Health Oddity Podcast

We are joined by returning guest Ben Morris (last seen on Episode 80: Less is More) Coffee Junkie, Sports Dabbler & a man strangely attracted to trying to lift heavy things. In this engaging conversation we talk about overcoming setbacks in training & life - an inevitability if you adopt training as a lifelong pursuit. Dealing with injuries both mentally & physically as we age & reframing setbacks...

We are joined today by Lucy Underdown - Europe's Strongest Woman 2023, Britain's Strongest Woman 2024, the first woman to deadlift 700lb (318kg) AND full time serving Police Officer. We discus Lucy's early athletics career in Shot Put & Discus. Her talent for (& love of) deadlifting, dealing with pressure & anxiety, discovering that training LESS actually produced better results for her, juggling...

In this breather episode Peter & James take a focused ramble through some recent events & discussions. James returns from his walking weekend surprisingly sore & fatigued. We discus what Wimbledon tennis can teach us about training & lifestyle management & we review a recent episode of the Modern Wisdom podcast where Dr Mike Israetel gives his Masterclass on losing fat.

Andrew Russell is a Fitness Trainer, Strongfirst SFG1 Kettlebell Instructor, Shift worker AND the 274th person to lift the legendary Dinnie Stones in the Scottish Highlands. Andrew (from Northern Ireland) discusses his training history, setting up his garage gym to allow him to train around his challenging work pattern, programming his training to take into account tiredness & lack of sleep & trai...

We are joined live from Lviv, Ukraine by the man mountain (6ft 5inch, 135kg) Pavlo Kordiyaka. Pavlo is the 2023 Europe's Strongest Man & has also won The Official Strongman Games World Title. He will be competing this weekend in London at the historic & iconic Royal Albert Hall in the Giants Live Strongman Classic. Prior to getting involved in strongman, Pavlo had taken part in many different spor...

Recently James was reflecting on his 25 years in the fitness industry & how the world (& our daily lives) have changed over that time. He & Pete discuss the changes in habits, food, technology, lifestyle & the convenience culture & how despite having so much more knowledge, opportunity (& supposedly) time, we, as a collective, are unhealthier & less active than we were a quarter century ago. Is th...

We are joined for this very special 200th episode by 'record holding' return guest - Dan John - for his 10th appearance with us! We talk about Dan's latest book 'The Armour Building Formula'. The genesis of this programme & how it exploded in popularity (along with many of Dan's other 'apparently' simple programmes). We discuss the nature of training itself, our inherit desire to find complexity i...

We are joined by returning guest & 2 x Tactical Strength Challenge WINNER Alison Young. Alison is an SFG1 (Kettlebell) & SFL (Barbell) instructor through Strongfirst & is also a Level 3 Personal Trainer embarking on a new career within the fitness industry - transferring from the world of I.T. In this fascinating conversation Alison shares how she's finding her way in the fitness industry in one o...

We are joined (following a 3 year gap) by returning guest Mark Reifkind, from San Jose, California. At 67 Mark has his training 'dialled in' & knows from experience what works for him, his body - & what his current goals are. We discuss what it takes to remain consistent for nearly 60 years, rehabbing after joint replacement surgery, rucking, overhead pressing, weight maintenance (or permanence) &...

We are joined today by competitive Strongwoman & SFG1, SFG2 Kettlebell Instructor Alex Nicoll Bennett. Alex shares her personal fitness journey with us & her progression into the world of kettlebells, lifting & learning to embrace & nurture her own unique 'strengths'. We discuss breaking free from the prevalent 'calorie burning' mindset that categorises many people's relationship with exercise & f...

We are joined for the second time by Oli Mell, International Kettlebell Sport athlete from Team England & owner of Wolfpack Fitness. We kick off the conversation by discussing Oli's recent performances at the World Championships in Denmark then move on to discuss training in general as we age. The toll that high level performance has on the body & mind, the importance of focus when training & comp...

We meet Nick Rainbird, a highly experienced Personal Trainer, endurance coach & nature lover. We learn all about 'Forest Bathing', the healing power of nature & the benefits we can all experience by detaching from our high tech dependant lifestyles & reconnecting with the natural world - & our own natural history. Gardening, walking, exploring, adventuring, engaging all of our senses & just rememb...

In this episode Peter & James debrief & discuss the 'Survive to Thrive' weekend workshop with Dan John & Tim Anderson that was recently hosted at Unique Results. A combination of practical & theory including much of Dan's latest thinking around 'Easy Strength', assessment & his movement matrix blended with Tim's 'Original Strength' resets created a unique learning experience. What did we learn, wh...

We are joined once again by David Keohan AKA Indiana Stones (last with us WAY back on episode 59!) to discuss all things stone lifting, Irish cultural history & literally unearthing strength secrets from the past. This is a fascinating conversation with a unique man who passionately & poetically describes his quest to rediscover a forgotten stone lifting culture on the island of Ireland & the stor...

This week Peter & James sit down to 'unpack' a very full-on weekend in Belfast with Paul Mcllroy on his Strength Training masterclass. Over the two days they covered 'Mastering the Kettlebell Press' & 'Pillars of Power' - lower body strength, hypertrophy & programming. The hosts discuss the biggest lessons & takeaways from the weekend regarding technique specifics, programming theory & also big pi...

In this episode Peter & James kick off the conversation with a quote recently shared by a dietician online: "Complication is the enemy of implementation." This leads to a discussion around diet, training, healthy lifestyle practises & habit forming. When over complication occurs so does confusion, often leading to inaction. How can we 'keep things simple' & start on the path to a healthier life de...

We are joined by a truly unique character, discussing a truly unique topic (which I don't think we've even mentioned in 190 episodes) - Kettlebell Juggling!   Elisha AKA 'Electric Farmer' (for reasons that are explained when you listen) is a music producer & teacher, a sound designer for theatre & art installations AND just happens to be a Kettlebell Juggling Silver & Bronze Medallist.   Whether y...

We are joined for the third time by world renowned strength & movement coach, author & the creator of Original Strength - Tim Anderson. We discuss Tim's new book 'A Simple Book of Strength' & how Tim believes we are all born to be strong & have near infinite strength within us almost from birth - it's just how we learn to tap into that strength, cultivate & control it. We discuss what strength act...

We are joined for the second time by documentary filmmaker Oliver Loom & he's joined by Emma Rushen, one of the stars & a producer of his latest project. "False 9: The Reality of Women's Football" takes you on an emotional rollercoaster, exploring the triumphs & tribulations of a spirited team striving for promotion in the unforgiving world of the tier 7 county leagues. The core of the film is the...

Following 6 back to back episodes with guests, Pete & James take the opportunity to catch up, reflect & discuss topics that have either been featured on recent episodes or through conversations with clients. Today they start out talking about the practicalities of deciding upon & setting non-negotiable daily actions to help us stay on track & the conversation develops into the nature of identity,...

We are joined by Paul Mcllroy for his 5th visit to the podcast for this special two part bumper edition! We discuss Paul's upcoming weekend workshops in both Northern Ireland & USA. This second episode focusses more on two BIG exercises - squats & deadlifts BUT as is usual with Paul the conversation takes us on many detours & tangents encompassing many areas of strength, training & life.

We are joined by Paul Mcllroy for his 4th (& 5th) visit to the podcast for this special two part bumper edition! We discuss Paul's upcoming weekend workshops in both Northern Ireland & USA. This first episode focusses more on the kettlebell press BUT as is usual with Paul the conversation takes us on many detours & tangents encompassing many areas of strength, training & life.

We are joined from Wales by Ultra Endurance Adventurer Sean Conway & hear about his feats of almost 'Super Human' endurance, resilience & perseverance. Sean, by his own admission is a very 'normal' guy. Not physically gifted or a childhood athlete but with an extraordinary determination to succeed once he has focussed on a goal - & the bigger & more daunting the better. Prepare to be amazed & also...

We are joined from Buckinghamshire by Hannah Camden from Fitworks Training & discuss the importance of authenticity, forging your own path & the healing power of movement. Hannah discusses some dark times in her life where she was not expressing & using her true strengths & the dramatic turn of events that led to a big business & lifestyle change. We learn about her fairly recently found loves of...

We are joining from Glasgow, Scotland by Rob Clarkson, owner of Reactive Training. We discuss Rob's early career in the military (starting at 16) & his progression from full time sports lecturer to fully fledged business owner & creating a community led by its members. Transformations, skiing, kettlebells, multi-day endurance walks, habit building & Hryrox are all up for conversation along with wh...