The Health Huns
The Messy Side of Health and Fitness!
Your favourite amateur athletes keeping it real, discussing the messy side of health and fitness
The Health Huns
Ep.23 Leggings, Lifting, and `Laughing through the Tears - Lauren Ashley Gordon
A big thank you to Lauren for joining us for this episode. You can find Lauren on Instagram @laurenashleygordon
Please review and share this episode if you enjoyed it, it really helps us grow the pod and continue creating content for you all
What if the gym stopped being a place to pay for your “treats” and became the place you build a life you’re proud of? We sit down with creator Lauren Ashley Gordon to trace a raw arc from a harsh mental low to a strength-first mindset, the kind that swaps punishment for progress and turns small wins into real confidence.
Lauren tells the truth about starting in May with nothing but a PT session and a promise to show up. The early “newbie gains” led to a 140 kg pull, but the bigger transformation was internal: training to be capable, not smaller. We talk about how that shift reframes body image, why performance fuels self-respect, and how competence in the gym spills into the rest of life. Expect practical gems too: lifting straps over gloves, creatine done right, and the surprising leggings that deliver shape and opacity without the premium price tag.
Then we open the door on a local fitness event that gave us both pride and heartbreak. We trained hard, beat our target time, and still watched the finish line get packed away around us. We process the sting honestly, share what organisers got wrong, and, more importantly, why we’re keeping the win. From there, we sketch out accessible steps to bigger challenges—baby tri sessions, HIROX relays, and how to build consistency through small, smart choices that reduce friction.
If you’re tired of toxic fitness culture and hungry for community, strength, and clear-headed advice, this is your invitation. Hit play, join the conversation, and tell us the hard thing you’re ready to try next. If the show resonates, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review to help more people find their way to strength.
Thank you for listening!
Please review this episode, it really helps the pod grow.
Find us on Instagram @thehealthhunspod
I think that how can I hate my body when it is capable of so much?
SPEAKER_01:Hello and welcome to the Health Huns, the pod where we discuss the messy side of health and fitness.
SPEAKER_00:From gym fails to newfound communities.
SPEAKER_01:We're here to help you feel like less of a failure and find your place in the messy world of health and fitness.
SPEAKER_00:Hello. Hello and welcome to episode 23 of the Health Huns. Is it 23? Yeah, 23.
SPEAKER_01:I thought it might be 24 for a minute. Not yet, that's next week. Okay, wishful thinking.
SPEAKER_00:Today we have a special guest. Yes, we do. The wonderful Lauren Ashley Gordon. Who very kindly agreed to come on the pod today and talk about her very own experiences and journey with health and fitness. And it's quite recent as well, isn't it?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and her experience of finding the perfect butt-lifting leggings.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, when I read through your notes for this episode, I had I have no idea what you're talking about. So I'm looking forward to actually finding out about these leggings.
SPEAKER_01:Lauren is an influencer from Norwich, and she is part of the relay team that I did the flat out fitness event with on Sunday. So we're gonna do a tiny deep dive into that.
SPEAKER_00:You really need to stick around for the flat out debrief because if you like juicy, juicy gossip, it's all good for you.
SPEAKER_01:It will. I guess we need to welcome Lauren. Hello, Lauren. Hi. So I don't know how to start this.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you for coming on the pod and being our second guest. Thank you for inviting me.
SPEAKER_01:Absolute pleasure. Yes, we should do what we normally do with our guests and with each other. We ask each other how our week has been. So, Lauren, how has your week been? And rank it out of 10.
SPEAKER_02:That's a loaded question. Uh week has been a real mixed bag.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Are we going into further detail?
SPEAKER_01:Well, we are gonna go into further detail later on.
SPEAKER_02:Absolutely. Okay. That's to keep you all listening, guys.
SPEAKER_01:So, how would you score your week out of 10?
SPEAKER_02:It has been a nine and a three. Oh, explain. Yeah. There have been some high highs, and there's been a lot of crying. So yeah, a nine and a three. That sounds fair.
SPEAKER_00:Well, I experienced some lows with you. And yeah, wasn't great, but we'll get into that. Do you know what about an all-right week? Honestly, probably about seven. Nothing crazy's happened.
SPEAKER_01:Ree's on the winter rock. I can't even remember why it's called that. Stronger, faster, fitter.
SPEAKER_00:I knew that, but isn't it like FSF FFS or something? Yeah, FFS. Fitter, faster, stronger. I people probably have no idea what I'm talking about. That's their problem, not mine.
SPEAKER_01:If they'd have listened to the pod a few weeks ago, they would know that you want to time Ziggy goes to school, be the strongest, fittest, fastest mum in the playground.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. If people followed our every move and looked at every single post we ever posted, thank you. That's why you're on the pod. Um, they would know. But yeah, seven out of ten, Amber, your week.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, much might like Lauren's. Mine has been full of highs and full of lows. Um there's been some very good things, and there's also been some less good things. So I'm not gonna go into it like normal. I'm gonna leave it until we're discussing that later on.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, stay tuned. The trials and tribulations of athletes. And don't fast forward through my bit just to hear that either.
SPEAKER_01:You only started the gym in May. I did. And what was the moment that you thought, right, this is it, I'm gonna go to the gym?
SPEAKER_02:So I, like many people, have always had a love-hate relationship with the gym. I've done like stints before, I've been quite dedicated and then fell out of the routine of it and hated it and just paid every month for the sake of it for several years. Um, and then the earlier this year I had a low point. I had like a little menti bee, just a little one, um, to the point where like even getting out of bed just felt shit, didn't want to, didn't have anything to get up for, just felt awful. And um, a very good friend of mine, Leanne, has she's been a PT for a while now, and she was always posting out the gym, she's always like, Oh, I've qualified now, like come like work out with me, come to the gym with me. And I was like, Yeah, I will, I will, I will. And I was like, right, now is the time because if I book a PT session with her, that will give me a reason to get up, that will give me a reason to get dressed and leave the house. Like, I've got nothing else going on in my life, let's just do it. And the rest is history, as they say.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, you've made a lot of progress very quickly, really, haven't you? Do you think? Yeah. Yeah. Newbie gains. I mean, when you said that you'd been to the gym before and paid for a lot of gym membership that you hadn't actually gone to, lot what like was your experience of fitness and exercise before this?
SPEAKER_02:So always like I think the gym has always been somewhere you go as a punishment, somewhere you go to earn a treat or to punish yourself for having a treat. Like it's never been somewhere I've had a healthier relationship with, and I've always gone and done like half an hour on the cross trainer and I ate every second of it. I've never, this is my first experience of like lifting heavy weights, like doing doing things to get strong rather than like how many calories have I burnt. And I think that is the reason I've stuck with it and the reason I enjoy it so much because it's not about oh, I had a pizza at the weekend, I have to go to the gym now. It's like I can't wait to go to the gym to do this thing that I love doing. Do you know? And like this that shift was the key for me to like actually enjoy it and want to go and want to want to do it.
SPEAKER_00:What's been your favourite bit of progress? It doesn't have to be like physical, like lifting heavier weights, maybe that's in your mindset, or even like the way you look or the way you feel. Like, what's been your favourite bit of progress so far?
SPEAKER_02:I think it has been realizing I can do anything. Like, and I I know that sounds narcissistic, but I actually do think I'm not saying it would be easy, I'm not saying it wouldn't take me a long time, but me and I'm gonna do an Iron Man, whether it likes it or not. And there's no I now feel that there's no reason why I couldn't if I if I wanted to do it. And like the same with the gym, like I would have believed even six, eight months ago, I would have believed I couldn't do half the things that I'm doing now, and I can. And like I joke, like, you know, I'm gonna run a 5k, I can't do it tomorrow, but I will eventually. I'm gonna do a handstand, I can't do that tomorrow. But I believe in myself now that if I put the work in, literally anything is possible. And do you think that seeps into other areas of your life, not just health and fitness? Absolutely. Uh the the confidence I have in myself now, like I it doesn't have to be physical stuff. I could do anything. If I want to go become a doctor, yeah, all right, it will take me seven years and it'll be hard, but I believe I could do that if I wanted to. And so it makes me sound like so big headed, but I just think anyone can do anything they want to. Like, I don't mean me personally, I just think like if you want something, if you want it hard enough and you you're willing to do the work, then you can do it. We are big believers of that mindset, aren't we?
SPEAKER_01:We are, and it links back to our episode from Tuesday on self-sabotage, and it's like if you really want something, you can achieve it. And perhaps sometimes the reason that people do self-sabotage is because maybe they actually don't want it that much, but it is clear that you really do.
SPEAKER_02:I really like being good at stuff. Yeah, and I really like I think the more you achieve, like when I first got into the gym, my very first time deadlifting the trap bar, I lifted 115 kilos, and that meant nothing to me at the time. I didn't know how any gauge, and then everyone was like, Oh, that's quite that's quite good. It's quite impressive for your first time. I didn't know, so and then I got bigger and bigger and bigger at it, and so my I haven't I don't use a trap bar anymore, but like I got to 140, and I was like, No, I'm actually I actually can, and the more I did it, the more I felt like I could I felt like I could smash through a wall when I did that. Like I just felt unstoppable, and that is the feeling that I want people to go to the gym and get because to feel that amazing, it does transfer to every part of your life. Like as soon as you start seeing, hey, yes, I can fucking do this. Am I allowed as well? Yeah, of course. Yes, I can fucking do this, and and the more you do it, the more you believe it. Because I think so many people don't believe in themselves, but also like have been told their whole lives that they can't do it, like I certainly was. Like I never believed that I was even allowed to go to the gym and enjoy myself there because I wasn't the type of person that that I didn't look like the type of person that went to the gym. I didn't, you know, yeah. I had that messaging constantly from a very young age that like sport wasn't for me, like fitness wasn't for me, and actually, yeah, it is.
SPEAKER_01:Was there a moment where you thought yes, I belong here?
SPEAKER_02:Sometimes, and then I think, oh, I'm wrong. I think uh like I think generally it was when I found myself in the routine, no one's watching, and I'm still going and I'm still doing it. And like outside of my PT sessions, I'm dragging myself there. On the days I don't want to go, I'm still getting myself there. I'm going through, I'm doing it and I'm enjoying doing it. This is where I want to be, this is what I want to do.
SPEAKER_00:It was you became that person that just went to the gym. Yeah. That was just your thing for no other reason than to go to the gym and feel good.
SPEAKER_02:Because I yeah, because I was enjoying it, not because I was punishing myself and and not because I have to go to the gym because I like ate a chop bar of chocolate. No, I'm going to gym because I want to.
SPEAKER_00:Did you have I th you may have touched on this uh a minute ago, but a lot of people go to the gym, they have these expectations like I'm gonna lose those weight, I'm gonna get ri I'm gonna get really, really strong. Did you go into it with no expectations of what you're gonna get out of it? And you were just like, I just need to go.
SPEAKER_02:Literally, it was just I was in such a bad place mentally that it was like I need something to put some focus into and some time into. And and I have Leanne to thank for that because she dragged me out of like a really dark hole and put the weights in front of me. And I don't I don't think I would have done it alone. I think like it really does help if you have someone beside you who can hold your hand a little bit, but I very quickly became quite independent at doing it as well, and and um yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Me and Ree were talking about the legging feature. I know what what is this?
SPEAKER_02:It's very important part, right? Listen, listen scientific fact, right? Your your workout is 95% more efficient if you are wearing a cute little fit.
SPEAKER_00:Feel good, look good, perform good.
SPEAKER_02:100% that deeply, and so I made it my own personal mission. Also, my boyfriend has a little legging thing, like you know, like you don't have a little bum in a little legging. So I was like, we're gonna find the best leggings.
SPEAKER_00:I just made a note legging fetish 14 minutes.
SPEAKER_02:I mean a lot longer than I thought it would to get to something sexual. So you're welcome.
SPEAKER_00:So have you found them?
SPEAKER_02:Yes. I found many, many, many. And if you follow me on Instagram, you've you've been forced to look at my ass more times than anyone in the planet, and I'm sorry about that, but it is what it is. Comes with the territory. Um, I can give you a full breakdown if you how many pairs, how many pairs did you try on? Well, we tried on probably about 10 different brands, and probably about three or four leggings at least from each different brand. And I did forget to send most of those back, so they are still sitting in my bedroom floor.
SPEAKER_00:So what how are you ranking these? Was it just look, feel, right?
SPEAKER_02:So what happened was I bought the tar, the£70 Tarla leggings, right?£70 is too much. I only bought them just to have a little look. I can't spend£20 on leggings, who am I kidding? They made my arse look incredible. If you don't believe me, it's in my Instagram highlights. Okay, they did bits. I was in love with them, but when I went to I to film them, to film my ass to show over the internet, like any normal person would. Of course, they were see-through. And so I have a tattoo on my lower back-ish. And that then became the test of like, can I see my tattoo through these leggings? Yes, they're too sea. If I can read my tattoo thick of 70 pound leggings, there's an issue. So then I just bought every pair of leggings I could find, and I could read my tattoo through 75% of them at least. Um, and then it became a thing. So we were looking for bum scrunch, I love a bum scrunch. They needed to make my arse look decent, but I didn't want to be able to see through them. And I think that's a fair thing to ask for from a pair of leggings. I think so too. But I did lose my mind during that journey because it didn't happen.
SPEAKER_01:That is when I first really started paying attention to your page because I was like, I am so committed to the cause of what leggings are gonna be good and not. Well, were there any surprises on leggings that were good or weren't good?
SPEAKER_02:Well, it really surprised and annoyed me that the Talawans were so see-through because they were so many good. I do need to caveat this that I started to think that maybe my ass was the problem. And it is very possible that maybe my ass was just stretching the material to its absolute limit. I held my hands up to that.
SPEAKER_00:Okay.
SPEAKER_02:Just but I still think that for£70 you shouldn't be able to read my tattoo through them. My surprise was that the cheaper ones were often better. So if you want my top three, I'll give them to you. We do, we do. Well, yeah. So everyone I I do get asked a lot about gym leggings. I would always recommend Gymshark as the best leggings. Um I love their power leggings because they have a bum scrunch, and I am partial to a bum scrunch. You might not like a bum scrunch, but I just believe a bum scrunch just makes me lift heavier. Um of course. Yeah, science. Yeah, it is science. Like I've researched this. Um, but the the best ones I found to make your arse look absolutely incredible are the Halara ones. And they are quite often like 25 quid. So you don't have to spend a lot. You don't, and they've got like a band, they're the ones with the band, so you your bum like sits, it you can feel it, it's like a shelf that your bum sits on. And um, they've been very successful for me inside and outside of the gym.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, so we need some halara. Ree would never have halara leggings because she only exclusively wears things from Caramore.
SPEAKER_00:I am an old woman that likes hiking clothes. Do they have bum scrunch? No. But I'm noting them down and we'll share them with the audience or share them with the Huns, because I'm sure a lot of Huns will want to know the best ladies like the inside scoop.
SPEAKER_01:Um, now I've been to the gym with you, and you do have a suitcase that you bring with you.
SPEAKER_00:So I know something else about you, so I'm interested what's in the suitcase.
SPEAKER_02:None of that. Yeah, what are your other gym essentials? So I was so I was prepared for this because I was gonna say when I first started going to the gym, I walked into the gym with my water bottle and my car keys, and and that was it. And I just showed up and that was alright. But yes, now I do carry a suitcase that is normally absolutely jam-packed full, can't even give it up. Like I'm still having to carry my other stuff because there's a lot of accessories. Don't look at me like that. I want to hear these things. I'm just not I go on. I travel light. I just I don't travel like anywhere, so it's it's not surprising that this has happened. So in my gym bag, I have usually three pairs of shoes. Gym shoes or just shoes? No, I I'll so I'll take to the gym running trainers, okay, lifting shoes, and then crocs, because I just for ease after or before a lot of things I'll just do with my shoes off, so I'll just have crocs and take them on and off. Um, then I also have lifting straps, which is like one of my number one recs for the gym girlies, because I think I was scared to get them because I was like, oh, they're for like gym bros and like hardcore people. Well, guess what? We are hardcore now girlies, and they changed the game. They they took my deadlift like further than probably anything else did. Like lifting straps, don't mess around with gloves, you need lifting straps. Yeah, I agree back that 100%. Yes. Which ones do you have? I have the ones, the loopy ones, not the figure of eight ones.
SPEAKER_00:I have the same ones, I don't like the figure of eight ones, the ones that you wrap around and have to like yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:And they were literally a fiver from Amazon, and they are I can't go to the gym without them. Yeah, um, so I have that. Then I have I obviously have a water bottle, I have a protein shake, so that's in there. Then I've like depending on what gym I'm going to, then I also have like swimming stuff and a towel because I like a sauna.
unknown:Right.
SPEAKER_02:Then Dylan for my birthday, my son got me a weightlifting belt, which was really cute. I probably wouldn't have got it for myself, but he got me one, which is adorable. So that's in there now as well. Right. Also got creatine, because that is another gym girly essential. Love a bit of creatine. Yeah, take creatine, guys. Every single day. Doesn't matter if you're training or not, take it. I take 10 grams a day because I'm an overachiever. Because you're serious about the games.
SPEAKER_01:I've been taking creatine for about a week now. Do you feel great? You were strong today.
SPEAKER_02:I was strong today, yeah, really strong. I saw it. You did front squats and good morning. So I was really proud of that. Well done, Ray. Get her to do that. Um I yeah, and then I've got like a hairbrush and I've got all my shower stuff.
SPEAKER_00:Uh look none of that is unreasonable. No, it's not, it's not unreasonable. No, it all makes sense, you know, when you put it into context. Sure. Have you got a messy car? Yeah, okay. Right. Why do you ask me that?
SPEAKER_02:I just got a sense. I just listen. Everyone whinges about my car until they need a spare jumper and it's like, oh, I've got three in the boot. Oh, you need a pair of shoes? I've got some in the car.
SPEAKER_00:Like it's just you should start like a supplement store from your boot. In the car.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, just pop the boot. I've got I've got something for you, babe. There's probably more stuff in there, but well then I've got like, yeah, I've got my gym fob. I've got yeah, I think that's all reasonable. I've got ankle straps for my little cable kickbacks.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. You have a fully kitted out gym.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:That's what we're saying.
SPEAKER_01:You were gonna get um a a portable squat wedge, weren't you? I'm still considering it.
SPEAKER_02:Have you got a hip thrust pad? No, but I I have looked at them, they're in my search history because you can get pink cute ones.
SPEAKER_00:Okay.
SPEAKER_02:But the problem is I go to three different gyms, which is also I will defend that till the day I die as well. Like, I need all three of those gym memberships. They all offer me different things. Are we naming names? Are we dropping names? Yeah. So we love complete, we're all complete curlies.
SPEAKER_03:Yep.
SPEAKER_02:And at complete, they have that little ramp thing, which is lovely, but at my other two gyms, which both should know better to be fair, they don't have that. So I was gonna buy one of those. Luckily, they do all have hit pads. If they didn't, I would absolutely be buying a hit pad. I do need a I need a yoga little. I saw a TikTok hack about putting a yoga block under the leg press, under your bum, leg press to stop your bum curling up.
SPEAKER_01:So I was like, well now I've got to buy a yoga block. That's what my Amazon parcel was when you arrived to yoga blocks. See? I'm not I'm very normal.
SPEAKER_02:I've also got a yoga mat because I do enjoy yoga. Like, all of this stuff is normal. You're all in. Uh but this is one thing about me is I am I am go hard or go home. It is my full hyper focus. Now it is my entire life, and I'm gonna continue to make it my entire life.
SPEAKER_00:Well, thank god you can lift 150 on the old chat bar. Excuse me, I can lift 140 on the chat bar. 140, sorry.
SPEAKER_03:I was okay.
SPEAKER_00:Back to a serious question. Now we've heard what's in my bag. Do you think going to the gym has changed your relationship with your body? 100%.
SPEAKER_02:I think that how can I hate my body when it is capable of so much? Um I I think like how it's so true, it feels so trivial now to be like, oh, like my stomach roll, yeah. Well, and I can fucking deadlift 140 kilos. Like I can run 5k. Oh, I can't yet, but that's not the point. Like it changes from being just something to be objectified and looked at and for me to pick apart, and it becomes something I'm using to do incredible things, and that is a that is a huge mind shift, I think. And once you get to that, and again, like you get to the point of moving your body, not because you're punishing it, but because it feels good, then like everything shifts. And I know that sounds dramatic, but I I think it does, I think it's life-changing.
SPEAKER_00:No, I completely agree. That's definitely the approach I take with all my clients. A lot of them come to me after years and years of hating on their body, doing all the diets, doing all the weight loss things, and it's hard sometimes to we're not saying love your body, sometimes that's not realistic every day, but just to respect and appreciate and see it for more than something that people just look at or needs to look good all the time or a certain way, it can be really hard, but it's doable and it feels really good.
SPEAKER_02:I don't think you have to love your body. I would love everyone to love their bodies, but I don't think that's achievable because of all the messaging that we've constantly had all of our entire lives. But you when you realise that the way you look is one of the least interesting things about you, and like you've shift the focus to what can my body do, yeah. I just think that changes the game.
SPEAKER_01:And it is amazing what your body can do.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it is, and and you can do more and more and more, and you can build on that, and you can find things that you love, and then you can go out and you can open all of these doors and you can have all of these new hobbies and meet these new friends and find these communities that I know you guys talk about. And like that is far more important to me than like the size of your jeans. Like, it just puts it all into perspective of like who cares about things like that, as long as my ass looks great in my leggings, it doesn't matter.
SPEAKER_01:It's true. So I feel like we should move on to the juicy part of the interview now.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, we've made them wait a whole 26 minutes. Good job, guys.
SPEAKER_01:So if you're still here, you are now gonna get the good stuff. So at the weekend, me, Lauren, Leanne, and Sophie did a fitness event called Flat Out. We've spoken about it quite a lot on here. It was in a car park in Norwich. Um, Ree was our official content creator of the day, and literally the the official content creator at that point of the whole event. Um what did you think about Flat Out?
SPEAKER_02:From from before we started until this point, I have so Flat Out first got reached out to me and said about taking part. And I was like, not me. Like, I only just started at the gym, I've never run for a bus. Like, no, no, no, no, no. And they were like, no, that's exactly the kind of person we want to take part in Flat Out, like, you know, this is for fitness uh people of at all levels, like it's just about challenging yourself, it doesn't matter if you take one hour or three hours. Um, they were really, really lovely, and I've sung their praises really loudly and really publicly. Um, they were really supportive, and I do think so many positive things have come from me literally forcing you to take part.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Um, I didn't give a any of them any choice, I just signed them all up. But um I think I think that fed into massively believing that we could do stuff that we didn't think previously we could do. I literally three weeks ago I would have said I couldn't take part in a fitness event. Like it it opened a door, and I'm really grateful for that. And we had a really good time training. We did. We've got to know each other very well, yeah, intimately.
SPEAKER_01:And we had a romantic hot tub um in the moon. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um the suitcase came out.
SPEAKER_02:Um, there have been a lot of positives, and I will not let what happened on Sunday take those positives away. But it the event wasn't handled very well in terms of what happened to us. Um, I don't really even know why because like I can't really get my head around how it wouldn't occur to people that it might feel shit to have the race packed around you. Um I really don't want to cry, but um I shouldn't have to say out loud that having an event packed up around you while you're still pushing through and trying to achieve something that everyone around you knows is quite hard anyway, is demoralising. Um I think that's kind of obvious. I think everyone can understand how that might feel. It wasn't a good feeling for any of us.
SPEAKER_01:It wasn't. I mean, the DJ stopped playing and went home. And we didn't, they we were told if you take an hour or three hours, it's fine. We took one hour five.
SPEAKER_00:Well, if you take three hours, you will be left on your own in the dark.
SPEAKER_01:Well, one of one of my race photos is literally me in an abandoned warehouse running from a zombie, like 28 days later. It's not it's not good. I was crying at those photos last night. Laughing, crying because they're so funny. I not but no, the DJ packed off and went home, the lights came on. You noticed that, like, you know, when I was on the bike, I was they were cutting down the banners and packing things up, and that happened. I said no, sorry, go on.
SPEAKER_00:I I was watching on the bike and I said to Matthew, I was like, bit muggy that they're packing down and you're not even off the bike yet. They were like putting the banners down, they were wheeling the bikes around.
SPEAKER_02:I was like, just let the girl finish. The thing is, as well, it wasn't like not it would never be excusable in my opinion at any point, but it isn't like we've been going for three hours and it's like, God, do you know these girls that you've had your fair time, like we do have to get home. We finished in an incredible time. We finished in one hour five when our aim was one hour twenty. And that put us overall at 178th out of 220 participants. I'm fucking buzzing about that. I think that's amazing. But so the point is, like, it there was it wasn't like we just took forever and they like, well, guys, we have to climb eventually. Like, we weren't even given a fair shot at it. Um, and we have well, I have spoken to the flat out team extensively about it, and I have made the impact that that had on us clear, and they have apologised profusely and have assured me it will never happen again.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, I mean it would never happen to the pros, would it? The fact that each station, from what it seemed like, was sponsored or run by gyms in Norwich who all claim to be inclusive and community spirited and will help anyone, which is you go on the Instagrams, this is what they all say. They were the ones taking this stuff down, and no one at one point stopped anyone and was like, hold on a minute. In fact, I'll the only gym I saw who didn't do it was the Inspire section when you were rowing.
SPEAKER_01:And actually, uh you know, according, I they were it was the guy, and I don't know if it was Imogen, but there was a woman as well. But like I zoned out and I couldn't really even tell you who was anybody, but they were really supportive. They were like, Oh my god, your hair looks cute, your tattoos are nice, you're doing so good, come on, you're almost there. Like they nice outfit, like they were very supportive. The people on the bike were like, keep that pace. You're almost there.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, mate, at least someone talked to you.
SPEAKER_00:Well, how much you do your farmer's walk? And I was like, there was no one at that station.
SPEAKER_02:I had fully checked out at that point, thank God, because yeah, it that was the low point. Uh, the the the goblet squats weren't too bad, the guys there were alright, but that was right at the very beginning, so there was a lot of people still around. I think as soon as we got around to the other side, it's when it became apocalyptic and there was just no one. Um yeah, the the farmer's carry people were like, Yeah, pick that up, do that, do it again. And I was like, Okay.
SPEAKER_01:And you'd really practised for that, like your farmer's carry, you'd been practicing. In with so was it 16 kilos you had to have on the day? Yeah, and I've got to be able to do that. You'd been practicing with 20.
SPEAKER_02:And I was really I was really disappointed in myself because I walked that, but I was so defeated by that point. Like it just felt like, what are we doing? What is the point of any of this? And yeah, and I wish I hadn't felt like that, but I did. Um credit also to Hustle, because I think the guy from Hustle kept Sophie going, and they they didn't pack up until the very end when I don't know who it was, lit quite literally ripped the tape up behind Sophie as she was trying to finish her reps, which I do feel is inexcusable. I I I do you you'd but it happened, and I'm really, really trying to reframe it because we achieved something amazing, and that's what upset me the most is that we should have come away from that feeling elated. Like all four of us never thought we'd do anything like that, and we fucking did it. And not only did it, we smashed our goal of time. None of us like when we practiced it, we had been taking breaks, none of us did that. You ran an extra lap and still fucking survived. Like all of us were tasting blood. We were all taken, we were like, Why can I taste blood? Like the amount of effort we put into that, we deserve to feel incredibly proud of how it went.
SPEAKER_01:And we trained in two and a half weeks.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. So I I am at a point now where I really am trying to not let anything detract from that feeling of just pride. And I'm so happy that I had three incredible women by my side to do that, and I'm so happy that the four of us pulled it together. And actually, no one else gets any credit for us making it through that except from the four of us, because everything around us was against us, and we still dragged each other through that and dragged each other across the finish line.
SPEAKER_01:There wasn't a photo at the finish line because the photographer had gone home, but I mean he was there, so it's yeah, you were there, you were our official photographer the whole way through, and actually your content is better than the official photographer. Where I mean, God gave a picture of me, and I literally am on the row and I'm like you've passed out in mid-row.
SPEAKER_02:Like, can you post that somewhere so that your listeners can see that I don't want it, I don't want anyone to see that.
SPEAKER_01:It's so awful. It's pornographic.
SPEAKER_00:I'm I am maybe I'll put it behind a payroll survivor.
SPEAKER_02:I'll send it to you. I'm shocked that he saw that and was like, Yeah, that's that's mint, that I'll edit that.
SPEAKER_01:There were so many pictures of me on that rower, like with the worst face. Like, was he just like, look at the misery in that woman's face?
SPEAKER_00:I'll tell you what, no hate that guy. I have no idea who it was who was doing the photography, but he looked done with that day. He did not look a happy chaffy when he was taking the photos. He was just like, oh honestly, bless him. Maybe that's just his face, I don't know.
SPEAKER_01:I'm I'm not sure. I don't think he did run Norwich, but he's it's called Dreamscape, and he definitely does a lot of like sporting events. I've seen that a lot.
SPEAKER_02:So the thing is, I actually found myself in a point where like at least he took a photo of us. At least he was at least he was still there, guys, because nobody else was.
SPEAKER_01:Wasn't there at the finish though? Well, it was a supposed to be was it? It was someone else.
SPEAKER_02:I mean they nearly packed up the actual finish line. I did have to ask them to leave the backdrop up for long enough long enough.
SPEAKER_00:You did, didn't you? Yeah. But all that aside, you lot did it, you had the confidence to go out and do it, and you did it well, and it looked really tough. Like it no, I wouldn't have done it. It looked disgusting, like disgustingly hard, and you all powered through in a good time as well. I think the team before you only finished five minutes before you did, didn't they? Four. Four. So it's not even like there was a massive winner. That's it, that's what I meant. Yeah. And none of them did an extra lap, did they?
SPEAKER_01:I did watch you run round thinking she's lost. Showing Amma! No. But I stopped at the rower and I was like, but I haven't been, I haven't done a whole lap. And I was like, I need to go around again. And then the people from the farmer's carry were like, you have to do two laps, and I was like, But and then I don't they didn't know, they didn't know that the relay was one lap, your station, then another. So we didn't know until ten minutes before it started, so yeah. So that was that was just a testament to how confused I get.
SPEAKER_02:With our with our edited time, I would like to give us a time of one hour, two minutes, which puts us only what one minute behind third place. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's pretty fucking respectable when we signed up two and a half weeks ago. I've never run anywhere in my whole entire life. Like there was lunges, there was burpees. We didn't do them though. Yeah, but there were there, and some Leanne took one seriously. Leanne is a fucking a machine and I respect her endlessly for it. Um, but we did it. And that's what um that is the takeaway. We did it. Would you do another event like this? Well, we're gonna do an Iron Man 70.
SPEAKER_01:I can't swim. I can't ride a bike. Yet. Yes. I hate running. No, you don't. You love running. Not more than 5k.
SPEAKER_00:How long is an Iron Man? We've is it how long are the sections in an Iron Man 70? Well, half of a big one.
SPEAKER_01:It's a half marathon, 54 miles on a bike.
SPEAKER_02:A kilometre swim? Something like that. Yeah, I don't I don't know. I don't worry about the details. We just I just can't get on board with the outfit. I look, I don't want to cycle with like being wet. That's my only thing. And also, I joke about the Iron Man, but you can't wear headphones, and that really put me off. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:And you won't be able to wear your scrunch leggings.
SPEAKER_02:Why can't I?
SPEAKER_00:Because you'd have to wear your tri-suit. You'd have to wear it.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, we have a bum scrunch tri-suit.
SPEAKER_00:Maybe this could be I found a business guy. Yeah. There we go. Noting it down.
SPEAKER_01:Maybe we could do, you know, like there was those guys on social media and they done a like triathlon in David Lum. I love that. Maybe we'll just do a triathlon but indoors. No, we are doing that.
SPEAKER_02:So the UEA, I discovered. We know don't make that place because we at that we could do that now. Listen, the UEA, Rhee, you're gonna come as well because at the UEA monthly they have a very a little baby triathlon that even kids can do, and it is a 25-meter swim. That is one length of the pool. I can drag you one length, I'll tow you one length of the fucking pool. And then it's one K on a spin bike. You love spin. Yeah, I'd be fine with that. And it's one K round a track. Like, I'm sorry, you can do that. And that'll be a lovely little adventure into triathlons. And from there, we're gonna do the super sprint.
SPEAKER_01:Actually, the super sprint is they do one in Beckles where you swim in the Lido, so it's not like you're having to swim in a pond.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, and it's it's like 400 metre swim, which is 15 lengths of the pool, which I'm not saying that's well, I it's yeah, you'll be fine. And then what is it, like a a 5k bike ride and then a 1k run, or it's not a big one. Two and a half K run. Worry about the details, yeah. Easy.
SPEAKER_00:Details, details. Don't worry about it until you're there.
SPEAKER_01:See, there's part of me that like You did say you wanted to do an Iron Man. I didn't say I wanted to do an Iron Man, I said I wanted to do a triathlon, like a sprint triathlon. Yeah, same thing.
SPEAKER_02:I want them to go, you are an Iron Man, as we walk around the finish line.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, I could do that in the baby one. I could stand it and make a fish.
SPEAKER_01:Please do. Um I mean, there's part of me that kind of wants to do flat out again because I'm clearly glutton for punishment. Because I didn't hate the actual like events. Yeah. Like doing it. Like it was, and I feel like now I've done it, I'd feel more prepared for it. I would just hope that if we do do it again, that those issues have really been sorted. Because if I done it again and finished the people packing up around me, I'd lose my shit.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I think the thing is we had planned to for this to be a baseline, hadn't we? We knew we were going into this one with very, very little training, and so we were like, all right, we'll just see what we can do with next to no training, and then we've got until April to put the work in and see how much we can improve, and it's going to be us versus us. And that was our goal the entire time. So we we've done half of that now, and I think in a way it would be a shame not to be able to carry on with that plan and to see how much progress we can make because I think we would astound ourselves, and that again, that is like an incredible feeling to be able to do that. I have to believe that flat out have taken what I've said seriously, have understood how we felt, and they're not gonna let it happen again. I have to believe that. So there is a there is a I don't know, it's too fresh right now for me to say if I'd ever do for that. Okay, but we did look at doing a HIROX. HIROCs have a relay and they eat them all over the world, so we're going global, baby.
SPEAKER_00:Oh my god, I've lost you now, haven't I? That's it. It's been nice knowing you, 23 episodes in. Yeah, sorry, I'm a professional athlete now.
SPEAKER_01:We are um an Olympian. But you know, it is nice to know that you can challenge yourself and you can do things that you didn't think you would or could do. We can do hard things. So that is our experience of flat out. And I'm gonna ask the next question. What do you hate about the fitness industry? How long have we got left to this episode?
SPEAKER_02:As long as you didn't leave What do I hate about the finish industry? The the thing is, actually, probab a week ago I would have said a very different answer because I would have said that I thought, you know, it was really elitist, and if you don't look right, you don't fit in, and that I was really wrong about that. No, I don't know how wrong. I think there are definitely spaces where it is like that, but there are plenty of spaces where you are welcome, no matter what your ability, no matter what you look like, no matter who you are. And so I don't like that that fitness seems like a really elitist thing that you have to be good at before you can get into, because that's ridiculous. Like no one's good at anything straight away. Actually, there are loads of welcoming spaces, and you just have to find them, you have to sort through a lot of abs before you get to for the record. Anyone with abs I think is really boring. Sorry, but it's true. Um so once you filter through that bit, then actually it is a really nice place. But I hate the idea that people have that you can't get involved unless you're really good and really fit.
SPEAKER_01:What is one thing that you wish more women knew about lifting?
SPEAKER_02:How incredible you will feel once you do it. And I think that universally, I think I think no matter what your ability is, wherever you're at with it, if you push yourself to do something like that, which you never thought you could do, you will feel incredible and you will want more of that feeling, and it will lead to these amazing things. Like I just wholeheartedly believe that, and I wish more women would get in. And it's not gonna make you bulky, um, you know, it's not gonna turn you into a bloke. Like, just go in there and see what you can do wherever you are. Progress one little step, be one percent better, and all of that other bullshit, but it's true because you will come out feeling incredible, and that will filter into the rest of your life, and you will feel better about everything and it will change your life. Just do it as a cult, do it.
SPEAKER_01:You must notice that with your clients, Rui.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, yeah. Like, so like probably every day and every one of you actually will come in and be like, Oh, I can't be bothered today, I've had a shit week. And I'm like, Yeah, all right. And then by the end of it, I'm like, You're feeling better. They're like, Yeah, it's kind of weird. I feel good now. I'm like, oh yeah, mental periods.
SPEAKER_02:But this is the most unexpected thing because I thought doom scrolling on TikTok for hours and eating chocolate was gonna make me feel so much better about myself. Turns out moving my body, fueling it properly, and a bunch of fucking supplements works. Who knows it's so annoying, isn't it? I hate it. I hate it. I haven't quite got over the fact that I hate that they were all right. Yeah, I had to do it my own way. You have to get there by yourself. If someone's forcing you into it, it's not gonna work anyway. So no, you have got to find it out for yourself.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Are there any gym myths that you once believed that you want to debunk?
SPEAKER_02:People who say lifting weights will make you bulky need to look at how many years people spend in the bin try in the bin? Don't get in the bin. They need to look at how many years people spend in the gym trying to actually get bulky and how fucking hard it actually is. They're not gonna they're not gonna make you bulky. I also hate all of this like um, oh, tone, tone your arms, get a flat stomach with this exercise. That's not how it works. Like, we we just need to like learn a little bit of science. And the thing is, I love that. Like, I love learning the why and the how. So now like I have like a very basic understanding of like the how to build muscle and things like that. Like, you can't, if you do this ten times, you're not gonna get rid of your bingo wings. That's not you can't do things like that. I think there is a lot of like misconceptions because social media is full of fucking nonsense. Like, and you have to find people who you have to find a way to find out the actual truth and accurate information.
SPEAKER_00:Do you think you have a future career in the fitness industry?
SPEAKER_02:Mm-hmm. Foreshadowing. No, I don't know. I well, we've all said that we would like to maybe do different things.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, who knows? We're gonna we're gonna open a gym. Me and Rhee have got plans.
SPEAKER_02:What are you gonna what are you gonna do?
SPEAKER_01:Well, what aren't we gonna do?
SPEAKER_02:Exactly. Exactly.
SPEAKER_00:I love that. But yeah. We're gonna do the Health Huns Games, which is gonna take over Hyrux. Nice. And we're gonna have Katie Price and Carrie Katona host the whole thing. The true hun, as you should, yeah. And open a gym. What else are we gonna do? Um we're not gonna have a supplements brand.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, I'll do that one. Yeah. And swimming costumes. And swimming costumes. I'm looks like a frog in a swimming costume. I need to work on that. My bum's not very big, so my swimming costumes are always a bit flappy on the bar.
SPEAKER_02:What's good for that? The gym.
SPEAKER_01:I go to the gym. Yeah. I'm gonna actually tell you about a dream I had the other day. I had a dream that I wanted to wear this silver sequin dress, and I was really upset because I wanted my bum to be bigger because I wanted it to look like a disco ball. So you were gonna buy Leanne's. I was gonna buy Leanne's glute builder programme. So I'd obviously like seen that I I've been looking for a dress for this wedding I'm going to at the weekend. I don't think, I mean, I would never wear a silver sequin dress ever in my life.
SPEAKER_02:And your bum would be a disco ball.
SPEAKER_01:And I wanted my bum to be massive like a disco ball. I think that's an excellent goal, personally.
SPEAKER_00:Have you got any final parting words of wisdom? Maybe like three things you want to send out into the world, fitness or non-fitness related, when it comes to the journey you've been on?
SPEAKER_02:I I think that ultimately, whether it's about fitness or whether it's about something else, it still applies. That if you want to do something and you're willing to put the work in, you absolutely can achieve it. And doing so and achieving something you never thought you would, or that you've been told your whole life you can't. Like, like I was the fat kid at school that hated PE. Like, I did I hated cross-country, I used to fake a sickness for sports day. Like, like I believe my whole entire life, and I'm literally 36, I spent 36 years believing that I'm no good at sport, that it's not for me, that I can't achieve anything. And in less than six months, I have disproved that entirely. And and whether you do that about fitness or whether you do that about something else, that feeling is fucking incredible. And once you get a little taste of that feeling, it will drive you forward to do more and more and more of it. And I think that we can all do whatever the fuck we want to do.
SPEAKER_00:Rewrite the story that you've been telling yourself. It's up to you. If you want to do something, make it happen. Thank you very much for coming on today's podcast. For having me. Have I done a good job? I think you've done a good job. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:She hate me.
SPEAKER_00:I don't hate you, but I've got to edit it first.
SPEAKER_02:Remember, I bought you chocolate.