Walk with Lawrence

Walking has long been one of the most underrated forms of improving physical and emotional health. It is a powerful tool that can be harnessed in often surprising life changing ways...I know this from personal experience!  In fact, the effect walking has on simply stimulating great conversation is what inspired this podcast in the first place...so who better to go for a walk and a talk with than former Special Forces soldier, Simon Jeffries.  Simon combines his elite military experience with cutting edge neuroscience and psychology to help others remove limitations, find their peak mental performance and build resilience.  A special shout out to Trek bars for sponsoring this episode...Trek bars have accompanied me over many walks and fuelled many an adventure. I couldn't think of a more fitting episode partner for this particular conversation. Enjoy!   

From hanging in his prison cell to living the good life with his family in Devon...Michael Maisey is a man who knows what it takes to turn his life around. In this episode he not only shares his remarkable story but also the daily tools and methodologies he used to get to where he is today - a successful business man, award winning author, Self Development Coach, Motivational Speaker, Host of The C.I.P Podcast, Founder of The CIP Project, Creator and Host of The  Free 'Time For Change' Online Program. Michael is a man who has put the work in on himself and now devotes his life to helping other men turn their lives around. 

Chris comes back onto the show to talk about his time in the most recent TV series of S.A.S Who Dares Wins. As a contestant who was there right through to the end he has all of the inside scoop as to what happened both on and off camera... If, like me, you're a fan of the show then you need to listen to this episode! 

Rupy is famous for his discussions around food as medicine. He has published 2 books, founded Culinary Medicine within the NHS, is a GP and just a general high achiever legend of a gentleman. In this episode we go for a stroll in Kensington and discuss food, of course...but mostly look at the personal growth mindset Rupy has adopted to enable him to be so prolific with his work. He is a truly impressive human but an awful lot of personal work goes on behind the scenes to enable him to achieve what he does - I was honoured that he shared so many of his mental thought processes with me in this episode. www.thedoctorskitchen.com @doctors_kitchen 

JUST DON'T MENTION REALITY TV!!!!! Ok maybe a little bit....but this is mostly an episode about the evolution of the fitness industry over the last 10 years...well at least from the points of view of Alex and myself having been PT's during this interesting period in the industry's development. What has changed? What has stayed the same? What has been good? What has been...less good? Have a listen and also share with us YOUR thoughts and observations on the topic please! 

The ultimate 'before and after'...PARENTING!!!! So many changes all at once....both physically and practically in life terms! Kate Rowe-Ham and I attempt to discuss the topic of 'fitnessing whilst parenting' but end up having a whirlwind discussion about so many elements to being a father or mother...the shifts in personal identity, the priority changes, the evolution of your partner relationship, the never ending tiredness lol (but seriously)...so much stuff to talk about and this really is just the tip of the iceberg...to be continued for sure! 

I recently got to spend some time enjoying the warm weather training at Club La Santa during late November. I was on my own for 4 days so plenty of time for some personal reflection alongside my training - in this episode I asked you, my legendary listeners, to ask me some questions and to present some themes for discussion. In answering those questions I cover topics such as nutrition, parenthood, being a man, social media and its impact of mental health, dealing with anxiety, motivation...and more! Let me know what you think and if you liked it I'll do more episodes like these! 

Masculinity...what does it take to be a man in this day and age? Happiness...is it the same as 'fulfillment' and how do we find it? This is a most mega episode...we cover these topics and compare ideas of traditional masculinity with toxic masculinity and then masculinity 2.0...!Why is it that so many people feel empty today? Is society teasing us with the wrong emotional goals...and in doing so have we disconnected with who we truly are deep down? Ben is a master in discussing these big themes...but don't worry, we also have a laugh along the way! I really hope you enjoy this episode and get a lot from it...this conversation, and many like it, have certainly helped me. 

Chris Barker has Crohn's disease which is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It causes inflammation of your digestive tract, which can lead to abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and malnutrition. How may gut issues such as these affect your life as a whole...not just your physical wellbeing but also your mental wellbeing? Did you know that the vast majority of your serotonin is made in your gut? The effect on your physical state, your mental state and your social life can be impacted and so Chris talks about his own experiences and journey with the condition whilst offering some gems of advice for other sufferers along the way. This really was a great conversation and whether you, or one of your friends, suffers from Crohn's we hope you find it extremely useful and uplifting to see how Chris lives his life to the full regardless of the disease. * The IG account @crohnsandcolitisuk is referenced as a resource during the chat. 

In this hour episode we cover rather a lot...the first half is a chat about online fitness myths and the unregulated (until now?!) world of fitness influencers. We then discuss coping with grief during this extremely challenging time for James. I was so deeply moved by what James shared and I admire him more than ever for how he has responded to such unimaginable loss.The podcast then finishes with a discussion over a passion we both share...food! We consider ourselves foodies first and foremost so we chat about our philosophies on how food fits into our fitness orientated lifestyles. 

[45 minutes long] - Thinking of starting a business? This episode is for you! Joel founded a tech start up 2.5 years ago. He has a work ethic like no other and is a self confessed 'all in' kind of a guy...which is the exact same approach he brings to all aspects of his life including his fitness training, relationships, etc. Laying so much on the table opens you up to many risks and the pressures in dealing with the constant stream of 'problem solving' can have an adverse effect on your mental health...so what mental coping strategies has Joel developed to leverage against the high octane professional life he has chosen? 

A conversation with dear friend Mathew Carter about mental wellness, primarily in men, and the issues us blokes seem to have with talking about our feelings...in this episode we chat about our experiences and journeys with our own mental health whilst championing the movement of encouraging men to get together and open up about their feelings. We have plenty of lols along the way and finish with a good sing song...obviously. 

Alex Crockford is a man who has become well known for his physique, its impressive...trust me! But that isn't even half the story...the power of Alex's mindset has enabled him to set out life defining goals and to conquer them one by one. The body we all see is simply the physical manifestation of a determined mind with particular outlooks on life...into which we delve deeply in this episode. This is a conversation about the many layers below the surface, the attributes we don't see in a photograph, that have led to Alex achieving some amazing feats already in his life...but, as he attests in this episode, he's just getting started...

Life is chaotic. So much we can't control and yet so much we can! How might we see with clarity in order to actively work towards our goals amongst the mayhem? What role do our emotions play in amplifying or tuning down the chaos around us? Can we ever truly prepare ourselves to better deal with highly stressful situations? Better speak to ex bouncer, war veteran, current business consultant within the McChrystal Group and father of 3 Rhys Smith. 

I believe that reflecting upon our own mortality holds the key to living our lives to the fullest...far from being a morbid subject, to 'acknowledge death is to acknowledge life'. The perspective this conversation brings is powerful...what are the thoughts of someone who has come close to death on several occasions, how might they see life after such challenging experiences? In this episode I walk and talk with someone who has been to war and survived cancer to discuss their outlook on this special gift of life that we should all cherish...introducing my brother, Agga Price. 

Andy Manteit, founder of the 'Under Armour Turf Games', walks and talks with me on Clapham Common, London. We discuss all things Turf Games past, present and future...whilst we also share personal observations and opinions on the fitness industry. Its a lovely general chat that we manage to enjoy under the flightpath to Heathrow...an achievement in itself. If you're curious as to what the Turf Games is all about and where it came from, or if you're interested in the world of competitive functional fitness, then you need to listen to this episode...