#170 - Can Hybrid Training Make You Fitter Than Ever? I Josh Harrison On The RunThrough Podcast

Josh Harrison joins Ben Sheppard on the RunThrough Podcast to share his journey from rugby player to one of the UK's fastest-growing HYROX athletes and fitness creators.

After injuries brought his rugby career to an early end, Josh made a decision that would change his life. Picking up a camera and documenting his training eventually led to a thriving coaching business, a successful clothing brand and an audience of hundreds of thousands following his hybrid fitness journey.

Josh opens up about building a career on social media, the reality behind creating content full-time, balancing multiple businesses and why authenticity has always come before chasing views. He also explains what hybrid training really means, how combining strength and endurance has transformed his performance and why consistency beats perfection every time.

The conversation also dives into HYROX racing, goals to qualify for the World Championships, race strategy, marathon ambitions, coaching athletes to podium finishes and why sometimes the biggest step forward comes from focusing on one goal at a time.

Josh Harrison - https://www.instagram.com/joshharrisonfit/

Ben Sheppard - https://www.instagram.com/bensheppard93/

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome back to the Run Through Podcast. It is Ben Shepard here, and this week I'm joined by Hyrux Athlete Coach, content creator, and entrepreneur Josh Harrison. After injuries brought his rugby career to an end, Josh picked up a camera and started documenting his fitness journey. Fast forward a few years, he's built one of the UK's fastest growing hybrid fitness communities alongside a successful coaching business and a clothing brand as well. In this episode, we chat about the transition from rugby to high rocks, what it really takes to build a career on social media, and why authenticity has been the key to his success. Also, we also chat about hybrid training and how it's completely changed the way he approaches fitness. We get into race strategy. His goal is to qualify for the HyROC World Championships, balancing multiple businesses, and why sometimes making progress means putting one goal on hold to fully commit to another. If you're a runner, a high rocked athlete, or just looking kind of for a bit of motivation to chase your own goals, I think you're gonna love this episode. Josh is a legend. Josh Harrison is on the run-through podcast.

SPEAKER_02 1:00

The reason I started social media was because I got injured again, funny enough. Um and I was like, you know what? Like I love the gym. I was each on FaceTime to my mate Jack. I was on, you know, we're on FaceTime and we thought, well, why don't you start a fitness page? And I was like, you know what, that's a really good point. It is crazy and like what what is possible when you really put yourself out there, but you've you've got to, if you don't back yourself, no, you know, no one can. Do you know what I mean? I think you've got to you've really got to push yourself first, and then people obviously can get behind you. If you're running your lift, you're gonna be less injured, but you're also able to, you know, get fitter, get faster, get stronger, and you just repeat that, like I say, like repetition and consistency, you will find it will benefit you in the long run. I'm Josh Harrison. Um, like to say I'm alright at high rocks, uh, do a bit of that, do a bit of content creating, and uh yeah, just trying to bridge the gap between being an athlete in a and someone who was wants to get better at doing a certain sport from the beginning and uh and push on that way.

SPEAKER_01 1:51

So let's go back, man, to to kind of like the start of this athletic career and where you are now and what you're doing, and we'll get into the high rocks part and the hybrid part and all of that sort of stuff down the line. Um, but where did this first come from? Like when did when did being physically active, being kind of like pretty good at sport, was that always a thing in school?

SPEAKER_02 2:12

Yeah, always a thing in school. Um, sports captain, stuff like that. Like I always wanted to put my name like in the in the hat for that, really. Um rugby was always my background when I was younger. Uh played rugby up until when was it like 21, I think it was, um, down at Harper College, and then I stayed there for university, uh, played at Worcester Warriors, and then obviously finished off at Luctonians. Uh I played a few people around there, like Kidderminster, which is my local club. Um, yeah, that's pretty much where it where it began, really.

SPEAKER_01 2:39

Rugby then, because that's kind of a similar background to me. I've played Lutonians back in the day, like I played growing up from South Wales, so it's like a it's like a religion down there, right? You don't really have another option, you play rugby or or I mean that's it, like you play rugby, and obviously I'm sure you would have had a lot of Welsh boys at Hartbury as well, right?

SPEAKER_02 2:57

I would have thought Yeah, loads of Welsh boys.

SPEAKER_01 2:59

Um it's a it's a very physical sport to be in as a young lad. Um but also like one that feels like a bit of a um a bit of a rice of passage in some ways. Um what was what was your rugby career like? And was it hard stepping away from it at 21? Because I know I felt when I like moved away from it, I find found it quite difficult, really.

SPEAKER_02 3:21

Going into rugby, um, never had any injuries to start with, and then literally hit 14, broke my leg from there, like thumbs, uh tore my groin, like they just started to come and like come and go then. Like you get fit, you taught hamstring, like there's so many different things, and in the end, it was just like you know, I'm falling out of love with the game. Um, just because every time you come back fit, you end up getting injured, and it's just like it's just not um, yeah, it's just not like sustainable to want to want to play the best elite level you can, but you just keep getting injured. You're never gonna be able to put yourself in front of the people to help you get there. Um so that that was one of the things. And then obviously I started doing this social media um when I was 21. Is what 22 I think I was, yeah. Um and that was just a final straw for me. Whereas I can't do both because I want to get better at rugby, I want to be training, it's just not gonna I can't do both at the same time. Yeah, to to improve them.

SPEAKER_01 4:11

I guess that that becomes like a time thing then, doesn't it? It's like, and and someone has said this, like this has been said to me over the years, and I don't know if you're like this as well, but when you take on a lot, you're never really gonna thrive at one thing. And I guess it's it's kind of difficult to accept that when you're doing it, isn't it? Like to actually say, like, I need to take a step back from this thing for this thing to get better. Um, was there a reason that like that happened, or was it just something that you think that happened over time and then you realised, you know what, Josh, you're doing a little bit too much here, mate?

SPEAKER_02 4:42

Yeah, I think burning the candle at both ends was was was the thing. I think I was travelling three times a week, I was at the Tony's, which is probably I think, yeah, it's it's 45 minutes each each time to get there. Uh at the back end of obviously paying rugby, but it was more just the constant injuries, or like you're not as good as you used to be because you're not putting all the time and effort into it, like the extras, and so I'd have to get home because obviously I started my online coaching and and stuff like that. Like other things to start set priority of that you earn more money doing, so it's one of those things in the end where you can't can't do everything, can you?

SPEAKER_01 5:13

So, yeah, yeah, and it's it and it's difficult to make that step and take that step away, but like reflecting back on it now, the right decision.

SPEAKER_02 5:20

Oh, yeah, 100%. Because I mean I go and watch my mates play, and I don't mind watching rugby, but not one part of me. I think it's because I played from such a young age. I started when I was like maybe five, six in like the juniors tag and stuff. Um, to then obviously up until like men seniors, you just it's almost like I've got it all out my system where I'm not that bothered anymore, and like I'll watch the lads play and they'll hit each other and go, I'm so happy that's not me on the end of that. It's yeah, it's it's mental, it really is.

SPEAKER_01 5:45

Well, we're speaking like the Thursday after the first weekend of the new nations championship, and like I I watched a few of the games on Saturday, um, or the highlights anyway, and like the physicality of rugby now is it's ludicrous, isn't it? Like, I'm a little bit older than you, so like I'm early 30s, so like I was even a little bit further removed from like the size. Size has always been at play, right? But it's not been at play as much as it is now, and it's not that everybody is just big, it's like everybody's big and skillful, and it's kind of scary, isn't it? Because it's like, where does it go? Where does it go from this point?

SPEAKER_02 6:22

Yeah, I agree, I agree. I don't really understand. There's the speed of the game is improving as well, so it's like having to be big, be strong, but be athletic and keep up with everyone is yeah, it's it's incredible what they're able to do now.

SPEAKER_01 6:34

It's uh yeah, it's it's it's pretty scary to be honest. Um, you mentioned like the social media part there, and obviously someone I want to talk to you about. Like, what what was that decision to like pick up a phone for the first time to start like documenting your journey? Have you always been someone that is up for putting themselves out there, or was that something that kind of developed over the years? Like, what were you like in the change in room? Were you always that lad that was like putting them putting putting himself out there?

SPEAKER_02 6:59

To be honest with you, I think even even to this day now, like I'm quite uh an introverted person until you until I meet you and I'm like, you know, I know the look the group I'm in, it's it's very much it takes a little bit of time for me to like warm up, so to speak. Um the reason I started social media was because I got injured again, funny enough. Um and I was like, you know what? Like I love the gym. I was each on FaceTime to my mate Jack. I was on, yeah, we were on FaceTime. He's like, well, why don't you just start a fitness page? And I was like, you know what, that's a really good point. So we literally did that. Um I was at university at the time, first second year uni. Yeah, second year uni in February, I think it was. Uh no, November, November. And literally from then I just started recording all my workouts that I would normally do. Um, and just went from there. At the start, I never seemed, oh yeah, this is what's going to lead to anything. Um, but I don't think anything does when you s when you first start, you don't really have an idea because it's quite new back then. Obviously, when people do it now, they've got like, well, this is what I can get from it, this is what you can do. Um, it's mad to think that when I started, like, for instance, Gymshark and place like they weren't doing codes, there was nothing like that. And that was only, I mean, I'm 24 and I've started I was 21, 22, right? It's only two and a bit years ago. Like it's actually crazy how fast things have developed so much.

SPEAKER_01 8:06

I think as well, that's the I mean it's I I sometimes talk about it as like the Bitcoin analogy, you know, where people are like, oh, it was too late to buy into Bitcoin or whatever. But I think at every point people think that. So it's like there'll be people thinking, and probably listen to this right now, being like, like you hit the cusp of it and you're kind of riding that wave. But actually, there would have been a time when you were doing it, you probably thought, you know, I'm too late to the party here. Like, I there's no point in me starting this, but you made that decision to start it. And I think that's the thing, isn't it? It's like if you have that thought of like maybe this could be a thing, like maybe this is something I could do moving forward, I think it's always better just to give it a crack because you don't want to be looking back 10 years down the line and think, I should have tried to do that.

SPEAKER_02 8:53

I agree. I think it's one of them, it's like if you don't, if you don't try, you'll never know. Um, and I think through my career of doing doing social media and growing businesses, it has been a pack a fact of like no risk, no reward. Like you've got to put yourself in the place to to to find out. It's it's quite crucial that you do that, otherwise you'll never you will never know.

SPEAKER_01 9:11

It's tricky though, innit? Like putting yourself in that place sometimes, it's hard.

SPEAKER_03 9:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:16

So hard. And like, especially when it's like picking up a camera and like putting your face to it as well, because it's very personal, that isn't it? Like sharing and and doing everything that you do, is it's very personal. Is that ever something like you've you've struggled with, or are you pretty cool with that?

SPEAKER_02 9:33

I wouldn't say struggled with. I think it's it's more I forget what I've put out there. Okay, for instance, like um I've gone I've gone to a triple something, like I don't know, when I went to LA, um and we I spoke about something on YouTube, for instance. Someone of them bring it up to me like a month or two later. I've totally because they've only just they've watched the video maybe a week, a week before seeing me somewhere or whatever, and then mention it. I'm like, oh yeah, I did say that. Like I can't remember I've done that. But like it's on there. Um, like my my Iron Man stuff that I did, my 70.3, that still gets views to this day now. Because obviously, people like more and more people are going into that. I mean, I did that as an absolute rookie and beginner. So, anyone who's watching this who wants to do a 70.3, don't watch it to learn anything. I'll watch it because what as a beginner, don't do what I did. Um, they'll come up to me and be like, I can't believe you didn't feel you didn't learn how to fuel for the race. I'm like, Yeah, well, there you go. Do you know what I mean? But like I forget that I actually said, Oh yeah, by the way, I've never I haven't done any of this fueling stuff. Um, because that was at the very beginning of that's what got me into hybrid training. Because I needed to switch uh switch up and do something totally different. Now it's a bit different. I obviously know I know what I'm doing with fueling, but it's um yeah, I think you've all got to learn from you've got to start somewhere.

SPEAKER_01 10:39

That's the that's the whole point. And I actually think like sometimes, and like I'm definitely not recommending anybody does this, but I think sometimes doing something like that is almost proof to yourself that like you your body is capable of like mad things kind of without much preparation. Like I've definitely been in that position as well before where I've gone into something probably unprepared and have done a lot better than I probably should have done, or yeah, I've gone into something unprepared and I've managed to get through it even when I thought I maybe wouldn't have. And I think then that's proof to yourself then to be like, well, actually, if I could have done if I could do that at that point, then when I'm actually prepared, when I actually understand like in your case, like how to fuel your body, actually that's quite exciting, isn't it? Because actually what what I could do in those in the future is pretty pretty mad. 100%.

SPEAKER_02 11:35

I think the the goal the goal will do will to be gonna go and do another 70.3 um and put out an actual time of someone that can actually now run, can I wouldn't say cycle like very well. I can ride a bike, but like this riding the bike and the cycling at a speed, but that's two different things. That's one thing I learned. Um, with the swimming, I did what seven or eight months in the pool twice, three times a week. Um I actually got quite good at swimming. I did it, I did the swimming like 30, 36 minutes, I think it was. Okay, which I was quite happy with. Um, but then you start to see the people who say weren't very good at swimming but a very good cyclist just start flying past you then and I just like yeah, yeah. But no, out of the two, out of the two, I got okay at swimming, running was okay. I was seeing my running is probably my best asset out of those three now, because I don't do any of the the other two. Um, and then the biking is that's just a league of its own, that is, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:22

I think swimming it's like there's two ways of of and we've we've had a couple of swimmers on recently actually, and it's quite interesting talking about technique and strength. And I think a lot of people that have got kind of a strength background, which obviously is what you have, um get quite good at swimming because of the muscular endurance part of it, just because like yeah, yeah, like you can you can you can kind of use that strength where whereas actually like swimming I think is so much technique based, isn't it? And it's amazing, it's exactly the same problem as I have. Like I I am my technique is absolutely dreadful, but I just like just I'll just get through it, like it'll be alright, just like get through it as best possible.

SPEAKER_02 13:02

Yeah, I think it's it's it's repetition. Repetition doesn't lie. I like to like to say that because it's the more you do something like I got I actually got very good at doing what I needed to do to get through the swim. Um and it it led then obviously I got a good time doing that. So doing the swimming days anyway. Um the more we practice, this seems to get more smoother.

SPEAKER_01 13:21

So I've never heard that phrase, but that's quite that's quite a nice way of phrasing it, like repetition doesn't lie, and that's that's true both in a positive and a negative sense, isn't it? Like if you're doing the positive thing over and over again, like you're gonna get positive results. But if you're doing a negative thing over and over again, you're probably likely to get negative results. I think sometimes people don't think about that from both sides, they maybe just see it as like the repetition in a positive way. But actually, if you do it in the negative way as well, you're gonna see negative results, aren't you?

SPEAKER_02 13:52

Yeah, it's just like consistency in either way, positive or negative. If you do something more and more that's bad for you, it's gonna lead to being consistently bad, isn't it? But I think it's just finding that bridge of not doing something that's bad for you, but doing something that's good for you. Like there's so many alleys you can go down. I think it's it's it's hard sometimes.

SPEAKER_01 14:12

When when it comes to obviously the the growth in your channel, you had that first chat with your mate, and he and you were like, Yeah, you know what, I'm gonna do this. So strange, isn't it? That you like it's it probably feels like such an insignificant moment at the time. But actually now that chat with your pal has turned out to be pretty significant because of what you're doing and where you are now. Like from that point to then starting to post and then seeing growth. Was did you were you were you an accountant that had like one thing that set on fire and then it it it grew very quickly, or was it like has it been consistent growth? Like what what's been the journey of your account?

SPEAKER_02 14:51

So I'm trying to think when it was. I think I was I was literally stuck on 16.5k for so long. Um, and it was like, what can I what can I do that's gonna you know push me on to do what I want to do in life? Um and it came down to then I started the 70.3 stuff and I did a a carousel on Instagram, I posted that, and that I think that's on like 60, it got like 63,000 likes, and literally every day I was seeing it, it gone up like five, six thousand. But normally, like when someone's viral content goes viral, their next lot won't all won't necessarily keep growing and growing and growing. It just so happens that I was literally then posting once that went off. I was posting consistently anyway, but I think it it um I got into the algorithm Instagram properly. I just posted for like 55 days straight uh of hybrid training, doing what doing different um content pillars of what I think would work, and they were all it was all just banging, and if it didn't bang straight away, it would come back round and go again. Um, and then so I was seeing like 10, 10, 15,000 followers uh a month. Obviously, it had one followers as well, that's normal. Um, and then you get to a point where obviously it slows down, but for like two, three months, like I was getting, yeah, like 10-15k followers, which was amazing, but it was almost like like don't put too much pressure on yourself to make content because I only I only want to post something that's very good. Um, I like people to come onto my page and see you know, it's relatable, it's real, it's there's not there's nothing on there that's forced, it's always um, you know, you could watch it and I hope it inspires people because that's it's from someone who has had to start from the beginning doing something totally different to then getting trying to get better at something like this hierarchies journey that we're on now.

SPEAKER_01 16:24

I think that's it as well. It's like that authenticity piece as well that's always spoken about, isn't it? But then that goes even further. It's not just being authentic to like the audience, is kind of, I guess, being authentic to yourself as well, isn't it? It's being like, I'm not gonna post this thing just because I think that it's gonna help me with the algorithm. It's like I'm only gonna post this thing if I personally truly believe in this, in this thing. But that's probably got to be quite tricky when you're when you're growing like you're growing to kind of like check yourself occasionally and be like, you know what, Josh, you don't actually believe in this piece of content, maybe let's hold that back and not do that or not follow that like content arc or whatever, because maybe that isn't the best thing to do. Has that ever been a thing like, have you ever had to like check yourself and be like, right, we're not gonna go down that alley because we think it's gonna do well, because it's not actually something that you believe in?

SPEAKER_02 17:18

Yeah, I think there are, you know, there are certain things. It's like when people um like brands come to you for ads and stuff, and they'll go like the the macro calculator, scan your food and it'll tell you exactly exactly what's in it. I feel like I've had things like that before where I would never work with because that's not for me personally, that doesn't benefit me because I'd never use that. Um and I don't I don't think it works, if I'm honest. But like, yeah, that's just that's that's one thing I wouldn't I wouldn't do. But content-wise of my own back, it's literally what I do like day to day. Like I train every pretty much every single day. Obviously, I have rest days and stuff, but every single day, so it's always relatable or relevant to me, which hope obviously relevant to other people because it's what I do literally day in, day out. Um, but yeah, unless it's like ad stuff, it's not really I always think like I'll speak to my manager and we'll talk about what ads, if they've come in, like yes, that works with me, I've used it. No, I haven't used it before, so I'm not gonna use it now. Like I want my community to trust me, like that's the whole point of this. As long as you know, I want the community to feel that you know what I'm putting out there is something that is relatable to them. That's how we get closer. Like when I want to put events on and do all sorts of stuff, I want them to come to it knowing full well they're gonna, there's gonna be things there that they'll that I'll use personally, they'll use like we'll do whatever we're doing in an event, it would be quite cool in that aspect.

SPEAKER_01 18:33

Yeah, definitely. I think as well, like I I noticed when we were organizing this and and we were talking about times and all that sort of stuff, like your your fitness journey and how you are as a as a bloke and as an individual is obviously incredibly important to you because we I I threw out a time. I was like, hey, do you want to do nine o'clock in the morning? You were like, nah, mate, that's like that's when I'm training. And I like that. Like I like when people I like when people do that because it's like that's obviously like that's the number one thing. Like you need to do that for yourself in the first instance, and then um everything else follows. But if you're not doing that for yourself, like you're not training, you're not doing that thing, then you don't have well, you I guess in the first instance, you don't have the availability to make to the to make the stuff you're making, but you're also probably you're probably not you if you're not training, if that I think that probably like that probably does um ring true in your sense, right?

SPEAKER_02 19:34

Definitely. I'll be sat there itching like I need to go train now. Like I wouldn't be able to have a full conversation. I'm I'm weird like that sometimes, but no, it's um yeah. When people say I I can't train till this time in the evening, I'm just like, Oh, I wish I hadn't agreed to that now because I really need to get training now. I need to go and do something to move. Um, but no, this is uh this has been great, mate. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:52

Are you uh are you morning or evening? Are you always morning? Is like training the same thing. Always morning.

SPEAKER_02 19:57

I'm learning, yeah, I'm learning as well that the earlier you get up and train, the more day the more time I've got in the day. Um, which sounds really silly that I should know that already, but the more I'm doing it, I'm like, yeah, well, I'm able to tick off so many more boxes and be so much more, so much more productive. Um, especially when when like when you're self-employed and you're running a business uh or businesses, you've got to be able to do so many different things. And it's like being able to train. So for instance, I got to the gym with mate early at half seven, um, trained, and we were done by half nine, everything else. So I then picked up certain things, done whatever I need to do, and I'm back and I'm ready to do it, do everything else for the afternoon block. It's a lot easier than you know, finishing training at 12 o'clock instead, and then you're then chasing time trying to trying to get things done.

SPEAKER_01 20:40

Do you um you know we mentioned how stuff over the years has been like very busy and you've you know you've almost had a a cup that's too full from time to time. How do you manage that now? Because obviously, mate, you've got a million and one things coming at you when you said then being self-employed and running a business, and then you were like businesses, you were like checked yourself there because there's another one. Like, how do you balance that? Because I'd imagine it is quite difficult not to fill that cup too much when you do have everything coming at you.

SPEAKER_02 21:09

Yeah, I mean, currently at the moment, um obviously I run my social media, I've then obviously got a client base um in the coaching, and then obviously got my clothing line as well. The clothing line is literally uh the supplier who has the kit for me. I then pick up the kit, I've got sending the orders off on the custom support, on the the packages, so I've got a kit, I've got a package uh later, got to drop to the post office. Like there's so many different things to do that side that's more manual, whereas everything else at the moment is online. That is a manual labor that I have to do. You know, I've got to go out of the house, gotta drop things off, got to do all that, and then got to come back, and then got to make sure it's all shipped off properly. There are certain things I think it's just what you are, you know. If you choose to have a full plate, you've got to you've got to choose to eat. I mean, you're like, it's it's there for the take in as long as you put the work in. Um, it just is knowing okay, I can do this on this day. No, I can't do this then. I need to, it's just having a very Good schedule or as good a schedule as I can have in a week, knowing that yeah, I can I can get 90% of the work done, but I can't do that 10% on that one day, like it's gonna take another day to do to do the five percent uh that's left, stuff like that. It's yeah, it's just planning properly, I think, is really important, and I'm still learning that.

SPEAKER_01 22:16

Do you um do you ever switch off? And if you do, like what do you do to switch off?

SPEAKER_02 22:21

See, if you ever watches this, I hope you like you you see it from two point of views because I really struggle sometimes to switch off. Like, I'll be in bed at night and I'm thinking, right, what can I post tomorrow? What what could what what do we need to do tomorrow to to regress what we've what we've done today to like chase chase what's better than today? Um, I have recently obviously like when I go on holiday, um, the last two trips I've tried to just like my laptop still comes with me because that's obviously that's just a non-negotiable. But if I can get work done, then I'll try and chill out for say an hour or two hours and then do something else to pick it back up. I think it's very hard to like switch off sometimes when your whole um, you know, your your lifestyle, everything you do is reliant on you. No one is if you don't work, you're not getting paid. Like there's no as you know that there's no there's no way around it, is there? Like if you don't do the work, you're not gonna get paid.

SPEAKER_01 23:10

So how do and this is also an interesting one that I think about is like how do people around you perceive that? Like, do they do people ever think, oh Josh, have have a sec, like have a chill, man? Like the family and friends think that, or is that do they kind of understand at the journey that you're on?

SPEAKER_02 23:27

No, I'm really grateful and and lucky that the um the support I've got in my in my circle is is is so strong. Like the mates that I hang around with, they'll they'll ask me now, do you need do you need uh any content taken or anything like that? They understand it so much better. Um, but uh obviously originally it's quite it was quite new. Um, and you see people online doing it, you never think that your mate's gonna go and try and do it. Um but obviously now I'm I'm that mate that tries to do it on on social media, so yeah, no, they're they're really um really respectful in in terms of help and me and obviously my mum and dad as well. They understand. I think it also helps when when you start to see the ball rolling and like you start to move into places and you start you're able to do certain things in life, it's like oh actually no, it is working for him. Like, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, give him that respect because obviously to the older generation, this is such a new thing that like, and I don't even think it's got started yet. Like, I think there's so much more to come from how brands can look after people in terms of like that that creator or the way they can get more people to do it. Um, like when people go, oh like do you have a real job? Do you know what I mean? Like, I think it's that's something I've had to face before. And it's just like you if only you understood what we go through to try and like every day you've got to sit there and you've got a content plan, you've got to think of a video that you haven't done before that no one else has done before. But if they have what can you do different? Like, you can't otherwise you'll just be the same person. And I think you've just gotta people need to realise that it's a lot of it's a very creative mind that you have to have, or if you don't have it already, you'll get you'll get used to it, and it just takes a long, long time to to build that.

SPEAKER_01 24:55

I I kind of I kind of understand what you're saying there because I've definitely had that before in the past. Like, um I I I do a fair bit of radio as well, as well as as well as what I do with run through. And um I I was on capital for like 10 years, and I I always used to have that from people that were saying, you know, people like, well, are you gonna get a real job? Like being on the radio is not a real job, right? And you're like, it's really difficult to explain to you because I know you're like you've got a quote unquote trade, like something that um something that you would perceive as a traditional trade, like when you're speaking to that person, they're saying it. And there was one specific, I was in a pub beer garden one summer and a bloke said it to me, like an older guy, and um he was a he was uh he was quite a successful builder and a lovely chap, but you just didn't get it. And he was like, when are you gonna get a real job? And I was like, I want to try and explain to you that this is like this is like a trade. Like this is just it's a skill, it's no different to being able to lay a course of bricks. It's it's it's just in a different sort of industry, it's just in a creative space. And yeah, I think people are realizing more and more now as things become you know more and more digital and things are moving more and more online that like this is genuinely a feasible life choice, and it's not like a one in a million hit. It's like if you do it right and you think about it correctly, like there's no reason why this can't be a sustained career for a long period of time.

SPEAKER_02 26:20

Talking on radio, like that's that's hard. Like being able to capital as well, that's huge, man. I never knew that, that's amazing. Um, but just being able to speak clearly, I struggle sometimes so much, like I'll catch myself more on my words. Um, and I think it is just because you're you're so clear with it when you speak, like you haven't stumbled once. I've stumbled about a million times in this thing already. Um, but like when I try and talk to the stuff, my stories or like my YouTube, like before I'd be like, I'll cut the camera, start again. Whereas now you just go and you just like if you if you stumble, you just carry on and then you can always edit out. Obviously, on radio, you can't do that. Do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 26:56

I would I would say though, no, I think this conversation is brilliant, and I genuinely think you're an amazing conversationalist. So I would never put that, I would never lay lay that at your door at all and don't think about that. Because I think as well, like what you're saying is when you're when you are doing those story pieces and when you are being authentic, I bet since you have done that and you've been like, you know, this is a one-take or a two-take thing, this isn't a five, six, seven, eight take thing. When you are just doing those first ones, they're always the best as well, aren't they? Like it's always the best when you're just rolling out that first one.

SPEAKER_02 27:26

Yeah, you come back, you come back, and you're right, we're gonna do it again, and then you come back to edit it like I don't know, two hours later for after like for after something. You're like, wait, why did I do it again? The first one was way better than the rest. I think it's yeah, it's crazy.

SPEAKER_01 27:37

It's a funny one. But yeah, no, I think I think what what what we're saying there in general is like what you're where you are and kind of the trajectory you're on and what you're doing in the space that you're you're in, it's very exciting because not only for you there's huge growth there, but like for anybody that is looking to come into the space and maybe pick up the phone for a first time and make a video, or they've had that thought just to give it a crack. Like, if it doesn't work, what's the worst case? Your mates are gonna take the mick out of you for a sec for putting on something on social media, and that's gonna be it. Like, let's yeah, like if you want to do it, I feel like you should try and do it. I think that's kind of like a pretty solid message. Um, in terms of you, mate, and like the the training side of what you do and like having having the athletes that you have, uh the word hybrid, right? It means so much to so many different people, and you've mentioned it already. Like, to you, what does that word mean? That that word hybrid.

SPEAKER_02 28:34

I think hybrid to me is being able to be ready for anything, um, but it's almost yeah, be ready for anything, but you're able to look and perform the way you want to. Um, you know, I've gone down the route the route of once I finish rugby, like trying to not bodybuild to compete, but like bodybuild a bulk and cut. That's it's just if you're bulking, you can't do something else. If you're cutting, you can't do that. Like there's so many different things around it with hybrid training. You're able to, you know, if I say tomorrow, um, obviously not not everyone is in this position if you've just started, but I've I don't see I've I've done this game for quite a while now. I want to go run a half marathon tomorrow and do it in a decent time, like I did for the Birmingham half. I ran a 132 off no training. Uh on a not to say the flattest course ever, but you know, I could go and do that. Um, and I feel like that is so underrated in a training method because people don't realise what's possible if you do when you run a new lift. If you run a new lift, you're gonna be less injured, uh less injury risky, I say, um, but you're also able to you know get fitter, get faster, get stronger from doing two different things. That's not me saying you need to go and do double days and do all this, but like if you run someday and you and if you run one day and you lift the next and you just repeat that, like I say, like repetition and consistency, you will find it will benefit you in the long run. Not just because of what you're able to do, but like in the long run of like that mobility or like the way you feel when you're older. I don't I like to think that my body's gonna feel a lot stronger, you know, in my 50s and 60s from what I've done in my 20s and my 30s and 40s, just because of I'm still moving my body. I feel like if you stop, that's when you slow down. If you don't stop, you're never gonna slow down. Yeah, hopefully, anyway.

SPEAKER_01 30:18

Do you um yeah, fingers crossed? Do you like because obviously people are coming to you and asking for your advice and and you're you've gonna got that um that training side of what you do as well. Like, what's it like when people come to you and they're like, oh, they're thinking to themselves, they can only do one of them? Like, I can only run, I can only be good at running, or I can only be good at lifting. Like, is it nice for you to be be like, oh no, genuinely, like open your eyes here, you can you can do both. And when you, I guess, when you see them realising that that is the case, that's got to be pretty rewarding.

SPEAKER_02 30:51

Yeah, 100%. And the clients who, you know, who choose to work with me, I'm I'm extremely grateful for as well because you know, I'm able to show them what's what they're what they're capable of and what's possible. Um, you get a lot of people who come sometimes, they have like a lower confidence because they might have lifted all their life but never ran. Um, and when you're able to you know give them a plan that looks after everything, and all they've got to do is turn up and do the session, they start to realise what their potential actually looks like. Um, like I've got lads now that are you know catching podiums on like they've literally said I've I've I want a podium this weekend, I've always dreamt of podium. Um, and then he like his name's Luke, and he's gone and done that um at an event where he's you know he's never thought he could. And I just think it's what's possible from switching up your training and doing two, you know, training for multiple events, how you can get better is is is yes next level, especially when they come to you and they go, So so grateful for you been able to help me do this. It makes my job so worth it, like the late hours and all that, it always, yeah, it's amazing.

SPEAKER_01 31:50

I was about to say that then, like, what does that feel like for you when you know Luke was it you said his name was? Yeah, Luke. What's what's it like when Luke sends you sends you that photo of him standing on the standing on the podium? Like, how does that feel for you? Because you're like, you've had such a massive hand in that, right?

SPEAKER_02 32:09

Yeah, I mean, you know, Luke Luke's a very um dedicated athlete, and for somebody who you know is very good, it it was just a matter of what can we do to get you better. Um so I'd like to think like my coaching model helps, uh, you know, like with his Hyrux times, he brought his Hyrux times down. Is I don't know how you say it's it's an Irish brand, is it uh Tekka or Troika? And that's what he came second in the other day. It's just like I think that's like a newest sport over in Ireland. Um, yeah, like it's it's an amazing feeling knowing that my my knowledge is able to help somebody else. Um, and I think that's that's what's been great about it. Yeah, and being a coach is that's what it should be about. It shouldn't just be, oh yeah, well, here's a result, let's let's post it. It's like right, this this is the progress, this is the the journey of how we've gone from this to this. Um the result is just like the final thing of right, this is what we've done now, what can we do to get better? And just keep pushing them on because there's always more you can do, but obviously you've got to yeah, just just keep going, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 33:06

I often think like the most difficult thing about a coach, coach's job is the stuff outside of the actual training as well, because it's like everybody has such such big lives, don't they? Like there's so much going on, and it's like manage managing managing the expectations of somebody that comes to you with an incredibly busy life and maybe doesn't have much time for training, they can only train two times a week. Yes, they can still up their game and get to a place where they probably are not in when they came to you. Um, but like you have to kind of manage those expectations too. You have to deal with those life things. It's like a jigsaw puzzle, right? Being a coach, mental. It must be difficult sometimes.

SPEAKER_02 33:52

Yeah, I think it's you know, these these people who who come to you and say, right, I want to do this, this, this, and this, that's fine, right? Tell me what's like priority, tell me what's second, tell me what's third. And we'll, you know, we'll go after each goal individually. Um, obviously, if you're training for a high rox, a half marathon, a marathon, you know, your hands are tied, and like you're gonna have to choose one that's like the main thing. Um, when was it? I it was it March, April, March, March April time. I think I was like, right, guys, I'm gonna go. I thought you know, I announced it on social media. I was like, right, the goal is I want to run a sub-free marathon, but I also want to do really well in high rocks. And I'm yeah, I can put them together and see how how much better my high rocks can get from doing it. The more I've not only just thought about it, but started to do the training for it, I know full well it's gonna, it's not gonna be as strong as I it's not gonna be as good as I thought it could be. Um, so I've you know I've parked the the bus on the on the you know on the sub three, and I'm just gonna go for all in on high rocks because that's what people know me for at the moment. That's what they're following the journey for. I'm not a marathon runner, I'm you know, I'm a avid runner, I'm okay at running, I wouldn't say anything special. But high rocks, you know, there's actually there's something there for me where I can really, really push on here. Um and with with the way I'm training now, I'd hope that we can really start to get get down. Like the goal for for Hyrux this season is to get is to get to worlds in a solo pro, not in a doubles, just in a solo pro. If I you know I will race mixed doubles, I will race pro doubles. Um, and if we get in those, if we qualify in those, that's amazing. Um, but yeah, the the world's the world champs this year is well next year is in Hong Kong. Okay. Um and that's that's like yeah, it's got to be done. But I can't I can't leave that stone unturned before I go and try and do another goal. I haven't even managed this goal yet. Like I want to see what I can do in this one first. Don't don't bite off more than you can chew, is um is what my old man said to me. And I said, Yeah, that's that's quite true.

SPEAKER_01 35:38

I think and your dad's always right, that's the thing as well, isn't it? It's like yeah, so annoying. I know, like he's always been there, and I know you're right, but I still don't want to listen to you. Um, I think it's like it's almost like circling all the way back to the start of the conversation where we were chatting about, you know, like rugby and content creation and like getting into this space a little bit more and then realizing I need to put something on the side to be able to progress in this. And that's like such a good lesson that you probably learned back then and probably have learned before, to then apply to things like this. This exact is this is exactly the same, isn't it? It's like yeah, I'm not going to be the best version of myself as a high rocks athlete if I try and do this thing as well. And it's been specific in this moment because there's nothing to say, is there, that like you could go, well, when you do get to Hong Kong, I'll say it like that, man, just to appreciate that mate. Definitely. When you do get to Hong Kong and you get through that, then you might decide, you know what, Josh, it's time. I'm gonna turn around and then I'm gonna focus on that sub three. And that's so like that's I think people sometimes think that that's not all right to like go with the ebb and f ebbs and flows of like an athletic career as well. You don't have to do a hundred million things at one time, and you can still be hybrid and do everything to a level, but when you actually want to add performance into the into the mix as well, it is, I guess, that focus, and that's what you're gonna do now over the next year, I guess.

SPEAKER_02 37:07

Yeah, exactly. And I think, you know, with I'm not sure on your on your Horrocks background, have you have you have you tried Horox before? Have you had a go with it?

SPEAKER_01 37:14

I actually haven't tried it. I've done a lot of like, you know, like engine stuff back in the day, which is like similar, like, but I've never actually done Hyrox. And I'll be honest, like I've said it on this podcast before, it's probably because I know I'm not gonna be that good. Like I'm a relatively decent endurance athlete, um, and I'm I've got what I would call pharma strength, but I'm not that I'm not amazing in a gym. Like, ask me to pick up something heavy, I can do that, but like I haven't got the best bench. I'm not the best, like um, yeah, I'm just not the best strength athlete. And then I speak to people that have done high rocks and they say, well, we don't need to be the best strength athletes, literally. Muscular endurance and stuff like that. But I think that's a and that's something that it's quite interesting to reflect in on because I'm like, there is a reason I haven't done it, and that is because I don't think I'm gonna be very good. But I do want to try it, definitely.

SPEAKER_02 38:03

Yeah. No, uh this is what I love about high rocks. You know, you will be if you go out too hard, you'll be humbled. And if you go out, if you don't go hard enough, you'll be like, well, I want to go again. Either way, you will you will want to do it again. There is no there's no two ways about it. I think like you talk about like being hybrid, like high rocks is such a hybrid sport because you have got to be strong, but you've also got the the main aim is running. Like if I looked at my my bench or uh my my um yeah, Rio, who is one of the lads I race with, his numbers are incredible in terms of like bench and squat. The elite 15 lads won't touch anywhere near what we can bench and squat. However, they're elite 15. Do you know what I mean? So like strength comes into a like plays to a part, but overall, like it's just your your aerobic base and the way you're able to run and recover to then do the station to then get off and go again is that outweigh outweighs anything. So, yeah, definitely give it a go and just see actually, you know what, I'm not that bad as I thought I would be, because I can guarantee you, if you've got a good base, you're always gonna do well in high rocks. You because you can build strength and that can come quite fast. You know, it comes with technique running and being fit that takes so much time. Like I've done a full season in high rocks now, and only now am I feeling you know what? I feel like my first race in Birmingham, building onto that, I actually feel like I could do quite well this year just because of you know, from the the previous year and a half it's taken me to get to this point right now.

SPEAKER_01 39:29

Was it like like how do you work out what your K's are gonna be at? Like, I know if I was racing a half marathon or if I was racing a marathon, like it's obviously it's gonna be training led, but there are so many variables on a high rocks in a high rox race. Like, how would you go into something and set like the the goal targets? Would you set a goal pace? Would you set goal paces that change throughout the race? Like, what's that what's that kind of yeah, that bit of planning like pre-race?

SPEAKER_02 40:03

The the the race strategy that I've worked on. So when I was in Bologna in Italy, I did uh a 105, 105.45, I think it was, might be faster than that, I'm not too sure. Um in a pro and that's from racing in Poznan a few weeks before and dropping like a 232 uh sled push, which I thought, God, this is rapid. I came in maybe fourth and left second or first, um, but then I end up blowing up on the wall balls. Whereas in Bologna, I came into the sled push, um, maintained like I think I did a three-minute average for my sled push instead of 30 seconds slower, but I finished three nearly three and a half minutes faster. Okay, just but just because the sleds, even though it's at the start of the race, will ruin the rest of your race. If that's like if you're strong, but you're not the best runner, you can save yourself on the sleds beans and you'll still be faster than the majority of people, but you've also then saved yourself for the lunges and the and the wobbles. Um, running-wise, I try and negative split. Like I my my strategy recently has been I'll be one of the last five people out of the tunnel because yes, you've all raced off, but my time doesn't start until I go over that black line, just like when you go through a 10k, do you know what I mean? Like obviously every chip time and and all this stuff. It's until I've gone over that line, that doesn't matter. So I'll go at my own pace and do my own race. It's just good to not race off with everybody, which I've learned as well, because that's when you end up getting caught up with people. You don't know someone's background in this unless you know them, unless they're like a like on social media, for instance, then you'll you'll know. Well, I know he can run a I don't know, a 240 marathon, I know he can run a 127 half or whatever. If they're not, if they're just like a dark horse and I've never heard of them before because they've travelled over some somewhere and you try and keep up with them, guarantee you will find a hard way out. And I've done that before as well. Um, so yeah, just try and I try and run my own race and I'd negative split the race pretty much. And then once I get past dead pool, get onto the burpees, then it's like foot down and get going.

SPEAKER_01 41:58

It's quite cool that as well, though, isn't it? Like that you could just have some absolute savage weapon just turning up. And and I that probably does happen, right? You definitely see that at races, like some old boy rocking up on the start line that is you know still wearing a pair of shoes from about 15 years ago, and he's just goes and drops a 120 half, and you're like, How's how is how is this happening? Like, what is going on here?

SPEAKER_02 42:21

It makes no sense. It's the um it's when people who are saying like cyclists or like ex-footballers, anyone who's had a real endurance base, or like a triathlete, for instance, comes up to a high rox since their first high rocks, they'll either smash it because they've done a bit of strength work after, um, or they're like, you know what, yeah, this is really hard, but they've still dropped a really good uh open time. I'm just like, yeah, if you've got a base in high, if you have an aerobic base that's strong, you are so much further ahead of it in development already. Because trying to grow that uh aerobic base is is mental. I was a winger in rugby, so like you'd throw me the ball, I'd sprint, I'd wear it, but you'd take me five minutes to get the the fuel back in to then go again. Do you know what I mean? So yeah, it's um it's a it's a work in progress, 100%.

SPEAKER_01 43:04

I'd say that though, like there's something about multi-sprint sports, like people from multi-sprint sports and having that background coming into like endurance sport. And I high rocks is an injured I know it's muscular endurance in a lot of ways, but it's also like it is it is an endurance sport, isn't it? Like um people coming into that space from a sprint, like a sprint sport background, football, rugby, when you're talking about probably like the backs game, like even things like hockey and stuff like that. You see these people coming in, you're like, oh right, like it doesn't take you much to get in a place where you can you can really, really perform here. And I think it's something about that at younger age, maybe like that developation like throughout younger life that maybe can help that later on potentially.

SPEAKER_02 43:50

It's mad, isn't it? It's like people who are like doing athletics all their life, high rules was never a thing until maybe what, 2017? Yeah, yeah. Um and then they'll also like, oh, I can do this now. And all it's actually better than half the people who've been doing Hong Kong for the last two years. I'm just like, yeah, it's um all because all because your parents took each other fetics when you were younger. It's meant so it really is where it you know it pays off either way, I guess.

SPEAKER_01 44:14

Yeah, 100%. Um, talking about um Hong Kong then and moving forward through this next year, man. Like obviously we're bang in the middle of summer right now. Um, what what are your focuses right now? Like, what have you got in the near future? Have you got anything else coming up that you're that you're thinking about? Because one thing that you were talking about then, and when you were mentioning all these places you've been and the things you've seen, I'm like thinking to myself, like, it's like high rocks tourism, this you're like traveling the world, seeing all these places, like where are you up next?

SPEAKER_02 44:41

Yeah, no, it's great. Um, so in terms of countries-wise, nothing nothing just yet. Um, races are obviously a few minutes tells in run through uh about a five count Saturday as well, just like testing races and stuff like that. But countries-wise, I've just come back from Bali, I was there for for three weeks, um, and just like training out there. It's just a different, totally different kind of the way people get around it. Like six, half six in the morning, seven, the gym is probably more RAM than it would be at five, six here in like PM here. Like it's actually immense of what people get on and get doing over there. Um, but yeah, I think more I might just try and I need to pick out the race I want to do next year. Um, but then like last year and year before, people would go, okay, well, if I've gone race in Europe, it's gonna be slower and I'll be able to pick up a qualification spot. Now everywhere's getting so fast, so it doesn't really matter where you go. Um, obviously there's the certain countries like Mumbai, you know, you might be able to pick up a bit more because it's not as big um in India just yet, maybe, but then I say that it probably is now like last year wasn't this year, it probably is. Like there's no, yeah, if you're if you're not already from India and you're and you live in Dubai and you go, you know, you you're that side of the wood, you go race there, you're in the race and people like that there, and they're they're rapid. So it's it's a matter of you've just got to get better. There's no way of finding an easier way through you've just got to get better as a high rocks athlete if you want to perform at world champs. And I think that's what's so cool about high rocks as well. You know, in in what I think I think it is the statistics one percent, like you are the best one percent in the world at Hyrux if you go to World Champs because it's hardly anybody, there's hardly anyone there, yeah. Um, which is you know, so you've got to be good. If you're not good, you won't make it. And I think that's so I think it's accurate. You know, you don't no one not anyone just turns up, which is why the sport is growing the way it is.

SPEAKER_01 46:26

Yeah, man, you've got that you've got that obvious passion for it as well, which is amazing to see. And I think when you're throwing these countries around there, like your India's your Bali's, you're you're you're saying all these places and the places that you've been and the places I'm sure you'll go in the future. It's like the world's massive, but it's also quite small at the same time. Like you can go and do this thing you love all around the globe, and you've only you're only able to do that because you once made a video after having a chat with your mate. And it's like they're the small decisions that you make that then can basically create a life for yourself. Um, how do you reflect back on that? Like that bloke that was in Hartbury playing rugby, like what would he say if you then looked forward to you at this point, like sitting with me now, chatting about the places that you've been, the things you've done, goals in the future. Like, what would what would he think? Would he believe it? What do you think? Like you know, should have made it.

SPEAKER_02 47:25

Um yeah, no, I think it's it is crazy and like what what is possible um when you really put yourself out there, but you've you've got to if you don't back yourself, no one can. Do you know what I mean? I think you've got to do you've really got to push yourself first, and then people obviously can get behind you. Um when I started searching me, I was in quite a tough place with like where I was at Harper and stuff. It wasn't having the best of times. Um, so for me to you know start posting about it as well, probably excavated the the the way things were happening, but you know, at the end of the day, you know, tough as the what's the meaning like tough times never last. Do you know what I mean? I think it's it is important where things like that it does get better, and I think the more you do something you believe in, at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter as long as you as long as you're passionate about it, that's all that really matters. Then yeah, it's all that matters. There's not much else you can say about that.

SPEAKER_00 52:09

After injuries brought his rugby career to an end, Josh picked up a camera and started documenting his fitness journey. Fast forward a few years, he's built one of the UK's fastest growing hybrid fitness communities alongside a successful coaching business and a clothing brand as well. In this episode, we chat about the transition from rugby to high rocks, what it really takes to build a career on social media, and why authenticity has been the key to his success. Also, we also chat about hybrid training and how it's completely changed the way he approaches fitness. We get into great strategy. His goal is to qualify for the high rocks world championships, balancing multiple businesses, and why sometimes making progress means putting one goal on hold to fully commit to another. If you're a runner, a high rocks athlete, or just looking kind of for a bit of motivation to chase your own goals, I think you're gonna love this episode. Josh is a legend. Josh Harrison is on the run through podcast.