Men’s Health: Built For Life

For Tom Hiddleston, running is part of the creative process, a way to clear his head and a reminder of what it feels like to be alive. In this special crossover episode of Men’s Health Built For Life and Runner’s World, he joins Andrew Tracey and Ben Hobson to talk strength, stamina and the joy of movement.

From his six-week challenge to bulk up for a Thor audition to the physical demands of playing Loki and mountaineer Edmund Hillary, Tom reveals how he trains to be ready for whatever a role throws at him. He shares the five-exercise workout he uses to combine strength and cardio in around 40 minutes, why he realised running alone wasn’t enough, and how his approach to food has evolved at 45.

Plus, stories from the Avengers’ stunt gym, why Scarlett Johansson was ‘probably the hardest worker in the room’, and what Hollywood’s great physical performers taught him about making an audience believe.

An infectious reminder that training can help you think more clearly, tackle demanding days and stay strong for the things that matter — whether that’s an action sequence or carrying your kids.l alive.
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In this episode of Men’s Health’s Built for Life, Ben and Andrew are joined by speaker, author and performance coach Pete Cohen for a personal conversation about grief, connection and finding meaning after loss.

With more than 30 years’ experience working with everyone from Olympic champions to business leaders, and 12 years as GMTV’s resident life coach, Pete has spent his career helping people navigate challenges and make changes in their lives. Losing his wife, Hannah, brought those questions into deeply personal territory.

Following Hannah’s death in 2023, Pete brought together personal footage to create Hannah’s Story — a documentary capturing her experience of living with brain cancer, their relationship and the life they shared. What began as an act of remembrance became a celebration of her life.

Reflecting on love, bereavement and the process of telling Hannah’s story, Pete offers a personal perspective for anyone navigating loss or trying to understand what someone close to them is going through. It’s a conversation that can help you feel less alone in grief, open up difficult conversations and reflect on what matters most in your own life — including the relationships we can too easily take for granted.

Men's Health UK: Built For Life Podcast

Hosted by Andrew Tracey and Ben Shephard.
Produced by Ruth Holroyd

Trusted guidance for men passionate about their health, fitness and mental wellbeing. With muscle-building advice, style hacks, nutrition tips and workouts to try, we’ve got all areas covered.

Want more from Men’s Health? Join the Men’s Health SQUAD for exclusive training plans, expert advice and tools to help you get stronger, faster – we’re with you every rep of the way. Click here: https://bit.ly/4eQkqIH

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When most of us think about recovery, we picture ice baths, saunas, supplements and sleep trackers. But some of the things we do to recover place another stress on the body – and when we’re already running on empty, doing more might be the last thing we need.

In part three of our three-part performance series, in association with Samsung, MH Fitness Director Andrew Tracey is joined by physiologist and human-performance expert Oli Patrick to ask a surprisingly overlooked question: what actually is recovery?

They explore the difference between recovering from training and recovering from the demands of everyday life, why you can be under-recovered without being overtrained, and when an ice bath or sauna might help – or simply add to the load. Oli also explains what to look for in your energy, performance and health data, why sleep starts long before bedtime, and why sometimes the best recovery method is simply giving yourself time to rest.

Men’s Health UK

Guest:

Oli Patrick: instagram.com/_olipatrick
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When most of us think about improving our performance, we assume that means training harder and doing more. But hard sessions aren’t necessarily productive sessions – and when it comes to hybrid training simply smashing two different, programmes together could leave you smashing your body to bits.

In part two of our three-part performance series, in association with Samsung, MH Fitness Director Andrew Tracey is joined by the UK’s fittest man, Harry Lightfoot, and his coach, AOD Fitness founder Mike Allen, to explore what it really means to train for performance.

They discuss the difference between exercising and training, why copying the routines of professional athletes rarely works and how to combine strength and endurance without burning out. They also explain the importance of finding your minimum effective dose, how to use data without letting it rule your decisions and why your hardest workouts might not be the ones that move your fitness forward.

Men’s Health UK

Guests:

Harry Lightfoot: instagram.com/harrylightfoot_
Mike Allen/AOD Fitness: instagram.com/aod_fitness

Trusted guidance for men passionate about their health, fitness and mental wellbeing. With muscle-building advice, style hacks, nutrition tips and workouts to try, we’ve got all areas covered

Men’s Health UK: https://www.menshealth.com/uk/
Men’s Health UK on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/menshealthuk/
Men’s Health UK on Twitter: https://twitter.com/menshealthuk
Men’s Health UK on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/menshealthuk/
Men’s Health on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/menshealthuk/
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When most of us hear the word ‘diet’, we think weight loss. But eating to lose fat and eating to perform at your best aren’t necessarily the same thing.

In part one of our three-part performance series, in association with Samsung, MH Fitness Director Andrew Tracey is joined by Ollie Marchon and performance nutritionist Liam Holmes to explore what it really means to fuel your training.

They discuss the signs that you’re under-fuelled, why hard sessions aren’t necessarily productive sessions and how eating more could improve your performance, recovery and mood without sacrificing your physique. They also explain why you shouldn’t be afraid of carbohydrates, how to practise your race-day nutrition in training and the simple 30/90 rule for fuelling before and after every workout.

Men's Health UK

Guests:

Ollie Marchon: instagram.com/olliemarchon

Liam Holmes: instagram.com/liam_nutritionist

Trusted guidance for men passionate about their health, fitness and mental wellbeing. With muscle-building advice, style hacks, nutrition tips and workouts to try, we’ve got all areas covered

Men’s Health UK: https://www.menshealth.com/uk/
Men’s Health UK on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/menshealthuk/
Men’s Health UK on Twitter: https://twitter.com/menshealthuk
Men’s Health UK on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/menshealthuk/
Men’s Health on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/menshealthuk/
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