SOFLETE Performance

Lunch and Learn Chapter 4 - NutritionDisclaimerWhilst SOFLETE does work with a Registered Nutritionist, neither George nor Matt hold this qualification, or that of a Dietician. Any discussion or recommendations given in this Chapter should not be construed as medical advice and listeners should always consult a trained clinician before attempting any nutritional intervention. Episode 1 - Introducing NutritionTo be fair, nutrition is definitely a topic of conversation that doesn’t need to be introduced. From your mother to those annoying Youtube commercials, everyone seems to have an opinion on what you should or should not be eating. That’s where SOFLETE comes in; in today’s episode, George and Matt attempt to navigate the confusing and complex world of nutrition. They highlight the importance of addressing the basic dietary foundations of health and wellness, before worrying about the nuances of performance nutrition.George also discusses the necessity of establishing and maintaining a ‘healthy’ relationship with food and provides insight into how he transitioned from a place of emotion based eating, to viewing food as his source of fuel and medicine.Everything we do here at SOFLETE is based on adding value to our community, so if you have any ideas, requests or questions, please feel free to reach out to us- either through SOFLETE social media or contact George and Matt directly via [email protected] or [email protected].

In today’s episode, George and Matt get the opportunity to chat with longtime SOFLETE friend, Noël Brenda. Noël is a 14 year veteran of the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps, where he served as both a Medic SF and Physical Training Instructor. This gave him a fantastic first-hand perspective on the preparation required to build successful tactical professionals, an opportunity he capitalized upon, as he transitioned back into civilian life.He’s now co-founder of Breda Strength and Conditioning, with his wife Sanne; where, for a decade, they’ve put this knowledge and experience into practice through running the region’s premier training facility. Whilst they cater to a wide range of clients, from grandmothers to professional athletes, they specialize in preparing aspiring tactical professionals for the rigors of military selection. With a 90% success rate for individuals passing some of the toughest and most grueling selection courses around, Noël and Sanne must be something right!Listen in as George and Matt get the inside scoop on the philosophies and methods that continue to make Breda Strength and Conditioning “Built To Last”.Please see below for links to the resources that the gents mention during the podcast.- Breda S&C (https://bredasc.com/)- Noël’s Linktree (https://linktr.ee/brand.sc) & IG (https://www.instagram.com/brand.sc/?hl=en)- Mike Boye’s Bilateral Deficit article (https://www.strengthcoach.com/public/Unilateral-Training-and-the-Bilateral-Deficit.cfm)- ‘Mind of a Champion’ by Dr. R Campbell (https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Champion-starts-your-Mindset/dp/0692917136)- ‘New Functional Training For Sports’ by Mike Boyle (https://us.humankinetics.com/products/new-functional-training-for-sports-2nd-edition)- ‘Functional Training Anatomy’ by Kevin Carr (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/functional-training-anatomy-kevin-carr/1137453334)- ‘Coaching Rules’ by Brendon Rearick (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1931046255/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?creative=9325&creativeASIN=1931046255&ie=UTF8&linkCode=as2&linkId=52c451b1209535a610b546bb6bb8d8a4&tag=moveasmedi08-20)

Episode 3 - How to Enhance YOUR Heart HealthThe ‘Be Your Own Scientist’ concept is a big part of what we do here at SOFLETE. We feel that it’s much better to teach you the methods, than give a rigid prescription. That way, you can figure out exactly what does and doesn’t work, based on the constraints present in your own unique situation.With that being said, the last episode of this chapter is dedicated to giving you the tools needed to square away your own Heart Health. The guys teach you how to get a baseline readin, using free and easy methods like the BOLT score and resting heart rate (see below for links).Once armed with these baselines, you can implement one of the multitude of protocols suggested by George and Matt, and use regular re-tests to establish what works best for you.The key point the boys stress throughout, is that whatever method(s) you choose, they should be fun and enjoyable. So make the most of the weather getting nicer and get involved with the rest of the SOFLETE community, during the now customary end-of-chapter-challenge!Remember bonus points for phots with the coolest backdrops and don’t forget to tag us #DIELIVINGEverything we do here at SOFLETE is based on adding value to our community, so if you have any ideas, requests or questions, please feel free to reach out to us- either through SOFLETE social media or contact George and Matt directly via [email protected] or [email protected] promised, see below for some useful links:-The BOLT Score (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Scy-_hWLAr0)-’The Breathing Cure’ by Patrck Mckeown (https://oxygenadvantage.com/the-breathing-cure/)-How to take Resting Heart Rate (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQwc-DtY5zA)

Episode 2 - The Relevance of Heart Health to the Tactical CommunityDespite the media portrayal that the tactical community is made up exclusively of personnel resembling Greek demi-gods (we’ll admit, there are one or two- looking at you Firefighters!), we’re actually a pretty representative cross-section of the civilian population. We have similar proportions of super fit people and similar proportions of those who are… maybe not so much. In this episode, the guys get into how developing heart health is vital if we want to look after the human inside the superhero costume. Using research and first hand experience, George and Matt explore the myriad of reasons why personnel on both ends of the tactical performance spectrum (from the ‘tip of the spear’ to the ‘keyboard warriors’) can benefit from strengthening the ‘muscle that never tires’.Everything we do here at SOFLETE is based on adding value to our community, so if you have any ideas, requests or questions, please feel free to reach out to us- either through SOFLETE social media or contact George and Matt directly via [email protected] or [email protected] this episode, Matt talked about a research paper on the effects of a 13 month military deployment. If you’re interested in reading it for yourself, it’s available for free at (https://academic.oup.com/milmed/article-pdf/175/6/417/21869085/milmed-d-09-00192.pdf)

Episode 1 - Introducing the Concept of Heart HealthGeorge and Matt kick off this new chapter with a thorough look into exactly what establishing good Heart Health means. George then uses real-world examples from his own experiences competing and coaching, both at the highest level, to illustrate the importance of this concept. George recounts how he learned the necessity of building a solid ‘aerobic base’, even with strength and power athletes, when he had the crushing realisation that his athlete wouldn’t recover in time between lifts at The US Open Weightlifting Championships. However, he also discovered that when integrated into a training plan appropriately, it can be truly life changing, especially for those with underlying health concerns.As ever, this episode sets out the foundations; to get the most benefit and insight from the remainder of this chapter, we highly recommend you check it out first.Everything we do here at SOFLETE is based on adding value to our community, so if you have any ideas, requests or questions, please feel free to reach out to us- either through SOFLETE social media or contact George and Matt directly via [email protected] or [email protected].

The second part of this episode builds on the foundations laid out in Part A. George and Matt gets into the specifics of how you can weaponize this new knowledge to help better inform your training.Based on this, George shines the spotlight on exactly what his own training looks like, both whilst competing (including in Ultra competitions and the recent Recon Challenge) as well as when he's in more of a General Physical Preparation phase.As ever, we want you to join in the conversation- either through SOFLETE's social media or by contacting the guys directly ([email protected] or [email protected]).

We're back in the Human Performance Team's virtual office, listening in as the guys break down the tale that's as old as time... Can you really train for a marathon and still bang heavyweights?!To put it simply, it depends... listen as George and Matt take a deep dive into the exercise physiology principles that govern concurrent training (the practice of combining endurance and strength training).Make no mistake, and the boys dig right down into the nuts and bolts that help form the backbone of the SOFLETE training principles, so make yourself a strong brew/wet/coffee (depending on your denomination) and buckle up!As ever, we want you to join in the conversation- either through SOFLETE's social media or by contacting the guys directly ([email protected] or [email protected]).

Coach Tony Blauer has been in the martial art, self-defense, defensive tactics, and combative industry for over four decades.He founded Blauer Tactical Systems (BTS) in 1985 and it has grown into one of the world's leading consulting companies specializing in the research and development of performance psychology, personal safety, and close quarter tactics & scenario-based training for law enforcement, military, and professional self-defenseinstructors.• His research on the neuroscience of fear and the startle-flinch led to the development of the SPEAR System® a modern personal defense system based on physiology, physics, and psychology. It has been used by defensive tactics and combative trainers all over the world for over 30 years.• He developed the world's first impact-reduction scenario-based training equipment, called High Gear which revolutionized force-on-force training for police, SWAT, and military organizations.• After decades of interviewing victims of violent encounters and studying violence, he created the KNOW FEAR® program which focuses on managing fear through self-awareness, resiliency, and a 'movement' mindset. This program has also been integrated by psychologists helping Vets to deal with PTSD.Mr. Blauer's programs have influenced over three decades of trainers and coaches as well as most contemporary reality-based martial artists. He resides in California with his wife, kids, and dogs but still travels extensively working with individuals, corporations, and government organizations around the world providingsolutions for training, performance assessment, and credentialing. His company is dedicated to enhancing the mental and physical safety of everyone they help train.

Recon Challenge Event Reflection Podcast (Episode 3) In this episode, George breaks down all the action, laughter and tears from inside the 2021 USMC Recon Challenge.You’ll get some insider tips on how to optimize nutrition, hydration and performance psychology that are readily transferable to your endurance training and competitions.Plus hear about the 0315 reveille, the most beautiful sunrise of George’s life and getting such bad hand cramps he resembled Captain Hook… Quite simply, this is one episode you do not want to miss. During the show, George mentioned a few of the fantastic resources that are available to those specifically within the USMC Recon community:George’s interview with Honeybeard (https://youtu.be/vUTb_lNYvrw)Recon & Sniper Foundation (https://www.reconsniperfoundation.org/)Marine Recon Foundation (https://reconfoundation.org/)

Recon Challenge Training Podcast (Episode 2)It’s been 10 days since George and his teammate took an incredible 3rd place at the gruelling, annual Recon Challenge event at Camp Pendleton. In this episode of the SOFLETE Performance Podcast, we catch up with George and find out how he managed to complete the event with such a short amount of preparation. We dive into everything that has happened since the first Recon Challenge podcast four weeks ago, where George was just dusting off his Cammies. Hear how his training, sport psychology and nutrition knowledge and experience were tested to the maximum as he attempted to navigate his way through 5 monstrous weeks of preparation.