The High Performance Podcast

Dina Asher-Smith, Alex Albon, Nick Cox, Richard Osman and Phil Heath help Jake and Damian take on the struggle we hear about from you more than almost any other: comparing your real life to everyone else's highlight reel.Even the people at the very top aren't immune. Dina explains why she deliberately avoids watching what her rivals do in training. Alex Albon opens up on how measuring himself against Max Verstappen at Red Bull pushed him to force it, and how that unravelled his confidence. Nick Cox, former head of the Manchester United academy, explains why comparison "cripples parents", and Richard Osman reminds us we judge other people's highlights against our own blooper reel. Marcus Wareing and Jameela Jamil also feature.Jake admits that professionally he compares himself everywhere he looks, and argues that envy can be a useful energy source. Damian isn't so sure, and shares the school-fair penalty shootout that turned him into prime Peter Schmeichel. Along the way they get into why silver medallists tend to be less happy than bronze medallists, why we underestimate how much other people are struggling, and why it's what's on your screen, not how long you look at it, that does the damage.They finish with practical ways to curate your feed, your inner circle and your environment, because knowing you shouldn't compare yourself doesn't make it any easier to stop.If comparison is something you wrestle with, tell us what helps you. Your comment might be exactly what someone else needs to hear.Clips featured (full episodes linked below):Dina Asher-Smith https://pod.fo/e/2338dNick Cox https://pod.fo/e/138399 Richard Osman https://pod.fo/e/26ea40Marcus Wareing https://pod.fo/e/132116Alex Albon https://pod.fo/e/205b4fJameela Jamil https://pod.fo/e/225b9ePhil Heath https://pod.fo/e/2313e6Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au

Former Red Bull Racing team principal and one of Formula 1’s most recognisable figures, Christian Horner spent 23 years building a life around winning. So when he lost the job he had done for two decades, his first feeling wasn’t anger. It was relief.Christian opens up about the pressure of leading Red Bull through its most successful era, the emotional armour he built to protect his team, and the toll of always being the person who couldn’t show weakness, from the intensity of Abu Dhabi 2021 to the politics that eventually changed how he felt about the sport he loved.But when the “Batman suit” finally came off, Christian had to confront a question he’d spent decades avoiding: who are you when the job that defined you disappears? What he found was a life beyond the pit wall, and a reminder that being on this earth isn’t a dress rehearsal.DRIVE by Christian Horner will be published on 22nd October by Bantam: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1911754785Christian will be sharing stories from the book on tour across the UK (Nottingham Mon 19th, Bath 20th, London 26th October). To book tickets visit:https://www.nothird.co.uk/live-shows/christian-horner/Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au

In high performance, we often celebrate success, the awards, the headlines, the restaurants, the fame. But for Gordon Ramsay, the real story lies in the struggle behind the spotlight.In this episode, Gordon Ramsay explores the true meaning of high performance, and the price of perfection. From growing up in a council house and losing his dream football career to standing beside culinary legends like Marco Pierre White and earning Michelin stars around the world, Gordon opens up about the relentless drive that shaped him. With raw honesty and trademark fire, he reflects on failure, family, and the hunger that still pushes him forward. 

Nico Rosberg spent 31 years building his identity around a single goal to become Formula 1 World Champion. In this episode Nico reveals the stark reality of achieving his ultimate dream, explaining why his 2016 triumph brought relief rather than euphoria and why he walked away from a £100m+ fortune at his absolute peak.He strips back the curtain on his legendary, fierce rivalry with childhood friend Lewis Hamilton, describing the psychological warfare of their title fights and the conscious rewiring required to stop yielding in wheel-to-wheel battles.Nico also opens up about his secret mental training regime at a time when psychology was viewed as a weakness. From his foot violently shaking on the accelerator in Abu Dhabi to reframing failure in a locked hotel room, he shares a masterclass on how to train your reaction to fear.This episode offers a raw, gripping look at the psychological cost of winning at all costs and what it truly takes to conquer your inner critic. Postcode Lottery 👉 Discover how Postcode Lottery players are Powering Hope Together. Click here to find out more: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-postcode-au Better Help 👉 Join Jake in Saying It Louder with 10% off Betterhelp Therapy. Click here: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-betterhelp-au AG1 👉Head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance to save £20 on your first month, plus a free welcome kit, Vitamin D3 + K2 and five travel packsDo Health 👉 Get ahead of your health, don't react to it. Head to https://highpfrmc.com/dohealth-hpp-au to sign up now

Dr Chris van Tulleken is a doctor, scientist and one of the UK’s leading voices on ultra-processed food. An associate professor at UCL, an NHS doctor, World Health Organisation adviser and author of the bestselling Ultra-Processed People, he has spent years investigating what the food industry is really putting on our plates.But the truth about what we eat is far more unsettling than most of us realise...In this eye-opening conversation, we revisit why Chris believes the evidence linking ultra-processed food to physical and mental health problems has reached the same threshold we once reached with tobacco. He reveals how the world’s biggest tobacco companies helped shape the modern diet, how food is engineered and tested to make us eat more and eat faster, and what certain additives may be doing to our gut, our mood and our brains.He shares what happened when he spent a month eating an 80% ultra-processed diet, why so many people are living in “food swamps”, and the eye-watering sums of money that he has turned down from fast food companies to protect his integrity. Chris also sets out the two changes he believes could transform our food system: clear warning labels on unhealthy food and a government nutrition committee free from industry money.This is a conversation about agency, justice and taking back control, and a powerful reminder that if you struggle with this food, it’s not your fault.AG1 👉 Grab the Autumn Wellness bundle at http://drinkag1.com/highperformance - Get a free welcome kit and shaker, a month's supply of Omega 3 capsules, a bottle of Vitamin D3K2 and five travel packs, plus an extra £10 offVitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au

After hundreds of conversations with extraordinary people, Jake and Damian stop and ask a question they've been circling for a while prompted by a recent social media post from Rob Beckett: how has High Performance changed since it started and are we part of the 'grindset' problem?When the show began, they were fascinated by winning: routine, sacrifice, discipline, marginal gains. Jake once wrote a post about getting up at 5am that he now calls one of his biggest regrets. In this episode they play back their own early conversations, including Jake's advice to Steven Bartlett and Ant Middleton's definition of high performance from the show's second episode, and ask what they'd still stand by and what they've changed their minds about.The shift started with Jonny Wilkinson, who told Jake that suffering doesn't lead you to joy. It just builds stronger habits of suffering. From there they get into the difference between high standards and grind culture, what the Special Forces told them about never feeling like they'd done enough, and whether the people who change the world are driven by obsessive or harmonious passion (they don't fully agree). Mark Manson and Jimmy Carr help them land it.As Jake puts it: high standards ask something of you. Grind culture asks everything of you. If you've ever wondered whether you're doing enough, or whether "enough" is even the right question, this one's for you.Clips featured (full episodes linked below):Steven Bartlett https://pod.fo/e/16ca9Ant Middleton https://pod.fo/e/15f9fJonny Wilkinson https://pod.fo/e/9cca4Mark Manson https://pod.fo/e/15bfe7Jimmy Carr (released on October 26th!)AG1 👉 Grab the Autumn Wellness bundle at http://drinkag1.com/highperformance - Get a free welcome kit and shaker, a month's supply of Omega 3 capsules, a bottle of Vitamin D3K2 and five travel packs, plus an extra £10 offVitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au

Alessandro Benetton knows what it means to challenge an established order. When the Benetton family entered Formula 1 from the world of fashion, the paddock laughed. But rather than trying to fit in, they rewrote the rules, and went on to win world championships.Alessandro joins us to reflect on the decisions that changed everything, from recognising Michael Schumacher’s extraordinary talent before the rest of the sport caught on to standing by his team when allegations of cheating threatened the family’s reputation. He shares why backing your instincts, challenging convention and trusting the people around you can matter most when the pressure is on.This is an insight into the advantage of being an outsider, the courage to make unconventional decisions, and why sometimes the best way to get ahead is to stop following the crowd.Alessandro Benetton Bio:Alessandro Benetton is Chairman of Edizione and Mundys, and the founder of 21 Invest. He began his career in Formula 1, taking over the Benetton team at just 24 and becoming the youngest chairman in F1 history. Under his leadership, the team won two drivers’ championships with Michael Schumacher and the 1995 constructors’ title.The documentary 'Benetton Formula' is available now on Sky in the UK and NOW in GermanyAG1 👉 Grab the Autumn Wellness bundle at http://drinkag1.com/highperformance - Get a free welcome kit and shaker, a month's supply of Omega 3 capsules, a bottle of Vitamin D3K2 and five travel packs, plus an extra £10 offVitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au

Dame Jess Ennis-Hill is one of Britain’s greatest athletes. A triple world heptathlon champion, European champion and Olympic gold medallist, she reached the absolute peak of her sport.But behind the medals was a very different story....We revisit this incredible conversation where Jess reveals what it was like to become Britain’s “Golden girl” ahead of London 2012, carrying the weight of huge public expectations and feeling that anything less than gold would be seen as failure.She opens up about the injury that cost her an Olympic opportunity, returning to elite competition after becoming a mum, and the challenge of accepting that her body and training had changed.Jess also explains how sports psychology, visualisation and blocking out the noise helped her perform when the pressure was at its highest, why having the right people around you matters, and why she ultimately believes happiness and balance are at the heart of high performance.This is the story behind the medals, and what it really took to become an Olympic champion.XTB 👉 To find out more and make your money work, use code HPP at: https://highpfrmc.com/XTB_HPP_AU Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au

We've sat down with hundreds of high performers. These are five sentences we've never heard a single one of them say..."I'll start when I'm ready." "That's just the way I am." "It's not fair." "I've done enough." "I did it on my own." None of them is a character flaw, but each one quietly pulls you away from where you want to be.From the High Performance archive, Keely Hodgkinson explains why she puts her success down to 90% mindset, in a year when almost nobody believed she'd make the Olympic team. Matthew Syed remembers bombing a talk at Goldman Sachs and then going to Toastmasters every fortnight for three years. Joe Hart talks about England's Euro 2016 exit to Iceland without blaming a soul. Alun Wyn Jones explains why complacency was his biggest fear, and Laura Kenny shows why her story was never a solo effort, starting with setting fire to a jacket potato in Belgium at 18.Along the way, Damian brings in the research on "if-then" plans that help you follow through, the labels we let others stick on us, why growth mindset might matter less than we've been told, and the difference between harmonious and obsessive passion. Jake questions whether never having "done enough" is healthy at all, and explains why the people who made your life hardest helped shape you too.Full episodes links for the guests featured: Keely Hodgkinson https://pod.fo/e/252844Matthew Syed https://pod.fo/e/164cec Joe Hart https://pod.fo/e/24b0f2Alun Wyn Jones https://pod.fo/e/2b6885Laura Kenny https://pod.fo/e/249586XTB 👉 To find out more and make your money work, use code HPP at: https://highpfrmc.com/XTB_HPP_AU Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au