‘If you can’t lead yourself, how’re you expected to lead others’ Lachlan touches on the important point of leading by example and how its important for practitioners within the exercise and sports industry to be able to treat themselves well and lead their own positive lives in order to lead their own clients/athletes.

Lachie and I also discuss the topic of work-life balance, and how Lachie refers to it as a pendulum, and how a true balance is never achieved in this industry.

Lachie goes through the details of how he built the legacy that is Virtus Performance, and how he is living his ‘life by design’. Lachie is living the life that he wants to live and shares how he got to be there.

He also mentions some important points regarding culture within a fitness community, and how important ‘people’ and ‘place’ are to be able to build that community and culture. I completely agree with his remarks on this, in which I commend Lachlan very highly for making these factors top priority for the members of his gym. Listen for details

https://virtusperformance.com.au

https://instagram.com/theexcellencecoach?utm_medium=copy_link

https://instagram.com/theexcellencecoach?utm_medium=copy_link

Jakob and I discuss the difficult period after graduating from university. How to find a job? Will this internship really benefit me? Read the referenced paper regarding internships within the strength and conditioning industry, and how it outlines how a mutual benefit for both the internee and the organisation can be achieved.

https://www.strengthandconditioning.org/jasc-29-3

Jakob is also very open about his experienced seeking help during his own struggles throughout his journey as a trainer. How he ‘opened up’ to his friends about his own mental health and how relieved he was when he finally did so.

Jakob also highlights his struggles with overthinking, which is a common way of thinking among practitioners within the industry. We highlight some ways in which this can be addressed and how he thrives as a trainer today.

We also discuss how Jakob’s own physical training helps him feel a sense of accomplished, which then helps him take on the challenges that are ahead of him for the rest of the day.

Website: https://www.synergy-strength.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/synergy_strength_?utm_medium=copy_link

https://instagram.com/peninsulabarbell?utm_medium=copy_link

In this episode, Rob Delves shares how his own aspirations can lead into high expectations for himself, which sometimes cause internal pressures. We go into how he deals with the expectations he has for himself and how successful this has been in his career so far. 

Rob and I also talk about the importance of treating athletes as people, not as data points. In the high performance industry, many programs focus on statistics more so than the athletes themselves, which can create a toxic environment. Rob's job as a Sport Scientist, requires him to record, collect, analyse and present data. We discuss how he has been able to be successful with his job as a scientist, while also being able to treat the athletes with respect.

Given the current COVID conditioning, we discuss Rob's experience in a team bubble, the fact that he was unable to return home at some points, and how he helped the team during a struggling time of isolation.

We also discuss why the issue of mental health is commonly avoided among practitioners in the high performance industry. Rob and his crew at TRIAX performance mention this in their own podcast, so it's great to see that these messages are getting out into the public and heard. Talking to someone is always encouraged, no matter what the occupation.

Website: 

https://www.triaxperformance.com

Socials: 

https://instagram.com/robdelves17?utm_medium=copy_link

https://instagram.com/triaxperformance?utm_medium=copy_link

Coach Frank shares what he believes are the essential factors that make up a cohesive culture within a team environment. Frank is lucky to be supported by amazing colleagues within the athletics department, in which he credits for a lot of its recent successes. 

Frank has certainly had some highs and lows in his career so far, and now with a family, he reflects on what he considers to be most important and what he tries to teach each athlete that comes through his program. 

The program at SCCC is a product of the long hours that Frank has put in for his athletes. He's shares some important insights and some emotional battles that he had to overcome in order to be where is he today. Some of his advice he gives for any up and coming coaches who might be stuck finding their way forward is to be noted.

Website: https://www.sussexskylanders.com/landing/index

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sussex_soccer?utm_medium=copy_link

In this episode, Connor and I touch on daily habits, and how important setting small goals for you day can help set the day off in the right way. Also what happens when these habits are not met for the day, how do you respond so that it doesn't ruin your day completely. 

Connor also opens up about how difficult it is to find his purpose throughout his personal and professional career. He now believes that this might be possible in the near future by sticking to his core values and following his 'why' instead of living for each pay check. 

We also discuss how fitness trackers and other such wearables can mislead you at times and cause a decrease in motivation. We both use such devices and admit that when we receive what is labelled as a 'poor score' or 'decreased performance' that it has an impact on us mentally. The fact is that these devices are designed to record and inform, not alter our motivation levels. Listen for more details.

Connor and the Zoop Network are advocating for mental health via participation in physical activity and other healthy habits. They've paired up with the charity '@batyraus' in the upcoming fundraiser 'The 9 for 9 Challenge'. This challenge involves jumping in the freezing cold water of the bay for 9 minutes of every day in August 2021. This is during Melbourne's peak cold weather so this will be no easy challenge. The idea for this challenge is to raise awareness for the fact that 9 Australians tragically lose their lives to suicide each day. This is such a good idea but some great people for an amazing cause. Check out the relevant links to get involved! 

Connor shares some powerful messages in this episode in which I commend him for. 

https://www.lifestrong.com.au/about-us/

https://www.zoopnetwork.com

https://www.instagram.com/thezoopnetwork/

https://the-zoop-networks-9-for-9.raisely.com

https://www.batyr.com.au

In the beginning on Melbourne's 5th lockdown due to the recent COVID outbreak, Durham and I discuss the difficulties that small/moderate businesses experience. In Durhams situation, he and his team discovered a silver lining in that they could build their business and grow in a way that they never thought possible unless they had the time off. 

Lockdown can be heavy for anyone. Durham shares some essential tips and tricks that should be adopted in order to stay sane and motivated during a period of isolation. He also touched on some techniques that helped him get out of some periods of depression throughout his career.

Additionally, after being in the industry for some time, Durham has learnt the power of when to say no. Saying no might be hard for some, especially those who put other before themselves. Tune into the episode to see how Durham points out how learning when to say no is a selfless not a selfish act to do. 

Towards the end of the episode, Durham shares some golden tips to be used by up and coming coaches within the industry in order to better themselves and their craft. He also believes that using the Headspace meditation app is the best place to start to build a daily practice.

“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how” - Friedrich Nietzshe

Website: coreadvantage.com.au

Instagram accounts: 

@core_advantage

@vbtcoach

Podcast: @the_athleticdevelopmentshow

Sean and I discuss the ever growing issue of finding that balance between your work demands and your social life. As a student and a strength and conditioning coach, Sean has a lot to juggle in his daily life. Sean and his team at TRIAX Performance have a large presence on social media, so we touch on the impact that social media has had on his own life, seperate from his professional obligations. 

Do we have high expectations for ourselves? Whats happens if we don't meet these expectations? What happens when we do? Sean and I touch on the subject of setting our own expectations for ourselves, compared to the expectations other have of us. 

And finally, we discuss how comparisons within the sports and exercise industry can be dangerous. Social media plays a part in this, as many up and coming coaches and support personnel cannot help but compare themselves to others who are posting content constantly. How do we overcome this and where should we be as individuals within the industry?

Check out Sean and TRIAX Performances social media content:

https://instagram.com/sjessiman_sc?utm_medium=copy_link

https://instagram.com/triaxperformance?utm_medium=copy_link

https://www.triaxperformance.com/

https://open.spotify.com/show/3oHPCRZ5ys7TJlvKGS9NAc?si=-E6mT_92SSyPkqnBeCpD2A&dl_branch=1

For the first instalment of the Find the Gap Podcast, I have a chat with Jamie Bouziotis, who is the Head of Strength and Conditioning at Melbourne Strength Culture. 

We discuss what first led Jamie to work within the industry and how he progressed through volunteer roles in different sports, to a now paid position in a dream role. We discuss the importance of having a support network within your workplace, and how open/free communication between staff is essential for success. 

In this episode Jamie touches on moments of vulnerability regarding the classic 'imposted syndrome' and how common it is within the exercise and sports industry, as well as ways to combat this internal barrier. 

There are also some great recommendations for new coaches and trainers wanting to get their foot in the door within the industry.

Melbourne Strength Culture Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg7zspdcap-rERyUdtb7RFw