The Virtus Podcast

Episode 5 of the Virtus podcast welcomes Sarah Blackmore! This episode, Lachie takes a deep dive with Sarah Blackmore, a true Virtus OG, former coach and athlete, and now the owner of Glad Movement. Sarah has been part of the Virtus story from the early days, and in this episode we dive into her journey through coaching, leadership, and what it really takes to build something meaningful in the fitness space. From the lessons learned on the gym floor to running her own gym, Sarah shares honest insights, hard-earned wisdom, and plenty of laughs along the way. More than titles or achievements, Sarah is simply an overall wonderful human, and this conversation reflects exactly that. New episodes every Sunday 7pm! Available via Spotify, Youtube & Apple podcasts!

VIRTUS PODCAST — EPISODE 4 | Paul Wintle This week on the Virtus Podcast, Lachie sits down with one of the original Virtus athletes and a longtime friend, Paul Wintle. Paul’s journey is one of grit, growth, and genuine transformation. A father of two and an aircon mechanic by trade, Paul has spent over a decade pursuing personal development, health changes, and a better way of living. Now, after years of walking the path himself, he’s stepped into the world of coaching, helping others make the changes he once had to make alone. In this episode, we explore Paul’s evolution from athlete to coach, the mindset shifts that shaped his last 10 years, fatherhood and balance, growing alongside a supportive community, and why long-term change often starts with a single, honest decision. Whether you’re on your own journey of growth or just love hearing real conversations with good people, this episode is full of valuable insights. New episodes every Sunday at 7 pm available via youtube, Spotify and Apple!

Episode 3 of the Virtus Performance Podcast welcomes, Jo Lavin; a dedicated trainer, mother, and mentor whose mission is to empower women through every stage of life. With a unique blend of training expertise, lived experience, and grounded parenting philosophies, Jo helps women build strength not just physically, but mentally and emotionally.   As the owner of Natal Strength and a featured voice on the Virtus Performance Podcast, Jo brings honest conversations, practical wisdom, and real-life insight to women navigating motherhood, training, and personal growth.   On this episode you’ll find: ✨ Training guidance for real-life strength ✨ Practical and compassionate parenting philosophies ✨ Mindset tools for balancing motherhood and personal development ✨ Insights from Jo’s journey in business, life, and motherhood New episodes drop every Sunday at 7pm via Youtube, Podbean and Spotify

Episode 2 is here and we’ve got a very special guest! After five years, Simon Cooper returns to the Virtus Podcast! 🎙️🔥 A former host, performance coach, and an integral part of the Virtus family for almost a decade, Simon is back in the chair and it feels good! We dive into the past, the present, and everything in between. New episodes every Sunday at 7pm! 📅✨

The Virtus pod IS BACK! We’re back for another season of real conversations, meaningful insight, and the stories that drive us to live and feel better. Season 5 is all about lifetime health, function, and performance, exploring what it truly means to thrive across every stage of life. To kick things off, we’re joined by Nina Keller, the newest member of our Allied Health team at Virtus. Nina is a psychologist and the owner of Mind Haus, bringing with her a deeply holistic approach to helping people understand themselves, build resilience, and create sustainable wellbeing. In this first episode, we dive into Nina’s journey, her philosophy of care, and how she blends psychology, curiosity, and connection to support long-term health and performance. If you’re here to learn, grow, and challenge the way you think about health, this season is for you. New episodes every Sunday 7pm, Get around it!  

Introducing Jac and Dak to the Podcast Hosting Chair! This week, Lach put down the mic and gave Jac and Dak a chance to shine! The two gals took over the podcast for an hour to chat with us about coaching, life, Virtus, and so much more. We absolutely love having these two on the pod—let us know if you'd like to hear more from them in future episodes! 🎙️ New episodes drop every Sunday at 7 PM on YouTube, Podbean, and Spotify. Happy listening!

Do we really need another Wallace at Virtus? OF COURSE WE DO! We’re thrilled to introduce our brand-new in-house Osteo, Emily Wallace! Em brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, and she has so much to share with us here at Virtus. This podcast episode is the perfect way to get to know Em—her story, what she offers, and what makes her tick. Show her some love—we’re beyond excited for what this new chapter holds! 🎙️ New episodes drop every Sunday at 7 PM on YouTube, Spotify, and Podbean!

Introducing Josh Reid Jones on the Virtus Podcast for his debut with Lach! Josh is a social impact professional, social entrepreneur, and the founder of The Just Be Nice Project. His mission is to "create extraordinary positive change in the world by making ordinary positive change." Learn more about Josh and his incredible work at joshreidjones.com. 🎙️ A new episode drops every Sunday at 7 PM on YouTube, Spotify, and Podbean.

WARNING: This episode contains some seriously exciting stuff! We're thrilled to introduce our brand-new performance coach, Maddy Morrison! Many of you might recognise her from her time training with us, but this podcast is the perfect chance to really get to know her. With over 12 years of coaching experience, Maddy brings a wealth of knowledge and is already fitting in seamlessly here at Virtus. Let’s give her a warm welcome and show her some love! New episodes drop every Sunday at 7 PM, available on all your favourite listening platforms.

This week on the Virtus Performance Podcast, Lachie finds himself flying solo after being betrayed by Jac and Dak (sad face). But don’t worry—he’s got plenty to share! Wallace dives into some exciting new announcements, upcoming program changes, fresh coach updates, and wraps up his 75 Hard journey with reflections and lessons learned. 🎙️ New episodes drop every Sunday at 7 PM, available on all your favourite streaming platforms—whether you listen or watch. Happy Listening!

This week is shaping up to be an exciting one! Join Lachie as he welcomes Aiden Hinson, our new performance coach, for his debut on the Virtus Podcast. Discover Aiden's impressive sports background, his journey into coaching, and his life experiences. Tune in to catch the new season of the Virtus Podcast every Sunday at 7 PM on your favourite streaming platform!

Episode 5 of the Virtus Podcast is here, and we have an exciting one for you! This week, we welcome Nina, a registered nutritionist. If you're looking to learn the basics of nutrition and supplementation, this episode is the perfect place to start. Tune in and catch the new season of the Virtus Podcast every Sunday at 7 PM on your favourite streaming platform!

Join Lachie as he sits down with Rick Mirabella to discuss all things life, fitness, work, and much more! Episode 4 of the Virtus Podcast marks our full return, and we're excited to dive back into the conversation.  Whether you're winding down your weekend or gearing up for a fresh start on Monday morning, the Virtus Podcast is the perfect way to kick off or end your week. Tune in anywhere, anytime on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. Catch us every Sunday at 7 PM for a fresh episode. Happy listening!

TYLER FROST! As Tyler's departure date draws closer, sit down with Tyler and Lachie as they chat about his exciting upcoming travels, new job, and just how much we’re going to miss him! Before we say goodbye to Tyler, make sure to show him some love and support in the next few weeks before he heads off for the foreseeable future. Don't miss his farewell event on April 12th at 7 PM at Virty! Listen to the new season of the Virtus Podcast anytime, anywhere, via Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube. Happy listening!

DAKOTA WATSON! With the Virtus pod back in full swing, we thought it was about time to have Dak Dak join Lach for a chat! Sit down and immerse yourself in this awesome episode as Dakota talks about diving headfirst into coaching, building her confidence, recovering from her knee surgery, and sharing insights into her day-to-day life! Whether you're sitting down enjoying a Sunday night snack or tuning in during your early morning drive to work, we can already tell you’re going to love this one. We’re back, baby! Every Sunday at 7 PM on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Music. Happy listening!

WE'RE BACK! We're bringing the Virtus podcast back in style with a very special first guest: one of our star coaches, Jac Jac! Dive in and get to know Jacqui—her home life, coaching journey, and so much more! Whether you're at your desk enjoying a Monday morning coffee, on your way to work, or doing something completely different (LOL), we know Season 4 is going to be an absolute hit, especially with the strong start we're off to! Every Sunday at 7 PM. Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music. Happy listening!  

As we slowly welcome back the Virtus podcast, on this weeks it is a voice we are certain you have heard but this time not in the hosting seat! Mitch joins Tyler on the podcast to talk all things life and to catch up on a busy yet successful year Mitch has had. We are certain this is a good one! 

The listeners were crying out for more Jazzie, so we listened! It's been a while since Jazz has appeared on the podcast; she updates us on her new job and how life has changed since graduating with a Master of Exercise Physiology earlier in the year.

Jason Cox, owner of "High Performance Cricket" joins us as our first guest for the Podcast's 5th season. With cricket season in full-swing, Coxy chats to Tyler about all things cricket S&C and management of cricket-related injuries. Coxy has developed some of the state's best cricketers including Australian international off-spinner, Todd Murphy.  The man from Koo Wee Rup also spends a bit of time with the Box Hill Hawks in the VFL as their Head S&C where Virtus athlete, Darcy Murr plays. So, we spent the first 5 minutes of the episode gassing him up. 0:00 - What makes humans like Darcy Murr so great to coach? 4:50 - Management of cricket related injuries 14:20 - History of High Performance Cricket 18:55 - Traits of highly successful humans and coaches 33:30 - Coxy’s beginning in the Health & Fitness industry 39:50 - Learnings from coaching at rowing club 46:30 - Perks of training online with High Performance Cricket

In this short edition of the podcast, Lachie sits down and has a chat about the last 8 years of growth, friends, family, laughs and so much more. We are also so excited to finally say the podcast is back up and running! After a short hiatus, we will be releasing podcasts every Sunday night at 7PM again. We missed it too! Enjoy this mini pod with Lach and we will see you Sunday xoxo

Welcoming Brit Cox onto the Virtus podcast! We are so lucky to have Brit, a 4x olympian and 2x World champion join us to sit down and have a chat with Mitch and Tess. Sit down watch and enjoy as we find out all about Brit and her success.

This week, Lachie sat down with Sam Crawford the Co founder of monkey movement. With our event with monkey movement coming up very soon, we would defiantly recommend having a listen/watch to this podcast! Enjoy!

Goal review week! Following every testing week, we have goal setting! This allows us to go back and look at your previously set goals and see how you went on achieving them! Gin and whiskey night followed by yoga this weekend! Don't wanna miss this! Get your tickets!  

A clean, civilised, and incredibly thought provoking chat. If that’s what you’re after, this one’s not for you   In all seriousness, these boys are highly respected coaches within the industry and Tyler absolutely loved having them down for a laid-back chat! There was passion, shouting, and a lot of swearing. Chris (Dirk) is one of the best up and coming coaches in Australia; the Head of Performance at Woodford Sport Science Consulting shares some of his learnings from his time in the College system at Iowa. Jeremy (Brick) is a beast of a powerlifter, currently transitioning from athlete development to coaching powerlifting. His energy in the gym is unmatched.    The boys share some of their own personal coaching standards and talk about the importance of training environment and how they make WSSC a place that people want to come and train   0:00 - Everyone trains hard around Brick 3:06 - The emotional toll of injury and the importance of language 15:03 - We lose logic when it comes to the human body 20:05 - Every day is a fight 23:18 - The importance of community and showing up 28:25 - Be YOURSELF 31:16 - How do you create an environment where people want to show up? 35:59 - Coaching standards 43:44 - Brick losing and rediscovering his love of coaching 51:30 - Dirk’s time in Iowa 1:01:24 - Future of Brick & Dirk

This weeks podcast sounds a little different! Welcoming Georgia to the hosting side of the podcast and joining her was Tess and Liv! Testing week is upon us again! Get your testing done so our coaches and yourself can see your growth over the last 12 weeks. Some events creep closer aswell, with gin and whiskey night creeping up, don't forget to get your tickets! And also around the gym floor we have yoga sing ups and monkey movement! DON'T WANNA MISS THESE!Things may have derailed off topic a few times but don't worry, this weeks a good one! Come sit, listen and have a laugh with us as we chat about our week and much much more. 

This week mitch sat down with Collingwood AFLW player Tarni White to talk all things Football, Draft day, Moving interstate, Injuries, Trades and so much more! 

Is lachies calf injury in cm instead of mm? An old tear? or lachie is in denial? Lachie (almost) bought house wooooo! Mitch is an ambassador for lulu woooo! Some advice giving to tyler, Mitch expressing some grief is just a few things the boys cover in this weeks wrap up!

JAIMEE IS BACK AND SHES COACHING!!!!!  We are so happy that Jaimee will now be taking on a coaching roll here at virtus, catch her here and come say hi every Tuesday and Thursday! With pleanty of exciting events coming up, make sure to be checking and keeping up to date with our socials! 

Tylers trip quickly approaches, More terrible jokes, Some more member shoutouts, Virtus run club was substituted by a walk, run and roll, More poddy content! See you in 3 months Tyler!

Meet Benny Diccocio, owner of BCD Fitness. A phenomenal man with a phenomenal story. Just before the pandemic, Ben suffered his first spontaneous pneumothorax of what would end up becoming THREE. Alongside battling a lifelong struggle with eczema, Ben's condition regressed to the point where his skin couldn't properly thermoregulate, leading to sleepless nights and gruelling mornings waking up to a bed covered in blood and skin flakes. Ben questioned the worth of his existence many times, however, he has emerged through the darkness and on the podcast shares his incredible journey of healing.   0:00 - Intro 1:14 - Who is Benny? 4:50 - What value can clients get from online coaching that face to face may not provide? 6:15 - What mistakes have you made along the way and what have you learnt from them? 10:16 - Growing up as Ben Dicoccio 20:35 - Advice to those that are stagnating with their progress 22:06 - Recovering from Pneumothorax  29:22 - Recovering from topical steroid withdrawal and eczema 33:47 - Things Ben implemented to kickstart the recovery process 36:56 - The dark days 43:18 - What habits have you implemented to heal your skin? 49:25 - What makes a good healthcare practitioner?  52:30 - What flares up YOUR skin and how did you discover your triggers? 58:44 - Future of BCD Fitness   Instagram: instagram.com/bcdfitness_   

Mothers day run club filled with lots of love from our friends over at lululemon, but sadly tyler had a very lonely sunday morning coaching session, football and school programs starting to begin with renee whoop whoop! 

Since winning an AFL Premiership with the Demons in 2021, Jake Lever has been a mainstay of the Virtus gym floor throughout his off-seasons. Currently juggling father time, being a husband to his amazing Wife, Jess, and hunting a 2nd premiership with the Demons; Jake was super generous to join Tyler for an incredible 2 hour chat on the Podcast! We talk about how life has changed for the All-Australian defender since having children and moving down to the Peninsula, how he coped with dwindling motivation in 2022 after ticking off 2 of the biggest goals of his career in 2021, and the shift in culture at the club that ultimately led to the Melbourne Demons becoming the successful powerhouse club that they are today. 0:00 - Jake’s favourite thing about Virtus 3:41 - Coping with a lack of motivation in 2022 after the 2021 Premiership 15:00 - What changes have been made at the club to help the boys mentally rejuvenate? 17:56 - What does a week look like in-season? 19:38 - What do you enjoy doing for recovery? 21:22 - How do you balance footy with being a father/husband? 30:56 - Meeting Jess (Wife) 33:31 - Getting drafted to Adelaide 39:35 - Biggest learning from living with Patrick Dangerfield 42:10 - Was SA a more intense footy state than Victoria? 44:05 - Moving back to Melbourne (& “booing”) 47:34 - 2017 Grand Final loss & relationship with Tex Walker 51:21 - Which opposition player would you love to play alongside? 54:12 - Culture shift at the Melbourne footy club before the 2021 Premiership 1:03:36 - What changes did you make to become the best intercept player in the AFL? 1:13:49 - Moving to the Peninsula 1:23:05 - Best thing your kids have taught you 1:26:35 - Favourite thing about Jess 1:32:27 - Teammate word association 1:33:39 - Fan questions 1:33:40 - Would you rather 1v1 Pig or May? 1:34:32 - What do you love about James Jordon? 1:35:20 - Would you consider a move to the MPNFL post-career? 1:35:37 - What is your favourite country song? 1:39:20 - Moustache talk 1:42:37 - Last time you cried or felt overwhelmed emotionally? 1:53:26 - Favourite thing about Simon Goodwin 1:54:50 - Dave Ryan nearly killing Jake with a barbell

This week as the weather begins to get colder, Mitch made his return to wearing short shorts on a field and running around chasing a ball for an hour and a half, Tylers euro trip closely approaches quickly and chats about training for aesthetics? Enjoy!

Jakob & Lachie made their way down the Peninsula Link to catch up with Tyler back in April! Fresh out of the ice bath and still shivering, the boys came on to the podcast to reflect on their journey through University and eventually into the Online Coaching scene.   Timestamps and social media links are below:   0:00 - Introduction & Ice Bath reflections 7:29 - Who is Lachie? 12:17 - Who is Jakob? 15:50 - Coaching Youth 19:58 - Thoughts on Online Coaching 23:25 - How did Lachie & Jakob meet? 27:06 - What did you appreciate most about going to Uni and what would you do differently? 31:02 - What’s something you look back on from your early coaching days and CRINGE at? 35:35 - How did Tyler meet Lachie & Jakob? 47:45 - Training goals over the next 12 months 52:48 - Things we’ve changed our mind on over the past 12 months 1:00:24 - Our definitions of success in life 1:06:55 - Who performed better at Beyond The Valley?   Jakob Barlow Instagram: @barlowcoaching https://www.instagram.com/barlowcoaching/ Website: barlowcoaching.com   Lachie Kennett Instagram: @coach_kennett https://www.instagram.com/coach_kennett/ Website: coachkennett.com   Tyler Frost Instagram: @totumstrength https://www.instagram.com/totumstrength/ Website: totumstrength.com

Welcoming Steph onto the Virtus podcast, Steph is a milestone member here at Virtus having completed 1000 sessions with us and if you have been lucky enough to meet Steph you would know that she is a friend to many and someone who is always there to chat or have a laugh with. We are so happy Steph was finally on the podcast, and hope you are too!

Todays podcast we welcome Renee Saulitis and Jazz to the hosting side of podcasts! Renee is an AFLW Player for St Kilda and is doing her bachelor in sport and exercise science. Renee is also hopping on board as a performance coach and program facilitator so get use to seeing her around the gym a heap more! We are so happy to welcome Renee to the team and we hope you are too!

This week we welcome Renee to the podcast, and to the Virtus team! Renee will be joining us as a performance coach and program facilitator helping with schools and club sessions, and we are over the moon about it! All shared their views on what gym equipment they considered “useless” and Tyler got some new fresh kicks!

Meet Unna! Unna is the founder of Unna movement and is an Exercise Physiologist & Coach. We recently welcomed Unna into our family and she has fit right in! You can find Unna just up the stairs here at virtus, or more through her website https://www.unnamovement.com/ .

The podcast people have been waiting for... joking Tyler x   This week's catch-up was predominantly Tyler filling us in on his plans for his Euro Trip, Lachie's update on his bum calf, and most importantly; the upcoming "Bring A Friend Week"!

Tyler and Matt LaFontaine catch up for the first time in a couple of months and decide to record it for the podcast! The boys check-in with each other's mental health, chat new and exciting work opportunities for Laf, break-ups, and think back to the last time they both cried.   If you want to listen to Laf's first episode where we dive into his life, upbringing, and moving to WA, you can listen HERE: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0gkf29lpcK4jaa8LpDzshQ?si=bc95d3da207149d7   TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Mitch’s car getting stolen 0:42 - Introduction 2:28 - Footy talk 5:20 - Laf’s new job with Speak & Share 10:01 - Mental Health check-in 18:18 - Gratitude & why do we avoid things that are good for us? 23:41 - Self-doubt & comparison (Firefighter applications) 26:02 - Where do you find the motivation to keep improving? 31:48 - Laf’s spontaneous 50km Run 38:40 - Time Management 44:02 - When was the last time you cried?   Virtus Junior Athlete Development Seminar TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/608922291967 INSTAGRAM: Virtus Performance - https://www.instagram.com/virtusperformance/ Tyler Frost - https://www.instagram.com/totumstrength/

A lot happening here! No Tyler this week but gained two more beautiful humans in DJ Jazzy Jeff aka Jazzalicious aka Jazzington and Georgia. Mitch is 16 days into 75 hard but managed an ankle roll on a bike? Run club on easter sunday! Jazz 100% mocked her mother ! (just joking sarah xo) Great week! 

Hello Virtus Family! Welcome back to the Virtus Podcast! Another elite human on my list of ‘People I want to podcast & connect with’ for a very, very long time and i’m so glad we got it done. Two-time Virtus intern, Gym Manager at Infinite Fitness Peninsula and extreme sport-loving human. Campbell has done some really cool shit in his life to date and has many exciting things on the horizon so watch this space!  See below links to access Campbell's & IFP's socials: https://www.instagram.com/infinitefitnesspeninsula/ https://www.ifp.com.au/ https://www.instagram.com/coachcampbell_/

Hello Virtus Family! Welcome back to the Virtus Podcast! Huge guest this week! Been on my list of ‘People I want to podcast & connect with’ for a very, very long time and i’m so glad we got it done. Certified Bossman at Brad Sykes Sport Consulting who specialises in sports community programs aiming to enhance childrens’ lives through sport. Such an amazing business to help shape the future of our kids in sport!! Offering programs such as in-person training programs for skill/sport/physical development, mindset and mental health sessions, school holiday clinics and many other amazing programs. This conversation could have gone on for hours (and it did post-podcast @ 11pm…) so I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did. See below links to access Brad’s & his businesses socials: - https://bssports.com.au/ - https://www.instagram.com/bssportsconsulting/ - https://www.instagram.com/bradleyjamessykes/  

Hello Virtus Family! Welcome back to the Virtus Podcast! Today’s guest, George Fletcher, is a favourite amongst the Virtus clients and a regular here on the gym floor. George's path to Virtus like many others comes from a background of injuries and setbacks but is coming out the other end now onto hopefully a successful year for the Peninsula Old Boys in the VAFA. The topic of resiliency with elicit different responses from different people so listen to how George approaches life, training and injuries on this episode along with many exciting aspects of George's world including a not to distant wedding, football, friendships and golf. I loved every minute of sitting with George and diving deeper into George's world so I hope you do too!

This week, Tyler, Mitch and Lachie spoke briefly about our testing and goal setting weeks, Run Club, what's been happening throughout their lives, The Virtus team retreat, and the Run for the kids which took place this weekend gone. Hopefully you enjoy this because there's plenty more where this came from!

Hello Virtus Family! Welcome back to the Virtus Podcast! Today’s guest, Emily Wallace, an osteopath by trade has an invested interest in rehabilitation, in particular, sports performance. Em currently applies her trade at Infinite Fitness Peninsula in Cranbourne leading their performance-based rehab program. Em is a graduate of the Virtus Internship program (well back in the day now…) and has gone on to wonderful things in the industry which has been amazing to watch from afar. A well overdue conversation and podcast so we were stoked to get it done. Another highly valuable chat with many takeaways for up & coming, developing and experienced athletes, coaches & clinicians. See below links to access Em's & IFP's socials: - https://www.instagram.com/emwallace_sportsrehab/ - https://www.instagram.com/infinitefitnesspeninsula/ - https://www.instagram.com/ifp.performance.rehab/

Mitch sat down with and talked a bit of shop with Mitch Greaves of Melbourne Fitness & Performance and the Hawthorn Football Club where he has roles as Co-Owner/Athletic Performance Coach and Head of Strength and Conditioning respectively. As a leader in the sports performance industry, Mitch is an Exercise Physiologist by trade with exceptional systems and applications both in the gym and on the field. Being involved in the AFLW system for many years, Mitch’s ability to return athletes to performance with greater physical outcomes is second to none. A leader in the field-based training space, this one is not to miss! A little more a sports performance specific conversation between the two Mitch’s this podcast which will be highly valuable with many takeaways for up & coming, developing and experienced athletes, coaches & clinicians. See below links to access Mitch & MFP’s socials: https://www.instagram.com/mitchgreaves8/ https://www.instagram.com/melbfitperformance/ https://www.teammfp.com.au/