The Next Move

John Paton - @johngetstrong
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Endurance, strength, and long-term health in all its forms. The Next Move features conversations with athletes, coaches, scientists, and thinkers exploring how to train, think, and live better. By John Paton - @johngetstrong johngetstrong.substack.com

  1. A Sub-60 HYROX Is Nearly Impossible Without a Strong Aerobic Base - Owen Silver (#14)

    5 DAYS AGO

    A Sub-60 HYROX Is Nearly Impossible Without a Strong Aerobic Base - Owen Silver (#14)

    Owen Silver is a software engineer and experienced triathlete who ran a 60-minute HYROX in his very first season of racing. Owen and I also teamed up for the HYROX Pro Doubles in Melbourne, where we finished in 58:52. In this episode, Owen breaks down the training principles that helped him cut five minutes off his HYROX time in just six months. Episode breakdown: 00:57 – Why Owen switched from triathlon to HYROX 02:06 – “HYROX is a runner’s sport”: endurance base vs strength 05:11 – Owen’s triathlon benchmarks (5k / marathon / weekly training load) 08:20 – Melbourne Open result: ~1:00 (with extra lap) + what improved 10:08 – Wall balls: technique, volume, and going unbroken 15:43 – Sled push/pull: training heavy, technique, and fixing blow-ups 18:55 – Running build to ~60km/week + managing shin issues 24:05 – Doubles vs solo: pacing, station load-sharing, and why doubles is fun 29:23 – Training consistency with a full-time job (routine, fueling, sleep) 34:05 – Coaching: self-coached now, thoughts on hiring a coach 37:28 – What’s next: Olympic weightlifting + explosive goals This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johngetstrong.substack.com

    39 min
  2. Hyrox World Record Holder: Efficiency is Key for Hyrox! Most Athletes Get This Wrong!(#13)

    20/12/2025

    Hyrox World Record Holder: Efficiency is Key for Hyrox! Most Athletes Get This Wrong!(#13)

    Pelayo Menendez-Fernandez holds the Hyrox doubles world record, having raced an incredible 48:31 alongside Rich Ryan in Miami. In this episode, we break down the training principles that fuel his performances — from his signature “Hyrox endurance” sessions (long, controlled station work that builds pacing and efficiency), to the small technique tweaks that save huge amounts of energy on race day. Pelayo also shares how he structures a basic Hyrox training week, why he avoids race simulations, and the mindset shift he believes separates good athletes from truly great racers. Episode breakdown: 00:00 – Pelayo’s Hyrox/triathlon backgrond 00:26 – Pelayo explains his “Hyrox endurance” (long Zone 2–style) station session concept 02:23 – How long is the endurance session, and what intensity (HR/RPE, zones)? 04:10 – Common beginner mistake: going 10/10 intensity on every station 05:40 – What “efficiency” means in Hyrox: minimum energy, maximum speed 06:50 – Lunge efficiency tip: hitting the back knee hard (and why knee pads help) 07:12 – Burpee efficiency tip: minimize time on the ground + use bounce/momentum into the jump 09:52 – Why doubles can make certain techniques even more effective (shorter sets + rest) 11:12 – Coaching efficiency: technique drills and experimenting with positions (sled push/pull, etc.) 15:15 – Wall balls: Pelayo’s toughest station + the mental/physical battle of going unbroken 19:37 – Race-day “extra gear” vs training: why wall balls feel different in competition 22:25 – Running intensity philosophy: key threshold/VO2 sessions + easy days truly easy 25:16 – The “accidental” block that transferred to the Miami pro doubles world record (speed into threshold) 27:10 – Building a basic Hyrox training week: long endurance session + compromised run/bodyweight session 30:59 – Strength approach: supersets + mixing strength with erg/station work (and managing recovery) 47:00 – Elite race mindset: why Pelayo avoids race sims and saves the “gift” for race day 52:21 – What Pelayo’s most focused on now This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johngetstrong.substack.com

    54 min
  3. “Elite Athletes Are Tired All The Time” — Dr. John Hellemans On Why Chasing Peak Performance Drains You, And Why Exercising For Health Fills You With Energy (#12)

    10/11/2025

    “Elite Athletes Are Tired All The Time” — Dr. John Hellemans On Why Chasing Peak Performance Drains You, And Why Exercising For Health Fills You With Energy (#12)

    Dr. John Hellemans is a New Zealand-based sports medicine doctor, elite triathlon coach, and former champion triathlete. A six-time national titleholder and eight-time Masters World Champion, he also coached Olympians and founded the NZ Triathlon Academy. Known for blending medical insight with intuitive coaching, he completed the Kona Ironman at 60 and was awarded the MNZM in 2020 for services to triathlon. In this episode, Dr. Hellemans recounts the evolution of triathlon training — from the pre-heart-rate-monitor era to today’s data-driven science. He shares how heart rate zones, training by feel, and the psychology of fatigue shape not just athletic performance but lifelong health. Episode breakdown: 00:00 – Introduction 00:21 – Meeting Gordo Byrn 03:29 – Can Late Starters Reach Their Potential? 04:50 – Sports Science and Coaching Philosophy 06:06 – Early Days of Triathlon and Sports Science 08:50 – Finnish Influence and Heart Rate Zones 11:32 – Understanding Heart Rate Zones 13:43 – Training by Feel (RPE) 15:39 – Medicine and Coaching Crossover 17:48 – The Addictive Nature of Exercise 20:22 – Understanding Fatigue 24:16 – Heart Health and Arrhythmias in Endurance Athletes 26:06 – Discovering Atrial Fibrillation 28:58 – Training and Racing After Heart Procedures 31:51 – Exercise for Health, Not Performance 33:29 – What Medicine Can Learn from Coaching 36:35 – Preventative Medicine and Lifestyle 38:14 – Exercise as Preventative Medicine 40:33 – Testing and Measuring Endurance Fitness 42:45 – Running Assessments and Injury Prevention4 4:21 – Writing and Character – A New Project 46:36 – The Meaning of Character and Suffering 46:58 – Closing Remarks This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johngetstrong.substack.com

    47 min
  4. “What Happens When You Track Everything?” — Rob ter Horst on Data, Health, and the Future of Self-Tracking (#11)

    31/10/2025

    “What Happens When You Track Everything?” — Rob ter Horst on Data, Health, and the Future of Self-Tracking (#11)

    Rob ter Horst is a postdoctoral researcher in bioinformatics and the creator behind The Quantified Scientist YouTube channel, where he rigorously tests and reviews health and fitness tracking devices. Rob shares how his curiosity for data led him from wearing a simple Fitbit to conducting one of the most extensive self-tracking experiments ever — including over 250 weekly brain MRIs since 2018. We explore his journey into quantifying nearly every aspect of his biology, his insights into the accuracy of popular wearables, the limits of health tracking, and his vision for the future of personalized data and AI-driven health. Episode breakdown: 00:00 – Introduction to Rob ter Horst — postdoctoral researcher, bioinformatician, and creator of The Quantified Scientist YouTube channel. 01:00 – How Rob’s self-tracking journey began with a Fitbit and evolved into weekly brain MRIs. 03:00 – The world’s most comprehensive personal brain dataset: 250+ MRI scans since 2018. 05:30 – Tracking every aspect of daily life — from mood and microbiome to sleep and cognition. 07:20 – The dream of real-time, actionable feedback from health data (and why we’re not there yet). 08:50 – Rob’s fitness and nutrition goals — weight gain, strength, and balancing cardio with muscle mass. 10:30 – Testing VO₂ max at home and in the lab: insights from metabolic analysis. 12:00 – How hundreds of wearables compare: Apple, Garmin, Oura, Whoop, and 8 Sleep. 15:00 – Health-focused vs. sport-focused vs. smartwatch-first devices — what’s best for you. 17:20 – Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM): usefulness for non-diabetics and the limits of the data. 19:40 – What to measure when your goal is long-term healthspan. 21:00 – How tracking changed Rob’s behavior — especially his sleep. 24:00 – Data-driven fitness: how metrics like heart rate and wattage keep him accountable. 26:30 – Sleep tracking insights: the impact of late meals, workouts, and heart rate variability. 30:00 – Why actionable health algorithms are still far away — and the problem with incomplete data. 31:50 – Rob’s thoughts on AI and the future of health data analysis. 34:00 – Inside his data storage and analysis workflow — from wearables to MRIs. 39:30 – What metrics Rob wishes existed: non-invasive glucose and at-home molecular testing. 41:30 – Inspirations in quantified health — from Peter Attia to Dr. Mike. 43:40 – The fundamentals that matter most: sleep, exercise, and nutrition. 45:30 – Balancing research, YouTube, and the science of self-tracking. 47:00 – Future goals: building a data interpretation platform and expanding testing diversity. 48:30 – What Rob’s most curious about now — Apple’s rumored non-invasive glucose tracking. 49:30 – Closing thoughts and takeaways. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johngetstrong.substack.com

    50 min
  5. Iñaki de la Parra: "Zone 2 Training Burned Me Out... Here's How I Train Now" (#10)

    23/10/2025

    Iñaki de la Parra: "Zone 2 Training Burned Me Out... Here's How I Train Now" (#10)

    Iñaki de la Parra is an Ultraman champion, elite endurance athlete, and entrepreneur. In this conversation, he shares his philosophy on training, recovery, and life design—emphasizing low-intensity training, daily movement, and a long-term approach to athletic development. He talks about transitioning from a high-intensity, burnout-prone training style to one centered around Zone 0 and Zone 1 training, guided by coach Alan Couzens. Iñaki also explains how he balances a demanding life—running businesses, raising a family, and coaching others—while still making space for serious athletic goals. Episode breakdown: 00:00 – Introduction: Who is Inaki De La Parra? 01:03 – Welcome: VO2 max, endurance journey, and movement philosophy 02:28 – Life context: Family, entrepreneurship & balancing priorities 04:29 – Daily structure: Owning the morning, minimizing travel 06:33 – Systems & execution: Why people fail to start 07:38 – Motivation: Helping others, defining success on your own terms 09:29 – Discovering Ultraman: From Ironman movie to endurance racing 13:50 – Coaching with Alan Couzens: From burnout to science-backed training 14:22 – Mistakes before Alan: Too much Zone 2 & intensity 17:53 – Overtraining signs: Hormonal, psychological, and energy issues 20:28 – Trusting the process: Going all-in on low-intensity training 23:30 – Chasing outcomes: When winning doesn’t fulfill you 25:16 – Training insights: Frequency, volume, and fueling 27:16 – Key metrics: Sleep, energy, self-check-ins, and adaptation 30:30 – Calories vs TSS: Energy expenditure as a core concept 33:30 – Tactical athlete: Mobility, strength, aerobic base, and skills 39:28 – Common weaknesses: Lack of strength, mobility, and aerobic efficiency 40:37 – Strength training principles: Circuits, simplicity, and heart rate 43:53 – Load-bearing training: Military-style prep and results 45:15 – Edge of curiosity: Training for life, not just performance 47:49 – Final thoughts: Live your principles and win daily This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johngetstrong.substack.com

    48 min
  6. “No One’s Figured Hyrox Out Yet” — Elite 15 Athlete Rich Ryan on Decoding Threshold Training, Sled Power, and Longevity in the Sport(#9)

    15/10/2025

    “No One’s Figured Hyrox Out Yet” — Elite 15 Athlete Rich Ryan on Decoding Threshold Training, Sled Power, and Longevity in the Sport(#9)

    Rich Ryan is an Elite 15 Hyrox Athlete We talk about: * How Rich achieved the fastest sled times at the 2025 World Championships * What athletic backgrounds tend to do best at Hyrox * Why Rich believes threshold training is so key for Hyrox * How Rich has been able to keep on improving at Hyrox into his late 30s * What Rich has learned about competing at Hyrox doubles * Why Rich decided to up his YouTube game Episode breakdown: 00:00 – Intro 01:07 – Reflecting on the 2025 season: highs and learnings 03:03 – Going all-in at Worlds: mindset and pacing lessons 05:09 – How Rich mastered the sled push & pull 08:03 – The 3 pillars of sled training: strength, speed & lactate tolerance 11:10 – Sleds vs. traditional strength work: what actually carries over 13:44 – In-season strength training: how much is enough? 16:09 – Why Rich reduced powerlifting to focus on performance 18:03 – The missing piece: building “race endurance” 20:26 – Threshold training for HYROX: finding the sweet spot 23:48 – Heart rate zones in multi-modal workouts: what to watch 26:06 – Building progression: how Rich tracked his threshold work 29:57 – Athlete profiles: triathletes vs. CrossFitters in HYROX 31:19 – The rise of the next generation of HYROX athletes 33:03 – Training at 39: recovery, movement quality & avoiding overtraining 35:57 – Managing pain and longevity in hybrid sports 37:51 – Mindset: how Rich stays engaged through discomfort 41:02 – Breaking the doubles world record: strategy & lessons 43:57 – Balancing training, business & content creation 45:58 – The evolution of HYROX: sponsorships and pro athletes 47:22 – Training with Nick Bare: nutrition, work ethic & insights 50:30 – Growing on YouTube: content creation lessons 52:29 – Podcast vs YouTube: different mediums, different storytelling 54:55 – Rich’s curiosity: velocity-based training & lactate testing 58:03 – Wrap-up: what’s next for Rich in the 2025 season Connect with Rich Rich’s Instagram RMR Training Podcast This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johngetstrong.substack.com

    1 hr
  7. Is HYROX a Healthy Way to Train? – Dr. Dan Plews (#8)

    14/07/2025

    Is HYROX a Healthy Way to Train? – Dr. Dan Plews (#8)

    Dr. Dan Plews is a world-class coach, scientist, and athlete. In this episode, Dan breaks down his transition from triathlon to Hyrox, how he balances strength and endurance in training, and why most athletes get intensity wrong. We talk about: * Why Hyrox is the perfect mix of endurance and strength * Common training mistakes and how to avoid them * Dan’s weekly structure: double thresholds, strength, and compromise runs * Recovery capacity: what really drives it * Nutrition and hydration: what matters, what doesn’t * Specificity and strength endurance for hybrid sports * The future of Hyrox: can anyone go sub-50?👇 Connect with Dan https://www.instagram.com/theplews/ https://www.endurox.co/ Episode breakdown: 00:00 – Intro: Meet Dr. Dan Plews, coach, scientist, and athlete 01:16 – From Ironman to Hyrox: Why Dan made the switch 02:34 – Balancing endurance & strength for health and performance 04:21 – Is Hyrox more “endurance” or “strength”? 06:05 – Why Hyrox training is still in its infancy 08:17 – Lessons from working with Elite 15 athlete Pelayo Mendez 11:31 – Recovery capacity: genetics, training age, and mindset 14:21 – Dan’s weekly structure for Hyrox training 17:07 – Double threshold days: why and how they work 20:06 – Strength endurance vs max strength: what matters most 22:53 – Why most Hyrox athletes train too hard 26:25 – Specificity: compromise running and stations 30:26 – Tracking progress: what Dan measures (and what he ignores) 34:35 – Building Endurox: a new hybrid training platform 38:03 – Nutrition for hybrid athletes: protein, carbs, hydration 44:21 – Pre-race fueling and in-race nutrition: does it matter? 47:26 – Can Hyrox ever go Olympic? 50:34 – The future of the sport: sub-50 pro times and growth 52:52 – Dan’s curiosity: ultra-high carb fueling & strength endurance 55:07 – Wrap up: Key takeaways for hybrid athletes This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johngetstrong.substack.com

    57 min
  8. The Norwegian Method, Recovery & The Health-Performance Tradeoff – Dr. David Lipman (#7)

    07/07/2025

    The Norwegian Method, Recovery & The Health-Performance Tradeoff – Dr. David Lipman (#7)

    The Norwegian Method Demystified – Dr. David Lipman Joins the Show! Dr. David Lipman has one of the most fascinating careers at the intersection of health, fitness, and technology. A medical doctor, endurance athlete, and coach, David also hosts The Norwegian Method podcast, where he’s had rare behind-the-scenes access to the Norwegian triathlon team that’s been redefining the sport in recent years. In this episode, we go deep on the training philosophies and human-centered approach that have made Norwegian athletes like Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden so dominant. But we don’t stop there—this conversation quickly branches out into big-picture questions about performance, health, and behavior change. We talk about: * What actually defines “The Norwegian Method” (and why most people get it wrong) * How the Norwegians use testing to gain buy-in and drive results * Lactate tracking: misunderstood fad or powerful tool? * Continuous monitors (lactate, glucose, ketones): the future or a distraction? * Why training adaptation—not training load—matters most * The tradeoff between health and performance (and how to find your balance) * Why most tracking is pointless without action * David’s advice for young coaches and health professionals * The big unsolved problem in health: behavior change We also dive into David’s personal tracking philosophy, his take on the future of health and AI, and why curiosity has been his guiding principle across medicine, coaching, and tech. Whether you’re a coach, athlete, or just fascinated by cutting-edge thinking in health and fitness, you’re going to love this one.👇 Connect with David: https://www.drdavidjlipman.com/ Newsletter: “Nexus Health & Performance” Podcast: 1 % Better - Hidden Stories in Sport Instagram: @drdavidlipman Episode breakdown: 00:00 – Intro: Meet Dr. David Lipman, expert on health, fitness & the Norwegian Method 01:16 – The Norwegian Method: What defines it and why it works 04:05 – Training volume: How much work Norwegian triathletes really do 05:21 – Are today’s athletes doing more than ever before? 07:07 – The role of testing: Precision, buy-in, and performance 08:44 – Lactate tracking: Overrated or essential for endurance? 11:06 – Continuous lactate monitors: Game changer or gimmick? 14:47 – Measuring adaptation: Simple ways to track progress 19:39 – Tracking too much? Why data without action is useless 22:36 – Healthcare parallels: Data collection and minimal intervention 26:40 – What David tracks personally (and what he ignores) 31:31 – The future of health: Will advice change in 30 years? 35:22 – Coaching impact: Helping people for life, not just sport 39:19 – Advice for young professionals in health & fitness 43:18 – The big problem to solve: Changing human behavior 47:33 – Continuous ketone monitors: How they work & challenges 50:21 – Generalist vs specialist: The tradeoffs in health and sport 52:33 – Health vs performance: Finding your balance 55:00 – Why curiosity drives progress in health and fitness 58:11 – Lessons from crossing health, tech, and coaching worlds 1:01:22 – Wrap up: David’s personal mission and key takeaways This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johngetstrong.substack.com

    1h 10m
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About

Endurance, strength, and long-term health in all its forms. The Next Move features conversations with athletes, coaches, scientists, and thinkers exploring how to train, think, and live better. By John Paton - @johngetstrong johngetstrong.substack.com

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    John Paton - @johngetstrong
  • Years Active
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  • Episodes
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    © JohnGetStrong
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    The Next Move

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