It was an absolute pleasure to connect with strength athlete and author extraordinaire Alyssa Ages and have such an insightful and enlightening chat for Episode 24!

Alyssa is someone who jumped into the strength world with both feet and has found significant purpose in not only developing her own physical capabilities, but also in helping the broader public understand why so many of us find intense meaning and reward in our pursuit of strength.

In her book, "Secrets of Giants: A Journey to Uncover the True Meaning of Strength" (which we highly recommend you all check out!), Alyssa did a phenomenal job in conveying her own journey of self-discovery through strength while also shining a light on the incredibly kind and communal nature of the strength community, and highlighting the stories of many of the strongest competitors to have walked this Earth. She compassionately conveyed how, beneath the slabs of hard-earned mass and indominable exteriors, there are human beings that have sought to armour themselves with strength as a means of growing beyond periods of vulnerability in their lives, unmasking a relatability that is seldom showcased in the world of Strongman.

Alyssa has also been a fantastic advocate for Stonelifting, relaying both its rich history and the intensely rewarding experience of hoisting heavy rocks within her book, but also in broadening its viewership through authoring Stonelifting centric articles in world-class magazines and newspapers!

Thank you, Alyssa, for all you have done to help document and grow the incredible practice of Stonelifting and its community!

In this episode we had an awesome time talking with Tom "War Yoga" Billinge. A martial artist, author, and Stonelifter (among many other things), Tom has travelled the world seeking to obtain knowledge from historically rooted physical practices. He has a deep understanding of ancient Greece's culture of strength and competition, and has even rediscovered and placed his hands on a piece of Greece's Stonelifting past that is nearly 3,000 years old!!! Tom has also witnessed firsthand (and partaken in) the varied Stonelifting practices of South Asia, and more specifically Pakistan, where the feats of strength performed are so impressive many find them difficult to believe! It was an absolute pleasure talking with Tom who has a wealth of Knowledge and a knack for sharing it in a very very enthusiastic and entertaining way!!!

In this episode we had the honour of speaking with Stonelifter extraordinaire John Gibb. In just a handful of years, John has gone from someone who dreamed of lifting the Dinnie Stones to having lifted and WALKED the Dinnie Stones, Shouldered the Ardvorlich stone, and lapped the Húsafell Stone with ease (to name just a few). He has also put his lifting prowess on the line, having won multiple Stonelifting competitions including having won both Scotlands's Strongest AND Britain's Strongest Stonelifter in 2024. As proof that mental resolve, grit, and dedication can help you achieve incredible things in a relatively short period of time, John is a prime example for us all that success is earned and the worth are rewarded!!!l

In this episode we review the incredible adventure we had in Iceland this summer where we both achieved the hard earned the title of Fullsterkur, with Dave even achieving Alsterkur status at Latra!!! A remarkable trip through one of the most rugged and breathtaking places in the world, where a rich history of strength meets incredibly challenging stones and absolutely breathtaking landscape. Iceland was all that we could have hoped for and more, so we want to give our thanks to our families for supporting us on this trip, and the researchers that helped to recover these incredible stones.

In this episode we had the great pleasure of speaking with world class strength athlete Sandra Bradley. Sandra has reached the pinnacle of the sport of Strongman and dedicated much of her life to it, but what holds an even greater piece of her heart is historical stone lifting and immersing herself in the incredible cultures and communities within which these stones are found. She has performed some of the most impressive stone lifts we have ever seen and in doing so has paved the way and shown what is possible for the many other remarkable women who participate in this historical practice. Not only that, she is a perfect representation for us all of how dedication, grit, and a no quit attitude can carry you incredibly far in both Stonelifting and in life.

An epic gathering RECORDED!!! Out now as a joint release on the Stones of Strength Podcast and the Stone Lore Podcast is an amazing episode recorded in collaboration with No Fame Games LLC and New England Stonelifting that captures a conversation between some of the world's most passionate stone lifters!!! A beautiful and candid conversation about what we all cherish about Stonelifting, its past, present, and how we are doing our best to build its future in our own, unique ways!!!

In this episode we had the chance to speak with one of Stonelifting's great unsung heroes, Nic Whalen. A man whose relationship with Stonelifting is relatively private, but whose contributions to the revival of historical stones across Iceland are vast, having created countless opportunities for lifting enthusiasts to participate in this incredible historical strength ritual. We discuss his approach to finding these strength relics, his passion for Iceland, and his progression from a lap high lift during his first encounter to having made multiple successful walks around the pen with the mighty Husafell Stone!!!

In this episode we had the pleasure of talking with Jarrett McPhee. Jarrett is someone who has taken the notion of creating a welcoming and enthusiastic Stonelifting community and has cranked the volume to 11. Enter "New England Stonelifting". Bringing forth a passion for developing not only beautiful stones in remarkable locations, but also tests of strengths for people of all experience levels and abilities, New England Stonelifting has rapidly developed a fantastic circuit of modern stones of strength that recent underwent its first full stone tour. Looking to create a legacy of strength in New England that is not only about one's own physical prowess but also about respecting the stones and each other, Jarrett has created a community that lifters generations from now will be proud to be apart of.