In this first episode of 2021, Connor takes you through some unexpected benefits of training in lockdown and some ways you can maximise the training options you have. Don't forget the At Home Training Membership is still available for all your lockdown training needs here: https://go.athleticstrengthuk.co.uk/pay

It's been a couple of months since the last episode and today Connor is back! Connor gives you some reasons to why he has been away for so long and what he has learned in 2020. 2020 has no doubt been an interesting year so to make the most out of it, Connor reflects on what he has focussed on too much and what he wants to do more of in 2021. 

In this episode, Connor takes you through the truth about how consistent you really need to be to see success and how you can improve your consistency in your fitness journey. Connor also takes you through some different macro splits depending on your nutritional goals and which calorie calculator you should be using. If you enjoyed this episode then make sure you sign up to the beanbag emails here https://go.athleticstrengthuk.co.uk/get

In this episode, Connor welcomes Andy Barker of the @NewGradPhysio. Andy was a full-time physiotherapist with professional rugby league club Leeds Rhinos from 2010-2018 (7 of those years as head physio). He was dropped in the deep end 15-months into his tenure when he was made head physio of the club. Now he runs his own business @NewGradPhysio helping young physio's progress their career and he has a physiotherapy practice in Leeds. This episode is one of the best yet with some amazing information around injury, rehab and warm-ups. The topics we cover are: 

• Andy's background, education and experience
• His favourite coaching experience(s)
• What the most common joint or muscle issues Andy sees in his practice and why this is the case
• What are the common assumptions around injury that people ALWAYS get wrong
• Are there any particular prehab/warm up strategies that Andy has found to be really effective in reducing injury risk
• Does Andy this mini-bands are useful?
• Are there any common "release" techniques people can use themselves?

You can find out more about the New Grad Physio here: www.newgradphysio.com, follow Andy on Instagram @NewGradPhysio and if you have any questions for Andy you can email him andy@newgradphysio.com. 

If you enjoyed this episode then don't forget to download your 5 essential home training tips here: https://go.athleticstrengthuk.co.uk/get

This may be a controversial episode for many but today, Connor is giving a case for why people should not back squat. For many, the back squat is an exercise that is butchered and can often do more harm than good. To be balanced though, Connor gives you a framework on how you can learn how to back squat correctly and what to do to be able to do it safely. If you want to download your 5 essential home training tips then please click here: https://go.athleticstrengthuk.co.uk/get

After a bit of a break, Connor is back! In this episode, Connor wanted to give you some advice on how to bounce backs from setbacks. Progression is never linear and you will no doubt find yourself dealing with a setback at some point in your fitness journey. It doesn't have to mean you completely fail though and you CAN come back and be successful. Don't forget you can download your 5 essential home training tips here: https://go.athleticstrengthuk.co.uk/get

In this episode, Connor takes you through everything you should consider before you decide on whether to start learning the Olympic lifts or not. This may seem like a simple answer but in reality, you have to answer questions such as why do you want to start and have you mastered the basics? 

• 05:23 - What is Olympic Lifting? 
• 05:57 - Why do You Want to Start Olympic Lifting? 
• 09:01 - Have You Mastered the Basics?
• 17:30 - How are You Going to Incorporate Olympic LIfting Into Your Training?
• 19:33 - Are You Going to Plan Your Own Training?
• 23:20 - How are You Measuring Progress?
• 26:30 - Where Does CrossFit fit?

If you enjoyed this episode please don't forget to like, subscribe and rate 5*. You can download your 5 Essential Home Training Tips right here: https://go.athleticstrengthuk.co.uk/get

For today's episode, Connor is reflecting on the past few months in lockdown and this got him thinking about his greatest failures as a coach and what you can learn from them. Even if you're not a coach or not involved with sport, there is some great advice and learnings in here so you can avoid making the same mistakes. Don't forget to sign up to the beanbag emails and get your 5 essential home training tips here https://go.athleticstrengthuk.co.uk/get.