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We’ve seen in an earlier post how the acute program variables of strength training affect the degree to which the neuromuscular, neuroendocrine, and musculoskeletal systems adapt to training. Prescribing a progressive resistance training program involves manipulation of variables such as exercise intensity, volume, sets and repetitions to induce specific training adaptations. But did you know that the speed of your lifts is another variable that can significantly influence training adaptations?

2020 has been a challenging year for everyone and, unfortunately, it has taken a huge toll on peoples’ mental health. A recent survey conducted on the acute mental health responses during the pandemic in Australia revealed more than three quarters of Australians felt their mental health had declined since the outbreak, of which 23% felt “a lot worse”¹

The idea that “carbs are bad” has left many people confused and misinformed about the vital role they play in a part of a balanced and well-rounded nutrition plan. They have become quite a polarising topic, with many people promoting the adoption of low carb diets such as Atkins and the Ketogenic diet, so I’ve done the hard work for you and reviewed the literature on the topic to help you make informed choices around nutrition and fuelling.

LBP is the most prevalent musculoskeletal disorder and leading cause of disability - 84% of the population will experience LBP over their lifetime, of which 90% will present as non-specific lower back pain which cannot be attributed to a known cause or identified spinal pathology².

Studies have shown that caffeine can benefit endurance performance, high-intensity exercise, and power sports. In addition to coffee as a source of caffeine, more and more caffeinated drinks and pre-workout supplements are appearing on the shelves and marketed towards people looking to improve performance. Almost 1/3 of young adult consume these pre-workout supplement on a regular basis¹. But do they really work?

Appropriate program design is key the key to successful resistance training¹. There’s more that goes in to designing a session for a Strength Circuit or ABT class at MPF than you might realise.

Rotator cuff (RC) injuries are a broad term used to describe injuries of the shoulder that can range from tendinopathy, to partial and complete tears. They are one of the most common soft tissue injuries seen in adults with approximately 30% of adults over the age of 60 suffering from a tear¹. But why are they so common? And what can be done to prevent them or alleviate the pain?

Fartlek, repeated-sprint efforts, HIIT, tabata… They’re all forms of interval training – a popular and highly effective form of training prescription. Interval training has become really trendy within the fitness industry in recent years; in fact, according to the Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends¹ high intensity interval training (HIIT) has been in the top 5 every year since 2014, and was the #1 fitness trend in 2018 & #3 last year.

When it comes to nutrition and fuelling for exercise, protein gets a lot of attention in mainstream media… and rightly so! Protein is a macronutrient plays an important role in growth and repair of tissues, most notably muscle for building lean mass, but also bones, tendons and ligaments. Protein ingestion around exercise has been widely studied, with notable findings of associations with improved muscle hypertrophy, function, circumference, strength, and endurance¹