The Science of Fitness Podcast

From Footy to Fitness Coach - How Mattais Heimuli Rebuilt Identity Through Training And Community

• Science of Fitness

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What if the end of one identity is the start of a stronger one? We sit down with coach and former NZ footy player Matthias Hemoulli to chart the messy, human path from bricklaying and burnout to building a life around health, coaching, and community. No highlight reel, just honest moments: losing the routine of sport, slipping into bad habits, hitting reset with a single choice to get fitter, and discovering a deep love for helping people move well.

Matthias pulls the curtain back on what real coaching looks like. Beyond programming and cues, it’s the intangibles: how you greet someone, the song you pick first, and how you tailor a session so a first-timer and a seasoned athlete both feel challenged and safe. We talk longevity, injury risk, and why detail matters when guiding people from their first squat to confident training weeks. The conversation also tackles social media noise and what it truly takes to last six years in the fitness industry.

You’ll hear how shifting from CrossFit competition to endurance rebuilt his body and mindset—less volume, more quality, smarter intensity. We dig into routine, balance, and the joy of seasons: marathon blocks, strength phases, and actual downtime. For beginners, we bust the “get fit before you start” myth and show how accountability and scaling make progress accessible at any age. For veterans, we explore generalist-first training—being broadly capable before specialising—so life, not just workouts, gets easier.

We also share some wild benchmarks that prove capacity can be wide: a sub-four marathon at 103 kilos, heavy squats, strong Olympic lifts, and a brutal 2k row. But the heart of the chat is belief. Back yourself, start small, and let community multiply your effort. If this story lights a spark, subscribe, share it with a mate who needs a nudge, and leave a quick review to help others find the pod.

SPEAKER_00:

Welcome to the Science of Fitness Podcast, where we aim to inspire you to live a healthier and more fulfilling life as we share evidence and anecdotes on all things relating to health, fitness, performance, business, and wellness. Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to the Science of Fitness Podcast. I'm here with the one and only Matthias Hemoulli, my friend. Welcome. Sabus. Very excited about this one, mate. And uh I know you are. You know, you've been asking me to go on the podcast every single week for the last, you know, six months, and uh we're finally here, mate. Good to be here. A little bit nervous, but it's good. We'll chop. Nerves are good, right? Means you care. Yeah, that's it. It's like when someone walks into the gym first time, it means they care. Mate. All good. Righto, so let's get into it. Um, it's funny, we do these episodes, and you know, often as you explicitly told me, why, why, why? I don't want to do this. This isn't fun. I don't want to get on the podcast. But more than anything for our members, and I think anyone that sort of is aware of the soft community and um and listen to this, it's it's it's really nice for them to actually get to know the person behind the uh the face they see maybe on social media or the person that pushes them in a class or whatever else it might be. So that's kind of a whole idea with this. And and and more importantly, I think the fitness industry is um it's still budding and we're still looking for our really good practitioners and and and our way. I think you know it's only 40 years old, maybe, as an actual effective let's have a career type industry. So um, you know, in this case, I think your story is a really unique one, and and I'm sure a lot of people take a lot of value out of that, mate. So if that doesn't convince you to uh you know be be stoked to be sitting here, then hopefully, hopefully something else will as we go along. But let's go into your your story, your career, mate. So um take us back. You've obviously come from a very active sporting background. How did you get into the fitness career? What happened before that? Give me the rundown.

SPEAKER_01:

Um, yeah, so started with footy, played that growing up, played that you know, forever for most of my um started my adult life as well, as well. And then um footy sort of led me to come to Brisbane as well, but even during high school and that was always love like you know, um health and fitness. And so where were you then? Uh in New Zealand, I was playing for the Junior Warriors. Yeah, um, and then once like that goes up to uh 20, and then once you turn 20, you either re-sign or you go elsewhere. So then ended up signing over with the North Devils over here, um, and then came over here, and then once footy sort of finished, um, I've always sort of had health and fitness as a passion of mine. So, but I didn't do it straight away. Um, I was brick lane for while I was playing footy, and I did that after footy as well. Absolutely hated it. Yeah, um, yeah, and then it got really overweight as well once I stopped playing footy, and then just decided, you know, let's get fit, and then yeah, straight away fell in love with it, and I was like, Oh, okay, this is what I what I need to do full-time and what I need to do uh with with my life as well, too. And then yeah, one thing led to another, and here we are, here we are, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Mate, so good. Um it's funny because I think a lot of people are in that situation in whatever career they might be in, where they're going, shit, I want to make a change. And it may not be to the health and fitness industry, but it you know, how hard was that for you to go, I need to change this and I'm gonna change this. Was that a hard thing, or were you like on a dime, let's go?

SPEAKER_01:

It was pretty hard, yeah. Because once I sort of stopped playing footy, I felt like I sort of like lost my identity as well. Um, so then you know, I was going down sort of a different path. You know, you call it the wrong path as well, um, where I got into a cycle of bad habits and then yeah, just I got sick of it one year and I just like I needed I need to change, something needs to change, and you know, I didn't know where to start. So it's like, oh, let's just try to start with losing a bit of weight. Um, and then yeah, one thing fell into another, and I was like, hey, I actually really enjoy not only training myself, but you know, like being in this industry, um, helping others and working along like-minded people.

SPEAKER_00:

And then what training did you do to go? Okay, I want to get I want to lose some weight.

SPEAKER_01:

Um, well, after footy, I kind of just fell into CrossFit. Yeah. Um, mainly just because it gave me that sort of competitive edge as well, like that you sort of get from footy or or any sport really, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, yeah, and I sort of fell into that a bit of weightlifting too. And um, you know, uh me like traditionally I hate running, so it was sort of giving me, you know, that cardio without having to run, or you know, and um I enjoyed it. Um and then yeah, sort of just sort of followed that path for a bit. Yeah. So you didn't c you went and did some CrossFit, you're still working. Yeah. Yeah, still still brick lane at the time too. Damn. Yeah, hated it too. Um, you know, I'd get to the weekends and just you know, sort of suppress my um I don't know, frustrations with with with life in other ways. Yeah. Um and then there just one sort of day I was just thought like I've had enough of this and make a change.

SPEAKER_00:

And so you trained pretty hard. Did you have to go oh six, ten weeks, save some money, do a course? How did that all sort of transition happen? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

So um uh yeah, so I sort of started um just with cert three and four, started studying that as well, um, and was doing that while I was doing bricklane, and then um I was doing my brick lane apprenticeship at the time as well. Um, and then I sort of, you know, once I quit that, and then I just put all my time and energy into the set three and four, and then giving the set done. Yeah, and then starting to what was your first fitness paying job? What were you doing? Uh well I was lucky enough to fall into the gym that I was training at. So uh Project 180, I was training there, and then they had um a couple of trainers that sort of left, and then um Glenn back then he was happy to take me on while I was studying too. Um, and then yeah, fell into the coaching role straight away. Um was was pretty lucky enough to fall into that.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that's epic. It's um it's really funny because everyone has a unique story. I got really lucky, you know. I was the I've said it a thousand times in this podcast and still get given shit for it, but I'm gonna say it again. I was the brother that I think my parents are like, oh, I don't know what he's gonna do. He's not very good at school, he doesn't behave very well, he can't sit still. Um, he trains hard. Maybe just kind of his certs and hopefully something hits. And yeah, sure as shit, I got lucky. First thing that we threw at the wall, first piece of spaghetti landed and it stuck, and I got lucky, you know. But so many people don't. Um, for those that are sort of sitting there in a job, be it I want to change to health and fitness or whatever career, and they're not loving it, like you've you've got that perspective of I'm I'm gonna do this, and you you made that call. Obviously, it's hard, it doesn't happen overnight. You knew something needed to change. What would you say to them that you know, genuinely in their soul, they're not happy with what they're doing? Because at the end of the day, we're gonna spend most of our lives doing that thing. So, you know, what would you say to those people that want to make that change?

SPEAKER_01:

Uh just you don't have to be unhappy, you know. Like uh I I was sort of in that cycle where it's like, oh, you know, this is what this is me. I just have to work, you know, everyone works to get their money and stuff, and you know, necessarily have to enjoy work, but it doesn't have to be that way, you know. Um I it's I think it's very easy, especially for you know, like a bit of a older generation to sort of just slave away work, you know, um work, work, work, and then go go for a holiday, but and suppress it on the weekend, as you said, and whatever means. Yeah, 100%.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, man, it's um you know, it's such a big thing because a lot often people have a go at me about working too much, and probably the same for you. But when like I'd like I don't know what else I'd do. I'd go home and scroll on my phone or watch another TV show. I don't even really care for that. Like I'd get so much joy out of out of this work, so and I'm sure there's there's jobs out there for people that are probably the same for them. So, man, it's um it's a pretty strong message, and I think it's underestimated. Definitely you probably underestimate it, but um, there's a lot of people that need to hear it. So um, yeah, what at what point after the certs? I'm stepping into this, I kind of like it. Did you go? And you won't really love this, but go, I'm actually pretty good at this. Yeah, did that hit?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I I guess it was never really an internal feeling, it was more external. Like I would get um, you know, good feedback um with the last gym too. Like I felt like we built a pretty good community, and and the same reason why I love it here at Soft is because of the community as well. But um, you know, I just get people that say, like, you know, um, you know, sort of reassuring you that what you were doing is is is good and people enjoying it, and people, um, you know, some people was their best part of the day coming to the gym. So just like you know, stuff like that where not get feedback from members, which is sort of that reinsurance. Um, I don't know, like in yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00:

I guess I made it's and that's just it, it's it's that simple, right? It's like I like coming and doing it. If you're not good at it, that's not gonna be very fun. But you know, getting that external validation is sometimes a really important thing, and I think it's you know, from a management perspective and and and you know, and understanding yourself, um, it's it's a very important part of like being able to go, okay, good then. You know, I'm not I'm not crazy, I'm not thinking I'm good at this job, but no one likes it, or I've got no customers or whatever it might be. So if you sort of look back at it, I mean, how long have you been in the industry now?

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, like six plus years. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

So that's a that's a fair chunk of time. You know, most I think most careers in our industry don't last half that time. Um what do you think people misunderstand about what it takes to actually last six years in the in the industry? Um, love it, still be passionate about it? Yeah, what's sort of the main thing there?

SPEAKER_01:

I guess it's different from when I first got into it to now. Like you have social media, like everyone's you know, quote unquote, in the industry now. Um, and there's a lot of like misleading knowledge all over, or quote unquote knowledge over the social media now too. Um what was the question again, Soy?

SPEAKER_00:

So, like what do what do you think people in and around that, what do people misunderstand about our industry and really what it takes to be good?

SPEAKER_01:

Probably detail in what we do, you know, like especially we're taking classes, people probably just think, you know, we're adult babysitters, but it's a lot more than that where we um, you know, we teach people how to move, move properly. Um, you know, we have the clinical side where we get more into detail with that, with yeah, you know, peep helping people come back from injuries or you know, people that haven't trained for 60 years of their life and they come in and they and they um learn how to move properly, and then you know that leads towards longevity as well and being able to live a long, healthy life rather than not just the strength, you know, building aspect.

SPEAKER_00:

How aware of you of the intangible things that you do in a class, particularly in group fitness, but even when training a client, um um yeah, how aware of you of those little things are you? Do you think? Is that something you consciously take in? Because I've watched you go, mate, and what do you think makes your session special?

SPEAKER_01:

Um I'm definitely not the brains of soft, but uh I I I reckon I bring a good vibe to classes, um, you know, uh maybe a bit of a bit of flavor in there too. Yeah, cultural flavor, particularly.

SPEAKER_00:

But mate, it it's funny, like I and why I ask is the way you greet people, the music you put on, the variable interaction of that person that hasn't trained for 60 years, as you said, that gets to come down to a 9 a.m. class, and they'll get treated just the same as the person that's been here for five years, just smashing themselves, one of our fittest members, and you can actually entertain them. You know, I think for a lot of people that walk in and get a job in a group fitness gym, it's like, oh yeah, let's just do it. And it's like, hang on. Yes, it's a group training session, but there's a bunch of individuals and they need to be recognized in that way. You can bring them together through the the class, but um doing that, and I think that's a big thing that I've observed you do, mate. And um it's it's you you can know how to teach people the squat and know the exercise sciences and everything else, but if you can't connect people in that sense or connect with people, you're not gonna get that message through. So thanks, bro. Yeah, mate. It's something um I don't know if you noticed, but as I said, it's uh it's it's far more important than knowing the biomechanical details. Um and that's probably a big thing that I think people doing undergraduates and doing master's degrees and doing things in the in the industry in terms of study that need to understand that there's humans on the other side of what you're studying for. And if you can't connect with them, that that's what needs to be prioritized. Let's jump to your footy career and its influence on health and fitness. What is your experiences playing and being in professional environments um done or shaped in terms of how you approach training people?

SPEAKER_01:

Uh I guess for myself, like you know, with footy and all that, it's it's always just being a staple training in my life and and you know, staying healthy, except for obviously a couple of years where I went off the rails of it. But um it's I guess it's well you turned back to it, right? You knew it was always there and you don't depend on it. Yeah, um, but yeah, routine I guess is always been the thing for me, like uh training, you know, staying fit and healthy, just having that general knowledge. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Um what else from the environments in terms of like pro footy world that you've brought from that and try to instill in the way you practice?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I guess I guess discipline too. Um and just for me, I'm such a a goal or a milestone um personnel. I always like to train towards something, always like to have things to train towards. Um that's been a huge thing for me as well. Like now that I'm not playing footy, you know, having other things put in place to try to train towards, or um, and yeah, just I guess routine's the biggest thing for me as well. Yeah, if I don't sort of get that training in, or if you know if my diet's a bit off, I you know, I feel it sort of straight away.

SPEAKER_00:

And and you feel you're conscious of that sort of slip. And it's funny when you when you are an athlete, all you want to do is be competitive, be better, and win, right? And and that's on your mind, every decision you're making around food and training, and then suddenly you're not. It's a pretty big deal to sort of deal with. Um, how do you go with challenging that? Is it like I've got to set this thing, I'm training for this now?

SPEAKER_01:

I guess it's like it could be, you know, it can work either way. It's a good thing and a bad thing as well. Because yeah, I guess you can get to the point where you get obsessed with it too. So I've I've definitely learned post-footy, like the the importance of balance as well, too. And um, you know, um being able to enjoy yourself and live happy as well, as well as you know, training. Dialing in. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, lock in when you need to, yeah, and then enjoy your time off when you get it. When do you kick what do you do? What do you do to balance it, mate? Because you train pretty hard. I just uh visit the old kernel, mate. Or uh KFC mate. Yeah, nice. Just a little pop-in, yeah, little afternoon tea, nothing more. Yeah, I um, you know, I I can train hard what I need to, but I can definitely um eat hard when I need to as well.

SPEAKER_00:

Mate, it's good, and it's again, like this is the thing is the awareness of it, right? Like, as you said, it can be debilitating and actually unhealthy if you just do the training, have no enjoyment, sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice for what? Like you're not running out on a footy field anymore. It's not gonna be measured by a win or a loss. It's like actually, do you enjoy it? Like, do you feel good about it? I think a lot of people, and you've probably seen it in clients that they actually don't enjoy their training and they feel this obligation because it might bring them joy, but where does that come?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, you never want it to feel like a chore, you know. You always want to be able to enjoy your training, and um, you know, because obviously we have a lot of things else going on on in life as well, too. So if your training's a trail as well, then it could, you know, waterfall or snowball into other things as well.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, pretty negatively, and you'll probably stop. It'll break in some point. Yeah, yeah. What do you do within training that makes you enjoy it?

SPEAKER_01:

Um within training. Yeah, I I I'm regularly changing up my training, which is you know, uh, for like probably like the last five years I've done CrossFit this year. Well, I've always been a pretty bad runner, so I've decided to get better at that. Um, and that sort of just led to a couple other things on the way, like um you know, I've done a half marathon, a marathon this year, uh done a few high roxes, um, and then B man's managed to um convince us to do a little Iron Man next year. So a little iron man, is there such a thing? Holy shit. I know, but like a year me a year ago would would probably faint if you heard I was doing this, but here we are and enjoying the ride. Mate, that's crazy. Yeah, that's big. Didn't actually know you're doing that. Yeah, well we're starting off with the try in March, and then we'll do the the half Iron Man in September, and then end of the year we'll do the Iron Man. Do the full, which I think the Perth one that Bustleton. I think so, yeah. Jeez, go back to Perth. Yeah, nice, mate.

SPEAKER_00:

That's um that's really interesting. How have you found that transition from CrossFit style where you belt yourself, you're training heaps um to going into a little bit more of the endurance-based stuff. What's what's the difference you're observed you've observed for yourself? The body's definitely happier.

SPEAKER_01:

Like I'm just yeah, I've always had a lot of niggles during CrossFit, and I feel like the the CrossFit methodology is different to CrossFit competing, if that makes sense. So I was obviously competing in that, so a lot of training, a lot of volume. Yeah. Um, and yeah, I just found like I was always had some sort of niggle, some sort of injury that I was carrying as well. Um, and then that's that's not just CrossFit by itself, it's probably me as well, with a bit of over-training. I guess I've sort of took those lessons into the new newer style training that I'm doing now. So a bit more um intensity, like over volume now. So um probably less volume, but just more intensity and more quality into the sessions that I am doing. Um, but also just enjoying the difference. Yeah, um, it's it's it's a new challenge, like something that you know, totally out of a comfort zone for me and something that I'm terrible at. But I just enjoy the challenge in that alone, you know.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, yeah. Well, totally. It's it's sort of funny. Like, I even find there there is a sort of cyclical nature, particularly if you train a lot of like over three to five years, dial in on the thing, and then you kind of just go, you reach a ceiling with it, and like unless it's really competitive, like a specific sport of some kind, you go, what else is there? Like, let's let's let's take this all the lessons from this type of training, CrossFit in your case, pivot across, let's go to a little bit more endurance-based stuff. What have you taken from that? What are the capacities? And then how can you sort of yeah, move around?

SPEAKER_01:

Well, it's definitely, I'd say, well, with CrossFit, I just feel like I'm just redlining every day. Yeah, right. You know, you you have shorter workouts, so like 15 minutes as normally like your average workout, and you're just you know redlining the whole time. Whereas here and with a bit more endurance space, you know, it's like 60 minutes plus where my heart rate's not that high. Also, I'm enjoying that.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You have your obviously your time. What would you prefer? Okay, so you've got a let's say a 90-minute run, like or a half marrow, or like a you know, a couple of hard CrossFit sort of sessions back to back.

SPEAKER_01:

I I enjoy both, like I enjoy both. Um, but I I'll probably me enjoy the 90 minutes a bit more just because my heart rates are not going that high. Um it's not as uncomfortable like in that little instant. Yeah, I'd definitely rather do a half marathon than like maybe like a 5k for time, which which is brutal. Um have that next week. So look at it. 5k for time. Yeah, so when are you doing that? Wednesday.

SPEAKER_00:

What time of day? Uh midday. Uh let's go hottest day.

SPEAKER_01:

I can I can reschedule that if you need.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I was gonna say I might join you, but I just needed to check that time. Mate, uh, we'll see. Mate, pretty cool. So, okay, so so you've spoken about a couple of habits that you had to kind of unlearn CrossFit training, like you can't red line all the time. What did what have you had to unlearn from a footy perspective in terms of the way you used to train then into CrossFit or maybe into now?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I'd say very similar with footy too. Um, obviously with footy, you know, we had everything mapped out for us. Um, but I guess just learning that yeah, you don't have to sort of push yourself to full exhaustion every single session. Um I guess I've always had that sort of nature of always trying to overtrain and stuff. So yeah, just sort of send it.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, go as hard as you can. It's the only way you're gonna get better.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I guess that was another thing we used to do in fitnesses. Like we used to say, like, you know, start start fast and hold on. Yeah. Whereas then, you know, you obviously burn out pretty quickly.

SPEAKER_00:

Um particularly if you're going for the endurance stuff, it's just you just can't handle it. 100%, 100%. Um but no more out fast back slow, it's uh out slow, backslow. Yeah, 100%. For me at least, anyway. But that's interesting. So so if you sort of think about the client side of things, you know, what do you think you see as general misconceptions that people have when training with you, when getting into training in general? Um, and and really speaking to the person that hasn't trained much before, they haven't done much sport, they're pretty nervous about it. What do you think the sort of misconceptions are about about exercising?

SPEAKER_01:

Um, that probably you have to be like a certain fitness level to start, you know. I guess a lot of people, the hardest thing is to actually start. And because they have, you know, um conceptions in their head that they have to be at a certain level to start, which is not true, you know. You um it can be any level to start and everything is adjustable. We can um make things uh I guess harder, easier, yeah, you know, yeah, and balance that it's the biggest thing, man.

SPEAKER_00:

And people go, Oh, let me just get a little bit fitter before I get started. Yeah, and you're like, wait, but you're not going in, especially if you don't have that accountability, you know. Totally, right? And that's just it, and and the fun element of the the people side, which is that's what makes us accountable to things. Like 100%. I make sure I'm trying to book you know the boys in for a run on Saturday morning because if they don't come, oh there's a good chance I might not come. So yeah, it makes it pretty fun. Um, in terms of like dealing with such a diverse mix of people, you know, you've got what would you say, some of the oldest people that come to class at 5 30 on a Friday night, month with Thursday night, whatever. They're probably some people in their 50s. Oh, easily 50 plus, 60 plus 50 plus, 60 plus, and then you've got some national level athletes, the rowing programs, rugby programs, etc. How do you find like the similarities with them? And then what are the differences with them, and then how do you deal with that?

SPEAKER_01:

Um, I'd say the similarities would be the mindset, you know, like the you know, we have some like weapons that are 50, 60 plus, you know, and they they can push those younger athletes too, and then and it's not so much about them doing the same level of um output, output exactly. Yeah, it's more about the effort. So they both have the effort, and I easily well, I know for myself, like I get inspired when I see you know 50, 60 plus people um, you know, pushing themselves in the gym and and sort of you know um debunking those myths that you know as you get older you have to slow down. You know, I feel like you know, if you if you don't use it, you lose it. And it's not so much about you know still training how the the 20-year-old trains, you know, it just you just change the goalpost to to suit you, and um especially as you age, but it doesn't mean you can't do what he's doing, you know. You might have a couple adjustments, but you you know you can still still push yourself.

SPEAKER_00:

You got arms, you got legs, you can move it. Yeah, 100%. What's your sort of favorite success story that sort of comes to mind with that population, particularly?

SPEAKER_01:

Uh I'd have to go. I don't that's a good one. But uh comes to mind it's like David and Ian straight away. Yeah, you know, they they come in every day, and then Saturdays included too, you know, and they obviously we have like a little competition on Saturday where you have like your team competitions, and they don't care about winning, but they every time you know they're on the floor after the session, they push themselves to that limit. You know, they're not doing that every day, but it's just cool to still see they have it in them and then and they um you know they like pushing themselves out of the comfort zone, yeah, and you know, just despite their age.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, yeah, exactly. And then that's just it is this you know more I think the more this whole longevity idea and this, you know, people actually exercising and utilizing it as that tool for their health, um, seeing people that are in their 40s and their 50s, jumping into group fitness for me is like probably one of the best things because it's not necessarily about competing or having an output that measures against the person next to you that's young and in their 20s and whatever. It's much more about just like actually I'm moving my body. I'm surrounded by people that enjoy moving their my body, their bodies too. Um, and there's a lot of connection that comes with that. Yeah, I think that's probably the best part is that sort of the young and the old and everything in between actually get together as opposed to going, oh, you guys are just in this class and don't talk to them, kind of thing.

SPEAKER_01:

I think what's the coolest thing about the community too is because we have all age demographics and age groups as well that you know when where else are you gonna see, you know, like a a 19-year-old just finished school talking to you know a 50 plus year old, which is pretty cool.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, totally. So if you knowing what you know now, six years in the health and fitness industry training all sorts of clients, all sorts of layers, donening uh done so many things training wise with your body, asked so many questions of it. If you had a message back for yourself, like when you were going into that sort of professional realm of your career, what would that have been? Oh, good question.

SPEAKER_01:

Um probably just to back yourself, you know. I guess like a young Matthias, even probably to this day too, has struggled a lot with confidence and struggled a lot with um I guess believing in themselves too. So I guess, you know, back then or even yeah, back then I I had all the tools, you know, I had the mindset and stuff, but just never had that that total belief. So if I could just go back and let them know, like just believe in yourself, uh believe in what you're doing, believe in your training, you know, the people around you too, and trust the process as well. Yeah, totally. I mean, how many young blacks need to hear that, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Like don't overthink it, relax, trust your work, go to it, and then when the opportunity comes, put your hand up and take it because it's very, very skinny. 100%.

SPEAKER_01:

And I guess you take those opportunities for granted too, you know. Like I remember being at the WAS and just having everything there, going to like you know, hotels, go coming to Australia every second weekend, yeah, and I came over here, and like even just little things like um all the gear you used to get, and they came over here. I was like, Oh, I have to buy boots.

SPEAKER_00:

Like, what do you mean? Yeah, man. And it does, and it's so fleeting, right? It's like in front of you at 18, 19, you have no idea, you've got very little perspective. You walked out of school into that, yeah, and then it could be gone in an instant. Was it major injuries and anything that sort of really rocked you while you were playing?

SPEAKER_01:

Uh I was pretty lucky. Like I I would I'll do my ankles. Um, I broke my hand as well, which I still got the pins in there. Um, but I was pretty lucky I didn't wasn't injured um much. It was more just I I fell out of love with the game as well. I was meant to go to um France in 2020 and then COVID hit as well. And then after that, that's when I sort of stopped playing and then got into the coaching role a bit, coaching role a bit more.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, yeah, and then went down the old exercise train, mate, and yeah, haven't looked back since. Well, we're we're we're lucky to have you, mate. We're lucky to have you a part of it. I'm grateful. Um in terms of like back to the clients and I mean jumping around everywhere, but you know, from that sport perspective, from your general training perspective, from people that you've seen, uh if there was one message that you sort of think rings true after six years in the industry working with all sorts of walks of life and particularly training training the hell out of yourself, um, what's sort of the big one that really kind of resonates with you that you want to beat your chest about and go, yeah, that that that's it?

SPEAKER_01:

Um yeah, I guess backing yourself as well, you know, having that self for self-belief that you can do whatever your goals are, you know, it could be um I just want to be healthy and have longevity, or you could have goals where you're working towards milestones as well, despite what the goal is. I think just backing yourself and and having that self-belief. Um and that sort of stacks up on those little moments, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_00:

Like the days you don't feel like it. 100%. And and and people probably go, and you would have seen this a lot, that sort of negative self-talk of going, I can't do that because I didn't go yesterday and I've let myself down and I've let the trainers down, and now I feel bad about it. And as you said, that negative feedback loop sort of spirals down pretty negatively. But yeah, it's just like, no, like flush it and go again, sort of thing. Yeah, the old I'll start on Monday. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 100%, man. That's just starting now. Something small, right? And just a little step gets got gets you to go a long way. Um, mate, super good. Right, let's talk uh just to sort of spice it up for the fans because you've done some pretty crazy things, mate. I want to get a little bit of uh actual data. Um, so so we'll start with the endurance stuff, go backwards. You did that marathon, you did it on your own.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, uh, it was kind of spur of the moment too, because I was uh because Joey was away, so I was um down staying at his place in Burley and and working down at the soft burley too, and it was just so nice to run down there, man. And um I did this little July challenge where I ran at least 5k every day, and then I got got to the end of July 31 days, and then I was like, Oh, um, let's try to go for 50, and then it came to day 32 and I didn't run, and I was so pissed off at myself. So I was like, okay, we'll we've got to do like a punishment, so we'll run, I don't know, 30k, whatever. And I got to 30 and I was like, oh, feeling good. Like, let's let's keep going for 42. And then I got to 31 and just hit a wall. Five minutes later. Five minutes later, bro. Yeah, and I was so unprepared, like I had no gels or anything, so it's like stopping at the servo, just downing any any sort of like sugar. Um but we got it done. We got it done.

SPEAKER_00:

But yeah, how what did you do? How long did it take?

SPEAKER_01:

Uh 356. 356 marathon, and you'd daily train for one. I did um I did pause my watch when I went into like the servo though. So it would have been no we can cut that part out, bro. No one needs to it would have been like yeah, 410, I reckon. Okay. So at at what what body weight? Uh 103.

SPEAKER_00:

103, a 410 marathon with a couple of stops, cut out the stops.

SPEAKER_01:

Moving time 356. Toughest thing I've done today. Any really, yeah, any cost of comm, any anything so far.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I was gonna I was gonna say then, like next question, like you know, bet best back squat. I've put a video up of where you've sent it to me. But but heaviest back squat. What what's that? Um managed to get 220 a couple years ago. 220. Yeah, but um now, like like after that marathon a couple weeks later, what do you reckon you could do? 1 RM, 5 RM now back squat.

SPEAKER_01:

Um 1 RM I could probably hit 200 at the moment, but um I think I did a 5RM a couple weeks ago and it was 180 at the moment. But yeah, I've lost a bit of strength since running, but you know, just all right. Just a lean endurance machine, though, mate.

SPEAKER_00:

I wish, I wish. Go 2k row, you've done a few of those.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, yeah, that's another red line one. Uh yeah, what's your best there? Uh 141.

unknown:

Damn.

SPEAKER_01:

Sorry, not 141. 141, no. Uh 641. 641, so sub seven minute. Yeah, I think I was trying to hold sub 140, but that last yeah, that last 200. Yeah. The last 200 is tough. Or for Cliff. But it's over in sub seven minutes, right? As opposed to three hours, nearly four. Uh just consistently running. Yeah, I remember I did that last one because the Roaring boys all had their one as well. Yeah. But they're getting sub six. I was like, mate. Different beast, yeah. That's unbelievable. Because what are you holding to go sub-seven? Uh if you're doing a sub seven, I think it's just sub 145. 145 per 500.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, per 500 meter split. Man, that's pretty impressive. Consecutive muscle ups, butterfly ones, CrossFit star.

SPEAKER_01:

Uh Max reps. 23, I think. Jesus. I think we had a little competition uh with a few of the boys I used trained with, and one of them got like 30, and I was like, damn. That's pretty impressive. Yeah, I was I was I was better on the barbell.

SPEAKER_00:

Um I'm fucking dragging this out of you, mate, because some of these numbers I've seen you throw around are pretty bloody impressive. Let's go um strict pull-ups or chin-ups. Uh 20. 20 on the nose.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, that was kind of like a milestone I wanted to get, it was 20. Yeah. But that was actually back when I was playing footy when I was like 91 kilos. Oh wow. A couple years ago I did it. Um, and I only got like 16, I think. Yeah. It's just that that's that 10 kgs extra. Actually, hopefully I'll hopefully try and beat that. Listen like because I've been trying to do a lot more pull-ups for Horox for the sleep pool. So yeah, nice.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay. Ask me again in a couple of 20 is great, mate. 20 20, you're meeting the criteria. Um clean and jerk. Oh, 160. 160. Damn.

SPEAKER_01:

That was my favourite lift, though. I love clean and jerk. Yeah, yeah. Snatch? Uh 127.

SPEAKER_00:

And that's like, did you get your best weightlifting outputs because of CrossFit?

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Or did you do the weightlifting and then go to CrossFit, or did you keep them separate?

SPEAKER_01:

No, that's actually one thing I wish I did too, is just purely do weightlifting as well. Because I only just did it um in CrossFit Comps. Um, and then I actually hit up a weightlifting coach, Jax, who's out in Ipswich. Oh no, yeah, Jax. Oh, yeah, he's the best person I've ever seen. I was watching him lift up. Yeah, he's crazy strong too. Yeah. I hit him up last year to start some crossfit, and then I um I broke my or bruised my ribs. Yeah. And then um, and then I started running, and I just yeah, just went down a different path. But I always wish I actually did do some weightlifting comps. One day. Yeah, maybe it's not too late.

SPEAKER_00:

Mid 30s and get get that old man strong. Yeah, mate. Pretty epic, pretty epic numbers. Like I sorry for making you you know put that out on air, but uh I know you're humble about it. But um mate, it's um to be able to run a sub four hour marathon, squat, double body weight, and some um 10 uh 20, 10 muscle ups, 20 pull-ups. You got 23 muscle ups, which is oh that's with the kip with the kip. Yeah, it doesn't count, right? But um, and then obviously having that that weightlifting, mate, it's um it's pretty sweet. And I think this is where I I'd love CrossFit as a theoretically, in terms of jack of all trades or as many trades as possible, right? Like that's kind of the whole idea with it. Um, and and that's from a principal perspective for me, where most people need to be looking at their training. You know, don't just be a red liner, just do, you know, really hard running, but then be piss weak. You know, you've got to be as strong as you possibly can. Like, unless you want to really specialise and dial in on a sport because you're playing in that sport to compete on that sport, right? Be okay at everything. And then if you can gradually get a little bit better at everything and end up you know being as good as you at everything, amazing. I think it's a big mistake that I think a lot often our industry pushes people into a specialization rather than go and get good at this, go to the next thing, go to something that you suck at, like you've done with your running.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I guess, yeah, I guess that's what I enjoyed about CrossFit too, is just um there's so much you can you can do. Like you know, you can you can be good at weightlifting, but then your gymnastics sort of can suffer as well. So it's forcing you to be all-rounded. But like it's something that I've always liked to do is just try different things too. So I'm trying this at the moment and we'll see how we go.

SPEAKER_00:

Running and then see what see where to next, mate. Awesome. Well, uh, I'm pretty stoked to uh to not only just witness you train and do your thing, but mate, obviously have you a part of the team. It um I think I've said it to you enough, but uh mate, what you bring and your vibe you bring is is probably one of the most unique I've seen and and one of the best I've seen in the industry. So and uh and it it means a lot to me and it means a lot to a lot of our members, I know. And I think everybody listening to this will be able to go, yep, okay, he is the man. I'm not just not just making it up. I'm gonna lose followers after this, mate. Sorry. And uh, but yeah, mate, it's really special. And I think more than anything, our industry needs people like you. You know, it needs people that are good with people and and people that are passionate about what they do and it oozes out of you, mate. So uh so don't stop keeping on because um I know you inspire and you help a lot of people and probably a lot more than you can even begin to fathom. So, mate, thanks very much for jumping on and thanks for uh just being the man. Thanks, mate.

SPEAKER_01:

It wasn't too bad either.

SPEAKER_00:

Not too bad. Yeah, feel okay. Excellent. Sweet. Well, we'll have to do it again next week. No, all good. Thanks for that. No, thanks, mate. Appreciate it. Is it all right? That easy, bro. It's not that hard. Thanks for listening to today's episode. For more regular insights into SOF, be sure to check us out on Instagram or Facebook, or visit our website at science of fitness.com.au. Once again, we thank you for tuning in to the Science of Fitness Podcast.