#282 The 5 big rocks of health & fitness for 2026 (and every year)

Midway through January & following a run of 8 weeks of fantastic guests Pete & James cut through the distraction & clutter of new year, new you media hyperbole & discuss the 5 big rocks that will ACTUALLY help you move the needle & make progress throughout 2026.

We are rejoined by Mark Tonner (previously a guest on episodes 272 & 174) to Review the recent 'Lift for Life' Charity Deadlift Challenge & discuss some big plans for 2026. 2025 was the most successful event to date breaking records in terms of kg lifted, number of participants AND money raised for Suicide Prevention through Andy's Man Club & if you've listened to previous episodes with Mark you'll know he has some more dastardly ideas up his sleeve!

We last spoke to Paddy Haynes back in February 2025 (Episode 237) when he was very much 'The Dark Horse' of UK & International Strongman having narrowly missed out on a podium place at Britain's Strongest Man. Since then, it's fair to say he's had a pretty special year. In this catch up episode with Paddy we go through his biggest achievements of the year in terms of contest finishes & records broken & look ahead to 2026 - could the 'Dark Horse' be renamed - 'The Stallion'!?

In our first podcast of 2026 we are joined all the way from Southern Maryland, USA by the very aptly named Levi Strong. Levi is a 6ft 8, 375lb giant of a man who recently WON the Magnus Classic out in Iceland in November beating a world class line-up. We discuss Levi's hard working blue collar background, working in ice storms & extreme conditions, his experience in Iceland, his training & aspirations for the future. This is a relaxed & informative conversation with an intelligent, humble & polite athlete who hopefully we will all be seeing much more of over the coming months & years.

In the second of our two Christmas Specials we are joined from Scotland by Chris Beetham - 2024 Scotlands Strongest Man & 2025 UK Strongest Man runner up (by 1.5 points!) Chris is a full time Structural Engineer, father of two, owner of Dodge City Strength Gym, youth Rugby coach, coach to 35 strength athletes AND a Pro Strongman himself! We learn about Chris' rugby background, how he fell in love with Strength Training & his life as a competitive Powerlifter then Strongman & how he 'engaged feast mode' to transform himself from a naturally slim guy into the man he is today - top tip - double dinners!

In the first of two Christmas Specials we are joined from Belfast, Northern Ireland by Emma Brennan.  Owner of Iron Wolf Gym, Iron Wolf Gymwear, Qualified Personal Trainer, Strength & Conditioning Coach, Sports Therapist, competitive Powerlifter & mother of two. This is a wide ranging conversation covering Emma's unconventional route into the fitness industry, her experience in the education & training sector, the current state of the industry, juggling life as a wife & mother with running a business AND competing in Strength Sports. Emma also talks openly about dealing with her own health & fitness challenges over the years & how her personal experiences inform her approach when working with clients.

We are joined for the 3rd time by our good friend from Prague - Pavel Macek. Pavel is a Strongfirst Master Certified Instructor who lists his areas of interest & expertise as; Strength, Combatives, Stoicism, Tea, Cats (and the TV series LOST). He is a calm, wise & fascinating man & in this conversation we focus on RESILIENCE, both mental & physical, meditation, his upcoming visit to the UK (next March) & the online release of his 'Enter the Dumbbell' course. I'm sure this will not be the last time we are joined by Pavel as every time we sit down & talk we learn, laugh & come away with an expanded reading list.

We are joined by Caroline Southgate, founder of Doris Jones Ltd for a timely & incredibly important conversation about ageing, longevity, the gap between health-span & life-span & staying well in later life. Ageing affects us all both directly (as ourselves) & indirectly (when caring for older friends & family) & as a society as well. Caroline's business Doris Jones provides physio-led home care, helping older people stay independent where they are happiest - at home. This is a relaxed & broad conversation discussing ageing from a perspective we haven't explored before.

We are joined by Shane Nugent MSc to discuss all things nutrition & lifestyle management. Shane shares his nutrition principles which broadly apply to everyone & then discusses how these principles can be added to when specific variation is required due to athletic goals or personal preference. Shane is pragmatic, sensible & clear in his approach & believes getting nutrition 'right' for the individual requires a combination of education, accountability, support, community & empathy. This is not your standard conversation around nutrition, calories & macros - it is a call for us all to take our food choices more seriously but delivered with care & realistic, practical advice.

Following 4 weeks of guests on the podcast Pete & James take the time to catch up & discuss what they've taken from recent episodes & what's going on in their own training & businesses. Topics up for discussion include the upcoming Lift for Life Charity competition, the recent Dawn of the Deadlift challenge at Unique Results & how to manage overwhelm when embarking on a new fitness/lifestyle programme or trying to make positive changes in your life.