Simon Ward, The High Performance Human Triathlon Podcast

From smoker and drinker to ultra-runner and Ironman * Jason Dunn

Regular listeners will have heard me talking about turning 60 in February of this year, and how it has sharpened my mind and prompted me to adjust my focus around training and life habits. I’ve also become a lot more curious about how others are tackling life post-60. Are they just waiting for the inevitable, or are they being proactive and doing everything they can to continue living life to the full?

Today's guest, Jason Dunn, is doing the latter. His book Unlimited: The art of being Limitless tells the story of making a huge decision when he turned away from his boyhood dream of becoming a professional football player in England and, at 17, moved to Australia. There he started to build his new life and succumbed to cigarettes and alcohol, and often chose the easier road. For two decades, he carried the weight of "I could have", until, at 34, he made a radical shift. Despite never having learned to swim or ride a bicycle, he resolved to qualify for the Hawaii Ironman World Championships. One simple choice to take the tougher road and face life's fears set in motion the pathway to being unlimited. Along the way, his path was littered with adversity, life-threatening accidents, and heartbreaking failures. 

During the conversation we chat about:

• Overcoming self-doubt and achieving success through consistent effort and mindset (06:01)
• Face to face with a 6 foot Monitor Lizard during a run (37:10)
• Maintaining perspective when things don't go to plan (23:59)
• Building resilience (31:56)
• From a non swimmer with a fear of water to Ironman Hawaii with a 2.4 mile open water swim (47:43)
• The 4 second rule for decision making (1:01:50)
• The 90 day high performance plan (1:09:05)
• The importance of nutrition and movement for health, recovery and longevity (1:23:40)

To follow Jason, please visit the following channels:

Website: GrowAdviserCapability.com

YouTube channel -  Jason Dunn - YouTube

LinkedIn - Jason Dunn

Facebook - Jason Dunn

 

To purchase a copy of Jason’s book please click here: Unlimited: The art of being Limitless

Other books Jason's read for inspiration:

'One man: 20 million steps' by Pat Farmer

'Rise of the Ultrarunners: A journey to the edge of human endurance' by Andharanand Finn

Any super fit over-60’s might like this Facebook group which Jason recommends.

If you want to build a Dave Goggins like mindset, Jason suggests you check out this Facebook group.

**To get a free copy of my personal daily mobility routine, please click HERE**

To contact Beth regarding Life Coaching, please visit her website at BethanyWardLifeCoaching.uk.

Sports Nutrition questions - if you have a sports nutrition question that you would like answered on the podcast, please email it to me via Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

 

Join our SWAT/High Performance Human tribe using this link, with a happiness guarantee! You can watch a brief video about the group by going to our website here, and join our SWAT High Performance Human tribe here.

Purchase a copy of my High Performance Human e-book featuring more than 30 top tips on how to upgrade your life.

If you would like to help offset the cost of our podcast production, we would be so grateful. Please click here to support the HPH podcast. Thank you!

Visit Simon's website for more information about his coaching programmes. Links to all of Simon's social media channels can be found here.  For any questions please email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

 

Paris Olympics 2024 - GB Triathlon team member Sam Dickinson

The Paris Olympics start this week, and I have clear memories dating back to the first one I can remember: Munich 1972.

 

Every 4 years we witness amazing performances and emotional moments. Hopefully, 2024 in Paris will be the same. For our podcast guest this week it will be a magical moment, when he steps onto the pontoon for the Men's Individual Triathlon next week.

 

Sam Dickinson is a professional triathlete based in Leeds, and he is one of 5 who have been selected for the GB Olympic triathlon team for the Paris Olympics. He will race in the men's individual event as well as the team relay over the next 2 weeks.

 

It’s a great pleasure to welcome Sam back as he was a guest on this show 6 years ago, almost to the day. If you are interested in listening to the 18 year old Sam, you can listen using the above link. Back then, Sam had just arrived in Leeds to start his journey as a full time triathlete at the Leeds Performance Centre. And since then, Sam has slowly and patiently built his fitness and learned his race craft in the various levels leading to World Triathlon series and the Olympics. This journey has not been without its challenges of injury, illness, and disappointment. But as you will hear from Sam, each of these experiences have been valuable lessons which have helped him to build resilience, and ultimately to achieve what for many athletes is a lifetime goal: To represent their country at the Olympic Games.

To find out more about Sam please visit his Instagram Channel

samdickotri.

 

This is the first podcast we recorded back in 2018.

 

Sam’s favourite book is Atomic Habits by James Clear - a book which I can highly recommend as well. Sam says it's “a great book about moulding your environment to help you reach desired outcomes." Clearly it has had a huge influence on Sam’s career so far!

 

For chilling out, Sam likes to listen to 'The Rest is Politics' podcast.

 

**To get a free copy of my personal daily mobility routine, please click HERE**

To contact Beth regarding Life Coaching, please visit her website at BethanyWardLifeCoaching.uk.

Sports Nutrition questions - if you have a sports nutrition question that you would like answered on the podcast, please email it to me via Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

 

Join our SWAT/High Performance Human tribe using this link, with a happiness guarantee! You can watch a brief video about the group by going to our website here, and join our SWAT High Performance Human tribe here.

Purchase a copy of my High Performance Human e-book featuring more than 30 top tips on how to upgrade your life.

If you would like to help offset the cost of our podcast production, we would be so grateful. Please click here to support the HPH podcast. Thank you!

Visit Simon's website for more information about his coaching programmes. Links to all of Simon's social media channels can be found here.  For any questions please email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

Winning by learning to race smart! - T100 powerhouse Kyle Smith

On the podcast this week, we have Kyle Smith! Kyle is a professional triathlete from New Zealand. Raised in Blackburn, UK on a diet of motocross and modern pentathlon, he moved to Taupo in his youth, found triathlon and set about becoming one of the best in the world.

 

He is often first off the bike with blistering swim and bike splits, and this year he's been backing that up with solid run performances. As you’ll hear, he prefers the middle distance events such as T100 and 70.3, but he's found success at every level from World Triathlon short course racing, to off-road XTERRA. After 2 frustrating years dogged by illness, Kyle has been showing his true potential in 2024. After winning the PTO Championship race in Samorin, he was beaten by the width of a running vest at the T100 event in San Francisco. He’s currently 4th in the T100 rankings and is focussing on the World 70.3 championships in his home town of Taupo, NZ later this year.

 

Conversation topics include:

• Why no one remembers the guy with the fastest bike split
• Building resilience through injury and illness
• Winning by learning to race smart
• Girona vs St Moritz - which is the best training location?
• The balance between technology and human instinct in training and racing
• Disrupted training plans and adapting to imperfect situations
• 70.3 Taupo - an opportunity to race the world championships in your home town

 

To find out more about Kyle Smith, please check out the following:

Instagram - kylesmithnzl 

YouTube -  Kyle Smith

 

 

Kyle loves the following book:

Legacy: What the All Blacks can teach us about the business of life By James Kerr

 

**To get a free copy of my personal daily mobility routine, please click HERE**

To contact Beth regarding Life Coaching, please visit her website at BethanyWardLifeCoaching.uk.

Sports Nutrition questions - if you have a sports nutrition question that you would like answered on the podcast, please email it to me via Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

 

Join our SWAT/High Performance Human tribe using this link, with a happiness guarantee! You can watch a brief video about the group by going to our website here, and join our SWAT High Performance Human tribe here.

Purchase a copy of my High Performance Human e-book featuring more than 30 top tips on how to upgrade your life.

If you would like to help offset the cost of our podcast production, we would be so grateful. Please click here to support the HPH podcast. Thank you!

Visit Simon's website for more information about his coaching programmes. Links to all of Simon's social media channels can be found here.  For any questions please email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

Strength training & triathlon - Is HYROX the answer?

If you struggle to find a reason to insert regular strength work into your training plan, maybe the motivation from entering a HYROX event will help.

HYROX is a relative newcomer to the mix of indoor events combining strength and endurance. At first glance you might think it’s similar to CrossFit, but actually it's quite different. To help you and me to understand what HYROX is all about, I have 2 guests to help.

 

Andy Sloan is a 39 year old former triathlete who competed twice at the IM World Champs in Hawaii, and he's recently started racing in HYROX events in the Pro division and regularly finishing in the top 10 at international events. Mel Varvel is a 53 year old female former triathlete who took part in her first HYROX event at the end of 2023. She competed in the doubles category with her racing partner Ron, and is currently preparing for her first solo event in London later this year. Mel is also a staff member for our nutrition/hydration partners at Precision Fuel and Hydration.

 

Mel and Andy give us a full run down about HYROX so that you’ll have all you need to decide whether to try your hand in that world. Topics covered include:

 

• Background on their respective triathlon history
• An outline of a HYROX event and the various disciplines, and how it differs from Crossfit
• Whether it's possible to combine training for HYROX and triathlon at the same time
• A normal training week for HYROX preparation
• Do you need to join a HYROX gym?

 

To find out more about Mel and Andy, please use the following social media channels:

Mel Varvel (most of Mel’s links are for Precision Fuel and Hydration)

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/precisionfandh/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/precisionfandh/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PrecisionHydration

Online Fuel & Hydration Planner: https://www.precisionhydration.com/planner/

 

Please remember that as a podcast listener you can get 15% discount off your first order (and 15% off ALL orders if you join my SWAT Inner Circle). Contact me directly to get the code.

 

Mel’s book recommendation is Good for a Girl: My life running in a man’s world by Lauren Fleshman.

 

Andy Sloan

Instagram @Andy.nca

 

If you want to take a deep dive into the HYROX world you might like this podcast, RoxLyfe.

Andy’s favourite book is Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins.

 

To learn more about HYROX or to enter an event, click HERE. You can also watch these videos to find out more about the events:

Race format

Hyrox for beginners

Burpee Broad Jumps

Wall Ball

Farmers Walk

Hyrox partner gyms

Hyrox time race calculator

 

And a couple of specific links to HYROX case studies featuring Mel and Andy!

https://www.precisionhydration.com/athletes/case-studies/other/andy-sloan/26-11-2023/

https://www.precisionhydration.com/athletes/case-studies/other/mel-varvel/26-11-2023/

 

**To get a free copy of my personal daily mobility routine, please click HERE**

To contact Beth regarding Life Coaching, please visit her website at BethanyWardLifeCoaching.uk.

Sports Nutrition questions - if you have a sports nutrition question that you would like answered on the podcast, please email it to me via Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

 

Join our SWAT/High Performance Human tribe using this link, with a happiness guarantee! You can watch a brief video about the group by going to our website here, and join our SWAT High Performance Human tribe here.

Purchase a copy of my High Performance Human e-book featuring more than 30 top tips on how to upgrade your life.

If you would like to help offset the cost of our podcast production, we would be so grateful. Please click here to support the HPH podcast. Thank you!

Visit Simon's website for more information about his coaching programmes. Links to all of Simon's social media channels can be found here.  For any questions please email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

"It’s not anxiety, I’m adrenalised" - Dealing with motivation, self doubt and anxiety around big events with Dr Josie Perry

When you're getting close to the day of your big event it’s natural to feel some nerves and even a little anxiety. It happens to everyone, even the very top performers. In fact, if you felt no anxiety or nerves at all, that would probably be a bad thing.

 

It’s one thing to feel a little anxious, but to get to the point where you feel unable to make a decision or you're so uptight that it has a negative influence on your event, that's another matter altogether.

 

Today we have sports psychologist Dr. Josie Perry back on the show. Josie is keen triathlete and a Chartered member of the British Psychological Society (BPS) and a member of the Association of Applied Sports Psychologists (AASP), and a published author with 6 books to her name.

She is going to help us with some really practical advice on some of the mental challenges that athletes have, leading up to, during, and after their main events. As a triathlete, she has personal experience of some of the topics we chat about today, including:

 

• How to stay motivated during training
• Self doubts prior to the race
• What you can do to avoid crumbling, when your plan is disrupted by injury/illness/life events
• How to stay focussed on race morning
• Avoiding distraction during boring parts of your event
• How to ignore the voices in your head telling you to walk or quit during the hard parts of your event
• How to celebrate your achievements post race rather than assigning a good performance to luck

To find out more about Dr Perry please use the following channels:

 

Website: performanceinmind.co.uk

X = @Josephine Perry

Insta: josephineperry76

 

Josie has written 6 books, and you can find links to them all HERE.

 

In the podcast Josie also mentioned this book:

71/2 lessons about the brain by Lisa Feldman Barrett

 

**To get a free copy of my personal daily mobility routine, please click HERE**

To contact Beth regarding Life Coaching, please visit her website at BethanyWardLifeCoaching.uk.

Sports Nutrition questions - if you have a sports nutrition question that you would like answered on the podcast, please email it to me via Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

 

Join our SWAT/High Performance Human tribe using this link, with a happiness guarantee! You can watch a brief video about the group by going to our website here, and join our SWAT High Performance Human tribe here.

Purchase a copy of my High Performance Human e-book featuring more than 30 top tips on how to upgrade your life.

If you would like to help offset the cost of our podcast production, we would be so grateful. Please click here to support the HPH podcast. Thank you!

Visit Simon's website for more information about his coaching programmes. Links to all of Simon's social media channels can be found here.  For any questions please email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

BBC pundit, former professional triathlete, and Legend of British Triathlon * Annie Emmerson

The first triathlon in the UK was 1983. I did my first event in 1987 and while the sport continued to grow for the next 15 years it didn't really take off until the start of the Brownlee era from 2008.

 

Having said that, there are a significant number of folks who I consider the legends - the Triathletes, coaches, and administrators who were instrumental in building the foundations of British triathlon. Since I started the podcast in 2017 I have spoken with many of these legends. Great coaches like Steve Trew and some of the top athletes from the 90’s and 2000’s like Jodie Swallow, Sarah Springman, Robin Brew, and Richard Hobson to name a few.

 

Today's guest is another Legend of British Triathlon, Annie Emmerson, whose name you might recognise from her work with the BBC at triathlon events. We recently worked at Blenheim Triathlon and we started talking about her career in multi-sport from racing to broadcasting. In today's show we chat about:

 

• How triathlon saved Annie from a life of wine bars and partying
• Some characters from the good ol' days. 
• Why racing as a pro isn’t quite as glamorous as you think
• Female participation in triathlon 
• Who we think should be selected for the Team GB Olympic Triathlon team.

 

To find out more about Annie please check out her Instagram page

 

If you really want inspiration, follow David Smith MBE and listen to this podcast.

 

Facing death taught me how to truly live with David Smith MBE (E215)

 

Annie also recommended the following books:

Stolen Focus by Johann Hari - why you can’t pay attention and how to think deeply again

The Secret Race by Tyler Hamilton - inside the hidden world of the TdF: Doping, Cover ups, winning at all costs

 

To contact Beth regarding Life Coaching, please visit her website at BethanyWardLifeCoaching.uk.

Sports Nutrition questions - if you have a sports nutrition question that you would like answered on the podcast, please email it to me via Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

Join our SWAT/High Performance Human tribe using this link, with a happiness guarantee! You can watch a brief video about the group by going to our website here, and join our SWAT High Performance Human tribe here.

Purchase a copy of my High Performance Human e-book featuring more than 30 top tips on how to upgrade your life.

If you would like to help offset the cost of our podcast production, we would be so grateful. Please click here to support the HPH podcast. Thank you!

Visit Simon's website for more information about his coaching programmes. Links to all of Simon's social media channels can be found here.  For any questions please email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

Building Power and Mobility: Essential Strength Training for Endurance Athletes in Their 50s * Dan John

As you might have been able to pick up, I’m really getting into strength training at the moment. I feel like I need to share all of my lessons with you, because this type of activity is arguably your best antidote to aging. Dan John is back again today to help me with this.

 

Dan and I discuss the importance of strength training for endurance athletes, particularly those in their 50s, emphasising the need to focus on hypertrophy and explosive lifting to maintain lean body mass and mobility. We also highlight the significance of comprehensive training for triathletes, including mobility work, strength training, and appropriate recovery. Additionally, we discuss the importance of primal movements, such as push, pull, hip hinge, and loaded carry exercises, emphasizing the need for mobility, postural control, and structural support muscles. We also go into detail on:

• Primal movements and why they are the basis for exercise selection
• Which exercises fit the various primal movements and the best ones for you
• How to set up a simple programme and some of the considerations such as sets, reps, rest periods,  total workout duration
• Variations to build muscle or strength, or just maintain your current strength
• Hypertrophy and explosive lifting to maintain lean body mass and mobility
• Dan explains his simple 3x3x3 routine

To find out more about Dan John, please visit these channels:

Website - Dan John University

Sign up for Dan’s weekly newsletter “Wandering Weights” 

Check out Dan John’s books HERE

Dan is a prolific writer. Check out his articles and blogs 

If you have a question for Dan, most have already been answered HERE at my Q and A Forum.

 

To contact Beth regarding Life Coaching, please visit her website at BethanyWardLifeCoaching.uk.

Sports Nutrition questions - if you have a sports nutrition question that you would like answered on the podcast, please email it to me via Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

Join our SWAT/High Performance Human tribe using this link, with a happiness guarantee! You can watch a brief video about the group by going to our website here, and join our SWAT High Performance Human tribe here.

Purchase a copy of my High Performance Human e-book featuring more than 30 top tips on how to upgrade your life.

If you would like to help offset the cost of our podcast production, we would be so grateful. Please click here to support the HPH podcast. Thank you!

Visit Simon's website for more information about his coaching programmes. Links to all of Simon's social media channels can be found here.  For any questions please email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

Fuel for the Finish Line (and life): Vegan, Vegetarian, and Gluten-Free Nutrition for Triathletes with Celiac and IBS with Lexi Kelson

"There are no solutions, only compromises"

In last week’s podcast Lexi Kelson and her colleague Emily Arrell from Precision Fuel and Hydration spoke with 3 SWAT athletes to help them create a viable race day hydration and nutrition strategy. 

This is all very well, but race days don’t come around that often and in between there are many days of normal living and eating. But even then not everyone has things so straight-forward.

What if you are one of the folks who have stomach or digestive issues which make even everyday eating a real challenge?

Lexi is a Clinical Dietician, and we thought it would be helpful to talk about challenging dietary concerns such as gluten free, IBS, and celiac. We also discuss those who choose a vegan/vegetarian approach, as this requires not only a change of mindset but also some re-education of basic foodstuffs to make sure they are fully covered nutrient wise.

Other topics covered in our conversation include:

• How athletes can successfully balance energy demands with nutrient dense meals
• More on RED-S
• How to use nutrition to prevent injury, and how to aid recovery if you do get injured

To find out more about Lexi please check out these links:

Blogs: 

How much carb do you need to optimise recovery after exercise?

9 Lessons when battling Red-S

Videos: The Prehab Guys

Podcasts: Barbell Medicine

Book: Fuel Your Body

If you would like to take up the invitation of a NO OBLIGATION video call with Emily, Lexi or one of their colleagues please CLICK HERE.

You can also create your own race day plan by clicking HERE.

As a podcast listener, you can get a 15% discount on your first order with Precision Fuel & Hydration. CLICK HERE to grab that.

If you want to upgrade your education about day to day or race day nutrition, please check out the P F & H Knowledge Hub. They have a lot of really cool articles written by their experts and partner athletes. If you type your topic into the search engine you will find the information you need. 

To follow Precision Fuel & Hydration please use these social media links:

Instagram: @precisionhydration
Facebook: @precisionhydration
Twitter: @thesweatexperts
YouTube:  www.youtube.com/c/precisionhydration
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/precisionhydration

Here is some other cool stuff you might be interested in:

Free online sweat test: https://sweattest.precisionhydration.com/pages/why-personalise-your-hydration-strategy
Quick carb calculator: https://www.precisionhydration.com/products/precision-fuel-sample-pack/#thecarbcalculator
Athlete Case Studies: https://www.precisionhydration.com/athletes/case-studies/triathlon/

To contact Beth regarding Life Coaching, please visit her website at BethanyWardLifeCoaching.uk.

Sports Nutrition questions - if you have a sports nutrition question that you would like answered on the podcast, please email it to me via Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

Join our SWAT/High Performance Human tribe using this link, with a happiness guarantee! You can watch a brief video about the group by going to our website here, and join our SWAT High Performance Human tribe here.

Purchase a copy of my High Performance Human e-book featuring more than 30 top tips on how to upgrade your life.

If you would like to help offset the cost of our podcast production, we would be so grateful. Please click here to support the HPH podcast. Thank you!

Visit Simon's website for more information about his coaching programmes. Links to all of Simon's social media channels can be found here.  For any questions please email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

Live athlete calls to discuss race day hydration & nutrition strategies with Precision Fuel & Hydration

As the race season gets into full swing, I know that many of you are thinking not only of your performance goals but also how you can support these with a good race day hydration and nutrition strategy. Some of the key lessons I have learned over the years are:

 

1) without a good fuelling/hydration strategy you are unlikely to hit your goals, especially on the longer events.

2) there are 3 pillars to focus on - fuelling, hydration and electrolytes.

3) your strategy must change with every key event to cover differences in duration, intensity, course profile and weather conditions.

4) You need to practice your chosen strategy for a few weeks ahead of your A race.

 

I have an ongoing partnership with Precision Fuel and Hydration (P F & H) and one of the offers they have available to all athletes is a video call with one of their experts to discuss hydration and fuelling strategy. This is a no obligation call, so even if you use another product you can still have a chat and come away armed with some very valuable information.

 

In today's podcast three of my SWAT athletes have conversations with P F & H experts Emily Arrell and Lexi Kelson. The purpose of the podcast is to highlight exactly what format the call takes, and more importantly how they can help you to create a working strategy for your key events.

 

You will hear the following:

• Matt Cooper and Emily Arrell discuss Matt’s upcoming 50m TT
• Matthew Graham and Lexi Kelson preparing for IM Bolton 70.3
• Rachel Pearsons and Emily Arrell chat about Rachel’s strategy for IM Hamburg

Key points to listen out for:

• 3 individuals with 3 different races means 3 different strategies
• What you do in the 48 hours before your race can make a real difference
• Testing the plan and the product in the weeks before race day is crucial

 

If you would like to take up the invitation of a NO OBLIGATION video call with Emily, Lexi or one of their colleagues please CLICK HERE.

 

You can also create your own race day plan by clicking HERE.

 

As a podcast guest you can get a 15% discount on your first order with Precision Fuel & Hydration. CLICK HERE to grab that.

 

If you want to upgrade your education about day to day or race day nutrition please check out the P F & H Knowledge Hub. They have a lot of really cool articles written by their experts and also partner athletes. If you type your topic into the search engine you will find the information you need. 

 

To follow Precision Fuel & Hydration please use these social media links:

Instagram: @precisionhydration
Facebook: @precisionhydration
Twitter: @thesweatexperts
YouTube:  www.youtube.com/c/precisionhydration
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/precisionhydration

Here is some other cool stuff you might be interested in:

Free online sweat test: https://sweattest.precisionhydration.com/pages/why-personalise-your-hydration-strategy
Quick carb calculator: https://www.precisionhydration.com/products/precision-fuel-sample-pack/#thecarbcalculator
Athlete Case Studies: https://www.precisionhydration.com/athletes/case-studies/triathlon/

To contact Beth regarding Life Coaching, please visit her website at BethanyWardLifeCoaching.uk.

 

Sports Nutrition questions - if you have a sports nutrition question that you would like answered on the podcast, please email it to me via Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

Join our SWAT/High Performance Human tribe using this link, with a happiness guarantee! You can watch a brief video about the group by going to our website here, and join our SWAT High Performance Human tribe here.

Purchase a copy of my High Performance Human e-book featuring more than 30 top tips on how to upgrade your life.

If you would like to help offset the cost of our podcast production, we would be so grateful. Please click here to support the HPH podcast. Thank you!

Visit Simon's website for more information about his coaching programmes. Links to all of Simon's social media channels can be found here.  For any questions please email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

“It's hard to sell a secret when there's no secret” - Easy Strength with Dan John

Someone once told me that good coaches never stop learning. This is a philosophy that I have carried with me ever since I started coaching, and one which I share with other coaches whenever we are delivering workshops. 

Reading books and speaking with podcast guests probably forms the majority of my learning these days, although not all. I still go to conferences and in person workshops. Today’s guest ticks two of the key learning boxes for me and I hope it does for you as well.

 

My guest today is strength coach Dan John, who is also an accomplished author. Dan is a big fan of kettlebells, although he is proficient in all forms of lifting. In the podcast you’ll hear him say that he’s often the strongest person in the gym even though he is now 67 and the owner of 2 titanium hips. What I enjoy about Dan from both his books and his videos is his simple, down to earth approach. He could almost be from Yorkshire!

 

Regular listeners will know that I’m really interested in strength training, and the benefits for humans not just on their athletic performance but also their health and longevity. Dan quotes some Eastern European strength writers who I will reference in the show notes. I read a lot of strength books, including some of the early Russian texts from which many strength training principles have been adapted.  If you are into your strength training you might want to check these out. 

 

In this call we only covered a fraction of what was on my list, so expect to hear Dan again in the very near future. Below are some of the topics we chat about:

 

• (5:09) Building consistency is better than the perfect workout - “In my gym, we call it 5 x 52. You know, it's 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year. I mean, that's the secret sauce!"
• (6:14) The perfect workout
• (34:38) Can you develop mobility & strength at the same time? "We loosen what is tightening and we strengthen what is weakening.”
• (35:59) Athletes over 55 - "Focus on the 3 pillars - mobility, hypertrophy, fast twitch muscle fibres."
• (41:01) What you do between 35-55 sets the template for how you are post 55 years old. “The future you will be happy that you lifted weights at 35."
• (49:38) What is the minimum equipment you need for a home gym? "Even if you have no equipment, it doesn't matter."
• (51:27) Differences in strength training workouts for males versus females - "So the only difference is probably more volume (higher reps/lower weights) on the push and pull movements”

 

To find out more about Dan John, please visit these channels:

Website - Dan John University

Sign up for Dan’s weekly newsletter “Wandering Weights” 

Check out Dan John’s books HERE

Dan is a prolific writer. Check out his articles and blogs 

If you have a question for Dan, most have already been answered HERE at my Q and A Forum.

 

Also in the show we talked about:

Robb Wolf

Vladimir Janda

 

To contact Beth regarding Life Coaching, please visit her website at BethanyWardLifeCoaching.uk.

 

Sports Nutrition questions - if you have a sports nutrition question that you would like answered on the podcast, please email it to me via Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

Join our SWAT/High Performance Human tribe using this link, with a happiness guarantee! You can watch a brief video about the group by going to our website here, and join our SWAT High Performance Human tribe here.

Purchase a copy of my High Performance Human e-book featuring more than 30 top tips on how to upgrade your life.

If you would like to help offset the cost of our podcast production, we would be so grateful. Please click here to support the HPH podcast. Thank you!

Visit Simon's website for more information about his coaching programmes. Links to all of Simon's social media channels can be found here.  For any questions please email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.