Meraki Performance | Fitness trainer

Meraki Performance

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23.01.2022 Single Leg Bounds. If we look at the various benefits of bounding for sprinting & jumping athletes; - Increased vertical force production to improve stride length (absorbing + producing)... - Increase general power in the legs for acceleration (high force action) - Improved timing, coordination & rhythm - Improved ability to handle high forces & utilise them in change of direction including take off for a jump We can then look at the single leg bound as an extension of that. By utilising the action of one leg, you challenge and train the bodies ability to time and coordination the actions of sprinting. You also place increased demands on the leg to decelerate and propel the body up and forward without the aid of the second leg continuing momentum. The shorter turn around between strides also acts to train and develop body's ability to pre-tense and "switch off" the muscles of the working leg. The better the body can do these things, the greater timing and coordination it will have. The timing of these events is key to an effective and efficient sprint stride. The other benefit found from single leg bounding is that it gives you an opportunity to focus on the action of the single leg. By being able to narrow your awareness to one limb, you will have more time to work on certain elements. Some of the key things to work on during these bounds is a high heel recovery, applying torque to the ground contact (foot turns out on impact) and maintaining a suitable sprinting posture (sternum forward, long tailbone). Bounding will be a big part of the upcoming Meraki Speed & Agility Project. Early bird registration opens on the 4th of January, DM to get on the waiting list. #sprinting #bounding #jumping #speed #agility #football #rugby #rugbyleague #afl #cricket

20.01.2022 Speed Strength Session. A. Iso reactive front squat x4,4,3. B1. Speed half squats x5,5,5. B2. Altitude drops - 60cm x 6,6,6.... C1. GHR x 10,10,10 C2. Pull up complex (4 variations) x 8,8,8. C3. Weighted pushup x 5,5,5. C4. Body curl x 5,5,5. (No video) Working on the side dishes for my sprint training.

20.01.2022 Problem solving. I work with quite a number of high achieving youth athletes. With this high achieving population, comes a sense of perfectionism and a highly critical attitude. Although this leads to many consequences, both helpful and detrimental, I pay particular attention to the emotional consequences of mistakes. I often see a range of negative emotions, negative self talk and an overall poor attitude envelope after they make a mistake on a drill. Perhaps they executed a... skill poorly or didn't run the drill right, especially if it's a reactionary and more chaotic drill where cognitive errors are more likely. These are maladaptive thoughts, feelings and resultant behaviours. So to combat this I drill home an attitude of positivity towards the role of problem solving. I refuse to call them mistakes or errors, instead they are called problems and problems require the implementation of suitable solutions. Each problem they face is an opportunity to discover a solution. You went the wrong way on a reactionary drill? Cool how can you best recover and complete the drill. Sport is chaotic and will constantly be filled with problems, the better you are at not seeing them as mistakes or as a negative, but instead as a problem that needs solving, the more assertive you will become in your ability to apply solutions that lead to success. This idea can of course, be applied more broadly. Failed a rep of a handstand pushup? Cool how can you take the resultant movement and transfer it into the next? There is more and more talk about no bad movements in training, I think its important to also apply that to unintended movements and not just look at it isolation, but also how it can continue and link into others. Life is chaotic, full or changes to plans, errors and failures. The quicker we can move away from dwelling on it, to simply finding and executing a solution, the more at peace we can be. To remove the pressure of making mistakes is to take ownership and responsibility of your life. This isn't to ignore mistakes, but leave your review of them until after the fact. This where you can assess and plan on how to execute X better next time. #mistakes #solutions.

18.01.2022 Let it drop... again. When cutting and changing direction, we need an ability to drop and lower the centre of mass, as well as rotate the hips to support pronation and torque production to stimulate a powerful acceleration out of the turn. Also, in the same way we need to let the shins drop during linear acceleration, we also need to access deep angles in COD to be quick and effective in producing direction specific horizontal force. Without these drops, deceleration will be ...too slow and acceleration will take be too ineffecient to produce a fast change of direction. Kim has been working to get a feel for and get comfortable in getting low. We are also working on improving her hip positions and rotation during cuts, she is making solid progress, but as always there is continued work to do as she prepared for a big year of Tag. In the upcoming speed & agility program, participants will be coached through effective acceleration, top speed & change of direction mechanics to enhance their ability to express speed and power. Early bird registration opens in 2 days time (4/1/21). Its not too late to put your name down to be on the waiting list as numbers are strictly limited to 8. DM for more info or to put your name down. #speed #agility #changeofdirection #sprint #acceleration #football #rugbyleague #rugby #soccer #oztag #touchfooty

18.01.2022 Output. Suffered a minor achillies something or other last week so I'm off sprinting until that can be managed. So I'm taking the opportunity to gain some more output from the gym. I battled for a long time with a attachment between my capabilities in the gym and my self worth. This resulted in me frequently straining too much in the gym to try and get stronger and more muscular. If I couldnt lift weights for even just s couple of days I'd become stressed and anxious about lo...sing my gains. I estimate that this has been a limiting factor in other areas of my life including relationships, work and probabaly most directly in other performance and sporting endeavours. The exercise culture can promote attitude of go hard or go home and do more to be more. Although I know there is a place for simply getting after it and building some spirit, it can go too far. It's important to ask yourself; - How strong do I really need to be? -How much do I really need to lift to be that strong? - Am I actually getting stronger or just more adapted to struggle? - Why do I feel i need to lift X? - What else could I use my energy on to benefit me more greatly to acheive X? If your goal is simply to get as strong as possible, this is great, but its still worth asking yourself how much do you really need. Over the past 18 months, but more intensly this year I have been able to let go of that unhealthy attachment and strength training has really only been used to supplement my other goals and my thoughts around how much I need to do to achieve the strength I feel I need has greatly reduced. I rarely lift above an RPE 7 and the volume is low. Getting after it a little today proved to myself how possible it is to be as strong as I need and want with the amount of lifting I am doing. Although, I clearly have a long history of strength training which makes this possible, your own context is different. Do I still base my self worth on my training? Definitely, but it is much less tied to my performance ability and greater reflected in my ability to do something with spirit and resilience. Its more about my ability to show up how I want. #strength #selfawareness #performance #lift

15.01.2022 Repeating myself but with new words and feelings. We reguarly talk about realising how human potential. There are self help and personal growth books and courses a plenty, designed to help us fullfill and reach our potential, to Self-actualise. But to discuss human potential in only positive regard is to ignore, suppress and become vulnerable to the inevitable evil that lay in the darkness. Humans are truly capable of amazing wonders, acts of kindess and brilliance in discove...ry and creation. However, we are also capable of immense evil, deceit and the causation of suffering. It is a grim reality we must face, for to ignore it, is to invite it to the party. To try and hide behind the muse of positivity from a place of ignorance is a recipe for incongruity. By hiding away from our potential for evil, we become disjointed when it does arise within us. For every dark thought we have and try to hide away, we face more mistrust and confusion within ourself. To face the grim realities of life, is to spur on the search for love, meaning and the wondrous aspects of living. We are all destined for suffering, uncertainty and feelings of isolation, but in that joint acknowledgement, we create the environment for a shared feelings of equality in the search for meaning, love and companionship. To acknowledge the inevitable nature of the full spectrum of experience is to move from an unconscious to conscious choosing of our direction and path. To deny yourself the acknowledgement of that choice is to wither into despair and meaninglessness. By becoming intentional in directing your life, you can start to breakdown the obstacles to your freedom and realise brightest sides of your potential, whilst still acknowledging the presence of its darker side. #potential #selfactualisation #actualisation #meaning #love #handstands #handbalancing #sunrise

12.01.2022 Thumos - in Greek meaning: spiritedness, righteous anger, liveliness and a willingness to fight against injustice. I was made aware of this term yesterday morning, I sat with it last evening and now, I have chosen to write on what it brought forth in me. [Get tough, maybe even growl a little bit at life. Can you remember what it feels like to burst into your existence with full vitality? To really fucking live. Or have you become so accustomed to cowering and shrinking into y...our cage? Are you too busy looking for someone to hold your hand? Self help this, personal development that. When did you stop taking ownership if your life? When did you become passive to its happenings, falling into a state of avoidance and offloading your state of being to others? Stuck in your unenthusiastic, mundane way of trudging through the day to day, stifling any attempt at wonder and greatness with the mopiness of blame and regret. Suppressing your inner fire out of not fear, but the avoidance of fear all together. The proclivity to stay in your comfort zone, safe under the blanket, while your fire burns weak and your breathe could barely move a feather. Let the fire roar, let your breathe carry the flames of your passion and your grandness, let your word be articulated clearly as you dive into living. What's living? Who knows, but you'll feel it when you're doing it. This is a call to action, to find the space between fear and adaption, to find the space between kindness and putting your assertive self into your experience. Stop softening everything down with non-confrontational communication and say what you really think. This isn't to be mean or disrespectful, but to be clear and assirtive. To force others to think and stop living in their same bubble of suppressed life force. Concentrate your energy, cultivate your mind into clear thinking, direct your awareness towards your body, confront your fear, open your heart, refuse to adopt the terms of your foes and stand tall in a spirited defiance to any attempts to stifle your radiating spirit]. #thumos #humanspirit #defiance #sunrise

06.01.2022 What if we started with love? Not just in words & actions, but with the very lens we experience the world. What if we moved forward and led with the heart. What if we could approach our very conscious existence with a earnestness that refuses to be influenced in a way that falls outside of that very willingness to centre ourselves from the heart. Here's the beauty, we can. It's not easy, you have to put a lot of trust in others and the world. You might get burned a few times ...a long the way. It takes a deep understanding of who the fuck you are. A deep comprehension of all the degrees of your existence. From the darkest of shadows to the brightest of lights. To understand your evil and your pure love. To be honest with the world about what you want and what you stand for. To your deepest compassion and most truthful expression. You have to learn to face yourself in the midst of it all, to observe your reactions and habits. To be self aware and self loving. Through acceptance of our selves comes the ability to accept others as they are. Where there is doubt in the self there is mistrust and fear of others. To set yourself as vulnerable takes true courage, by choosing to live from the heart you make a commitment to following what is in front you. Listening and observing the signs guiding your intuition. There all knowing spark of existence that resides within you shall be set free by your willingness to lead from the heart. As we listen and decide fromhere, we have to learn to deal with the unknown because the soul moves us forward without our mind understanding the decision. Trusting this process gets more comfortable with time as we see that the authentic self always has our best interests in mind. Focus on the small things that may go unnoticed. Smile at others we meet along our path. Be kind to all we see. Be our authentic selves, always. Our honesty helps build trust in ourselves and others. Remember that everyone matters. Happy New Year. #love #mindfulness #heartdriven #livefromtheheart #mindbodysoul #happynewyear #compassion

02.01.2022 Be real, genuine and harmonious. The more clear and honest you can be with your external manifestation of your inner world, the more transparent and expressive you can be, the more you will create an environment for the building of relationship. By expressing your emotions more openly, others may feel more safe to experience there's.... By actively looking for the hidden aspects of yourself, the more others may be willing to do the same. By providing real and genuine praise towards someone, the more likely they are to feel praise towarss themselves. By working to understand other peoples perspectives, the more people may trust their own views. The more present we can be with others, the more immediacy they may demonstrate. The more accepting we can be of others, the more accepting they may be of someselves. The more we allow others to voice their opinions and decisions, the more they may realise their compassion. The more real we can be with others, the more real they can be with themselves. The more we can feeling love and compassion for others, the more they may be able to be compassionate and loving towards themselves. Through being the space for others to find their real, genuine and congruent selves, the more we can increase their capacity to do the same for others and of course for us . Be a a part of the cycle, do your part. #humanistic #BeReal #empathy #acceptance #feelings

02.01.2022 Gibbs reflective model (cycle) is just one example of how to give structure to your own reflective process. It's cyclical nature makes it effective and guiding and showing changes in thoughts and behaviour and how they influence eachother. Describe what happened. What feelings or thoughts were present?... Evaluate how the incident went? Analyse and make sense of the situation. What conclusions can you draw? What actions can you take to improve on it next time? There are many ways to structure reflection, but adding structure allows clear awareness of influence and change. #gibbsreflectivecycle #selfreflection #selfawareness #mentalhealth #growth

01.01.2022 A really un-entertaining version of the "The Little Engine That Could" Handstands were a high priority focus in my practice during 2020, but have fallen down the priority list in regards to my attempts to make progress this year. Instead they have merely been a tool for insight and experience as they form an opportunity to seek quiet practice time by the beach most days. They provide an opportunity for thought and stillness as well as offering up movement opportunities in and... around them. However, as my proclivity insists, I have set one goal within the skill. Without any real time frame or seriousness to the approach, I have aimed towards developing the Scorpion handstand to a point where I can scratch my head with my toes. I have devoted fairly minimal specific or diligent training to the process other than short uncommitted bouts of backbend training through the generous guidance of @ciccimansson (sorry for not doing the great information you provide justice). Outside of that, I have been performing the skills 3-5 times a week with anywhere from 1 to 10 attempts at a time. However over the first 6 months of the year, a significant amount of progress as ensued. This serves as a testament to two things (likely more, but I'm only inclined to write on two). Repetition + time - there are many factors involved in progress (in anything), but two that standout as essential are repetition and time. If we spend enough time, doing enough reps of anything, it will accumulate into results. This offers clear insight to the attribute of perseverance. Walking about a mountain slowly is going to get you to the top faster than sitting at the bottom of the hill waiting for the top to come to you. Situations won't always lend themselves to being to prioritise certain things. Busy with work and can't focus on training? That's okay, keep training. Busy with training and can't focus on work? That's okay keep working. If you are wanting to up your backbend game, I highly recommend @ciccimansson back bend program Here's to another 6 months towards scratching my itch... with my toes. #handstands #progress #perserverance #scorpionhandstand #beforeandafter