Health Oddity Podcast

We are joined from Kendal in The Lake District, England by Vicki Farrington a former member of the MET Police turned Sports Therapist, Strength Coach & Ultra Endurance Cyclist.   We talk about open water swimming, fell running, mountain biking & Vicki's recent conquering of the Mega Mallorca 312 challenge! We also discuss the stark change of lifestyle moving from London in a highly pressurised & stressful career to a life in the countryside, spending much time outdoors & a totally different pace of life. This is a wide reaching conversation that I guarantee will make you want to spend more time in nature (& possibly visit The Lakes).

Pete & James recap 7 weeks of fantastic guests & pick up some of the themes & conversations that have sparked thoughts & discussions within our businesses. Staying grounded & anchored through times of stress & turmoil & what it REALLY means to find a deep connection to movement, exercise & our physical being are among the topics discussed.

We are joined by a legendary figure of UK (& World) Strongman from Kent in England - Mr Terry Hollands AKA Big Tel. Terry is one of Britain's best known & most successful strongmen. He competed at the Worlds Strongest Man 15 times, reached the final on 9 consecutive occasions & podiumed twice. We discuss the current Strongman scene, the upcoming 2025 Worlds Strongest Man in USA. Terry's sporting background, training history & current focus. A fascinating conversation with a man who has pushed his body to the brink in the name of performance & is now focused on being strong, fit & healthy for the decades ahead.

We are joined by Elise Laura Ball from Bristol in Somerset, England for an open & raw conversation about Ballet, professional dancing, body image, eating disorders, alcohol & recovery. Elise is a Strongfirst Elite trainer, Kettlebell & Strength Coach & a Ballet teacher who now focuses on teaching Ballet to adults & passing on her love of dancing without the pressure & pain from her past.

We are joined for the first time live from Greece. David Amerland's new book ‘Built to Last - How to get stronger, healthier & happier at every stage of life.' Is NOT your standard health & fitness manual & David is certainly NOT your standard health & fitness expert. At 60 years of age his understanding of ‘why we do what we do' is vast & is informed by a diverse professional & educational background. Authenticity & finding a deeper connection to what ‘fitness' means to us individually is foundational to maintaining healthy practises for life. This is a thought provoking & deep conversation which may help you see fitness through a different lens.

We are joined from California USA by 78 year old State Record Holding Powerlifter (& Pickleball enthusiast) Mike Tiktinsky. Mike took up strength training after he fought Prostate Cancer at 58. In his words he “wanted to get strong for whatever life was going to throw at him.” Since then, he has undergone (& recovered from) two total knee replacements AND a heart attack. This is an uplifting & inspiring conversation with a man who at nearly 80 is still competing, testing himself, being consistent & paying it forward by helping others who want to follow in his journey of strength.

We are joined all the way from Texas USA by Andrew Burton. Winner of the Arnold Pro/Am Strongman 2025, 3rd Place at the Magnus Classic 2024 in Iceland & Winner of the Worlds Strongest Firefighter 2023! We learn about Andrew's Powerlifting background, his varied jobs on leaving education (including working in a butter factory) training to become a paramedic & firefighter & how he manages to juggle training as an elite strength athlete with one of the most physically & emotionally demanding jobs on the planet.

“I'm sorry Mr & Mrs Linnett. Your son has spina bifida. He'll never be able to walk, or father children or live a normal life.” This is what Pete Linnett's parents were told by the doctor shortly after his birth. On this episode we talk about taking the ‘dis' out of disability & living life to its fullest, defying expectations & breaking records along the way. Pete is a 4 x World Bench Champion, 4 x Worlds Strongest Disabled Man, has travelled the world competing & is a hard working family man. This is his inspiring & fascinating story (so far).

We are joined by returning guest Jemma Wesson from Stronger Women Academy (formerly The Unit) in Teeside. We last talked to Jemma back on episode 92, nearly 3 years ago about Bodybuilding, CrossFit & Functional Strength. On this episode we discuss empowering women over 40 through strength training, community & education. We talk about the different dynamics of training women vs men & how many outdated views & fears around strength training still exist within the general population. We learn what Jemma is doing to address this & make strength training something that women of all ages, sizes & backgrounds can engage in & benefit from.

Pete & James have a reflective episode discussing Oli Mell's recent Kettlebell Sport Workshop at Unique Results (& being featured in Men's Health magazine) & the concepts of setting STANDARDS rather than goals, having BUMPERS rather than rigid requirements & how you can consciously use FRICTION to make behaviours you want to promote easier & those you want to avoid more awkward.

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.

We are joined from Michigan USA by Ryan Wohlfert - Health & Wellness Dr & Dr of Chiropratic. This is a great discussion to kick off 2025 as it is about a topic that the majority of adults will need to address at some stage in their life - back pain & spinal health. Dr Ryan offers an empowering approach to personal responsibility & lifestyle modification & far from talking about ‘back cracking' & ‘manipulations' shares his teachings on posture, strength training, nutrition, hydration & daily spinal hygiene (think daily oral health - but for your back). This was a fun & informative conversation & Dr Ryan will definitely be returning to the show in the future. https://www.drwohlfert.com/posture-minicourse https://www.youtube.com/RyanWohlfert https://www.drwohlfert.com/

Pete & James don their Christmas attire once again (& zoom backdrops) for the second of a two part festive special to close out 2024 - this time they're turning the Christmas Cheer up to 11! They preview upcoming guests, discuss James' recent trip to Iceland along with such varied topics as strength training, monkey bars, Marcus Aurelius (inspired by Gladiator 2), Perpetual Strength, Walking & how to solve a Rubik's Cube with one hand WHILST doing pistol squats - a podcast first anywhere in the World!

Pete & James don their Christmas attire (& zoom backdrops) for the first of a two part festive special to close out 2024. They discuss their own training as they head into Christmas. Pete's new Walk Bath / Walking Solves App the recent release of Paul Mcllroy's new book ‘Perpetual Strength' & James' upcoming trip to Iceland to watch the Magnus Classic Strongman Competition. T hey also talk about what they've learned from recent guests & their individual focus for 2025.

We talk to the highly inspirational & incredibly strong David Walsh AKA Sitting Bull UK. The Worlds Strongest Adaptive Athlete 2022/2023, & Britains Strongest Disabled Man 2021, 2023 & 2024. David started competing in Strongman in 2012 & was diagnosed with MS (Multiple sclerosis) in 2014. We discuss pulling trucks, deadlifting 600+kg & the mental journey he has been on since his diagnosis - this is a candid, honest & powerful account of coming to terms with disability & rebuilding a very different life. David also shares how his relationship with his coach ‘Big Loz' has helped him both physically & mentally in this incredibly tough sport & life as well.

We are joined by returning guest Helen Hall, who was last with us on Episode 66 (a full 3 years ago).  Helen (now 53) updates us on her latest thinking, training, eating & lifestyle modifications around dealing with the menopause. She offers simple, relatable & easily applicable advice based on her own experience & through coaching many women in their 40s & 50s. Helen also talks about her own journey with HRT & highlights the responsibility of the individual to do all they can via lifestyle to complement any medical prescription leading to a truly holistic approach to healthy ageing (which is just as applicable to men as it is for women).

For the first time in 6 weeks Peter & James catch up with each other following another run of great guests. They discuss Paul Mcllroy's new book; Perpetual Strength, the upcoming STONES 2 documentary from Maximum Iron, the development of Walk Bath & the qualities we all tend to lose as we age (if we don't make a concerted effort to retain them) - monkey bars/hanging, sprinting, jumping & hill walking.

We are joined by our first ever Romanian guest, Daniel Vintila.  Daniel spent 10 years working as a croupier in Casinos onboard luxury cruise ships & in his time has pursued strength & fitness in many forms; Spartan racing, calisthenics, bodybuilding, kettlebells & most recently competing in both Powerlifting & Strongman.  Daniel is a Strongfirst Elite Instructor & trains exclusively at home in his well equipped garage gym. We discuss finding your way in fitness, training around long shifts & onboard big ships & the importance of competition to focus the mind & training programme.

We are joined LIVE from Aberdeen, Scotland by the Highland Wolf - John Gibb. John is a Scottish Stonelifter & Strongman & the day before recording this episode he was crowned Britain's Strongest Stonelifter 2024! J ohn was the 157th lifter (& walker) of the historic Dinnie Stones & was also featured in the recent documentary ‘STONES' from Maximum Iron. We discuss training, eating, grip strength, sandbags, atlas stones & even get a tour round his awesome ‘shed of strength'. This is a great conversation with a man who is forging world class strength using rugged & historic methods & has the bruises & trophies to prove it!

We are joined by returning guest Steve Bush, who was last with us on Episode 127 (Why Weight Loss Surgery Fails for the Majority of People). That was nearly 2 years ago so we thought it was about time to check in with Steve again. The release of this episode coincides with the 5th Anniversary of Steve's gastric sleeve surgery & Steve updates us on his latest thinking, recent physical achievements & plans for the future. This is an honest, open & inspiring conversation with a man who was given a second chance at life & how he is choosing to live it.

We are joined by Sue Collins (formerly Mapstone) as she reflects on a lifetime of sport & how an ever evolving love of sport, activity & movement have developed through the decades as commitments, circumstances & challenges arose. Sue represented England at the 1974 & 1978 Commonwealth Games (as a 17 & 21 year old respectively) in the Pentathlon. She won the Silver medal in Edmonton, Canada in 1978. Subsequently, Sue had a family, a long career in teaching & continued sport & training throughout.  Now, at 67, we discuss Sue's training post a fairly recent knee replacement. This is a down to earth, engaging & relatable conversation with a funny, self deprecating lady whose attitude towards life we could all learn from.

We are joined by returning guest Claire Booth; Strongfirst Senior & Elite Instructor & head of Strongfirst GB. We last spoke to Claire WAY back on episode 33 (about 3.5 years ago) so it was great to catch up. In this episode we discuss mixing & balancing the three training modalities of Barbell, Kettlebell & Bodyweight, the impact of menopause & the importance of getting the right HRT balance & why ALL women should be engaging in regular structured strength training - especially in their 40s, 50s & beyond.

For the first time in 7 episodes Pete & James get an opportunity to discuss recent events & the guests we've met over the last few weeks. Britains Disabled Strongman/Strongwoman, the recent documentary ‘Stones' from Maximum iron, the development of Walk Bath & the planning of the 2025 Unique Results Ski trip are all up for discussion & well as what we've learned & implemented over recent weeks.

We are joined by London based Scot, Clare Rafferty, a HYROX coach & athlete, Member of the Official Global HYROX Master Team, Race Director, Strength & Conditioning Coach & Running Coach with over 10 years experience. We learn about Clare's journey from the Bodybuilding stage to Running start line to Hybrid Fitness Athlete & the lessons she's learnt along the way. This is a great conversation about embracing change, seizing opportunities & finding your calling. There's also some great advice for those training for HYROX & Hybrid Fitness Events & how to avoid making some common mistakes & maximising your performance on race day.

We are joined from Belfast, Northern Ireland by Stevie Shanks; Drummer with Flash Harry & Clann an Drumma, Multiple World Record Weight Lifter (about 40 on last counting), Stone lifter & organiser of the annual Donald Dinnie Day Gathering in Scotland. We discuss the history of the Dinnie Stones & Stevie's father - Jack Shanks - an old time Strongman & the first to lift the Dinnie Stones since Donald Dinnie himself, the evolution of stone lifting & how Stevie has shifted the focus of his own training now that he is in his 60s. We also learn a cool way to trick the step-counter on your Fitbit! This is a fascinating & inspiring conversation with a man whose passion for physical culture & the history of strength is palpable.

We are joined today by Del Wilson. A Personal Trainer, Kettlebell Athlete & Coach - someone who has been at the forefront of kettlebell sport in England for many years. Del talks about his background in Formula 1 engineering, competitive Bodybuilding, Endurance Running & his transition into Kettlebell Sport where he found his true calling. Del competes in Kettlebell Pentathlon, Marathon & Long Cycle (all explained in this episode) & holds Master of Sports World Class ranking across 7 events.  He also continues to travel & compete internationally in his late 50s & has no plans to slow down.

We are joined from Putney in London by Aidan O' Flaherty AKA @theirishphysio ahead of his ‘Running Injuries & Performance Master Class' in Essex on Saturday 5th October. Aidan is a former pro football player, competitive rower & runner who now works with high level endurance athletes (up to Olympic level) & recreational runners of all shapes, sizes & abilities. In this fascinating conversation we discuss all things running, Training mileage, building running specific strength, foot striking, common injuries, biomechanics & more. An essential episode if you run yourself or are an Physio, Osteo, Therapist or Coach who works with runners.

We are joined all the way from New South Wales, Australia by Allen Willis for a hard hitting, honest & challenging conversation with a man who has faced many demons & trials in his life & is certainly on an upwards trajectory of strength, resilience, empowerment & redemption. We hear how Tim Anderson's Original Strength & the work of Dan John formed a pathway for Allen to rebuild his life (physically & emotionally) & how he has managed to go from being in constant pain & barely able to walk to competing in Strongman & now coaching & helping others. Parts of this conversation are uncomfortable, but Allen holds nothing back & what we are left with is a sense of hope, promise & hopefully a brighter future ahead.

We are joined for the third time by Disabled Strongman pioneer & organiser of Britains Disabled Strongman & Strongwoman Competition Gary Clarke. This year the prestigious competition is being held at the Indoor Athletics Centre at Brunel University in London on the weekend of 14th/15th September & is going to be bigger than ever! Health Oddity are sponsoring the event, Magnús Ver Magnússon is the head referee & it is FREE for spectators to watch the incredible & inspiring strongmen & strongwomen in action (plus Pete & James will be there all weekend signing autographs lol).

Peter & James return from their summer vacation (not together) & debrief their experiences of exploring the English countryside & mountainous terrain & discuss how they stayed on track with training while away from home. The importance of deciding on your outcome & strategy BEFORE you go away & how to hit the ground running on your return. James also visits the birthplace of King Arthur & has a chance meeting on a cliff.

We are joined by our first ever German guest, the strong & mighty Sven Rieger from Stuttgart (dialling in from a family vacation in the idyllic Tuscan countryside). Sven is the 204th lifter of the Dinnie Stones in Scotland (as referenced in Episode 203 with Andrew Russell) a Strongfirst Team Leader & Elite level instructor. He has also passed the incredibly tough ‘Sinister' challenge & is a Functional Movement FMS1 Certified Coach. We discuss strength, how to develop it, train it & adapt it for many varied challenges requiring different implements, skill sets & nuances. Sven is a jovial giant of a man & it was great fun getting to know him better. Enjoy.

We are joined from Poland (between races at the European Canoeing Championships) by 20 year veteran International Canoeist turned ultra-runner & motivational speaker Keith Moule. Keith describes the chance passing of a local canoe club at around 10 years of age that led to an international competitive career that saw him travel the world. We hear about Keith's record breaking race in 2023 that saw him & his partner break the 44 year standing record for the 125 mile DW (Devizes to Westminster) canoe race - paddling for over 15hrs non stop! Keith also shares what it takes to become world class (in anything) & what his competitive career taught him about life in general & how it educates his corporate career now. A fascinating meeting with a focused & driven athlete with plenty of relatable advice for us all.

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 as just another challenge to be overcome & an opportunity to learn about oneself & to plan our next steps. A relaxed & thought provoking catch up with one of the original ‘friends of the show'.

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 a demanding career with elite performance & how her hobby somehow got out of control. A lively chat with a down to earth & relatable lady - who just happens to be historically strong!

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 & training to lift the Dinnie Stones. This is a fascinating, down to earth conversation with a strong but humble family man which will be relatable to many of our listeners.

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 sports, including football, acrobatics, dancing, boxing, wrestling & even mixed martial arts. At only 29 years of age Pavlo has achieved so much in Strongman already (& he will achieve much more in the future). This is a fascinating conversation with advice & pearls of wisdom that can be applied to your own training & approach to life. Just don't try to replicate Pavlo's breakfast!

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 there a way to go back to a healthier time? Possibly - Back to the Future?

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 in all things & how to use Dan's programmes in a logical & systemised manner. As always, this is an insightful & thought provoking conversation with one of the most respected strength coaches in the world.

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 of the most populated & competitive cities in the world - London. How she's learning & adapting her training to cater for the ‘general population' & how she's transferring her skills & insights from her former tech career into helping her clients get stronger & move better.

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) & how your pillow lies to you! This is an insightful & inspiring catch up with an athlete & coach who has just about seen (and heard) it all.

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 & finding a way to train that you love & excites you. This is an open, honest & frank conversation with a lady, who through training has found a way to grow in confidence, belief, ability & is now more comfortable than ever to stand out.