The Progress Lab

British Olympic weightlifter and coach Michaela Breeze joins us to talk loose arms, mindset, and why the cues you grew up with might be holding you back.Michaela shares the story of being ranked number one in Britain at 18, stuck at 75/92 for 18 months, and the coach who changed everything by telling her to switch her arms off and trust the legs. What happened on the day of his funeral is one of the most powerful moments we've recorded.We get into:

• Why "finish your pull" is the wrong cue
• Coaching the person, not the sport
• Goal setting that doesn't break you
• Training vs testing
• PEDs and the Enhanced Games
• Coaching women through every life stage
• Why gymnastics is the best foundation sport

Find Michaela:

• Book: Beyond The Barbell: Train Your Mind To Lift With No Limits — https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Barbell-Train-Your-Limits/dp/1919361502
• Website: powerposition.co.uk
• Instagram: @michaelabreeze
• Email: [email protected]

After what was a "planned" break, we are officially back!
In this ep we catch up about what has been happening + chat about the coach athlete relationship + more

If December feels like one long to-do list you didn’t agree to, this one’s for you.
We chat about the pressure that comes with Christmas, why this time of year feels wild, and how to dial things back without guilt.
Also yes, this episode is a day late. Which honestly feels very on theme.

In this episode, we sit down with Dr Sam Newbury, one of the rare practitioners who can explain women’s health in a way that actually makes sense, no fear-mongering, no jargon, just practical clarity.
We talk through some of the most important (and most confusing) areas of women’s health:Contraception
PCOS
Endometriosis
HRT
Menopause
Where to find reliable information

With Alice away this week, Chris is joined by Performance Psychologist Caroline Anderson, who balanced studying psychology while competing in taekwondo at an Olympic level. Funny enough, she didn’t see those two worlds colliding until much later in her career.The chat dives into old school vs new school psychology, the idea of wellbeing before performance, and why waiting until five weeks out isn’t the best time to start working on your mindset. They also explore how you can build performance skills in everyday settings, even outside of sport.
Chris probably talked too much, but it’s a good one.
Find Caroline @Website: https://www.performanceedgepsychology.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caroline_anderson_psychologist/?__d=11%2F Business Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/performance_edge_psychology_/

We’re joined by Paul Taylor, an Irishman turned honorary Aussie who’s an exercise physiologist, neuroscientist, and currently doing his PhD on hardiness (aka what makes people mentally tough). We chat about what hardiness actually looks like in everyday life, the rise in ADHD diagnoses, and how overbearing parents might be messing with kids’ ability to handle challenge. It’s part science, part storytelling, and definitely a few laughs along the way.
Find Paul on his:Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/7B835W0JkVLEDS9wYwQm8X?si=2d62440a886440d7
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paultaylor.biz/
Website - https://www.paultaylor.biz/

Everything sucks when its cycle day 30, or so Chris is informed.
Fun episode before we our next amazing guest in the one and only Paul Taylor next week!

We sat down with Lenny Redrose, an incredible human with paraplegia whose story you need to hear.
A former soccer player, a soldier, and once caught in addiction, Lenny turned his life around seven years ago and now dedicates his time to showing others the good that’s still out there.
We won’t give away how his injury happened, you’ll have to listen to find out, but we promise, it’s worth every second.

In this episode, we sit down with performance psychologist Darren Godwin to dive into the deeper side of what drives us. We explore:

• The power of knowing your “why”
• How your values shape performance and decision-making
• Building psychological flexibility when life doesn’t go to plan
• Practical strategies for getting the best out of yourself in training, competition, and everyday life

This one’s packed with insights for athletes, coaches, and anyone wanting to unlock more from their potential — both on and off the platform.📚 References

• Schweickle, M. (University of Wollongong) – Research on clutch performance under pressure in sport
• Hayes, S. C. – Psychological Flexibility & Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

With some exciting guests lined up, we thought we’d do what we do best: pretend to be them.
This episode is us taking our best (and probably worst) guesses at how our upcoming conversations might go. Think of it as a warm-up, a parody, and a way to see just how wrong we can be before the real thing.