What If Your Body Has Been Telling You Something You've Been Ignoring? - with StreTch Rayner

This episode of KneeToKnee sits at the intersection of men's health, functional medicine, and what it actually means to lead yourself well in midlife. Mark Marrott sits down with Stretch Rayner, a personal trainer and health coach from Australia, to talk male burnout, blood work for men, genetics testing, gut health, sauna benefits, testosterone decline, and the warrior to king shift that men in midlife need to hear about.Stretch built a 300-member gym in London, burned himself out doing it, and came home with chest pain, chronic fatigue, and no real answers. When he finally went looking, a deep dive into functional medicine, blood work, and genetics testing revealed mercury toxicity, hemochromatosis, the MTHFR gene variant affecting his detoxification pathways, and a histamine intolerance that was making his healthiest foods the problem. Within six weeks of the right protocol, including sauna therapy to clear the mercury and targeted dietary changes for his gut health, he felt like himself again.Now Stretch works with men in midlife through his Sustainable Training Method and the Midlife Mavericks program, helping them take ownership of their health, build accountability into their lives, and make the shift from warrior to king. In this conversation we get into what blood work and genetics testing actually reveal, why testosterone decline and male burnout are showing up earlier than ever, how masculine archetypes play into men's mental health, and why strength training for men might be the single best gateway habit for building deeper men's connection and male friendship. Stretch also shares why he believes most men in midlife are waiting too long to look under the bonnet, and what happens when they finally do.You can find Stretch and the Sustainable Training Method at tstmethod.com.00:00 Introduction01:07 How Stretch Got His Nickname and His Origin Story03:42 Burnout in London and the Decision to Go Home05:02 The Blood Work That Changed Everything09:16 What Men Should Actually Test and How to Start16:06 Midlife Mavericks and the Warrior to King Framework22:05 The One Thing: Strength as the Gateway Habit📂 More Like This — Suggested Playlists:The Men Who Got Their Energy Back After 35The Conversations Men Need to Be Having📩 Get The One Thing — a weekly note from Mark every time a new episode drops: https://bit.ly/4eIs6gf