The 5:32am Podcast.

Ryan Stirton

141 episodes listed below

Listen to the show on

Fitness discipline without the polish.

The gist

The 5:32am Podcast follows a coach-athlete mindset through marathon lessons, Hyrox planning, body image, postpartum training, and business realities. It is practical, loose, and personal, with solo reflections balanced by conversations with Team 9-5 guests and clients.

PRESS PLAY

Find your next episode

All episodes

About The 5:32am Podcast.

The 5:32am Podcast is built around the tension between wanting more and still having to live a normal life. It is a fitness show, but not only a fitness show. Solo episodes move through marathon mistakes, Hyrox race-day questions, body image, nutrition ideas, business pressure, fatherhood, and the strange speed of adult life. The pace is unvarnished. Thoughts often arrive as stories first, with the lesson forming after the speaker has talked through what actually happened. That gives the show a useful coaching texture. It does not pretend progress is clean. A first marathon can be framed as both a disappointment and a necessary correction. A 5K target can sound exciting and risky in the same breath. A discussion of broccoli sprout shots can turn into a reminder not to buy every running trend before checking the evidence. The guest episodes broaden the circle. Fergus appears through the Team 9-5 coaching world, with attention on building clients and working inside the business. Julia Shaw brings postpartum training and mum's health into focus, especially the need for safer, better-informed returns to exercise. Keiran McLean "Kimmic" adds a different kind of ambition story, moving through work, food prep, music, and what success does and does not solve. The result is less like a scripted wellness brand and more like a working notebook. It is reflective, practical, and occasionally rough around the edges. That roughness matters. The show is willing to admit boredom, frustration, poor calls, changing plans, and the gap between how achievement looks from the outside and how it feels inside. For listeners who care about performance but do not want glossy certainty, it offers something warmer and more credible. The 5:32am Podcast is about discipline, but its real subject is recalibration.

Made for: Built for listeners who like practical fitness talk tied to real training, family life, coaching, and business. It especially suits runners, Hyrox athletes, everyday gym-goers, and people trying to improve without pretending life is perfectly organized.

What sets it apart: The show keeps the missteps in the frame: bad pacing, awkward logistics, body image, noisy home recordings, and lessons learned after the fact. That makes its advice feel more like honest field notes than packaged motivation.

In their own words

The 5:32am Podcast. I’m Ryan Stirton — dad, coach, husband, athlete, and founder of Team 9–5. The 5:32AM Podcast is about performance, discipline, fitness, fatherhood, business, and the unseen hours where growth happens. 5:32 has been my wake time almost every morning for the past 2 years, since my son was born. It felt right to name it this. Some episodes go deep, some are practical, some are just real-life conversations that make you think. Guests, solo episodes, no editing, screaming children, postie at the door, just honest thoughts and lessons as they come. Built for people chasing more from themselves before the world...

As heard by us

Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026

Personal training accounts and careful guest conversations turn fitness ambition into an honest study of judgment, setbacks, and sustainable effort.

Ryan Stirton makes performance talk personal, testing ambitious training goals against injury worries, body image, family life, and the emotional aftermath of a difficult race.

Read our full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

A marathon wobble and a squawking seagull await when you prefer progress without the polish.

Press play if you want

  • fitness advice that leaves room for body-image doubts and an actual social life
  • a race debrief that admits expensive supplements can taste awful and prove very little
Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
marathon training and race lessonsHyrox strategy and race-day logisticsbody image and fitness balancepostpartum training and mum's healthTeam 9-5 coaching and business buildingnutrition trends and evidence checksfatherhood and everyday discipline

Talks about

Best episodes of The 5:32am Podcast.

Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.

EP 2 - My First Marathon - W or L?Apr 15, 2026

A candid first-marathon reflection that puts pacing, patience, and body awareness first.

This episode follows a first marathon and the uneasy stretch before it, from a shakeout run to a quiet pre-race morning and the sense that the body was not quite keeping pace with the mind.

EP 1 - The 5:32am Alarm.Apr 8, 2026

A scrappy restart that turns training setbacks and race plans into something practical.

Raw on purpose, this reset starts by naming itself as a new podcast after 119 episodes on the previous run, with two near-identical names in the background, including 95 Athlete and ILS.

116 - Keiran McLean "Kimmic" From The Royal In Forfar To Creamfields Main StageSep 12, 2024

A steady, work-first account of local roots, graft, and momentum.

The episode stays with Kieran McLean, known here as Kimmic, as football links and kitchen shifts shape the rhythm of the week. The detail is plain: prep, weighing food to match macros, and deliveries across Angus, Dundee, Aberdeen, and Aberdeenshire.

115 - Julia Shaw - Postpartum Training & Mum's Health.Sep 4, 2024

A reassuring return-to-exercise conversation for mums trying to figure out what feels safe now.

Julia Shaw's return is about getting back to exercise after having a child without pretending the body should be exactly the same. The episode keeps its focus on safe, effective training instead of rushing, and it does useful work by showing how a women's health physio can turn…

110 - My Followers 5 Biggest Challenges With FitnessJun 19, 2024

A candid fitness check-in about body image, balance, and the pull of extremes.

Episode 110 reads as a candid reset on body image, the pull of fitness extremes, and the effort to stay in shape without letting training take over everything else.

Podcasts like The 5:32am Podcast.

Episodes

  1. 1

    EP15 - Andrew Findlay - The Real Cost Of Becoming An Iron Man

    Sep 11, 2026·1h 6m
  2. 2

    EP 14 - Erin Orchardson - Healing From an ED & Giving Up Control

    Sep 2, 2026·57m
  3. 3

    EP 13 - How To Set Goals & Stick To Them (Framework)

    Aug 26, 2026·36m
  4. 4

    EP 11 - Fat Loss Without Performance Loss

    Aug 12, 2026·45m
  5. 5

    EP 10 - 16 Weeks From No Walking To 100km

    Aug 5, 2026·37m
  6. 6

    EP 10 - Bryony Keys - Last Female Standing

    Jul 31, 2026·59m
  7. 7

    EP9 - Who Am I?

    Jul 23, 2026·38m
  8. 8

    EP 9 - How To Build An Online Business

    Jul 17, 2026·44m
  9. 9

    EP 8 - Threshold Running - Your Secret Weapon As A Everyday Athlete

    Jul 15, 2026·48m
  10. 10

    EP 7 - Rory Crighton - The Cost Of Going All In & Hyrox WC Review

    Jun 29, 2026·53m
  11. 11

    EP 6 - Training On Holiday, Deadly Dozen DNF, & Hyrox World Champs.

    Jun 1, 2026·46m
  12. 12

    EP 5 - How To PB Your 5km

    May 8, 2026·43m
  13. 13

    EP 4 - Body Dysmorphia & RED-S

    Apr 29, 2026·37m
  14. 14

    EP 3 - My HYROX Journey

    Apr 22, 2026·53m
  15. 15

    EP 2 - My First Marathon - W or L?

    Hidden gem

    He opens by greeting whoever is listening, wherever they are.

    Apr 15, 2026·52m·3 clips
  16. 16

    EP 1 - The 5:32am Alarm.

    Hidden gem

    He opens a brand new podcast in true home-podcast form: a seagull is yelling outside, the streamer has just gone live, and he keeps coming back to the same point, this is a fresh start, even if it still feels a bit held together with hope and a phone camera.

    Apr 8, 2026·39m·3 clips
  17. 17

    119 - Hyrox Race Day - Strategy, Nutrition & Rules

    This episode provides practical advice and answers questions about Hyrox race day, covering strategy, nutrition, rules, and tips for first-time participants.

    Oct 23, 2024·21m
  18. 18

    118 - Fergus Alberts - Get To Know Team 9-5's Newest Coach

    This episode introduces Fergus Alberts, the newest coach joining Team 9-5, discussing his background, role, and recent fitness retreat experiences.

    Oct 16, 2024·45m
  19. 19

    117 - Marbella, Baby Swimming Lessons & Starting Your Own Business

    The host shares a casual solo episode discussing life updates, observations about time passing quickly, and reflections on aging and childhood memories.

    Sep 18, 2024·42m
  20. 20

    116 - Keiran McLean "Kimmic" From The Royal In Forfar To Creamfields Main Stage

    Hidden gem

    Kieran McLean, known as Kimmic, talks about the path that took him from local football circles and old nights out into a steadier way of living.

    Sep 12, 2024·44m·2 clips
  21. 21

    115 - Julia Shaw - Postpartum Training & Mum's Health.

    Hidden gem

    The host has Julia back again, and it feels less like a new interview than picking up a thread that never really dropped.

    Sep 4, 2024·53m·2 clips
  22. 22

    114 - Ciaran McAninch - Life After Football, Mental Health & The Anti-Productivity Movement

    Aug 28, 2024·1h 30m
  23. 23

    113 - Scott MacDonald - Running An Ultra Marathon Through The Amazon Rainforest

    Aug 22, 2024·1h 1m
  24. 24

    112 - Steven Robb - The Bee Inspired Story

    Aug 16, 2024·1h 5m
  25. 25

    111 - Welcome Back The Pod

    Aug 7, 2024·32m
  26. 26

    110 - My Followers 5 Biggest Challenges With Fitness

    Hidden gem

    Episode 110 starts loose.

    Jun 19, 2024·1h 3m·4 clips
  27. 27

    109 - Why I'm Running A Marathon Without Training, Getting Aff It Is Not Easy & Whey Protein Ice Blasts

    Jun 12, 2024·36m
  28. 28

    108 - SPFL Transfer Special

    Jun 4, 2024·1h 2m
  29. 29

    107 - Scotland Euro 2024 Special With Jonny Smith

    This episode features an interview with Jonny Smith discussing Scotland's participation in Euro 2024, recorded in a sponsor's shop with a casual, sports-focused atmosphere.

    May 29, 2024·1h 4m
  30. 30

    106 - Q&A - Your Questions Answered...

    May 8, 2024·42m
  31. 31

    105 - How To Attack Pre-Season Head On

    May 1, 2024·28m
  32. 32

    104 - Holiday Workouts, The Dark Side Of Fitness & Being A Dad.

    Apr 23, 2024·44m
  33. 33

    103 - How To Get In Shape For Your Summer Holiday

    Apr 10, 2024·33m
  34. 34

    102 - Bonus Episode "Fraser Morrison - 30 Half Marathons In 30 Days"

    Apr 1, 2024·35m
  35. 35

    101 - The Biggest Questions Of The Year So Far

    Mar 27, 2024·52m
  36. 36

    100 - Willers Fitness "How To Stop Sniffing Cocaine And Change Your Life"

    This episode features an interview with Sean discussing how to overcome cocaine addiction and transform one's life, touching on the UK's drug problem and marking the podcast's 100th episode milestone.

    Mar 20, 2024·42m
  37. 37

    099 - Rory Crighton "Ultra Marathon, Hyrox Pain & A 24 Hour Last Man Standing"

    Mar 13, 2024·50m
  38. 38

    098 - A Podcast With My Fiancée Elly.

    Feb 27, 2024·56m
  39. 39

    097- The Struggles Of Being A Part-Time Footballer

    Feb 21, 2024·44m
  40. 40

    096 - How To Be A Hybrid Athlete

    Feb 16, 2024·51m
  41. 41

    095 - How To Stop Getting Injured

    Feb 7, 2024·47m
  42. 42

    094 - Darragh McGurn - GAA, A 72 Hour Fast & Traveling To Bali

    Feb 1, 2024·51m
  43. 43

    094 - Darragh McGurn - GAA, A 72 Hour Fast & Traveling To Bali

    Feb 1, 2024·51m
  44. 44

    093 - Ben Wright "Skill Acquisition In The Gym"

    Jan 25, 2024·54m
  45. 45

    092 - Why Mental Health In The UK Is Getting Worse..

    Jan 17, 2024·1h 2m
  46. 46

    091 - How To Get Serious Results In 2024

    Jan 10, 2024·57m
  47. 47

    090 - 10 Lessons From 2023

    Dec 13, 2023·50m
  48. 48

    089 - Scott Macdonald "25ft Anaconda's, Self-Belief & Ultra Marathons"

    Dec 6, 2023·43m
  49. 49

    088 - Team 9-5 Athlete 2024 Plans!

    Nov 29, 2023·22m
  50. 50

    087 - Improve Your Sleep

    Nov 22, 2023·45m
  51. 51

    086 - Kieran Sauboorah "How A Near Death Experience Can Change Your Now"

    Nov 16, 2023·1h
  52. 52

    085 - Get Wintered (How To Stay Motivated Over Winter)

    Nov 8, 2023·43m
  53. 53

    084 - How To Achieve Long Term Change For The 9-5 Athlete (In-House Zoom Training)

    This episode discusses how 9-to-5 athletes can achieve lasting fitness results by shifting focus from short-term outcomes to sustainable lifestyle changes.

    Nov 1, 2023·43m
  54. 54

    083 - Danny Norton "The Non-League" Footballer Coach

    Oct 25, 2023·36m
  55. 55

    082 - An Honest Convo About Mental Health w Client Scott Wilson

    Oct 19, 2023·41m
  56. 56

    081 - Outwork Your Lack Of Self-Belief

    Oct 11, 2023·43m
  57. 57

    080 - 8 PSYCHOLOGICAL Tricks That Get Played On You Every Day

    Sep 13, 2023·52m
  58. 58

    079 - 10 Controversial Fitness Opinions

    Sep 6, 2023·52m
  59. 59

    078 - How To Gain Control Of Bad Habits

    Aug 30, 2023·44m
  60. 60

    077 - Paul Brand "Chief Analyst At Manchester Utd"

    Aug 23, 2023·43m
  61. 61

    076 - How To Achieve Optimal Health (Without Becoming A Robot)

    This episode explores the modern obsession with achieving optimal health through trends on TikTok, discussing the positives and negatives of extreme approaches to nutrition, training, and mental well-being.

    Aug 16, 2023·47m
  62. 62

    075 - 5 Tips From 3 Years Of Running A Self Employed Biz

    Aug 9, 2023·35m
  63. 63

    074 - Who Is Ryan Stirton? + Insta Q&A

    Aug 2, 2023·41m
  64. 64

    073 - Fitness With F*ck All Time

    Jul 26, 2023·44m
  65. 65

    072 - The Angry Man & The Mexican Fisherman

    Jul 19, 2023·18m
  66. 66

    071 - Rating Recovery Modalities 1-10

    Jul 12, 2023·50m
  67. 67

    070 - "How Do You Do It?"

    Jun 7, 2023·29m
  68. 68

    069 - My Daily Routine

    May 24, 2023·18m
  69. 69

    068 - How To Get Out Of The "Small Town Mentality"

    May 10, 2023·38m
  70. 70

    067 - Cheat Meals Are Banned.

    May 3, 2023·29m
  71. 71

    066 - All My Lessons For Footballer's Over 65 Episodes.

    Apr 19, 2023·37m
  72. 72

    065 - What Is Hyrox? And Why You Should Do One. + A Free Training Plan.

    Apr 12, 2023·13m
  73. 73

    064 - Jen Rolwich "Behaviour Change Expert"

    Apr 4, 2023·44m
  74. 74

    063 - John Johnstone "Improving Your Football Mindset"

    Mar 29, 2023·46m
  75. 75

    062 - Andrew Findlay "How To Get Stuff Done With A Busy Bastard"

    Mar 27, 2023·40m
  76. 76

    061 - The Dangers Of Bodybuilding/Competing

    Mar 22, 2023·37m
  77. 77

    060 - Ryan Quinn - "Wealth Management"

    Mar 14, 2023·42m
  78. 78

    059 - How To Create An Unbreakable Body & Mind

    Mar 8, 2023·41m
  79. 79

    058 - The Weird & Wonderful Things We Do For Fitness

    Feb 21, 2023·35m
  80. 80

    057 - A Dummy's Guide To Artificial Intelligence

    Feb 15, 2023·28m
  81. 81

    056 - Lucas Forrester "The 9-5 Athlete's" New Programme Design 👑

    Feb 8, 2023·41m
  82. 82

    055 - GMC "Georgia Cardall" - Finding Inner Confidence

    Feb 1, 2023·33m
  83. 83

    054 - What Is "The 9-5 Athlete" All About?

    Jan 25, 2023·21m
  84. 84

    053 - 10 Things I Would Do Tomorrow If I Was Just Starting My Fitness Journey...

    Jan 18, 2023·41m
  85. 85

    052 - How To Be Confident

    Jan 10, 2023·24m
  86. 86

    051 - "Who's going to turn to a dude eating ice cream for health advice?"

    Jan 3, 2023·27m
  87. 87

    2023 Podcast Update

    Dec 30, 2022·12m
  88. 88

    050 - Client Spotlight - Rory Crighton

    Nov 29, 2022·29m
  89. 89

    049 - My Experience With Disordered Eating

    Nov 23, 2022·39m
  90. 90

    048 - Dan Reeve "Deca-Iron Man, Coaching 20 Years & Semi Pro Footballers"

    Nov 17, 2022·37m
  91. 91

    047 - How To Make Waking Up In The Morning Easier?

    Nov 2, 2022·23m
  92. 92

    046 - Lean Lads Lifestyle "Getting Aff It"

    Oct 28, 2022·36m
  93. 93

    045 - Motivation Struggles As It Gets Colder/Darker..

    Oct 19, 2022·36m
  94. 94

    044 - Truth And Facts About Alcohol's Effects On Your Health

    Oct 11, 2022·38m
  95. 95

    043 (Part 2) - Client Spotlight- Johny Smith. "The Tartan Army, A double knee displacement and an incredible journey"

    Oct 3, 2022·22m
  96. 96

    043 (Part 1) - Client Spotlight- Johny Smith. "The Tartan Army, A double knee displacement and an incredible journey"

    Oct 3, 2022·26m
  97. 97

    042 - Client Spotlight - Rachel Miller "I just want to lose some fat", to > "F**k it i want to be a Powerlifter"

    Sep 26, 2022·36m
  98. 98

    041 - Caffeine Is Killing Your Energy

    Sep 20, 2022·27m
  99. 99

    040 - Julia Shaw "Hormone Imbalance In Woman"

    Aug 30, 2022·33m
  100. 100

    039 - Recovery For Footballers

    Aug 24, 2022·34m
  101. 101

    Short & Sharp Series - 038 - My Social Life Is Taking Over My Results!

    Aug 17, 2022·17m
  102. 102

    Short & Sharp Series - 037 - Are you fed up of going backwards in life?

    Aug 11, 2022·12m
  103. 103

    Short & Sharp Series - 036 - Mark Strathern "Escape the hold of alcohol on your life"

    Aug 9, 2022·10m
  104. 104

    035 - How To Live Your Rich Life

    Aug 3, 2022·42m
  105. 105

    034 - How To Make Fat Loss Easy As F**k

    Jul 27, 2022·50m
  106. 106

    033 - How To Run Your First 5k, 10k and Half Marathon.

    Jul 20, 2022·46m
  107. 107

    032 - Mark Strathern "Self Acceptance & Your Own Self Worth"

    Jul 13, 2022·51m
  108. 108

    Series 4 - 031 - Grace Cowan "Shift Workers & Fat Loss"

    Jul 6, 2022·45m
  109. 109

    030 - Off-Season, Pre-Season and In-Season Training For Footballers.

    Jun 9, 2022·38m
  110. 110

    029 - How Do i Bevy And Still Get Results? 🍻

    Jun 1, 2022·24m
  111. 111

    028 - Energy Zappers & Energy Builders

    May 25, 2022·39m
  112. 112

    027 - Sam Wardrop "The Identity Of A Footballer"

    May 17, 2022·48m
  113. 113

    026 - Chris Lowe "Nail Nutrition For Footballers"

    May 10, 2022·58m
  114. 114

    025 - Fitch Fitness "How To Become A Hybrid Athlete"

    May 4, 2022·55m
  115. 115

    024 - Odhran McCorry "Training And Nutrition For Females"

    Apr 26, 2022·42m
  116. 116

    Part 1 - 023 - Julia Shaw "Contraceptives - What Impact Are They Having On Women's Bodies"?

    Apr 21, 2022·8m
  117. 117

    Part 2 - 023 - Julia Shaw "Contraceptives - What Impact Are They Having On Women's Bodies" ?

    Apr 21, 2022·52m
  118. 118

    RLS Podcast Update

    Apr 13, 2022·12m
  119. 119

    022 - "What I Wish I Knew On Day 1 Of Deciding To Be A Coach"

    Apr 6, 2022·44m
  120. 120

    Series 3 - 021 "10 Fitness Hacks You Can Implement Tomorrow"

    Mar 30, 2022·45m
  121. 121

    020 - Julia Shaw "The Female Menstrual Cycle And How It Affects Training And Nutrition"

    Mar 10, 2022·48m
  122. 122

    019 - Goal Setting, Creatine, Recovery Interventions & THAT MAGALUF STORY.

    Mar 2, 2022·52m
  123. 123

    019 - Shaping Up A Training Program In Gym For Footballers

    Feb 23, 2022·40m
  124. 124

    018 - Lewis McFarlane "Gut Health & Digestion"

    Feb 16, 2022·1h 1m
  125. 125

    017 - Ben Heron "How To Take Charge Of Your Life And Level Up"

    Feb 10, 2022·40m
  126. 126

    016 - Joe Parish "The Coaches Coach"

    Feb 3, 2022·56m
  127. 127

    015 - Ryan Braes/Braes Fitness "Nutrition and Fitness In The Army Is Not What You Think"

    Jan 25, 2022·35m
  128. 128

    014 - Adam Lusby "Enhanced Sports Performance" UFC, Football S&C And De-Loads.

    Jan 18, 2022·30m
  129. 129

    013 - 8 Things We Should Leave In 2021

    Jan 12, 2022·41m
  130. 130

    Series 2 - 012 - Match Day Nutrition for Footballers

    Jan 5, 2022·37m
  131. 131

    011 - Kristian Hill "Military > Coach > Iron Man”

    Dec 22, 2021·1h 2m
  132. 132

    010 - Joel Harris "The Strength Solution"

    Dec 15, 2021·42m
  133. 133

    009 - Troy Nixon "Your Highest Values & Travelling The World"

    Dec 9, 2021·33m
  134. 134

    008 - Rachel Miller (Client Spotlight) - "Restricted to Unstoppable"

    Dec 8, 2021·29m
  135. 135

    007 - Holidays and 2022 Goals.

    Dec 1, 2021·28m
  136. 136

    006 - My 10 Biggest Mistakes In Fitness

    Nov 24, 2021·40m
  137. 137

    005 - Soutar Strength Performance "As a footballer, how can i be fitter, faster and stronger?"

    Nov 17, 2021·37m
  138. 138

    004 - Ben Leeder "Fit Dad Life"

    Nov 10, 2021·26m
  139. 139

    003 - What Supplements Should I Be Taking?

    Nov 3, 2021·42m
  140. 140

    002 - Adjusting To Winter

    Oct 27, 2021·38m
  141. 141

    001 - Intro

    Oct 21, 2021·12m