Fitness and Thinking

Jack Mann

There's more to fitness than lifting weights, and if you've achieved your sports or body goals – or you're on you way to them – you'll likely have found yourself wondering alternately: is this it or what's next? Some of you might even self-sabotage before you get to this point because not knowing is a scary place to be. F&T tackles the big and small, the fat and the skinny and the completely delulu, and is hosted by a PT and online coach with a masters in Psychology, who's sick of fitness being reduced to: do you have a six pack?

  1. 1 day ago

    Take A Breath Before You Respond To This - F&T64

    What if the thing you're experiencing isn't the thing you think it is? I've been reading Master of Change, thinking about the Greek concept of aporia, and noticing how often we turn a signal into a story before we've investigated it. An ankle niggle becomes I'm injured. A bad padel session becomes I'm not good at this. Not being invited becomes they don't value me. A loss of motivation becomes I've lost my direction. But what if the signal isn't the conclusion? In this episode, I explore the space between what happens and what we decide it means — and why staying in "I don't know yet" can be incredibly useful. I talk about injury, getting humbled at padel, coaching, Munger's "invert, always invert", Taleb's approach to uncertainty, and why a good coach might sometimes be more useful for helping someone question their interpretation than giving them an answer. The framework I'm taking away is simple: Signal → pause → investigate → update → act. Not: Signal → story → reaction. This continues ideas from F&T60, about preparing for action when opportunity arrives, and F&T61, where curiosity and the opportunities it creates became a central theme. Maybe maturity isn't knowing what everything means. Maybe it's becoming comfortable enough with uncertainty to find out. Question your first interpretation. Keep exploring Fitness & Thinking If this conversation about uncertainty, curiosity, adaptation and questioning our first interpretations resonated, you might also enjoy: Niell JJ, The Cali Physio | It's Hard Not To Take Injuries Personally | F&T6 An early F&T conversation that fits the theme of staying curious and questioning what we think we know. James Sidebottom | If Hyrox is an A-level in fitness is CrossFit a PhD? | F&T39 Performance, identity, confidence through competence and the importance of leaving it on the floor, and living outside of the gym. Johnny Wilson | You Didn't Go Bankrupt Overnight | F&T53 Why injuries often begin long before the pain appears, and what happens when we learn to read changes in the body as information rather than waiting for a crisis. Amanda Lim | Why You Don't Have To Bounce Back | F&T63 Last week's conversation, continuing the wider F&T thread around change, uncertainty, curiosity and the assumptions we make about ourselves and other people. e: fitnessandthinking@gmail.com IG: ⁨@fitnessandthinking⁩ @coachjackmann

  2. 20 Aug

    Coach Amanda Lim - Why You Don't Have To "Bounce Back" - F&T63

    Can you build a stronger body without trying to become your younger or non-parent self?This week, Singapore-based, metabolic health coach Amanda Lim and I explore what really changes during midlife – from hormones and muscle to identity, motherhood, and the stories women are told about ageing.Rather than chasing the idea of bouncing back, Amanda argues for something more sustainable: building an ever-changing relationship with your body through strength, adaptability, and self-compassion.We discuss the shift from PCOS to PMOS, why “listen to your body” can be incomplete advice, Singapore’s fascinating approach to longevity, and the limits of food labelling systems.The conversation finishes with a powerful idea borrowed from performance psychology: rugged flexibility – the ability to hold onto discipline while adapting when life inevitably changes.More from AmandaInstagram: @coachamandalim LIFT Clinic: liftclinic.org The Forties Formula: thefortiesformula.com If you enjoy deeper conversations on fitness, psychology, and living well, subscribe to Fitness & Thinking for a new episode every week.Keep exploring Fitness & ThinkingIf this conversation with Amanda resonated, you might also enjoy:Jason Smith | It’s Never Too Late To Be Someone Else | F&T55Midlife fitness, identity, reinvention and why ageing doesn’t have to mean giving up on challenge.Nicole Askwith Williams | Women’s Wellbeing | F&T35A conversation about women’s health, wellbeing and the things that often go unaddressed.Lottie Renzi | What If You Already Have Enough? | F&T54Motherhood, identity, body image, fitness and the pressure to keep optimising yourself.

  3. 13 Aug

    Grahame Connolly - How To Build A Life That Outlives You - F&T62

    Grahame Connolly spent 17 years as headteacher of Glade Hill Primary School in Bestwood, Nottingham, a school at the heart of a disadvantaged but remarkably strong community. We talk about what it means to build a culture rather than simply run an organisation, and how leadership is as much about people management as it is creating the conditions in which people thrive. Grahame talks about his wife's terminal cancer diagnosis, the five years that followed, and the idea of giving her “the best death” he possibly could. We talk about grief, family, resilience and what it means to live alongside loss rather than simply trying to move beyond it. We chat about how we met as just one part of Grahame's “professionally retired” work ethic, in which he always has people, relationships, purpose and things to do (apart from on Fridays!) Topics: work, community, marriage, grief, ageing, purpose and the strange question of what we do with a life after the role that once defined it has ended. F&T62 is a conversation about building something that lasts — and learning how to keep living when life takes a turn.

  4. 6 Aug

    Your Relationships Will Struggle Without This | F&T61

    You don't need to watch 60 episodes of Fitness & Thinking to realise that the questions we've been asking about fitness have rarely stayed inside the six neat pillars. Conversations about training became conversations about identity. Nutrition led into control. Creativity influences our relationships (or lack thereof). Becoming successful interrogated what it meant to have "enough". If you've ever thought fitness is for other people, I hope this episode gives you something to think about. Today, we reflect on lessons inspired by conversations with: Helen Woodford, Johnny Wilson, Lottie Renzi, Jason Smith, Mister Miracle & The Human Target, Elle Mace and Zlattie Dimitrova. If you enjoy thoughtful conversations about fitness, psychology, philosophy and living well, it'd be class if you subscribed and/or left a comment on what gets you thinking! Want to help or support? I'm looking for an editor/producer and a social media manager. Get in touch: fitnessandthinking@gmail.com Follow on IG and Substack: @fitnessandthinking Want to work with a lifestyle and fitness coach who thinks bigger than the gym? Email: coachjackmann@gmail.com

  5. 30 Jul

    What Boxfit Teaches Us About Life | F&T60

    The perfect routine. The perfect plan. The perfect moment to begin.Life doesn't work like that.In this solo episode of Fitness & Thinking, I reflect on a failed attempt to record this week's podcast, what boxing taught me about responding rather than reacting, Nassim Nicholas Taleb's ideas on uncertainty and antifragility, why great systems outperform motivation, and how via negativa – improving life by removing rather than adding – might be one of the most underrated ideas in modern life.Along the way we explore marathon training, the World Cup, a cracked phone screen that wasn't cracked after all, and why preparing well is often more valuable than trying to control the outcome.If you've ever felt frustrated because your plans didn't survive contact with reality, this episode is for you.In this episode:Why systems matter more than motivationTaleb's idea of antifragilityWhat boxing taught me about uncertaintySpain, Argentina and the power of repeatable systemsWhy removing things can improve your life andBuilding a life that's harder to derailIf you enjoy thoughtful conversations about fitness, psychology, philosophy and living well in the modern world, consider subscribing.I'd love to know:What system has made – or continues to make – the biggest difference in your life?

  6. 23 Jul

    Zlattie Dimitrova | The Reality of Bikini Bodybuilding | F&T59

    What happens when changing your body becomes the project? Zlattie Dimitrova is a competitive bikini bodybuilder and head coach at Everlast. From the outside, bodybuilding can look like an extreme pursuit of discipline and aesthetics. But underneath the training, food, prep and posing are much bigger questions about identity, confidence, health and what really drives us to change ourselves. We talk about the hardest parts of prep that nobody sees, where discipline can become obsession, the mixed reality of looking objectively incredible and still feeling like you're not enough, and whether becoming stronger and more muscular can actually change how you experience femininity. We also talk openly and without sensationalism about PEDs in bodybuilding, what people misunderstand about their use and what Zlattie would advise anyone interested in the sport to consider before going all-in. F&T59 isn't just about bodybuilding; it's about whether changing your body changes your life. Stay up-to-date with Zlattie: https://www.instagram.com/zd.coaching/ Fitness & Thinking explores six pillars of wellbeing: physical, mental, social, emotional, spiritual and financial. Six pillars, yes. Six-pack obsession, no. New episodes Wednesday on YouTube, Thursday on Spotify & Apple. Follow along: @fitnessandthinking Coaching: coachjackmann@gmail.comPodcast / guest ideas: fitnessandthinking@gmail.com

  7. 16 Jul

    Elle Mace | Food Freedom Isn't Just About Food | F&T58

    This week I'm joined by Elle Mace – eating disorder practitioner, speaker, author of Food Freedom, and mother of three – for one of F&T's most thoughtful conversations yet on the psychology behind eating, body image and wellbeing. We explore why food is so often a symptom rather than the problem itself, how shame and self-worth shape our behaviours, and why "fixing ourselves" rarely creates lasting change. Along the way we discuss GLP-1 medications, food noise, diet culture, athletes, positive psychology, NLP, therapy, parenting and what genuine food freedom might actually look like. Whether you're trying to lose weight, improve your relationship with food, coach others or simply understand yourself a little better, I think you'll find something here. Topics include: • What food freedom actually means • Food noise explained • GLP-1s (Ozempic/Mounjaro) and dependency • Diet culture and body image • Why control and restriction often backfire • Conditions of worth and self-esteem • Positive psychology & NLP • Parenting and body image • RED-S, athletes and performance • Orthorexia and the obsession with "clean eating" • Therapy, coaching and behaviour change Follow Elle: Instagram: @iamellemace Website: https://ellemace.com Subscribe for weekly conversations exploring six pillars of wellbeing: Physical, Mental, Emotional, Social, Spiritual and Financial. If you enjoyed this episode, check out: Why Perfect Diets Usually Fail | Amy Stephens | F&T40 What If You Already Have Enough? | Lottie Renzi | F&T54 The BBC/NHS piece: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj6g0rdy40jo And if you have an episode or guest idea, or would like to appear on a future episode yourself, email us: fitnessandthinking@gmail.com

  8. 9 Jul

    Steve Bennett - I Was Fat & Furious Until... - F&T57

    Steve Bennett is a serial entrepreneur and wellness educator. I asked him: why are we getting heavier and sicker despite knowing more about nutrition than ever before? We explore insulin resistance, Type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 medications and their risks, ultra-processed foods, muscle loss during weight loss, exercise, walking after meals and what actually moves the needle of long-term health. Some of Steve’s views align closely with current clinical guidance. Others reflect his interpretation of the evidence over years of work and remain topics of active debate within nutrition and metabolic health research. He gives a disclosure part way through the conversation, for instance, around his books and supplements. Rather than trying to “win” the conversation, the aim was to explore the evidence, challenge assumptions and encourage curiosity. Topics include: Why insulin resistance matters Type 2 diabetes and remission GLP-1 weight-loss medications Resistance training and muscle preservation Walking after meals Ultra-processed foods Food addiction OMAD (one meal a day) and muscle loss Where experts agree...and where they don’t If you enjoy conversations that leave room for nuance rather than certainty, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments! More from Steve: https://clubwell.com/ https://www.instagram.com/stevebennettmhp/ This week’s newsletter supports the episode; the questions I had to lookup afterwards include: when you’ve got insulin in the bloodstream its impossible to lose fat? is elevated insulin the primary reason for cancers? will hormones (namely insulin) prevent weight loss in a calorie deficit? are fruits bred to have less fibre? do berries spike blood sugar less? does fructose raise blood sugar? how does it work in the body? should your waist be half your height? Editing note: given half of you just listen to these episodes, your experience won’t be impacted but if you watch them and wonder why we’re spending so long on me when Steve’s talking, these extended cuts on my face were due to connection dropouts!

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

There's more to fitness than lifting weights, and if you've achieved your sports or body goals – or you're on you way to them – you'll likely have found yourself wondering alternately: is this it or what's next? Some of you might even self-sabotage before you get to this point because not knowing is a scary place to be. F&T tackles the big and small, the fat and the skinny and the completely delulu, and is hosted by a PT and online coach with a masters in Psychology, who's sick of fitness being reduced to: do you have a six pack?

Information

  • Creator
    Jack Mann
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    92
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Jack Mann
  • Show Website
    Fitness and Thinking