#231 Training for Performance in your 40s with Laura Shanks

We are joined by first time guest, The Dark Horse; Paddy Haynes part of the new wave of Strongman athletes breaking through onto the world stage from the UK. Paddy is an Athlete & Performance Coach & the owner of Haynes Strength. He grew up (& still lives) on a farm in Oxfordshire & discusses how the work ethic & required manual work forged strength & resilience from a young age. We talk about athleticism, grip strength, a love of odd objects, his recent star turn at Britains Strongest Man, his upcoming debut at Europes Strongest Man & his aspirations to reach Worlds Strongest Man on the most prestigious stage of all.

Pete & James catch up for the first time in 2025 after a 9 week run of guests. They cover James’ revelation that getting heavier & stronger doesn’t necessarily transfer to an optimal snowboarding experience. Pete’s recent group talk on why ‘Walking Solves’, upcoming UK workshops with Pavel Macek & Chloe Brennan & what they’ve both learned so far from guests in 2025.

We are joined from Prague by first time guest Pavel Macek for this special double episode. Pavel is a Strongfirst Master Certified Instructor, a lifelong Martial Artist, Coach, Author, Strength Historian & cat lover. We cover much ground (hence the double episode). Strength, resilience, psychology, meditation, stoicism, philosophy, morning routines & productivity. We also discuss Pavel’s upcoming ‘Enter the Dumbbell’ workshop in the UK. A fascinating conversation with a calm, clear & inquisitive man on a journey to improve himself & others. This is Part 2 of 2.

We are joined from Prague by first time guest Pavel Macek for this special double episode. Pavel is a Strongfirst Master Certified Instructor, a lifelong Martial Artist, Coach, Author, Strength Historian & cat lover. We cover much ground (hence the double episode). Strength, resilience, psychology, meditation, stoicism, philosophy, morning routines & productivity. We also discuss Pavel’s upcoming ‘Enter the Dumbbell’ workshop in the UK. A fascinating conversation with a calm, clear & inquisitive man on a journey to improve himself & others. This is Part 1 of 2.

We are joined this week by first time guest & possibly the STRONGEST person pound for pound we’ve ever had on the show, Chloe Brennan. Chloe is the Founder & Coach @holisticstrengthcoaching she is World & European Strongwoman Champion in the Under 73kg class, she is a Strongman commentator & one of only a handful of women worldwide to lift the famous Dinnie Stones in Scotland. We discuss Chloe’s athletic life growing up, her transition to strength sports, her love of personal development & the ‘mindset of strength’ & spreading the benefit of being strong (mentally & physically) to EVERYONE.

We are joined by Sean Cole; former Physical Trainer in the Royal Navy, owner of SC Vital Fitness & Co-Director of Balance Wellness Club (both in Portsmouth, UK) & mentor to Gym Owners & Personal Trainers. We discuss Sean’s time in the Navy & his transition back into civilian life. His journey as a business owner & his own health & fitness path. We also talk about alcohol, the physical & emotional impact of it & how through a combination of sobriety, contrast therapy & breath-work Sean is truly living an authentic life in his 50s. An honest & thought provoking conversation.

We are joined by Laura Shanks, career woman, mother of 2 & a rapidly improving & rising HYROX athlete. Laura talks about her early experiences of exercise & training & the overriding focus on weight loss, weight control & staying slim. In her mid 40s Laura is now a HYROX athlete who podiums at events & is chasing her first race win. We discus discipline, scheduling training, a performance mindset, eating to fuel an athletes lifestyle & the balance of sacrifice & reward when chasing performance goals - as a regular person vs a full time athlete. An interesting, insightful & inspiring conversation that we can all take something from.

We are joined by Nick Rainbird, who we last spoke to on Episode 195 entitled - The Healing Power of Nature. Nick has recently taken his love of the great outdoors, nature & wellness to the next level & completed his Wim Hof Instructor training in Poland & joins us to discuss the 3 Pillars of the Wim Hof system, embracing the cold & things that take us out of our modern state of constant comfort. An inspiring & relevant conversation with a man who preaches what he practises & is bucking the trend of modern society & the path many are unconsciously drifting down

We take a deep dive with returning guest Paul Mcllroy into his new book - Perpetual Strength: How to keep getting stronger year in, year out - using the art & science of comfort zone expansion. We discuss the theory & philosophy behind Paul’s approach as well as the application, programmes & exercises selected. This is Part 2 of 2.

We take a deep dive with returning guest Paul Mcllroy into his new book - Perpetual Strength: How to keep getting stronger year in, year out - using the art & science of comfort zone expansion. We discuss the theory & philosophy behind Paul’s approach as well as the application, programmes & exercises selected. This is Part 1 of 2.