2EZcast

James “The Shed” Hollingshead joins the podcast for a conversation on bodybuilding, identity, authenticity, and the pressure of trying to stay true to yourself in a world that constantly rewards the opposite. A British IFBB Pro Men’s Open bodybuilder, James earned his pro card in 2017, went on to win major pro shows including the 2020 Europa Pro and 2022 Tsunami Cup, and has competed on both the Olympia and Arnold stages. From redefining your why in bodybuilding, to the effect social media has had on the culture, to fatherhood, grief, purpose, and the internal battle between contentment and ambition, this is a conversation with real depth. We discuss: - How your why for bodybuilding changes over time - Why “fuck you” energy can get you started but won’t sustain you - Bodybuilding as art and self-expression - Whether bodybuilding improves your life or exposes what is already off - Why not everyone who trains should compete - Cheap dopamine, overstimulation, and modern life - Social media, marketing, and the loss of authenticity in bodybuilding - The pressure of building an income around your online presence - Fatherhood, health awareness, and how having a daughter changed James’ perspective - Grief, premature loss, and how bodybuilding has been tied to every emotion in life - Why he nearly stepped away from the sport - The value of in-person coaching at the highest level - Why more condition is not always a better bodybuilding look - Top 5 games, storytelling, and how profit has cheapened art across every industry - Protecting your energy and staying grounded in reality

OCB Pro and posing coach Hannah Mitchell joins the podcast for a conversation on resilience, identity, and building something from the ground up in and beyond bodybuilding. From starting with nothing and working three jobs alongside university to build financial security, to being diagnosed with autism, to growing her posing coaching into what it is today, this is a conversation about depth, self-belief, and becoming who you actually are. We discuss: - Starting from nothing - Working 3 jobs alongside university to create financial security - Hannah’s autism diagnosis - The depth behind just being a positive person - Why being happy go lucky gets mistaken for being unserious - Dealing with negativity in the industry - How Hannah built her posing coaching to where it is today - How her relationship with Nat changed and allowed her to become more herself - Whether Hannah would ever become assisted - Navigating bodybuilding while staying true to yourself And much more.

Olympia 212 competitor Dean White joins the podcast to break down the mindset behind his rise, setback, and return to the biggest stage in bodybuilding. From winning his IFBB Pro card and Mr Universe, to competing at the Olympia while building a gym, to rebuilding his body after spinal fusion surgery, this is a conversation about resilience, risk, and what it actually takes to compete at the highest level. We discuss: - The spinal fusion that forced Dean out of competing - A car crash that reset his recovery - Winning Mr Universe and earning his IFBB Pro card - Competing at the Olympia while building Falcon Gym - Bodybuilding with one kidney - Planning a return to the Olympia stage - Would he ever move to the Open class? - Dean’s approach to PEDs - Training with bodybuilding legends leading into the O - The true margin for error at the Olympia - Bodybuilding in America vs the UK And much more.

Mr Universe winner Dan McNab, known as Big Pale Nasty, joins the podcast to unpack the mindset that built his physique and reputation. From intensity in the gym to the discipline outside it, this is a conversation about what it really takes to win. We discuss: - How PED usage has changed - What's wrong with modern day bodybuilding - Why losing is important - What people get wrong about low volume -Social media and much much more

From a kitchen-table side hustle to a multi-million-pound brand, Wade Smith shares the story of how Doughnotts became one of the UK’s leading doughnut businesses.   We discuss: - How it started vs how it's going - Mistakes people make in business - Scaling down to scale upwards - Bodybuilding and much much more  

IFBB Pro Ryan Turner joins the podcast as we deep delve into life in and outside of bodybuilding, we discuss: - The paradox of ambition. - What drives Ryan? - Should you seek adversity? - What makes bodybuilding actually hard? and much much more

Romana and Dan aren't your typical couple, nor are they your typical bodybuilding couple, they're the couple that managed to earn their way to the Olympia together. We discuss: - How does a coaching dynamic work in a relationship - The differences and similarities between male and female bodybuilding - What is femininity? - Dealing with the trolls and much much more

Josh Maley became the worlds tallest IFBB pro after also winning Mr Universe with a height of 6ft 6' and a stage weight of over 300lbs, we discuss: - How hard did Josh push to make it as far as he did in Bodybuilding - The dilemma that contributed to his retirement - Why he self coached through the majority of his competitive journey - The do's and don'ts of tall bodybuilders and much much more

Christian Chapman is making headway to his goal of being a top physique coach after a successful year of coaching some of the best amateur bodybuilders in the UK: - Why coaches fall off - PED's - Peaking properly - The line of responsibility a coach should take on and much much more

Figure IFBB Pro Sophie Jenkins reached the panicle of bodybuilding by competing at the Olympia, we discuss: - Soph's journey from athletics to Olympia competitor - Why Soph decided it was time to retire from bodybuilding - Why a relaxed approached to bodybuilding yielded more progress - How Soph overcame a career threatening injury and much much more

Andrew is THE no BS life coach that is passionate about helping people overcome identity struggles, life barriers and much more, we discuss: - Why people lack self awareness - How most people lie to themselves and others without realising - The rise of narcissism and arrogance - Whether you have imposter syndrome or you're just an imposter and much much more

Lizzy Ryder, talks about her unique experience of her quick rise in bodybuilding and getting a pro card at just 21 years old, we discuss: - How blood clots lander her into bodybuilding - Why the "Prove them wrong mentality" isn't sustainable - Fitting into a category - Why success nearly made her quit - Lizzy's thoughts on Reta and much much more

Aj Morris, my former coach from the natty bodybuilding days, a British champ and founder of 'NBW' joins the podcast to discuss: - His mission for natural bodybuilding's growth - If he's ever considered taking steroids - What has contributed towards his success - What trips people up on a drug test the most and much much more

Porn Star Alexandra Wildd joins me on the podcast as we down bottle of whisky and discuss: - How and why she got into the porn industry - Monogamy vs Polyamory - The most messed up things she does for work - Exposing the weirdest kinks - Does she feel guilty about the impact porn has on people and much more!

Sarah Parker, The host of the 'The Beyond Condition Podcast', A winner of Bikini Ms Universe and fellow online coach joins me as the first ever guest on the 2EZcast to discuss: - Overcoming imposter syndrome - The ripple effect of kindness - Running from problems through bodybuilding - Regulating the coaching industry and much more!

To introduce the podcast I thought I'd answer some questions to give listeners a chance to get to know me and my future plans moving forward.