The Tommy Brideson Show

Training is often easier than working on mobility and movement.Most people move like crap. We just accept that we will have low levels of pain, poor mobility, and that not being able to touch our toes is just how it is. But this couldn't be further from the truth. All levels of training and movement are trainable, if you actually put the effort into them. This episode went on a bit of a tangent where I talk about structural balance and programming. I cover building a base level of Zone 2 training, and then having periods where you focus on body composition so that you are not always over consuming food.The older I get, and the more conversations I have with my clients, the more important I realise it is for people to move and function well. You need to train hard and constructively, but you also need to be healthy.This episode dives into exactly how to make the above true.Speak soon,Tommy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today's episode, I dive into why training cues alone are not going to help you.In training, there is a big focus on using cues, this idea that just by thinking about the right position, it will somehow magically improve your mobility. Here's the thing: there are rules you need to follow with the human body. There are rules for how it moves and how to train. The base layer is movement. It's the most important part, yet for some reason, it's the one thing pushed to the side until you are in pain, injured, or something goes wrong. It's often just an afterthought.If you layer specific training outcomes on top of a terrible base, eventually it will catch up with you. You are just layering dysfunction on top of poor movement.Now, I have been the person I'm describing above, so I completely understand the training process and the mindset around it. I could easily push past how my body felt just to get a session done. I ignored the warning signs pre injury, and over time, I just built up stiffness and became less mobile.If you want to train hard and move well, this episode is for you.Keen to chat more,Tommy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you are considering having surgery for a non acute injury or pain point you have. Listen to this episode first. To preface this I have had a shoulder reconstruction and the outcome was excellent, I have also seem the exact opposite happen where people have surgery and come out worse for it on the other side. If you are considering it, please just make sure you have explored all options first.There are a few key things here that you need to know: Surgery is permanent and can never be undone If you have the option explore conservative management first There is alot you can do ahead of an operation to make your rehab much betterAny questions reach out to me on instagram! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if I told you that getting out of pain when squatting and deadlifting was simple.That you actually needed to forget your cues start again. Our industry often focuses on the wrong thing. We add exercise variations, cues and focus on things that don't matter in the big picture. Where we need to focus is on the position we start in and can you create tension and maintain it. This is the power play and episode 78 on my podcast dives deep into what you need to do. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode shares context around the next steps of business and why I chose to double down on the space by adding another $250k of equipment. It is a preview of the bigger vision, what we are changing, and how the model is changing to better support long term training and rehab for our members. This week the new coaching floor hours also begin, and we have confirmation that our next Atlantis Strength delivery is on its way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year, I looked closely at my business and the direction it was heading. I explored selling. I explored expanding. More than anything, I wanted clarity going into 2026. Welcome! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I have been working with people for 14 years in the coaching and rehab space. Now I cannot speak for the whole industry but one thing that stands out is people are frustrated by the industry standard in general. People are investing time, money and energy into something that doesn't progress year on year. When the hype of the next trend wears off people just want results, plain and simple. When it comes to training and increasing strength, its less about what you add and more about, how you do it and removing any clutter that doesnt add value. I ask this all the time to people, walk me through your step by step your process for lifting. Do it right now in your head. If you cannot say each step with conviction out loud, you do not have a process and system in place that will help you get better year on year. Its like throwing spaghetti at a wall and hoping it will stick. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is all about unpacking the cost of inaction.Why this will limit your future self, growth and potential. If you want to move into new territory, you need to step into new territory, scary for sure, necessary absolutely. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aerobic training is one of the most important components of training you likely not doing.Todays episode is all about why, how and where to add aerobic or conditioning into your training program.Your future self will thank you for listening and implementing a system like this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nutrition doesn’t need to be complicated, you will often find people obsess over details and things that don’t matter in the bigger picture. Humans are creatures of habits, you already have enough meal ideas, enough information to win you just need to systemise it in a way that works for you. Todays episode is about helping you create clarity in a noisy environment that often focus on the wrong things. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Getting caught up in perfect or the idea of perfect isn’t the goal, progress, learning and growth is.The most efficient way to make progress is pick one constraint, the one that will have the biggest impact, then add layers.Often we try to do everything at once, this will lead to spread out poor efforts, overwhelm and most people never get past this.This episode is about helping you find your main constraint so you can go all in and win.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The real question isn’t what you can tolerate, it’s what actually drives meaningful, long term results and just as importantly, what needs to be removed.Training shouldn’t take away from your life. It should add to it. Repeat that again. Training shouldn’t take away from your life. It should add to it. Todays episode is all about perspective. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I say this all the time, but you cannot out-train bad positions.You can try to activate muscle groups, bring up weak areas, and use specific cues.But at the end of the day, the lowest hanging fruit, and the most important training variable you can improve is your positioning.Today’s episode breaks down my clients back pain and a small tweak we made that completely removed it. Nothing added actually, the complete opposite. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The key to growth is blocking out distractions and anything taking your energy unnecessarily. This often means saying no more than you say yes and preserving your energy at all costs, like at all costs.But why is this seen as selfish? I personally think this is a trait that is a accelerator of growth. People please less and put yourself first more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The big toe has massive implications on your running, efficiency and pain. Its like a little spring that creates momentum and creates efficiency whilst running. It can equally cause havoc if you do not have flexibility or understand its role in running. This episode will deepen your understanding of running mechanics and the foot. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People are often in a hurry to find the quickest way to reach x goal, but this is the wrong way of thinking. The question to ask is what daily actions do I need to take to become the person you want to be. This by itself will 10x your results.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people fail before they ever get close to the goals they want to achieve. The reality is that life is a series of push and pull in your efforts.You cannot do everything at once, so focus on a few things that get results and go all in. Align this with your long-term values, how you want to live your life, how you want to feel, and how you show up daily.This is what keeps you focused. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The majority of people blame the lats for not being able to get full range overhead. In theory this is true, often the missing link in range of movement is actually he ribs. This episode is super practical and has some drills and tips that will help you focus on drills that will help you get into better positions and more so get rid of nagging shoulder pain going overhead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you cannot touch your toes you shouldn't be deadlifting period. In this episode I break out why the hamstrings are not always the culprit and an easy way to assess yourself so you can add some drills into your weekly training that will help you unlock the range and control to do so.In alot of cases its much easier than you think, the trick is working on the right areas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you have tried all the conventional cues and your training technique still breaks down as you approach heavier loads and start to fatigue. Then this podcast could be the missing link to help you lift better and more consistently. Everyone has different arm, torso and leg lengths, which means they will need to adjust technique to suit. If you find yourself not being able to maintain a consistent shape during lifts, it may be as simple as you are not starting and executing in the most efficient way.Smash your week, Tommy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To all the mobility haters in the world, please give this a listen. I say this all the time but you are only going to be as good as the positions you can get in and maintain throughout lifting. If you cannot get into a good position to start, you will just be fighting yourself the entire time compensating to get the movement done.As a short term strategy this may be ok, long term it absolutely is not a viable option. In this episode I lay out some very practical mobility drills, at minimum give them a go and let me know how you feel and move after. Smash your week, Tommy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We all know the positive effects that training has on our health, how we move and ultimately how well we live, this is a given. For me personally one of the most profound components of training is not actually the training outcomes its the confidence you get through doing hard things consistently. Showing up for yourself, approaching your training goals progressively and making progress unlocks a new level of self belief and self worth. This part of training cannot be understated. For me this trumps everything else even. This episode is all about setting non-negotiable’s and how this then stacks up wins outside the gym. I want to help you train better, rehab from injuries and use training as tool for growth, every week I send out a newsletter that has a lot of really helpful information within. To get this podcast and weekly youtube videos straight to your inbox follow the link and sign yourself up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Training as a whole should be working for you not against you. Please read that first line again. Whatever stage of life you are at, I truely believe training should be adding value, providing a vehicle for growth and challenging you to be better. However I have seen in so many instances training work against people, training in ways that are not conducive to long term progress in the gym, where training seems to actually take away from your day to day rather than add value to it. This episode I delve into identifying what you really want to get from training and then how to set up your training to align with your longer term vision of yourself. I want to help you train better, rehab from injuries and use training as tool for growth, every week I send out a newsletter that has a lot of really helpful information within. To get this podcast and weekly youtube videos straight to your inbox follow the link and sign yourself up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One thing I have really grown out of in current years is this approach to training where you put everything on the line to complete a set or rep in the gym. My role as a Physiotherapist and Strength Coach exposes me to a-lot of lifters who are incredibly hard working, talented and dedicated to progress. These are all traits I admire and expect of my direct team. But the question that has come to mind over the years is at what point are we doing things because we can more so than because we should. This episode today I talk about the other side of the all or nothing attitude to training, the potential downsides that people think about after the fact. I want to help you train better, rehab from injuries and use training as tool for growth, every week I send out a newsletter that has a lot of really helpful information within. To get this podcast and weekly youtube videos straight to your inbox follow the link and sign yourself up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You hear about it all the time, I got one injury now I have 10.The reality is anyone who has been training hard enough for a long enough period of time, has likely ran into a roadblock with an injury or niggle that limits your ability to train hard make progress. In my world as a Physiotherapist and Strength Coach, I see alot of lifters and there presentations, truth be told a lot of the patterns are actually quite predictable. There is no way that you can fully prevent an injury but there is ALOT you can to along the way to minimise your chances. This episode dives into why most injures happen and more importantly what variables you can control along the way. I want to help you train better, rehab from injuries and use training as tool for growth, every week I send out a newsletter that has a lot of really helpful information within. To get this podcast and weekly youtube videos straight to your inbox follow the link and sign yourself up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Training is the thing everybody needs I don't think anyone would argue that. When we look at your training journey there will be periods of time where you will need to pull back training and focus on rehab. This is where you need an ecosystem to think about how this all works together. The end of the rehab process should flow straight back into the start of the training process. In episode 56 of my podcast I run through my 3 step frame work that works across coaching and rehabilitation. At the end of the day its the same thing just a slightly different path. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anyone who’s done a science degree probably has the saying “structure dictates function” burned into their brain. When we look at coaching and programming this is no different. We need to account not only for training outcomes but for the way the body is made up. There is no way you can train everything at once so periods of the year should be dedicated to structural balance. If you are injured, if you are unable to train because of pain, then chances are you need some structural balance in your life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everyone goes through different seasons in life. These seasons inevitably push us in different directions, challenge our values, beliefs, and what we ultimately want. I am a big believer that training should adapt and evolve with you. What was once meaningful to you may not be true for you today. Everyone trains for different reasons, but an overarching principle I live by is that training should aid growth, not take away from your day to day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Truth be told I have wanted to have this podcast up and running for a very long time. It had been on the back burner for many of years with other things taking priority.In 2024 I drew a line in the sand and made a plan to get this off the ground. It wasn't meant to be perfect, the goal was just to start and commit to weekly episodes.In this episode I summarised the main points from the most downloaded podcasts and built on the conversation. Thanks everyone,Tommy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the start of your training journey you go through a massive period of winning. You are making fast progress, your strength is improving, your technique is getting better and you are winning constantly. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but this rate of progression does slow down, there is more time between each PB, you have to spend more time building specific qualities and you need to switch your mindset to a longer term plan.In this episode, I run through the honeymoon period and why it gives you a false sense of security and the reason you make progress fast.Then importantly how to approach this long term so that you can continue to make progress year on year. This is where the magic happens but you need a mindset shift in order to keep making progress. Connect with me Instagram | Youtube | Website  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Core training is one of the most overlooked areas in most strength programs. Personally I believe that its because people are not sure how to structure it so it progresses alongside your training. As with all lifts you will want periods where you are working in isolation and periods where you are pushing up the strength and intensity with bigger compound movements. Core training is no different. In this episode, I break down what actually makes core work effective and how it should evolve alongside your overall training demands.I start out by looking at how the midsection functions and why it needs more than just generic core exercises. Then we’ll dive into bracing, breathing mechanics, and how all of this ties into your performance with big lifts like squats, deadlifts, and presses. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Knee pain is one of the most common issues lifters deal with. In today’s episode, I break down the key factors that often contribute, training volume, technique, and programming decisions and how to approach them with more intention.For many, the pain is manageable enough to train through, but that doesn’t mean it should be ignored. Over time, symptoms can build up and eventually limit your ability to squat, lunge, or progress the way you want to.This episode explores the role of range, control, and loading in key positions and how to build a program that your knees will actually benefit from over the long haul. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I always say to people be cautious taking advice from anyone who speaks in absolutes. If the best coaches, practitioners and researchers basically never talk in absolutes, why would you listen to some random person on social media talk this way?If people are really well trained in one area or have gotten great results from themselves and clients following a specific method, it is so short sighted to think that everyone will respond the same. Personally I like to control all variables that I can with coaching and rehab, the best way to do this is work with the person in front of you and treat them as a blank canvas. Todays episode I talk about context from a coaching and rehab perspective. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Individualised programming gets thrown around a lot in the coaching world. While it sounds impressive, it’s often misunderstood.The reality is reality, most effective programs aren’t built from scratch for each client. They’re personalised to suit the clients preferences, goals and training history within the context of a training system. In this episode, I break down the difference between individualisation and personalisation, why system based coaching is 100% better and how to make better programming decisions that serve both the client and the coach. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people treat accessories like filler — something to just knock out after the “real” work is done. But the truth is, accessories are where a lot of the real progress happens. This is where you build muscle, reinforce movement patterns, and address the weak links that hold you back in your main lifts. If you treat them with the same intent as your big lifts, they’ll pay you back tenfold. In this episode I break down how to actually make your accessory work count.🎙️ Episode 47 of The Tommy Brideson Show is now live. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The more technical you become in the gym, the more progress you’ll make long-term. When you train with intention and precision, the outcomes take care of themselves. You build muscle, fuel performance, and show up with purpose.This is why strength training is the OG. You don’t just get strong — you get smart. You learn how to eat, how to train, how to move. And eventually, you become a total weapon in the gym.🎙️ Episode 46 of The Tommy Brideson Show is now live. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I truely believe that strength training is one of the most powerful journeys someone can take themselves on. Life and society can be complex, busy and hard to navigate. The world is largely set up for convince and comfort, and people often feel lost without direction or purpose. 

Todays episode I delve into why I believe that strength training is one of the most powerful tools you have for growth and self betterment. 
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Recovery seems to be the hot topic in most fitness circles at the moment. The question I want to ask first and foremost is:Do we actually need to factor it in outside of your training program?Are we just adding extra stress and clutter into your week that resource be better spent in other areas?I am massive on providing context in all areas of training and rehab so let’s talk recovery today but to kick things off we need to first dive into the training process. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before we get stuck into the podcast, I have worked with so many high performers in the gym, very few can train under optimal conditions every session, nutrition and sleep being perfectly timed, body feeling ready to go and motivated to get stuck in. People are juggling work and life commitments, introducing new family members into the world, trying to find extra hours in the day to get more work done, dealing with injuries and also making time to work on themselves and crush there goals. You will undoubtedly have some ebbs and flows in your training journey and will need to get creative to keep moving forward and stay on track. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the outside looking in, powerlifting may seem quite intimidating and something that you would never consider trying or getting involved in.I get it trust me I do, but hear me out before we get stuck into today’s podcast I want to share a bit of my story as to how I now own a gym that is so niched down to a single sport.Personally I had never aspired to be or compete in powerlifting and most certainly did not have any plans to own a gym that is hugely powerlifting focused. To that when I actually opened my first facility in 2019, I set it up in a way that could work with athletic development clients, strength and powerlifting clients, rehabilitation clients but intended to not completely niche down so to speak.But one thing that every person who has been involved in this community can attest to, is that it is one of the most supportive and positive environments to be apart of. Everyone is on their own journey working toward improving on their own efforts year on year. Yes there is direct competition at the top of powerlifting but thats not everyone’s goal. At the end of the day it’s you against you. So this is a call out to anyone who is sitting on the fence to join a community like this. The thing you will regret most is not starting the journey earlier.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Often the key to progression is making sure you tick the boxes of mastering the basics. We are wired to chase progress and as a result we often move to quickly through exercises progression chasing the more complex variations thinking we will get more benefit from them. Something I often say is, harder isn't better, better is better. In this weeks episode I rub through why regressing exercises can actually be really helpful long term. How this can make you better at more complex exercise and get you better results in the gym. At the end of the day we all want to get a great return on time and resources spent training and staying healthy. So instead of chasing new and exciting, chase mastering the basics as it will always return great results. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When it comes to training adaptations and making sure you achieve great outcome, you have to follow the principle SAID (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands). Simply put: If you want to build muscle you need to spend time training volume and intensity, If you want to get stronger, you need to essentially add more weight to the bar over time When it comes to the actual skill side of lifting heavy we need to apply this same logic, you need to practice the skill under load In this weeks podcast episode, I run through some important considerations for someone wanting to improve strength and ability to hold great technique and position under heavy loads. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The world that we live in is largely set up for comfort and convenience over anything else.The problem with comfort and convenience is we end up working within a small percentage of our available capacity and range. This over time will compound and as a result we will develop compensatory movement patterns and a decrease in overall health. These patterns need to be offset as part of your daily movement, training program or prehab and the reality is it needs to be more than a 30 second stretch or small walk around the block 2 x per day. In this weeks podcast episode, I run through strategies that will help you identify and then address these compensatory movement patterns. There is a saying movement is medicine, we should all be doing more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Getting clear on your goals sounds simple right? The reality is many are not entirely sure what they really want. In todays episode I go over conversations that I have with clients over and over again regarding goals and clarity around them. A lot of the time we place value on an outcome which is usually transient or isn't really our real goal such as squatting 200kg. Enjoying the process and person you are becoming along the way is arguably the more important component of training (alongside all the health benefits and feels). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What you really want from training is results. You want a return for all the hard work and resource that is put into training. The more results you get in training the more you realise that it is less about flashy and exciting and more about perfecting the basics and showing up consistently. Episode 37 of my podcast I run through three of the most popular training methods. How to use them, why they are so effective and examples of how it would look year round in your training programs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you train hard enough for a long enough period of time it is inevitable that you will run into an injury that slows down or limits your progression. Training has a honeymoon period where everything feels good as a result of getting stronger, building more muscle and improving on your health. The double edged sword here is the thing that helps you progress in your training journey can often come full circle and cause you pain.Episode 36 of my podcast episode I talk through real life ways to navigate your training when coming back from an injury. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When it comes to working with lifters, adding in some drills and hoping for the best likely isn't the most efficient approach. I prefer to really pressure test my ideas so that when you add in mobility and control drills are very targeted. That last thing you want to do is add unnecessary clutter to a lifters training programs. When you start to think not only about the restrictions you are assessing and start thinking of the opposing side, assisting muscles and the entire system you will start to be more accurate with your assessments. In order to do this you need to be a killer with your diagnosis and pressure test your ideas! Episode 35 of my podcast "A smart way to assess and diagnose patients: Pressure test your diagnosis with treatment and drills to solidify diagnosis" is now live on all platforms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Imagine if told you that training your claves would help you squat and deadlift more. Well in todays episode I want to delve into how and why this can be the case. Your first response is likely how would that even be possible, I get it but hear me out. The calves play a large role in stability, power generation and creating stability at the knee and ankle. Your feet are the only contact point with the ground. Surely we need to put some thought into our lower leg if we are looking at long term development? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 33 of my Podcast "The Tommy Brideson Show"Recently I have ben asked if I am worried about the emergence of AI and technology for both coaching and physiotherapy as a service.I am not worried in the slightest as the reality is there will always be a need for in person services. Using these developments in other areas of my business could actually be very useful.Connect with me:InstagramYoutube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 32 of my Podcast "The Tommy Brideson Show"Outside of technique and time served, really there are two main drivers that will push forward your training progress. Coaches like to wrap training up in a term called periodisation, then break it down into small manageable chunks. The reality is there will be times where you work sub-maximally using volume as a driver for progress and there will be periods where you drop off training volume and use intensity as a driver for progress.In this episode I run through the specifics of how and when it should be used. Connect with me:InstagramYoutube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.