When Niall came to me, he couldn’t swim 200m without stopping. Eight lengths, rest at every wall, gasping for air after every 25m. Busy construction manager, small window to train, and 10 months to get to the start line of Ironman Lanzarote.

He smashed it.

In this episode I break down exactly how we did it, and the 5 things you can take into your own swim training for 2027:

1. Establish where you’re at
2. Frequency over distance
3. Video footage, not generic lessons
4. Race-specific training
5. Targeted drills in every session

Plus why you never need to swim 3.8km before race day, and the 500m reps that became Niall’s sweet spot.

🏊 Our 8-week Winter Swim Series kicks off on 2 November inside Explosive Endurance. Whether you can only swim 100m or you’re chasing a faster threshold pace, there’s a place for you. Send me a message on Instagram and let’s have a chat.

In this episode, I break down 5 ways to get the most out of your off-season and put yourself in the best possible position heading into 2027.

We cover:

1. Knowing exactly what you’re working towards.
2. Using the off-season to attack your weaknesses.
3. Building strength while your endurance load is lower.
4. Learning to train properly using heart rate.
5. Surrounding yourself with people who make training more enjoyable.

The goal isn’t to be in peak condition in November or December.

It’s to make sure that when January arrives, you’re not starting again from scratch.

Use these next few months properly and you’ll enter 2027 stronger, fitter and much clearer on exactly what you’re working towards.

If you want help putting proper structure around your 2027 season, message me “OFF-SEASON” on Instagram and we’ll have a chat.

Maybe you can’t swim very far. Maybe you’ve never run a marathon. Maybe you’re wondering how the training would fit around work and family.

In this episode, I walk you through exactly how I’d coach you to your first Ironman. From understanding your starting point and building a plan around your week to reviewing your training, practising your fuelling and making sure you know what to do on race day.

We also talk about the smaller wins that build confidence along the way and why having the right people around you makes a difference.

You don’t have to believe you can do the whole thing today. You just need to be willing to take the first step.

If there’s a 70.3 or Ironman you keep putting off, send me “RACE” on Instagram @mrexplosivejoseph and tell me which one it is.

In this episode, I talk about what you should actually be looking for when choosing someone to guide you towards your first 70.3 or Ironman.

A training plan isn't coaching. Being a fast athlete doesn't automatically make someone a good coach either.

I cover experience, qualifications, communication, personalisation, nutrition and race-day fuelling, coach capacity, athlete results and the questions you should be asking before spending your money.

I also open up about a point in my own coaching career when I reached 45 athletes, started burning out and realised something had to change.

If you've got your first 70.3 or Ironman in your head for 2027, listen to this before choosing your coach.

You don't need the cheapest coach or the most expensive coach.

You need the coach you trust to get you from where you are today to that finish line.

After four years of coaching triathletes, I’ve seen that the athletes who achieve the goals that once felt out of reach rarely have more time or fewer things going on.

The difference is often in their standards.

How they prepare. How they fuel. How intentional they are with their time. The people they surround themselves with. And how they continue to show up when life gets busy.

Recording this episode from Nice during 70.3 World Championship week, I share some of the patterns I’ve seen in the athletes who consistently get the best out of themselves — and why high performance goes far beyond swim, bike and run.

In this episode, Joe shares seven things you need to understand to arrive physically ready, mentally prepared and still excited about the challenge ahead.

We cover deciding who you need to become, understanding why you signed up, assessing your current starting point and breaking the year into manageable training phases. Joe also explains how to fit training around real life, practise your fuelling before the big sessions begin and handle the inevitable setbacks along the way.

Your Ironman journey won’t always be easy, but it could become one of the most rewarding things you ever do. Focus on the journey, stay consistent and you might surprise yourself with what you’re truly capable of.

If you’re preparing for an Ironman or 70.3 and want support structuring the next 6–12 months, message Joe on Instagram and let him know which race you’ve entered.

I’m sharing 10 honest confessions from my life as a triathlon coach and athlete.

I talk about the days when I don’t want to train, why I sometimes ignore my own advice, comparing myself to other athletes and the nerves I still feel before racing. I also share what coaching really looks like behind the scenes, why so much of it is educated problem-solving and how invested I become in my athletes and their results.

I love what I do, but I’m definitely not a perfect coach or athlete. I still get things wrong, question myself and feel like I have something to prove.

Hopefully, this episode helps you understand a little more about who I am, how I coach and why I care so much about the people I work with.

In this episode, I break down the real reasons so many triathletes are struggling with injuries and recurring niggles. We cover managing your training load, fuelling properly, improving recovery, balancing training with everyday life and knowing when discomfort has become something more serious.

I also explain what to do if you’re already injured, how to maintain your fitness safely and why your return to training needs to be carefully structured.

If the same niggle keeps returning or your body constantly feels like it’s fighting against your training, this episode will help you understand what might actually be going wrong.

In this short episode, I share nine practical tips covering training consistency, recovery, nutrition, race-specific preparation, pacing and race-week planning.

Seven minutes. Nine tips you can apply straight away.

For more support with your training, follow me on Instagram at @MrExplosiveJoseph.

Tom opens up about the lawnmower accident at just three years old that changed his life forever, the doctors who told him high-level sport might never be possible, and how that only fuelled his determination to prove otherwise.

We also dive into what life actually looks like as a professional triathlete. From his weekly training structure and recovery, to nutrition, mindset and racing at the highest level, Tom shares loads of insights that every triathlete can take something from.

We cover:

• Tom's journey from childhood accident to international paratriathlon
• Winning silver in Montreal and bronze at the European Championships
• The road to the LA 2028 Paralympic Games
• How he structures his swim, bike and run training
• Why recovery is just as important as training
• Nutrition and race day fuelling
• The mindset that allows him to perform under pressure
• Why chasing the process matters more than chasing results
• Advice for any athlete trying to become the best version of themselves

Whether you're racing your first sprint triathlon or chasing the podium yourself, this conversation is packed with lessons on resilience, perspective and enjoying the journey.

If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe, leave a review and share it with a training partner.

In this episode, we sit down with Jess Learmonth to dive into the journey behind the medals. From discovering triathlon in her twenties to standing on the top step of the Olympic podium, Jess shares the lessons, setbacks and mindset that shaped her career.

We discuss:

• The road to Olympic gold and what race day was really like
• Dealing with imposter syndrome at the highest level of sport
• Recovering from a career-threatening hip injury after Tokyo
• The biggest mistakes age-group athletes make in swim, bike and run training
• Why consistency beats perfection every time
• Heat preparation, race execution and performing under pressure
• Jess's favourite training sessions and rapid-fire questions

Enjoy the episode, and if you found it valuable don't forget to follow the podcast and share it with a training partner!

In this live coaching session, we break down the key strategies that help you get the most from all the hard work you've put in throughout your training block.

Inside this episode we cover:

•  Race week preparation 
•  Building a simple and effective race plan 
•  Pacing your swim, bike and run 
•  Fuelling and hydration strategies 
•  How to stay calm and adapt when things don't go to plan 
•  Common race day mistakes and how to avoid them 

Whether you're racing your first sprint triathlon or chasing a new PB over 70.3 or Ironman, this episode will help you arrive on the start line with confidence and execute your best race.

From representing Scotland at the Commonwealth Games to making the jump into long course racing, Cam shares the journey behind his rapid rise in Ironman.

We chat about winning his first Ironman, racing the best athletes in the world, training at the highest level, dealing with setbacks and the mindset needed to chase the top step in Kona.

An incredible insight into the lessons, challenges and reality of becoming one of the best triathletes in the world

So many athletes spend months chasing a goal, cross the finish line and then suddenly feel lost with no direction or purpose.

In this podcast we dive into:

How successful athletes reflect after races
Why your next goal matters
How to stay motivated after your big event
Setting targets that keep you progressing
Building the mindset of an athlete for the long term

The finish line isn’t the end point. It’s the next step in becoming a better person & athlete.

We’re going to cover:

The biggest nutrition mistakes endurance athletes make
How to fuel your training sessions properly
Race day fuelling strategies
Carbs, hydration and electrolytes
How to avoid blowing up, stomach issues and energy crashes

If you have a race coming up this season, this is one you don’t want to miss.

Sam shares the full story behind his 45:51 Kona swim record, including:
• Racing while sick
• Getting stung by 13 jellyfish
• Only finding out he broke the record 50km into the bike

We also dive into:
• How ex-swimmers should structure triathlon training
• The biggest mistake endurance athletes make in easy sessions
• Ironman fuelling strategies
• Swim drills and technique tips
• Building bike and run fitness without losing swim speed
• What training really looks like at the elite level

A massively valuable conversation for any athlete wanting to keep levelling up in triathlon and endurance sport.