Training and Tangents Podcast

Ben's back from Pittsburgh and Tom's no longer talking to himself. Normal service is resumed. This week Tom and Ben work through five listener questions — some training fundamentals that come up more than you'd think, a question that will resonate with anyone who's ever wondered if they're actually pushing hard enough, and a gym red flag segment that gets surprisingly heated. In this episode: Shou...

Ben's away this week, so you've got Tom solo. And rather than fill the time with a guest or a game, he's gone straight into something that's been coming up repeatedly across coaching calls over the last few weeks. Five questions. Five real client conversations. And at least one of them is probably going to land for you. The five questions: Does it have to be all or nothing? The dimmer switch analo...

You asked, we answered. This week Tom and Ben dig into your questions, and as usual, the conversation goes further than the questions themselves. Five questions, some straightforward answers, some that are anything but, and a would you rather that somehow ends up at Robot Wars. In this episode: How do you stop comparing yourself to others when you start training later than everyone else — and why...

The food isn't the problem. That's the thread that runs through this entire conversation, and it's probably not what you're expecting to hear from a nutritionist. This week Tom and Ben are joined by Charlie Beestone, nutritionist and behavioural eating specialist, for one of the most thought-provoking conversations the podcast has had. Charlie doesn't talk about food the way most people in the nut...

This one's a tangent episode in the truest sense — and we make no apologies for it. Tom and Ben dig into something that doesn't get talked about honestly enough in the fitness world: the gap between what superhero physiques look like on screen and what it actually takes to get there. Not to be killjoys about it, but because understanding that gap matters more than most people realise. From Hugh Ja...

Jamie Weston spent nearly 30 years in a cycle that will feel familiar to more people than would care to admit it, trying everything, falling down, getting back up, and still not being able to find a way out. This episode is about what finally changed, and why. This isn't a transformation story in the way the fitness industry usually tells them. There are no before and after photos here. What Jamie...

Overrated, Underrated or Dead Wrong: Wellness Edition The game is back. This time Tom and Ben turn their attention to the wellness world — the things the fitness industry tells you to swear by, the things it quietly ignores, and the one drink Ben will defend until his last breath. Ten topics. Two coaches. The signs are out. Let's go. In this episode: Supersets — efficiency tool or overhyped shortc...

You'll Never Train Again Those were the words a consultant said to Ian Molphy after he suffered an arterial dissection in his brain mid-training session in 2020. He disagreed. This week Tom and Ben are joined by Ian Malfey, owner of KHP Gym in Dublin, for a conversation about what it actually takes to come back from something that should have stopped you for good, and what that experience taught h...

We Were Wrong Every coach gets things wrong. The good ones admit it. In this episode Tom and Ben go back through some of the beliefs they held early in their careers, things they told clients, things they trained themselves on, things they were convinced were right and break down why they've changed their minds. No ego. Just honest reflection on what a decade of coaching actually teaches you. In t...

How to Train Like a Dwarven Fighter This week Tom and Ben are joined by Aaron Davies, strength coach, Dungeon Master, and the man behind Team Uruk, for an episode that approaches training from a completely different angle. If you've ever wondered what your training would look like if you built it around a character archetype rather than an aesthetic goal, this one is for you. Aaron breaks down the...

Overrated, Underrated or Dead Wrong: Training Edition We're back with another round of the game. This time Tom and Ben turn their attention to training — and some of the most talked about concepts in the gym get put firmly in their place. From how close you should actually be pushing to failure, to whether perfect technique is holding you back more than helping you, nothing is safe. In this episod...

The Voice in Your Head Is Lying to You This week Tom and Ben are joined by Tom Kerensa, GP, coach, and holder of a Master's in Positive Psychology for a conversation that goes well beyond the gym floor. If you've ever skipped a session and immediately told yourself you're rubbish, or felt like you're the only one who can't seem to get out of their own way, this one's for you. They get into what po...

We're back for Season 2 and we're kicking things off with a game. Ten nutrition topics. No time to think. Just honest takes. In this episode Tom and Ben go head to head on some of the most talked about topics in nutrition, from the ones that deserve more credit to the ones that need retiring for good. Topics covered: Intermittent fasting — useful tool or overhyped? Protein shakes — why the percept...

Over the last 20 episodes we've covered a lot of ground. But in this season finale, we're stripping it back to the essentials, the things that actually move the needle. Tom and Ben cherry-pick their top two training insights and top two nutrition insights from the entire season, before revealing the fifth and final point that they believe underpins all of it. You'll hear why tracking your training...

Tom and Ben open up the listener mailbag and tackle six of your most-asked training and nutrition questions. From whether endurance athletes should bother with strength training, to training around a shoulder injury, to the eternal debate of calories versus protein, this one covers a lot of ground without wasting your time. If you've ever talked yourself out of a 30-minute workout because it didn'...

In this episode, Ben and Tom go myth-busting, cutting through 10 of the most common fitness and health misconceptions that are keeping people stuck, confused, and training harder than they need to. From whether lifting weights makes you bulky, to spot reducing fat, to whether sweating means you had a good session, they cover it all. No fluff, no jargon, just straight answers with the science to ba...

Getting older doesn't mean getting worse. It means your circumstances have changed, and there's a big difference. In this episode, Tom and Ben take on the idea that age is responsible for declining performance and physical capability, and make the case that for most people, it's got very little to do with it. What We Cover: The myth that age ruins your progress Yes, there are real physical changes...

Most people are pretty good at losing fat. The problem is they end up back at square one six months later, wondering what went wrong. In this episode, Tom and Ben break down the five things that separate people who drop fat and keep it off from those who end up repeating the same cycle over and over again. What We Cover: 1. Building habits that actually stick Fat loss is a process, not a sprint. T...

If you've ever wondered what a fitness coach actually prioritises when the clock is ticking, this is it. In this rapid-fire episode, Ben breaks down the biggest training mistakes, why sleep beats every supplement, and the mindset shift that separates guys who stay consistent from guys who don't.

If you've ever done everything "right" and still not seen results, this one's for you. Tom and Ben cover the five most common fat loss mistakes, including why cardio isn't the answer (but is awesome), why your timeline is probably unrealistic, and what actually needs to happen when the diet ends.

We planned to talk about training non-negotiables… and ended up questioning whether you even need them. In this episode, Ben and Tom dive into structure vs flexibility, why most routines don’t last, and how to create a system that keeps you moving forward without overcomplicating things.

Consistency in fitness isn’t about willpower, it’s about systems. In this episode, Ben and Tom share five simple habits that make it much easier to stay consistent with training, nutrition, and recovery. We cover workout scheduling, habit stacking, meal planning, sleep, and why flexibility in your routine is essential for long-term success. Practical, realistic, and built for real life.

Most people see a coach and think they just lift weights, but what truly fuels their resilience, purpose, and impact? Tom's journey through injury, mental resilience, and a shifting perspective on training reveals the secret: true physical freedom is about enjoyment, longevity, and personal growth, not just sets and reps. In this episode, Tom shares his compelling story of overcoming multiple inju...

In this episode, Tom and Ben delve into Ben's personal journey, exploring how his experiences with cystic fibrosis have shaped his perspective on life, fitness, and coaching. They discuss the importance of contentment, gratitude, and the mental aspects of training, emphasizing that true success comes from understanding one's capabilities and building confidence. Ben shares insights from his bodybu...

In this Q&A episode of Training & Tangents , Tom and Ben answer listener questions around training, recovery, nutrition, and balancing fitness with real life. We dive into: How to adapt training around your circumstances Why recovery matters just as much as intensity The role nutrition plays in performance Whether warm-ups and cool-downs actually matter And how to make training enjoyable a...