The Athlete's Garage

Recently, I logged back into this podcast intending to take it down permanently, but was taken aback to see that downloads had DOUBLED in the last year, even without any new episodes. So for that reason, I have decided to leave the podcast up so that you can continue receiving value from it. For this episode, I am popping my head in to say hello, and to share an update on where you can find me now NEW PODCAST: The Aligned Performance Podcast   Get in touch: Instagram: @trangcessnguyen Facebook: Aligned Performance Youtube: Aligned Performance Website: alignedperformance.com.au Email: trang@alignedperformance.com.au About Trang Trang Nguyen, founder, and host of Aligned Performance, is a mindset and performance coach. Also currently completing her Masters of Nutrition, Trang helps individuals achieve their greatest potential with purpose and create their mark on this world.  Her vision is a thriving world where individuals are more conscious and connected to themselves, others, and this planet. This way, ALL forms of life can truly thrive and live harmoniously as one. Trang is passionate about working with people to transform the core of who they are as a human being. From there, changes will be reflected across all areas of their life, whether it's their career, health, relationships, personal habits, and more, so they can truly thrive at the highest level possible

Helloooo everyone! Time to break the episode drought with a fresh episode. This episode is one I have putting off for a while, as this episode marks the final episode of The Athlete's Garage Podcast :( This announcement brings me some sadness and a sense of loss, but also excitement with what is to come out of this. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for being part of this podcast and this journey. And a huge thank you to all the guests who have been part of the show. So, so much love to you all! To continue following me and find out what is yet to come, find me at: @themotionmechanic on Instagram The Motion Mechanic on Facebook trang@themotionmechanic.com (Email)

In this episode, I sit down with Jack Williams to talk about flexibility. Jack is a Physiotherapist, S&C coach, yoga teacher and involved in teaching and research at La Trobe University, with extensive experience in helping people achieve optimal performance. In particular, Jack has a special interest in training flexibility and has had exposure to a wide range of practices over his years. So in this conversation, Jack shares his perspective on the research as well as providing practical takeaways for you to improve your flexibility. Whether you are a triathlete, runner or health professional, there is plenty for you to learn from in the chat. Enjoy :) Timestamps: 0:00- Intro 3:00 Getting to know Jack 9:57- What is flexibility? 15:58- The difference between flexibility and mobility 18:30- Are we approaching stretching the right way in 2021? 24:37- The role of stretching in a warmup 31:26- Flexibility requirements for runners 36:09- Why elite runners may be less flexible than recreational runners 43:35- Flexibility requirements for swimmers 48:20- Flexibility requirements for cycling 51:17- Does lack of flexibility cause injury? 53:23- Common mistakes that people make when stretching 1:01:05- Stretches for runners and triathletes Get in touch with Jack Melbourneathleticdevelopment.com.au Get in touch with Trang trang@themotionmechanic.com IG: themotionmechanic

This episode is from when I was a guest on The Run Smarter Podcast by Physiotherapist Brodie Sharpe. In this episode, I talk about how recreational runners can incorporate S&C into their week to achieve favourable adaptations, whilst minimising interference with running sessions and progress. Although it doesn't need to be complex, there are some key things that runners should look out for in order to make the most of their time and effort with S&C training. Some things I talk about are: What a typical week of S&C training can look like for a recreational runner, including frequency, intensity and exercise examples Exercise dosages like sets and reps Periodisation of training when preparing for a race What runners should aim to ‘feel' during strength training Muscle activation Different types of muscle fatigue The most bang for your buck equipment for home S&C training Whether you are new to S&C or looking to optimise the application of your current routine, you will no doubt get a lot from this episode. Enjoy! Get in touch with Brodie: Website: breakthroughrunning.physio + runsmarter.online IG: @runsmarterseries Book in for a Physiotherapy appt with Trang: https://www.healthhp.com.au/contact-us Apply for running or S&C coaching with Trang: https://trang92.typeform.com/to/JMsu8J Sign up for the weekly 'Dose of Learnings' email subscription: http://www.themotionmechanic.com/mailing-list-sign-up/ Say hello! Website: themotionmechanic.com Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com IG: @themotionmechanic

In episode 52, I sit down with ‘The Plastic Runner' Karin Traeger to learn more about how we can give back to the planet while running. As an ultra-marathoner with a passion for preserving our planet, Karen founded The Plastic Runner, a group that runs plogging events (Jogging x picking up litter). Over the years, the group has run over 30 events across Australia and picked up over 1000kg of rubbish! Professionally, Karen is a vet for wildlife, holds a Master of Environment and a scientific diver. Let's just say she has been on some epic adventures both on land and in the sea! In this chat, Karen talks about adding an eco- dimension to our running. She covers the true impacts of plastic waste, ways to start plogging, tips on reducing and recycling plastic waste, the connection between our food choices and the environment, running in lockdown and her 100km run at Wilson's Prom. Since one of the great things about running is being able to see and enjoy nature in its most raw state, this is such an eye-opening conversation about how we can easily give back while doing what we love. Whether you are new to plogging or a regular plogger, this episode is for you! Enjoy :) Timestamps: 0:00- Intro 5:00- Get to know Karin 16:17- How the Plastic Runner started 25:55- The true impacts of plastic waste 36:13- Tips to start plogging 41:34- How we can better reduce and recycle our plastic use 50:59- The connection between our food choices and environmental impact 1:01:43- Karen's upcoming 100km run Get in touch with Karen: IG: @theplasticrunner Website: www.theplasticrunner.com Get in touch with Trang: IG: @themotionmechanic Website: www.themotionmechanic.com Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com  

RACING IS BACK! In this episode, Trang chats about her triathlon race over the weekend, where she achieved a race PB as well as in each of the 3 legs. From there, she goes through the three aspects that made the biggest difference in this race compared to previous ones, and how these three things are the biggest pillars to achieving peak physical performance. Enjoy! Book in for a Physiotherapy appt with Trang: https://www.healthhp.com.au/contact-us Apply for running or S&C coaching with Trang: https://trang92.typeform.com/to/JMsu8J Sign up for the weekly 'Dose of Learnings' email subscription: http://www.themotionmechanic.com/mailing-list-sign-up/ Say hello! Website: themotionmechanic.com Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com IG: @themotionmechanic    

The Athlete's Garage Podcast is back for 2021! To kick off the year, I'm delighted to share my chat with Tim Crosbie about all things recreational running. In this conversation, Tim shares his experiences as a runner, coach, how the running scene has evolved over the years, how to get back into racing in 2021 and much more. Tim is a goldmine of knowledge about the world of running, and most notably, has a wonderfully deep understanding and determination to help people with what's best for them. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed recording it! IG: @timcrosbie  FB group: Crosbie Crew Email: tim@athsvic.org.au Timestamps: 0:00- Intro 4:00- Getting to know Tim 11:01- Why run coaching isn't just for the pros 27:04- Aths Vic being part of the recreational running scene 38:53- Tips for how to get back into running races in 2021 46:39- Q&A with Tim Get in touch with Trang: Website: themotionmechanic.com Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com IG: @themotionmechanic

In the final episode for 2020, Trang shares the 5 essential steps to make 2021 your best year of performance yet. Each year, people set big goals that they want to achieve. And although goals are an important part of guiding the direction they want to go, it's only scratching the surface of what is truly required to step up to high performance. These 5 steps have been used by Trang for years and constantly prove to be extremely successful in the process of growth and achievement. So if you are ready to leave 2020 behind and step up to realise your potential in 2021, then this is for you! Enjoy :)   Get in touch with Trang: Website: themotionmechanic.com Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com IG: @themotionmechanic

This week, I put out a poll on IG asking about injury-rates across the year. The results showed that more than 50% of the runners following me experienced at least one injury this year that affected their training.  With injury being one of the biggest and frustrating things that hold runners back, this is a timely episode that is going to be so informative for endurance athletes out there.  In this episode, I have a ripper convo with Physiotherapist Brodie Sharpe, who is the founder of The Breakthrough Running Clinic, and host of the Run Smarter Podcast with a special interest in running injuries. We go through the 10 most common running-injury myths and discuss the evidence behind what is true, or what isn't.  Some of these misconceptions we hear almost every week, highlighting the importance of clarifying the facts and sharing accurate information around the running community. Whether you are a health professional, or a runner wanting to prevent or treat an injury, you will get so much out of this episode. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. Enjoy, legends! Timestamps 0:00- Intro 6:19- Should you rest an overuse injury? 13:59- Does running cause arthritis? 17:58- Is running inappropriate for older adults? 21:53- Are running injuries caused by not enough stretching? 33:09- Does warming up reduce injury-risk? 40:53- Is hill running enough to replace strength training? 54:54- Is it all about the glutei? 1:00:56- Do you need to get shoes for your foot type? Get in touch with Brodie: Website: breakthroughrunning.physio + runsmarter.online IG: @runsmarterseries Get in touch with Trang: Website: themotionmechanic.com IG: @themotionmechanic  

In this episode, I sit down to chat with Melissa Ensink aka Prana Running! Mel is a Nutritionist, Run and Health Coach, with an all-round interest in a holistic approach to health and wellbeing. Over the years, Mel has run 11 marathons, the latest two being during pregnancy and 10 months post-partum, so you bet she has a lot of learnings and inspirational stories to share with us! In this conversation, Mel and I chat about her running story, managing running during- and post-pregnancy before diving into her journey as a vegan, the difference between veganism and plant-based nutrition, misconceptions about plant-based eating, healthful dietary patterns and more.  This was such an authentic and inspirational chat, so whether you are a runner wanting to optimise your diet or improve your performance, this is for you! Enjoy :) Timestamps: 0:00- Intro 5:30- Mel's running journey 20:57- Mel's journey through pregnancy 31:17- Mel's role as a nutritionist 38:38- Healthful dietary patterns 45:37- Vegan vs plant-based eating 57:17- How Mel transitioned into Veganism 1:05:25- Misconceptions about plant-based eating 1:14:04- Mel's final message Get in touch with Mel IG: @pranarunning Website: http://pranarunning.com/ Get in touch with Trang Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Instagram: @themotionmechanic Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Website: www.themotionmechanic.com

Pelvic health is a topic that is often believed to be only for the elderly, or for 'someone else', meaning that pelvic health problems are not always openly talked about.  This podcast episode debunks that completely as Trang sits down with Dr Susie Gronski. Dr Susie is a Physical Therapist from the US who specialises in men's pelvic health, and has her own book called 'Pelvic Pain: The ultimate Cock Block' and a podcast 'In Your Pants'. She has had extensive experience in this field and sure makes the topic fun and interesting to chat about. In this episode, Dr Susie relate pelvic problems in men under their 50s, to those doing endurance sports or may have pain that has been mistaken for a muscle problem.  Specifically, Dr Susie goes into common misconceptions about pain, what pelvic pain might feel like, healthy bladder patterns, how to work your pelvic floor muscles, ways to keep your prostate healthy and much more.  Men, this episode is for you! But if you're a health professional or female wanting to know more about general pelvic health, you will also learn a lot from this. Enjoy! Timestamps: 0:00- Intro 4:20- Meet Dr Susie Gronski 11:44- Common misconceptions about pain 17:47- Chronic pelvic pain 28:48- What does pelvic pain feel like? 35:19- Healthy bladder control 45:14- How to work your pelvic floor muscles 51:57- How to keep your prostate healthy 59:12- Top tips on how to control pain Get in touch with Dr Susie Website: drsusieg.com IG: @dr.susieg  Book- Pelvic Pain: The Ultimate Cock Block Podcast- In Your Pants By Dr Susie G Resources mentioned: The prostate playbook by Professor Craig Allingham Get in touch with Trang Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Instagram: @themotionmechanic Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Website: www.themotionmechanic.com

In this bonus episode of TAG, Trang is interviewed by Melissa Ensink on the Prana Running Podcast. This conversation is a little different from what Trang usually speaks about, as she goes into more depth about her own personal journey. She shares about her own running/triathlon journey, what's next for The Motion Mechanic and why she became a vegan earlier this year. In addition, Trang and Mel talk about mindset, people's sphere of influence, the power of coaching, running technique, common strength training mistakes that runners make, and plenty more.   Enjoy! Get in touch with Mel Ensink Podcast: The Prana Running Podcast IG: @pranarunning Get in touch with Trang Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Instagram: @themotionmechanic Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Website: www.themotionmechanic.com

In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down to chat with Dr Juan Michelle Martin, who is a Physiotherapist based in Duluth, Georgia specialising in women's pelvic health. This episode is especially for the ladies, talking about how to manage the changes the body goes through during pregnancy and after childbirth, and how to train safely during this time.  Some specific topics Dr Juan goes through include what exercises to avoid during pregnancy, how soon after childbirth is it safe to start training, dealing with urinary incontinence, pelvic floor exercises and much more! If you are going through this stage of your life currently, or know someone who would benefit from this episode, hit share and spread this jam-packed episode with valuable info! Enjoy

This episode continues from the previous episode where Trang and Dr Nicky Keay chat about hormonal health for athletes. This time, Dr Nicky digs even deeper into hormonal health for athletes and ways you can easily monitor your hormonal situation day to day. From there, Nicky goes into training considerations across a lifespan, from exploring the idea of too much training for children/adolescents, to training around the menstrual cycle during adulthood and how menopause later in life can affect training too.  A lot of this episode is especially relevant for females, but this episode is going to be useful for any health professional or athlete interested in understanding the bigger picture effects of hormones. Happy listening!   Timestamps 4:35- Hormone health 10:18- Day to day monitoring of hormonal health 27:12- Training considerations for the young athlete 42:35- Training around the menstrual cycle 55:05- How hormonal contraception affects training 57:40- The effects of menopause Get in touch with Nicky Website: www.nickykeayfitness.com Instagram: @nickykfitness Online course for coaches https://sport-ready-academy.teachable.com/p/working-with-high-performing-female-athletes discount 20% for first enrolling listening to the podcast. Code 2020NK Athlete Monitoring with new feature of menstrual monitoring https://www.athletemonitoring.com/menstrual-cycle-tracker/ Get in touch with Trang Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Instagram: themotionmechanic Facebook: The Motion Mechanic    

In this episode, Trang sits down to chat with the expert herself, doctor Nicky Keay on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) and the role hormones play in athletic performance. Doctor Nicky is an endocrinologist based in London, England. She has specialised in hormone health, energy availability and RED-S for many decades, working with all ranges of patients, from dancers to cyclists. As an Honorary Fellow in the Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences at Durham University, Nicky conducts clinical research in sports/dance endocrinology.  Nicky is also a pilates teacher and an experienced ballet dancer, choreographer and instructor herself.  Timestamps: 4:00- Why your hormones are so important for health and performance 6:45- How to optimise your hormone health 14:11- What is Relative Energy Deficiency Syndrome (RED-S) 19:47- What affects energy availability 27:34- Nutritional considerations to adequately fuel for performance 33:22- Can energy deficiency be a problem for athletes within a healthy bodyweight 40:20- Performance consequences of RED-S 48:49- Steps to take to manage RED-S 54:00- Menstruation for the female athlete This was a real jam-packed episode, so whether you are an athlete, health-professional or coach, this is one you'll enjoy and learn a lot from! Get in touch with Nicky Website: www.nickykeayfitness.com Instagram: @nickykfitness Online course for coaches https://sport-ready-academy.teachable.com/p/working-with-high-performing-female-athletes discount 20% for first enrolling listening to the podcast. Code 2020NK Athlete Monitoring with new feature of menstrual monitoring https://www.athletemonitoring.com/menstrual-cycle-tracker/ Get in touch with Trang Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Instagram: themotionmechanic Facebook: The Motion Mechanic  

In this episode, I sit down with Doctor Izzy Smith to chat about how to train like a boss while also maintaining optimal health. Izzy speaks about the health benefits of exercise, how to optimise recovery, if there are any detrimental effects of too much training, whether you should train if you're sick, training considerations around the menstrual cycle, and much more! This is a highly informative and fun chat with Izzy, and can't wait for you all to hear it. Enjoy! Timestamps 3:00- Getting to know Izzy 11:20- The health-benefits of running 18:20- The physical activity guidelines of Australia 21:52- Can too much training be a strain on the heart? 31:40- How to make the most of your rest days 38:35- Should you train while you are sick? 42:57- How the menstrual cycle affects training capacity 47:52- Types of fatigue Get in touch with Izzy IG: @drizzyksmith Website: https://www.doctorizzysmith.com/ Podcast: Behindtheuniform Get in touch with Trang Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Instagram: themotionmechanic  

In this episode, I sit down with Jamie Stratton, Founder and Myotherapist at AIM Sports Recovery in Melbourne. Jamie has a background in Athletics, where he trained from a young age and competed at National-Level in Long-Jump. After retiring from the sport, Jamie decided to start-up AIM Sports Recovery, to help athletes with a service that he lacked while he was competing: Adequate recovery and injury-management. Jamie is now helping a wide-range of athletes, from recreational to elite, from Athletics to Endurance athletes to optimise their recovery and ultimately, train and perform at their best. This was a really fun and insightful conversation that I had with Jamie. Stress AND rest equals growth, so make sure you tune in to this episode to hear about Jamie's experiences and learnings as an athlete, and what he recommends for you to best manage your recovery. Timestamps: 3:00- Jamie's journey into elite-level long-jumper 32:34- How Jamie developed AIM sports recovery 49:36- The difference between a Physio/Myo/Chiro/Osteo 1:02:03- Sleep for recovery 1:08:20- The 1%ers for recovery 1:15:08- Q&A Get in touch with Jamie Email: Jamie@aimrecovery.com Instagram: @aimsportsrecovery Phone: 0417 667 267 Get in touch with Trang Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Instagram: TheMotionMechanic Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Website: www.themotionmechanic.com  

Hydration can be a confusing topic. "Don't drink too much water, it will slow you down" "You can't drink too much water, it's better to be overhydrated than dehydrated" "If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated" "Overhydration can be extremely dangerous, you need to have a specific hydration plan" All of this will be discussed in today's chat about how to hydrate for optimal performance with Sports Scientist, Co-Founder and CEO of Precision Hydration, Andy Blow. As an elite-level triathlete back in the days, Andy experienced the effects of dehydration during his long-course racing. This eventually inspired him to specialise into sweat, hydration and cramping. Since then, Andy has been involved in hydration research, been the team Sports Scientist for the Formula 1 teams, and remains an adviser to the Porsche Human Performance Centre. If you are an endurance athlete who wants to maximise your training, recovery and race performance through your hydration, or you simply want to learn more about hydration, then this episode is for you. Enjoy! Timestamps 0:00- Get to know Andy 7:05- The evolution of hydration science 12:44- The mechanism of hydration 15:31- Electrolytes for performance 19:12- How to know when you're dehydrated 31:20- The issues of overhydration 36:21- Measuring the sodium composition of your sweat and your sweat rate 41:52- Factors that affect dehydration 49:42- How much water can the body absorb at once 53:57- Listener Q&A Episode resources: Hyponatremia blog: https://www.precisionhydration.com/blogs/hydration_advice/what-is-hyponatremia-and-how-can-you-avoid-it Measuring sweat rate blog: https://www.precisionhydration.com/blogs/hydration_advice/how-to-measure-your-sweat-rate   How much dehydration can you tolerate blog: https://www.precisionhydration.com/blogs/hydration_advice/how-much-dehydration-can-you-tolerate-before-your-performance-suffers   Book a free 1-1 hydration strategy call with the Precision Hydration team https://precisionhydration.as.me/schedule.php?appointmentType=14563677 15% discount code for your order from Precision Hydration: MOTIONMECHANIC Website: https://www.precisionhydration.com/collections/electrolyte-supplements Email: hello@precisionhydration.com    Get in touch with Trang Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Instagram: TheMotionMechanic Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Website: www.themotionmechanic.com

In this episode, Trang sits down with Physiotherapist and Pilates Instructor, Alice Baquie to chat all about Pilates. Alice has a background in gymnastics and running, and her work primarily involves treating patients and running pilates classes for all populations- From those returning from injury to high-level conditioning for physical performance. Although Pilates has historically been associated with rehab, there is a lot more to it! Pilates is a form of resistance training and can also be utilised to improve function, coordination and strength to compliment endurance training.  If you're interested in varying up your resistance training to compliment your endurance sessions, then I'd highly recommend you listening to this episode. Enjoy! TIMESTAMPS 0:00- Intro 3:00- Pilates vs S&C, or both? 7:30- Get to know Alice 16:42- What is pilates? 19:50- Reformer vs mat pilates 23:03- Benefits of using springs as resistance 27:43- Pilates vs yoga 32:39- Pilates for increasing body awareness 37:08- Pilates for strength and control 46:34- Where to fit pilates in your training week 53:50- What does a typical session look like? 58:09- Technique is most important 1:00:49- Anterior vs posterior pelvic tilt 1:05:48- How to engage the core 1:11:00- Good beginner mat exercises to try 1:14:22- How to progress pilates exercises 1:18:06- Q&A- How soon after pregnancy is it safe to do pilates? 1:19:35- Is pilates more strength or stretching? 1:22:56- Pilates exercises that are best for runners Get in touch with Alice Instagram: @alicebaquie Website: www.alicebaquie.com.au Facebook: alicebaquie@gmail.com Get in touch with Trang Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Instagram: TheMotionMechanic Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Website: www.themotionmechanic.com  

In this episode, Trang sits down to chat with Pro Ultra-Runner Lucy Bartholomew.    Lucy first started doing Ultras at a young age, completing her first 100km race at just age 15. Since then, Lucy has accumulated an extensive resume of racing achievements. Most notably, becoming the World Junior Female Sky Running Champion in 2014, and not long after that, becoming the world Ultra Junior Trail Running Champion. She has also taken out 1st and set course-records in Ultra-Races all over the world.    As well as her racing career, Lucy is also a woman of many talents. She is a great role model on social media, advocating all aspects of healthy living, running her own training camps and soon-to-be releasing her recipe book on wholesome plant-based cooking!   In this episode, Trang and Lucy talk about ways to make the most of these times through training, mental and lifestyle strategies, thriving off a plant-based lifestyle and answering all the listener questions!   Lucy shares her experiences and perspective with many laughs in between, for all athletes to enjoy. It's a great episode to further connect the running community during these times. Enjoy!   Timestamps: 6:10- Sucy's strategies for lockdown 2.0 12:05- Lucy's current training routine 18:25- Lucy's interests outside of training 24:59- Finding your why 31:57: Lucy's upcoming recipe book 35:50- Thriving off a plant-based lifestyle 42:57- Lucy's go-to meals around training 55:46- Listener Q&A   Get in touch with Lucy Instagram: lucy_bartholomew Facebook: Lucy Bartholomew Strava: Lucy Bartholomew Website: www.lucybartholomew.com   Get in touch with Trang Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Instagram: TheMotionMechanic Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Website: www.themotionmechanic.com

The latest #RESEARCHMONDAYS is on carbohydrate intake for endurance athletes. This is a topic that has been long hotly debated due to a wide range of research that is interspersed with highly passionate personal opinions. In this episode, Trang covers WHY carbohydrates are necessary for high performance and gives practical recommendations for carbohydrate intake for endurance athletes.   Timestamps 4:52- The role of carbs as a fuel source for training 12:39- Daily carbohydrate intake 15:25- Carb timing around training 19:47- Carb timing around races Reference: Vitale & Getzin (2019) Nutrition and Supplement update for the Endurance Athlete: Review and Recommendations. __________________________________________________________________________ Trang is a Physiotherapist & Strength and Conditioning Coach for endurance athletes. She takes a full-picture approach in her coaching and education to help athletes step up and achieve their greatest potential. Her vision is to help them become not only a high-achieving athlete, but also a high-achieving human. Email- trang@themotionmechanic.com Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/themotionmechanic Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/themotionmechanic Free ebook (Thrive against the times: 10 ways for endurance athletes to maximise their performance this Off-Season and beyond): https://bit.ly/TATTebook Free webinar: Strength Training for Endurance Athletes- https://bit.ly/2W6J92I

In this episode, Trang sits down with Sports Physiotherapist Steve McAdam to discuss plyometrics training for rehab and running performance. Steve has been working as a Physiotherapist for over 12 years and is currently the head Physiotherapist for Melbourne United in the NBL, so helping athletes with their rehab and to achieve more power is second nature for him! In this chat, Steve goes through the benefits of plyometrics training for athletic performance, bone health, and end-stage rehab. He also gives practical recommendations for how athletes can incorporate plyometrics into their training week. Plyometrics is an area of rehab and S&C that is often underrated, so for anyone wanting to maximise tissue capacity to achieve optimal performance, this episode is for you! Timestamps: 4:19- Get to know Steve 11:56- The difference between plyometrics and power training 16:00- Plyometrics for running performance 20:10- Plyometrics for bone health 27:16- Tendons 36:11- Rehab stages for a tendinopathy 42:30- Plyometrics is necessary in end-stage rehab for tendinopathies 46:49- How to effectively add plyometrics into your program 52:28- Why it's important to do plyometrics on top of the plyometrics that is already what running is 59:59- Prerequisites before starting plyometrics training 1:01:07- Q&A Get in touch with Steve Email: steve.mcadam@melbourneutd.com.au Instagram: physio_stevem Get in touch with Trang Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Instagram: TheMotionMechanic Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Website: www.themotionmechanic.com

This episode is of a recent interview between Trang and Isobel Ross on the Peak Endurance Podcast, where Trang speaks about strength training for endurance athletes during this 'Off-Season'.  Topics covered include how to periodise your strength training, the best types of S&C exercises, how many reps and sets you should do for different outcomes, training at home and whether or not you will bulk up from the strength training. Hopefully, this episode comes at a good time for runners and triathletes who are ready to make the most of this 'Off-Season' by building not only their base fitness, but strength and power as well. This is particularly relevant for Melbourne-based athletes, who are experiencing a change in their training scene once again. Enjoy! Get in touch with Trang Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Instagram: TheMotionMechanic Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Website: www.themotionmechanic.com Get in touch with Isobel Podcast: The Peak Endurance Podcast Website: https://www.peakendurancecoaching.com.au/#/ IG: Peakendurancecoaching

In this episode of #RESEARCHMONDAYS, Trang goes through the science to discuss sleep for recovery. Sleep is arguably the most important aspect of recovery. It should be planned strategically since it takes up 1/3 of a person's life and provides such vital contribution to mental and physical function and capacity. Yet, sleep deprivation is more prevalent in athletes than in the general population, and sleep is often under-prioritised as soon as training/work/family schedules start to stack up! If you are an athlete who wants to make the most of your sleep for immediate and long-term benefits to health, cognitive and physical performance, then this #RESEARCHMONDAYS is for you! 1:33- The stages of sleep 4:27- The benefits of sleep 12:19- The consequences of sleep deprivation 19:59- Sleep recommendations for athletes 23:29- 8 ways to improve your sleep patterns References: Kölling, S., Duffield, R., Erlacher, D., Venter, R., & Halson, S. L. (2019). Sleep-Related Issues for Recovery and Performance in Athletes. International Journal of Sports Physiology & Performance, 14(2). Marshall, G. J., & Turner, A. N. (2016). The importance of sleep for athletic performance. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 38(1), 61-67. Vitale, K. C., Owens, R., Hopkins, S. R., & Malhotra, A. (2019). Sleep hygiene for optimizing recovery in athletes: review and recommendations. International journal of sports medicine, 40(08), 535-543. Walker, M. (2017). Why we sleep: Unlocking the power of sleep and dreams. Simon and Schuster. __________________________________________________________________________ Trang is a Physiotherapist & Strength and Conditioning Coach for endurance athletes. She takes a holistic approach in her coaching and education to help athletes step up and achieve their greatest potential. Her vision is to help them become not only a high-achieving athlete, but also a high-achieving human. Email- trang@themotionmechanic.com Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/themotionmechanic Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/themotionmechnic Free ebook (Thrive against the times: 10 ways for endurance athletes to maximise their performance this Off-Season and beyond): https://bit.ly/TATTebook Free webinar: Strength Training for Endurance Athletes- https://bit.ly/2W6J92I

In this episode, I sit down with Steve Rosel to chat about running shoes. Steve is the co-owner of The Running Company Lilydale and the running group Generation Run, where he specialises in running footwear fitting and running coaching. Steve is also a very established trail runner himself! In this chat, we talk about how to find the right shoe for you, guidelines for replacing and rotating through shoes, different types of shoes from minimalist to maximalist shoes, barefoot running, running shoe technology, and more. For a topic that has so much information out there, this is a great place to get the accurate guidelines for running footwear by someone who has been in the industry for a decade. If you are a runner who wants to get the most out of your performance, then this episode is for you! Timestamps: 2:34- Get to know Steve 12:29- What does Steve look for when fitting shoes? 18:04- Finding the right shoe for you 35:50- Breaking in a new pair of shoes 38:17- How many pairs of shoes should you have? 44:54- When to replace old running shoes 48:10- Minimalist shoes 53:11- Barefoot running 56:27- Heel to toe drop 59:16- Running shoe technology 1:01:29- The Nike Air  Zoom Alphafly 1:11:12- The next step if you are looking for new shoes Get in touch with Steve Website: www.therunningcompanylilydale.com.au Instagram: therunningcompany_lilydale Facebook: The Running Company Lilydale Get in touch with Trang Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Instagram: TheMotionMechanic Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Website: www.themotionmechanic.com

Have you ever wondered what the relationship is between your genes and your performance capacity? In this episode of #RESEARCHMONDAYS, I go through the science to discuss how genes affect not only performance, but also injury-risk, response to training and recovery rate. I also talk about other environmental factors that play a role in being able to achieve your performance potential. Trang is a Physiotherapist & Strength and Conditioning Coach for endurance athletes. She takes a holistic approach in her coaching and education to help athletes step up and achieve their greatest potential. Her vision is to help them become not only a high-achieving athlete, but also a high-achieving human. Email- trang@themotionmechanic.com Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/themotionmechanic Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/themotionmechanic Free ebook- Thrive against the times: 10 ways for endurance athletes to maximise their performance this Off-Season and beyond- https://bit.ly/TATTebook Free webinar- Strength Training for Endurance Athletes: https://bit.ly/2W6J92I __________________________________________________________________________   References: Hautala, A. J., Kiviniemi, A. M., Mäkikallio, T. H., Kinnunen, H., Nissilä, S., Huikuri, H. V., & Tulppo, M. P. (2006). Individual differences in the responses to endurance and resistance training. European journal of applied physiology, 96(5), 535-542. Lopez-Leon, S., Tuvblad, C., & Forero, D. A. (2016). Sports genetics: the PPARA gene and athletes' high ability in endurance sports. A systematic review and meta-analysis. Biology of sport, 33(1), 3. Ma, F., Yang, Y., Li, X., Zhou, F., Gao, C., Li, M., & Gao, L. (2013). The association of sport performance with ACE and ACTN3 genetic polymorphisms: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PloS one, 8(1), e54685. Vlahovich, N., Fricker, P. A., Brown, M. A., & Hughes, D. (2017). Ethics of genetic testing and research in sport: a position statement from the Australian Institute of Sport. British journal of sports medicine, 51(1), 5-11.  

Luke Tulloch is a coach who has been based out of Sydney, Australia for over 13 years. He has a University degree in Neuroscience and travels the world for in-person seminars. Luke is currently focusing on online education about training, lifestyle and nutrition for coaches and the general population. In this episode, I chat with Luke Tulloch about how to work towards body composition goals while still maximising endurance performance. We discuss the balance between reducing bodyweight and maintaining energy for training and racing, genetics for body composition, fat loss strategies, and ways to increase muscle hypertrophy even when doing high-volumes of endurance training.  If you are someone who has any desire to change your body composition, whether for aesthetics or for better performance, this episode is for you! Episode timestamps: 5:21- About Luke 9:49- What is body composition? 14:54- Ways to measure body composition 18:34- What needs to be in place for fat loss? 25:50- Making sure your diet is nutritionally adequate 31:54- Why most diets fail in the long term 41:52- Body composition as a result of chasing performance outcomes 44:19- Spot reduction 50:50- How to get stronger without getting bigger 56:31- The interference effect between endurance and resistance training 1:09:15- Training methods to maximise muscle hypertrophy 1:14:53- Nutrition to support muscle hypertrophy 1:21:49- Protein intake 1:23:36- Toned vs bulky muscles 1:27:43- Genetic basis of muscle gain Get in touch with Luke Website: luketulloch.com Instagram: _luketulloch Get in touch with Trang Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Instagram: TheMotionMechanic Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Website: www.themotionmechanic.com

In this episode of #RESEARCHMONDAYS, Trang goes through: - The supercompensation effect - What is overreaching and overtraining? - How to monitor your workload - How to prevent overtraining? References: Meeusen, R., Duclos, M., Foster, C., Fry, A., Gleeson, M., Nieman, D., ... & American College of Sports Medicine. (2013). Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the overtraining syndrome: joint consensus statement of the European College of Sport Science and the American College of Sports Medicine. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 45(1), 186. __________________________________________________________________________   Trang is a Physiotherapist & Strength and Conditioning Coach for endurance athletes. She takes a holistic approach in her coaching and education to help athletes step up and achieve their greatest potential. Her vision is to help them become not only a high-achieving athlete, but also a high-achieving human.   Email- trang@themotionmechanic.com Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/themotionmec... Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/themotionme...   Free ebook- Thrive against the times: 10 ways for endurance athletes to maximise their performance this Off-Season and beyond- https://bit.ly/TATTebook   Free webinar: Strength Training for Endurance Athletes- https://bit.ly/2W6J92I

'Research Mondays' has moved to Youtube, where the audio is also now available on The Athlete's Garage Podcast!  Welcome to a new series on TAG where every Monday, I break down and summarise the research to make it easy to understand, then give practical takeaways for endurance athletes to implement into their training. There is no doubt that S&C and endurance training are complete opposites when it comes to physiological demands and adaptations. For that reason, when athletes undertake concurrent training, there is an interference effect. In this episode, I explain what is meant by the term 'interference effect' and 3 ways to minimise this interference effect for ultimate training and performance success. Full video on Youtube: https://bit.ly/YTRM1   References: Blagrove RC, Howatson G, Hayes PR. Effects of strength training on the physiological determinants of middle- and long-distance running performance: a systematic review. Sports Med 2018;48:1117–49.   Hickson, R. C. (1980). Interference of strength development by simultaneously training for strength and endurance. European journal of applied physiology and occupational physiology, 45(2-3), 255-263.   Murray, B., & Rosenbloom, C. (2018). Fundamentals of glycogen metabolism for coaches and athletes. Nutrition reviews, 76(4), 243-259.   Rønnestad, B. R., Hansen, E. A., & Raastad, T. (2012). High volume of endurance training impairs adaptations to 12 weeks of strength training in well-trained endurance athletes. European journal of applied physiology, 112(4), 1457-1466.   Schumann, M., & Rønnestad, B. R. (2019). Concurrent Aerobic and Strength Training. Springer, Cham. __________________________________________________________________________   Trang is a Physiotherapist & Strength and Conditioning Coach for endurance athletes. She takes a holistic approach in her coaching and education to help athletes step up and achieve their greatest potential. Her vision is to help them become not only a high-achieving athlete, but also a high-achieving human.   Email- trang@themotionmechanic.com Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/themotionmec... Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/themotionme...   Free ebook- Thrive against the times: 10 ways for endurance athletes to maximise their performance this Off-Season and beyond- https://bit.ly/TATTebook   Free webinar: Strength Training for Endurance Athletes- https://bit.ly/2W6J92I  

In this episode, I sit down for a chat with high performance & business coach Tom Clark. Tom has spent years studying the mind and human behaviour, and is currently helping business owners thrive as leaders through these changing times and beyond. There is no doubt that it has been a challenging few months and athletes have responded in many different ways, whether resourceful or not. The focus of this episode is to help endurance athletes optimise their mindset and ultimately, their growth during these times.  We explore the biggest emotional challenges people are facing at the moment, strategies to maximise motivation and productivity, how to play the long game, setting up the right belief systems and much more. If you are feeling that you haven't been the best version of yourself during these times, or you believe you can step it up and thrive even more, then this episode will be super powerful for you! Episode timestamps: 3:54- What is Tom excited to come out COVID? 8:04- Tom's journey as a coach 12:30- Tom's vision on how times are changing 15:39- What are the biggest emotional challenges people are going through at the moment 29:48- Playing the long game 34:32- How to maximise motivation and productivity 56:03- Awareness about what content you consume 1:03:36- Discipline for the sake of discipline 1:18:00- It's about who you become, not what you get at the end Get in touch with Tom Facebook: Tom Clark  Instagram: thetomclarkimpact Get in touch with Trang Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Instagram: TheMotionMechanic Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Website: www.themotionmechanic.com

In this episode, I sit down for a chat with a returning guest- Sports Podiatrist, Triathlon Coach and Triathlete Ryan Twist. Ryan is a Kona Ironman World Championships finisher and has over 10 years of practice as a Sports Podiatrist, having treated a large number of endurance athletes in his work. We chat about a topic that majority of endurance athletes are familiar with, but one that no athlete wants to have anything to do with: Bone Stress Injuries. In this episode, Ryan explains how to manage training loads minimise risk of a stress injury, how to recognise stress-injury symptoms and why it is so important to get on it earlier rather than later. Episode timestamps: 4:04- What is the function of bones 5:55- What are bones made out of 9:26- Ways to look after bone health 13:42- What is a bone stress injury? 19:43: Common locations for bone stress injuries 23:03- The spectrum of stress injuries 30:57- Recognising symptoms of bone stress injury 35:25- Scans for stress injuries 39:54- The 4 grades of stress injuries 49:01- Factors that can contribute to rapid load increases 57:08- Stress injury case study Get in touch with Ryan Facebook: Bayswater Foot and Ankle Clinic Instagram: bayswatertootandankleclinic Website: http://bayswaterpodiatry.com.au/ Email: enquiry@bayswaterpodiatry.com.au Get in touch with Trang Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Instagram: TheMotionMechanic Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Website: www.themotionmechanic.com

In this episode, Trang continues her chat with nutritionist Stephen Ellul to talk about dietary choices for health and longevity. Have you ever felt overwhelmed and confused about nutrition because of all the conflicting information in the media? The topics we discuss in this episode are the ones that are highly misunderstood and often controversial. Using science and his expertise, Stephen is able to break things down in a simple to understand way in this episode. We discuss everything you need to know about how your health may be associated to veganism, raw food, eggs & dairy, macros & micronutrients, sugar, gluten, caffeine, oils and much more. Now that people are at home moving less and close to their kitchen all the time, hopefully this episode comes at a good time for you. Take care and enjoy! Timestamps 3:25- The Vegan diet for health 13:30- Processed meat vs whole meat 19:25- The Raw diet 23:12- Eggs and dairy 27:09- If it fits your macros 39:24- Eat foods that will serve you and give you value 41:33- Sugar 48:13- Artificial sweeteners 51:17- Gluten 57:48- Caffeine 1:05:06- Breakfast 1:08:32- Oils 1:18:05: Are there good and bad foods? 1:21:24- Top 3 dietary patterns for health Get in touch with Stephen Instagram: trueperformance_nutrition Email: stephen@trueperformance.com.au Get in touch with Trang Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Instagram: TheMotionMechanic Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Website: www.themotionmechanic.com

In this episode, Trang sits down with nutritionist Stephen Ellul to talk about dietary choices for health and longevity. We often talk about nutrition for performance, but nutrition for health is just as important, if not more. Health forms the basis for performance. Health allows athletes to consistently show up for training and races year after year, decade after decade. Some of the topics covered include what good health looks like, metrics to monitor your health, the standard Australian diet, what a healthy nutrition looks like, increasing life expectancy, common diet methods such as fasting, keto, paleo and much more. This has been one of my favourite episodes yet, enjoy! Timestamps: 4:22- Get to know Stephen 6:27- Longevity for Performance 12:24- What does health look like? 23:18- Life expectancy 26:12- Eat as many fruit and vegetables as you can 28:26- Have variety in your diet 29:25- Enjoy your food 34:39- What is a balanced diet? 36:15- What are whole foods? 42:36- Over-reliance on simple carbs 50:42- Measuring portion sizes with your hand 54:00- Spices 55:40- Supplementation 1:02:00- Fasting 1:12:04- The Keto diet 1:18:02- The Paleo diet Get in touch with Stephen Instagram: trueperformance_nutrition Email: stephen@trueperformance.com.au Get in touch with Trang Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Instagram: TheMotionMechanic Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Website: www.themotionmechanic.com

In this episode of The Athlete's Garage, Trang sits down to chat with her dad & GP, Dr Thien Nguyen. Thien has great story to tell - How he migrated to Australia after growing up in Vietnam during the war. How he got into Medicine and is now into his 20th year of practising as a Doctor. How he discovered the joys of running later in life and even gets competitive with Trang. In this chat, Thien and Trang cover the mindset to overcome adversity, breaking limiting beliefs, the progress Thien experienced whilst following a structured running program, the way running has changed his life, common medical advice and more. In a lighter and more personal episode, you'll get an insight into Trang's upbringing and family culture. You'll also be inspired and learn how you can truly be limitless in your pursuits, no matter your starting point.  Get in touch with Thien Email: thiennguyena1@yahoo.com Get in touch with Trang Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Instagram: TheMotionMechanic Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Website: www.themotionmechanic.com Physiotherapy: BodyMotion Physiotherapy Strength and Conditioning Coaching: Barbell Samurai

In episode 22 of The Athlete's Garage, Trang sits down to chat with Physiotherapist and creator of the 'Fasciitis Fighter', Hamish Vickerman aka Hamish the Physio. Hamish shares the ins and outs of Plantarfasciitis - What plantarfasciitis is, the symptoms and how to manage it with Physiotherapy treatment and exercise rehab. Trang and Hamish go through a case-study of a common example of a runner with Plantarfasciitis, and talk through the load management and rehab for this runner in the lead up to a marathon. Hamish also answers your listener questions from Instagram. If you are someone or know someone who has experienced Plantarfasciitis, or even if you are a runner wanting to maximise your awareness surrounding injury management, then this episode is for you. Enjoy! Get in touch with Hamish IG: @hamishthephysio @fasciitisfighter FB: Hamish the Physio Email: info@fasciitisfighter.com.au hamishthephysio@gmail.com Website: Fasciitisfighter.com.au Get in touch with Trang Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Instagram: TheMotionMechanic Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Website: www.themotionmechanic.com Physiotherapy: BodyMotion Physiotherapy Strength and Conditioning Coaching: Barbell Samurai

In this episode, Trang talks about tight muscles. As an endurance athlete, there is a very high chance that you've experienced 'tight' muscles before. It's not necessarily painful, but an ongoing tightness that is relieved big time when you stretch it. Trang discusses what tight muscles are: Are they actually 'harder' and shortened in length that usual? She goes through what may cause tight muscles and what you can do to manage it in the short and long term. It's a highly misunderstood topic, with a large proportion of athletes still going about it the wrong way. If you have ever experienced tight muscles before, have a listen and address the root of the problem! TIMESTAMPS 0:25- Intro 2:12- What constitutes a tight muscle? 5:16 – Why muscles get tight 14:42- Stretching for tight muscles 18:01- Strengthening for tight muscles   FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE MOTION MECHANIC Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-athletes-garage/id1447335786 Website: http://www.themotionmechanic.com Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Instagram: themotionmechanic 

In episode 20 of The Athlete's Garage, Trang sits down to chat with Running Technique Specialist Paul Mackinnon, commonly known as 'The Balanced Runner'. Paul discusses the skill of running, what to look out for in running technique, how changing running technique can improve injury risk and running performance, common technique faults and more. Paul also answers all your listener questions from Instagram. This is a great episode that covers the important aspects of running technique, as well as addressing many misconceptions about technique including foot strike pattern, consciously squeezing the glutes and keeping the elbows tucked in. If you are a runner who wants to improve their running technique to manage injury risk, improve performance or just to enjoy running more, then this is for you! Get in touch with Paul Instagram: @thebalancedrunner Get in touch with Trang Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Instagram: TheMotionMechanic Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Website: www.themotionmechanic.com Physiotherapy: BodyMotion Physiotherapy Strength and Conditioning Coaching: Barbell Samurai

The Netflix Documentary 'Game-Changers' has recently been a hot topic of debate amongst health professionals and athletes. The Documentary is about plant-based diets and its effect on human health and performance.  In this episode, I sit down with nutritionist Stephen Ellul And S&C Coach Jordan Thomas to discuss the documentary. We discuss having a critical mind when watching these types of documentaries, and talk about the points the documentary brought up with considerations to the available nutrition research. Stephen and Jordan discuss many topics including protein quality, health markers, performance factors between a plant-based vs omnivorous diet. In a world that has excessive information availability, causing confusion and misinformation, have a listen to this objective and research-based discussion. If you are conscious about making your diet the best it can be for both your health and running performance, then this is for you!

In this episode, Trang interviews Crossfit Athlete and Amputee Tom Fraser. When Tom was 16, he was diagnosed with bone cancer in his leg and subsequently had to make the decision to undergo an above-knee amputation. Since then, Tom has moved past his circumstances to live an extremely full life. He is now the CEO of Hummingbird and HOOD and recently competed at the 2018 Crossfit World Championships. In this episode, Tom talks about his journey of overcoming the cancer to thrive as an athlete. He talks about the mindset that allowed him to turn an obstacle into many opportunities, the mechanics of his $170k prosthetic leg, competing at the Crossfit World-Champs and more. To hear the real-life story of how anyone can overcome anything that life throws at them, then listen in to this episode. Get in touch with Tom Instagram: tommyfraser14 Get in touch with Trang Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Instagram: TheMotionMechanic Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Website: www.themotionmechanic.com Physiotherapy: BodyMotion Physiotherapy Strength and Conditioning Coaching: Barbell Samurai

Join Nick from METS performance and Trang for their discussion about Ergonomic Aids, which includes anything that gives you the extra edge when training and racing. Topics cover Hydration, Supplements, Carbs, Clothing/Footwear, Altitude and more. Hear about what works (And doesn't) in this jam-packed episode.  Timestamps: 1:31- Sweating & Electrolytes 13:34- Hydration 18:78- Carbohydrates vs fats 22:24- Equipment choice- Clothing & Shoes 25:52- Altitude 30:21- Doping 31:40- The One-percenters Get in touch with Nick Email: nick@metsperformance.com Instagram: nj_sportscience METS Performance:https://metsperformance.com/ Get in touch with Trang Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Instagram: TheMotionMechanic Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Website: www.themotionmechanic.com

It is no secret that you need to train in the right training zones to get positive adaptations that will allow you to run faster over time, but do you know what your own training zones are? In this episode, Trang sits down with Sport Scientist Nick Jankovskis to discuss how you can train your body's engine in the right ways to become a better endurance athlete. They discuss VO2 max, the 5 training zones, physiological adaptations to endurance training, HR training and more. As may have already realised, the more you understand your training and what goes on behind it, the better of an athlete you become. This is an episode you don't want to miss!  Timestamps 1:34- About Nick 4:55 The beauty of endurance sport 12:11- About METS performance 15:44- VO2max test 19:50- Physiological adaptations to endurance training 29:47- The 5 Training Zones 45:07- HR training Get in touch with Nick Email: nick@metsperformance.com Instagram: nj_sportscience METS Performance:https://metsperformance.com/ Get in touch with Trang Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Instagram: TheMotionMechanic Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Website: www.themotionmechanic.com

In this episode, Trang talks to Kara Landells, who is a competitive Triathlete and the founder of Bass Coast Fitness as a Triathlon and Strength Coach. They discuss all about Triathlon: How to transition into Triathlon from Running, balancing between the three sports as well as S&C training, improving mobility and tips to be a better Triathlete.  Kara's mission is to help athletes improve movement for better performance. She is able to help athletes through many avenues- Including Triathlon and S&C training and nutrition coaching too. If you are a Runner interested in the world of Triathlon, or simply a Triathlete wanting to improve your game... You will love this episode! Timestamps: 2:39- What does triathlon involve? 4:28 - About Kara 19:00- About Bass Coast Fitness 21:49- How to transition from running into triathlon 24:27- Balancing your time between 3 sports 27:03- Training phases leading up to race season 29:05- How to fit in strength training 38:49- Tracking your training 41:43- Improving movement for better performance 44:32- Mobility vs flexibility 46:35- Strategies to improve mobility 51:27- 3 things triathletes could be doing better 55:08- Listener Q&As- What are your tips to be faster in transition on race day? 59:29- Listener Q&As-Race day nutrition for Half and Iron- Before, during and after 1:05:48- What does Kara know now that she wish she knew when she first got started? Get in touch with Kara Landells Instagram: Karalandellsfitness Facebook: Bass Coast Fitness Email: karalandells@gmail.com Get in touch with Trang Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-athletes-garage/id1447335786 Website: http://www.themotionmechanic.com Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Instagram: themotionmechanic 

Two months ago, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Bram Connolly on the WarriorU podcast, a podcast that explores human optimisation, resilience and leadership. This episode contains the full-interview where I discuss many topics about training for endurance athletes. I cover principles of training that are often not fully-understood by individuals, causing them to be training and performing sub-optimally. Topics include the principle of Specificity, Fitness and Technique: Training efficiently, Strength and Conditioning training, Training the Aerobic vs Anaerobic system, Calculating workload and sleep & debunking common myths.  TIMESTAMPS 04:44 The Motion Mechanic: What is Specificity? 14:42 Fitness and technique: Staying efficient  19:15 Using oxygen as a fuel source for strength and conditioning 30:14 Calculating work load and tracking sleep 41:18 Common myths debunked FIND OUT MORE ABOUT WARRIORU Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-warrioru-podcast/id1401810682 Website: https://www.warrioru.com.au/ Instagram: warrioru.australia FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE MOTION MECHANIC Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-athletes-garage/id1447335786 Website: http://www.themotionmechanic.com Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Instagram: themotionmechanic 

Stretching is often assumed to be necessary in every athlete's routine if they want to reach their physical potential. Stretching is commonly believed to increase flexibility, reduce injury, improve performance, decrease muscle soreness... So you better not miss a day of stretching right? In this episode, Trang reviews the latest evidence for stretching. Trang discusses the level of effectiveness of stretching for: - Increasing Flexibility - Reducing Injury Risk - Improving Performance - In particular running economy and explosive movements - Preventing or Reducing DOMS (Delayed onset of muscular soreness) The answers may surprise you, as the reality is that stretching is not always as effective as previously thought. It can be effective for some outcomes, but can also be a hinderance to performance if done incorrectly. For this reason, not everyone needs to have stretching it their routine. In this episode, Trang will explain when and how to utilise stretching so you can benefit most from your stretching. Don't waste another minute spent stretching if it doesn't add value to you! Get in touch with Trang Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Instagram: TheMotionMechanic Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Website: www.themotionmechanic.com Physiotherapy: BodyMotion Physiotherapy Strength and Conditioning Coaching: Barbell Samurai

Episode 12 of The Athlete's Garage delves into Sport Psychology with Dr Lisa Lewis so that you can achieve and sustain optimal training performance. Dr Lisa is a Psychologist from Boston, Massachusetts and has extensive experience in working with athletes to achieve their goals. In this chat, we talk in detail about the different types of motivation, perfectionism, short- and long- term strategies to reach big goals, balancing addiction, visualisations, managing post- event blues or even post- career depression and so much more. It's a huge episode, and completely relevant for every athlete, whether you're just starting out or you've been in the game for years. Timestamps: 2:52- Get to know Lisa 5:47- Different types of motivation 13:50- Strategies to foster motivation on harder days 17:25- Psychological characteristics that make a high-achieving athlete 18:43- Perfectionism 34:06- Visualisations 43:10- Strategies for long-term goals 48:44- Balancing Addiction 55:39- Post-event blues and post athletic career depression 1:01:06- Self-care Get in touch with Lisa Website: www.drlewisconsulting.com Instagram: drlewisconsulting Get in touch with Trang Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Instagram: TheMotionMechanic Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Website: www.themotionmechanic.com Physiotherapy: BodyMotion Physiotherapy Strength and Conditioning Coaching: Barbell Samurai

This episode is all about practical ways you can set up your gym program to effectively support your running performance. When you first started running, do you remember feeling overwhelmed with HOW to set up your running week? How many times should you run a week? How fast and how far should you run each time? What intervals should you do, and for what sets and reps? What the hell is a LSR, tempo run, interval run?? Now that you may have a better idea about effectively setting up your running weeks to achieve certain running goals, it is likely that you may be feeling the same for Strength and Conditioning (S&C) for running performance. How heavy should you train? What reps and sets? What exercises? Which days of the week? This episode seeks to answer your questions, and covers 5 ways to train in the gym for better running power. This is important to distinguish because gym training will differ depending on the goal, whether it is weight loss, muscle growth, basketball performance or running performance. Timestamps: 2:29- 4 pillars of running performance 6:10- Find the right balance between functional and strength 9:05- Train for strength 
13:40- Train for power 15:40-Train full body (legs, upper, core, stability, mobility) 21:17- Train the compound movements first followed by accessory exercises afterwards
22:02- Master the basics Get in touch with Trang Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Instagram: TheMotionMechanic Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Website: www.themotionmechanic.com Physiotherapy: BodyMotion Physiotherapy Strength and Conditioning Coaching: Barbell Samurai

Join Trang and Shawn Connor as they sit down to chat about the role of Strength and Conditioning training to boost any type of athletic performance, particularly for endurance runners who train to run faster for longer. Shawn is an accredited Exercise Physiologist and Strength and Conditioning Coach. He is one of the owners of the gym Barbell Samurai in Deepdene, which is where Trang coaches her clients. Episode timestamps: 2:15- Get to know Shawn 7:25- The role of strength training for performance and injury management 20:05- What is relative strength? 25:10- Strength vs endurance 27:26- Combating DOMS (Delayed onset of muscle soreness) 32:30- Plyometrics 40:41- Improving other athletic qualities 43:30- Movement patterns 48:32- Common technique mistakes for the squat 52:16- Common technique mistakes for the deadlift 55:15- Role of upper body in runners 56:33- listener Q&As Get in touch with Shawn: https://barbellsamurai.com.au/ IG: barbell.samurai FB: Barbell Samurai Get in touch with Trang: trang@themotionmechanic.com IG: themotionmechanic FB: The Motion Mechanic

In this episode of The Athlete's Garage, we are joined by Physiotherapist Brodie Sharpe. Brodie practices at Back in Motion in Moonee Ponds, and also runs the Break Through Running Clinic where he does small group classes tailored to runners. Brodie is a keen runner himself, having completed the Melbourne Marathon and Half marathons around the world including Switzerland and Amsterdam. Today we are talking about all things the knee! Brodie will touch on the knee anatomy so you all have an understanding of it before diving into the concept of overuse injuries, and all the common types of knee injuries from the front, side and back. The end of the episode will be listener Q&As which is great to actually address what you guys want to know to help each of you in your own running journeys. Time stamps: 1:53- Get to know Brodie  8:11- Knee anatomy 11:04- overuse vs acute injury 15:21- Calculating workload- The 10% rule and the RPE scale 20:48- Front knee pain (Patellofemoral pain) 38:00- Outside knee pain (ITB syndrome) 48:19- Back and inside knee pain 51:00- Pain referral 52:47- Listener Q&As Get in touch with Trang Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Instagram: TheMotionMechanic Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Website: www.themotionmechanic.com Physiotherapy: BodyMotion Physiotherapy Strength and Conditioning Coaching: Barbell Samurai

Runners and triathletes can feel overwhelmed or intimidated by the gym and don't know where to start. There is the unknown of what exercises to do from the thousands of exercises out there, how to correctly perform the exercises and what sets and reps to do. In this episode, podcast host Trang covers the principles of strength training and how to seamlessly and effectively incorporate it into your current program. In detail, topics covered include the SAID principle, recovery, strength vs endurance, how much to do, progressive overload, session timing and exercise selection.  In this episode, you will also get to know Trang more. She talks about her background in sport, why she chose Physiotherapy as a career, her spontaneous decision to do the Personal Training TAFE certificate, what she's currently working on and more. Time stamps 0:21- Intro 2:32- Get to know me 15:25- The SAID (Specific adaptations to imposed demands) principle 17:35- Adaptations from running 19:21- Adaptations from strength training 21:35- Strength vs endurance 24:27- The science behind physiological adaptations 27:08- The elements of a training program 35:56- Progressive overload 41:05- Deloading 44:12- Session timing 47:56- Exercise selection Get in touch with Trang Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Instagram: TheMotionMechanic Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Website: www.themotionmechanic.com Physiotherapy: BodyMotion Physiotherapy Strength and Conditioning Coaching: Barbell Samurai The Big 10 blog: http://bit.ly/THEBIG10BLOG

In this episode of The Athlete's Garage, I am joined by Sports Chiropractor Luke Nelson. Luke is the founder of Health and High Performance Chiropractic clinic in Melbourne's east, and is an avid runner himself- Having completed 5 marathons, an ultra and 2 Ironman triathlons. Luke has extensive experience treating sporting injuries, and in particular, running-related overuse injuries. In this episode, we discuss what Luke does as a Sports Chiropractor and how the many allied-health professions are becoming more united. From there, we'll explore running-related injuries and why they happen, as well as discussing the management of some specific injuries- Core strength, Runner's Knee and Achilles Tendinopathy.  This is be a great episode for runners and allied-health professionals/coaches interested in learning more about the body, and the process behind recognising and managing these injuries! Podcast breakdown: 1:34: Getting to know Luke 13:05: Luke on Chiropractic 18:54- running injuries 27:51: Stretching for injury risk 30:39- Warming up for injury risk 32:57- What is the core? 44:07: Runners knee 54:18: Knee arthritis 57:40: Achilles Tendinopathy 1:21:38: Final message Get in touch with Luke Instagram: healthhighperformance and sportschiroluke Website: https://www.healthhp.com.au/ Email: info@healthhp.com.au Get in touch with Trang Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Instagram: TheMotionMechanic Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Website: www.themotionmechanic.com Physiotherapy: BodyMotion Physiotherapy Strength and Conditioning Coaching: Barbell Samurai

In this episode, I am excited to be joined by Brett Orpwood, whom you may have seen or heard about after he suffered from a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) during a Parkrun in December 2017. The availability of quick-thinking helpers and a Defibrillator has allowed Brett a second chance at life, and since then, he has returned to a full, active life and has continued to run, swim, bike, gym whilst actively involved in cardiac-related charity work. Brett talks about the sequence of events surrounding his SCA, his mental and physical recovery, the importance of knowing basic first aid and CPR, his charity work for more defibrillator availability at Parkrun Australia, how his approach to life has changed since the SCA and much more. This is an episode you will not want to miss. There are many great take-aways from Brett's journey, and his positivity and drive will give you a whole different perspective to life. Get in touch with Brett Instagram: orpywan Program for cardiac athletes: Cardiac athletes Medical technology company: Stryker Emergency services app: GoodSAM Get in touch with Trang Facebook: The Motion Mechanic Instagram: TheMotionMechanic Email: trang@themotionmechanic.com Website: www.themotionmechanic.com Physiotherapy: BodyMotion Physiotherapy Strength and Conditioning Coaching: Barbell Samurai