Not because high reps are bad but because you will fail on maintaining a good position far before you ever reach failure.

If you are in survival mode during a lift you are not getting what you need out of it as you will always default to just getting it done.

Do less reps, make it perfect and if needed do more sets, simples.

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Most people move like crap. We just accept that we will have low levels of pain, poor mobility, and that not being able to touch our toes is just how it is. But this couldn't be further from the truth.

All levels of training and movement are trainable, if you actually put the effort into them.

This episode went on a bit of a tangent where I talk about structural balance and programming.

I cover building a base level of Zone 2 training, and then having periods where you focus on body composition so that you are not always over consuming food.

The older I get, and the more conversations I have with my clients, the more important I realise it is for people to move and function well.

You need to train hard and constructively, but you also need to be healthy.

This episode dives into exactly how to make the above true.

Speak soon,

Tommy

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In training, there is a big focus on using cues, this idea that just by thinking about the right position, it will somehow magically improve your mobility.

Here's the thing: there are rules you need to follow with the human body. There are rules for how it moves and how to train.

The base layer is movement. It's the most important part, yet for some reason, it's the one thing pushed to the side until you are in pain, injured, or something goes wrong. It's often just an afterthought.

If you layer specific training outcomes on top of a terrible base, eventually it will catch up with you. You are just layering dysfunction on top of poor movement.

Now, I have been the person I'm describing above, so I completely understand the training process and the mindset around it.

I could easily push past how my body felt just to get a session done. I ignored the warning signs pre injury, and over time, I just built up stiffness and became less mobile.

If you want to train hard and move well, this episode is for you.

Keen to chat more,

Tommy

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To preface this I have had a shoulder reconstruction and the outcome was excellent, I have also seem the exact opposite happen where people have surgery and come out worse for it on the other side. If you are considering it, please just make sure you have explored all options first.

There are a few key things here that you need to know:

• Surgery is permanent and can never be undone
• If you have the option explore conservative management first
• There is alot you can do ahead of an operation to make your rehab much better

Any questions reach out to me on instagram!

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That you actually needed to forget your cues start again.

Our industry often focuses on the wrong thing. We add exercise variations, cues and focus on things that don't matter in the big picture.

Where we need to focus is on the position we start in and can you create tension and maintain it.

This is the power play and episode 78 on my podcast dives deep into what you need to do.

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It is a preview of the bigger vision, what we are changing, and how the model is changing to better support long term training and rehab for our members.

This week the new coaching floor hours also begin, and we have confirmation that our next Atlantis Strength delivery is on its way.

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Now I cannot speak for the whole industry but one thing that stands out is people are frustrated by the industry standard in general.

People are investing time, money and energy into something that doesn't progress year on year.

When the hype of the next trend wears off people just want results, plain and simple.

When it comes to training and increasing strength, its less about what you add and more about, how you do it and removing any clutter that doesnt add value.

I ask this all the time to people, walk me through your step by step your process for lifting. Do it right now in your head. If you cannot say each step with conviction out loud, you do not have a process and system in place that will help you get better year on year.

Its like throwing spaghetti at a wall and hoping it will stick.

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Why this will limit your future self, growth and potential.

If you want to move into new territory, you need to step into new territory, scary for sure, necessary absolutely.

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Todays episode is all about why, how and where to add aerobic or conditioning into your training program.

Your future self will thank you for listening and implementing a system like this.

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Humans are creatures of habits, you already have enough meal ideas, enough information to win you just need to systemise it in a way that works for you.

Todays episode is about helping you create clarity in a noisy environment that often focus on the wrong things.

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The most efficient way to make progress is pick one constraint, the one that will have the biggest impact, then add layers.

Often we try to do everything at once, this will lead to spread out poor efforts, overwhelm and most people never get past this.

This episode is about helping you find your main constraint so you can go all in and win. 

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Training shouldn’t take away from your life. It should add to it.

Repeat that again.

Training shouldn’t take away from your life. It should add to it.

Todays episode is all about perspective.

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You can try to activate muscle groups, bring up weak areas, and use specific cues.

But at the end of the day, the lowest hanging fruit, and the most important training variable you can improve is your positioning.

Today’s episode breaks down my clients back pain and a small tweak we made that completely removed it.

Nothing added actually, the complete opposite.

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This often means saying no more than you say yes and preserving your energy at all costs, like at all costs.

But why is this seen as selfish? I personally think this is a trait that is a accelerator of growth.

People please less and put yourself first more.

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Its like a little spring that creates momentum and creates efficiency whilst running.

It can equally cause havoc if you do not have flexibility or understand its role in running.

This episode will deepen your understanding of running mechanics and the foot.

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The question to ask is what daily actions do I need to take to become the person you want to be.

This by itself will 10x your results. 

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You cannot do everything at once, so focus on a few things that get results and go all in. Align this with your long-term values, how you want to live your life, how you want to feel, and how you show up daily.

This is what keeps you focused.

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This episode is super practical and has some drills and tips that will help you focus on drills that will help you get into better positions and more so get rid of nagging shoulder pain going overhead.

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In this episode I break out why the hamstrings are not always the culprit and an easy way to assess yourself so you can add some drills into your weekly training that will help you unlock the range and control to do so.

In alot of cases its much easier than you think, the trick is working on the right areas.

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Then this podcast could be the missing link to help you lift better and more consistently.

Everyone has different arm, torso and leg lengths, which means they will need to adjust technique to suit. If you find yourself not being able to maintain a consistent shape during lifts, it may be as simple as you are not starting and executing in the most efficient way.

Smash your week,

Tommy

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I say this all the time but you are only going to be as good as the positions you can get in and maintain throughout lifting.

If you cannot get into a good position to start, you will just be fighting yourself the entire time compensating to get the movement done.

As a short term strategy this may be ok, long term it absolutely is not a viable option.

In this episode I lay out some very practical mobility drills, at minimum give them a go and let me know how you feel and move after.

Smash your week,

Tommy

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For me personally one of the most profound components of training is not actually the training outcomes its the confidence you get through doing hard things consistently.

Showing up for yourself, approaching your training goals progressively and making progress unlocks a new level of self belief and self worth. This part of training cannot be understated. For me this trumps everything else even.

This episode is all about setting non-negotiable’s and how this then stacks up wins outside the gym.

I want to help you train better, rehab from injuries and use training as tool for growth, every week I send out a newsletter that has a lot of really helpful information within. To get this podcast and weekly youtube videos straight to your inbox follow the link and sign yourself up.

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Whatever stage of life you are at, I truely believe training should be adding value, providing a vehicle for growth and challenging you to be better. 

However I have seen in so many instances training work against people, training in ways that are not conducive to long term progress in the gym, where training seems to actually take away from your day to day rather than add value to it.

This episode I delve into identifying what you really want to get from training and then how to set up your training to align with your longer term vision of yourself.

I want to help you train better, rehab from injuries and use training as tool for growth, every week I send out a newsletter that has a lot of really helpful information within. To get this podcast and weekly youtube videos straight to your inbox follow the link and sign yourself up.

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My role as a Physiotherapist and Strength Coach exposes me to a-lot of lifters who are incredibly hard working, talented and dedicated to progress.

These are all traits I admire and expect of my direct team. But the question that has come to mind over the years is at what point are we doing things because we can more so than because we should. 

This episode today I talk about the other side of the all or nothing attitude to training, the potential downsides that people think about after the fact. 

I want to help you train better, rehab from injuries and use training as tool for growth, every week I send out a newsletter that has a lot of really helpful information within. To get this podcast and weekly youtube videos straight to your inbox follow the link and sign yourself up.

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The reality is anyone who has been training hard enough for a long enough period of time, has likely ran into a roadblock with an injury or niggle that limits your ability to train hard make progress. 

In my world as a Physiotherapist and Strength Coach, I see alot of lifters and there presentations, truth be told a lot of the patterns are actually quite predictable. There is no way that you can fully prevent an injury but there is ALOT you can to along the way to minimise your chances.

This episode dives into why most injures happen and more importantly what variables you can control along the way.

I want to help you train better, rehab from injuries and use training as tool for growth, every week I send out a newsletter that has a lot of really helpful information within. To get this podcast and weekly youtube videos straight to your inbox follow the link and sign yourself up.

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When we look at your training journey there will be periods of time where you will need to pull back training and focus on rehab.

This is where you need an ecosystem to think about how this all works together. The end of the rehab process should flow straight back into the start of the training process.

In episode 56 of my podcast I run through my 3 step frame work that works across coaching and rehabilitation.

At the end of the day its the same thing just a slightly different path.

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When we look at coaching and programming this is no different. We need to account not only for training outcomes but for the way the body is made up.

There is no way you can train everything at once so periods of the year should be dedicated to structural balance.

If you are injured, if you are unable to train because of pain, then chances are you need some structural balance in your life.

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I am a big believer that training should adapt and evolve with you. What was once meaningful to you may not be true for you today.

Everyone trains for different reasons, but an overarching principle I live by is that training should aid growth, not take away from your day to day.

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In 2024 I drew a line in the sand and made a plan to get this off the ground. It wasn't meant to be perfect, the goal was just to start and commit to weekly episodes.

In this episode I summarised the main points from the most downloaded podcasts and built on the conversation.

Thanks everyone,

Tommy

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I hate to be the bearer of bad news but this rate of progression does slow down, there is more time between each PB, you have to spend more time building specific qualities and you need to switch your mindset to a longer term plan.

In this episode, I run through the honeymoon period and why it gives you a false sense of security and the reason you make progress fast.

Then importantly how to approach this long term so that you can continue to make progress year on year. This is where the magic happens but you need a mindset shift in order to keep making progress. 

Connect with me 

Instagram | Youtube | Website

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Personally I believe that its because people are not sure how to structure it so it progresses alongside your training. As with all lifts you will want periods where you are working in isolation and periods where you are pushing up the strength and intensity with bigger compound movements. Core training is no different.

In this episode, I break down what actually makes core work effective and how it should evolve alongside your overall training demands.

I start out by looking at how the midsection functions and why it needs more than just generic core exercises.

Then we’ll dive into bracing, breathing mechanics, and how all of this ties into your performance with big lifts like squats, deadlifts, and presses.

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For many, the pain is manageable enough to train through, but that doesn’t mean it should be ignored. Over time, symptoms can build up and eventually limit your ability to squat, lunge, or progress the way you want to.

This episode explores the role of range, control, and loading in key positions and how to build a program that your knees will actually benefit from over the long haul.

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If people are really well trained in one area or have gotten great results from themselves and clients following a specific method, it is so short sighted to think that everyone will respond the same.

Personally I like to control all variables that I can with coaching and rehab, the best way to do this is work with the person in front of you and treat them as a blank canvas.

Todays episode I talk about context from a coaching and rehab perspective.

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The reality is reality, most effective programs aren’t built from scratch for each client. They’re personalised to suit the clients preferences, goals and training history within the context of a training system.

In this episode, I break down the difference between individualisation and personalisation, why system based coaching is 100% better and how to make better programming decisions that serve both the client and the coach.

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This is where you build muscle, reinforce movement patterns, and address the weak links that hold you back in your main lifts. If you treat them with the same intent as your big lifts, they’ll pay you back tenfold.

In this episode I break down how to actually make your accessory work count.

🎙️ Episode 47 of The Tommy Brideson Show is now live.

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This is why strength training is the OG. You don’t just get strong — you get smart. You learn how to eat, how to train, how to move. And eventually, you become a total weapon in the gym.

🎙️ Episode 46 of The Tommy Brideson Show is now live.

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Life and society can be complex, busy and hard to navigate. The world is largely set up for convince and comfort, and people often feel lost without direction or purpose. 



Todays episode I delve into why I believe that strength training is one of the most powerful tools you have for growth and self betterment. 


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Do we actually need to factor it in outside of your training program?

Are we just adding extra stress and clutter into your week that resource be better spent in other areas?

I am massive on providing context in all areas of training and rehab so let’s talk recovery today but to kick things off we need to first dive into the training process.

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People are juggling work and life commitments, introducing new family members into the world, trying to find extra hours in the day to get more work done, dealing with injuries and also making time to work on themselves and crush there goals.

You will undoubtedly have some ebbs and flows in your training journey and will need to get creative to keep moving forward and stay on track.

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I get it trust me I do, but hear me out before we get stuck into today’s podcast I want to share a bit of my story as to how I now own a gym that is so niched down to a single sport.

Personally I had never aspired to be or compete in powerlifting and most certainly did not have any plans to own a gym that is hugely powerlifting focused. To that when I actually opened my first facility in 2019, I set it up in a way that could work with athletic development clients, strength and powerlifting clients, rehabilitation clients but intended to not completely niche down so to speak.

But one thing that every person who has been involved in this community can attest to, is that it is one of the most supportive and positive environments to be apart of. Everyone is on their own journey working toward improving on their own efforts year on year. Yes there is direct competition at the top of powerlifting but thats not everyone’s goal. At the end of the day it’s you against you. 

So this is a call out to anyone who is sitting on the fence to join a community like this. The thing you will regret most is not starting the journey earlier. 

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We are wired to chase progress and as a result we often move to quickly through exercises progression chasing the more complex variations thinking we will get more benefit from them.

Something I often say is, harder isn't better, better is better.

In this weeks episode I rub through why regressing exercises can actually be really helpful long term. How this can make you better at more complex exercise and get you better results in the gym.

At the end of the day we all want to get a great return on time and resources spent training and staying healthy. So instead of chasing new and exciting, chase mastering the basics as it will always return great results.

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Simply put:

• If you want to build muscle you need to spend time training volume and intensity,
• If you want to get stronger, you need to essentially add more weight to the bar over time
• When it comes to the actual skill side of lifting heavy we need to apply this same logic, you need to practice the skill under load

In this weeks podcast episode, I run through some important considerations for someone wanting to improve strength and ability to hold great technique and position under heavy loads.

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The problem with comfort and convenience is we end up working within a small percentage of our available capacity and range.

This over time will compound and as a result we will develop compensatory movement patterns and a decrease in overall health. These patterns need to be offset as part of your daily movement, training program or prehab and the reality is it needs to be more than a 30 second stretch or small walk around the block 2 x per day. 

In this weeks podcast episode, I run through strategies that will help you identify and then address these compensatory movement patterns.

There is a saying movement is medicine, we should all be doing more.

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A lot of the time we place value on an outcome which is usually transient or isn't really our real goal such as squatting 200kg.

Enjoying the process and person you are becoming along the way is arguably the more important component of training (alongside all the health benefits and feels).

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Episode 37 of my podcast I run through three of the most popular training methods. How to use them, why they are so effective and examples of how it would look year round in your training programs.

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Training has a honeymoon period where everything feels good as a result of getting stronger, building more muscle and improving on your health. The double edged sword here is the thing that helps you progress in your training journey can often come full circle and cause you pain.

Episode 36 of my podcast episode I talk through real life ways to navigate your training when coming back from an injury.

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I prefer to really pressure test my ideas so that when you add in mobility and control drills are very targeted. That last thing you want to do is add unnecessary clutter to a lifters training programs.

When you start to think not only about the restrictions you are assessing and start thinking of the opposing side, assisting muscles and the entire system you will start to be more accurate with your assessments.

In order to do this you need to be a killer with your diagnosis and pressure test your ideas!

Episode 35 of my podcast "A smart way to assess and diagnose patients: Pressure test your diagnosis with treatment and drills to solidify diagnosis" is now live on all platforms.

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Your first response is likely how would that even be possible, I get it but hear me out.

The calves play a large role in stability, power generation and creating stability at the knee and ankle. Your feet are the only contact point with the ground.

Surely we need to put some thought into our lower leg if we are looking at long term development?

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Recently I have ben asked if I am worried about the emergence of AI and technology for both coaching and physiotherapy as a service.

I am not worried in the slightest as the reality is there will always be a need for in person services. Using these developments in other areas of my business could actually be very useful.

Connect with me:

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Outside of technique and time served, really there are two main drivers that will push forward your training progress.

Coaches like to wrap training up in a term called periodisation, then break it down into small manageable chunks.

The reality is there will be times where you work sub-maximally using volume as a driver for progress and there will be periods where you drop off training volume and use intensity as a driver for progress.

In this episode I run through the specifics of how and when it should be used.

Connect with me:

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Anyone who has been training hard enough for a decent amount of time will eventually run into back pain in some shape or form.

Not all back pain is equal and you will often find that the more active population will develop functional asymmetries and stiffness that will lead to pain.

I run through some of the common culprits in this episode.

Connect with me:

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Today I delve into the nuances of the different stages of the coaching relationship.

Many would think that the relationship is very much a dictatorship, the reality is it couldn't be further from the truth.

Once you have a solid training foundation, you will start to collaborate with your coach more to assist the decision making progress.

Connect with me:

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One of the easiest way to prioritise your goals is to give them the best opportunity through your training week.

I run through some easy strategies that will set you up to win each session and each block.

Training is a game of fatigue management these are just a few easy ways to crush it!

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To make progress and get the changes you desire through training, there is no way around it, hard work is essential.

But in order to stay focused and enjoy the process, it is absolutely necessary to enjoy the training process. You need to lean into what you enjoy and also push yourself.

If you enjoy lifting heavy weights or you more enjoy building muscle then you need to lean into that for chunks of time each year.

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Long term progress requires you to build volume and intensity for long periods of time.

We have access to great information and research, exercise machines and methods to build all aspects of fitness. The thing that is often overlooked is simply putting in hard sets and reps each session.

Try not to get caught up in all of the nuances, show up to each session and put in some effort towards your goals.

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You will have times in your training where you need to rework your technique to optimise your position, reduce pain and keep moving forward.

This doesn't mean your old technique is bad, it just means you are working towards changing how you move to get better.

These new positions will take time to make your new technique. When you are fatigued, fall out of position or push the intensity, you will simply revert to the path of least resistance which is the technique you are moving away from.

Your new training technique will take time but will pay dividends if you give it enough time.

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A perfect plan on paper does not mean that you will get the results you expect without effort. I often say to people do not get crippled by perfectionism as it will significantly slow down your progress, just start and figure things out as you go.

Reason being I would much rather someone show up daily putting in effort towards your goals and just start. Making changes to your training is something you will continue to do over the years and is given. The linchpin that holds it all together is the effort put towards these goals not a perfect plan.

Now this doesn't disregard great training programs as they are absolutely essential for long term progress, they are just not something to be crippled by when starting out as there are many more low hanging fruit to approach first.

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If you think about your training like this, you will be able to really get so much value from it.

Your movement prep, rehab and prehab is building qualities you want from the ground up.

Your training itself is working back from your end point which in most cases will be increasing muscle and strength.

This is why I always say; coaching is rehab & rehab is coaching

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I often say to people be in a hurry to get great but know that the results you want will take time. You need to spend time learning and developing as this sets the platform for your future successes.

In a world where people want results instantly, its important to remember that people we hold in high regard have all spent the time learning and developing. Yes you may see them smashing life and you want a slice of the action.

Just remember that they all hold themselves accountable to the standard and goals they want to achieve, so set a plan and execute my friends.

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Training is one of the most potent ways to improve on all aspects of your life. 

Training for a specific outcome such as building strength or muscle mass is a given when you show up and follow a structured training and nutrition program. 

I would argue that the even more impactful part of training is that it cannot be bought or given to you. You need to earn your right to become better. Following a process and continually stacking up your wins is without a doubt even more impactful that the training outcome itself. 

The way you approach training will often impact how you approach your day to day. If you win in the gym it sets you up to win at life. 

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The shoulder is a complex joint. You need a combination of range of movement, stability and control to execute movements effectively.

In more cases than not, one muscle isn't going to solve all your problems.

Strengthening a weak muscle can help if you fall into that category but there are often more pieces to the puzzle that should also be addressed.

Connect with Tommy:

Instagram

Youtube

tommybrideson.com (coming soon)

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If you are trying to emulate your favourite lifters technique, this is not your best strategy to becoming a more technical lifter.

Every person has different body proportions, so your technique will look different. You will still follow the same principles of lifting but positioning, cueing and overall look will be very different.

Connect with Tommy:

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tommybrideson.com (coming soon)

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We need to move away from labelling movements or exercises as bad.

Exercises and movements are simply tools we use to get an outcome. At times they may not be suited to you because of an injury, inability to perform with good technique or just too advanced but this doesn't just then put them into a category of being bad.

Its simply not the right tool at this point in time.

Connect with Tommy:

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tommybrideson.com (coming soon)

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A marketing message that many trainers and gyms will tap into is the idea of "Functional Training".

Straight up lets address this. There is no such thing as functional training. The outcome of your training is what is functional.

If you need to develop strength, use tools to help you develop strength. If you need more muscle mass, use tools that help you build muscle. Simple right?

So lets forget "Functional Training" and use training simply as a tool to get an outcome that will either help you in your sport or life.

Connect with Tommy:

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tommybrideson.com (coming soon)

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I am a big believer in coaching systems that have been built around a solid set of training principles.

As a coach or practitioner, it will allow you to pressure test your thoughts and process, capture invaluable data to see if you are being effective and make changes where needed.

This will allow you to get better results for the people you work with and become more effective with your prescription of exercise methods and selection.

Connect with Tommy:

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tommybrideson.com (coming soon)

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Training for the active person that will always be an important part of what they do.

As with all things, as you grow and develop your training should also to make sure it aligns with your values and what you want to get from it.

Training is just a tool that can be used in many different ways, so adjust your long term plan accordingly.

Connect with Tommy:

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When you are in pain, from a clinical standpoint most diagnostic test you perform will induce pain. This can make it hard to determine the exact cause of pain until the symptoms subside.

In more cases than not pain will be associated with asymmetrical movement and range. In these cases one of the best approaches is to restore range and as the inflammation and sensitisation decreases you will get a clearer understanding of the injury at hand. Then you can put a specific program in place to assist the rehab process.

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Prehab drills are used to offset training load, work on structural balance or improve on movement quality.

Personally I like to blend prehab into training and make my training time really efficient and then have 1-2 stand alone sessions during the week where movement is prioritised.

On this episode I talk about different prehab strategies and how you can make time during your training week.

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All good training programs need to have built progressions to accumulate more volume or load, restraints that limit how hard you push and a solid structure that will help you gain momentum and results.

All training methods have pros and cons which is why I believe using a combined strategy is best in most cases.

For instance a strictly percent based program doesn't account for an off training day but a strictly RPE based program could provide too much opportunity to push to hard or little. It also is impossible to predict someones max lift after having some time off or coming back from injury, so in that instance a RPE based approach could be better. On the flip side you may want to control the intensity someone is working at so you could prescribe a number or range to work within.

Context matters as to which method you may choose to use, I believe all have a place in training and once you start to develop the skill of measuring how hard a set is in terms of RPE this is where real progress will be made as a lifter.

You will know when you can push and know when to pull the intensity back and just get an honest session in that ticks the boxes.

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Spending time building a base will push your training progress forward more than any other tool.

Often early on in someones lifting journey they chase strength and really sit on the limit in terms of intensity. At this point you can feel really burnt out, sustain an injury or fall out of love with lifting all together.

Shifting your mindset to the long game and building the qualities you want through these base building phases are vital to your journey and long term progress.

These periods are really hard work, like really hard but will pay dividends.

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Bracing on a surface level may seem easy in theory, you breath on average 20,000 times a day so how can it be that hard?

The reality is that in order to create an effective brace you need to be able to and understand how to breath with your diaphragm, how to create stiffness through your midsection, how to position your ribs and pelvis in a way that allows for optimal positioning during movement.

Then to add some complexity, you need to do this whilst performing strength based movements and try to maintain this throughout a set. I always say to my team, learn to breath first, focus on global positioning and get your processes in place for lifting, then lets look to add the specifics of linking it all together.

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Often in the strength training world accessory exercises are an after thought. When you approach them with a mindset of maximising the value they add to your training you will start to feel the benefits as they are a great way to build muscle, assist with structural balance and injury prevention.

Here a couple of tips that will help you get the most out of your accessories:

#1 - Focus on getting a strong contraction taking movements through a full range

#2 - Pushing each set so that you get within 3 reps of failure whilst maintaining good technique

#3 - Think about building training volume through sets and reps not just adding weight

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The most successful people in all facets of life are process driven. They show up, do the work and look for refinements as they go to improve the overall efficiency.

If we apply this to training and add processes to your training technique, how you approach your weekly sessions and nutrition you will end up having a really solid set of processes.

In this episode I discuss how important it is to have a set of rules to create a consistent approach to training and technique, then as you start to progress you will need to break or change the rules to allow for progress.

A perfect example of this is when you learn to deadlift you may squeese you scaps back to keep you upper back extended, initially this may be an ok strategy but will be short lived. As you get stronger you will want to start the deadlift with a long arm position as it will reduce overall range and allow for a better start position.

The most important part is having a set of consistent rules then adapt them as you progress.

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When it comes to training, you are only as good as the positioning that you can create and maintain whilst lifting. Most of the technical breakdown will come from not being in the right position to start then you fall further out of position as you progress through your sets.

This is why I am a big believer in understanding the make up of the human body. If you know the structure it is very easy to reverse engineer you positioning, cueing and get the most out of your lifts.

A perfect example of this is "Breathing and Bracing". If you don't understand how increase air volume via your diaphragm, how are you meant to do this when setting up for a heavy squat and deadlift.

Understanding your body will only help your training and results.

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This episode unpacks how to make long term progress with you training. In order to keep progressing your training needs to be meaningful in a way that it is part of your lifestyle. Often we get caught up chasing arbitrary goals and when life gets busy or you fall short of short term goal training becomes less of a priority and training takes a back seat.

Training is something that helps you build and develop a progressive mindset, your strength is earn't through the effort put in and you get all the great health benefits by default. When its part of your lifestyle you will never lack motivation because its what you do.

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This episode aims to help build a simple framework around how to move into a Calorie Deficit.

You want to make sure that you are only in these restrictive periods as long as you need to be with clear objectives. In saying that there are some simple rules that will help you to maintain your muscle mass and make sure that the weight you are loosing is sustainable.

The hierarchy below will help you as you move into a deficit:

#1 - Daily and weekly calorie targets

#2 - Daily protein intake of 2-2.5g per kg of fat free mass

#3 - As close to 1g per kg of get free mass

#4 - Remaining cals as carbohydrate

#5 - Plan and prep your food so you can maximise volume and satiety as you will be hungry

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This episode takes a deep dive into what I call linchpins for the deadlift movement. Linchpins are a set of rules that will allow you to develop a consistent set up and technique. It doesn't matter whether you deadlift in a conventional or sumo stance, the linchpins will be really helpful.

The three linchpins are:

#1 - Setting your hinge and maintaining this throughout your sets

#2 - How to create an effective wedge by taking the slack out of the bar

#3 - Holding it all together by maintaining your off the floor and throughout the lift itself

Once you know how to organise and stack your body during the deadlift it really simplifies your ability to handle more weight, reps and progress the movement.

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Training is like a savings account that accumulates over time. No one session will determine the outcome of your training.

Some training session are just not going to be high energy and you will need to manage your expectations on the day and not let it get the better of you. When you have these days the best way to approach them is strip back the training intensity and volume, aim to have a training session that will allow you to still feel constructive when leaving the gym.

Areas of focus on these days are technical aspects of your lifting, being strict with rest times and focusing on your muscle mind connection.

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This episode takes a deep dive into what I call linchpins for the bench press. Linchpins are a set of rules that will allow you to develop a consistent set up and technique.

The three linchpins are:

#1 - Creating the optimal upper body positioning that is strong and stable

#2 - Building full body tension by creating leg drive

#3 - Making all your reps consistent through your grip width and touch point

Once you know how to organise and stack your body during the bench press it really simplifies your ability to handle more weight, reps and progress the movement.

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Anyone who has been training long enough can relate to the frustration of dealing with an injury or niggle that holds back your training.

One of the most effective ways to reduce your chances of injuries is offsetting the amount of work you do in training, activities and life by restoring your normal ranges of motion and function.

You are not looking for perfect, you are simply offsetting some of the tension points throughout your system that can limit how you perform and load movements.

As your training age increases so should your movement based strategies.

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This episode takes a deep dive into what I call linchpins for the squatting movement. Linchpins are a set of rules that will allow you to develop a consistent set up and technique.

The three linchpins are:

#1 - Developing and maintaining your upper back positioning

#2 - Effective breathing, bracing and how to hold throughout the squat

#3 - Creating lower body tension and maintaining your centre of mass

Once you know how to organise and stack your body during the squat it really simplifies your ability to handle more weight, reps and progress the movement.

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