#306 Over 3 Decades in Fitness with Dr Paul Bedford

The gym has been the go to place for getting fit for decades. But with more options, better equipment available at home, changing lifestyles & the growth of A.I do we still need gyms to be healthy, strong & fit? Peter & James have a fascinating discussion with returning guest & Fitness Industry Expert of 35 years, Keith Smith to find the answer.

What if some of the health advice you've followed for decades has been completely wrong? That's the question that Peter & James tackle in this week's episode. Common phrases, sentiments & advice that we've all heard for years, but where did they come from & how much truth do they actually hold? A lively discussion that may challenge some of your long held beliefs around fitness, health & training.

Peter & James return from their summer breaks & reconvene to discuss recent episodes & news as well as some life lessons & habits that may be beneficial to bring back from holiday & implement into your everyday life.

We are joined for the 3rd time by current England's Strongest Man & recent runner up in the Strongman Classic - The Dark Horse: Paddy Haynes. We manage to squeeze in a catch up with Paddy during an incredibly busy time for him between competitions & with his own profile & online content continuing to grow at a rapid rate. Paddy discusses goals for the rest of the year, an upcoming trip to Iceland & the fact that he's already booked his qualification place at the Worlds Strongest Man 2027!

We are joined for the first time by Pete Cohen, Performance Coach, Author, TV Presenter & film maker who has undergone a life changing journey over the last few years since the passing of his wife Hannah after a long & courageous battle with brain tumours.  Pete documented the whole of his journey with Hannah including all of the highs & the lows of treatment, recovery & returning illness in a documentary called 'Hannah's Story' which has to date, won 11 different film festivals & is an unflinching & honest sharing of love, loss & the human spirit. This episode will encourage you to stop & think about your own life, maybe from a fresh perspective.

We are joined for the first time by 2025 UK Strongest Man - Andrew 'Flying Flynn' Flynn, a husband & father who's 'hobby' has taken him twice to the Worlds Strongest Man comp in USA & who trains & competes alongside a full time career & family commitments. Andrew also trains predominantly in a shed in his garden so he can fit training around school runs, work & household chores. Andrew is down to earth, humble, unassuming & impossible not to like. Be inspired.

In this host catch up episode Pete & James discuss the upcoming Strongman Classic at the Royal Albert Hall, James' recent Strongman Competition in Colchester, Pete reaching new levels of strength with the Kettlebell Press & also some of the lessons he's learned from Walking 750km in just 7.5 weeks (much of it in a heatwave).

We are joined from Long Island, New York by Jason Nelson, originally from Trinidad (our first Caribbean guest) to discuss fat loss after 40 & helping people build strong energetic lives. Jay is the owner of Body Image Fitness, a personal training gym & clinical consultancy practice which has licensed medical staff in-house who can prescribe & oversee GLP-1 treatment for weight loss alongside a structured & monitored fitness & strength programme to maximise long term results, adherence & safety. We talk about the before, during & after programme considerations for people using GLP-1 treatments & how to best manage coming off of the shots once weight loss has been achieved. A timely & relevant conversation with an expert in the field.

We are joined for the second time from Buckinghamshire, England by Hannah Camden.   Hannah is the owner of Fitworks Training, KBX & the founder of Find Your Fit - a 24hr charity fitness event that she is on a mission to grow globally with a huge 2027 event already planned.   We discuss some of Hannah's recent Kettlebell Sport World Records, her passion for getting young girls interested in fitness & strength, recovering from serious injuries & the importance of mobility & recovery as we age.              

We are joined for the second time by Dr Paul Bedford AKA The Retention Guru - a man who travels the globe helping gym & health club chains sign up new members (and more importantly keep them). Paul is an expert in behaviour, habits, customer experience, culture & the reality of the fitness industry behind the mirrors, polished chrome & 'Love Island / Gym Shark' physiques used in marketing. What does fitness REALLY look like for 90% of the population & how does a normal person manage expectations & results to actually enhance their quality of life?