:04.588 and that's what what you can and can't achieve yeah exactly yeah yeah. 00:42:04.588 --> 00:42:07.488 It's that's a really interesting point so i won't 00:42:07.488 --> 00:42:10.148 mention this person's name but i've done a bit of pt i said done a bit 00:42:10.148 --> 00:42:12.988 we pt every week and one of the things i 00:42:12.988 --> 00:42:15.968 for people that want to do high rock specific personal training 00:42:15.968 --> 00:42:19.088 which i don't i don't think i'm particularly salesy 00:42:19.088 --> 00:42:22.328 but i would recommend for one reason only do four 00:42:22.328 --> 00:42:26.208 sessions and get an understanding of how 00:42:26.208 --> 00:42:30.708 to balance the feeling of where you're at versus where your heart rate actually 00:42:30.708 --> 00:42:35.188 is so we use my zone for that so for example i know that with a particular individual 00:42:35.188 --> 00:42:40.928 in the gym with their with their heart rate anything around 91 representative 00:42:40.928 --> 00:42:45.148 on her my zone can be maintained for quite a long period of time so, 00:42:45.848 --> 00:42:51.608 you know her 91% might be somebody else's 88 or 94 whatever because the heart 00:42:51.608 --> 00:42:53.988 rate monitors are set differently everyone's different level of fitness but. 00:42:55.605 --> 00:42:59.345 When that person, when she creeps up to 92, 93, 94, 00:42:59.805 --> 00:43:03.565 actually the time it takes for her to recover and effectively, 00:43:04.005 --> 00:43:09.525 just to put it into scientific terms, clear lactic acid from her system is exponentially 00:43:09.525 --> 00:43:14.965 greater than the distance she, if she's running, for example, 00:43:15.045 --> 00:43:18.485 the distance that she gains from running at that speed to boost her heart rate. 00:43:18.485 --> 00:43:22.185 So high rocks for me is mostly about going back to what we're talking about 00:43:22.185 --> 00:43:25.465 understanding where your superpowers are and then getting to understand the 00:43:25.465 --> 00:43:29.345 impact and effect they have on your heart rate and on your body and as you train 00:43:29.345 --> 00:43:34.365 you'll naturally notice heart rate will stay lower or recover quicker or a combination 00:43:34.365 --> 00:43:37.905 of both and that's why i'd massively recommend if you're doing pt, 00:43:38.485 --> 00:43:41.425 i've got a couple of sessions it's not an advert but i've got a couple of sessions 00:43:41.425 --> 00:43:46.105 designed for intermediate and advanced level athletes i would say ben's an advanced 00:43:46.105 --> 00:43:53.025 level athlete to test them so that you know where the drop-off from your heart rate is. 00:43:53.605 --> 00:43:57.945 And in particular, you mentioned the sled, for example. The sled is a great 00:43:57.945 --> 00:44:02.925 example of if you push a full length, turn around, push a full length back. 00:44:03.045 --> 00:44:07.145 Most people can do that at that point in high rocks. But the effect of that 00:44:07.145 --> 00:44:11.665 in the next 30 to 40 seconds probably takes a minute to a minute and a half off your next run. 00:44:12.045 --> 00:44:15.045 Whereas pushing half a length, 00:44:15.205 --> 00:44:18.185 standing up, shaking the legs, then pushing another half a length getting your 00:44:18.185 --> 00:44:21.005 body used to taking five to ten second windows of 00:44:21.005 --> 00:44:24.905 recovery every length can actually give you that minute to minute and a half 00:44:24.905 --> 00:44:29.125 back on the next run and for anyone that's really gone like you said you've 00:44:29.125 --> 00:44:32.825 done hell for leather on the sled push you'll know that it doesn't just influence 00:44:32.825 --> 00:44:36.625 the next run it also influences the run after that and how your burpees will 00:44:36.625 --> 00:44:40.725 feel on how your glutes will feel on the burpees etc so it's um. 00:44:41.580 --> 00:44:44.180 It is definitely an event that I would say, go and give a go. 00:44:44.440 --> 00:44:47.040 And Ben's a great, great advocate of that. 00:44:47.160 --> 00:44:50.400 He's just said, but I would also recommend going into it with a little bit of 00:44:50.400 --> 00:44:54.380 knowledge of how you're going to approach that event, especially if you're doing an individual. 00:44:54.700 --> 00:44:58.060 So how was your, how was your first individual experience? 00:44:58.620 --> 00:45:02.820 Absolutely loved it. Yeah. Like, um, because I'd done the training and because 00:45:02.820 --> 00:45:06.600 I'd been in here doing the sims, I knew, okay, this is where I'm going to struggle. 00:45:06.720 --> 00:45:10.000 And this is like, like you say, like on a good example, there's on the rower. 00:45:10.000 --> 00:45:12.800 Like i i go i go quite slow on the rower and just 00:45:12.800 --> 00:45:15.500 do big pulls on it and that that allows me to get 00:45:15.500 --> 00:45:18.700 my heart rate down i could go for like 10 00:45:18.700 --> 00:45:21.320 20 seconds quicker on the 1k but then 00:45:21.320 --> 00:45:24.220 that's going to have such a devastating effect on my run there's no 00:45:24.220 --> 00:45:27.020 there's no point it's a false economy there so i think 00:45:27.020 --> 00:45:30.540 the the the singles it was it was fantastic i 00:45:30.540 --> 00:45:33.480 remember like when i finished i sent you my splits and i was like where do 00:45:33.480 --> 00:45:36.260 you think

i can improve you're like well if you didn't have work and 00:45:36.260 --> 00:45:39.240 kids i reckon i'll get you down to 105 and it's okay that's that's 00:45:39.240 --> 00:45:42.740 never gonna happen but it is that is true though like i think there's 00:45:42.740 --> 00:45:45.640 an element of a lot lots of people talk about high rocks in 00:45:45.640 --> 00:45:48.480 our gym and other gyms etc etc and they talk 00:45:48.480 --> 00:45:51.300 about well you know what you think i could achieve and the you know 00:45:51.300 --> 00:45:54.400 if you're willing to kick your kids to the curb and 00:45:54.400 --> 00:45:57.060 you know and probably not be married then yeah sure if you're 00:45:57.060 --> 00:45:59.800 an athlete of your level you probably could train all the time 00:45:59.800 --> 00:46:02.500 and be sponsored by puma and all the rest of it and you 00:46:02.500 --> 00:46:05.200 know and and get down to those levels because you for example you're a 00:46:05.200 --> 00:46:08.380 good example of someone that's got that level of athlete in them but the 00:46:08.380 --> 00:46:11.860 reality is you know life kind 00:46:11.860 --> 00:46:14.720 of a lot of these guys that are doing those events they 00:46:14.720 --> 00:46:17.720 don't really have you know i think stephen said 00:46:17.720 --> 00:46:20.720 to me famously said oh you know these people are just really interested and 00:46:20.720 --> 00:46:23.540 i famously said i don't think these people are very interested at all i think you know 00:46:23.540 --> 00:46:26.340 all they know is exercise and training and. 00:46:26.340 --> 00:46:29.580 Being selfish i say selfish intrinsically devoted to 00:46:29.580 --> 00:46:33.940 their training um but the rest of us of all 99.999% of 00:46:33.940 --> 00:46:36.840 us are not top 15 elite well i'm 00:46:36.840 --> 00:46:39.800 including myself in this bracket ben obviously but um we we've 00:46:39.800 --> 00:46:42.400 got normal lives we've chosen to have children and the rest of it 00:46:42.400 --> 00:46:45.180 so i'd say what what was your best 00:46:45.180 --> 00:46:47.980 what was your best singles time tell us uh one hour 20 00:46:47.980 --> 00:46:51.420 okay steven talks about this interestingly if 00:46:51.420 --> 00:46:54.160 you're doing a 130 individual i'll give you a pat 00:46:54.160 --> 00:46:57.900 on the back that's a really good time anything 120 with a 00:46:57.900 --> 00:47:01.080 life a job with kids that wake up at midnight and 00:47:01.080 --> 00:47:03.940 two o'clock and then they get sick and they go to school 00:47:03.940 --> 00:47:07.220 and then job says you gotta fly to america anything at 120 i 00:47:07.220 --> 00:47:10.160 think is exceptional for and for want for 00:47:10.160 --> 00:47:13.440 the want of the term average for an average person that has 00:47:13.440 --> 00:47:16.400 you know 10 times more stress in their life than the 00:47:16.400 --> 00:47:19.640 average 21 year old that's running high rocks in their brand new trainers um 00:47:19.640 --> 00:47:25.320 no offense 21 year olds but um one thing that's really clear from talking to 00:47:25.320 --> 00:47:29.340 you is first of all that competition is obviously quite important to you but 00:47:29.340 --> 00:47:33.900 I think beneath that having that feeling of I'm tackling something that I want 00:47:33.900 --> 00:47:36.780 to see progress in and I want to learn a little bit more about where that comes 00:47:36.780 --> 00:47:39.140 from you mentioned your dad a few times um. 00:47:39.816 --> 00:47:43.336 I want to know if that's always been a part of your life, that feeling of, 00:47:43.516 --> 00:47:46.156 I want to challenge myself and why you feel the need to do that. 00:47:46.776 --> 00:47:51.036 Um, yeah, probably my, my dad was very competitive like myself and, 00:47:51.056 --> 00:47:54.536 uh, that's probably my inspiration really to go down, down that route. 00:47:54.916 --> 00:47:59.076 Um, I think when I started to see the difference between like actually what 00:47:59.076 --> 00:48:03.716 training and like seeing results, that's really what, what, what drove me on. 00:48:03.836 --> 00:48:07.016 I think actually the, the, I finally like with my, 00:48:07.016 --> 00:48:09.716 with my dad we went out for a we're supposed to 00:48:09.716 --> 00:48:12.696 go out for a 10k run it's on on holiday together and there 00:48:12.696 --> 00:48:16.056 was a girl there that i was trying to impress she came out cycling and 00:48:16.056 --> 00:48:18.996 then this is not your wife no no no no no long long 00:48:18.996 --> 00:48:21.736 time ago uh supposed to be 10k and end 00:48:21.736 --> 00:48:24.616 up being 10 miles and i was absolutely screwed and my dad 00:48:24.616 --> 00:48:27.236 was blitzing it's a big difference right yeah yeah and i 00:48:27.236 --> 00:48:30.236 was absolutely screwed my dad blitzed me then that year i 00:48:30.236 --> 00:48:32.916 was like those early days in uni and i was like right i'm gonna go 00:48:32.916 --> 00:48:36.116 track every like trained up and it's uh like i 00:48:36.116 --> 00:48:38.896 remember it was bath union they had like the same one as leon actually 00:48:38.896 --> 00:48:41.556 and then they had like this track's amazing and it 00:48:41.556 --> 00:48:44.416 was like loads of sports facilities were on their training and it's 00:48:44.416 --> 00:48:47.276 like even like the the cold winter days and it's like the fog coming 00:48:47.276 --> 00:48:50.076 up it's amazing so in there quite a lot of training it's funny 00:48:50.076 --> 00:48:52.976 how you look back on that with that nostalgia doughy eyed kind 00:48:52.976 --> 00:48:55.836 of view but the reality is when you're there yeah it's hard isn't it 00:48:55.836 --> 00:48:58.636 yeah yeah yeah um you know i don't i could think 00:48:58.636 --> 00:49:01.616 of many other place i'd rather be but then came back 00:49:01.616 --> 00:49:04.336 then back home from uni went out with my dad and blitzed him.

00:49:04.336 --> 00:49:07.536 And i was like yeah so it's like that's like that's a simple moment 00:49:07.536 --> 00:49:10.356 yeah yeah yeah um but then that 00:49:10.356 --> 00:49:13.156 that was kind of like my first kind of you put 00:49:13.156 --> 00:49:15.936 one it should it seems a lot so obvious now 00:49:15.936 --> 00:49:18.736 but you just kind of do this training and you're going to get better at a certain thing and 00:49:18.736 --> 00:49:21.656 it's like i quite like there's when i 00:49:21.656 --> 00:49:24.456 find a sport that i enjoy and just try it trying out like 00:49:24.456 --> 00:49:27.556 i try at uni i tried water polo which is yeah my god 00:49:27.556 --> 00:49:30.616 that's the hardest sport i've ever played in my life and i just getting it's like 00:49:30.616 --> 00:49:33.356 rugby and water really and just getting dunked punched in 00:49:33.356 --> 00:49:36.276 the face it was just horrendous but that was it was cool. 00:49:36.276 --> 00:49:39.116 Kind of trying something completely new out it's terrible 00:49:39.116 --> 00:49:41.776 at it but it was it was good fun to kind of train on that 00:49:41.776 --> 00:49:44.476 i think the thing is though with with these sports or these 00:49:44.476 --> 00:49:48.236 fitness events you start off terrible terrible is 00:49:48.236 --> 00:49:51.656 kind of an open equation isn't it because some your your terrible might 00:49:51.656 --> 00:49:54.396 be my awful and somebody else is great you know 00:49:54.396 --> 00:49:59.836 but the reality is you you always say providing you give some sort of commitment 00:49:59.836 --> 00:50:02.796 and time to it you're always going to see some sort of improvement so you know 00:50:02.796 --> 00:50:07.856 you go from being terrible to being not terrible to being average to being you 00:50:07.856 --> 00:50:10.516 know and I kind of I saw something about this the other day and I said look 00:50:10.516 --> 00:50:14.376 the scale isn't about if you're as good a footballer as Cristiano Ronaldo. 00:50:15.676 --> 00:50:18.536 Compared to someone that's never played football before the scale is about whether 00:50:18.536 --> 00:50:22.156 you think you can be on that scale and then a coach's job is to manage those 00:50:22.156 --> 00:50:25.556 expectations and be honest and not just say yeah man you can achieve whatever 00:50:25.556 --> 00:50:29.116 you want make sure you pay next month's membership I want to, 00:50:29.761 --> 00:50:34.241 I want to talk a little bit about competition this year. Not everybody will. 00:50:35.741 --> 00:50:38.041 I want to get through. If you're a compound member, for example, 00:50:38.101 --> 00:50:41.161 and you don't do high rocks, your competition is every 12 weeks. 00:50:41.181 --> 00:50:42.901 You come in, you lift heavy weights. 00:50:43.461 --> 00:50:46.361 So don't be turned off by the fact that we're talking about high rocks or running 00:50:46.361 --> 00:50:50.981 competition. You can still take something from that. So you're competing multiple times a year. 00:50:52.101 --> 00:50:55.601 What do you actually enjoy the most about those competitions? 00:50:55.841 --> 00:50:58.701 And don't just cap it with, oh, enjoy the journey of improving. 00:50:58.781 --> 00:51:01.541 Improving you know i want to learn we want to learn a little bit more 00:51:01.541 --> 00:51:04.901 about why you enjoy that there's a few different 00:51:04.901 --> 00:51:08.021 events kind of like like yesterday i did the london landmarks half 00:51:08.021 --> 00:51:10.721 marathon and you did really well right tell us about what time you did 00:51:10.721 --> 00:51:13.721 i did 320 uh one hour one hour 00:51:13.721 --> 00:51:17.601 uh 32 minutes nice yeah really good uh pbpk 00:51:17.601 --> 00:51:21.141 so as a personal best post kids uh which 00:51:21.141 --> 00:51:24.201 is oh you're trying to coin something there 00:51:24.201 --> 00:51:27.101 yeah exactly uh but yeah that that event 00:51:27.101 --> 00:51:29.841 if anyone's thinking of doing a half marathon definitely do that 00:51:29.841 --> 00:51:33.241 because it's it was the the atmosphere was there and i 00:51:33.241 --> 00:51:36.021 like i'm not going to be a professional football or anything like 00:51:36.021 --> 00:51:38.641 that but then to have all that crowd there was 00:51:38.641 --> 00:51:41.361 like thousands and thousands of people there cheering you on there was like 00:51:41.361 --> 00:51:44.441 events going on there was a performance going 00:51:44.441 --> 00:51:47.461 all the way around it was it was fantastic and the atmosphere was 00:51:47.461 --> 00:51:50.281 just good and that helped that really helped push me around i. 00:51:50.281 --> 00:51:53.141 Didn't didn't have my headphones in the entire time and just 00:51:53.141 --> 00:51:55.961 it was just everyone was cheering you on you're like right I can really push 00:51:55.961 --> 00:51:58.781 it it helps you go to that next level like if I 00:51:58.781 --> 00:52:02.041 went out and did a half marathon just running around St Albans I'm never 00:52:02.041 --> 00:52:04.861 going to get that time and so it's like okay this is the 00:52:04.861 --> 00:52:07.601 crowd helps you and everyone else around you helps you go to 00:52:07.601 --> 00:52:10.561 that next level I think with with the other events I've 00:52:10.561 --> 00:52:13.461 got going on so I did I did turf games which was 00:52:13.461 --> 00:52:16.761 a bit more of a lifting kind of group a 00:52:16.761 --> 00:52:20.241 team event yeah yeah team team event um again 00:52:20.241 --> 00:52:23.161 first time using the worm together which was an interesting 00:52:23.161 --> 00:52:26.081 one again probably should have practiced a little bit more uh and 00:52:26.081 --> 00:52:28.741 that and but there was also an individual weightlifting part of it 00:52:28.741 --> 00:52:31.741 so you're going to a one rep max and set complex that you're 00:52:31.741 --> 00:52:34.601 working out together which was again that

was really cool 00:52:34.601 --> 00:52:37.741 so you've got people around you cheering you on and just making you go to that 00:52:37.741 --> 00:52:43.141 you had a set time limit to lift that and I think like I always get like still 00:52:43.141 --> 00:52:47.141 get anxiety going into these events thinking oh what if what if we come last 00:52:47.141 --> 00:52:50.841 like what but no one no one cares and if you come last you're probably beating 00:52:50.841 --> 00:52:52.101 someone else in a different category. 00:52:52.721 --> 00:52:58.861 So it's like, I don't think that should make people be worried about doing those sort of events. 00:52:59.021 --> 00:53:03.361 Like that's, the Turf Games one was definitely something I got pulled into that last minute. 00:53:03.561 --> 00:53:06.541 And there were some really, really strong people doing that. 00:53:06.621 --> 00:53:12.381 There was like, my group, I was probably one of the weakest in terms of lifting. 00:53:12.601 --> 00:53:14.641 I knew I was stronger in the cardio bit. 00:53:15.281 --> 00:53:17.201 That's why these things are team events though, right? Yeah. 00:53:17.621 --> 00:53:19.221 Because everybody has their place. 00:53:19.930 --> 00:53:22.730 Exactly yeah so that that was that was good fun uh it 00:53:22.730 --> 00:53:25.430 was quite a long day though so i was about eight hours and then i've 00:53:25.430 --> 00:53:28.250 got um another half marathon saint alban's half marathon 00:53:28.250 --> 00:53:31.930 coming up in june which there's a few of our members doing that one aren't there yes leon's 00:53:31.930 --> 00:53:35.070 already texted me about it saying he's out to beat my time uh and 00:53:35.070 --> 00:53:37.970 then uh i i and then i've got 00:53:37.970 --> 00:53:41.610 athex games which is again it's a bit more of a it's 00:53:41.610 --> 00:53:44.370 it's similar to the hybrid actually uh setup you've got 00:53:44.370 --> 00:53:47.430 so you do a weight lifting section you do a cardio section 00:53:47.430 --> 00:53:50.370 and then you do a metcon section so it's perfectly placed basically 00:53:50.370 --> 00:53:53.230 hybrid yeah yeah um i think leon did the london 00:53:53.230 --> 00:53:56.010 one in the in january i'm doing the one up in liverpool in 00:53:56.010 --> 00:53:58.810 october but the the weightlifting part is a is a 00:53:58.810 --> 00:54:03.630 10 rep max press which is just that's that's bodybuilding yeah yeah yeah he's 00:54:03.630 --> 00:54:08.210 bodybuilding type type areas that um i think affect is something that we're 00:54:08.210 --> 00:54:13.230 seriously going to look at for introducing maybe next year if it's still around 00:54:13.230 --> 00:54:18.730 which i think it will be the barrier to entry i i my gut feeling is that. 00:54:19.270 --> 00:54:22.110 Although we're not a lifting gym per se i think 00:54:22.110 --> 00:54:25.410 our members would enjoy affects yeah i think it would span multiple groups 00:54:25.410 --> 00:54:28.150 of people rather than just favor the 00:54:28.150 --> 00:54:30.910 runners of the group um so we're 00:54:30.910 --> 00:54:33.670 looking at that and i am looking at maybe whether we could host our 00:54:33.670 --> 00:54:37.250 own mini internal affects type event um 00:54:37.250 --> 00:54:40.270 just for members really that want to come and do that um 00:54:40.270 --> 00:54:43.370 because we're going to be four years old in may um so maybe 00:54:43.370 --> 00:54:46.050 looking at like not this may but next may for like a 00:54:46.050 --> 00:54:48.910 fifth year anniversary type thing doing doing something like that 00:54:48.910 --> 00:54:51.910 would be so i think it's so beneficial 00:54:51.910 --> 00:54:54.750 because i i remember when i first started like competing at lifting 00:54:54.750 --> 00:54:57.570 we had like little internal gym competitions which were 00:54:57.570 --> 00:55:00.330 like oh i'll give that a try because i know i know everyone here i trust them yeah 00:55:00.330 --> 00:55:03.950 whereas like doing a big stage lifting it's like it's it's 00:55:03.950 --> 00:55:06.670 it's it's a big it's a bit daunting really to go 00:55:06.670 --> 00:55:09.330 down that so i think you'll get a lot of people through that the good thing with 00:55:09.330 --> 00:55:12.310 ethics is like it's it's intensive so 00:55:12.310 --> 00:55:15.150 it's like you're done done dusted within two hours and then 00:55:15.150 --> 00:55:18.450 there's two like the first event break for 20 minutes 00:55:18.450 --> 00:55:21.270 second event ready for half hour and you get massages in 00:55:21.270 --> 00:55:24.610 between so it's like what's what's not to love it's like 00:55:24.610 --> 00:55:27.750 i figured out why you signed up for all these events now yeah how do 00:55:27.750 --> 00:55:31.330 you how do you prepare for these events because it's clear that you i really 00:55:31.330 --> 00:55:34.250 like talking to people that take things seriously like i've never been one of 00:55:34.250 --> 00:55:39.010 those people that like ridicules or plays down somebody else's passion like 00:55:39.010 --> 00:55:42.650 my passion is fishing um that's what i like doing to get away i talk to you 00:55:42.650 --> 00:55:45.730 know 130 people every day about fitness in the gym. 00:55:45.950 --> 00:55:48.190 My passion is to get away from that and be on my own. 00:55:48.390 --> 00:55:52.290 And I remember growing up through school, I was definitely bullied about going fishing. 00:55:52.370 --> 00:55:57.550 And it kind of set this mindset of, I really want to be a part of experiencing 00:55:57.550 --> 00:56:01.610 why somebody else loves their niche of passion or hobby or whatever. 00:56:01.890 --> 00:56:05.190 But how do you take it seriously, which I love? Because... 00:56:05.968 --> 00:56:09.348 It's great it's great that people go and do it and oh yeah just doing it for 00:56:09.348 --> 00:56:12.508 fun brilliant go and do it just fun but when somebody says no no like it's an

00:56:12.508 --> 00:56:15.968 intrinsic part of my life I like the competing I kind of want to learn a little 00:56:15.968 --> 00:56:19.328 bit about how people prepare for that bearing in mind you've got loads of other 00:56:19.328 --> 00:56:22.208 stuff going on in your life I think even when people are saying. 00:56:22.568 --> 00:56:25.568 Doing it for fun there's still an element of training like yesterday I 00:56:25.568 --> 00:56:28.308 was running I was running it for fun but I still wanted to 00:56:28.308 --> 00:56:31.488 train for it and I think there's I've got to um 00:56:31.488 --> 00:56:34.548 a kind base layer now where i kind of know i've 00:56:34.548 --> 00:56:37.368 started to know my body a little bit better so like going into 00:56:37.368 --> 00:56:40.248 this half marathon i knew two weeks ago i need to get out for 00:56:40.248 --> 00:56:42.988 for 10 miles and just get the get the get 00:56:42.988 --> 00:56:45.808 the miles miles in the legs i knew that i was 00:56:45.808 --> 00:56:48.788 fairly confident with the training i was doing in the gym i could 00:56:48.788 --> 00:56:51.708 last that that sort of distance but then i was just interested to 00:56:51.708 --> 00:56:54.588 know like how because the training here is very different to 00:56:54.588 --> 00:56:57.368 kind of the marathon training i was doing previously where it's like a 00:56:57.368 --> 00:57:00.148 lot of sprinting stuff so i i was like interested to 00:57:00.148 --> 00:57:02.948 just see how my body would react so did 10 miles a couple weeks 00:57:02.948 --> 00:57:05.688 ago felt fine I was like right okay I know what sort of time 00:57:05.688 --> 00:57:08.948 I'm going to go for and so I think I mentioned 00:57:08.948 --> 00:57:11.748 it before going into these sort of events and being the most boring 00:57:11.748 --> 00:57:15.768 event in the world it should be if you've done that sort of training there's other 00:57:15.768 --> 00:57:18.688 like obviously life gets in the way of that so I hadn't done 00:57:18.688 --> 00:57:21.568 enough training for uh for this half 00:57:21.568 --> 00:57:24.308 marathon I don't I think I could have done a little bit more if I'd got 00:57:24.308 --> 00:57:27.048 out a little bit more but then life gets in the way so I 00:57:27.048 --> 00:57:30.568 think anyone anyone who's thinking of those events i would i would definitely 00:57:30.568 --> 00:57:34.708 just like carry on with the do the training this build up for it there's programs 00:57:34.708 --> 00:57:37.788 for any of these things you can down like speak to you or download them off 00:57:37.788 --> 00:57:41.928 the internet and so forth yeah have you have you had any have you had any setbacks 00:57:41.928 --> 00:57:46.728 because you obviously you're doing quite a lot of competitions over over a yearly period. 00:57:47.514 --> 00:57:51.234 I'm just interested to know if physically or mentally you've had, 00:57:51.374 --> 00:57:56.134 you've come across anything that's

kind of made you, that's really stopped you 00:57:56.134 --> 00:57:58.714 in your tracks and thought, I'm not, I'm not going to be able to achieve this. 00:57:59.834 --> 00:58:05.934 Um, I think especially with kids and work, your chat, your plan's changed. 00:58:06.014 --> 00:58:07.034 Every day's a setback. Yeah. 00:58:09.594 --> 00:58:13.254 Hopefully Becky won't listen to this. But it is, you can't, 00:58:13.394 --> 00:58:16.894 you have a plan in your mind and then at like five 30 in the morning, 00:58:16.894 --> 00:58:19.754 it goes out the window yeah so it's like well okay i've got i've 00:58:19.754 --> 00:58:22.594 got a change i've got a pivot i'm not gonna like there might be a day when 00:58:22.594 --> 00:58:25.274 i'm not gonna be able to get to the gym and then try not to be 00:58:25.274 --> 00:58:28.014 in that uh just get that really down feeling of 00:58:28.014 --> 00:58:30.794 like not not being able to do what you want to do but you you have to 00:58:30.794 --> 00:58:35.214 change you have to pivot and then it's like it's understanding like when you 00:58:35.214 --> 00:58:39.554 can push and when you can't really what's your proudest moment in competition 00:58:39.554 --> 00:58:45.674 so far uh let's go pre-kids post-kids um the the london marathon was by father 00:58:45.674 --> 00:58:50.174 that the amount of training i did for that and like that was three months of like, 00:58:50.994 --> 00:58:55.154 pure dedication for that and that was me being really really selfish so like 00:58:55.154 --> 00:58:58.694 my my didn't really see much of my friends and then they cut back on that i 00:58:58.694 --> 00:59:03.274 didn't have to have a girlfriend and didn't have like there's always new friends 00:59:03.274 --> 00:59:08.534 yeah that that was that was that was so good competing that uh and then i think, 00:59:09.290 --> 00:59:12.190 post kids i like high rocks 00:59:12.190 --> 00:59:15.350 last year like at the end of that because because of having 00:59:15.350 --> 00:59:20.870 done it before like knowing how hard it was then in the pairs and then again 00:59:20.870 --> 00:59:23.790 it's going back to like okay i've done the training and then coming in here 00:59:23.790 --> 00:59:27.790 and like that was it was fantastic to hit that hit the time i wanted as well 00:59:27.790 --> 00:59:30.590 it was yeah really really pleased with that yeah i think the nice thing about 00:59:30.590 --> 00:59:34.670 here as well is that people really celebrate everybody's achievement i remember. 00:59:35.790 --> 00:59:38.550 Throw Rob under the bus here Rob Rob owns the garage 00:59:38.550 --> 00:59:41.390 next door to the gym um Rob and I compete together and 00:59:41.390 --> 00:59:44.150 Rob bless him he hid it well but he was so unwell the day 00:59:44.150 --> 00:59:46.930 we competed we were quite lucky we competed on Sunday morning there 00:59:46.930 --> 00:59:51.870 was nobody there to to in to run past with a bar embarrassing sheepish looks 00:59:51.870 --> 00:59:56.710 but I think we did a terrible time like 1 35 our time was so slow that even 00:59:56.710 --> 01:00:00.910 Becky my wife and her sister had run a faster time um and they didn't even bother 01:00:00.910 --> 01:00:05.010 training um And I still remember, though, people messaging, 01:00:05.150 --> 01:00:07.950 saying, well done, you've done it, and all the rest of it. And I own the gym, for God's sake. 01:00:08.050 --> 01:00:11.850 So I do think that when somebody comes in and they say, I've run a 120. 01:00:12.230 --> 01:00:17.770 Those people that have done a high rocks have that intrinsic knowledge of how 01:00:17.770 --> 01:00:23.170 hard it is just to get on the start line and do it, but to then go and run something else. 01:00:23.170 --> 01:00:26.650 And that's why we set up the, for those of you that haven't been in the gym 01:00:26.650 --> 01:00:31.150 lately, in the corridor, we set up a wall with photos on with everyone that's 01:00:31.150 --> 01:00:32.450 done High Rocks, completed it. 01:00:32.530 --> 01:00:35.670 And then we've got the High Rocks wall where you sign it in a different color 01:00:35.670 --> 01:00:38.070 every time that you complete a High Rocks. 01:00:38.210 --> 01:00:44.850 And I think that little bit of recognition, I don't know if we get that much as adults anymore. 01:00:44.850 --> 01:00:49.470 You might get a pay rise, a bonus or a new job or whatever, but I don't know 01:00:49.470 --> 01:00:54.710 if we get the opportunity outside of doing something like that to really get 01:00:54.710 --> 01:00:57.530 a pat on the back from people that means something to us. 01:00:57.610 --> 01:01:00.070 Because you do go through hell with people in the gym, you know, 01:01:00.170 --> 01:01:02.610 and they say, God, bloody hell, well done, mate. 01:01:02.670 --> 01:01:05.270 And I think that well done is really, it's really meaningful. 01:01:05.490 --> 01:01:07.770 You know, adds real value to your day and to your life. 01:01:07.770 --> 01:01:10.830 I think going back to you that's exactly why i compete really 01:01:10.830 --> 01:01:13.730 because it's like it's good to get that kind of recognition and get 01:01:13.730 --> 01:01:16.430 some of that target in place i don't think i don't think my 01:01:16.430 --> 01:01:19.890 training would drop off a cliff if i didn't have those like 01:01:19.890 --> 01:01:23.130 set events in the diaries like okay i'm aiming for this obviously 01:01:23.130 --> 01:01:26.150 you're going to take a bit of a downtime now after the after the half do you 01:01:26.150 --> 01:01:28.990 think so do you with with rob do you 01:01:28.990 --> 01:01:34.570 think he would have competed if it was him on his own um i 01:01:34.570 --> 01:01:37.470 i don't know i mean rob's done lots of competitions and he 01:01:37.470 --> 01:01:40.790 is actually a real solid athlete um in 01:01:40.790 --> 01:01:44.910 terms of his ability just to he's got that he's got that thing almost like a

01:01:44.910 --> 01:01:48.730 like iron men have where he just keep going yeah it doesn't necessarily matter 01:01:48.730 --> 01:01:51.670 what the speed he's very strong as well so there's a lot of those events in 01:01:51.670 --> 01:01:56.950 on the day though it was so poorly yeah and if you've ever had a really i mean 01:01:56.950 --> 01:01:58.750 i say probably it was worse than a heavy cold. 01:01:59.298 --> 01:02:02.598 If you've ever had a really heavy cold, you'll know, if you were a heart rate 01:02:02.598 --> 01:02:06.938 monitor, your heart rate jumps almost one zone when you're not feeling very well. 01:02:07.278 --> 01:02:12.518 And to put that into layman's terms, that is your body effectively not being 01:02:12.518 --> 01:02:15.798 able to deal with getting rid of carbon dioxide quickly enough. 01:02:15.798 --> 01:02:17.718 And that builds up in the muscles. It slows you down. 01:02:17.918 --> 01:02:24.178 You're struggling for air. So you think hyroxy is intrinsically aerobic as an 01:02:24.178 --> 01:02:25.218 exercise, cardiovascular. 01:02:25.218 --> 01:02:28.438 Um and if you're operating at 10 under your 01:02:28.438 --> 01:02:31.378 best that is you are going to feel it um i 01:02:31.378 --> 01:02:34.498 think probably if rob and i went in fit and 01:02:34.498 --> 01:02:37.478 well with a little bit even with a little bit of training we're probably 01:02:37.478 --> 01:02:40.518 coming in at you know one between 122 and 128 01:02:40.518 --> 01:02:43.358 as opposed to 135 um because there 01:02:43.358 --> 01:02:46.318 was a cut i think we stopped for almost four minutes at one point oh wow rob was 01:02:46.318 --> 01:02:51.298 feeling so rob's feeling poorly and that's not rob like robby's uh you know 01:02:51.298 --> 01:02:56.218 robby's a a decent enough runner you know he's formed his little run club in 01:02:56.218 --> 01:02:59.958 the little rush that sounds so so so patronizing but he's formed a run club 01:02:59.958 --> 01:03:02.378 and a lot of the members that come in the morning they go out and they do like 01:03:02.378 --> 01:03:05.718 between one and a half and sort of two and a half k at the end of a class so, 01:03:06.218 --> 01:03:10.158 um i i'm keen to i am keen to do a doubles again but even i couldn't get a ticket 01:03:10.158 --> 01:03:15.218 for olympia um as a gym owner which is frustrating um but i will do it again 01:03:15.218 --> 01:03:18.958 probably probably with someone that's maybe a little bit quicker runner than 01:03:18.958 --> 01:03:23.538 me to pull me around um what go on sorry it's interesting. 01:03:24.438 --> 01:03:27.578 I was speaking to someone yesterday actually about the tactics of that, 01:03:27.678 --> 01:03:31.338 and they were saying within the doubles, and this is something I definitely 01:03:31.338 --> 01:03:33.458 didn't even consider the first time I was doing it as a pair, 01:03:33.938 --> 01:03:40.998 the stronger runner finishes first, finishes last, sorry, on the machine.

On the event, yeah. 01:03:41.078 --> 01:03:44.558 So it slows them down on their lap. Yeah, and then the other person is recovering 01:03:44.558 --> 01:03:47.438 and stuff, and it's like, those sort of tactics, that's, yeah. 01:03:47.778 --> 01:03:50.458 That could be five minutes of an event. 01:03:51.854 --> 01:03:54.754 It doesn't sound a lot to people listening potentially, but, 01:03:54.754 --> 01:03:57.914 you know, once you get into these, particularly doing them with a set partner, 01:03:58.154 --> 01:04:02.814 it is amazing how you feel like, yeah, let's go do that again and beat our time. 01:04:02.834 --> 01:04:05.534 You know, even if you're completely different athletes, because we are all a 01:04:05.534 --> 01:04:08.834 bit different, it's amazing how it kind of gets under your skin, 01:04:09.054 --> 01:04:13.274 even if it does cost 130 quid every time to do it. But what's the biggest lesson? 01:04:13.654 --> 01:04:17.034 I mean, it's a bit for the soft courses, but what's the biggest life lesson 01:04:17.034 --> 01:04:20.194 that competing in fitness events has taught you? 01:04:21.974 --> 01:04:24.914 I try like don't be scared of going into them i think 01:04:24.914 --> 01:04:28.494 is like and try and try something new because i mean you're everyone's 01:04:28.494 --> 01:04:31.334 so welcoming in all of these events like even if you're doing even if 01:04:31.334 --> 01:04:34.654 you're doing badly people will get you get you through i think 01:04:34.654 --> 01:04:38.014 the but the biggest lesson for me really personally 01:04:38.014 --> 01:04:40.934 was just knowing knowing where my strengths 01:04:40.934 --> 01:04:43.874 and weaknesses lie and then understanding my body and when how 01:04:43.874 --> 01:04:46.634 it's reacting i don't think you talked about it earlier with 01:04:46.634 --> 01:04:49.454 that that client you were saying like the the heart rate and give 01:04:49.454 --> 01:04:52.334 and take i think that is knowing understand your 01:04:52.334 --> 01:04:55.174 body at that level is like it elevates you 01:04:55.174 --> 01:04:58.154 a little bit more so you i know that i'm i'm decent 01:04:58.154 --> 01:05:01.034 on the rower i'm decent on the running but then there's certain areas 01:05:01.034 --> 01:05:03.934 i'm going to be going to really really struggle and that just it's not 01:05:03.934 --> 01:05:06.774 just high rocks going into any of these events like i know i'm 01:05:06.774 --> 01:05:09.454 going to struggle on the on the weight lifting that i've got the ethics event 01:05:09.454 --> 01:05:13.014 coming up and i know like yesterday i knew i was going to struggle from mile 01:05:13.014 --> 01:05:16.314 12 12 onwards and it's like right this is going to a lot of that is because 01:05:16.314 --> 01:05:19.054 you push yourself to do something that's out of the comfort zone though right 01:05:19.054 --> 01:05:22.854 i mean we hear that a lot in in modern day i just want to touch on something 01:05:22.854 -->

01:05:25.594 it's probably slightly off kilt here but you you said about. 01:05:26.794 --> 01:05:32.454 Not so despite what i portray in the gym in my personal life i'm actually incredibly like, 01:05:33.334 --> 01:05:36.154 unconfident particularly at doing new things um becky has 01:05:36.154 --> 01:05:39.314 to drag me kicking and scream once i'm there i'm fine but um 01:05:39.314 --> 01:05:42.134 i think knowing your own personality around that 01:05:42.134 --> 01:05:45.794 stuff is can be empowering but it also can be debilitive i 01:05:45.794 --> 01:05:48.594 want to ask your opinion as a 42 year 01:05:48.594 --> 01:05:54.974 old guy with kids you know you got a daughter and a son what what is your opinion 01:05:54.974 --> 01:06:00.614 of how facebook and instagram and tiktok portray high rocks compared to what 01:06:00.614 --> 01:06:06.154 you've experienced oh like the the people on facebook and instagram with high rocks it's like. 01:06:06.843 --> 01:06:09.843 They're in the gym all the time and it's like one of my friends actually 01:06:09.843 --> 01:06:13.263 posted things and he's a he's a PT but he was like don't 01:06:13.263 --> 01:06:16.863 like I do this all the time you're if 01:06:16.863 --> 01:06:20.243 you want to you can look like me if you do this all the time but don't 01:06:20.243 --> 01:06:23.823 compare yourself and I think that's the that's the important thing like I'm 01:06:23.823 --> 01:06:27.183 I'm not gonna have like washboard abs because 01:06:27.183 --> 01:06:30.043 I'm I've got to work and I'm like I'm getting up early and 01:06:30.043 --> 01:06:33.443 I'm gonna eat a sugary treat because I'm shattered I think 01:06:33.443 --> 01:06:36.303 the the worry with the everything that's posted 01:06:36.303 --> 01:06:40.003 on i think they're getting better at it by showing the like like more 01:06:40.003 --> 01:06:43.063 everyday athletes but i think that's the inspiring thing 01:06:43.063 --> 01:06:45.843 yeah i mean yeah i mentioned this in lee i think i mentioned it 01:06:45.843 --> 01:06:49.063 in leon's or maybe what mine i did with abby but there was 01:06:49.063 --> 01:06:52.163 i've been to four or five events now as one 01:06:52.163 --> 01:06:56.223 only two as participant and then the others to watch and support and i think 01:06:56.223 --> 01:07:02.263 at three of those events now i've seen the two senior ladies both over 75 maybe 01:07:02.263 --> 01:07:05.143 running high rocks you know and i remember seeing them they did their first 01:07:05.143 --> 01:07:08.483 one in olympia did one in i think they did one in ireland i might be wrong and 01:07:08.483 --> 01:07:09.903 then i saw them again at xl 01:07:10.303 --> 01:07:14.723 um and they'd improve their time and all the rest of it but for me maybe i'm 01:07:14.723 --> 01:07:18.343 biased because i own a gym but for me that's where the real story is live right 01:07:18.343 --> 01:07:24.583 i mean the the top 15 are they'll just move on to the next competition and do 01:07:24.583 --> 01:07:26.403 something you know when when some 01:07:26.403 --> 01:07:29.163 gobbledygook new competition comes again along in three or four years' 01:07:29.263 --> 01:07:31.663 time with a new name. They'll just go and do that one and smash that. 01:07:32.023 --> 01:07:34.623 What I'm really, you know, and it's great to celebrate that greatness. 01:07:35.218 --> 01:07:37.738 I'm really interested in the people that have really had to fight adversity 01:07:37.738 --> 01:07:41.418 to get there. They're the people, you know, and I remember watching those girls at Olympia. 01:07:41.618 --> 01:07:46.358 I kind of waddled off and was doing my own thing while Becky was off preparing for her race. 01:07:46.698 --> 01:07:49.978 And I remember watching them and the war balls took them about 15, 01:07:50.098 --> 01:07:52.298 20 minutes. Like it's a tough watch. 01:07:52.498 --> 01:07:56.198 But I remember watching, I kind of followed them for about 40 minutes of what 01:07:56.198 --> 01:07:57.218 they were doing previously. 01:07:57.398 --> 01:08:01.198 And then on and off a little bit. I remember watching them cross the finish line. 01:08:01.198 --> 01:08:04.538 And oh my god there must have been honestly 400 01:08:04.538 --> 01:08:07.278 people like climbing over each other to watch them do 01:08:07.278 --> 01:08:10.518 yeah and that i've never in all 01:08:10.518 --> 01:08:13.358 the events i've done i've never heard even with you know people running 01:08:13.358 --> 01:08:16.438 around in fireman's outfits and do all that sort of stuff fireman's outfits 01:08:16.438 --> 01:08:19.758 they're running around in full fireman gear i've never 01:08:19.758 --> 01:08:22.838 seen and heard as big a cheer for them now there's 01:08:22.838 --> 01:08:25.698 probably of the 400 people watching or more 01:08:25.698 --> 01:08:28.338 there's probably two people that know them and 398 people that 01:08:28.338 --> 01:08:31.178 don't and i'm not kidding you like i was welling up watching them 01:08:31.178 --> 01:08:33.958 cross the finish line because you if you come into a gym every day 01:08:33.958 --> 01:08:36.858 and watch people whether whether they're 01:08:36.858 --> 01:08:39.638 fit 42 year olds like you or whether they're you 01:08:39.638 --> 01:08:42.438 know 60 year olds that are at the start of their journey trying to rediscover their 01:08:42.438 --> 01:08:45.178 fitness i i you watch that and 01:08:45.178 --> 01:08:48.438 you can't help but think you know that is amazing like two 01:08:48.438 --> 01:08:51.498 two girls over 75 have both just completed 01:08:51.498 --> 01:08:54.898 the high rocks in three hours or whatever it was but like 01:08:54.898 --> 01:08:57.938 they've gone out there and they've done that and i just think the more of that 01:08:57.938 --> 01:09:04.178 that gets promoted the reality of the event and the less of the i just did it 01:09:04.178 --> 01:09:08.418 in 52 minutes it gets promoted with

potentially performance enhancing you know 01:09:08.418 --> 01:09:11.498 all the rest of it i think they're the people that are going to. 01:09:12.262 --> 01:09:15.162 Get people into high rocks that perhaps sat there looking at instagram 01:09:15.162 --> 01:09:17.882 thinking whoa that's well out of my league first of all i can't even afford 01:09:17.882 --> 01:09:20.842 that pair of trainers secondly i don't think i 01:09:20.842 --> 01:09:24.602 could get around that and then you see two amazing women 01:09:24.602 --> 01:09:27.442 you know of that age completing the event and you think 01:09:27.442 --> 01:09:30.722 that there's that seed of doubt in someone's mind maybe i 01:09:30.722 --> 01:09:33.802 could do that yeah all right you got i think the biggest misconception 01:09:33.802 --> 01:09:36.802 is that that instagram creates is that a 01:09:36.802 --> 01:09:39.802 lot of these people don't have to train for it yeah you see a lot of posts based 01:09:39.802 --> 01:09:42.582 around here's what i ate leading up to high rocks i care about what you hate me what 01:09:42.582 --> 01:09:45.202 i care about is how hard you trained for six months to do a 01:09:45.202 --> 01:09:48.362 102 or 104 so but that that kind of 01:09:48.362 --> 01:09:51.062 pinpoints you though doesn't it because like what's that 01:09:51.062 --> 01:09:53.902 a year later you're still talking about those 70 old women oh yeah 01:09:53.902 --> 01:09:56.922 for sure i i bet my house 01:09:56.922 --> 01:10:00.262 that you wouldn't be able to tell me who won that high rocks that year no and 01:10:00.262 --> 01:10:03.382 i don't i wouldn't even looked it up and i it's like 01:10:03.382 --> 01:10:06.202 no one no one really cares about like the winner of it because it's 01:10:06.202 --> 01:10:09.002 a it's a mass participation event isn't it at the end of the day it's not 01:10:09.002 --> 01:10:11.662 one of these and the same as yesterday like i 01:10:11.662 --> 01:10:14.682 wouldn't be able to tell you who won the race but i could tell you there was a p 01:10:14.682 --> 01:10:17.482 there are two people running around dressed as uh tower bridge running 01:10:17.482 --> 01:10:20.302 next to each other which looked fantastic it's like how are you running that 01:10:20.302 --> 01:10:25.382 it's that is true like the community spirit element bearing in mind i say this 01:10:25.382 --> 01:10:28.522 all the time on this podcast but i am not mr community and we've kind of let 01:10:28.522 --> 01:10:32.282 the members dictate the community and amazing people like suzanne mahoney help 01:10:32.282 --> 01:10:36.122 organize the social stuff and we don't go overboard with that you know so We're 01:10:36.122 --> 01:10:36.882 not down the pub every night, 01:10:36.902 --> 01:10:39.842 but I think we could do a little bit more, but we do enough. 01:10:40.800 --> 01:10:45.900 I remember those elements of High Rocks. So she won't mind me mentioning it, 01:10:45.960 --> 01:10:50.280 but I remember when Joe Allen and Joe Baldock did their first High Rocks together. 01:10:50.600 --> 01:10:55.240 And Joe Baldock was genuinely worried. I mean, I've been training with her for 01:10:55.240 --> 01:11:00.580 a while. I knew she'd be fine, but just that elation of watching her cross the finish line. 01:11:01.120 --> 01:11:06.800 And I don't know if I'm saying pride is the right word, but feeling happy that 01:11:06.800 --> 01:11:10.480 she was so happy about it. And Lauren is the other one. 01:11:10.940 --> 01:11:13.900 Bearing in mind that that girl said she'd never do a high rocks and then 01:11:13.900 --> 01:11:16.820 you know now she's running bloody half marathons marathons and 01:11:16.820 --> 01:11:19.700 i don't have ever seen someone do a marathon do high rocks 01:11:19.700 --> 01:11:22.540 smiling all the way around just like i'm here i'm 01:11:22.540 --> 01:11:25.580 doing it i'm i'm overcoming all this stuff and i've 01:11:25.580 --> 01:11:28.180 had children and i'm proving that i'm not just proving that i 01:11:28.180 --> 01:11:31.160 can do it i'm proving other people can do it like there it sounds a bit cheesy perhaps 01:11:31.160 --> 01:11:33.940 perhaps as we get older i think they're the things that matter more to us like 01:11:33.940 --> 01:11:36.900 those shared experiences i wish wish that was 01:11:36.900 --> 01:11:40.040 a bit more that was portrayed a little bit more on social media rather 01:11:40.040 --> 01:11:43.040 than sort of half naked people running one hour 01:11:43.040 --> 01:11:45.860 you know it's funny you say that about the journey because like my 01:11:45.860 --> 01:11:49.860 wife took up running like in 2019 and 01:11:49.860 --> 01:11:52.720 like going on that journey with her was just so good because 01:11:52.720 --> 01:11:55.420 she'd like entered a half marathon she was supposed to do it 01:11:55.420 --> 01:11:58.280 then lockdown happened but then she still still ran 01:11:58.280 --> 01:12:00.980 it anyway yeah and it was just mental to think 01:12:00.980 --> 01:12:05.040 that she hadn't she'd run like 5k before that and then we went out for a 10k 01:12:05.040 --> 01:12:09.320 took over an hour to complete it and then by the end of it we did a half marathon 01:12:09.320 --> 01:12:13.860 sub two hours and it's like I felt better about that than any of the races I've 01:12:13.860 --> 01:12:18.780 done that year it's amazing I really think here we do have that. 01:12:19.761 --> 01:12:23.021 And Leon's journey is probably similar, but I don't always want to heart back to him. 01:12:23.141 --> 01:12:28.241 But I think a lot of people get a lot of, take a lot of sort of, 01:12:28.361 --> 01:12:33.621 I can't think of the right word really, but I think it makes us feel great sharing 01:12:33.621 --> 01:12:35.081 a part of somebody else's success. 01:12:35.281 --> 01:12:38.881 And knowing that, for example, if someone's on a huge, let's use weight loss 01:12:38.881 --> 01:12:40.581 because it's the

easiest thing. 01:12:40.781 --> 01:12:44.441 Someone's on a huge weight loss journey or they're on an amazing high rocks journey or whatever. 01:12:44.661 --> 01:12:47.721 And you're in some of those training sessions that you're in. 01:12:47.821 --> 01:12:48.801 You're running alongside them. 01:12:49.441 --> 01:12:53.601 You're running down that horrible road on a 1K run and they run past you or 01:12:53.601 --> 01:12:55.541 you run past them and you say, well done, mate, keep going. 01:12:56.601 --> 01:13:00.561 You've intrinsically had a part, you've played a part in that person's training 01:13:00.561 --> 01:13:02.441 that's led them to the start and the finish line. 01:13:02.581 --> 01:13:06.741 And I think there's a lot, it's kind of almost like charity to a degree, 01:13:06.781 --> 01:13:11.661 but there's a lot to be said for being involved in somebody else's journey as 01:13:11.661 --> 01:13:13.261 well as your own journey. 01:13:13.381 --> 01:13:17.061 I do think perhaps as you get older, that becomes more valuable, the communal spirit. 01:13:17.061 --> 01:13:23.081 It but cool okay what outside of no just let's just go back a minute you i want 01:13:23.081 --> 01:13:26.241 to explore quickly because i think a lot of people will resonate with this the 01:13:26.241 --> 01:13:30.081 dynamic between you and your wife around training does your wife train a lot 01:13:30.081 --> 01:13:33.901 um is she an avid exerciser gym goer runner etc, 01:13:34.641 --> 01:13:37.661 and is she i'm not scouting for clients um just 01:13:37.661 --> 01:13:40.541 asking and and how do you guys manage 01:13:40.541 --> 01:13:43.501 that busy life with with the dynamic of that 01:13:43.501 --> 01:13:46.321 exercise yeah i mean she um we've got a peloton at home 01:13:46.321 --> 01:13:49.121 she absolutely loves that she um she still 01:13:49.121 --> 01:13:51.921 she enjoys running but it's like it's harder to get 01:13:51.921 --> 01:13:56.541 like find the time and stuff so we we have different days in the office so like 01:13:56.541 --> 01:14:00.621 i'm working from home on a monday so then i get to go i'm going to the gym today 01:14:00.621 --> 01:14:05.821 normally and then uh same on same on fridays and stuff so it's give and take 01:14:05.821 --> 01:14:09.201 really um i think with with her training though. 01:14:10.201 --> 01:14:14.301 I brought in here a few weeks ago and then she's just she's quite um i guess 01:14:14.301 --> 01:14:17.641 similar sort of person she doesn't like putting herself out there excuse me, 01:14:18.222 --> 01:14:22.842 And so she found it a little bit intimidating with like on the team ones where 01:14:22.842 --> 01:14:26.082 it's like, okay, you're waiting for someone to finish on the air bike before everyone switches. 01:14:26.262 --> 01:14:29.682 And it's like, I was trying to say to her, no one cares. Like everyone's like just here. 01:14:30.002 --> 01:14:35.482 And then so she prefers kind of the individual kind of workouts

and stuff. 01:14:35.622 --> 01:14:38.342 So I just guess different training methods really. 01:14:38.542 --> 01:14:43.362 Yeah, there is, you're not the first person to say about that whole intimidating thing. 01:14:43.442 --> 01:14:48.502 And it's hard to kind of help people get over that. but equally recognising 01:14:48.502 --> 01:14:52.782 that St Albans, someone will tell me after this podcast, but I don't know, 01:14:52.902 --> 01:14:54.702 there's a huge population in St Albans, right? 01:14:55.782 --> 01:14:58.842 And somebody said to me the other day, oh, there's so many gyms in St Albans. 01:14:58.962 --> 01:15:01.922 I was like, yeah, there are, but there's also a shit tonne of people. 01:15:02.082 --> 01:15:06.302 And we can only really service 150 maximum to make sure that everyone can book 01:15:06.302 --> 01:15:09.522 classes and we're making some changes to timetables to accommodate that. 01:15:09.662 --> 01:15:13.422 But the reality is we're not going to be for everybody. and big 01:15:13.422 --> 01:15:16.862 gyms like um the the council-based 01:15:16.862 --> 01:15:19.402 leisure center down near the park you know they're not going to 01:15:19.402 --> 01:15:22.202 be for everybody so i think the most important thing is to 01:15:22.202 --> 01:15:25.262 find what like what works for you and if if you 01:15:25.262 --> 01:15:28.062 take someone like your wife that enjoys running and peloton then 01:15:28.062 --> 01:15:30.722 and that works for her then we've got it seems to 01:15:30.722 --> 01:15:34.122 have this constant need to change it i've got to change it um and actually if 01:15:34.122 --> 01:15:38.182 it works it works right but that's exactly i i don't think i could i i don't 01:15:38.182 --> 01:15:42.522 know if it's the crossfit foundations i had or like i don't think i could go 01:15:42.522 --> 01:15:46.782 into a normal gym and like because i'd want to switch from the doing the hybrid 01:15:46.782 --> 01:15:48.362 kind of working of like weights. 01:15:48.822 --> 01:15:51.622 Cardio and switching things around it just you'd get all the equipment 01:15:51.622 --> 01:15:54.402 out and everyone would be just like what is this yeah what is this 01:15:54.402 --> 01:15:57.622 guy a bit outlandish i guess so what does 01:15:57.622 --> 01:16:00.302 what is training we're not we've been going a 01:16:00.302 --> 01:16:03.122 good time here so we're just going to wrap up but what does training mean to 01:16:03.122 --> 01:16:06.142 you we talked a lot about competition what does it mean to you beyond competition you 01:16:06.142 --> 01:16:08.962 know in terms of just let's say you don't have 01:16:08.962 --> 01:16:11.922 something booked in the diary for an event i know you do but let's imagine you 01:16:11.922 --> 01:16:16.322 don't and you're coming in and you're training regularly what does normal what 01:16:16.322 --> 01:16:21.982 does normal training mean to you beyond just competing i'm looking good naked 01:16:21.982 --> 01:16:26.582 is yeah but i mean that's that's an image i'm gonna have to drive home with. 01:16:27.942 --> 01:16:34.022 Um I I want to I want to stay fit and healthy and like um when my my dad my 01:16:34.022 --> 01:16:39.062 dad had quite a serious stroke about 18 years ago and that kind of plays in my mind quite a lot that I. 01:16:39.972 --> 01:16:43.852 I, I, he was, he was one of the fittest people I knew and he did like marathons 01:16:43.852 --> 01:16:45.132 and so he beat, beat my time. 01:16:45.252 --> 01:16:48.812 He made sure I knew about that, but like he, if he wasn't that fit, 01:16:49.052 --> 01:16:50.012 the stroke would have killed him. 01:16:50.372 --> 01:16:53.012 And I know it's a bit of a more, but then I kind of want to, 01:16:53.372 --> 01:16:56.412 I want to, I want to, I want to make sure I'm, that's kind of always in the 01:16:56.412 --> 01:16:59.812 back of mind. I want to be the fittest I can be if something like that happens. 01:16:59.972 --> 01:17:03.452 And I think just being able to like lift my kids up and play with them. 01:17:03.552 --> 01:17:06.292 I'm a, I'm, I'm a fairly old dad, uh, back 01:17:06.292 --> 01:17:09.272 because not having kids in 20s and stuff but I I want 01:17:09.272 --> 01:17:11.932 to be able to hang out with them I want to be able to do stuff with them I want to be able to 01:17:11.932 --> 01:17:14.812 like compete with them so having that level of fitness 01:17:14.812 --> 01:17:17.852 I think is that's that's my aim like you bring 01:17:17.852 --> 01:17:20.732 it full circle with Mike I'm so envious that he's doing high 01:17:20.732 --> 01:17:23.832 rocks with his son yeah I and I'm like right that's like 01:17:23.832 --> 01:17:26.492 12 years away for Grace if if if she 01:17:26.492 --> 01:17:29.072 wants to do it obviously but like that would be something that I 01:17:29.072 --> 01:17:32.092 dream of doing and like going out for a run with her I'd love 01:17:32.092 --> 01:17:35.272 to do that so that level of fitness that's kind of end end 01:17:35.272 --> 01:17:38.172 goal really like okay that's what i want to be able to compete with 01:17:38.172 --> 01:17:41.112 my like and do and do some fun stuff with my kids yeah i 01:17:41.112 --> 01:17:44.292 think i think there's a lot of people out there that will really sort of resonate with 01:17:44.292 --> 01:17:49.072 that and i i feel that as well you know like playing rugby is a great example 01:17:49.072 --> 01:17:53.232 i've really had that i had a dream of the kids coming to watch me play rugby 01:17:53.232 --> 01:17:56.132 and then imogen came to watch me play and i got knocked out and she's never 01:17:56.132 --> 01:18:00.092 wanted to play ever since um so that that didn't pan out so well uh but i guess 01:18:00.092 --> 01:18:03.092 i liken it it's not quite the same but i liken it to you know 01:18:03.212 --> 01:18:07.512 able to go fishing with the kids, you know, and I take the kids for overnight fishing and actually.

01:18:08.258 --> 01:18:11.118 I don't do much fishing on those trips but it's amazing it's actually 01:18:11.118 --> 01:18:13.898 a really good bonding time and you know you collect a few sticks you 01:18:13.898 --> 01:18:16.798 have a little open fire and all that roast marshmallow stuff that 01:18:16.798 --> 01:18:20.038 stuff that you gives you that feeling of kind of 01:18:20.038 --> 01:18:23.238 old-fashioned parenting to agree you know no ipads etc 01:18:23.238 --> 01:18:26.318 etc and we take a bit of homework with us and all that and it's amazing 01:18:26.318 --> 01:18:29.078 how engaging your kids will be when they're in that kind of 01:18:29.078 --> 01:18:32.658 different environment and you know it's getting a bit darker at night and all 01:18:32.658 --> 01:18:35.638 that sort of stuff so i i really i really understand that and resonate that 01:18:35.638 --> 01:18:38.998 yeah yesterday claire and the kids came along to watch they they actually missed 01:18:38.998 --> 01:18:43.158 me because like something there must have been something uh something happened 01:18:43.158 --> 01:18:46.738 that claire was looking away but like afterwards grace was like she spent the 01:18:46.738 --> 01:18:47.878 whole time on my shoulders which was 01:18:48.278 --> 01:18:51.918 oh my god the pain i was in i had but then claire was saying that she never 01:18:51.918 --> 01:18:55.518 looked happier being up there and just like hanging around and hanging around 01:18:55.518 --> 01:18:59.498 drifting through london yeah doing new things and all the rest of it yeah that's 01:18:59.498 --> 01:19:02.898 cool isn't it what um how do you stay how do you stay disciplined because we 01:19:02.898 --> 01:19:05.998 all have setbacks i'd say discipline when like that motivation. 01:19:06.518 --> 01:19:10.238 Fades away that i mean i try 01:19:10.238 --> 01:19:13.278 and stay like going back to that kind of core things around why 01:19:13.278 --> 01:19:16.478 why i don't want to stay fit and i about the kids and stuff like that and just 01:19:16.478 --> 01:19:21.178 like a healthy lifestyle it's hard though with like all the other stuff coming 01:19:21.178 --> 01:19:24.378 into it like if you if you're knackered you're going to straight away go to 01:19:24.378 --> 01:19:28.258 the the sweetie drawer like and and having like the extra coffees and stuff 01:19:28.258 --> 01:19:31.978 like that and and not eating correctly so i think i know i know, 01:19:32.458 --> 01:19:35.418 stretching and eating correctly they're the things i i lapped 01:19:35.418 --> 01:19:38.318 on straight away i think the and then the base layer 01:19:38.318 --> 01:19:42.238 of like coming into the gym or doing some sort of cardio that i i've got it 01:19:42.238 --> 01:19:47.578 so it's like that's yeah yeah yeah so that that's kind of where i stay like 01:19:47.578 --> 01:19:51.578 it the base layer of like gym or cardio or something like that is is always 01:19:51.578 --> 01:19:54.778 in there it's

the other stuff that i know it's just it's hard slipping up and 01:19:54.778 --> 01:19:58.278 that's that's the bit i need to get better at yeah well um. 01:19:59.198 --> 01:20:01.818 We talked about a lot about competition and you know 01:20:01.818 --> 01:20:06.298 kind of competition implies athlete but what in your opinion what separates 01:20:06.298 --> 01:20:10.378 a good athlete from a great athlete and i want to talk a little i want people 01:20:10.378 --> 01:20:13.858 to understand i'm talking about scale here so i'm not talking about professional 01:20:13.858 --> 01:20:18.778 paid athletes i'm talking about what separates someone from being a good athlete 01:20:18.778 --> 01:20:21.658 from being their absolute, 01:20:21.958 --> 01:20:23.678 their best, their best athlete? 01:20:24.178 --> 01:20:30.158 Oh, consistency without, without a shadow of doubt. Like if I, I would consider... 01:20:31.268 --> 01:20:34.948 I think I'm a good athlete now, but then to get to a great level in a certain 01:20:34.948 --> 01:20:38.448 area, I'd want to be consistent with that training and do it. 01:20:38.548 --> 01:20:42.628 And it's with, with kids and work, it's, it's very hard to get that level of consistency. 01:20:42.748 --> 01:20:49.128 So you could be very good or like, it's getting to that level of greatness and 01:20:49.128 --> 01:20:50.668 it's defining what greatness is. 01:20:50.768 --> 01:20:54.688 But for me, I would like to say like the, and it goes back to my, the, 01:20:54.908 --> 01:20:58.068 when you asked that question around the biggest achievements marathon because 01:20:58.068 --> 01:21:01.368 i knew how much work i had to do to get to that point and 01:21:01.368 --> 01:21:04.388 so like training six times a week doing a set 01:21:04.388 --> 01:21:07.308 program of training and stuff like that same goes 01:21:07.308 --> 01:21:10.208 for like anyone in here like you it's levels isn't 01:21:10.208 --> 01:21:13.608 it because if if someone's coming in who hasn't lifted a weight in 01:21:13.608 --> 01:21:16.848 their life they're overweight and it's like okay my i 01:21:16.848 --> 01:21:19.948 want to be i want to run high rocks at the end of the year that is 01:21:19.948 --> 01:21:22.728 a great achievement if they're able to get to that point that is 01:21:22.728 --> 01:21:25.768 greatness but then to get to that point is consistency you're 01:21:25.768 --> 01:21:28.368 going to have to go through that journey you're going to have to be in here a lot you're going 01:21:28.368 --> 01:21:31.008 to have to be consistent with your eating you're going to have to be consistent with your 01:21:31.008 --> 01:21:35.228 sleeping there's so much to to bring into it and consistency is that and there's 01:21:35.228 --> 01:21:39.588 so much to deter us from that path isn't there that's i mean i'm terrible i 01:21:39.588 --> 01:21:43.328 love food um and i've actually started training a bit more regularly lately 01:21:43.328 --> 01:21:48.288 but um

with the way that our life works consistency even though i own a gym 01:21:48.288 --> 01:21:50.848 consistency can be quite challenging at times. 01:21:51.448 --> 01:21:55.408 I think I completely concur with that. I think the only layer I'd add in, 01:21:55.468 --> 01:22:00.308 and we kind of touched on it already, is I think what separates good from great 01:22:00.308 --> 01:22:05.348 is probably that element of self-obsessed selfishness. 01:22:06.348 --> 01:22:10.268 And that's scalable, right? Because there's selfishness all the way from, 01:22:10.428 --> 01:22:13.108 I'm not getting married, I'm not having kids, I 01:22:13.108 --> 01:22:15.908 just want to focus on me being me and I'm going to achieve all 01:22:15.908 --> 01:22:18.808 these great things and look back and be happier with myself but then 01:22:18.808 --> 01:22:22.008 there's also that level of selfishness that says look you know 01:22:22.008 --> 01:22:24.868 to my wife look i really i really need 01:22:24.868 --> 01:22:28.988 this four times a week gym because it means something to me and then hopefully 01:22:28.988 --> 01:22:33.088 you have a partner that supports yeah yeah i recognize that that six hours a 01:22:33.088 --> 01:22:37.008 week of 147 hours a week whatever it is you know is actually gonna help you 01:22:37.008 --> 01:22:40.768 be a parent a father a husband that i need you to be and it's probably the same 01:22:40.768 --> 01:22:43.968 for other people as well so i I agree. 01:22:44.288 --> 01:22:51.488 Discipline and commitment, they're probably the key to making it to the start 01:22:51.488 --> 01:22:53.868 line of any goal to a degree. 01:22:54.088 --> 01:22:57.608 And I do think you do have to be... One of the first questions I ask a lot of 01:22:57.608 --> 01:23:00.428 my PT clients when I meet them for the first time is, do you have the support 01:23:00.828 --> 01:23:02.448 of family members or partners? 01:23:02.868 --> 01:23:05.988 And if the answer is no, I probably won't train that person regardless. 01:23:06.248 --> 01:23:09.228 I'm happy for someone else to train them in this gym, but I won't because it 01:23:09.228 --> 01:23:12.948 becomes intrinsically harder to keep that person on track if. 01:23:14.227 --> 01:23:17.407 They're getting pulled in another direction if if 01:23:17.407 --> 01:23:20.147 at home they're getting you know plated up chicken nuggets and 01:23:20.147 --> 01:23:22.847 chips every night or you know and they're not willing to take that 01:23:22.847 --> 01:23:25.547 control it's actually much harder so life life just gets 01:23:25.547 --> 01:23:28.247 i know you and i've talked about pt for a while and 01:23:28.247 --> 01:23:31.427 it's just that getting to that point of like okay i i 01:23:31.427 --> 01:23:34.367 know i'm gonna like the next three to six months i 01:23:34.367 --> 01:23:37.327 want to be fully committed to this and i want to really go for it and like 01:23:37.327 --> 01:23:40.167 having that investment it's so hard to do like with 01:23:40.167 --> 01:23:42.947 especially with everything changing it's it's yeah it does 01:23:42.947 --> 01:23:46.487 get easier i think though my my children are now nine nine six 01:23:46.487 --> 01:23:49.367 and five and although as we're speaking 01:23:49.367 --> 01:23:52.027 now my wife's away for two and a half weeks i've got the kids at 01:23:52.027 --> 01:23:54.787 home you know we're squeezing in podcasts you kindly come in 01:23:54.787 --> 01:23:57.647 today etc etc there is an element 01:23:57.647 --> 01:24:00.647 of once they're all at school yeah you do get that time 01:24:00.647 --> 01:24:03.347 to a degree back and i'm i'm a 01:24:03.347 --> 01:24:06.227 big believer when somebody says i can't do that i i can't 01:24:06.227 --> 01:24:09.007 be the i can't live the kind of life you live be i can't go fishing 01:24:09.007 --> 01:24:12.027 every week or every have a week because i've got a job i'm a 01:24:12.027 --> 01:24:15.067 big believer that you're in charge of that job yeah all 01:24:15.067 --> 01:24:18.187 right you might have to choose a job that doesn't pay as well you might 01:24:18.187 --> 01:24:21.047 choose a job as more flexibility or you might choose a shift you 01:24:21.047 --> 01:24:23.887 know i do think that a lot of the time we're kind. 01:24:23.887 --> 01:24:26.987 Of lulled into this false security uh false security of thinking 01:24:26.987 --> 01:24:29.787 that we all can't change yeah i studied this at university so 01:24:29.787 --> 01:24:32.667 i absolutely have to do this as a job and the reality is depending 01:24:32.667 --> 01:24:35.527 on the lifestyle you want i think lots of things can be changed 01:24:35.527 --> 01:24:38.427 but the question of and the emotional 01:24:38.427 --> 01:24:41.627 impact of is that lifestyle choice selfish is it is 01:24:41.627 --> 01:24:44.567 it actually obtainable etc etc that's when i think people really 01:24:44.567 --> 01:24:47.767 start to struggle with that sort of discipline of 01:24:47.767 --> 01:24:50.967 am i really going to make change to live a healthy fit lifestyle 01:24:50.967 --> 01:24:54.147 etc etc where do you see your fitness journey going 01:24:54.147 --> 01:24:56.887 in the next five years uh gee five years. 01:24:56.887 --> 01:25:00.027 Five months okay let's reach it i wrote that 01:25:00.027 --> 01:25:02.927 and i thought five years yeah that's a good question yeah i uh 01:25:02.927 --> 01:25:05.867 if i'm if i'm this i want to be 01:25:05.867 --> 01:25:08.607 consistent to this if i'm still competing and doing stuff in five 01:25:08.607 --> 01:25:11.867 years time absolutely um i think 01:25:11.867 --> 01:25:14.787 that there was a this is like it was um i 01:25:14.787 --> 01:25:17.647 think it was a jimmy carr quote actually they're saying no matter 01:25:17.647 --> 01:25:20.987 what what state of fitness you're in right now in 01:25:20.987 --> 01:25:24.367 10 years time your 10 year old 10 like yourself 01:25:24.367 -->

01:25:27.247 in 10 years time will pay all the money in the world to 01:25:27.247 --> 01:25:30.007 get back to that and i was like that's that's an interesting way 01:25:30.007 --> 01:25:33.147 yeah interesting way of looking at the that at 01:25:33.147 --> 01:25:35.887 where you are so if i can stay from five in five 01:25:35.887 --> 01:25:38.827 years time at this level if i'm still out running and stuff and and 01:25:38.827 --> 01:25:42.047 competing that'll be because because the iron many years i i you know what i 01:25:42.047 --> 01:25:44.907 had to come say ages ago now but i had to come say somebody in this gym i can't 01:25:44.907 --> 01:25:49.067 think who it was we talked a little bit about the whole 10 year age gap thing 01:25:49.067 --> 01:25:52.667 there was there was a big tv program wasn't there about 10 years younger and 01:25:52.667 --> 01:25:54.907 all that yeah and you know it wasn't they didn't actually go and do any fitness 01:25:54.907 --> 01:25:58.367 they just put a bit of makeup on and dress you different and you know give your hair cut. 01:25:59.679 --> 01:26:02.399 I was talking to that person. I said, yeah, but the interesting thing is, 01:26:02.499 --> 01:26:05.659 if you're as fit as you are now in 10 years time, technically you're fitter 01:26:05.659 --> 01:26:10.059 then than you are now because you've aged 10 years. And then I think over 30, that starts to apply. 01:26:10.319 --> 01:26:15.319 So, and I do think that's where things like running and cycling are great for swimming as well. 01:26:15.579 --> 01:26:19.919 They're great for that because, you know, you, you don't really, 01:26:20.119 --> 01:26:23.939 other than a bike, potentially, you don't really, there's a relatively low barrier 01:26:23.939 --> 01:26:26.059 to entry for running. You know, you need to pair trainers potentially. 01:26:26.399 --> 01:26:29.179 You can run in other forms of footwear if you really want to. 01:26:29.179 --> 01:26:34.439 But the reality is you can kind of test where you are in 10 years' time compared 01:26:34.439 --> 01:26:39.919 to where you were 10 years previous and know where your fitness is comparatively. 01:26:40.439 --> 01:26:44.799 And that's why I love weightlifting because, ironically, lots of people actually, 01:26:44.999 --> 01:26:47.779 it's easier for guys because of the testosterone cycle in the body, 01:26:47.879 --> 01:26:53.559 but most people can actually progressively continue to get stronger to a certain degree. 01:26:53.559 --> 01:26:56.459 Particularly you know we've seen it in this gym particularly people 01:26:56.459 --> 01:26:59.539 in their late 40s and early 50s they can still progressively improve 01:26:59.539 --> 01:27:02.219 obviously it's easier if they've never done anything in their 01:27:02.219 --> 01:27:05.279 life but the reality is with good structure and 01:27:05.279 --> 01:27:08.199 commitment you can still not maybe not linear 01:27:08.199 --> 01:27:12.219 you know but you can still you know progress and improve so and that weight 01:27:12.219 --> 01:27:15.699 lifting will also benefit all the cardio stuff you're doing as well so injury 01:27:15.699 --> 01:27:18.379 prevention and stuff oh i talk about it all the time then it's the one thing 01:27:18.379 --> 01:27:23.779 that frustrates me about kind of this influencey type um influenza as I call 01:27:23.779 --> 01:27:25.879 them, but influence-y type fitness world we're living in, 01:27:26.019 --> 01:27:28.599 where everybody has to do strength training. Strength training is the key. 01:27:28.759 --> 01:27:31.719 Strength training is the quality of life. But the reality is, 01:27:31.819 --> 01:27:35.719 if you want to have a really good lifestyle, I'd say a little bit of resistance 01:27:35.719 --> 01:27:39.579 training with a good amount of zone two and zone three training, 01:27:39.779 --> 01:27:41.439 whether that's walking, cycling, running, whatever. 01:27:43.739 --> 01:27:46.599 We're just moving towards the end, but if you give one piece of advice to someone 01:27:46.599 --> 01:27:50.979 that's looking at starting any form of competition, whether that's their first 01:27:50.979 --> 01:27:57.719 5K run, an Ironman, a Hirox and Apex, but they're not sure where to begin, what would it be? 01:27:58.401 --> 01:28:02.561 I would, I would say sign up for one. So you've got that in the, in the diary. 01:28:02.741 --> 01:28:05.981 So you've got that level of commitment and then like speak to someone like yourself. 01:28:06.161 --> 01:28:10.841 I think, and just don't be, don't be scared of it. I think that's the biggest 01:28:10.841 --> 01:28:12.601 thing. Cause I think that's the biggest barit entry. 01:28:12.801 --> 01:28:15.501 People are like, oh, it's not for me. I don't think I'll be able to compete. 01:28:15.601 --> 01:28:16.481 I don't think I'll be able to do it. 01:28:16.641 --> 01:28:20.521 But then like we go, we've talked about it a few times, but like being, 01:28:20.701 --> 01:28:22.701 being last in event, you're not going to be last. 01:28:22.841 --> 01:28:25.761 You're going to be, you'll be first in one of your categories or something like that. 01:28:25.761 --> 01:28:28.721 And if you uh there's going to be someone older younger than 01:28:28.721 --> 01:28:31.621 you that's never done this before there's probably going to be in that last place but 01:28:31.621 --> 01:28:34.381 they're going to be in that that that category area so 01:28:34.381 --> 01:28:37.221 they might be winning it so i think they're the things to kind of like all 01:28:37.221 --> 01:28:40.361 these events now are so much more accessible so i think just sign 01:28:40.361 --> 01:28:43.141 up and then start start the training really and i think i 01:28:43.141 --> 01:28:45.901 think one thing that people one thing i've really got and i've 01:28:45.901 --> 01:28:49.081 learned from you is it's a 01:28:49.081 --> 01:28:54.041 good reminder to everyone listening the the the 01:28:54.041 -->

01:28:57.301 journey you go on from zero to whenever that 01:28:57.301 --> 01:29:01.081 event is or whatever it is you're trying to achieve is actually what most people 01:29:01.081 --> 01:29:05.281 look back on and say that's the that's had the biggest effect on me it's often 01:29:05.281 --> 01:29:10.661 not winning a you know a medal for achievement or winning or whatever or placing 01:29:10.661 --> 01:29:15.801 for most people it's the The enjoyment is gained from going through that. 01:29:15.901 --> 01:29:18.661 And I think I asked you earlier what you're most proud of. And actually, 01:29:18.761 --> 01:29:22.721 the sense I got from you was it wasn't necessarily the marathon itself. 01:29:22.881 --> 01:29:24.481 It was the consistency and the 01:29:24.481 --> 01:29:28.481 time and the effort that you applied to achieving the end result. Yeah. 01:29:28.761 --> 01:29:32.181 And I think that's something that people could really, really learn from. 01:29:32.301 --> 01:29:34.621 In a world where we want everything instantly. 01:29:36.021 --> 01:29:38.861 I do i do think fitness is one thing 01:29:38.861 --> 01:29:41.541 that you just can't get that way you know there's no 01:29:41.541 --> 01:29:44.381 shortcuts are there like all these like say oh yeah take 01:29:44.381 --> 01:29:47.261 take these weight loss pills or these supplements or eat 01:29:47.261 --> 01:29:50.081 this it's like no just get on the treadmill like it's just 01:29:50.081 --> 01:29:54.901 again like get like they do the work there's no there's no shortcuts in this 01:29:54.901 --> 01:29:57.801 and the only is you don't have to work as hard as the person next to you because 01:29:57.801 --> 01:30:02.861 your journey is i mean i'm just switching into gym owner mode here but you there's 01:30:02.861 --> 01:30:07.421 still a lot to be gained from just turning up our average attendance is around about 3.9 times a week. 01:30:07.541 --> 01:30:09.481 Bearing in mind, we have some members that only come twice a week. 01:30:09.621 --> 01:30:11.041 We have some members that come seven times a week. 01:30:11.401 --> 01:30:15.261 That is the average member, the average attendance at any other gym on average 01:30:15.261 --> 01:30:20.041 in the UK is 1.6 times for an average member. So the average person goes one and a half. 01:30:20.161 --> 01:30:23.221 What was that? Say they go three times every two weeks, six times a month. 01:30:23.341 --> 01:30:26.941 So our members, even if you come in and you have a shit workout, 01:30:27.241 --> 01:30:31.101 a really bad workout, you're still working harder, more efficiently, 01:30:31.361 --> 01:30:35.161 more consistently than the average person out there on the street. 01:30:35.161 --> 01:30:37.881 So it's definitely worth turning up and finally a little 01:30:37.881 --> 01:30:40.601 bit self-indulgent when you I remember when you first joined and you 01:30:40.601 --> 01:30:43.361 said I've got this background I do this I'm a crossfitter you were 01:30:43.361 --> 01:30:46.201 one of the first people that came into our gym that had a crossfit background 01:30:46.201 --> 01:30:49.081 and my initial response was this guy's 01:30:49.081 --> 01:30:52.561 quite fit it's going to be quite hard to keep him as a member and 01:30:52.561 --> 01:30:55.321 there was a part of me that was after your trial that was 01:30:55.321 --> 01:30:58.401 kind of like a combination of being surprised 01:30:58.401 --> 01:31:01.221 and a little bit I want to say proud but that might be the wrong word but 01:31:01.221 --> 01:31:04.301 I was like maybe maybe we can attract people that 01:31:04.301 --> 01:31:07.881 want to be competitive and will help other people be competitive so 01:31:07.881 --> 01:31:13.321 it kind of leads me on to my last question is what was the one part or or many 01:31:13.321 --> 01:31:18.061 parts have been a member of one athlete that have kept you here training and 01:31:18.061 --> 01:31:21.721 what does what does it mean to you to be a part of our community i think you 01:31:21.721 --> 01:31:25.181 just said it there like the community there is like is so good i think. 01:31:26.039 --> 01:31:28.899 The the other there's some really fit people here 01:31:28.899 --> 01:31:31.819 like really fit and like the i have got like we've 01:31:31.819 --> 01:31:34.619 talked about competitiveness i'm fairly competitive but i 01:31:34.619 --> 01:31:37.319 no matter what class you're in you're going to find someone at the same sort 01:31:37.319 --> 01:31:40.379 of level of you that you can compete and that's one of the things i i 01:31:40.379 --> 01:31:43.139 loved about crossfit and i love about this place is and 01:31:43.139 --> 01:31:46.079 you get pushed as hard as you want to go i think 01:31:46.079 --> 01:31:48.879 the the classes you've got set up 01:31:48.879 --> 01:31:53.099 here the programming is really really good and like the the you've 01:31:53.099 --> 01:31:55.759 got set like the build up to to high rocks you've got the 01:31:55.759 --> 01:31:58.739 countdown going going through i've struggling to do wednesdays 01:31:58.739 --> 01:32:01.699 now which is a bit annoying but it's it's nice to have that programming 01:32:01.699 --> 01:32:04.499 building up into that big event same goes for the 01:32:04.499 --> 01:32:07.719 the lifting side of things and going in you've got set programming i don't 01:32:07.719 --> 01:32:10.739 i don't some people might just come in here and just do that do 01:32:10.739 --> 01:32:13.839 the work and think on i thought but there's a lot there's a 01:32:13.839 --> 01:32:16.759 lot of logic that goes into and a lot of thought and prep that goes 01:32:16.759 --> 01:32:20.259 into all of that work and i think the programming is 01:32:20.259 --> 01:32:23.719 spot on the community you've got here is is fantastic and 01:32:23.719 --> 01:32:27.119 the gym itself is like you've got everything you need in one place it's really 01:32:27.119 --> 01:32:30.699 really good small but mighty yeah exactly you know we use every square inch 01:32:30.699 --> 01:32:33.579 of it uh do you know i really appreciate that it's a really nice way to end 01:32:33.579 --> 01:32:36.819 um ben it's been great to interview that nice long one today so hopefully people 01:32:36.819 --> 01:32:40.499 have enjoyed listening to that and i have one question go on go on oh here we go yeah one. 01:32:40.719 --> 01:32:43.379 Uh is fishing a sport it's no no it's a 01:32:43.379 --> 01:32:48.319 pastime it's a hobby um i on 01:32:48.319 --> 01:32:55.279 that note um did i call it a sport i bet i did i bet i made it sound like there 01:32:55.279 --> 01:32:59.399 is a competitive element to it but no i'm gonna ramble on okay so ben thanks 01:32:59.399 --> 01:33:02.219 very much hopefully you've enjoyed that one it's a long one today but food for 01:33:02.219 --> 01:33:05.399 thought and actually i'm sure there's a lot of people out there that will relate to. 01:33:05.839 --> 01:33:08.759 Ben's story ben's journey you know we only really brush the sides of it but 01:33:08.759 --> 01:33:11.879 that's what these podcasts before so ben thanks very much for coming in and 01:33:11.879 --> 01:33:15.699 giving us an hour and a half your time thank you and um we look forward to the next interview. 01:33:17.360 --> 01:33:47.553 Music.