Overtraining' Is Bulls**t: The Real Reason You're Exhausted

Dr. Dan Plews is a sports scientist, endurance coach, and a world record holder for the fastest age group IronMan. And these days you’ll find him with his shirt off at one of those Hyrox events.

You may not know the name, but you definitely know some of his clients – Dame Lisa Carrington, Emma Twigg, Eric Murray, Hamish Bond and Emirates Team NZ to name a few.

Actually, it was double Olympic gold medallist Eric Murray who messaged me suggesting Dr Dan as a podcast guest.

Athletes and teams that Dr Dan Plews have worked with have collectively won over 30 Olympic and world titles.

In this episode as well as learning more about this low-key legend, some of the stuff we look at includes:

* Lessons from coaching Olympic and world champion athletes +The biggest mistakes everyday athletes make. +Longevity in sport - how to stay competitive into your 40s and beyond. + Why, at 43, he believes he is still nowhere near done.

And much much more!

*** Massive thanks to my long-term podcast sponsors, Generate. Generate is an award-winning KiwiSaver provider with a track record of delivering strong long-term returns for their clients – you can see their latest returns for yourself on their website.

I became a client when they came on board as the show sponsor and it’s been a game changer for me personally. I wish I had been introduced to Generate years earlier.

You can book a no obligation chat with one of their awesome KiwiSaver advisers at generatekiwisaver.co.nz/dom

The issuer of the scheme is Generate Investment Management Limited. To see their Product disclosure statement see generatekiwisaver.co.nz/pds Past performance does not guarantee future returns.

And just a reminder — everyone’s situation is different, so I recommend getting expert advice before making any financial decisions.

0:00:00 - Introduction & Getting to Know Dr. Dan Plews: An introduction to Dr. Dan, his background in sports science, and his experience coaching elite athletes. 0:07:04 - The Power of Consistency & Simple Habits: Discussion on how Olympic champions like Dame Lisa Carrington focus on "world-class" small habits that require no talent. 0:09:36 - Hellish Training Sessions: Dr. Dan recalls the brutal training sessions he designed for Eric Murray and Hamish Bond. 0:12:14 - The Nature of Obsession in High Performance: Exploring the balance between healthy obsession and the intense requirements of an elite athletic lifestyle. 0:27:38 - Epigenetics & Passing on Athleticism: A brief look at the theory of passing training adaptations to the next generation. 0:28:12 - Chelsea Sodaro's Remarkable Comeback: How Chelsea Sodaro won the Ironman World Championship in Kona 18 months after giving birth. 0:41:42 - Managing Injuries & Perspective: Dr. Dan talks about his current injury and the lessons learned from Ironman events that can't be taught in a lab. 0:45:08 - The Three Things Theory: Discussing the philosophy that one can only focus on three major life areas to achieve true success. 0:52:37 - Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Explained: A deep dive into the science of HRV, how it measures recovery, and how it informs training loads. 1:05:15 - What Defines a World-Class Athlete?: Dr. Dan identifies consistency as the single most important factor. 1:06:26 - The "No Bullshit" Policy: How Dr. Dan interviews and selects the athletes he chooses to coach. 1:09:45 - The Coach-Athlete Relationship: Why long-term partnerships, like those of Lisa Carrington and Gordon Walker, are so effective. 1:11:00 - The Evolution of Coaching & Parting Ways: Discussing when it is appropriate for athletes to seek new coaching, such as the Hayden Wilde and Craig Kirkwood dynamic. 1:13:06 - Pushing vs. Protecting Athletes: How to identify when a younger athlete needs to be pushed versus when an older athlete needs a pull-back. 1:19:40 - Lessons from Emma Twigg: Looking back at the adversity faced by Emma Twigg before her Olympic success. 1:43:29 - Learning from Failure & Illness: Dr. Dan shares a personal story about a difficult experience with influenza after a Hyrox race. 1:54:00 - Defining Success & Hindsight: Reflecting on the evolution of his career, age-group competition, and what he would tell his younger self. 2:03:12 - The Three Words Legacy: A reflection on integrity and the traits he hopes his family would use to describe him.