To run a marathon successfully you need a plan, a few good months of training behind you, and a whole lot of kit for the day itself. You need good shoes, comfortable clothes, and nutrition and hydration products, all of which you’ve hopefully tested out during your marathon training.

Peloton instructor Ben Alldis is running the London Marathon for the second time this year, and when we spoke to him about his kit for the race it was clear a lot of careful thought and testing had gone into picking it out. That means there’s a lot to be learned from his selections if you’re not sure about your own marathon kit just yet.

Are you excited for the London Marathon?

“I’m so excited because I’ve done it before and I know what I’m letting myself in for,” says Alldis. “I was overwhelmed with the support last time, the fact that at London there are people cheering at every single spot. When you’re in it, it’s so amazing.

“Things have also come on a long way since I ran it in 2018. All the hydration and nutrition, the trainers and the kit has all evolved so much. It’s been fun trying different things out and testing things along the way.”

What running shoes are you using for the marathon?

“I was going to go for a racing shoe, but I’m actually going to stick with the Hoka Arahi 7,” says Alldis. “I’ve been training in them and they feel great. I’ve got slightly wide feet and a lot of the race shoes are quite thin. I have tried the race shoes and they do feel good, but I just don’t want to get injured because of the job I do. I’ve got to teach a class on Wednesday!” 

What nutrition products are you using for the marathon?

“I’ve tried quite a few things,” says Alldis. “I don’t eat a lot of sugar, so when I started with some of the gels, they were so hard on my stomach. They do work, but I get a bit of a stomach ache.

“The ones that I’ve actually loved using are from Veloforte. I’m using a mixture of the gels, the energy chews and also the energy bars, just because too much of one thing is a bit much for my stomach. Mixing up also keeps it interesting across however long it’s going to take.”

I rate Veloforte’s products too and they feature on my selection of the best running gels. Just remember, you should never try a new gel for a marathon—stick with what you’ve been using during training. 

“I also like to suck on the SaltStick electrolyte fast chews,” says Alldis. “I take a lot of electrolytes for my general life and my job, but obviously you can’t really get the tablets out and put them into bottles [during the race]. These are little tablets that you can just suck on. You have maybe two every half hour or something and it just keeps salt levels up. This has helped me massively, because the last marathon I did, I started to cramp up. I think that was because I tried to just survive on one jelly baby a mile! When I look back, that’s probably why I was cramping up because the salt levels in my body were probably low.”

If this is the first you’ve heard about electrolytes, find out what you need to know with our guide to electrolyte drinks.

How are you carrying all this?

“I’ve been using a Peloton running belt in training,” says Alldis, “but I’m actually going to use a CamelBak one because you can put water in it. Obviously, there are water stations along the way, but it’s helpful just to have a little bit on you.”

What other running gear will you be wearing?

“I’m going to be wearing the Lululemon X Peloton collaboration gear—it’s super soft and super light,” says Alldis. “It doesn’t get too much sweat in it. I also like to wear under shorts just to keep the compression on the quads and the hammies. Lululemon also do amazing socks with compression.”

Are those knee-high or ankle-high compression socks?

“I’ve tried both,” says Alldis. “I think it depends how hot it is on the day, because it can get a bit claustrophobic sometimes when you’ve got too much compression. If it’s a bit warmer, I’ll just go for ankle-high, but if it’s a bit cooler, I might wear knee-high, or I might wear compression sleeves.

“I used to be a sprinter and so my typical running style when I get lazy is on my toes, so my calves get a battering. To have a bit of pressure on them helps a little bit.”

I’ve looked ahead to the London Marathon weather forecast and Alldis might be better off going for ankle-high socks.

What running watch and headphones do you use?

“I’m going to be wearing an Apple Watch,” says Alldis. “I’ve been training with it, and I use the Apple Watch Ultra 2. I’ve always liked the Apple Watch. I wouldn’t say it’s the best of the best watches out there, but it’s the watch that I wear and it’s really helpful for me. It just helps you pace yourself, which is good.” It’s a good choice in my book, I’ve reviewed the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and rate it as the best smartwatch for running.

“I’ve been training with Apple Airpods,” says Alldis, “but I’ve just been recommended this brand of headphones called Shokz which sit on the back of your head and it means you can still hear the crowd.” Shokz makes bone conduction headphones that transmit sound through your cheekbones to your inner ear, keeping your ear free to hear other sounds.

“It’s about getting a balance between trying to take in the crowd versus having a bit of motivation,” says Alldis. “I like to listen to a mixture of podcasts and music. Four hours of dance music can get a bit repetitive! So a good podcast and some music for the end.”

Many people say that they can’t run and treat regular runners like a different species. Until her mid-30s, Susie Chan was one of those running-averse people. She smoked, drank a lot of alcohol and had never attempted a 5K. Now in her 40s, she’s an ultramarathon runner and a Tread instructor at Peloton.

“I got into running because I wanted to get fitter. I was a single mum and running was something I could do on my lunch hour without access to a gym,” says Chan. She started off running for two or three minutes at a time, gradually building up the amount of time she could run for. After a while, her brother convinced her to sign up for a half marathon.

“I went from doing a half marathon to ultramarathons in two years,” says Chan.

As someone who didn’t get into running until later in life, Chan firmly believes that anyone can start running at any age. We asked her to share some advice for beginners who are looking to get started.

How To Get Into Running

Start Small

There’s no need to put lots of pressure on yourself to run a certain distance at first. “When I started I tried running around a football pitch, which I couldn’t do without stopping. I remember thinking I failed or I wasn’t doing it right,” says Chan.

“If you’re moving faster than walking, then you’re running,” says Chan. “If you’re jogging along and thinking ‘I can’t run’ or ‘I’m not a runner’ then you’re not going to be able to enjoy it—and you need to enjoy it.”

To keep a positive mindset, set manageable goals that you’ll be able to achieve. If you’ve never run before, you’re very unlikely to be able to run 5K without stopping—that’s the case for almost everyone. 

Chan recommends that you set yourself a movement goal, rather than a running goal. For example, go out and move for 15 to 20 minutes. “This might mean running for one minute then walking for two minutes for that period of time,” says Chan.

Take Walk Breaks

“People think that you’ve got to be running the whole time, but that is a myth,” says Chan. “I have been running for quite a long time now and I still take walk breaks or stop mid-run and that’s absolutely fine."

Peloton has Run/Walk classes. Usually, they’re 50% running and 50% walking, and they’re a great way for beginners to get started. You can either do these on a treadmill, or listen to these guided sessions while running outside (there are pairs of the best running headphones which only cost $20/£20). Coach’s couch to 5K plan also uses run-walk intervals.

Train Regularly, But Don’t Overdo It

If you’re new to running, you might be tempted to throw yourself into it and run multiple times a week, but Chan says that running once or twice a week is more than enough to see improvement.

You don’t have to run for a very long time either. “Some people think you’ve got to be training for an hour to get a proper training session in but that’s not true—15 or 20 minutes is fine,” says Chan. “As you train, you can run for longer so you might want to add five or 10 minutes to your run.”

Don’t Start Too Fast

“Always start off easy and try to get faster, rather than the other way round,” says Chan. “Starting too fast is a classic mistake people make. It’s easily done, even for experienced runners. I’ve been known to run too fast at the beginning of a race.”

Invest In A Pair Of Running Shoes

If you can afford it, it’s a good idea to buy a proper pair of running shoes. “If you’ve got the wrong footwear on, you might be more prone to injury,” says Chan. “It’s also a good way to stay motivated—if you’ve bought yourself a new pair of shoes you’ve got to use them!”

Check your local specialist running store to see if they offer gait analysis. This may suggest you could benefit from a stability shoe at first. Also, don’t be put off by the price of the shoes on display, our guide to the best cheap running shoes has plenty of affordable options.

One of the most memorable moments in London Marathon history is when Matthew Rees stopped to help David Wyeth down The Mall to the finish line. This selfless act inspired the Spirit of the London Marathon Awards, which recognizes the stories of participants, volunteers and supporters.

Jeremy Joseph, owner of London nightclubs G-A-Y and Heaven, and 12-time (soon to be 13) runner of the London Marathon, received the award in 2022. Coach grabbed the chance to talk to him about his London Marathon journey and his award.

We speak as he hits mile two of his final long run before the big day. As he clocks up the miles, I ask how he ended up entering so many London Marathons.

Joseph says he was living with an eating disorder and frequently running on a treadmill to try and burn calories. One day a power cut forced him outside and that is how he was introduced to non-treadmill running.

Soon his running distances were increasing each week. A staff member at the time was training for the London Marathon and Joseph decided to sign up too, running for Amnesty International. It was the 30th anniversary of Heaven, so Joseph set out to raise £30,000—£1,000 for every year the club had been open.

The ease with which he reached his fundraising goal kept him coming back for more. “People are so supportive,” he says. “Even with all the other fundraising events we’ve done, nothing has raised money like the London Marathon. It’s an event that brings London together and I think people look at it and think ‘this is amazing, I’m going to support this’.”

Rainbow Row

One of the reasons Joseph was given the Spirit of the London Marathon award was his contribution to Rainbow Row, a new initiative for the 2022 event.

Rainbow Row is a stretch on the London Marathon route just past 21 miles that celebrates the vibrancy and inclusivity of the LGBTQIA+ community. 

“London Marathon organisers contacted me saying they wanted the London Marathon to be more inclusive and represent more communities, and one of these communities is the LGBTQIA+ community,” he says. “They asked if I had any ideas, so we discussed it and the idea of Rainbow Row came up.

“They then looked at the logistics and chose Rainbow Row as a key part of the race. With five miles to go, it’s the final stretch and the route home.”

When I ask Joseph how he felt on the day of the London Marathon 2022 as he approached Rainbow Row, he laughs and says he was otherwise occupied.

“I did an interview with the BBC at the London Marathon Expo and they asked me to stop at Rainbow Row for an interview. We had to coordinate where the cameras would be, so my first thought when I hit Rainbow Row was where to run to do the interview.

“Restarting was absolutely hell on Earth. I could hardly move my legs. But stopping was the best thing I ever did, I loved being interviewed! It was just the most amazing feeling. I actually deep down hope I get asked again this year because I love to be a part of it.”

London Marathon 2023

Regarding  the upcoming marathon, Joseph says he’s apprehensive thanks to pain from an injury. “I’m very nervous—I don’t know where my legs are going to be next week. It’s a very nerve-racking thing so please sponsor me!”

Our call is interrupted briefly by the sound of my border collie barking in the background, prompting Joseph to share some of the charities closest to his heart, including Dogs Trust.

“Without my dog Jacob, I wouldn’t have gotten through lockdown. It was really important to me to make sure they were one of the charities that I’m running for,” he says.

Joseph is running for 13 charities in 2023:

1. Great Ormond Street
2. Bab’s Army
3. Trans Plus
4. Out and Proud African LGBTI
5. Southall Black Sisters
6. AKT
7. MIND Out
8. Kaleidoscope Trust
9. HIDAYAH LGBT+
10. Human Dignity Trust
11. Opening Doors LGBT
12. Switchboard LGBT+ helpline
13. Dogs Trust

His goal is to raise a total of £130,000; £10,000 for each charity.

“I think it doesn’t matter the amount you sponsor someone because [however much it is,] it does really encourage people,” says Joseph. “If you can only afford a couple of pounds, that’s fine! No-one expects anyone to donate and then struggle [for money], but if you do donate just a little bit to whoever you know running, I think it’s an amazing way to show support.”

Spirit Of The London Marathon Award

After more marathon chat, we get on to his award, which Joseph says he was shocked to win. “I don’t actually think I deserve it,” he admits, “because London Marathon Events changed me as a person. I want to give them the award.

“The way I look at fundraising is all because of the London Marathon. The people behind the London Marathon are the most incredible people. To be able to be involved with them is such an honour. And they should get more credit.”

Joseph is in the process of changing his businesses, moving shares from G-A-Y Group Ltd into his G-A-Y Foundation, so that part of the business can become a charity. This, he says, is a result of COVID-19 and lockdown. “I felt that when we reopened after COVID and lockdown, I was going back to where I was two years ago and just worked,” he says. “I felt like I had no purpose any more. I wanted to not just work, but for work to have a purpose.”

He reiterates that he doesn’t want to take the credit for his fundraising efforts, instead praising every single person who has donated and helped along the way.

“The London Marathon should again take the credit. Without the event, we’d never have raised the money.”

You can find Joseph’s fundraising page on the TCS London Marathon website.

Feeling inspired to raise money in next year’s event? Here’s how to run the London Marathon for charity.

Setting any Guinness World Record is hard, even/especially the one where you grow your fingernails for 25 years. However, we have a hard time imagining a more physically challenging record than the one Craig Peters is set to attempt on 3rd December, when he will try to do more than 9,600 burpees in 24 hours.

Those aren’t just any burpees, either – they’re chest-to-floor burpees. That means Peters’s chest has to hit the floor on every rep, 400 times an hour, every hour, for 24 hours. Then he has to push himself back up and jump straight up.

“Guinness states that as long as my chest hits the ground and my feet leave the ground upon the jump then that’s classed as a chest-to-ground burpee,” says Peters. “It doesn’t matter how high you jump. I must have two bits of tape on the ground which are half my height apart. One for my hands to go in front of, the other for my feet to land behind.”

It sounds an absolutely appalling way to spend 24 hours to us, and Peters will know better than most how hard it’s going to be, because he has attempted the record before. 

He tapped out about 3,000 burpees short of the target on that occasion, but he trained at home by himself for that attempt. This time around his prep has been aided by working in the gym with PT Oliver Dowding of IN2FIT Personal Training. Peters is also now a sponsored athlete of Optimus Gyms.

“I have done this before and reached 6,560 burpees,” says Peters. “However, that was before I’d even set foot in a gym. I completely respect the challenge ahead, but I know this time things in and out of the gym have been on point, and I have a wonderful team around me.”

Peters is motivated by more than just the world record with this attempt. He is raising money for St George’s Hospital Charity and to support its Fetal Medicine Unit at St George’s Hospital, London, where his twin boys underwent a life-saving procedure in 2014. Peters has previously raised £17,000 for the charity by doing a monstrous 67,000 burpees throughout 2016, as well as 6,500 burpees in 24 hours. 

As part of this record attempt Peters is aiming to raise another £5,000 for St George’s Hospital Charity. You can sponsor him on the JustGiving website.

More Impressive Feats

• This British Woman Holds The Guinness World Record For Most Bodyweight Squats In One Minute
• Amputee Charlie Lewis On The Freedom Running Gives Him
• Ultramarathon Runner Sorrell Walsh Helps Women Get Into Running

When you first start lifting weights in the gym, being able to squat your own bodyweight on a barbell is a great target to work towards. After a few months of lifting regularly you might be able to do a set of bodyweight squats.

What you probably won’t be able to do is perform 42 bodyweight squats in a minute, which is exactly what powerlifter Karenjeet Kaur Bains did to set a new Guinness World Record. Bains is the first Sikh female to represent Great Britain in powerlifting and is a five-time British champion, but attempting the record took her well beyond her normal approach to training.

We spoke to Bains about the record, and also got her advice on how to squat.

Why did you decide to attempt the record?

I was approached by Guinness to attempt the record. I never thought I’d be attempting a record – whenever I used to get the book when I was younger, I’d be in awe of the strength records. 

I was deciding between the records I could attempt and they dropped in the fact that I only had two weeks to do it because of the publishing deadline. So I didn’t really have any training time. As a powerlifter I normally only do five to eight reps, so to do 42 reps was very different!

What was the previous record? 

They set me a standard of 30 reps I had to beat. The record had been attempted previously by a male lifter, but never a female one. The male one did 34 reps I think, so I’m really happy I beat him! I remember when I was training for it I did about 20 reps in 30 seconds as a first go, but I was starting to get very tired. There was a lot of zoning out and not thinking about the huge amount of lactic acid in my legs.

How did you get into powerlifting? 

I started aged 17. My dad is my coach – he’s a former bodybuilder and powerlifter himself. I grew up watching him train and I was really intrigued by strength. I have two older brothers who were 400m hurdlers at a national level and I started in athletics. I used to do the 100m, 200m, long jump, hammer. I transitioned to powerlifting at 17 just to get more fit for running and found I loved it. I picked up the squat, bench and deadlift quite quickly – years of watching it helped me. Within three months of starting my dad entered me into a competition and I won that. Since then it lit a fire in me – it feels good to be strong.

Did you change your training for the record?

I was training for an All-England bench press competition around the same time, so I was gearing my training towards that, and then doing stuff for the record as well. I would almost say I wish I’d trained for it more, because I had to do my training sessions and then do the attempts after my sessions, so I only attempted it four or five times before the record attempt. I had two weeks of stressing out to get it done before the publishing deadline. They said, “you can do it afterwards, we’ll put you in the following year’s book,” and I was like, “I don’t want that, I want this year!”

What tips do you have for people who squat?

I also coach, so I can help people with the basics of powerlifting. Basically, get good coaching, focus on good technique and progress slowly. A lot of people want to get to the big weights straight away, but it takes time. I suggest starting off with unweighted squats. 

If you’re not very good at squatting low you can squat to a bench or something else you can aim for. Remember to keep your back straight. Lots of people have their heels elevated when they squat – you can stand on a mat or something. 

What advice do you have for people who find the idea of powerlifting daunting?

It is daunting, especially if you’re female. I’ve been lifting weights for nine years now and I still think I look feminine. I think a lot of girls are scared of lifting heavy weights because they think they’re going to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger with a wig on! It’s not possible, unless you’re taking testosterone, to get that bulky! I’m always encouraging ladies to lift heavy and break norms. On the world stage I see tiny girls deadlift 200kg. I think it’s a really empowering feeling. Plus, there’s the benefits of muscle for your metabolism, and the benefits of being stronger later in life.

• This Man Is Attempting To Do More Than 10,110 Burpees In A Day
• Strength Training For Women: A Beginner’s Home Workout Plan
• Weights Workout From Women’s Rugby World Cup Winner Vicky Fleetwood
• How To Master The Barbell Back Squat

Sanam Saleh lost her first born, Idrees, at just five days old after he was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). Her husband started running marathons to raise money for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) in Idrees’ memory, and this year, Sanam is taking on the challenge for the first time.

Could you tell me about your story and why you’re raising money for the BHF?

When I was pregnant with our first child, Idrees, he was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect. It was diagnosed quite early on in my pregnancy due to scientific research from the British Heart Foundation which has allowed doctors to detect these issues in the womb.

Idrees was diagnosed with one of the most serious heart defects, called HLHS. We were told that there was a 50/50 chance that he would make it to birth, and if he was born alive, he would have to have life-saving open heart surgery as a newborn to give him any chance at life. With HLHS, the heart doesn’t develop properly in the womb, so the surgery is necessary to be able to breathe and for the body to pump blood around properly.

Like most people, my husband and I didn’t know that this was something that could happen. The British Heart Foundation has a lot of informative fact sheets and offers help and support for families who find themselves in similar situations. We found that really useful to help prepare us for what was to come. 

Our baby was born full term and everything went OK at the beginning, but he did have a few other complications, which meant that the doctors didn’t recommend him for the open heart surgery. He passed away at just five days old.

Ever since Idrees’ birth and death we’ve committed ourselves to his legacy. A big part of our grieving process and trying to make sense of everything that has happened has been to focus our efforts on raising money and awareness, not just for congenital heart defects but also other heart research. We learned more about the incredible work that charities like the British Heart Foundation were doing, and focused a lot of our fundraising efforts around raising money for them.

My husband ran his first marathon a few months after Idrees passed away, and he’s run three more since. This year will be my first one.

What made you decide to run the marathon this time?

I think you could call it a a postpartum high! We were in the hospital after I had my son. I turned to my husband and said, “One day I’m going to run a marathon.” To be honest, it was an idea that was completely “out there” because I’ve never really been a runner. At the time I said I was going to do it, I couldn’t even run 5K! But it felt like one of those life challenges that you set yourself.

I was supposed to run the London Marathon in 2020 and I was midway through my training when it was cancelled, which was a bit of a blow. In the end I deferred it to this year.

How have you found training for the marathon?

Training is tough! It’s gruelling, it’s time-consuming and it can feel very intense. The fact that you have to train alone, going out early in the morning, means that it can feel lonely at times.

When I set myself the challenge of running the marathon, I wasn’t a runner at all, but I’ve now completed a couple of 5Ks and a half marathon, so I’m a bit more experienced at this point and know what to expect.

Luckily the weather has been great, although the heatwave has brought its own challenges!

What do your two children think about you running the marathon and raising money?

They’re aware that I’m running it and they’re very excited. They actually think I’m going to win it! I don’t have the heart to tell them that that’s probably not going to happen, but they’re only five and six so I’ll let them think that for now!

They’ve been part of the mini marathon in their school, which is one of the London Marathon initiatives. Primary school children around the country commit to running a mini marathon, so they have a month to do 2.6 miles. The class walks or jogs around the playground and they count up how many laps everyone does. Everyone gets a certificate to say that they’ve completed the mini marathon.

What are your top tips for anyone running a marathon for the first time?

I’m a project manager, so I really approached it as just a massive project. My main tip would be to do a lot of research and prepare properly – it’s not something that you can blag. When training gets really intense, there are a lot of things you need to look at outside of the actual running, such as avoiding injury, conditioning and nutrition. Those things seem like extras, but in some ways they’re actually a larger part of preparing than the running itself.

Another thing would be to talk to people who have run a marathon before because they can give you invaluable advice.

What does it mean to you to be able to do this for the British Heart Foundation?

After everything that we’ve been through, we know that the biggest impact that anyone has in this life is the legacy that they leave behind. As parents of our son, who sadly didn’t live very long, we believe that it’s our responsibility to set his legacy. We commit to doing these challenging things with the intention of raising money for future parents who might find themselves in a similar situation, and through the light of making Idrees’ legacy as positive an impact as possible.

• How To Get A Charity Place For The London Marathon
• What It’s Like To Run The London Marathon For A Charity

You can donate to the British Heart Foundation on Sanam’s JustGiving page. 

The British Heart Foundation is the official Charity of the Year for the 2022 TCS London Marathon. It aims to help heal hearts across the UK by aiming to raise over £3 million for research into regenerative medicine that could one day find a cure for heart conditions.

This year, Team BHF runners will be running to help fund cutting-edge research into regenerative medicine. The BHF has identified nine regenerative medicine research projects to benefit from the money raised at this year’s London Marathon. These projects aim to find ways to regrow, repair and replace damaged heart muscle and blood vessels – and could one day find a cure for heart failure.  

Among this year’s BHF marathon runners is Professor Sanjay Sinha from the University of Cambridge, who is leading the groundbreaking research behind the Heart Healing Patch.

Made of stem cells, the patch could be applied to the heart to help repair damage caused by a heart attack and could help save and improve the lives of millions worldwide affected by heart failure. This year the BHF wants the nation to rally behind Sanjay and help get the Heart Healing Patch over the finish line. To find out more and to support Sanjay, visit gosanjay.bhf.org.uk

Content warning: This article mentions a family member taking their own life.

Peter Crocombe lost his father Paul to suicide in 2020, which was just around the time Peter was getting into running. He found that the sport helped him deal with his grief in the aftermath of his father’s death, and he realised he could use running to raise awareness of mental health problems and fundraise for Sport In Mind, a charity that uses exercise to improve the lives of people struggling with their mental health.

After first tackling a 100km run along the Thames and running the London Marathon in 2021 to raise money, Peter and three friends – Gus Barton, Jack Mayhew and Liam Bendell – are approaching the start of their biggest challenge yet. They aim to run from Land’s End to John o’Groats (LEJOG) in just seven days and set a world record in the process.

The team of four are being supported with running shoes from Hoka, and will run in shifts of 90 minutes to cover the distance of 1,500km, resting between stages in camper vans following them along the route. You can track them on the Mental Miles website, where you can also donate to Sport In Mind to help the team hit their fundraising target of £20,000.

We spoke to Crocombe ahead of the challenge to learn more about the charity and how running has helped him manage his mental health.

Can you share what happened with your father?

My dad and mum have been happily retired for a few years. We knew dad was slightly ill and struggled a little bit with depression after a successful teaching career where he was an incredible sports coach. But it was a big shock to find out he had taken his own life. 

My dad had tried the traditional treatments which the GP prescribed. Counselling didn’t quite work and with medication, he found it was just taking him further away from the man that he was. He was incredibly enthusiastic and energetic. 

How did that lead you into taking on these running challenges?

At that time, I had started my first little forays into running. I was about to turn 30 and I wanted to get a challenge in the diary, which actually was meant to be two days later. The plan was to run 100km from my home in Brixton up the Thames to Henley.

I decided I would still do this challenge a few weeks later. Two weeks after dad’s funeral, we did the run. At that stage we scouted out a charity called Sport In Mind. They put on sports or coaching sessions for those who are really struggling with mental health. The NHS has taken them on as an approved partner and it’s now another method for treating people struggling with mental health. We’re closing in on about £100,000 raised for Sport In Mind.

Have you found that running helped you with your grief?

Yeah, hugely. I was a big sportsman, but running was always a byproduct of other sports. It became a lot more relevant in my life, and with lockdown as well it was somewhere I could channel a lot of my pain and grief. 

I think with other sports I’ve done, like golf, you can play for three months but you’re not necessarily going to be any better. If you run for a month and you’re consistent with your training, you are going to be better. It’s going to be easier. That process and the time you get on the run to process, I’ve found it to be quite therapeutic.

What do you see being the hardest part of the upcoming LEJOG run?

This challenge more than anything is going to come down to nutrition. Sleep is also a key part of it, and logistics. We’ve got three drivers in two camper vans which will be constantly moving, so no stopping for showers!

Can you tell us a bit more about Sport In Mind?

Its main goal is to improve the lives of those who are struggling with mental health, and they do that through the power of sport and exercise. It’s a lovely little charity which is growing and they really resonated with what dad was all about. Rather than go for one of the big charities, it was nice for us to really make a big difference. 

When life is difficult, Samaritans are here – day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.

While we have not had enough of experts by a long shot, there’s wit and wisdom to be found from people of all stripes – from a star athlete or celebrity, to an ordinary person doing something incredible or even something pretty regular. Learn something new through our interviews with all sorts of people.

The Lions will be playing three extremely intense, highly physical test matches, with only a week’s rest between each game. How will you build their fitness to cope with that high workload?
With the coaching crew we’ve got every session will be intense, so we’ll be training above match intensity all the time in pockets during the week. Then obviously there’s a massive premium placed on recovery and nutrition after games and between training sessions so the lads are ready for the matches at the weekend. There’s a lot of travel involved too which will lead to travel fatigue. That’s something else we have to try to get over.
 
How important is the work you do in the gym to prepare them for the physicality of the matches?
We’ve got some big, strong explosive boys but we won’t be looking to make big gains in strength in the gym. We’ll just be getting them ready for the matches. They’ll probably have three big gym sessions each week: a whole-body strength session first, then an upper-body strength session in the middle of the week, and finishing with a power-orientated session two days before match day. That last session will involve a lot of explosive work, such as power cleans and high pulls, and sprinting drills that act as a primer for the match.

What’s the most important physical asset the Lions team will possess – speed, endurance, power? And how will they achieve this?
The Lions squad will have the best players from every individual team, so the game becomes faster by default. Everyone’s executing the skills faster, so the game will always be 10-15% more intense than a normal domestic game. If you lack something in any one area then you’re going to get found out. If you’re really strong but not fit then you’ll be struggling 20 minutes into the game. So we’d like to think that all of our players possess all of those qualities in abundance. But, strength and power-wise especially, we need to be doing plenty of strength because Australia are an explosive, strong team and we need to try and win the game.

Where do you expect the match to be won and lost?
The battle in the forwards is going to be massive. Our forwards are always pushing maximum strength work because that is their game. We also need to be able to repeat what we do over and over again during the game. The last 20 minutes of the game will be key. With England we push for this so we can finish strongly in matches, and I know that the Welsh side do too. The endurance focus is big as well. It’s about being able to repeat what you do – tackle someone, get up off the floor, hit the scrum, hit a ruck, go again. You’ve got to be able to do that over and over again for 80 minutes.

Rugby is obviously very stop-start, and recovery is vital, so what are the best fitness drills to prepare the players for this stop-start nature?
You’ve got to train as specifically as you can for the game. So, your training will involve a lot of running, a lot of getting up off the floor, a lot of pushing movements and pulling movements. Our training is very interval based. We’ll work at a 1:1 ratio of work to rest. This is one of our shuttle drills: run five metres, hit the floor and jump back up, run back five metres and do another down and up, run ten metres, do the same, then run 20 metres down and up, and then finish back at the start resting the same amount of time it took you to complete. Then we’ll repeat that a few times. We also do lots of wrestling drills. Three players work in a five-metre square. Two have 20 seconds to push each other out of the square. Then, they’ll rest for ten seconds before the next man is in and we’ll keep rotating. They will be working for 20 seconds and resting for ten. These drills replicate a match really well.
 
Are the players on a strict diet? What will they be eating and drinking before and after tough training sessions?
Nutrition has improved hugely over the past ten years in rugby. Unless you eat well you won’t get by these days. Two to three hours before training the boys eat protein-based meals with a bit of carbs to get them through the session, such as chicken with potatoes and plenty of veg for antioxidants and the occasional bit of bread but not too much. During training, the boys will be sipping on sports drinks. We use Maximuscle which has got some amino acids in it, some protein and some carbs. After training they’ll take a recovery shake depending on the nature of the session. If it’s a weights session it might just be a protein shake but, if it’s a heavy rugby training session, it will include some carbs to help drive the protein to their muscles for recovery. Then they will try to get another protein-based meal in within the hour.

Could you give our readers a mini workout based on what you will put the Lions players through?
Try this interval sprints session in the park or on a treadmill. Sprint for 30 seconds followed by 30 seconds’ rest for eight repetitions. Rest for a minute. Then sprint for 20 seconds with 20 seconds’ rest another eight times. Rest for another minute. Then finish with a ten-second sprint and ten seconds’ rest for ten reps. In total it should take less than 20 minutes.
 
What is your number one fitness tip?
You’ve got to be specific to what your needs are. Establish what your goal is and how you’re going to get there. There’s no hiding from it. If you don’t work hard, you wont make any gains. If you’re lifting, you’ve got to lift and you’ve got to be tired when you finish. It’s got to be intense. If you’re running or training for cardiovascular fitness, you’ve got to train hard. If you don’t try hard there’s no point to your training.
 
Paul Stridgeon was speaking at the Maximuscle rugby day, part of the Protein Project. Stridgeon has been helping the contestants achieve their goals. See their results and vote for your winner at facebook.com/maximuscle

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A fundamental part of the Coach canon is that there’s an activity out there for everyone. Even if you thought PE ruined physical exertion for you for life, there’s something that will transform your life for the better. And perhaps that thing is… yoga on a paddleboard? Or hugby? (That’s rugby with hugs.) These are both things we didn’t know existed until the Movers List was released. It’s a 50-strong roll call – compiled by Lucozade Sport and judged by the likes of boxer Anthony Joshua and England footballer Nikita Parris – of people who are making a difference to people’s lives by getting them moving in new and unexpected ways.

It’s an easy way to find something new and get inspired, so scroll through to see if someone’s doing something that appeals in your area. And even if there’s not, you can visit the Movers List on the Lucozade Sport website to find opportunities to move, including fitness classes and the like, near you.

It’s the first major service we’ve seen that makes use of the OpenActive initiative, which asks sports and fitness booking platforms to share their event data, making it easier for people to find opportunities to get active in their area. As long as a website pulls together that information, of course – so hats off to Lucozade Sport for putting this new service together.

And a standing O to everyone on the list, which we’ve reproduced in full and in alphabetical order below – we’ll sure you’ll agree there’s some real sterling work going on. Give it a peruse, find something that or someone who inspires you, and get moving.

1. Al Hopkins, Edinburgh

Hopkins thought traditional sports environments could be intimidating for the LGBTI+ community so joined and is now the president of the Edinburgh Frontrunners, which is part of a global community encouraging LGBTI+ people to move, make friends and belong.

2. Alex Gibson, Brentwood

After Gibson was diagnosed with motor neurone disease he started Challenging MND, a charity dedicated to providing support to those living with MND to complete memorable activities.

3. Asa Waite, Newport

Waite set up a basketball team, the Newport Aces, to encourage local children to get moving. He now runs seven teams and has hundreds of kids taking part in a sport that inspires confidence.

4. Bella Mackie, London

The author of Jog On, a memoir about how running helped to ease her anxiety which became an instant best-seller in 2018. It has inspired thousands of people to take to the road and run to better their mental health.

5. Benjamin Wimbush, Manchester

Wimbush broke his neck in a trampolining accident eight years ago, leaving him with life-changing injuries. He started the #20isplenty movement to help disabled people, able-bodied people and those with mental health issues to connect with and motivate each other.

6. Born Barikor, London

After working at a leisure centre and realising that he could not afford to join it himself, Barikor created OurParks to change the way people exercise Hundreds of thousands of people now enjoy free group exercise classes run by fitness experts in community spaces.

See related 

• Rabble Is Bringing Fitness Games To An Open Space Near You
• Join GoodGym To Combine Running And Helping Others Out During The Pandemic
• This Girl Can Has A New Campaign To Get Mums Moving

7. Carl Adams, Ashford

Along with partner Steve Denby, Adams co-founded Primal Roots, a social enterprise that runs forest fitness classes helping people in recovery and those who have experienced homelessness rebuild their lives through movement and kinship.

8. Dr Catherine Walter, Oxford

An Emeritus Fellow in applied linguistics by day and captain of Oxford University’s Linacre College female powerlifting club by night, 72-year-old Walter wants to encourage other women to lift weights and believes it is never too late to find a sport that you love.

9. Charlie Dark, London

Dark founded Run Dem Crew, a community for like-minded people to meet, exchange ideas, and run. The Crew is now 500 members strong and regularly “runs” London and other cities across the world.

10. Charlotte Roach, Chester

After a near-fatal cycling accident put an end to her promising athletic career, Roach launched Rabble, a business that stages classic playground games as high-intensity exercise and has over 900 regular members across several UK cities.

11. Charmaine Daley, Nottingham

When she was made redundant for the third time, Daley attended a Zumba class and decided she wanted to do it for a living. She trained as an instructor and started organising Zumba networking events in her community. Full of positivity, Daley was chosen to inspire others through the national This Girl Can initiative.

12. Dan Charlish, Hove

Charlish started Snow-Camp to teach disadvantaged young people how to ski and snowboard after hearing a group of teenagers say that Xbox snowsports games were the closest they would get to winter sports. It is the UK’s only charity inspiring inner-city young people to excel through snowsports.

13. Dan Edwardes, London

In 2005 Edwardes founded Parkour Generations, which is now the leading authority on parkour education. It’s a multi-national organisation that runs coaching certifications, school programmes, workshops and major events in more than 45 countries around the world.

14. Dave Musgrove, Leeds

Musgrove was involved in several access and conservation projects across all the Limestone crags in Yorkshire, ensuring there are safe places for people to share his passion and start climbing.

15. Dave Player, Newbury

A former serviceman with the Royal Engineers, Player suffered a spinal cord injury and started Kartforce and Team BRIT with the aim of inspiring disabled and struggling veterans to overcome their troubles by being part of a team again.

16. Dee Ripoll, Edinburgh

Ripoll set up Coldwater Surf and has taught across France and her native Scotland. After two traumatic accidents she moved to Edinburgh and re-established the school to teach people of all ages how to master the waves. She continues to surf all over the world.

17. Edwina Brocklesby, London

Brocklesby founded SilverFit in 2013 to promote lifelong fitness. The organisation runs activities in venues across London, offering exercise opportunities to OAPs from Nordic walking to tai chi.

18. Francesca Lewis, Swansea

Lewis started playing tennis aged eight and went on to play at an elite level, but has since dedicated herself to coaching disadvantaged people in Swansea, covering an age range from three to 98.

19. Gundeep Anand, London

Anand is the mind behind The Last Stand, a street football tournament created to unite communities and break down social, cultural and religious barriers through sport. It has inspired similar events to start all over the world.

20. Hannah Hawkey, Plymouth

Hawkey quit her teaching job to set up RockFit, a fitness class set to a heavy metal and rock soundtrack, a concept that has spread with classes in Bristol and Glasgow as well as Plymouth.

21. Helen Mackenzie, Ripon

Mackenzie started Ripon City Netball Club when she was recovering from breast cancer and wanted something to enjoy with her two daughters. She wants to inspire women of all ages to take up a competitive team sport and enjoy the health and social benefits it can bring.

22. Ivo Gormley, London

Fetching a newspaper for an elderly neighbour sparked an idea for Gormley, who decided to combine running with good deeds. The resulting project is called GoodGym, and it’s a community of runners who are helping combat loneliness and isolation by running (literally) errands for those who need it and by doing manual labour for community projects.

23. Jen Blackwell, Preston

Blackwell founded DanceSyndrome, a group for similar people to come together and experience happiness through dance.

24. Jess Melia, Leeds

Melia created Rollin’ With The Girls, a skating group inspiring women to hit the ramps and give skateboarding a go. Using social media to arrange meet-ups, post video clips and grow awareness, Rollin’ With The Girls now has over 1,000 members.

25. John Croot, Chesterfield

As chief executive of Chesterfield FC’s Community Trust, Croot pioneered modern Walking Football to engage the over-50s in the area. It is now played in over 50 countries around the world, and there are over 60,000 players in the UK alone.

26. Josh Landmann, Poulton-Le-Fylde

Landmann was paralysed from the chest down after an accident and has been determined to keep moving ever since. His involvement in a ToughMudder went viral and inspired people around the world. In April 2019, he broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon completed in a non-racing wheelchair.

27. Kate Rew, Somerset

Author Rew’s love of swimming outdoors stems from childhood. In 2006 she discovered swimming in rivers, lakes and seas was dwindling and founded the Outdoor Swimming Society, with a mission to inspire other people to swim outdoors and give them the information to do it safely. Starting with just a handful of swimmers, the society has helped created a nationwide movement and has grown to over 70,000 members.

28. Katee Hui, London

When keen footballer Hui moved from Canada to London she could not find enough opportunities for women to play football. So she started her own and founded the Hackney Laces, which now runs as a social franchise in three London boroughs, and as an off-the-pitch programme designed to inspire and support participants beyond football.

29. Keith Whitton, Doncaster

Whitton goes the extra mile inspiring newcomers to try the sport he has loved for over 50 years, Rink Hockey. He saved his local club, Sheffield Wildcats, from disbanding in 2015 and it has since gone from strength to strength with multiple teams competing on a weekly basis.

30. Khadijah Safari, Milton Keynes

Safari started the first women-only martial arts club, Safari Kickboxing, as a safe space for Muslim and non-Muslim women to come together, train in self-defence and keep fit.

31. Lauren Gregory, Leamington

Gregory founded Run Like A Girl after gaining confidence from a charity ultramarathon that she took part in. What started as a social media post to local mums became a running club with over 30,000 members throughout Warwickshire and beyond, with the organisation having expanded to Australia as well.

32. Leanne Davies, Leatherhead

Davies set up a small Facebook group after struggling to keep to structured running times after having a second baby. It began as three women, and six years later Run Mummy Run has reached over 62,000 members.

33. Leanne Pero, London

In 2001, at the age of just 15, Pero set up The Movement Factory to create lasting community impact through her love of dance, which has inspired over 500,000 young people to move.

34. Linda Hesselden, Plymouth

Hesselden is a licensee of Silver Swans, a Royal Academy of Dance initiative that enables students aged 55 and over to learn ballet. She has been active in the community for over 20 years and taught everyone from pre-school children to men and women in their 80s.

35. Louisa Chatwin, Selston

Over the last decade, Chatwin has taught hundreds of adults and children how to improve their skills on the ice. In the 2017 World Winter Games, she was selected as Team GB head coach for the Special Olympics following her work with para-skate star Meg McFarlane.

36. Mac Ferrari, London

The founder of Bikestormz and the unofficial godfather to the UK #BikeLifeMovement, former gang member Ferrari has encouraged thousands to take part in mass rides and promotes the message of “Bikes Up, Knives Down”.

37. Melanie Timberlake, Aylesbury

Timberlake overcame post-natal depression and brain surgery to inspire others through a shared love of sport. She is the manager of three disability football teams and runs martial arts classes for the disabled, earning the prestigious Disability Coach of the Year award.

38. Michaella Robb, Angus

Robb was one of the first paddleboard yoga instructors in the UK. After discovering the sport while travelling, she brought the concept home to Scotland to inspire others and motivate them to enjoy the sport in the great outdoors.

39. Oliur Rahman, London

Rahman started the Active Communities Network to engage young people living in areas of high deprivation to develop an interest and build careers in sport and exercise. The programme supports members in a range of weekly sessions from boxing to basketball.

40. Paul Sinton-Hewitt, London

In 2004 Sinton-Hewitt started parkrun, the free 5K run, with 13 people in Bushy Park, west London. It now has five million registered runners worldwide with over 280,000 people regularly running each week in 1,500 global events.

41. Phil and Shaun Webb, Glasgow

The brothers founded Glasgow Ultimate Frisbee Club and are credited with helping establish and expand the sport throughout Scotland in universities, parks and communities.

42. Philip Collins, London

Collins is chair of Out To Swim, an aquatics club for LGBTI+ adults in London, Brighton and Bristol. Founded 25 years ago by a small band of swimmers, it is now the biggest LGBTI+ swimming club in Europe.

43. Sarah Javaid, London

Javaid set up Cycle Sisters to help Muslim women connect and exercise through cycling. It started with a friend and her two sisters-in-law and has since grown to over 50 members.

44. Shannia Richardson-Gordon, London

Richardson-Gordon became a coach with Boxing Futures and the Limehouse Boxing Academy aged just 19. Passionate about how the sport can help others, she travels all over London to teach mental health patients, people with disabilities and young offenders.

45. Simon Northcott, Worcester

Worcester Warriors rugby coach Northcott developed a passion for creating more inclusive forms of sport and invented “Hugby”, in which scrums, line-outs and tackling are done by hugging the opponent.

46. Skye Stewart, Wolverhampton

Stewart is the founder of Black Country Fusion FC, the first LGBTI+ inclusive team to enter a non-gay league in the West Midlands. The open-minded club has gone on to establish a female team and a veteran’s team for men over 35.

47. Sophia Warner, Ockley

Born with cerebral palsy, WArner became a Paralympic track and field athlete. She founded the Superhero Series in 2016 to allow disabled people to take part in sport alongside their friends and families.

48. Tanayah Sam, Birmingham

Sam is an ex-convict working with young people in schools and prisons who are at risk of joining gang culture. His 12-week programme uses cricket to encourage social cohesion and steer young people away from crime and anti-social behaviour.

49. Wendy Rumble, Maidenhead

Rumble leads a buggy running movement with an educational website, online community and a running club, Buggy Squad, to inspire parents and families to find freedom in exercise.

50. Wendy Russell, Brighton & Hove

Russell set up the first deaf hockey session in the country at Brighton & Hove Hockey Club, and developed 40 new sign language signs for hearing-impaired players of all ages.

When ranking the world’s most popular fitness models, no-one comes close to Steve Cook. The 33-year-old fitness model, presenter and influencer from Idaho has been on the cover of more magazines than he can remember, and his YouTube channel boasts 1.1 million subscribers while he has more than two million followers on Instagram. If you’ve ever been serious about building a better body, at some point you will have stumbled across Cook’s content. When he was last on the cover of Men’s Fitness two years ago, he told us it was his mission to make the world a fitter and healthier place – and he’s showing no signs of slowing down. 

It’s been two years since your last Men’s Fitness cover. What have you been up to?

I opened a gym in St George, Utah. It’s a small town where I played college football. We’re using it to film my YouTube videos and it’s going great! I took a break from posting videos for a while – I’ve been doing it for so long, and I only ever want to do something if I am really passionate about it. I’ve never seen the point of doing something for its own sake. So I took some time out, worked out some personal stuff, travelled around the world with Gymshark [the athleisure brand for which Cook is a global ambassador]. Now I am back home and back posting more videos on social media to help educate as many people as possible.

Do you feel pressure to be genuine and influence people in the right way?

People pick up if you’re posting something you’re not passionate about. It’s so obvious you’re just going through the motions. And if I am passionate then that’s going to help spark someone else’s passion too. I think all influencers want to create something that can outlast them – we all have a shelf life and want to be useful and relevant to people for as long as possible.

Are you still as passionate as ever about training?

There’s part of me that always wants to maintain a certain look, which means a certain level of muscle and body fat level, but I also want to be able to perform, whether that’s powerlifting, or CrossFit, or Tough Mudders, or Spartan Races. My approach to training is very much a hybrid one. I don’t want to specialise, because I want to be big and lean and able to lift or run. It’s more important to me to be able to do all those things when I need or want to than just to look a certain way. Fitness is a huge field, and there’s many different activities that fall under that umbrella.

You’ve competed in numerous bodybuilding contests over your career, but that’s taken a back seat recently – do you think you’ll ever step on stage again in a bodybuilding show?

Sometimes I get that itch to step on the stage again – it usually happens around Mr Olympia in Vegas, because it’s so hard to not get caught up in the atmosphere – but right now it’s not a priority. I’ll never say never, but I also will never force myself to do something if the passion and excitement isn’t there.

What do you do differently now in the gym compared with when you were younger?

Like a lot of young men, I wanted to get as big as possible and smash personal bests every time I stepped into the gym. Now the focus is less on getting massive or squatting 500lb. Instead I focus more on recovery, so I do more yoga or Pilates sessions. Why? Because I want to have longevity. That’s more important than sheer muscular size. Also, trying to get as big or strong as possible will mean you’re amped up most of the time – but I want my training to help calm me down, not always amp me up. This is especially true in your 30s when training can be way to get a mental escape rather than just a physical health thing.

So have your goals changed?

You have to get smarter as you get older, but you still have to chase progress. It’s just that what progress looks like changes. It’s not about squat or bench one-rep maxes, but how mobile am I? Is my flexibility improving? Can I fit in a yoga class this week? That’s the kind of progress I’m chasing these days.

What advice would you go back and give yourself when you first starting out in fitness?

Not to be afraid to try things that might fail. I was told very early on that no-one makes any money out of fitness modelling, but I saw the potential of YouTube and Facebook and Instagram from the start. I took some chances, but I wish I’d taken more risks and backed myself to make them work. You don’t want to look back and regret not chasing your goal. After all, you learn so much from your failures and setbacks, and that knowledge will always be of benefit down the road. Follow your heart, even when the stakes are high and it’s scary, and jump in head first.

Where do most men go wrong when trying to make big improvements to their physiques or performance?

The first is that a lot of people never set a clear goal. You have to have a goal and it has to be realistic – without that, you’re setting yourself up to fail. The second is that even when people do set a goal and start out strong, they don’t plan for the speed bumps that inevitably crop up. After two or three weeks it can get tough to keep doing everything right, so a night out can be tempting. And when you beat yourself up or throw in the towel after one minor setback, that’s when it can all unravel quickly. But it doesn’t have to! Get back on it straight away. Even if you’ve got a hangover, do a quick or easy workout – because doing something is always better than doing nothing. Results don’t come fast and you’ll always get to where you want to be – so long as you don’t give up.

Steve Cook 2016 Interview: Getting It Off His Chest

Steve Cook is the world’s number one fitness model and has inspired millions to get into the shape of their life. But he won’t be satisfied until everyone gets the message that real success comes by loving what you do and having the desire to do better today than you did yesterday. Get that right, he tells Coach’s sister title Men’s Fitness, and the six-pack will take care of itself.

After his Men’s Fitness cover shoot, Steve Cook tweeted to say he would be at St Paul’s Cathedral the following morning at 11am if anyone wanted to do some sightseeing with him. His followers turned up in droves. The 31-year-old from Boise, Idaho, didn’t see many sights in the end because he spent the rest of the morning talking fitness and posing for selfies with his fans.

To say that Cook is the most popular man in fitness is no understatement. He has more than 1.2 million Instagram followers, 600,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel, and every event he attends – whether it’s the world’s biggest fitness show or an informal weekend meet-up – brings people from miles around for the chance to speak to their idol.

But what he tells them isn’t necessarily what you’d expect. With so many self-proclaimed fitness experts on social media banging the drum about how you should smash yourself in the gym every day – hashtagging every post with #BeastMode or something equally hardcore – Cook’s message is loud and clear: health comes first. After all, he says, what’s the point of having a rock-hard six-pack if you go to bed every night starving and miserable and dreading the 6am alarm to go to the gym? For Cook, as it should be for us all, his fitness isn’t defined by his body-fat percentage, nor is his happiness measured by the circumference of his biceps.

Cook’s ethos is simple: to be healthy you have to be happy, and he’s a man on a mission to spread that message far and wide.

Steve, you started out as a pure bodybuilder, but over recent years you’ve branched out into many other areas of training. Why?

I decided about two years ago that I was done with competing [in bodybuilding shows]. I could see major holes in the way bodybuilders were training. Most of them use improper form and they’re not looking at movement patterns.

I realised that the [bodybuilding] industry was and is behind the times – they’re not using mobility and not getting the greatest value out of it. They’re not doing stretching, yoga, incorporating Olympic lifting. I think it could be done in a way that all works together. That’s my goal.

That’s why I’m doing triathlons and half marathons, to show people you can be big, strong and athletic. You don’t have to train like a bodybuilder just because all the old-school bodybuilding magazines tell you to.

What did you learn from competing?

I competed a lot and really got my name out there, but I also learned that as I got more into bodybuilding I was actually becoming less and less healthy. I wasn’t flexible. I wasn’t in a good place mentally either. You get this idea you have to look perfect and that you need to look like you do on stage all year round, which is just not the case.

It’s much better to concentrate on the performance in the gym and the looks will take care of themselves. For me to do a show I needed to concentrate on every little detail, literally everything.

But now year-round I concentrate on trying to improve my squat or my power clean, or my half marathon time or triathlon time. I’m constantly pushing myself to find new ways of getting fit because it’s a better way for me to stay in shape.

Are you concerned that too many people are too focused on the way they look, and don’t pay enough attention to how they feel?

Yeah. I realised if you obsess about how you look you have no balance in your life. You’re placing unrealistic expectations on yourself and when you do that you’re going to end up unhappy and never satisfied with what you have.

I now focus on performance and my goals are what I can see on paper, not in the mirror. I’m at a point where I’m happy with the size I’m at and I’m trying to push myself in other ways, like improving my cardio fitness with swimming which is killer because it’s all about breathing. When you’re in the gym you’re pushing and tensing and flexing, and being fluid is the opposite. That balance has been great.

You’ve got a huge following on social media and people travel miles to see you. Why do you think your message resonates with so many people?

I’m about people being healthy and what I love most is when someone comes up to me and says, “Steve, you helped me lose 20kg” or, “Because of you I started to do this and now I have confidence”. I’ve been that person who felt I had nothing. My message is telling people that if I did it, then they can do it too. Hopefully they can see what I do and what I’m about and use that motivation to start something themselves.

So many people see exercise as a chore or a means to an end. How can people switch that mindset to a positive one?

Think about being happy today. So many people say “I’ll be happy when I hit my goal” or when they lose a certain amount of weight. Actually it’s about learning to be happy today but not content where you’re at.

If I could change anything it’d be to change people’s minds about training and having fun with it. Learn to do new things. Find a way to have better life balance.

Why is that so important to you?

I’ve know a lot of people who’ve struggled with addiction, including two of my friends – one committed suicide and one overdosed. I played college [American] football with them and they both passed away about five months ago. One thing I want to do is find people who are struggling and get those people to realise they can make positive changes to your life through the gym or through exercise.

We need to learn to be happy in ourselves and not look at what other people have whether that’s cars or money or fame. We should never say that we’ll be happy when we have that person’s life. You need to be happy today, happy now. For me it’s about trying to get people to appreciate how important that outlook is.

How have you changed physically since embracing a more rounded approach to training?

Now I’m stronger. I might not be stage-ready right now but what I found was I used to bulk up, I’d get really lean for a show and I’d win – I won nine out of my first ten shows – and it was cool but it was the same thing: diet down to this extreme level, do your stepping on the treadmill, over and over again.

I wasn’t doing it because I enjoyed it any more – I was doing it because I needed to better the results I’d always had. And it got really old. I decided to do a Tough Mudder and a half marathon in Saint George, Utah.

How did you get on?

It was all right. My goal was under two hours and I did an hour and 54 minutes – not bad when I weighed 215lb [97.5kg]. For me I needed a goal.

Next I did Olympic lifting which I liked, did CrossFit for a little while but didn’t love it. I liked Olympic lifting, and I like gymnastics and calisthenics, but I don’t necessarily think CrossFit is the best way to go in terms of programming. Elements of it are great. It’s a sport, though, and in sports there’s always a risk of injury. When you’re doing stuff that has a high degree of difficulty, like Olympic lifts, under stress and for time there’s a good chance of getting hurt eventually. But I tried it and I love aspects of it.

Has there always been an athlete under your bodybuilding exterior?

I always played sports growing up. I played baseball, basketball, football and track. I wrestled to eighth grade [around age 14]. My dad was a high school athletics director so that probably played a part but sports was just something I did.

I got into bodybuilding when I was playing college football – I’d go back later at night and do arm curls and stuff like that because I loved both. After that I got married, then got divorced, and the thing that got me [mentally] back on track was having a goal to work towards and that goal was a bodybuilding show.

How old were you?

I was 23. Yep, I was young! I got married at 21. After the divorce I hadn’t finished my degree so I moved back to my college to study. I was a biology/psychology major and my whole senior paper was on how exercise affects college students. Not just physically but also in classroom performance.

While I was doing that I was prepping for one of my very first shows, a male model search. There were 300 guys that entered. It was the first time the event had been held and it was in Las Vegas at the Mr Olympia contest. I won and part of the prize was a magazine cover and it launched my career.

Will you ever compete in a bodybuilding show again?

I might get back on stage but I’m going to have fun with it. If it’s not adding value to my life I’m not going to do it. Every fitness thing you do should make you feel better. You should always feel better after working out.

I got to the point when I was just going through the motions – doing it because I felt I had to. I wasn’t enjoying it and I didn’t have any balance, and that kind of manifested in that I would cheat on my diet and it became very unhealthy. Now I don’t diet. I eat and train, I don’t diet and exercise.

That explains the doughnut you just ate…

Ha! Exactly. It’s about balance. For example, today people brought doughnuts. If that had been a couple of years ago when I was in my bodybuilding mindframe, the whole day would have been a wreck because I had that one doughnut. I would have binged the rest of the day, eaten myself sick because I messed up.

Now I realise you’ve got to have balance. It’s OK to eat a doughnut. I’m training, I’m working hard, it’s OK.

Do you count calories?

I don’t count [but] I have a rough idea of what’s in things. With protein I try to hit about 250g a day. I’m carb cycling now so on days I’m active I’ll be on 300g of carbs, days I’m less active I’ll be at about 200g. With fats I shoot for about 80g – a little higher than in my bodybuilding days, but fats are so important for hormone balance and staying healthy. I’m doing so much more cardio now that I’m actually getting leaner on those macros so I might have to bump them up.

I heard you were lactose intolerant. How does that affect your diet?

I’ve never actually been assessed – I just feel I get bubble guts with milk, so I have almond milk. Don’t get me wrong, if there’s a good ice cream I’m going to have it and pay the price! With supplements I have hydrolysed whey protein that’s really low in lactose. My stomach is a lot happier with me on things that are low lactose.

How about booze? Do you drink?

I did last night! That’s because I was out with the Optimum Nutrition [Cook is an ambassador for the sports nutrition brand] guys to celebrate their 30th birthday. But I never drink at home. So maybe once a month I drink. There’s been occasions when I’m out on the road travelling and there’s events… but fortunately for me I don’t crave it.

Does it affect your social life?

I dated a girl who loved a glass of wine. That’s fine but for me I’d rather splurge on pizza or something, use my calories differently. If it gets to a point when you can’t get up the next morning and work out… I never want to be that way. My happiness comes from my body feeling good so if something starts interfering with that then it’s too much.

You travel almost constantly. How do you keep in shape when you’re on the go all the time?

I make training the first thing I do in the day. The longest I’ll be at home is two or three weeks – I’m on the go constantly. If I try to work out after an expo it doesn’t happen. I need the morning to get up, meditate, stretch, train, eat a good breakfast, start the day. If I get all that out the way I know the things that matter the most to me, my body, is taken care of.

When you’re on the road what’s the one piece of gym kit you won’t travel without?

I always take my running shoes and Nike Met Cons for training. If I can fit it in my bag I’ll always take a foam roller and a massage ball, and then my supplements.

What’s the most effective way you’ve found to train your chest?

I do one major day and I’ll hit it again later in the week with two movements. Incline dumbbell presses are the best for the pecs. Developing a big chest is all about angles. You can be on the bench press and only really be working your anterior deltoids and triceps. A lot of it is checking your ego and using your back. You’ve got to activate your lats so keep your shoulders back, a little arch under your back, and your feet flat on the floor.

You’re an inspiration to many, but who was your inspiration growing up?

Rob Dyrdek, the skateboarder. He created something – he started out sponsored by DC and now he has his own empire. He had a vision of what he wanted and through sheer passion and enthusiasm he created it.

Also Tony Robbins, the motivational speaker. Check him out on Netflix – he’s a big guy, 6ft 5in, big booming voice. He’s written some best-selling books and he just changes people and understands people. He really cares about people – he gets it, and people love being around him. If I could be a balance of those two people and do it through fitness… that’s my lifelong goal.

Steve Cook is an Optimum Nutrition sponsored athlete. Find out more about Optimum Nutrition at onacademy.co.uk

UFC light heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson faces Jon Jones at UFC 165 on September 21st (watch our interview with Jones here). It will be the first time the Swede has fought in a five round fight, and he’s been upping the intensity of his training accordingly, sparring extra rounds and putting his body through punishing conditioning circuits.
 
‘It’s like a normal training camp, but we’ve upped the tempo on everything’, says Gustafsson. ‘I just have to push through it and grind it out.’
 
Jones has destroyed a string of dangerous title challengers since capturing the UFC light-heavyweight strap from Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua back in 2011, including his most recent victory – a brutal first round beat down of Chael Sonnen at UFC 159 back in April. Gustafsson meanwhile is riding a six-fight win streak in the UFC, having also beaten Rua via unanimous decision in his last outing back in December 2012.
 
Although Jones will be a heavy favourite going into the bout, the two are evenly matched in height and reach - two areas in which Jones has had an advantage over all his previous opponents - which could make for an intriguing contest.

Gustafsson isn’t bothered about the odds. ‘The only thing that really matters is who’s been working the hardest, and who wants it more’, he says. ‘To win the title and bring it back to Sweden with me would be a dream come true’.
 
UFC 165: Jones vs Gustafsson will be shown live on BT Sport from 1am on Saturday 21st September

When you have a big football match to play on a Sunday, most of us would prefer an early night on the Saturday. A quiet one in front of the TV. However, for Radio 1 DJ Monki, aka Lucy Monkman, that isn’t an option. She’s behind the decks into the wee hours before grabbing a couple of hours sleep and heading off to play for her team AFC Phoenix in south London. We spoke to Monki about her love of football and how she manages to fit in playing around her work as a DJ.

How long have you been playing football?

I started when I was about five, playing with my cousin down the park. I played with the boys in the playground at school and I carried on playing with boys until I was told to stop by the FA! Once you reach a certain age you’re not allowed to any more and the schools I went to didn’t have a girls’ team so I really didn’t have an opportunity. I played at a few academies, Chelsea and Fulham, then stopped for a long time before getting back into it.

When did you stop playing?

I stopped when I was about 15 or 16. I basically discovered clubbing. Then I started again when I was 20. I joined quite a low league just to get back into it and played five-a-side. I trialled for London Bees, who are WSL2 [Women’s Super League 2, to be renamed FA Women’s Championship from 2018-19], but the commitment they needed was too high along with my job. I joined the team I’m in now [AFC Phoenix] in the London and South East Division, so it’s still a pretty high level. If you compared it with the men’s pyramid we’d be conference [National League].

How often do you play now?

We train during the week and play matches on Sundays, which can be hard for me with work. I have a tour manager to take me to my gig on a Saturday night and then take me straight home. I’ll sleep in the car on the way there, then I’ll sleep on the way back and then I’ll sleep at home for a few hours and wake up for the game! That’s how I manage it. If I’m DJing abroad obviously it can be impossible, though there have been a few times when I’ve flown back from Ibiza and gone straight to a game.

What’s your favourite thing about football?

The camaraderie is probably my favourite thing. It always revolves around mates. It’s something you’re sharing with 20 other people who have been playing with you every week for the past several months, in the rain and the cold.

And it’s escapism as well. Whenever I play footy I don’t think about anything else. When you’re on the pitch you’re in the moment.

What position do you play?

I’ve played every position this season except centre back and in goal! Usually I play right wing, or number ten – up top sometimes.

What advice would you give to someone looking to get into football now?

Five-a-side is great way to get into it, because it can be a proper leveller. Eleven-a-side might be a bit tricky at first, but there are plenty of grassroots teams. There’s a team in Hackney called Romance FC, they all started playing only three years ago and didn’t even know how to kick a ball. Now they play together every week and they’re always accepting new players. If anyone in east London wants to join a new team I highly recommend them.

Monki will be playing Lovebox Festival on Saturday 14th July. Her debut EP Voices is out now. Listen on Spotify or Beatport

James Dunmore would be the first to admit he’s best known as the boyfriend of Lucy Watson, a cast member of reality TV show Made In Chelsea between 2012 and 2016. Dunmore appeared on the show himself in 2015, but departed along with Lucy the following year. Since then, while Watson has devoted her time to her growing business, including a soon-to-open vegan restaurant in west London, Dunmore has thrown himself into fundraising work for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. His next charity challenge – a seven-day, 93km walk to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, 5,895m above sea level – takes place later this year, and his preparation’s about to get serious.

James, how are you feeling about your toughest charity challenge yet?

I am very excited. I signed up knowing it was a huge challenge, but I didn’t really look at the stats! It’s six to seven hours of walking a day for seven days – and I do not like walking! An hour’s walk feels like a day to me, and I’m going to have to do about 93km in a week. My plan in the months before the challenge is to work on my natural levels of fitness. Then, two months before the climb, that’s when I’ll start doing more specific training, like incline treadmill walking and the cross-trainer. I’ll also take myself off to the Lake District and get some miles in up there.

Altitude sickness is a real concern during challenges like this, and can affect anyone regardless of fitness levels. Is that a worry for you?

Yes, it does worry me a little bit because I don’t know yet if or how it will affect me. I will go to the Altitude Centre in London and work with them in some 60-minute sessions. They’ll do some tests to ascertain my sensitivity to altitude, and then we’ll adjust my training accordingly.

What does your training programme encompass right now?

I work out about five times a week and I like the feeling training gives me. I have always trained by myself, but in the past 18 months I’ve been going to the gym with Sam Thompson [one of Dunmore’s former Made in Chelsea co-stars]. Sam had never worked out before and now he’s in the best shape of his life. I keep trying to take all the credit and tell him that I built his body, not him! It’s reaching the point where the apprentice is becoming the master!

What have you got out of helping someone else get into shape?

Training with him gives me more of a buzz and more motivation, because if we’ve arranged to go neither one of us wants to bail out. If I am honest we probably do talk too much when we’re in the gym, but at least we do turn up and it’s better to do something than nothing at all. We do push it, and it is much harder to do that properly by yourself – that used to be my problem. I’d stall quite quickly because I wasn’t training hard enough or I’d do the same things all the time. Everyone has their favourite exercises, and it’s so tempting to favour those. Now I mix up my training a lot more, training with different rep ranges and spending more time on moves I don’t like. The upside of this is that you do notice much bigger improvements when you start working more on your weaknesses.

When you first found out you’d be on Made In Chelsea, did you feel any pressure to look a certain way?

There’s never been any external pressure put on me, no. When I first appeared on the show I was probably the guy in the best shape, so that might have put some pressure on the other guys to up their game! When I was younger I was very sporty and naturally very skinny. I’ve always had good legs, but my upper body wasn’t developed at all. My problem was, and still is, that I find it very hard to put on any weight. I am 27 now, so I expect once I hit 30 and my metabolism starts to slow down my body will change, but at the moment I can pretty much eat what I want and not put on any weight.

You left the show a couple of years ago – what have you been up to since?

After leaving the show I wanted spend more time fundraising for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. It is a charity very close to my heart [James lost two older sisters to the illness; Jodie nine years ago, and Lucinda 11 years ago] and it’s very important to me to do as much as I can to raise awareness and money. I don’t particularly miss being on the show – although it was obviously nice to go on some lovely holidays – but I do miss how it raised my profile so I could do more for the charity.

Your girlfriend Lucy Watson is a staunch campaigner for animal rights and welfare, and recently released a vegan cookbook. What’s your diet like?

I’ve been pescatarian for the past ten months after previously being a big red meat eater. I cut out red meat a year ago and still ate chicken and fish, but was relying too much on chicken, so I cut that out too. I’ve had to learn how to get more protein from non-animal sources. Lucy is vegan and a fantastic cook, so I really enjoy my new way of eating. I feel really good on it – I have more energy, where I used to feel very sluggish after eating meals high in red meat.

What’s prompted you to give up meat? Were you given an ultimatum?

Ha, no, I wasn’t! But Lucy is very passionate about animal welfare, so I did some research into the meat industry and didn’t like what I learned. If we weren’t together I would probably still be eating meat, but only because I wouldn’t be as educated as I am now. I’d still be oblivious to the processes behind the meat industry. I don’t miss meat now. Chicken is so easy and accessible but there are better ways to eat if you do some research, planning and preparation.

See related

• The Vegan Diet: What You Need To Know
• Why Sam Thompson Is Taking Part In Movember’s Mo Mission Challenge

You must be used to travelling in luxury and staying in amazing hotels. Does the thought of roughing it for a week in Tanzania excite you or worry you?

I can’t wait to camp on Kilimanjaro. I’m a real outdoorsman. That’s the appeal for me – that adventure. What I am not looking forward to do is bedding down for the night after walking all day, knowing I have to do it all again tomorrow! At least with Kilimanjaro the terrain changes dramatically so the views are going to be new and exhilarating all the time, which will make a big difference when the going gets tough. I’ve been told the hardest bit is the summit, because you have to start at 12.30am to summit at sunrise and get a massive adrenaline rush… and then you have to start the walk back down! I think most people don’t really think about the return leg, but if you walk up you have to walk back down. Getting picked up by a helicopter would be a nice alternative!

What’s the one big adventure that you want to tick off your list?

I do have a long-term goal, but I won’t do it for a few years. I want to do the Arch to Arc, which is a bike ride from Marble Arch in London down to the south coast, a swim across the Channel, then a run to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The swim is the hardest leg, but I used to be a good swimmer when I was younger, so I’m not daunted. I’m going to start by doing some sprint triathlons and build up from there.

James Dunmore’s Mount Kilimanjaro trek will take place in October 2018. To donate visit Dunmore’s Just Giving page. 

Photography: Glen Burrows

For a lot of athletes, hitting 40 with a quartet of Olympic gold medals – earned over two decades’ worth of dominance in their chosen sport – as well as a knighthood might be a good time to call it a day. Perhaps get a TV presenting gig, maybe put on a bit of comfort weight. For Ben Ainslie, it’s time to train harder than ever.

“The physical requirements across the sport have increased immeasurably since I started competing,” says Ainslie, who began his Olympic career back in 1996 in sailing’s Laser class, before moving up to the more physically demanding Finn. “The Finn was always physical, but some of the changes in the rules about how you can sail the boat and how physical you’re allowed to be, alongside new techniques that became incredibly important… it became about aerobic capacity and bursts of power.”

And now that he’s retired from Olympic competition, there’s no rest for Ainslie, who needs to stay lean, strong and mentally alert for a new challenge in the form of the America’s Cup. And, yes, it’s a hell of a challenge.

Sailing’s most prestigious prize is also the world’s oldest international sporting trophy – it was first contested in 1851 – and it’s also the one most stacked in favour of the defending champions, who get to choose the venue and the rules of engagement. They also get a guaranteed place in the knockout round robin, while the other teams compete in four racing events called the America’s Cup World Series to earn a spot.

Ainslie first formed the Land Rover BAR team to challenge for the Cup in 2012, and – after victory in the 2015-16 World Series followed by a semi-final defeat in the qualifiers for the 2017 edition – they’re now prepping for the 2021 series. And, though the “grinders” (the crew members who operate the winches to raise the sails and move the boom) have the most physical job on their multi-man squad, Ainslie’s still leading by example in the gym. While he admits his role helming and steering isn’t as physically demanding, it has its own tough requirements such as moving about quickly from side to side – and, as the 41-year-old who carried the GB flag at the 2012 closing ceremony points out, serious mental focus over long periods.

While old-school Cups were cerebral, endurance-heavy events punctuated by furious bursts of all-out effort, the modern race consists of 15- to 20-minute sprints with a premium on nonstop power-endurance grinding. There’s also weight to consider. Rules limit the crew’s total mass, typically making for an average weight of 87.5kg, but in most teams the helmsman and trimmer will be lighter, allowing the grinders to pack on muscle.

It’s a stern enough physical and mental challenge even without the formula one-level organisation, strategy and logistics to consider. So how is Ainslie coping? Well, as we found out, it’s not all (ahem) plain sailing…

You’re not just one of Britain’s most decorated Olympians, but one of the most long-lasting. How have you stayed on top of your game for this long?

I guess I’m lucky in sailing, in that it’s quite a diverse sport – there’s always another challenge to go for, to expand your skillset. When I look at sports like rowing and swimming, as we all know there’s the sheer intensity of training, but also the commitment and continuity – when you look at guys like Steve Redgrave or Bradley Wiggins or Chris Hoy, I’m in awe of them for what they’ve achieved and what they’ve gone through to do it. Sir Steve is my Olympic hero, really.

Do you Olympic heroes all talk to each other?

Funny story: I was invited on This Is Your Life when Steve Redgrave was on it, and introduced as one of his teammates on Team GB – and it was pretty clear that he didn’t have a clue who I was [the episode aired in 1996]. But yes, I’ve been very lucky to get to know Steve reasonably well – he’s always been a mentor over the years and a big support. I chat to Matthew Pinsent as well, and then of course guys like Chris Hoy and Bradley Wiggins. What really sets them apart is dedication and applying themselves. There are talented people everywhere, but to get to the top and stay there takes dedication and application.

What’s the best bit of advice any Redgrave’s given you?

At London 2012, there was a lot going on around the hype, and he would just say, “You’ve got to keep doing what you do – don’t get distracted by things that don’t matter”. It’s very basic advice but sometimes that’s what you need.

Agreed. Just how physical is the America’s Cup these days?

Well, in the America’s Cup the intensity’s gone up because of rule changes and the dynamics of the boat. In the last cup the grinders were very involved in creating the oil pressures, and they were working nonstop for a 25-minute race. In my role helming and steering the boat it’s not as physically demanding, but I need to be able to move about quickly from side to side, and also mentally focus at a high level for long periods of time. Decision-making under pressure is very different from being able to sit down and think about it, too.

So what does your training look like?

The more aerobic fitness and endurance I have the better. I really like running, but I haven’t been able to run for three or four years. I’m keen on cycling these days – in the last six months I haven’t done as much as I’d like, but I do enjoy it. When I was based in San Francisco for 2013 I got really into it. I moved to the Isle of Wight in 2016 with my family, so that’s an opportunity to get into it again.

A lot of my other training is focused around rehab and prehab for injuries I’ve had – I do a lot of TRX training. It’s about trying to free up my upper body in particular. That combines with the aerobic work – for instance, the Versaclimber allows me to take impact off while I’m training and focus on the right muscles.

And, of course, you have to watch your weight…

Well, I’m used to that from my whole career. The ideal weight for the Laser class, for instance, is about 80kg, then I switched to Finn where the average weight is about 100kg, then I finished with that in 2012 and lost about 10kg over two to three years to get down to my fighting weight. Then for the America’s Cup I’ve had to drop even further, so I’m used to adjusting my diet.

Are you much of a chef?

Ha! Not really. But I’ve been working with the team from KX and a nutritionist called Aidan Goggins, which has really helped. We’ve been using blood monitoring, which really helps, because it’s so clear what deficiencies you have. Someone might be going “well this might help, this may help” but with this you’ve got the stats right there in front of you.

How important do you think it is to be motivated, as opposed to just making good habits and preparing well?

Ultimately, it’s both. Preparation is key, but there’s also performing under pressure. You need to go in knowing that you’ve done everything you possibly can do, but also have the belief in yourself and your abilities to get it right when it counts.

I had a few unfortunate encounters with sports psychologists early in my career, and I think that pushed me away from that back then. But the older I get the more you realise just how critical psychology is to everything in life. Actually these days I accept that it’s the most important part to sport and life – it doesn’t matter how fit you are. In a sense I’ve been self-taught over the years; I’ve learned to give myself that analysis that’s required.

How do you deal with setbacks?

Maturity helps. Not just for sport, but for life in general. We all go through setbacks and in general society’s pretty good at keeping its setbacks private, but the more you go through in life the more experiences like that you’ll have, and ultimately it makes you stronger. Things that would have upset me earlier in my life, I’m now a bit more philosophical about, and I’m ready to look for the most efficient, practical way of solving an issue and moving on. You just have to look at your weaknesses and why you didn’t get the desired result, and turn that around into motivation. I’m a terrible loser and I think fear of failure is part of that.

Is there anything you know now that you wish you’d known earlier in your career?

Loads of things – in terms of technique, or tactics, or dealing with issues in a different way. My first Olympics was 1996, and there was one particular leg of the course where I’d always struggle. It was only about two years after that that I was able to understand what the problem was and rectify it, and it seemed so obvious – it was frustrating.

In terms of fitness, I wish I’d had the advice and support that’s now available for semi-pro and Olympic athletes – it’s really second to none in this country. I might have been able to have a different approach to injury prevention.

The America’s Cup is bigger than ever. Would you say it’s approaching what formula one racing or the Tour de France are like in terms of tactics and logistics?

Oh yes, it’s huge. Every time the boat goes into the water it’s a different configuration – it changes cycle to cycle. With the next boat change we’ll almost certainly move back to monohulls – it seems like a step back, but it’s kind of a different design challenge, more of a classic America’s Cup.

In terms of the team, when we travel, we haven’t gone to the level of bringing our own mattresses and things like the Tour guys do, but in terms of dealing with jet lag, hydration, our immune systems, we’re as professional as we possibly can be. We have hand sanitisers around the eating areas, rehydration packets for long flights, that kind of thing – it makes a difference. We’ve got to be very creative and find every single opportunity to drive performance, to drive those gains that we need.

Given that impressively professional approach, what should we expect from you and your team in the 2021 series?

I’m not going to lie, I’m going to be 43 for the next America’s, so I’m not going to say I’ll be the fittest I’ve ever been in my career – but my coach Ben Williams is doing a great job. I’m confident I’ll be ready.

To keep up to date with the Land Rover BAR team’s progress, visit landroverbar.com and follow @LandRoverBAR and @AinslieBen. Ainslie’s training and nutrition is supported by the team at KX, London’s luxury gym. For more on KX and the new fitness and wellness experience at KXU, visit kxu.co.uk

TRX Strength Session

“For strength Ben uses free weights, sometimes cables, sometimes TRX depending on what we are working on at the time,” says Williams. “Here’s a typical TRX routine that opens up the chest and includes pushing and pulling.”

Reps 8 Sets 3 Rest 90sec

Set the TRX at an angle so that you’re almost parallel to the ground for your first set, then move your feet back to an easier angle for the second. For the He-Man rows, pull back until your elbows are in line with your shoulders, then press overhead.

Reps 8 Sets 3 Rest 90sec

Start with the chest flye, leaning forwards into the straps and allowing your arms to come apart with a slight bend in your elbows. Move straight into press-ups, then finish with your hands very close together for the triceps press-ups, elbows tucked tight to your sides.

Reps 8 Sets 3 Rest 90 seconds

Start with your feet in the TRX loops in a plank position, and push off your elbows to “saw” your body backwards and forwards. Next, bring your knees towards your chest, and finally bring one knee to your elbow and repeat for the mountain climbers.

For almost 40 years, leading UK yoga guru, Barbara Currie, has been spreading the yoga word with her yoga books, videos, classes and TV appearances. Now the incredibly youthful Currie is launching a new You Tube yoga channel – Barbara Currie Yoga, to help as many people as possible reap the incredible benefits of yoga. We caught up with her to find out more.

Is yoga your secret to staying healthy and youthful?

“I teach yoga everyday, five times a day. I don’t do any other exercise apart from swimming occasionally and walking. I’m energetic and everything is working well health-wise, so I’d have to say yoga is my secret.”

What are you other anti-ageing secrets?

“I don’t have any really. I have a healthy diet, excluding additives by eating a stone age diet of only chicken, fish, veg, fruit and salads.”

Why is yoga a good complement to a regular fitness regime?

“It keeps you flexible because it helps the spine. You’ll increase your level of focus and, most importantly, sleep better.”

What are the best yoga postures for building fitness?

“All yoga helps. It really depends on what you consider as fitness. Overall it will improve your energy and ability without strain.”

What should readers look for in a yoga class if they’re just starting out?

“You know you’ve found the right class when you feel good afterwards. You should feel no strain during or after. If you didn’t enjoy it, find another class.”

Tell us about your new Youtube channel – what will it offer?

“I started my YouTube channel in response to many of my students asking for yoga which they could do a little bit of everyday. The YouTube videos are three to five minutes long and allow you to gradually learn yoga at your own pace, with short and manageable sections each day. This means you can gradually tone and firm your muscles and joints and keep them flexible, focusing on different sections each day to make sure the whole body is covered. You can take it at an individual speed and learn to practise yoga everyday, in your own home, whenever you have the chance or would like to do a short, weekly YouTube-led session.”

youtube.com/BarbaraCurrieYoga

This article first appeared in Women’s Fitness

You’ve been interviewed for a job, haven’t you? You’ve also read and been given plenty of advice on how to nail a job interview: dress smartly, research the role, rehearse, have a set of humblebrag weaknesses at the ready and, for the love of all that’s holy, be on time.

But as your career progresses and you shimmy up the greasy pole you may find yourself on the other side of the table. Yet rarely does anyone get advice or training on how to run an interview process – you’re just thrown in the deep end and expected to come up for air with the perfect candidate.

So when we we were offered the chance to speak to Claude Littner – perhaps best known as one of Alan Sugar’s attack dogs on The Apprentice, but a successful businessman in his own right – we jumped at the chance to get some advice from the man who’s done countless interviews, including grilling England rugby players on behalf of sponsor Canterbury.

Fear not, we’re not recommending you’ll be as combative as Littner here – that’s only for Jedi-level interviewers. The advice we got is more useful. Here’s what we learned, in Littner’s own words.

It’s worth reminding yourself of the point of the exercise

“The whole purpose of an interview and a good interviewer is to extract as much information as possible from the interviewee – to a certain extent to put that person at ease, although when you watch The Apprentice that’s not what I do. That’s what will give you the best possible chance of selecting the right candidate for the job.

“But it’s a two-way process. The interviewee should be trying to find out if he or she is the appropriate candidate, if the chemistry and culture works, and what it will be like to work for the company so when both parties actually enter into the agreement they know what to expect.”

Because there is no magic formula to conducting an interview

“There is no one set rule. There’s no, ‘This is the first question you ask, this is the second question’ – it has to flow and the whole point is to make sure that both parties have a clear understanding of what is required and that they both engage openly. There should be as few surprises as possible once the candidate gets appointed and starts the job.”

“Some people are very happy to talk and have got great confidence about them. Those people I might allow to just talk, up to a point, so I can get information. Some people are a little bit shy or reticent at the beginning so it’s incumbent upon me to start talking, start explaining things and try to put them at their ease and extract information from them.”

You’ll learn how to interview by interviewing

“I’ve never had anyone who sat me down and said ‘This is the way one does an interview’. I recall on more than one occasion I perhaps haven’t handled an interview as well as I could in terms of extracting information from the interviewee, but as time goes on I think you learn some tricks and become a lot more professional at doing it.”

Take the time to prepare, but base your decision on the interview proper

“When I see the candidate I will have spent quite a lot of time looking at the CV so I’ve got a pretty good understanding of it. I’ll also have read about them on social media, or got the accounts of their company.

“But for me the most telling thing is to get the individual in front of me and start talking to the person. When the CVs come to me people [in HR] have determined that these individuals have the capability to do the job, so for me it’s to make sure they’re not going to give me a lot of trouble because, say, they have a completely different mindset or objective as to where they see the company going.”

And keep it one-to-one

“If I’m interviewing somebody, I want to be the sole interviewer. I want to have a one-to-one with the person who’s come for the job. There are some companies where you have a panel of interviewers but I think that’s something that could put extra stress on the interviewee.”

Canterbury is the official kit partner of England Rugby

For Charlie Lewis, running is about far more than keeping fit or clearing his head. It’s about the freedom to explore the world around him and challenging his body to achieve ever greater feats. Lewis knows better than most the benefits of running; he had to endure ten years without it after a snowboarding accident when he was teenager.

After a decade of failed attempts to reconstruct his leg, which included 15 operations, Lewis opted to have his leg amputated, a decision which has not only allowed him to run again, but to take on incredible challenges around the world, including marathons in Afghanistan and North Korea.

Lewis’s next challenge is closer to home at the Adidas City Runs Shoreditch 10K. Coach spoke to Lewis about his injury and what running means to him in the build-up to the event.

How did the injury happen?

I was snowboarding on a gap year in the Alps when I was 19, in 2004. Before then my whole life revolved around sport. I was a runner as a kid and then at the age of 13 when you have to choose between sports, I went for rugby. I was hoping to become a professional rugby player. I took a year off before uni and had the accident. As soon as it happened, from the first round of operations, I knew I wasn't going to play any impact sport again.

What treatments did you try for the injury?

I was airlifted to hospital in France and had one operation there. I was there for three weeks and then I was flown back to the UK. About two weeks later I had another operation. A month after that it was clear they needed to reconstruct, so I had the first major reconstruction, which was a three-part operation.

They took all the bone out to try and rebuild it, and put an external frame on which holds it all in place. I had the frame on for six to eight months and then that it came off and we started rehab. After nine months it broke down again and I went through another reconstruction – a two-part operation.

By then it was 2006. They had taken all the bone out of my leg and replaced it with metal – I had an 8cm part of my leg that was just metal.

At that point were you able to exercise again?

Running had gone, rugby had gone, so I cycled. That was what I did for six years. I cycled for pleasure and cycled through the frustration. I did lots of mountain cycling in places like Mont Ventoux – all the usual amateur cyclist stuff.

About five or six years after that, in 2012, it started breaking down again. Because they’d replaced the bone with metal and because of where it was in the leg – right down the bottom so it takes all the weight – the metal just broke through the bone. I was cycling up Ventoux and halfway up it was agony. The metal had gone through the bone and was digging into my foot.

Is that when you decided to amputate?

When I wasn’t putting weight through it, there wasn’t any pain at all. I ignored it for six months to a year during which I went from being able to walk everywhere to only being able to walk two metres in constant pain. It got worse and worse. I lived in Paris at the time and had to move back – I was commuting between London and Paris and I had to stop because I couldn’t walk. By late 2012 I thought, “I need to get this sorted. I need to have this taken off.”

I started the amputation process. I met a surgeon who had done the operation before and we put a date in the diary for end of summer 2013. But by then I’d been introduced to other surgeons. When you’re dealing with it yourself you’re very aware of what you need to do – it’s your problem and you understand it, but for some orthopaedic surgeons amputation is getting rid of a problem, not fixing a problem. And for friends and other people, amputation is a big word. People think it’s terrible and it’s the same for surgeons.

I was strong-armed into going down the route of another reconstruction. It wasn’t against my will, because at the end of the day it was my decision, but it’s hard when you’re sitting there with people who are the best in the world at what they do and they’re telling you that you’re making the wrong decision.

I had another reconstruction. I knew deep down it was the wrong decision. About six weeks after the operation I could feel stuff going wrong. I met another surgeon and said there was no choice – we’re cutting the leg off, that’s it.

The amputation was at the beginning of 2014. It was my 29th birthday – it had been ten years since the accident.

How did you feel after the amputation?

It was a massive weight off my shoulders. It was such a positive thing after ten years of crap. It was about getting back to running and full fitness, and rediscovering what I need, which is to have a physical interaction with the world. Sport is my life in that I have to have physical movement to be mentally stable. I need to run, I need to be doing stuff. That gets my head to a level place. Once you take away the freedom to move, that’s when I started getting frustrated.

Once you start running, any exercise, you release endorphins and you become addicted to those drugs – that keeps you stable. If everyone did more fitness, everyone would be happier!

How soon after the amputation did you start running?

After the operation I was very active in terms of rehab – I was at the gym twice a day. I got to the stage where I needed to start running and cycling again within two months. But in the operation a nerve had got caught in the bottom of my leg and my bone had gone through the muscle. With an amputation they wrap the calf muscle underneath the stump, so it acts as a pad. But it hadn’t been sewn up properly and my bone was going through it. They had to re-operate four months after the amputation.

I had done the all the rehab, I was fit. It was like giving a kid a new toy and then saying you can’t use it. Mentally that was really difficult. I had made this big decision to have my leg cut off and I was ready to go, and then they needed to operate again. That was a really difficult time for me – the month after the amputation. Not because of the amputation, but because I’d waited so long to get this done and I hit a hurdle straight away.

They operated again in June. Then I was fitted with a prosthetic and two weeks after that I cycled up Ventoux. Two weeks after that I did my first ever triathlon. Triathlon became a big thing in the ten years after the injury. I was so jealous of everyone doing it and I was desperate to get into it. Two weeks after Ventoux I was given a running blade. I got the blade on the Friday, tried it out on the Saturday and did a triathlon on the Sunday.

How did that feel?

I’d built up to it for so long it was just a benchmark. It wasn’t like I suddenly had this Forrest Gump moment where I broke the shackles. It was more like, “OK, I’ve done that. I knew I could, now move on.” It was the bare minimum.

It’s the same for me now. Maybe at some point I’ll look back and take stock, but for now it’s benchmarking achievements – what to do next?

You’ve done some epic events already. What have been your favourites?

Running gave me my freedom back. The freedom to move and explore. I took that as a mantra for races, so I’ve been picking races that give you freedom to travel and in countries where freedom isn’t necessarily is what they have.

You go to places like Afghanistan or North Korea – they have oppressive regimes or wars and security issues. Afghanistan was a real eye-opener. They’re used to getting blown up, they’re used to war. It doesn’t stop them living. Running there, in the mountains, was brilliant.

What are you looking forward to in the future?

I head to Kashmir to do a half marathon [as part of the Ladakh Marathon races] in September and then I have the Adidas 10K in Shoreditch.

I’ve been running for myself for the past couple of years, and I still am, but I have always known that being an amputee you can serve a purpose as a runner – I can stand for something, to get other people involved an activity like running. I think the 10K is such a great distance – it’s attractive for all runners, it can be a challenge for anyone, and I’m really looking forward to running on closed streets in London.

Then I’m potentially going back to Afghanistan in November. There’s also a marathon in Baghdad at the end of November, but they're not 100% sure if they’re going to do it due to security concerns. Then in February next year I’m going to do the first ever marathon in Somaliland. It’s in Hargeisa, in the north-western part of Somaliland.

After that it’s the London Marathon in April. I tried to do that this year, to get a world record for a lower-leg amputee, which is around 2hr 58min, but I got injured leading up to it. When you want to run marathons fast, the volume and intensity of training takes a huge toll on the body. You’re pounding so much weight through a stump which is in a bit of carbon fibre. I can run 70-80km a week but it takes so much out of the skin… I get cuts, lumps and bumps, all this sort of stuff. In the first attempt this year my body gave up five weeks before the marathon, so I need to get back to the drawing board and see how I can manage my training better.

All the runs I’ve done have been in weird places. The one in Afghanistan was 3,000m above sea level, the one in Kashmir was 5,000m above sea level. You’re on your own, and it’s beautiful scenery – but with London there’s the buzz. I’m desperate to experience that.

The Adidas City Runs Shoreditch 10K is on 8th October and costs £40. Sign up at adidascityruns.com/shoreditch

Photography: Glen Burrows; Grooming: Gia Mills. Whittle wears T-shirt by H&M, jeans by Tiger of Sweden

Ricky Whittle is a man who knows when to step it up. After a solid, 238-episode run on teen soap Hollyoaks and an impressively athletic turn on Strictly Come Dancing (he came second), he could have easily slipped into the kind of TV turns that open up when you’re the handsome housewives’ favourite with barely any homegrown competition.

Instead, he decided to go all-in, moving to the US and slugging it out for parts on the likes of NCIS until he landed a regular role on cult post-apocalyptic drama The 100. Three seasons in that gave him a hefty US following, but now he’s shifting gears again with the lead role of Shadow Moon in American Gods, the years-in-the-making TV show based on Neil Gaiman’s best-selling novel. And that meant upsizing.

“Shadow’s an ex-con and in the book, he’s described as big enough and don’t-F-with-him enough to not have to worry about surviving prison,” says the Oldham-born Whittle. “So I wanted to bring a kind of… intimidation factor.” After The 100, for which the 1.88m Whittle weighed in at an ultra-lean 80kg, that meant packing on mass – and making it functional. So he went to one of the toughest gyms in America.

Unbreakable Performance Center in Hollywood is where the pros go to train. Dwayne Johnson and MMA legend Randy Couture are frequent visitors, and the NFL off-season sees dozens of multimillion-dollar athletes descend on a sweatbox space the size of a four-car garage, looking for fight-based drills that’ll give them the edge on the field. Linebackers and left tackles learn wrestling, hand-fighting and boxing to make them tougher to tackle – and generally tougher.

“It’s full of these 300lb beasts, UFC and muay Thai fighters,” says Whittle, 35, who represented England and the UK at football, athletics and American football himself at youth level, and until relatively recently played running back for the Manchester Titans. “Just a great environment to train. We didn’t want Shadow to be a bodybuilder. He’s been in prison, so he’s been on three square meals a day, training in the prison yard, no access to a real gym. He’s a functional, powerful being – someone who can intimidate, not just someone who looks good on a magazine cover.”

Whittle wears Porsche Design hoodie by Adidas

Real-world strength

Strength and conditioning coach Brett Bartholomew (bartholomewstrength.com) was the chief architect of Whittle’s transformation. “Based on Shadow’s background and appearance, Ricky needed a programme based on a balance of athletic performance principles and bodybuilding principles,” Bartholomew says.

“It wasn’t enough for Ricky to look the part – he had to perform the part, and become someone who both had an imposing presence and could move with precision and purpose. So we had a three-way strategy: multi-joint movements, ground-based movements that mimicked real life and sport, and multi-planar training that included rotational, side-to-side and front-to-back movements.”

That meant moves with bands and balls, slamming sandbags and a lot of lateral lunges – but also lifting hard and heavy.

“I’d do weighted pull-ups with a vest,” says Whittle. “I was doing lunges with 50kg weights, where even though you’re supposed to be working out your legs, you’re working out your arms and traps. When you do deadlifts and squats and lunges it makes everything else grow kind of naturally – you just pack that size on.”

And, he discovered, it helps you get lean too. “People think you’ve got to do cardio to get definition, but your body burns calories naturally because you’re lifting so much weight and it’s making you so muscular. I was training four hours a day – I’d take a break halfway through the workout, smash a protein shake and some BCAAs, and just carry on.”

All you can eat

Of course, spending half your day in the gym doesn’t mean much if you aren’t prepared to hit the fridge with equal intensity. “I’d eat all day. Food became a chore,” says Whittle. “I didn’t eat because I was hungry, I ate because it was time. At the start it was great – pizza, sweets, burgers – but once you have to cut out all the crap and the carbs it becomes tough. You’re eating dry chicken, brown rice and broccoli, five, six times a day. It’s real mental discipline.”

The end of the regime meant mixing long days on set with stripping back fat to reveal lean muscle – no easy feat. “We focused on a mix of classic strength and metabolic-focused training to keep Ricky’s work capacity high, alongside a lower body fat percentage – and nutrition is king when it comes to reducing body fat,” says Bartholomew.

Exercise and diet weren’t the only battles Whittle had to fight. American Gods is a sprawling blend of epic fantasy and mythology, tackling every subject from religion to immigration – but it also doesn’t shy away from the occasional (well, frequent) bloody punch-up. And Whittle, evidently, is not a man who likes letting other people do his punching.

“I had to fight Mad Sweeney, this giant alcoholic leprechaun, played by an incredible actor, Pablo Schreiber,” says Whittle (Schreiber plays Orange Is The New Black’s abusive prison guard George “Pornstache” Mendez). “We’re both big guys, and we both had stunt doubles we didn’t want to use. We take pride in our work and it helps the director in cutting and shooting. So… you’re not really going all-out, but you’re still hitting each other, throwing each other over tables, smashing bottles over each other’s heads – it’s sugar glass, but it hurts. Little nicks in the head – it happens.”

The results are exhilarating. Gods’ fight scenes feel raw and real, with a touch of the brutality not seen since Spartacus (also from the Starz TV channel). There’s also a fair splash of sex, and several mouthfuls of the sort of profanity you’ll rarely see on even post-watershed British TV.

With a cast that includes the always-menacing Ian McShane, Gaiman himself attached as writer and a first season that only takes in the first third of the book, American Gods has the distinct vibe of a show poised to take a run at… the Iron Throne?

Whittle smiles at the comparison. “There’s a line in the show, ‘a storm’s coming’, and it does feel like it’s gathering pace,” he says. “There’s pressure to produce something that fans have imagined for 16 years. But there’s been huge support. Neil Gaiman’s been attached from the beginning, and if he’s happy the fans have to be happy.”

Whittle wears T-shirt by M&S Autograph by David Gandy, jeans by Tiger of Sweden

Leading man

Whittle must be happy too. A few years ago, he was winning Rear Of The Year against boy-band members and Strictly dancers; now he’s stepped it up, he’s auditioning against the sort of men you know by one name – Diesel, Statham, Rock. And he’s not fazed.

“Hollywood’s quick to pigeonhole you, so I fall into that action-man character slot,” he says. “So yeah, now I’m up against Dwayne Johnson, Vin Diesel, the physical elite. It’s an honour, but there’s an intimidation factor because they’ve got great CVs and you’re the new kid on the block.”

How does he get past that? “You have to believe in yourself. I believed in myself when I moved to the States six years ago, believed that’s where I deserved to be. You’ve got to switch the mindset to ‘Well, maybe they’re intimidated by me’. Just like when I played sports – I never worried about what other people were doing. You have to focus on your own game and do the best you can. Then you’re unstoppable. I’m coming with a lot of thunder.”

American Gods is on Amazon Prime Video in the UK now

Ricky Whittle’s Three Training Phases

Looking to sculpt leading-man muscle in a couple of months? It’s simple, but not easy. “We didn’t have much time so Ricky’s plan was done in three cycles of two to three weeks,” says coach Brett Bartholomew. Use the template below to create your own pre-shoot plan

1. Foundation

“Here we emphasised movement quality over load,” says Bartholomew. “That meant higher-volume training – around three to four sets of eight to ten reps – at a relatively low intensity, in terms of the amount of weight lifted. It’s hard to train at peak levels if you can’t move adequately or are always in pain.”

As Bartholomew says, “Engineers and construction workers on skyscrapers will tell you that the smart money always goes into the ground.” In practice, that meant starting with the fundamentals: push and pull.

“Ricky adhered to what I call a mixed split format for this. Days one and three were upper-body pushing exercises paired with lower-body pulling moves, and days two and four were upper-body pulling movements paired with lower-body pushing exercises. Each session only comprised about four to six exercises, all done with tremendous focus and intent. This helped enhance movement quality and add muscle mass.”

RECOMMENDED: The Push/Pull Workout Plan For Big Muscles

2. Intensification

“Once a foundation was set, it was time to work on maximal characteristics,” says Bartholomew. “I increased the weight Ricky was lifting and reduced the repetitions to the two-to-five range, but kept many of the exercises the same. This helped reduce difficulty and maximised his proficiency in each lift so Ricky could focus on getting stronger and truly learning how to work hard, rather than focusing on some new fancy exercise.

Novelty is overrated – the body is already getting a different stimulus through increased load so there is no need to throw out what has already gotten us great results.”

Aside from set and rep variants, the only major change Bartholomew made was from the mixed split to an upper/lower focused routine. “This meant that days one and three were now upper body-focused while days two and four were lower body-focused. This gave Ricky’s body more time to recover between sessions.”

Simplicity is the watchword. “People often think everything has to be complex in order to work, but there’s a reason that nobody has reinvented the wheel. Do the simple things savagely well and focus on consistency.”

3. Competition

“Usually this is the phase where intensity – or the weight lifted – is the greatest and volume continues to drop off. That may work in the world of sport, but in this instance Ricky still had to put on a significant amount of muscle mass, so we kept the volume fairly high.”

The format changed again to reflect the new goals. “Ricky now followed a split where he would continue to lift moderately heavy loads within the four-to-six rep range on days one and three, while days two and four would focus on methods such as barbell complexes, modified strongman training and medicine ball circuits. This not only served to refresh him psychologically after several weeks of heavy training, but also provided a much needed physiological shake-up since his body had to respond to a variety of stimuli.”

Bartholomew notes that none of these workouts were in any way random. “Despite this current craze for what people keep referring to as ‘muscle confusion’, each training session was planned and adjusted accordingly based on Ricky’s travel schedule and sleep quality as well as how well he recovered between sessions.”

Brett Bartholomew’s book Conscious Coaching is available now from amazon.co.uk

Motivation is a fickle beast. One morning you can wake up full of beans and ready for anything, the next you can barely be bothered to get out of bed. As Olympic champion in the 4x100m relay at Athens in 2004 and current president of UK Athletics, Jason Gardener knows plenty about staying motivated and achieving your goals, however lofty they may be. Coach spoke to Gardener for some tips on staying motivated ahead of the Great Manchester Run, where he will run the 10k race as Duracell Bunny pacer.

RECOMMENDED: 10K Training Plans

1. Don’t Be Afraid To Set Yourself High Targets

You’re probably not waking up each morning with the intention of training towards an Olympic gold (if you are, the very best of luck to you), but you should still set goals that are well outside your comfort zone.

“One thing which keeps you motivated is having goals,” says Gardener.

“Looking back at my career the goals that I set tended to be really high. It can feel bit unachievable, so you need determination too.

“It’s like climbing a mountain – keep making progress. Sometimes you need to come back down a bit, but you’ve got to keep looking up and aspiring to reach those goals.”

2. Build In More Achievable Goals Along The Way

Having one overarching goal is great, but smaller, more achievable targets that you can tick off along the way will help to build momentum. “You’ve got to build in milestone goals on that journey,” says Gardener.

“Create some goals which are realistic to achieve. Before you know it – if you’re determined and apply yourself the right way – you can start to pick off some of those goals.”

3. The Biggest Opportunities Can Come From Your Disappointments

Disappointments are an inevitable part of life and how you react to them can be the deciding factor in whether you reach your ultimate target or fold along the way.

“I look back at my career and I spent the majority of my time – maybe 90% – really, really disappointed, beating myself up, or frustrated with injuries,” says Gardener. “That’s a natural part of it when you’re pushing yourself and striving to reach excellence. You have to deal with the low points.

RECOMMENDED: Five Ways To Become More Resilient

“I’m a firm believer that opportunities lie in your disappointments. Once you take the time and get over the raw emotions of failure, it reveals where your weaknesses are – where you need to improve.”

4. Preparation Is The Key To Success

When it comes to the critical moment that defines success or failure, you’re going to be a lot more confident of achieving the former if you’ve put the time into your preparation.

“You get what you put into it,” says Gardener. “With the Great Run Series, people are doing it for many different purposes. They should go to the start line knowing they’ve prepared for success and have an idea of what they want to achieve. Running at all would be a challenge without preparation.”

5. Keep Finding New Challenges As You Get Older

Even after achieving his Olympic dream, Gardener has never stopped pushing himself to find new challenges, whether that’s entering his sport’s administration to become president of UK Athletics, or taking on 10K at the Great Manchester Run.

“I could be like millions of other people, sitting on the couch thinking, ‘It would be good to do that’. Before you know it years have gone by and you haven’t got round to doing it,” says Gardener.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for me. I was thinking I should get out there and get aerobically fitter. I’m nowhere near as fit as I’d like to be, probably like 90% of the population. Having this opportunity to be a Duracell pacer is one I’m looking forward to.”

Jason Gardener will be pacing the Great Manchester Run this weekend, undertaking the Duracell Bunny Challenge to go for longer. Follow @DuracellUK on Twitter to see if Jason can go from 100m to 10K

RECOMMENDED: UK Running Events

If you speak to any fitness fan they’re quick to extoll the virtues of the burpee. A supreme bodyweight exercise, burpees work muscles all over the body and get your heart pumping.

They are, however, horrible to do, so you really want to be sure that you’ll see the benefits of a lot of burpees. With that in mind, we got in touch with the king of burpees, Craig Peters.

In 2016, 36-year-old Peters completed 67,527 burpees, starting with one a day on 1st January, then two a day on the second, all the way up to 366 burpees on 31st December. He now plans to do more than 100,000 in 2017, all to raise money for St George’s Hospital in London.

It’s fair to say Craig knows a lot about burpees, so we asked him if doing so many of them in one year did indeed make him a lot fitter.

“I do feel fitter, I’m much leaner, I’m in the best shape I’ve been in for a long time,” Peters told us. “That’s one reason I don't want to stop, I do feel good, from a mental and physical standpoint.”

RECOMMENDED: Take The 30-Day Burpee Challenge

The burpee is renowned as an all-round exercise that builds strength, flexibility and aerobic fitness, as well as promising functional strength – the kind you need in everyday life. So did the benefits Peters felt extend beyond basic fitness?

“Absolutely! I used to have a lot of back problems but I have had no problems in the past 12 months. It’s made my body stronger and more flexible.

“It’s little things like running for a bus, or going up stairs, you certainly feel a difference. It’s a hell of a lot easier.”

It’s also important to note that the 67,527 burpee man wasn’t a master of the exercise before 2016.

“No! Absolutely not. Before the challenge if someone had said get down and do 20 burpees I would have dreaded it as much as any other person.

“I’ve been trying to tell people, anyone can do it. When you add one each day, your body starts to condition itself.”

RECOMMENDED: How To Do A Burpee And Its Benefits For Fat Loss

This year Peters has stepped up the challenge, aiming for 2,017 burpees a week for a total of 104,884 burpees in 2017.

Once again this is to raise money for St George’s Hospital in Tooting. St George’s saved the lives of Craig’s identical twin sons, who suffered from twin to twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), which occurs in 10% of multiple pregnancies. 

“If we didn’t have pioneering laser treatment there was a 90% chance we’d have lost them. This challenge, last year and this, is to raise money for those machines.”

For more info on Craig, who has been supported by Reebok through his burpee challenges, and to track his progress, you can follow him on Facebook @ForTheBoysTTTS, Instagram @theburpeeguy and Twitter @ForTheBoysTTTS.

It’s hard to get a really great job, so it stands to reason that to land the gig as one of Columbia’s two Directors of Toughness – where you get to travel to some of the world’s most extreme environments to test out Columbia’s gear – involves a pretty demanding interview.

Mark Chase beat off 4,000 global applicants to land the role via an arduous interview process that tested both his physical and mental prowess. The first big challenge: how fast can you get to the Hebrides?

“I was invited to come to the Isle of Skye. I didn’t get much information, just the time, date and place, and the line ‘be prepared for anything’. This email only came two or three days before the actual trip to Skye.”

After an 11-hour road trip from Cheltenham, Mark attempted some reconnaissance of Skye sites like the famous Fairy Pools in the hope of gaining an idea of what the interview would involve.

“I knew there was going to be a physical element to the interview, so I was trying to second-guess what it would be. I thought I would have an advantage if I knew we were going to be swimming or climbing or running. I scoured the island and I got nowhere with that.”

So, still none the wiser, Mark turned up for his interview the next day and met his competitors for the role who had come from all over Europe.

“We were driven to the bottom of the Quiraing, which is a big landslip. It really is like something out of Lord of the Rings. Lots of large rocks sticking out of the ground and a few cliff tops, but cliffs on land.”

Then the interview began in earnest, with people being led off one-by-one and not returning. They probably weren’t being thrown off the top of the Quiraing if they failed, but Mark couldn’t be sure.

“When they called my name, I had a short run then I was met by an interview team of four people. They asked me some pretty serious questions and when that finished they told me the interview wasn’t over. There was a second part and it happened to be on top of the cliff I was standing at the bottom of. I was given a rucksack and a camera. No map, just a vague direction of which way I had to go and I was told not to be late.

“I set off running to the top of the Quiraing. It was the sort of terrain that’s a bit of an ankle breaker, there’s lots of scree, lots of loose rock. One guy got completely lost.”

Things only got tougher when Mark reached the top with the hardest interview yet, this time conducted on the edge of a cliff.

“When I got to the top, there was just a desk, six foot from the edge off the cliff. A young man sitting there politely informed me I was late. Then there was a highly-pressurised interview. Questions like ‘what are your reflexes like,’ then he threw a pen at me! Stuff like that, trying to get under your skin, to make you snap. All while sitting on the edge of this cliff, it was quite a strange experience.”

It was all worth it though, as Mark secured himself an enviable job travelling the world for the next nine months. You can follow Mark’s adventures as a Columbia Director of Toughness at Columbia.com/TestedTough.

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Who inspired you to become a cricketer?

My folks definitely, and my brother. My brother was a professional cricketer, so I had a window into what it was like. I got to meet all my heroes in the game, which spurred me on as well. Sport was very different then, there wasn’t a huge separation between sportsmen and the public.

My dad used to play in his club’s thirds. Sometimes the third and fourths would play on adjacent fields. Once someone in the fourths didn’t turn up – I always hoped this would happen – so they asked if I’d play, I was 10, batted number four. My dad was on the other field. He got 99, I got 50 odd, and we were looking across to each other. That’s a fond memory.

How was it coming into the team for the Ashes decider in 2009?

A lot of people forget that I made my debut in 2007. I hadn’t even played for the Lions [England “B”]. The only person I knew was Belly [Ian Bell]. I had a broad South African accent, so it was a little bit different for everyone. My first interview before the T20 game I remember Nasser [Hussain] asked “So Jonathan, why England?” and I thought: “Oh, thanks very much!”

It was all a bit of a jolt and I realised I was way off what I needed to be in international cricket. Luckily it coincided with Ashley Giles taking over at Warwickshire, who guided me as a mentor. He got the most out of his talent, so he wanted to do that for me, and he did. By 2009, I’d been on all the Lions tours, so I knew everyone. They were all brilliant. The team was different, more old school then, [Andrew] Flintoff was still part of it.

How important has Ashley Giles’ influence been on your career?

Massive. I’ve always looked up to him. I don’t think I would have been the player I was if it wasn’t for him. He transformed my game and the way I think about the game. He’s a great coach, a great friend and a fantastic bloke.

Among your Ashes opponents, who did you respect most?

Brad Haddin stands out for me. He’s a fantastic guy, plays the game the right way. Hard, fair, and a very dangerous player. He had a word behind the stumps, but he also upholds the spirit of the game. I’ve always been impressed by him.

Which player first noticed when you started to struggle with your stress-related illness in 2013?

Kev [Pietersen] noticed it early on, at Manchester and Lords [in the Ashes 2013]. I didn’t feel quite right, something was wrong and I didn’t know what it was. My natural instinct when I’m not feeling quite right is to work harder and push myself. In hindsight, I was steaming ahead when I should have been slowing down.

Who helped you after leaving the 2013/14 Ashes tour?

Generally everyone was very supportive. What happens with cricket, with Marcus [Trescothick], is everyone thinks it’s depression. It’s a safe thing to say, it covers all bases. But I’m a specifics type of person. I want to know what is wrong with me. I know I’m not depressed, and lots of doctors who diagnosed me said I wasn’t depressed.

Within half an hour of sitting down with Steve Peters [an elite sports psychiatrist] he told me I have situation- based anxiety. It sounded exactly right. It was only when I put on my cricket clothes that it takes over. Away from the field I was fine. Sometimes it was when I put the pads on, then it developed to when I put my tracksuit on to go to the ground. I’m sure lots of people do it when they put their shoes on to go to work. It’s a trigger. After meeting Steve once I knew I’d be fine. Someone eventually got it. He was a very bright light at the end of a tunnel.

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Who was important to your comeback?

Graham Gooch, I worked extremely hard with Graham. He’d come to Edgbaston to work with me. Goochy was good, and my team-mates at Warwickshire. Warwickshire has been very good to me. I can’t thank them enough.

Did it feel different when you played for England again?

Yes, it was a combination of things. Different team, opening the batting. I’d worked very hard to get back on the side. I’d been on a Lions tour, earned my right there, outscoring everyone else. There was also a lot more scarring from what had happened, having my eyes widened, knowing what goes on around cricket now. Sometimes naïvety can protect you, and I wasn’t naïve any more. The team had moved on. After the Second Test when I’d scored 50 and 0, I felt like I was in people’s way. I wanted Adam Lyth to play before the summer, he was next in line.

But still a huge achievement to come back at all?

Yeah, people ask what’s your biggest achievement, and it’s certainly up there. 

Jonathan Trott’s autobiography Unguarded is available now, published by Little, Brown, hardback £20. Buy on amazon.co.uk.

Pressure affects all walks of life, and what can seem trivial to one person is another’s Everest to conquer. Leicester City’s players, staff and fans dealt with some unexpected pressure last season, when they upset the extremely long odds to win the Premier League. Leading them to that triumph was Claudio Ranieri, whose laidback approach proved exactly the fuel needed to inspire perhaps the greatest success in England’s top-flight’s history.

How did you keep your players from feeling the pressure during the title race?

I believe in one thing, and with all my teams I believe the same. If you come to your job, and there is someone standing behind you with a gun, saying: “This is wrong, pow pow!” you are not confident. I give you all my confidence, and then I say, “Play easy, what you think is OK, I am behind you.” After that we watch and see how we can improve you – but not to blame you, just to improve your match, and your ideas about football. I think the team is an orchestra. We have to play together. If you have “dum dum dum” and the other is [makes scratchy violin noise]… No. We have to do everything together.

When you are speaking with your players, you have to be very open. I prefer to speak directly, look in their eyes and say: “I can make mistakes, and you can make mistakes when you play. I make mistakes because I believe in this, but if you show me something different, I am an open man, I change my idea.” And I love my players, I feel my players, and I think they understand it. Nobody can tell me “This is not a good player” – for me they are the best, it is a family, nobody can tell me something about my sons.

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Who was your hero as a boy growing up?

I think my parents. My parents showed me the way to be an honest man, to be a hard worker and how in every job you want to do, you’ve got to do the best you can. Then you can do well, or not, but you are satisfied.

What’s the most important lesson that football has taught you?

I think for all young people – the sport is fantastic. Why? Because there are rules, you have to accept these rules. If it is wrong, it is a foul. And this is life.

Did winning the title with Leicester City last season change you in any way?

No, I forgot already! My family, they are the same, look forwards always, forget and look forwards. Tomorrow is another day you have to work.

Claudio Ranieri was speaking at the TAG Heuer Premier League Pressure Test. TAG Heuer is the first ever Official Timekeeper and Official Watch of the Premier League

He may have got in MMA fighter-shape for Warrior, and bulked up to play Batman's arch nemesis Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, but British actor Tom Hardy's role in Mad Max: Fury Road was arguably his most challenging yet.

Coach’s sister title, Men’s Fitness, spoke with Hardy and his stunt double, Jacob Tomuri, to discuss staying in shape on set and the physical challenges that come with shooting such an action-packed film.

Hardy is no stranger to morphing his body into shape for a new role, but to play Max he had to overhaul his approach and start early. He undertook a gruelling six months of training to prepare for the blockbuster action movie. But the intensity didn’t let up once the cameras started rolling.

Tomuri was on set to keep Hardy fighting fit throughout the many months of filming. “While you’re there you’re doing it, you’re on it every day so there’s a level of fitness you need in a way, and you keep it by doing the stunts alone,” Tomuri tells us.

“It was a very physical shoot from the beginning,” Hardy adds. “From the training right through to the six months of shooting on the ground. You were physically active all day, every day.”

This rigorous preparation paid off in the long run. It allowed director George Miller to capture the visceral high-adrenaline action in an as authentic way as possible. “Nowadays the studio and filmmakers will want their talent to be seen in the middle of as much carnage as possible – where it is safe,” says Hardy. “He [George Miller] incorporated visual effects and actual real effects so everything you see actually did happen.”

Watch the video below, and then read on to find out how Hardy gets it done in the gym, with training tips from his longtime coach, Patrick 'P-Nut' Monroe.

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Train moves, not muscles

“For Warrior, I didn’t want to train Tom to look like he could fight, I wanted to train him to actually fight,” says Monroe. “We spent three months working striking and the muscles involved in that. We'd take the normal movements involved in striking and add resistance. For example, I would resist him when he was throwing a punch or throw strikes at him while he blocked with weights on his wrists and ankles. I knew it would be impossible for him to interpret the choreography without knowing how to move naturally. You can't act like you can dance if you can't dance.”

Send the right signals

“I do something called signalling, which involves sending signals to the muscles you want to develop as often as possible. So instead of doing a few sets of push-ups to failure over five minutes, you might do ten every five minutes for an hour, or do sets spread throughout the day. The body is purely utilitarian. It gets good at the tasks you set for it, but only those tasks. Considering this, it stands to reason that the best way to condition for true strength is to vary the tasks you give your body as much as possible. Which leads us to the next point.”

Confuse your muscles

“If you always do the same moves, the body will just get more efficient at them. Introduce variables: you might do ten fast press-ups, then one slow one, switch to your knees or place your arms wide or into a diamond position under your chest, and so on. The goal is to make every rep difficult. By making every rep hard and different, you’ll ensure that the body evolves, becoming stronger in multiple areas rather than narrow areas addressed by singular movements.”

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Maro Itoje does not lose rugby matches. In 26 starts last season, he won 26 games for club and country. The England and Saracens forward speaks to Coach's sister publication Men's Fitness about his monster winning streak, training at the original Gold’s Gym and what he wants to achieve in the game.

What a season you’ve just had: 26 starts, 26 wins. A Six Nations Grand Slam. A Premiership. A European Champions Cup. A historic 3-0 series whitewash over Australia. And European Player of the Year, aged 21. How do you follow that up?

Ha! That record (number of starts and wins) changes each time. I don’t know the actual number. Last year was good – it was enjoyable to be involved with Saracens and England. I feel very fortunate to be involved with those teams but the exciting thing is we’re not anywhere near our potential yet. There’s room to grow. We’re hungry and we’re looking to improve. I think the future is going to be brighter than our past.

What do your team-mates make of your record?

I’ve got a little bit of stick for it but all the guys I play with have been a huge part of all of those games – especially all the guys at Saracens. It’s as much their record as it is mine.

You’re doing a politics degree at SOAS in London too – is that going just as well?

I’m in my final year. Things are looking all right… I have a feeling I might have to be at uni a bit more this year which might be quite challenging. With all these things it’s about time management and discipline to know when it’s time to study, when it’s time to train and when it’s time to relax.

We heard you escaped to California to recover over the summer. Did you sneak in a session at the iconic training Mecca of Gold’s Gym near Venice Beach?

I even got the T-shirt (he points to his black Gold’s Gym top). I had four weeks off and stayed in Bel Air for a bit. It was cool, I had a lot of fun out there – it’s a cool place to train. To be fair I was very small in that gym. There were some big units walking about.

Do you enjoy the physical demands of your sport?

I do like training. This off-season I went a couple of weeks without training and I felt like my body was getting withdrawal symptoms. I needed to do something. I struggle to switch off. We train for most of the year so going to the gym is normal, it’s a part of our lives. When you don’t do something that’s normal it tends to feel weird. I missed the routine.

What workouts do you do when the strength and conditioning coaches aren’t watching?

If it was up to me and I’m lifting for fun, it’s beach weights all the way. Biceps curls, abs exercises. For that reason, I fitted in well at Gold’s Gym.

Have you always been big or have you had to work hard to bulk up?

When I was younger I struggled to put weight on. Now I’m finding it much easier. I need to manage my weight to make sure I don’t put it on too quickly. My metabolism has slowed down. I don’t feel the need to deny myself anything because I’m normally quite good. I just don’t buy them. If it’s not in your house you’re not going to eat it.

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What about if you’re eating on the go? (MF reminds Maro he grabbed a bacon sandwich and peach iced tea before we sat down for the interview.)

Nah, it was a grilled chicken sandwich. Honest. And iced tea is good for you, right? That’s what I tell myself anyway.

In 2015 you were part of the pre-World Cup training squad under Stuart Lancaster, and this year you worked with Eddie Jones in the Six Nations. What has been the biggest change?

I’m not the best person to ask… I was there for three weeks before the World Cup and in that three weeks we did very little rugby. It was basically just fitness and strength and conditioning. You can’t compare that with when I joined the team with Eddie Jones because we were going straight into a match. But what I would say is he’s come in and made these players even more motivated than they already were, and he’s got that fight and belief back in the team.

Does he put his arm around you or does he challenge you?

He does whatever he thinks is necessary at the time. He’s a very intelligent guy and he knows how to motivate the team and his players. He does what he believes is necessary.

Does he congratulate you?

Of course he does! Every sensible coach will congratulate you when you do well but we’re not where we want to be and until we get there we’ll continue to work hard.

When Jones came in he said he wanted to make training “uncomfortable”. Was he true to his word?

Yeah, training’s tough. Sessions don’t last too long, normally just over an hour, but within that hour it’s intense. It’s very physical and he and the rest of the training staff expect very high standards from everyone. And it’s all rugby relevant – it’s not just fitness. The most important thing is we all know what we’re training for. You can’t just train in the gym and not train on the pitch, because at the end of the day you’re training to be a rugby player. All the stuff you do in the gym has to be transferable to what you want to do on the pitch.

What’s the greatest lesson you’ve learned in your sport?

I’d say it’s that the process creates the result. If your process is to train really well, eat really well, mentally prepare well and have that holistic approach, more often than not you’d expect to have a good performance – if those things are all in place. If you take one of those things for granted, that’s when the performance tends to suffer.

You were England captain for the Under-20 World Cup win in 2014 and are already being talked about as a future senior team captain. So what would you say makes a good leader?

People always ask me this question and I find it’s better to ask people who have captained at the top level. I just try to be myself. I try to add a bit of energy and intensity to the team. I try to lead by example and hopefully say the right thing at the right time and do the right thing at the right time.

Apart from a World Cup, a Lions tour is the only thing missing from your CV. The tour of New Zealand is less than 12 months away… Is it your Everest?

Honestly, I haven’t started thinking about it. I’ve just got back from the off-season and I’ve started pre-season now, so my goal is to get in the best shape possible for the start of the season and hopefully start the season with a bang with Saracens. Hopefully my performances will be at the level I expect them to be and we’ll go from there.

What do you want to work on over the next year to get yourself on that tour?

I want to improve every part of my game. I want to improve my strength, my fitness, my tactical understanding, my collisions. I don’t think I need to be any bigger but if I can work on those things I’ll be the best player I can be.

Train Like a Rugy Star

Generate rugby strength and power with Itoje’s three essential moves

1. Trap Bar Deadlift 

Why “If you want to get strong you can’t miss out on the compound lifts,” says Itoje. “Because I’m quite tall I use a trap bar that takes the pressure off my back.”

How Stand in the middle of the hexagon and squat down until you can grab the handles. With a firm grip and keeping your core engaged, shift your weight onto your heels, ensuring your back stays flat and chest stays up. Drive up powerfully through your feet, pushing your hips forwards as you stand. Pause, then lower to the floor.

How many “For strength I do low reps, for speed I do high reps,” says Itoje.

2. Hang Clean

Why “Power across your whole body is essential for rugby,” says Itoje. “You can’t be just bottom-heavy or top-heavy – you have to be all-over powerful for every moment.”

How Hold a barbell with a shoulder-width overhand grip. Hinge forwards at your hips so the bar is just above knee-level. Powerfully drive your hips forwards to straighten up, keeping your core engaged, and simultaneously lift the bar close to your body to chest height. Then quickly drop under the bar to “catch” it at shoulder height and stand up.

How many “For power, keep the reps low – no more than five with lots of rest,” Itoje says.

3. Plank

Why “Core exercises are essential and the old-school plank is my go-to,” says Itoje. “No matter what position you play it’s essential you have a solid base.”

How Position yourself face down resting on your elbows and toes, with your elbows directly below your shoulders and your body in a straight line from head to heels. Squeeze your abs and glutes to stop your hips from sagging. Make it harder by slowly rocking forwards and backwards.

How many “I superset the plank or side plank for a minute with compound lifts to make sure my core is always working,” Itoje says.

Maro Itoje was speaking at the launch of Maximuscle’s new raw ingredient powders. Pre-order now at maximuscle.com

Brandon Routh first hit most people’s radars when he was cast as Superman in 2006’s Superman Returns. Ten years later he’s starring in another DC reproduction: Legends Of Tomorrow, so how does he keep up his superhero shape?

How would you rate your fitness on a scale of one to 10?

It looks better than it is, so I’m probably about a five. But I look a little bit better than that, even though I haven’t worked out much lately, due to my schedule.

How important is health and fitness to you?

It’s extremely important to me. In the past six months, health and food have come to the forefront as I haven’t been as able to find time to get to the gym. It’s been a cool test to see how much nutrition affects my body with – and without – physical activity. I’ve been able to maintain a very decent physical shape with very little physical activity because my diet and my way of eating is so tuned in. Just to know I can maintain my body shape without going to the gym every day is a powerful thing.

How do you exercise while you’re on the road?

It depends on the production – if I’m working 12 or 14-hour days it becomes challenging and I lean on my nutrition. I also don’t like to sacrifice my sleep for a workout, so I’ve got accustomed to doing little workouts before I go to work, whether it’s just push-ups, dips or jumping jacks. A great little burst of energy just to get the body going.

What will you never do again?

The stair climber! There was a period for about six months where I was doing the stair climber for 40 to 60 minutes a day, four days a week, to shed weight. I didn’t want to be running because it’s hard on my knees, but just doing a stair climber was actually more conducive to hurting my knees. I did sweat a lot and I did burn some calories, but working out for long periods of time and stressing your body out too much is negative in the end. For me there are better ways of losing weight that involve burst training, heavy weights and just doing a lot less.

How is your fitness fingerprint unique to you and your career?

People will be seeing me either shirtless or in some form of tight-fitting clothing, so that’s pretty good motivation and inspiration. That was what it was largely at the beginning of my career, but now, with the birth of my son three years ago, I really got into nutrition while I was being responsible for feeding him. Then I got into what I was eating, and I developed a passion for nutrition and overall wellness, which has led into how I look now on camera and in my normal life. If I make that better everything falls in line.

Brandon’s latest film 400 Days is out on DVD now and DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow starts on Sky1 this month

Who taught you to play football?

I grew up playing street football in Holland. There were no coaches, you just did whatever came into your head, you showed off, you improvised… The difference between the youth of now and us is that we had to learn everything from the streets. Picking the teams, for example – which is great practice for being a captain, or a manager, as you get to choose in your head what formation you will play, and where to position your strong and weak players.

Which manager had faith in you?

I got my first break as a professional from a Welshman called Barry Hughes, who managed Haarlem. He was a great motivator, but not by shouting. Instead, he was always telling me about the big stadiums I would play in if I worked hard, about how the crowd would shout my name so loud I would feel my bones shake. I owe him a lot.

Who was your hero?

Johan Cruyff. When I played with him at Feyenoord, he was smoking like a chimney, but was still sensational on the pitch. There were a lot of smokers in those teams, but they could still run.

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Did he give you any guidance?

I learnt that you need to stick up for yourself. People are too nice in the game now. Ronaldo takes 50 free-kicks for Real Madrid, and maybe shoots one in the goal – that’s his average. But nobody says to him,“Hey, let someone else do it.” Do you think at Milan I could have taken 50 free-kicks, even in the season when I won the Ballon d’Or, without scoring? No! After even six, they would say, “Eh Rudy, fuck off out of the way!”

Who was the best defender you faced?

I remember Daniel Passarella smashing his elbow in my face. He was a mean machine. I met him later in Mexico when we got put into the Hall of Fame, and we laughed about it so much. He said to me, “Rudy, at the first corner you were defended by someone else, and you hit the crossbar. The second time you just missed the post. So I said, ‘Let me mark him this time – and I had to elbow you in the face.’”

Nowadays, players are far more protected. If Maradona had the same protection Messi has now, how many would he score? If you watch footage of Maradona, he had to jump the hurdles over flying studs, hands all over him, bashing him like crazy.

What is the best tactic you learnt as a manager?

There are so many little edges that can give you an advantage. It’s like in poker. You maybe know that one team likes to play towards its own fans in the second half, so you try to win the toss and stop them. Or, if they have speedy players, you tell the groundsman to let the grass grow, so it will slow the ball down. The best one I saw was at Tranmere Rovers. The advertising hoardings were right next to the pitch, but when they got a throw near our box, one of them opened a secret little gate in the boards so he could take a long run up. I remember thinking, “What the fuck?”, but I was laughing so much.

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What do you think you got wrong?

I had a confrontation with Hossam Ghaly when I was managing at Feyenoord. He had everything a player could want to have, fantastic technique, a good header, but he was losing the ball a lot because he tried too many stupid tricks. I followed him with a single camera, and later that week we watched the video. He was begging me to turn it off after only five minutes, he couldn’t believe how bad he was. I said, “You are going to watch it all, because that’s what I have to see.” Look, he did also good things, but it gave me a sense of failure that I never managed to improve his football intelligence. I couldn’t turn him into a star.

What was the best goal you scored?

I think the “forgotten goal” in the UEFA Euro 1988 final. It was a good header, but Van Basten’s volley was better by far.

What’s the most important thing for fans when watching a game?

In Holland we have an expression, “There are different ways to go to Rome.” A lot of fans see a player making a mistake, and they start booing him, but they can’t see the mistake was born somewhere else on the pitch, three passes earlier.

Tony Hambos, 30, mechanical engineer, Brighton

How much exercise do you do in a typical week?

I only actually go the gym once a week. I spend most of my free time doing Brazilian jiu-jitsu [BJJ], which is a grappling-based martial art that a lot of MMA fighters use in the UFC. I’ve been doing it for nearly seven years, and I’m completely addicted to it. Most weeks I’ll do five BJJ classes, each lasting between 90 and120 minutes, plus one weightlifting session in the gym and two cardio workouts such as running or swimming.

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How do you fit all of that in?

I work shift patterns, so I’ll do four days of early starts, have two days off, then do four days working nights. The BJJ school where I train always does two classes per day, so whatever shift pattern I’m on, there’s always a class I can make. It gives me something to look forward to while I’m at work.

Have you always been into fitness?

I used to play football and go to the gym two or three times a week, just to try to look good as most guys do, but it never made a huge difference. Then I started BJJ, and it gave me the motivation to train far more often and stick to a disciplined diet, and I saw dramatic changes in a matter of months.

What effect has it had on your physique?

Now I’ve got an athletic figure, like a sprinter, with upper body muscle and a six-pack, but none of the bulkiness you get from lifting weights all the time, which is a good thing. It’s a by-product of spending so much time doing such a physical sport.

Why do you think that’s a good thing?

If you’re working out every day purely to sculpt your body, it gives off a certain vibe, which isn’t necessarily that attractive. Even as a guy, you can notice it with other guys in terms of their physique and mentality, like men who want abs to look good on the beach – you can tell that’s their priority. Looking good is a real confidence booster, and my girlfriend likes the fact that I’ve got a six-pack all the time, but I would never go out of my way to get one if it meant compromising my BJJ training.

Do you follow a specific approach to nutrition?

I stick to a wholefood diet and try to cut out sugar and processed carbs as they make me feel physically and mentally sluggish – not to mention fat. I try to eat protein with every meal, but I don’t count calories, I eat the amount that makes me feel good. But if I’ve got a tournament coming up, I’ll cut out nearly all carbs, sugar and alcohol. In BJJ you compete in specific weight categories, and I generally have to lose around 4kg to make the 76kg lightweight limit.

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What does your body look like then?

By the time I’m ready to fight my abs are completely shredded – it almost looks as if my skin’s being stretched out over my muscles, which is crazy. But as with everything else, it’s something I do purely for sports performance, rather than aesthetics.

Charlie Burton, 43, forex trader, Newbury

How much exercise do you do in a typical week?

I lift weights at the gym four times a week, splitting the sessions up by body part. A lot of guys get carried away focusing on their abs, but for me legs are crucial: they’re the biggest muscle group in your body, and training them gives you a massive testosterone boost, which helps you build muscle everywhere, including your abs. I spend a whole session every week on legs, based around big compound exercises such as squats. In addition to the gym, I go running once a week, and on Saturdays I do a group CrossFit class. Having that extra bit of variety helps to keep it fun and keep me motivated.

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Have you always trained this hard?

I’ve always been into sports and in my twenties I did a lot of karate, but I ended up with back problems because of it. I started going to the gym to strengthen and protect my back, and I’ve been going ever since.

How has your physique changed since then?

If anything, I look better now than I did in my mid-twenties. I’m definitely more muscular from lifting weights, but I’ve always been fairly lean. I sit at around 11% body fat most of the time, so I’ve always got a visible six-pack. It’s not super defined, but it’s there.

Is having a six-pack one of your main priorities?

I train because I enjoy it rather than working out purely for aesthetic purposes. I want to be mobile and able to do things when I’m old. If I suddenly had to get up and run two miles, I could, and that’s far more important than body fat percentage. But I do like to get as ripped as possible now and again just for a challenge, and having a goal really helps.

How far have you taken it?

A couple of years ago I managed to get down to 3% body fat, and my abs were completely shredded. It was great to see what I could do with my body, especially since I was in my forties. But to get that lean takes a lot of extra work, and I had to spend a month or two not drinking alcohol at all, which is a sacrifice I can’t be bothered with most of the time. Plus, it’s hard to do it without losing a bit of muscle mass and my wife prefers me looking a little bulkier, even if it does mean that my six-pack isn’t quite as defined.

How much do you drink now?

I’ll have a drink at the weekends, but I’m pretty strict during the week. It can be tricky turning down drinks from your mates – but I can handle it. If you want to get a six-pack, cutting down your alcohol intake will make a huge difference.

Andrew Cheung, 33, graphic designer, Manchester

How much exercise do you do in a typical week?

I go to the gym four days a week, usually on a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. I like to train after work in the evenings – I’m not a morning person at all. Plus, I use working out as a reward system because it gives me something to look forward to at the end of a stressful working day.

Have you always been this active?

I wasn’t athletically gifted as a kid and I’m not genetically blessed with big muscles. I started going to the gym in my mid-twenties because my waistline had jumped from 29 to 35 inches and my family has a history of diabetes and high blood pressure. I was also a bit introverted and figured that if I looked good then people would be more likely to approach me, so there was a confidence element to it.

How long was it before you saw any results?

I struggled for the first few years, mainly because I would jump around between different training plans and because I didn’t commit myself fully to healthy eating, which is around 80% of the battle.

What changed?

My girlfriend bought me a 12-week transformation book, and it became my bible. I decided to just tune everything else out for those three months and dedicate myself to it. The results were incredible: I put on loads of muscle and got completely ripped – it was the first time in my life I’d ever had a six-pack.

Do you maintain that regime now?

I still push myself as hard in the gym because I’d feel like I was wasting my time if I didn’t. With my diet, I’m disciplined during the week – I always eat plenty of protein, save carbohydrates for after my workouts and avoid processed junk foods – but I’m more relaxed at weekends. At the end of the day,
I like being in shape and having abs, but I won’t become a slave to process. I love food too much, and it’s an important part of my family and social life.

What motivates you to be so disciplined?

Initially, it was all very superficial and physique based, but these days I’m more focused on my long-term health – I want to be an active person when I’m old. My grandmother would walk two or three miles to visit our house every day when she was in her nineties, so she’s my inspiration.

Packed to the rafters with blood and guts, shimmering skin and colourful language, Spartacus was an entirely non-guilty pleasure between 2010 and 2013. Like Gerard Butler and Michael Fassbender’s 300 before it, the cast of warriors were all super-ripped with perfect pecs, broad backs and bulging biceps – with a liberal coating of dust, oil and Mediterranean-effect fake tan for good measure.

But dubious CGI six-packs weren’t necessary for Spartacus star Liam McIntyre, who got in stunning shape for the show’s fourth season, War Of The Damned, or his fellow cast members. They went through a gruelling gladiator boot camp and stuck to a strict low-sugar, high lean-muscle promoting protein diet to give their bodies the authentic look you’d associate with the sword-wielding heroines of the Roman Empire circa 70 BC.

Unlike classic bodybuilder body part splits you might expect the actors used to get in ripped, muscular shape, the cast recruited functional exercises and full-body workouts that were as much a test of mettle as muscle. Two such workouts that they went through (and are listed below) use time or teamwork to set the upper limit of your punishment rather than sets and reps that can allow you to slack off or motor through without truly testing yourself.

The results are beefy, well-balanced, all-rounded hulks of men you know would command respect as Gods of the Arena. But don’t just gawp at their feats via a box set binge. Follow their lead. These are two of the workouts the actors were put through before, and sometimes during, filming.

Spartacus Workouts

1. The Circle of Death

“This is pretty simple,” says McIntyre. “Everyone stands in a circle and one guy stands in the middle with a heavy medicine ball. He throws it to someone in the circle and does a press-up. The person who catches it throws it back and does a press-up. Repeat with everyone in the circle, then switch.” If you haven't got a full ludus (school) of gladiators, agree a rep count for when you’re in the centre.

2. The Dirty 30

Thought the Circle of Death was bad? Well, that was just the warm-up. For the Dirty 30, first pick an exercise and a rep count - try ten burpees. Your job is then to do that many reps in under a minute, then rest for the remainder of the minute. Repeat for ten minutes, and if you miss any reps make sure you do them at the end. Once you’re done, repeat with sled drags and medicine ball slams for the longest 30 minutes of your life.

Spartacus Workouts Tips

So you want to get strong and fit enough to be a legendary gladiator and lead a revolt? Here are McIntyre's tips.

Focus on hypertrophy

“I’d never really been much of a gym guy,” says McIntyre, “so I trained like crazy for four months, doing big moves – and eating a lot, which is what hypertrophy’s all about.”

Earn your carbs

It’s tempting to cut carbs out if you’re trying to get lean fast, but at some point you’ll hit the wall. McIntyre says he actually had to eat more carbs when in boot camp. Don’t deprive yourself - just eat them post-workout.

Train with friends

And if you don't have any friends, train with enemies. The point is, having other people around you will mean you can’t quit. “Whatever I lifted, he’d try to lift,” says McIntyre’s trainer Tyrone Bell.

Who turned you into a sportsman?

When I was growing up with my brother and sister, sport was ingrained into our lives. We’d go and watch [Manchester]United as kids from the age of four, or watch Bury when my dad worked there. In the summer, my mum played hockey, rounders and netball and my dad played cricket. We’d be left to ourselves on the boundary with a bat and ball and we’d play all day. Then we’d go home and watch sport on TV.

Who was the best coach you had as a youngster?

From the age of 16 to 18, I was coached at Old Trafford by Eric Harrison. His opening speech when we joined was: “If you listen to what I say, there’s a small chance you could be a Manchester United player one day. If you don’t listen to me, there’s absolutely no chance.” He took me from being a boy to a man by explaining exactly what I needed to do to make it as a defender. He was an incredible influence on my sporting life.

What’s the best team talk you had?

Sir Alex was fantastic. I had him for 20 years, and he was always coming up with new insights, sometimes from business or politics. But there was always the same message running through his talks, about the importance of hard work and trusting each other.

He used to stand outside the changing rooms at Old Trafford on his own for a minute just before kick off, to ensure that when the opposing team and the referees came out, he was in their face. Psychologically, he used his aura and presence to have an extra impact of intimidation. It didn’t work on all teams, of course, but it did shake up a few of them.

Who was the best player you saw who never made it?

Well, Ben Thornley made it, but he got badly injured at 18. A cruciate injury back then was serious, a 12- to 14-month injury, and you never got back to the same level. He had been a very big talent, tipped to play for many years at United.

Who was the most impressive behind the scenes?

Norman Davies and Albert Morgan, the kit men at United. They were the hub of the dressing room, fantastic characters who got on with everyone.

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Which footballer writes the best tweets?

I don’t read tweets from pros. They’re very corporate – most of them are written by their agents. I prefer following people like Tim Burgess. I do get some funny ones sent to me, mainly by people who don’t rate me. I got one that just said “knob”, which made me giggle.

Who is the best administrator in football?

David Gill, the ex Manchester United chief executive. He’s hard, fair, honest, compassionate – all the things you would want from leader, and he’s financially astute as well. I would put him in charge of English football because it needs someone who can connect the professional game with the amateur game, protect the rights of fans to have affordable tickets, and bring together the FA and the Premier League.

Who helped you make the change from player to TV analyst?

The biggest influences were Scott Melvin and Geoff Shreeves. Geoff was the person who brought me to Sky, and he would always feed back honestly and brutally. Scott was producer of Super Sunday and Monday Night Football – he coached me from being a disastrous commentator in the early months to someone who is acceptable.

Who is your favourite pundit or commentator?

Martin Tyler. Detail, delivery, credibility, knowledge – he has it all. He’s the last of what I would call the “voices of sport”. Barry Davies, John Motson, Brian Moore, Richie Benaud, Murray Walker, Sid Waddell… I can’t see any of the new breed of commentators replacing these legends in the public mind.

Class Of 92: Out Of Our League – Our Journey Back To The Heart Of The Game by Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville and Paul Scholes is published by BBC Books, £20, buy on amazon.co.uk

At the end of July Carl “The Jackal” Frampton beat undefeated Mexican Léo Santa Cruz to win the WBA super featherweight title and become the first boxer from Northern Ireland to be a world champion in two different weight divisions. He reveals the secrets of his success and his plans to leave a legacy as one of the all-time greats

How did it feel to become a two-weight world champion?

I feel good. It was a big achievement for me, especially as the first Northern Irishman to do it. It’s a huge accomplishment and something I’m very proud of. I was proud of the fight performance. A lot of people had written me off, especially the American media, and I proved a lot of people wrong. You get negative comments all the time, especially on social media. You just have to just brush it off. If you listened to every negative thing people said about you then you’d never get out of bed in the morning! I am very lucky in that I get a lot of very positive press and comments as well.

You’re now unbeaten in 23 pro fights. Can you put your finger on what makes you such a good fighter?

There are a lot more skilled fighters out there than me. There’s certainly more in the UK and Ireland. But I’ve got resilience. I’ve got a lot of determination. I train very hard and am always willing to learn and improve. I dedicate myself completely to the sport. I go away from my family for 14-week training camps. Not many fighters in the world have camps as long as that. All that adds up to make me the fighter that I am.

Is resilience something you learn or are you born with it?

I think resilience is something you either have or you don’t. I want to push myself further all the time, and that’s evident in the way I train. I don’t enjoy training but I do it because I have to. I push myself to the limit every session. I spar with big guys and get hit with some big shots but I always keep pushing forward. So I think you either have it or you don’t and I am lucky enough that I do.

What’s the hardest part of such a long camp?

It’s being away from my family. I have a wife, and two young kids and I’ve missed a lot of them growing up. That’s a lot to sacrifice. I can deal with the mental and physical punishment of training camp. I know what this sport is all about and what’s required to try and get to the top. What’s mentally hard is being away from my family. My wife understands why I am doing it and I use them as my motivation to give them a better life.

Against Santa Cruz you landed 36% of your punches, a significant lead over his 25%. Is accuracy something you’ve worked hard on?

To be honest accuracy isn’t something I really work on, it’s just something I have. I’ve always been an accurate fighter. I don’t throw shots for the sake of it – I throw every shot to land. I don’t always make them, especially when fighting world-class opponents like Santa Cruz. Shane [McGuigan, Frampton’s coach] constantly talks about how good my timing is. There’s bigger and faster fighters than me, and those who can hit harder, but my technique is very good. I am a short guy and have to box people much taller. But my technique, power and timing allows me to compete with them and win.

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You’re powerful as well as accurate with your punches – where does that power come from?

I have always been pretty explosive. I remember being an amateur in the high-performance team in Dublin. Darren Sutherland [the Irish boxer who won a middleweight bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics], who’s passed away now, was always the most explosive guy. We used to do the jump mat that measures how long you can hang in the air to see who was the most explosive. He always won but I would come a close second, even as a kid. And I think that’s where my punching power comes from. I feel like I do punch hard. I know in my last few fights I haven’t got as many knockouts as I wanted, but I’ve hurt guys who have never really been hurt before. I think it all comes from my explosiveness. When you land a good shot, a clean shot, you know right away. It’s a nice feeling.

How are you working on getting better?

You can always improve. I can sometimes get a bit leaky on my defence and sometimes I fight with my heart rather than my head. I showed that a few times in the Santa Cruz fight. I’m working on trying to be comfortable in the pocket when I’m up close and I feel like my last two fights I’ve got better at that – to slip and block and counter from up close. That’s something we’re really working on in the gym.

What are you like just before a fight?

I am a very chilled-out guy so I’m very relaxed before a fight. It’s hard to get me too excited. If you were in my changing room beforehand you wouldn’t believe I was about to go out and fight! I’m listening to soul music and Motown and I’m very chilled. Barry [McGuigan, the former WBA featherweight champion and Frampton’s manager] is a very different character to me. He’s strutting about, full of beans, hyped out of his mind – probably just like he used to be before he was about to fight! I don’t know why I’m like that but I always have been. And I think you can see that I’m relaxed in my performances.

Are you the greatest Irish boxer of all time?

Some people have said that recently, and it’s really nice to hear. I’ve got the opportunity but I’ve got a long way to go before I get there. I can only become the best Irish boxer of all time if I keep winning. There are some big fights on the horizon and if I can keep putting in the performances and getting the wins, then why not? But I’m not one to blow my own trumpet. I am nowhere near the best Irish fighter yet – but I potentially could be, if I keep winning.

The coach in the corner

Frampton’s coach Shane McGuigan on his world-class methods

What makes Frampton so good?

His speed is one of his biggest assets. He’s an extremely hard puncher for a small guy, he can take a shot, his distance control is one of his best assets and his timing is excellent - but I think that all stems from his footwork. He didn’t get a chance to show it until he got to the elite level but I think now it’s the thing that makes him better than the rest of the division.

How important is diet to Frampton’s success?

You’ve got a lot of guys who have all the tools in the world but don’t have the discipline when it comes to putting food in their mouths. There are guys who’ll kill themselves in the gym and then have a chocolate bar on the way home, and it’s like…what’s wrong with you? The guys who make it are the ones who are disciplined in every area.

You’re the youngest head coach to have cornered a world champion. Are we going to see younger coaches in future?

Yeah, I think so. I think a coach has a lifespan as well as a fighter. People will say, “When my career’s over I’ll go into coaching” but if their passion isn’t what it used to be it isn’t going to get the most out of an athlete. I’m still massively enthusiastic about the game, I’m still willing to learn, I’m still willing to go through my own paces. I think there are a lot of guys who want to do the Mickey from Rocky thing, stand in the corner and shout, but that’s not giving the best to your fighter.

It’s a summer of festivals, boat parties and revelry in Ibiza – something Example knows all too well by virtue of his relentless touring schedule. But does a life on stage and on the road equate to an unhealthy one?

How would you rate your fitness on a scale of one to 10?

I’d say I’m about an eight or a nine – in terms of appearance I’d probably look like a 10 if I ate a bit better, but I kind of eat whatever I like. When I’m at home, I train every day and eat well – I think I’ve got a good muscle memory and base fitness. I might not have been for a run for three weeks, but I can go back out and still easily run 10 miles.

How important is health and fitness to you?

It’s really important – growing up, my dad was always into running, he did 12 marathons and would run six days a week. He had a tough job and was away a lot, and I think he took up running to deal with all that. When I was 13 and going through stresses with exams, he said, “Just start running and take your mind off things.” So now when I come back from tour and I’m stressed, I’ll go for a 45-minute run by the river – it really helps clear the mind.

What will you never do again?

I still want to get into yoga. I realise the benefits of it – I’m 34 now, and I should still be able to be in this shape in 15 years’ time. I just don’t have the attention span for it – I find it hard enough to sit still for five minutes in the same spot, that’s why when I’m at the gym I’m constantly moving and doing things. I also don’t like sitting there listening to someone else, and I can’t stand the calmness of it – I want to be chatting to people…

How is your fitness fingerprint unique to you and your career?

Gigs keep me fit, because it’s 90 minutes bouncing around and shouting on stage – I’m always knackered afterwards, more so than when I’ve done half-marathons. The tough thing I’ve always found with the music industry is that it’s a lot easier when you have a nine-to-five routine, no matter what age you are – I don’t have that. The music industry is also known for excess, partying and being drawn into that side of things. “Oh you can’t play football tonight, you have to go to this gig,” or “Don’t go and do your circuit training, because you need to go out and get f**ked with this producer.” Those have been the main battles for me – the amount of partying, which may or may not lead to better opportunities in the industry versus wanting to treat your body as a temple…

Example will play at Boardmasters Surf & Music Festival, August 10-14. Tickets available at boardmasters.co.uk

Flo Rida is known for releasing high energy, catchy earworms, but he’s also known for having a rather impressive physique. How does he keep his famous body in check in amongst a lavish hip-hop lifestyle?

How would you rate your fitness on a scale of one to 10?

A 10! There’s always some room for improvement, but I’ll say a 10 because I have to stay very healthy, travelling around the world and performing as much as I do.

How important is health and fitness to you?

It’s very important, but it’s definitely organic because growing up, me and my guys around town would always challenge each other working out. I’m a guy who loves sports, too, so from eighth to ninth grade [14-15 years old] was the time where I was like, “If I’m going to play basketball or football, I have to really go hard.” Also, having the records that I have – they’re very up-tempo, so I have to be in shape or else I’d probably be done by the second song…

How do you exercise on the road?

f I’m not going to the hotel gym, I’ll work out in my room, do 30 minutes of cardio – I do all that as well as trying to have a healthy meal plan. But with travelling, a lot of the time it’s a challenge, but I make do. For the most part, I’ll be at some great hotels, and they’ll definitely have something parallel to the meal plan that I’m accustomed to.

What do you do to motivate yourself?

Well, one thing is I just want to look good – everyone wants that – and being healthy is very important to having some longevity in life. I love being around those who inspire me to go to the gym and look good. I used to go to a gym in high school that was across the street from the projects where I grew up, and we’d work out right after the football players left – the janitor would let us in. We used to see who could lift the most, and still today I work out with my security, and we’ll have a friendly competition. It also comes from the fact that I remember when I couldn’t lift 50 pounds, but the more I indulged in it, I was able to lift more and more, so there’s self-motivation, too.

What’s the highlight of your fitness week?

Probably Friday – it’s like my song Hello Friday, because it’s the end of the week, and when it comes to Friday night, I like to go and hang out, so I don’t make it a long day at the gym.

How is your fitness fingerprint unique to you and your career?

Well, I get two for one – when I’m on stage, I’m on for about an hour, so that’s a lot of cardio outside of me just normally working out. I don’t really feel any outside pressure at all – when you have a passion for certain things and it’s fun to you, you always want to experience it.

Flo Rida’s new single Hello Friday Ft. Jason Derulo is out now. Buy on iTunes.

Which players do you admire most?

I really like players who actually look like they’re enjoying the game. The ones who approach a match with that same enthusiasm we all had as kids, when we dreamed of playing football professionally because it seemed like the greatest job imaginable. The two players I’ve seen close up who most embody that spirit are Jimmy Bullard and Paul Gascoigne. You can easily believe they would have played for no money at all.

Who was the best Soccer AM guest?

The time that it changed for us was when we got Robbie Fowler. After that, we were OK with football’s big guns – our calls got returned a lot faster. Mind you, some managers still wouldn’t let their players on because they had that attitude of, “No one is allowed to say anything, in case they say the wrong thing.” Sir Alex Ferguson and Gérard Houllier both put a veto on us. It was a breath of fresh air when José Mourinho arrived. He insisted that the Chelsea players do the crossbar challenge – he knew how to get the media on his side.

What was your favourite section of the show?

Showboat. When we started it 20-odd years ago, it was a boxing term, not something associated with football, and at first we struggled to find three clips a week. A few of the managers weren’t happy with their players being seen doing skills. Their attitude was: “We’re here to win a match, not have fun, so don’t show my players being fancy.” We’ve come a long way since then.

Who are you looking forward to seeing this season?

This season is all about the managers. Chelsea have Conte, who looked brilliant and passionate for Italy. Manchester City have Pep Guardiola, with his amazing record of success. Jürgen Klopp, what a huge impact he’s had on Liverpool, he’s so charismatic. Then there’s Wenger, Pochettino… And José has won the league everywhere he’s gone. I have no idea who’s going to win, but I know it’s going to be great!

What about the players?

Zlatan Ibrahimovic. I remember when he got sent off against Chelsea in a European tie, and I was one of the few Chelsea fans who was gutted, because I wanted to see him play. Mind you, his pre-match warm-up routine was like watching a Sunday league player. He just walked around lazily and every now and then had a potshot.

Who is your favourite pundit?

I’m quite impressed by Danny Murphy at the moment, he talks a lot of sense. Gary Neville was a revelation because he understood what the fans thought, as well as the players and managers. But if you listen to some of Gary Lineker’s podcasts, his insights are excellent. He doesn’t really put his opinions across on Match Of The Day because he’s the cuddly front man, but he knows his stuff.

What’s your favourite ground to watch a match in?

I was lucky enough to go the Milan derby many years ago, and the atmosphere in the San Siro, with the flags and the flares, was incredible. And I remember that they were selling lattes and paninis, at a time when in England you could only get a lukewarm Bovril and a mushy pie. Over here, I used to love going to Brentford with my mates for a midweek game, where you could just turn up, buy a ticket, and stand together as a group on the terraces.

What was the best thing about Euro 2016?

The Icelandic fans were the real winners. A ridiculous amount of the nation were there and their chant-clap routine was excellent. It’ll probably get stolen, like the Poznan, and turn up in the Premiership.

Who can save the England team?

We have good selection of players, we just need to find a coach who makes them believe. Chelsea had been under-achievers for years, but José convinced the team that they would win the league, then he convinced the media and the fans, and you could feel that belief grow around the club. Similarly with Sir Alex – the last United team that won the Premiership wasn’t the best we’ve seen, but he had the strength of character to make them think they could win.

Tim presents Sunday Brunch on Channel 4 on Sunday mornings.

How did you prepare to become an “American Idiot”?

I’ve been gyming every day. I set myself a goal: by the time the play hit the West End, I would at least have the very beginnings of stomach definition. I now have that, which is amazing because six months ago that would have been unthinkable. I’ve lost over 10lb since I started American Idiot – I dug pretty deep for this. I’m in my pants for the whole show, so that’s pretty solid motivation for not eating loads of crap…

What’s your most impressive personal best?

I’m by far the healthiest I’ve ever been. In terms of personal bests however, I’ve done a couple of 10kms, although during the second one I missed a turning on the last lap so I kind of did an 11km. I basically lost count and as I was going past, I was like “Was I behind that guy or in front? Sh*t…”

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Which excuse for not working out are you most ashamed of?

I haven’t actually made an excuse not to go to the gym for a while – I’m a little bit addicted, I start feeling like my blood doesn’t move around my body unless I push it to pretty near its limits first thing in the morning.

Have you ever secretly impressed yourself with a feat of strength?

Yeah, pretty much every week at the moment – I’m really stepping it up a notch and doing things I never thought I’d be able to do. They’re not impressive to anyone else, they’re just impressive to me because I’ve never been into this stuff before – it’s all new to me.

How often do you take selfies in the gym?

I’d never post a picture of me in the gym. The most annoying ones though, are the people that post pictures of picturesque runs. “I saw this on my beautiful morning run!” F**k those guys…

How do you avoid the lure of the service station pasty?

I’ve been really strict. I bought a single hob so I could actually cook my own food – that has made a massive difference. Otherwise, all you can get is either pre-cooked stuff or takeaways. You just have no control over what’s in that stuff, but now I can cook really nice, healthy stuff.

Which day of the week is your healthiest?

Sundays at the moment, because they’re my day off and I allow myself to just flop, which I desperately need by that point. I’ll just fit in as many movies and as many baths as possible into a day – I had four baths in one day once. The show is quite brutal on my body; I’m in my pants, being pushed and falling over quite a lot, so I get lots of cuts and bruises. So soaking my entire body in Dettol is needed once a week…

What’s the worst type of gym behaviour?

Slamming massive weights into the ground – it just annoys me. There was this guy yesterday and every time he did it, he shook the entire building – the floor rattled, a light went out, it was seriously dangerous structural behaviour! There was also one guy I used to see and he never seemed to do that much, but he had headphones in and sang really badly and loudly. But I grew to love it because he sounded exactly like Mr Bean, which made it unbelievably hilarious.

What do you think about “leg day”?

Don’t get me started on leg day. I have to be really careful because if I overwork my thighs, then it makes the show impossible. I can push my chest pretty hard without any repercussions, but if I push my legs the same way then I can’t even get down the stairs.

If you could look like Arnie in his prime tomorrow, would you?

Definitely not. I said to my trainers that I wanted to be like a normal actor shape. However, “normal actor” shape by “normal people” standards is pretty ripped – if anyone takes their top off in a film, they’ve probably got a full six-pack. So I’m going for that, and it’s been amazing – it’s made general life more fun, too. I can outrun my five-year-old son, and he’s like “Dad! Can we stop playing? I’m knackered…”

Newton Faulkner is starring in Green Day’s American Idiot: The Musical at the Arts Theatre, London until September 25

Think absolute, not relative

Multiple studies have shown that the more an item costs, the more careless we tend to be about its price. Sound wrong to you? To illustrate this, imagine you’re on a seaside holiday and you decide to hire a bike to cycle along the coast road. You walk along the promenade checking out the prices. The first hire shop you find is charging £25 a day, but you see a sign for another shop that offers a bike for just £10 a day. The second shop is a ten-minute walk away but with a price difference like that, maybe it’s worth checking out the cheaper bikes. As long as they look roadworthy you can hire one of those instead and congratulate yourself on saving £15, enough to pay for a second day’s cycling or a nice lunch in a café on the cliffs.

Now imagine you are back home and are buying a new car. The first dealer has one you like for £10,010. You want to make sure you’re getting a good deal so you go to a second showroom, which has the same car for £10,025. Is it worth going back to the first place to save £15? You’d almost certainly decide it’s not. Yet the sum you could save is the same as in the bike hire example.

Countless studies have shown that we make judgements like this, viewing a saving as a proportion of the total cost rather than an actual amount of money with a determined spending power. This is called relative thinking and is particularly common among more affluent people.

Always pay with cash, not a card

When you can, use actual money for your purchases. Researchers in the US monitored the food shopping of 1,000 households for six months. Taking all sorts of factors into account, the researchers found that when people were paying by credit or debit card, they tended to make more impulsive purchases of unhealthy foods such as cakes or chocolate. It seems our propensity to indulge in guilty pleasures increases when we don’t have to hand over cash. So it seems going contactless might expand our waistlines while slimming down our bank accounts.

When we use a card our thinking changes. We’re less likely to remember the amount we paid and more likely to add a bigger tip. We’re even more likely to spend more on the same goods, as a psychology experiment at Massachusetts Institute of Technology showed. Students had to bid on how much they’d be prepared to pay for a basketball game ticket. Half of them were told they’d have to pay in cash and the other half were told they could pay by card. So how much would they offer for the tickets? The difference was striking. Those paying cash bid, on average, $28 but the card payers were prepared to offer more than double that amount – $60.

Why splitting the bill isn’t fair

No-one likes that bit at the end of a group meal in a restaurant when you work out what everyone had and what they all owe. But doing it that way could be the most economical way to eat out, according to the economist Uri Gneezy. He performed a study in which he divided students into groups of six and gave them the opportunity to go out for dinner. Students were told beforehand how the bill would be calculated. When they were instructed that each individual would pay for whatever they ordered, they tended to choose a reasonably priced meal from the menu. But if they knew that the bill would be split equally, suddenly the more expensive items on the menu seemed appealing.

Price doesn’t equal quality

The idea that we think that a product is superior because it’s expensive was explored in a study published in the Journal Of Marketing Research where two groups of students were told to buy energy drinks that were advertised to improve concentration. Both groups were sold the same drink including the same ingredients. The only difference was that one group was charged $1.89 for a can while the other was told that because the university had managed to obtain a bulk-buy discount they would only be charged $0.89.

The two groups were then given a list of anagrams to solve, and the group that paid the higher price for their drinks solved more. Why? The researchers concluded that the more expensive the drink, the more the consumer wants to believe that its supposed benefits – in this case improving concentration – are real.

5 Money Saving Tips

• Think in cash to save cash. When you’re about to buy something on credit card, imagine taking the same money out of a cash machine. Would you still want to spend it? Only if you would should you go ahead and buy the item.
• Break the negative cycle. If you want to get better at saving, it’s no use just saying you’ll turn over a new leaf. Appreciate that the same patterns repeat themselves and find a new way of doing it instead.
• Be objective when selling. If you are setting an asking price for something that you want to sell, imagine that you don’t own it.
• Always start a negotiation. In negotiations, always name your price before the other person does, unless you really have absolutely no idea what is appropriate.
• Seek out the small pleasures. If you suddenly find that you’re a millionaire, don’t go immediately for the best money can buy. If you do, everyday pleasures will start to pale in comparison. Instead, buy lots of little indulgences.

Mind Over Money by Claudia Hammond (£9.99, Canongate) is out now, buy on amazon.co.uk

Who helped you become a driver?

I come from a family of racers. My father was a karting champion, and that was how I got into the sport. But right from the start, I knew I didn’t just want to race against other Scottish kids, I wanted to race against the whole world. That meant I was racing every weekend, all over the UK. My parents had to pick me up from school in Kirkcudbrightshire on Friday afternoon, drive me down to London to do a race, and then drive me back on the Sunday night, all before going back to work on Monday.

Which of those early opponents did you learn from?

My first karting age group was 11-16, so clearly there were some boys who were shaving and had lost their virginity and who were men in body, if not mind. At 11 years old I wasn’t quite there yet, but I just got on with my business and tried to learn from everyone who was better than me. I kept a grading system of how I had performed, which was a good way of registering my mistakes and how quickly I had recovered from them. It’s a very useful exercise to enrich your powers of visualisation, which pays dividends in the long run.

Which coach did the most for you?

Dave Boyce. He looked after me as a kid. I’ve recently asked him to mentor my own son, Dayton, who has taken an interest in karting, to see if he has the skills and commitment to make it. Because it does take sacrifices. I made myself bulimic, not because I was unhappy with my looks, but because I knew, as a tall teenager, I needed to keep my weight down.

Motor racing is obviously a very expensive business. Who supported you financially?

When I first left Scotland, [three-time World Drivers’ Champion] Sir Jackie Stewart helped me a lot. I joined his son’s team, Paul Stewart Racing [which later became Jaguar], and Red Bull. I was part of their “staircase of talent”, and I got my step up from test driver when Ayrton Senna was killed.

You’ve had brushes with death yourself – did you learn from them?

Being knocked unconscious on the track made me, in my mind’s eye, able to visualise what the end of my life will be like – at least if I die in a car crash. I didn’t remember the lights going out, and I didn’t know anything about the incident until I came round. So, if I had died, I wouldn’t even have been aware of it happening. I was in an aeroplane crash when I was 30 years old, which was a tragic experience for the families of the two pilots who died, but it was also a wake-up call for me. It made me refocus. I’d been getting by at a level that made me comfortable, and I needed to get out of my comfort zone. After that, I worked harder and went through the best period of my racing career.

Which drivers do you most admire?

I see a lot of my old team-mate Mika Häkkinen because we have similar contacts outside of Formula One. We went through a lot together emotionally, on and off the track, and I like him a lot.

Who helped you most when things weren’t going well?

My family. I’m grateful for things they have done, and also for the things they haven’t. For instance, when I first got in a Formula One car, I was living in Milton Keynes and I excitedly phoned my father to tell him the day and time I would be testing, thinking he would come and watch. He said, “Son, the team are testing you, they’re not testing me. Call me afterwards and let me know how you got on.” That showed a great maturity, because as a father it can be difficult to let go. You’ve been through your son’s journey and seen him become an adult, and it’s tempting to stay on board for the rest of the journey, to get involved in business things you maybe don’t know so much about. Letting go is brave.

Who is the best person in F1?

Bernie Ecclestone gets a lot of negative press, but I see him as a motivated person who makes things possible for other people. It’s like with Jose Mourinho, the media has a perception of him that they want to put out there, but they sometimes ignore the fact that his energy and talents are helping other professionals make it to the top.

Watch the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 24 live on Channel 4. Visit f1.channel4.com for information on their F1 schedule

Rugby or dancing, which is tougher?

A lot has changed in my regime since I first started. Before, I could only go with what I knew – just lifting heavy weights and focusing on muscle mass. But while I might have looked the part, functionally it didn’t really work well for me. I quickly learnt that I needed to incorporate a lot more stretching, especially because I wasn’t flexible. So I started with things like yoga, and made sure I had enough rest and hydration. Then I incorporated a lot of high intensity training, because essentially that’s what I’ve been doing in the Simba role.

What’s your most impressive personal best?

I’m about 14st 9 now, but I was up to about 18st 2, and that was quite big – even for most rugby players – so I’m really proud of the transformation that I underwent in terms of getting this role. I had to lose about 2st in around six months. At one point, I got a call-back and they said, “We want to see you again, but you need to lose about 11lb.” I only had a few weeks to do this, so I got up every morning at five, before my eight-to-four job, and I did HIIT sessions. But I’d do them twice – one in the morning and one in the afternoon, and sometimes even a boot camp at night as well. I just dedicated myself to that until I got down to my goal weight. So I’d say in the space of a week I’d have sometimes done up to 10 one-hour boot camp classes. I wouldn’t say it was that healthy, but in terms of determination and what I got out of it, it was amazing.

Have you ever pulled a muscle in less-than-heroic circumstances?

I’m always pulling muscles and injuring myself. Sometimes even when I’m warming up I’ll feel a little twinge – especially as I’ve got older and my body can’t do the things it used to. I’ll try to do stuff I could do before, but the legs won’t go there and I’m like, “Oh, OK.” Once on stage, I tore my hamstring – a grade two tear – and I decided to stay on and hobble around the stage. I probably made it worse, I should have just come off…

Do you use any fitness apps?

I used to have a Fitbit, and I used it to find out how many calories I burned on stage. My heart rate would go through the roof, then quickly drop down, then back up again – I was quite surprised at how quickly it would come up.

Do you have a fitness idol?

Not in terms of an individual, but when I started the role, I really admired what the dancers have to put their bodies through. I’d only acted a little bit and never danced before, and the first week they taught me choreography, I felt like I’d done a rugby training camp for a week – I couldn’t get out of bed the next day, and no one even tackled me! I took their craft as a goal to aspire to.

What is the best way to spice up a boring jog?

I recently bought – the best invention since sliced bread – some Bluetooth earphones. They’re amazing. I can just run and put my music on without wires getting in the way. I also like running where there’s scenery, I can’t just run around a track…

RECOMMENDED: The Best Sports and Running Headphones

What’s the best workout soundtrack?

I listen to a lot of music from New Zealand; I’m all the way here in London so music is a good way I can reconnect with home. I play a lot of music of my culture and it takes me back there, so while my body is dying, my mind can be somewhere else: my happy place.

Do you ever lose control calorie-wise after a heavy gym session?

I’ve honestly got a seriously bad sweet tooth, and I find it really hard to stop. I just go, “You know what? I burned all these calories, so now I can have some ice cream, I can have extra mayo on my burger.” It’s the whole block of chocolate too, I’ve got to eat it all. I blame my parents – “You can’t leave the table until you’ve finished your plate.” It’s all their fault.

Nicholas Afoa is currently starring as Simba in The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre, London

Is it true that you can always tell a man’s character by his shoes?

I read a stat that it takes seven seconds to create your first impression on someone, and shoes play a big part in that. For a job interview you should wear a leather Derby with a suit no matter what.

Edward Green leather Dover Derby shoes, £950, buy on mrporter.com

And for a first date?

A low-key, premium pair of sneakers like Maison Margiela or Balenciaga.

Maison Margiela leather replica sneakers, £375, buy on mrporter.com

To meet the parents?

A pair of brown brogues.

What is the best way to buy a shoe?

I try to stick to a “one in one out” policy, but that’s hard. Obviously you have to take fit and comfort into account, if the shoe is not comfortable you won’t wear it. But the most important thing is buying for the occasion.

What’s a common mistake men make when buying shoes?

Buying for the price. They will buy what they think they can afford and might wear it for 12 months. But if they would look at a hand-made shoe from Tricker’s or Church’s or Edward Green – it’s an investment, a shoe for life. People might be put off by the price tag, but it’s important to understand the upper will last forever. They are worth every penny.

A lot is made these days of the technical elements of footwear…

Some sneakers could be perceived as gimmicky and marketing-led, but I think people see through that. About four years ago, Adidas launched Boost technology. Initially it was running technology, but it has translated into the lifestyle market because of the aesthetics and the comfort. Nike is king of innovation. It launched Flyknit, a woven upper that moulds itself to your foot. It was born from sports performance technology, but people now wear it every day for the comfort factor. Some may see it as a gimmick, but they are two stand-out things that are highly technical and really functional. They sell out as soon as we upload them, in a matter of minutes.

RECOMMENDED: The New Good-Looking, PB-Busting Adidas UltraBoost Uncaged Running Shoe

What shoe is kinder to the average foot?

A definite trend for Winter ’16 is “sensible” shoes, with that rounder toe, and they’re more suited to the general population, whereas a tight, pointed-toe shoe will not suit everyone.

Do you look after your shoes?

I try to rotate them, and not wear the same pair two days on the run. It can be tricky though, especially if you have your favourites.

Consumer research shows that the average man owns nine pairs of shoes…

Nine seems quite conservative to me…

And could all nine be sneakers or should men own a variety?

Common Projects leather Achilles retro sneakers, £265, buy on mrporter.com

They might own a clean white sneaker, a more sophisticated sneaker, a black Oxford, a classic Chelsea boot, a classic plain-toed Derby, a driving shoe – Tod’s is the go-to brand – and a slip-on penny loafer, JM Weston is the most iconic. Then you will need a work boot, and a sandal, they are the overarching categories that men should own or consider owning.

John Lobb suede Lawry Chelsea boots, £1,120, buy on mrporter.com

Have you always been obsessed with shoes?

I’ve had a love of shoes as far back as I can remember. I played a lot of football throughout my childhood until I was 17. This was when all boots were black and white, so there wasn’t that much difference visually. I would always look at who wore what and what different shoes could do. I was signed at Man City, things didn’t work out, but I still play and that’s where my passion for footwear came from.

Can you trace your life story in terms of football boots?

When I was nine the Puma King was the boot to have, then Umbro introduced the Speciali, which had this wishbone on the sole, which made the sole really flexible. I begged my parents for that boot for so long that they agreed to buy it for me for Christmas. They were made out of kangaroo leather, and were £80, quite expensive back then. When I was 11 or 12, Adidas introduced the Predator – Beckham, Zidane, any global footballer wore Adidas Predators. I think I have owned every single pair of Predators.

Do you still have them?

I wish I did, they’d be worth a lot of money now.

How have your footwear tastes evolved over time?

My appreciation of hard shoes has grown tenfold since I started going to factories and seeing the true craftsmanship that goes into them.

Finally, what is a big shoe no-no for you?

I would never wear a brown shoe with a black suit.

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Who was the biggest influence on your career?

Well, I probably wouldn’t have been a boxer at all if not for seeing Prince Naseem Hamed on the telly. He was so entertaining and exciting, very flamboyant and cocksure, and that really appealed to me when I was a young teenager.

Did your parents encourage you to box?

I wasn’t a scrapper at school because I was skinny, but my dad had a punchbag hanging in the garage that we used to work out on. Then, when I was about nine, he started taking me and my brother down to our local club, the Phoenix ABC in Gedling. I immediately preferred boxing to other sports because it was indoors, so I didn’t have to stand about getting rained on in a muddy field. It was warm, and I thought: “Ooh, it’s great in here.” I was naturally good at boxing, and that helped me stick with it.

RECOMMENDED: Carl Froch’s Boxing Workout

What is the most important lesson boxing taught you?

I was brought up quite stern. My mum and dad taught me all the lessons you need: be respectful to your elders, don’t make me ask you twice, have your bedroom tidy, don’t backchat, and don’t leave the table until you’ve finished your dinner. Boxing cemented that discipline, because if a kid doesn’t show respect at a boxing club, he’ll soon get sorted out or be asked to leave. I really think it should be part of the national curriculum.

Who was your best coach?

Rob McCracken. He fought for a world title himself, and he taught me how to defend myself and be more confident.

Which opponent hit you hardest?

Robin Reid threw an overhand right that got me flush on the chin. It didn’t put me down, but it hurt. The pain you feel in the boxing ring is more of a thudding sensation than anything to make you go “Ow!” Your brain rattles around in your skull and makes you feel dull, as though you’ve got no balance, and you can’t walk straight because your feet have suddenly got very heavy.

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Which opponent was best at “the verbals”?

George Groves. Before our first fight, he wound me up into a frenzy. I was very upset, so for the rematch I spoke to Chris Marshall, one of the sports psychologists for the England cricket team. He taught me to be logical, not emotional in my responses. When we met for the press conference at Wembley, Groves was whispering in my ear the whole time, these horrible sweet nothings, and I could feel his breath inside my ear. It was creepy, but I just thought: “I’m not going to get riled.” I knew he was trying to get under my skin, and I did shove him, but it was a controlled action. One shove, and the message it sent was, “Keep out of my face, little boy.” When he whined, “Don’t do that again!” I knew I had him rattled. I replied: “What do you mean, ‘again’? I just did it and I don’t see you stepping up.” He’d bottled it. I could see his bottom lip was quivering, and he’d gone a shade paler, so one-nil to me as far as I was concerned.

What did you learn from defeat?

When I fought Mikkel Kessler in Denmark, my coach Rob warned me not to go. There was that volcanic ash cloud over Iceland, and all the flights were delayed, so I flew in a week late, the day before the weigh-in. I’d missed a few sparring sessions and I had to quickly drop a bit of weight, so I dehydrated by sitting in a hot bath for four hours. It wasn’t the greatest preparation – but I blame the volcano for me losing!

What was your best trick when preparing mentally for a fight?

For three weeks before a fight, I used to visualise the ring walk, so that when it actually happened I had experienced it a hundred times already and could be icy calm. I used to fall asleep thinking about it, and sometimes I’d jerk awake throwing a jab under the duvet. That didn’t matter from Monday to Friday, when I was sleeping in a single bed at fight camp, but on the weekends it gave my missus, Rachel, a few shocks.

Which boxer do you most admire?

Of the ones I fought, Mikkel Kessler. I still keep in touch with him, and he’s a man of my sort of morals, a very proud, honourable warrior. Of the legends, it would have to be Mike Tyson, the ultimate fighting machine. A peak Mike Tyson beats any heavyweight ever.

Carl Froch led a “poker face” masterclass for Jorgie Porter, Carl Fogarty, Melinda Messenger and Adebayo Akinfenwa as part of the partypoker “Big Bluff” campaign. Get involved at partypoker.com/bigbluff

You’ll probably know Steve Jones as the handsome chap from the telly who’d be on your list of Top Ten People to Look Like. As he gears up for a season of presenting Channel 4’s Formula One coverage, is his fitness regime as speedy and high of decibel as the races he’s overseeing?

How would you rate your fitness on a scale of one to 10?

I’m torn between honesty and modesty here… I’m going to say a hard nine at the moment. I don’t think anybody is ever a 10 – if you’re a 10, the fight’s over, and the fight is the thing that helps us keep in shape. I don’t ever want to be a 10; I don’t even know what one looks like. A healthy 10 is something you’ll never get to – you should try, but you should never arrive. It’s about the journey, not the destination.

What do you do to motivate yourself?

I had a health scare recently – I slipped a disc in the base of my spine while playing squash. My wife was having to help me put my shoes on – it was very depressing and upsetting. I was seeing doctors and they talked about inserting rods into my back, real Frankenstein stuff. That scared the bejeezus out of me, so I decided against it and focused on reconditioning my back and making it stronger – it was the best decision I’ve ever made.

I’m so scared of going back to that dark place that I go to the gym religiously now – I work so hard at keeping my back fit, that everything else falls into line. If I go home after a long day and I sit down on the couch, I like to think I’ll get up off my arse and go to the gym when I least want to. That’s what separates you from everybody else – most people will go home and say “Ah, I’ll go tomorrow”, but you have to be like “No!” You will go – you’ve got to have that mentality.

I go to the gym every day; although if I go back to The Valleys, I’ll take the Saturday off because normally there’s a massive piss-up on the Friday…

What will you never do again?

When I go running, my brother is always timing himself too much and calculating distances – he’s like “Next time I’ll beat that”. I’m like “What? Just go out there and do it! That’s enough, why do you have to beat yourself?”

How is your fitness fingerprint unique to you and your career?

I work such unusual hours, that while a lot of other people are working, I can go to the gym – I’m lucky in that regard. My career is heavy on the aesthetics, you’ve got to be in shape – there’s that pressure to always look good on camera. You have to eat healthy and all the rest of it, but if it keeps you in shape, maybe it’s not a bad thing after all…

Channel 4 is the new home of free-to-air Formula One in the UK with live coverage of 10 Grands Prix this season and comprehensive highlights of every race weekend. Visit channel4.com for more information.

Shouting in the gym – annoying or essential?

I don’t really shout, but today I was making these terrible noises – it was getting quite embarrassing. Shouting is a bit over the top – you get the odd guy who’s trying to break a world record or something, and they’re like “AAH F**K!” If you’re going to shout something, try and make it clean and PG, you know?

What’s your most impressive personal best?

I did a six-pack challenge for a fitness magazine – it was one of the hardest things I’ve done in my life. I broke up with my girlfriend four times – I lost about a stone and a half in about six to eight weeks. If you look online you can see the before and after photos – I was really impressed, it was worth it.

Which excuse for not going to the gym/working out are you most ashamed of?

Just being damn lazy. I try to be as brutal as I can in the gym – I do a lot of HIIT training. So sometimes I’m just like “You know what? I can’t be arsed today”. I make up for it though; if I forfeit, I always punish myself the next time.

Have you ever secretly impressed yourself with a feat of strength?

I try to stay away from free weights, because I get too big, but I remember I was doing the bench press once – I had 60kg on each side and I managed to do a couple of reps. I was just like “Wow, I didn’t even realise I was that strong”. I was well chuffed with that.

Who in the grime scene is the strongest?

I’d probably say Solo 45, part of Boy Better Know – he’s pretty big. He looks a bit like a monster – his biceps are probably the same size as my thighs. I’m pretty strong myself, I must admit, but I’d be happy to pass the baton to Solo; he might just take it.

What piece of gym equipment can’t you live without?

I like a pull-up now and then – I like the random ones. Anything that’s above my head, I think “Can it hold my weight?” and I just jump up, do a pull-up and keep it moving. So a pull-up bar is quite essential.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Fried chicken. That’s the devil for me. I’m thinking about it now – two pieces of chicken and chips. If I had to have a last meal, it would be that…

Have you ever bought a piece of exercise equipment but never used it?

I’ve got one of those ab wheels, I don’t think I’ve ever used it. I also bought a gym mat to go with it, but I haven’t used that either. They’re the only two things, but I should use them because they’re really good for the home. My house is pretty big, and when I moved in all my boys were like “Build a gym!” but I was like “I won’t get anything done”. That’s why I’ve got a gym membership, because at least if I go out, I’m definitely going to work out.

What’s the longest you’ve gone without alcohol in the name of good health?

I gave up alcohol last summer for a month – I picked the wrong time because I was doing loads of gigs and normally I have a drink before I go on stage. It was a bit annoying because I was always the sober kid when everyone else was drunk, but it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I felt amazing afterwards – I think I might even do it again, it was the detox I needed, because when you’re doing gigs six nights a week, you don’t realise how much alcohol you’re consuming.

Who’s your fitness idol?

After I did my six-pack challenge, I really respect anyone with a six-pack, because I know how hard it is to maintain. In fact, I just admire anyone who keeps in shape and has their body in decent order, because it’s hard work.

If you could look like Arnie in his prime tomorrow, would you?

I don’t think I would. Purely because if I was going ham [that’s “Hard As a Motherf***ker, gramps] in the gym and doing weights, the way my body type is, I could be a big lump if I wanted. I’m more about being ripped, trim and a decent size – I think Arnie is a bit too muscular for me, too much like Hercules. I like to be able to move my neck without having to move my shoulders…

Lethal Bizzle’s new single Wobble is out now, buy on iTunes

Who helped you become a golfer?

My elder brother Juan. I left school at 15 to work at a garage, because I love cars. But it closed down, so I went to work with him at the local golf course, caddying for people and collecting balls from the driving range. I started to play whenever I could, either very early before the members came, or very late at night, and he taught me.

How supportive were your parents?

I had six brothers, and my parents didn’t like the idea of me becoming a golfer as well as Juan. We were a poor family, and the work ethic was important, doing anything to survive. They didn’t see golf as a proper profession, and they hoped it would just be a temporary thing for me, until I found proper work doing something in the electrical or mechanical field. Sometimes there were big fights with them, because I was sure I wanted to play golf.

Who was your hero?

Severiano Ballesteros. He was the mirror we all reflected in, to judge how good we were, or could try to be. His charisma was incredible. You couldn’t explain it, or learn it, but you could see it in the crowds who followed him around the course. There are players who will win more tournaments than he did, but they won’t ever be loved the way he was.

What is the best golf course?

I like Carnoustie. It has a very nice layout by the sea, and the breeze makes it interesting. All the bunkers are well situated, always in play, so you have to put the ball in the right place every time. The whisky is nice up there, too. I like to drink some Lagavulin with my cigar, a smoky and woody flavour.

You’re well known for enjoying life’s little luxuries. What are the best treats you give yourself?

I drive home in my red Ferrari Maranello 550, that’s a nice car. I used to smoke cigarettes, but I quit those for cigars – my favourite is a Cohiba Siglo VI. They’re sweet and spicy. I like rioja, too, and I’m glad people know it. I don’t hide the way I am. If I want to have a drink or a smoke, I do it. Why shouldn’t I? It’s not against the law.

What is the best thing about the Ryder Cup?

It’s completely different to any other tournament, and you feel that from the fans. At most tournaments there are 150 players, all with their own group of supporters, but in the Ryder Cup you follow one team or the other. You can pick up the feeling from the crowd. It’s very important, it gives you something more inside.

What has helped you have such a long career?

It took me 10 years to win on the European tour after I turned professional. For many years, I was very nervous when I played, because I had nothing, no money, and the pressure to succeed just to live was immense. If I’m a calm guy now, it’s because I have that experience of playing for 25 years.

Which era of golf did you find was most enjoyable?

I’ve played with the old guys, like [Jack] Nicklaus and Seve, and I play with the new guys like Rory [McIlroy]. The difference is power. These young guys hit the ball so long, and I don’t have that power. My muscles don’t work the same way. But I do have some of the artistry of the older players maybe, the ability to move the ball where I want it.

Is it really annoying when people shout, “In the hole!”?

When you hit a good shot on a par three, you can understand someone saying it, but people who say it when you are driving on a par five, they are crazy!

Miguel Angel Jimenez is an ambassador for premium Hawaiian polarised sunglasses brand Maui Jim, official eyewear supplier of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth

What’s your most impressive personal best?

I would say it’s still to come, baby, it’s a work in progress. I’m getting ready for summer, but I’m getting ready for summer 2017 at the earliest. I’m not going to lie, I’m late in the game, but I’m focused. I work out three times a week, usually free weights, and I am seeing gains – I’m serious about it.

Which excuse for not going to the gym/working out are you most ashamed of?

There has only been one excuse, and it’s that I’ve always sacrificed work over the gym, and that’s what’s let me down. Back in the days of 50 Cent – the biggest rap artist of that era – he was the first guy to come out hench, and he inspired the hip-hop generation to get in the gym. Up until then it was baggy clothes, and in baggy clothes you can be any size and you’re going to look good. He brought it into hip-hop, and I should have seized the moment then, but I didn’t, because if I’ve got sh*t to do, I’d always sacrifice it, to my shame.

How often do you take selfies in the gym?

I Snapchat [TimWestwoodTV] all the time. Selfies are cool man, I mean if you’ve done the work, you should be proud of it. It’s an achievement. I respect people who put the work in.

What’s the longest you’ve gone without alcohol?

I was a drinker, and then I came off the liquor about 10 years ago – it messes me up too much. I occasionally drink, but it takes me a week to recover. It devastates me. I’m a lightweight in the game, anybody can drink me under the table, so I can’t mess with it at all.

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Have you ever secretly impressed yourself with a feat of strength?

I’m a skinny guy, but I’ve always been able to do stuff that big guys do. There’s been moments where big guys have done something, I’ve done the same thing and felt pretty damn cool about it. I’m with a lot of big guys because I have security – they’re all monsters, their width is the same as their height, they’re square. I’m kidding myself though, I’m not strong.

Have you ever pulled a muscle in less-than-heroic circumstances?

I ripped the friggin’ cartilage in my arm. I did the initial tear on some dumbass surfing wave machine that I shouldn’t have bothered with – I nearly broke my back on that thing. It was one of those instances where you shouldn’t do sh*t on holiday that you don’t do at home – if you don’t parachute out of an aeroplane at home then you shouldn’t be doing it on holiday.

What do you think about “leg day”?

I don’t know anything about leg day man, I don’t do legs at all. I’ve got too much work to do on my top half, I haven’t got time for legs at the moment – maybe by Christmas I’ll be on legs, but right now I’m not bothered with them. It’s a conscious decision.

What do you think about “leg day”?

My fridge is always empty, but in my freezer I’ve got some bananas. They last longer if you freeze them, but you’ve got to peel them first. If you put them in with the skin on you’ll never be able to unzip them when they’re frozen. I didn’t realise that at first and I lost a whole bunch.

What music works best in the gym?

I listen to my Capital Xtra radio show. That will take me through the whole week, everything on it just gets me hyped. They play the worst music in my gym – if I left my headphones behind, I’d go home and get them or I wouldn’t go, or I’d ask for earplugs. Music is the most important thing for me.

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Have you ever ordered healthily in a restaurant but scoffed someone else’s chips?

Tim Westwood will be playing at Fresh Island Festival, July 12-14, fresh-island.org

I always do that – I always eat other people’s food, it’s the worst thing, especially when I’m with a girl, I’ll eat her food before she eats it herself. Bad habits, super-bad habits.

Who inspired you to become a cyclist?

I went along to a charity event in Nairobi, where I grew up, and one of the Kenyan national cycling team, a guy called David Kinjah, just said, “Why don’t you come for a ride with us?” I’d only really ridden a mountain bike around the bush before, so I was amazed that people of that standard would let me cycle with them. It was a simple act of generosity that inspired me to start training properly.

Who was your hero?

I feel as if I got burned a bit in that regard. I was a teenager when I started following the Tour de France closely on TV, the big duel between Ivan Basso and Lance Armstrong in 2004. I supported Ivan because he was the underdog, but a year later, he tested positive for drugs, and that killed my perception of looking at people as heroes. From that moment, I just thought, I’m doing it my way.

Who gave you the best advice?

Bobby Julich was great when I first joined Team Sky. He gave me a lot of tips about surviving in the peloton, how to save energy, how not to “take wind” for the people hiding behind you. He was an ex-pro himself, and taught me how cycling is about much more than just doing the training – it’s about your lifestyle off the bike, and the importance of recovery. He told me never to spend time on my legs after a hard session, and that’s why my couch at home gets a lot of use.

What’s the best thing about cycling fans?

One of the beautiful things about our sport is that it doesn’t cost anything to watch. Anyone can camp out by the side of the road, have a barbecue, and be literally feet away from the best competitors in the world. That said, it can get a bit hairy. It’s OK when fans run behind you, but what’s a lot more scary is when they run in front. Especially after a few beers, because then they don’t run in a very straight line, or realise just how quickly you are coming up behind them. That can get pretty sketchy.

Do you ever want to “politely” ask them to get out of the way?

I certainly thought about it when a man threw a cup of urine at me once, but I was going at 40mph and had the yellow jersey to protect. Lucky it was yellow given the circumstances…

What’s the most beautiful stage in the Tour de France?

There’s really no time to appreciate the alpine scenery. You’re focusing on every metre of road, trying to pick your line. So for me, the best stage is the last one into Paris. You can see the Eiffel Tower as you approach the city, and it’s amazing to be able to soak up the feeling of having completed three weeks and 3,000km of racing. You get an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment.

What is the best trophy?

When you win a stage, they give you a bunch of flowers and a stuffed toy lion like a teddy bear. They’re worth their weight in gold. All your friends with kids have to get one of them. Those little toddlers never know how much sweat and effort went into earning their new toy – and then you see them on the carpet chewing the ear off!

Who is your best supporter?

I’d have to say two people, my coach Tim Kerrison, and my wife. She helps a lot behind the scenes, facilitating everything at home, and planning my life away from the team. That’s a huge help. I’m terrible at keeping on top of emails and getting through admin.

Do normal bikes feel clunky to you?

Yes, I wouldn’t fancy getting on a Boris. I have a city bike to do my shopping on, and it feels like riding my mother’s old one with a basket on the back. Let’s just say I prefer my Pinarello F8.

What’s the best thing about cycling?

Recently, I was in Southampton and I put out a tweet inviting people to join me for a ride. Within a couple of hours, I had 300 people with me, which blew me away. It’s testament to how much cycling has grown in Britain over last decade, and it’s amazing to be a part of that growth.

Did any of them beat you?

Ha! I always get people hurtling past me when I’m out training, and they do seem delighted. They just don’t know that I’m actually on my “easy” recovery day when it happens…

This year Sky will celebrate its one millionth Sky Rider, and Team Sky will compete for its fourth Tour de France title in five years. Follow @SkyLovesCycling for cycling inspiration

“I hammered my way up the Alpe d’Huez”

Mike Gluckman, 33 from London, runs a marketing company

How did you first get into cycling?

I did the odd triathlon but I fell out of love with swimming quite quickly – it’s pretty gruelling – and running left me injury-prone. Road cycling is where all the history and heritage is, and it’s got such a huge amount of respect among its fans with all the legends of the sport. I fell in love with all the heroes. 

What draws you to the Tour de France?

It’s all about the scale of the event. The spectator volumes beat any other sporting event in the world. I don’t think anything comes close. The towns and villages, even the individual roads make it so charismatic. The pressure the riders come under is huge as each stage is a potential career-defining opportunity.

Does the Tour take over your life when it comes around?

I’m glued to the schedule. It dictates my daily routine. You follow the riders on the Tour website using the little web-based widget. You can see them going up and down on a profile and it tells you the distances between the groups and who’s off the front, and you’re just clicking refresh to see what’s happening. It’s ridiculous to watch the action unfold like that, but it’s what you put up with.

What is the most iconic Tour climb for you?

Alpe d’Huez is the one. It’s the most famous. There’s a bike race I do every year called the Haute Route [seven days of climbing covering more than 800km], I’ve been up the Alpe d’Huez twice and that is a tough old climb. It kicks up at 11 or 12% at the bottom and just keeps on going. One time I had an absolute blinder. It was on a huge stage too; 4,800m climbing and we’d already done the Glandon and the Madeleine. I remember coming down the Glandon coming through these industrial valleys and I was thinking “I’m in pieces now” and then, I don’t know, maybe I banged a gel at the right time, but I hammered my way up the Alpe d’Huez.

RECOMMENDED: Tour de France Ascents that You Can Ride

Of all the climbs you’ve conquered, which one is your favourite?

The Col de la Bonnette, which goes up to 2,800m. I’ve done both sides of that and it’s pretty incredible. It comes in two chunks. You zigzag your way up and you get to this higher plateau above the treeline. It almost feels like you’re back at the bottom of another mountain range but you’re not, you’re 2,000m up but looking at another 800m. It’s just astonishing. You crest over a col and you can see a long, long way stretching off towards Nice in the distance. It felt like quite a poignant moment in the race because you reached the highest point, it was the end of the fourth day, so you felt like you’d broken the back of it.

How do you train for those events?

I worked really hard with a proper coach going back a few years when I was going through the Dolomites. Since then it’s been squeezing it in and learning how to train around a busy working schedule. I think that’s the reality for a lot of people. You set out these ideals, you read the magazines and say: “Oh yeah, 12 weeks of this, tapering, dieting” – and inevitably it doesn’t come off. For this year’s event I’m going out to do the Dolomites route again and I’ve got no particular plan. I’ve got a turbo trainer, an essential bit of kit. I’ll do a session this afternoon and just jump on that for an hour, whereas you need to do two or three hours on the open road for the same amount of gain.

“I was in a coma for a week. My bike was fine…”

David Brown, 25 from Surrey, works for Evans Cycles

What do you love about the Tour de France?

It’s the intensity of the level of racing, and the amazing places they cycle through; all the sunflowers – a tradition along the Tour de France route. And it’s the amazing crowds on the flats and mountain sides, the scenery… I watch almost all of it on TV and I’ve been out to France to watch it, which was great. In a way it’s actually better to be at home watching the highlights because out there it’s five seconds and then they’re gone! I record all the stages. I’m still catching up on the Giro right now, I’m in need of a massive catch-up.

Seeing the Tour live must have been pretty special?

It was great. We got a place out in the middle of nowhere. It was the last mountain stage before they transitioned back to Paris, Pau to Hautacam, and Vincenzo Nibali won it. We actually managed to gatecrash the Lotto Soudal hotel when they were leaving for the next stage. We were making our way back to the UK and we happened to go past their hotel, so we thought we’d stop and have a nose round. We saw the whole team coming out the hotel – André Greipel, Adam Hansen, all the big guys. We watched the mechanics setting up the bikes on the team car. 

Have you ever cycled in the Alps?

I did L’Etape [a one-day sportive on a Tour stage]. It was good – but it was very wet. The day before, we went on a bit of reconnaissance. It was 25 degrees at the top of the Tourmalet, it was beautiful weather, but the next day it was apocalyptic. We got to the Tourmalet and it poured down on us. It was OK going up, but going down it was mind-bogglingly cold. Luckily I’d brought all the right gear like long gloves but some of the guys going down just weren’t wearing enough layers, they had shorts and short-sleeved jerseys, they were really suffering.

How do you prepare for cycling a Tour stage?

I did a lot of loops of Leith Hill [part of the London-Surrey Classic road race]. The thing is we don’t really have anything that replicates the Pyrenees or the Alps, so you have to do loops. Loops to Box Hill [part of the London Olympics road race route] are not very good, especially with the speed bumps which they’ve put in since the Olympics, they ruin it a little bit. That’s the kind of thing I did, just going round local loops. You’re just doing enough repetitions to simulate, but it does get boring after a while so you have to make it interesting along the way to throw some routes in that you don’t normally go down.

Did you feel the benefits when you took on the mountains?

It helps for the short climbs. There were little pre-climbs that they were perfect for, and I breezed over them. But on the Tourmalet, because of the rain everyone was just suffering. Training obviously helps, definitely stamina and endurance-wise, I never felt absolutely beyond my limit. I was tired at the end but I felt OK after eight hours or so.

Do you have plans to go out to France this year?

I don’t know if I’d do cycling out there again because I had a really nasty accident last year where I was hospitalised for a month. I got taken out on a sportive and I was in a coma for about a week. It was pretty bad and I haven’t been cycling as much as I used to since then. I still cycle, I did the Prudential when I came out of hospital. I had literally broken my skull, my T1 vertebrate, the side of my face collapsed because my helmet ripped off as I face planted. My bike was fine – typically – but I took the brunt of it at 40mph. Some guy just didn’t indicate, swerved off and clipped my wheel and took me out completely. It’s been a bit rough getting back to it, but I came back quickly.

RECOMMENDED: 10 Tips for Your First Cycling Sportive

“I joined a club at eight”

Lawrence Carpenter, 22 from London, graphic designer

How did you become interested in cycling?

I’ve always ridden bikes but it was really from a young age, about eight, when I was going to get a new bike. I saw a poster on the wall of the shop advertising a kids’ cycling club called Hillingdon Slipstreamers. I started going along to their Saturday sessions. I just kept at it and was part of the club for eight years after that.

What sort of events have you raced in since then?

There’s a category of rider – that’s how it works – from fourth category to elite. I have been elite, but I’m back down to category one this year because I’ve been trying all the big races against the pros and it’s hard to score enough points week in and week out. But I race national A standard, so just one tier below the top. I did ride Rutland [Classic race] but we are not quite a big enough team to get into the Tour of Britain, Velothon Wales, UCI events and those kinds of races.

What is it about the Tour that makes it such a special race?

There’s just nothing else like it, it’s the pinnacle of sport. It’s 21 days long, which is massive. There’s the history, and the way the big pros make it their target it every year. The race has such a huge following. It’s every rider’s season aim, it’s just the best race around.

Does it tend to take over your summer when it comes around?

Absolutely. Once the Tour de France is on you try to get back from work that little bit earlier to watch it live if you can. You definitely end up building your life around the queen stage [the most important section] that year and the big time trials on TV.

Have you ever had the chance to see the Tour live?

I’ve been to Paris twice, and I went to the Grand Depart in Monaco, which was fantastic. It was the first time I’d been there and to have the Tour de France start there, at a place famous for its Formula One race, was amazing. I saw superfan Didi Senft dressed as the devil on the side of the road, all the big teams, and I think it was the last year that Lance Armstrong rode it, so I got to see a childhood hero.

Have you met any of your cycling heroes?

I was lucky enough to spend 12 days with Orica GreenEDGE in Australia. I lived with them and trained with them so I got to meet most of that team, and I’ve met a few of the English guys too.

What was it like training with a team?

It was five hours a day in the outback – it was great. It was December to January time, so it was a lot more training than I would’ve been doing at home.

Do you have a favourite Tour de France climb?

Alpe d’Huez has to be the pinnacle. My dad’s ridden it and he’s got his shirt with all the corners named after previous winners, and I’ve got it displayed in my room.

Is there anyone you’re looking out for this year?

Obviously Froome. But I want to say Geraint Thomas, because he’s been fantastic and he has a lot of eyes on him to see how he compares to Froome, and to see if he can end up on the podium this time. That would be fantastic.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Oh God, how long have you got? Curry, pizza, cakes, Twixes, peanut butter, KitKat Chunky… I feel like I’m doing the song from Oliver – beer, bread, white bread, cheese; you name it, I love it. I can’t even have a cup of tea without having something sweet with it, I need a biscuit or a cake, it’s crazy.

What is your most impressive personal fitness best?

When I was 17 I was an amateur boxer – I had two fights and it was probably the fittest I’ve ever been. I remember both fights, it was like “Look, they might get the better of you at first, but by the end they’re going to be blowing out of their arses”. In both fights I kept getting beaten in the first and second rounds but narrowly won the third, just because the other guy was gutted.

What excuse for not working out are you most ashamed of?

Oh man, the list of excuses is ridiculous. One time I said I didn’t have a pair of trainers, but I gig in trainers, I travel in trainers, I always wear trainers. Such a flawed excuse… My support act is a ridiculous gym-goer – it’s depressing going to the gym with him, because he’s an old school “four hours in the gym, 10 runs a day” kind of guy. Yeah, I hate him.

What’s your position on kale?

I remember once I helped my dad cut the lawn and he let me empty the grass thing at the back and I got some grass in my mouth, and that’s basically kale for me. If you cook it that’s all the goodness gone from it, so let’s just sit and eat a handful of dirt like rabbits. “Ooh, you can’t cook it, you’ll lose the goodness!” Let’s all go and live in a cave – you can’t win, man, I’m sick.

Have you ever secretly impressed yourself with a feat of strength?

This is ridiculous! You’ve picked the right week to interview me about this. I did a pilot for a show and they asked us who our childhood celebrity crush was and mine was Jet from Gladiators. Then they were like, “You’re never going to believe it, she’s here tonight”. I had to arm wrestle her, best out of three, and she went down, two in a row, didn’t even need a third one. It was great, it was the best night ever.

Ever let yourself go?

Numerous times. I’ve got a really ridiculous metabolism, where if I just put a bit of effort in and watch what I eat, the weight flies off – my wife hates it. One day it’s going to catch up with me, and when it does I’ll start being a gym freak like my mates. I go in and out of times of letting myself go – after every tour I look at myself and go “My God, look at the state of you”. It’s just motorway food and beers every night.

What food wouldn’t you give up for a million pounds?

Probably pizza, I love pizza, I got pizza delivered onto a train once. I just went on Twitter and tweeted Domino’s saying “I’m on this train, here to here, these are the stops, these are what times it’s stopping, do you think you could get a pizza to one of these stops?” They went and did it – it went viral, it was class.

What’s the best way to spice up a boring jog?

Probably brick someone’s windows? Or slap a big, tough guy and just leg it…

Is there anything funny about being in good shape?

I don’t know why, but I think my fans would sort of laugh at us even more if I was in really great shape, but not in the right kind of way. They’d be like “Come on Ramsey, man, pack it in. Go on, have a burger. Stop it”.

What are your thoughts on leg day?

When I see someone with an amazing upper body, then I look down at their legs and they totally never bothered, I take it as a personal victory. It’s like a pencil holding up a pineapple. I like a good snipe, “Yeah, you look good but look at your stupid skinny legs”. People missing leg day is a gift to people like me, because I’ve missed everything day…

Chris Ramsey has teamed up with Swiftcover to help rediscover the nation’s comedy hotspots with a series of comedy gigs across the UK. Visit swiftcover.uk/swiftgigs to apply for free tickets

Those pesky aliens are back to wage war on the poor tiny humans in the long-awaited sequel to 1996’s Independence Day, and Jessie Usher is up front in the battle. Fighting evil extraterrestrials is no doubt hard work, but is it as hard as staying fit in the real world?

Did you have to prepare physically for the movie?

Not specifically. I was filming a show called Survivor’s Remorse in the time leading up to it, and was training for that, so I just kept to the same workout regime. The only feedback from Roland [Emmerich – director] was that he wanted me to work out less, because he thought, as a fighter pilot, I’d have less time to go to the gym if I was spending most of my time saving the world. There were some pretty demanding scenes, though, where we were shooting in waist-deep water or climbing things, jumping over stuff, running and diving. Luckily I was in decent enough shape to hold up for the hours we were filming.

How would you rate your fitness on a scale of one to 10?

I’m a strong eight. There’s always room for improvement, but at this point my stamina’s pretty high and I’m stronger than I look – I’m skinny but at the same time I feel I can lift more weight than all my friends...

What do you do, fitness-wise?

All kinds of stuff – I try to change it up so I don’t get bored. I go to the gym just about every day to do some resistance training, and I work every muscle group I can. I also practise martial arts. I do American Kenpo karate these days, but I’ve been doing different styles my whole life, so it would be interesting to put it on film at some point and see how that turns out. I think it would be pretty good. I play basketball, too, and sometimes I go to the beach and swim. I try to stay active – that’s the most important thing.

What will you never do again?

When I was training for Survivor’s Remorse, I had to do hundreds of hack squats – I just started to hate them because I did them so often. I’d be like “Can’t we do another type of squat?” If I had my way I’d never do another one in my life.

How is your fitness fingerprint unique to you and your career?

Being fit has put me in the position where I can play the roles I’ve played, so it bears a level of importance for that. I’m fortunate in that it never feels as if I’m dragging myself to the gym because I have to do it. It’s just a part of my lifestyle, and it’s been working out well for me so far. There’s a pretty close relationship between my level of fitness and the opportunities that have come about in my career.

Jessie stars in Independence Day: Resurgence in cinemas from 24 June

Independence Day: Resurgence Preview

The original Independence Day is a classic of mid-’90s mindless blockbuster filmmaking, with enough explosions, spaceships, computer viruses and escaping dogs to gratify even the most jaded action movie fan. It’s been a whole 20 years since that movie, and according to Hollywood, that’s a good enough reason to grant us a sequel. This time around, we’re minus Will Smith, but we’ve still got a load of the old cast rejoining the party, like Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Judd Hirsch, Vivica A. Fox and Brent Spiner. Fighting alongside them are new additions Jessie Usher, Liam Hemsworth and Maika Monroe, and it’s all under the direction of original helmer Roland “We Need More Explosions” Emmerich.

The sequel offers much of the same, with the naughty extraterrestrials coming back to earth to shoot things with bigger and better laser guns. Since the first invasion, the plucky humans have taken on some of the aliens’ technology so, in theory, should be a bit more prepared than last time (although according to the trailer, it seems the invaders are still quite adept at blowing up all our stuff). It remains to be seen if this will match the quality of the 1996 movie, but as long as there aren’t any scenes where Jeff Goldblum guesses the spaceship’s WiFi password and uses up all their bandwidth so they’re cut off by their provider, we should be all right.

Who most helped you become a successful athlete?

The bottom line is that to be successful at sport you have to start young, and the only way to do that is to have parents who are willing to transport you to practice, to pay for your kit, to give up their own free time and to be there for the highs and lows of being an athlete.

So, were you “hot-housed” from a young age?

Oh, no. And I’m very glad I wasn’t. Good junior athletes rarely become good seniors, because they have been driven too hard and they’ve stopped enjoying it. They don’t stick with it when they are old enough to have the choice. In my case, I did a lot of sport as a kid because it was part of my social circle. I would do a two-hour session in the swimming pool with my mates and it would feel like fun.

Which sportsman was your hero growing up?

I chaired a session recently and we had Sally Gunnell on the panel. I spoke to her about which athletes she had looked up to, and she said there hadn’t really been anyone. I have to say, I agree. As an athlete, I was envious of certain people who were achieving great things, and I strove to match them, but they were never an “inspiration”. I never looked at them and thought, “I want to be you”.

Who gave you the best advice?

My dad. He was a boxer, the number one light-middleweight in England, and he was a great mentor. I think that’s what all sportsmen need: somebody to direct them, to tell them when they’re getting too arrogant, to build their confidence up when they’re feeling down.

What is the most useful book about sport that you’ve read?

There were a whole host of great texts that supported me in my growth as an academic, and the best one was a book called Lecture Notes In Human Physiology. It’s the fount of all knowledge on the subject, and I still use it all the time now I’m working with others, whether they’re gold medal-winners or cancer patients.

Which of the celebrities you have trained was the most impressive?

David Walliams, Davina McCall, John Bishop and Eddie Izzard… they achieved stuff that made people sit up and think, “Wow, that’s incredible”. I realised how hard these people had worked to achieve their success in show business, all the years of struggle to get to the top. We live in a terrible X Factor society where people believe you can become talented and famous overnight, but the truth is it’s incredibly difficult to get to the top, whether that’s in sport or business or entertainment. You need to have great powers of perseverance. And they clearly did.

Eddie Izzard ran 43 marathons in 51 days. Isn’t that a bit excessive?

No, is the answer. He’s since done another 27 in 27 days, and it hasn’t done him any harm. I’m not claiming it would suit everyone, but he absolutely loves what he does, and it’s obviously right for him.

What’s the best tip you’d give somebody who wants to excel?

To recognise that most people have placed barriers in front of themselves. We are conditioned to think that many goals are simply impossible for us to attain. But “impossible” is just a construct. The first thing to do is to be audacious, to have the vision of challenging yourself. The truth is, you probably can achieve your goals.

How do you stop people quitting?

I’m doing a project for 9BAR at the moment, training people who are definitely not athletes to do a 10km run. I’m sure everybody will have moments when they want to give up, but the secret is to structure the programme correctly. You can’t just have that The Biggest Loser technique where they stand over them and shout as loudly as a drill sergeant, you have to build a bespoke plan for each person. You’re trying to find that intrinsic motivation within them that they can take away after the event is over and you’re not around any more. Everyone’s got it – there just has to be a reason for them to extract it.

RECOMMENDED: 10K Training Plan

Greg Whyte is a 9BAR ambassador, currently helping nine ordinary Brits get Great Newham Run ready by Sunday 17 July