UpLIFT You: Strong Body, Strong Mind
Join host Leanne Knox for an in-depth look at the stories behind the barbell, lifting and life. We give you the tools and resources and chat with the leading experts to help you build physical and mental fortitude for whatever stage of life you're at. Tune in every Saturday at 7 AM AEST and prepare to be Up Lifted.
UpLIFT You: Strong Body, Strong Mind
21 | Transforming Lives Through Strength and Connection with Brandon Greco
Get ready to be inspired by the extraordinary journey of Brandon Grieco, the head coach and owner of Epic Coaching, on our latest episode of “Uplift You.” Brandon takes us from his early days as a high school trainee to becoming the successful coach of the Redcliffe Dolphins Queensland Rugby League side. He shares his unique coaching philosophy, “better lifters make better people and better people make better lifters,” and discusses how he instills discipline and confidence in his athletes, drawing inspiration from bodybuilder Kai Greene. Throughout the conversation, Brandon's passion for transforming lives through athletic training shines brightly.
Join us as we dive deep into the personal struggles and triumphs of athletes, particularly focusing on a powerlifter who opens up about their battle with self-doubt and mental health challenges. This candid narrative reveals the immense pressure athletes face, not just physically but emotionally, and how professional help and resilience can lead to significant breakthroughs. We explore how mental resilience is just as crucial as physical strength, emphasizing that the journey towards mental well-being is ongoing and requires perseverance.
Finally, we discuss the power of genuine human connections in coaching and personal relationships. Brandon emphasizes the importance of connecting with athletes on a personal level before guiding them, which fosters a cohesive and supportive team culture. We delve into strategies for building meaningful connections and how these relationships enhance performance and create lasting bonds. Brandon also shares his excitement for upcoming community events like the powerlifting competition in Cairns, underscoring the importance of community and camaraderie in sports. Don’t miss this episode packed with valuable insights on strength, resilience, and the transformative power of connection.
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Welcome to Uplift you, creating strong bodies and mind. Get ready to power up your day with practical strength training tools, inspiring stories and build resilience of body and mind. It's time to Uplift you, together with your host, leanne Knox. Welcome to the next episode of Uplift you, the podcast that helps you create a stronger body and a stronger mind.
Speaker 1:Today, we welcome Brandon Grieco, the head coach and owner of Epic Coaching. He started in the industry 14 plus years ago when, still in high school, as part of a school-based traineeship, he worked in GloboBox gyms for a while as he was building up a PT client base. Working in those environments shaped Brandon's perception on business and allowed him to develop a work ethic in a competitive environment. He competed in his first powerlifting comp in 2014 and loved it. The sport grew rapidly from there and, in his words, I was lucky enough to be in the right spot at the right time. Through ups and downs, brandon has built a successful business, celebrating 10 years this year Impressively. He also works and coaches at the Redcliffe Dolphins Queensland Rugby League side. Welcome to Uplift you, brandon.
Speaker 2:Well, firstly, that introduction was probably the best introduction I've ever heard, in summary of what I've been lucky enough to do in the last 10 years, and it sounded a lot better than what I gave you. So thank you for that introduction. It's actually an honor to be here today. So, mate, I'm really happy that you invited me on, because I'm a big believer in what you do and love sharing. We've had some great conversations over the last couple of years about how to be stronger, not just physically but mentally, so thank you very much for having me on.
Speaker 1:Well, it's an honor for me that you're here and for my listeners. I've actually worked with Brandon, as both in an educational setting I've done one of your courses powerlifting coaching courses which was absolutely fantastic and really leveled up my powerlifting coaching courses, which was absolutely fantastic and really um leveled up my powerlifting coaching um, powerlifting being my second sport to olympic weightlifting.
Speaker 2:so you know, I'm still on a mission to change that too. I'm still going to convert you eventually okay, okay, well, we'll.
Speaker 1:Uh, you can go and talk to my coach, damien, about that, because he's on that list as well. And also, I've worked with Brandon in helping me level up my performance as a lifter myself, even in the Olympic weightlifting space. So I did come to you, brandon I think it was about a year and a half ago, um, and got you to help me with, um, a few of my movement patterns that I was struggling with, and and um, that was. That was fantastic too, because brandon is really hones in on great technique and the biomechanics behind that, which, um, which is, is fantastic for anyone who wants to understand how they're moving and why they're moving like that. So, brandon, staying true to the goal of this podcast, when I asked you how you uplift others, your quote was better lifters make better people and better people make better lifters.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so that for me, has encompassed, I guess for lack of a better word my coaching philosophy, something that I probably only really developed in the last four, five years, roughly since I will say that COVID period. You know that 2020. I've always seen a big link in myself, like I was an 18-year-old kid watching YouTube videos on the world's best bodybuilders and they were talking about like. One of my favorite bodybuilders was I'm not sure if everyone listening will remember him, but Kai Greene, this guy that would be almost polarizing because he'd be this unreal physique but he'd talk about philosophy and he'd talk about these ideas, about visualize, visualization and creating this idea of what you wanted to be. And you know, as an 18 year old kid, that was very much over my head at the time, um, but I think, as I've obviously developed and grown older and really delved into one athletic pursuits but also in business, you start to realize and go well, maybe he was talking, there was some truth behind what he was talking about. So that really was like my first introduction to this idea that better lifters make better people.
Speaker 2:And then, over the years, I've watched and watched and I've coached hundreds thousands of athletes now and there's always a.
Speaker 2:It's always really humbling and awesome to see that not only does their lifting improve where they dedicate themselves to you know this pursuit, but they'll come in and tell me that their relationships improve because you know they're feeling more confident about themselves.
Speaker 2:Or you know they've been able to improve at work because the discipline they've created in their training has transferred over into that aspect. And I think it's no secret now that whether you're on a field or a paddock court or in the gym, what we do on those in those aspects transfers to everything in our life. So if I can improve someone as a lifter, I know that out there they're going to be a much better husband, father, mother, wife, parent, whatever it may be. But it also in reverse if they're improving themselves out there, if they go to some, if they go see a psychologist and talk about, you know, things that might be holding them back, I know that in here I'm going to be able to get more out of them, maybe not in the short term when they are uncovering those things, but most definitely the long term, because I know they've created better habits or they've uncovered something about themselves that goes yeah.
Speaker 2:I know I'm capable of more, which is really really, again, awesome to see more, which is really really again awesome to see, absolutely so.
Speaker 1:Can you think of a specific example in your coaching career so far where you have seen someone overcome either the physical barrier or a mental barrier and the opposite? So either their physical performance has improved or their mental performance, their mindset, their life performance has improved.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I think you know the one that there's so many physical improvements that you know we could sit here and rattle on. Like you know, even this morning I've had people tag me in their videos on Instagram and go. I never thought at the start of the year that I would hit this 190 triple squat. Like you know, his max previously was only a 185 single, sorry. He's now tripling 190 in what? Eight, nine months? And like it's over the moon for him and I'm'm like that's great, that is awesome. But I also know for a fact that he's divulged to myself. You know he's gone and seen a psychologist, his relationships improved with not only his wife but also himself. He's much more committed athlete and I'll tell this one story. I love this because I was working at this gym a few years back and again, this is where that coach philosophy really developed and we were all quite high achievers.
Speaker 2:We were all pumping out a lot of high quality powerlifters that were going to these big meets. We had a few baseball fellas come in and train with us. We were training different athletes from different various sports. This one bloke comes in one day and he's like oh, I bought a house and we're all like what? Like, firstly, that seems like a really you know like big thing to just drop on someone when it wasn't even on your radar, no one knew about. He's like, yeah, no, I bought a house, I just was. You know, I really had to level up. And we're like what do you mean? And he's like, well, all you are just doing so much within your own worlds. I felt like I had to achieve something, something else apart from my lifting, and we're all just like oh, wow, like that. We didn't expect that answer, we didn't expect to have that effect on people.
Speaker 2:But again it comes back to that like, whatever we're doing, if you're trying to excel in something, like you want to grow as a person, like I think it's, you know, um, very important for us to keep growing as individuals. But it put that in an environment where you're all working towards the same goal, and I think you know olympic lifting, powerlifting even you're all working towards the same goal, and I think you know Olympic lifting, powerlifting, even rugby league you all have the same goal. You either all want to get stronger or, if you're in a team-based sport, you all want to win a grand final. And that is the start of that recipe or start of that equation to build towards a really good community and build towards success having a common goal. So I hope that answers your question. To build towards a really good community and build towards success having a common goal. So I hope that answers your question. But like a couple of those just straight away, you know they're the big ones that stuck out for me over time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's very fitting in that you know people, as they get the courage and the bravery to challenge themselves physically, they're also challenging themselves mentally, because without one, if one of those sides of performance or of life falls down, so does the other one. And I'm very curious what do you think is that? What are some of the narratives that you come across, some common narratives that you come across that people are telling themselves let's go for the physical first when they approach the bar. Um, what are some of the things that you hear people either say out loud or have they've confessed to you that they've thought um, as they're, as they're challenging their physical performance? There's some common narratives there, some common words.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. And, like you know, I'll talk about myself here. Firstly, like I've you know, I haven't achieved the greatest things in the sport. Like my best powerlifting total in the grand scheme of things isn't that great, but for me it was huge. For me it was, like you know. Again, you would know this as well when you dedicate yourself to giving something, everything in, in some cases only an extra two and a half kilos on the bar, but it means the world to you. And I know for a fact that there was multiple times in one of my last powerlifting preps where I would approach the bar and I'd go I don't f*** up this, I can't do this, I am just not up to this today at all.
Speaker 2:At that point in my life I was dealing with a lot of mental trauma, I guess, uncovering.
Speaker 2:I was going to a psychologist multiple times a week trying to rebuild myself. Going to a psychologist multiple times a week trying to rebuild myself, but also in a physical capacity, try and give all this energy to a pursuit that just it honestly felt like I was pushing shit uphill for a lot of that time. But and there'd be times where I'd go to the bar and I'd stare at the squat bar and I remember it so specifically and I'd be like I don't got this, like I don't got this, like I don't got this, and I would have to find ways to challenge that, I'd have to find ways to overcome that. Um, and I think that's a very common narrative and you know, as you said, like I've had a lot of lifters confess to me, you know, when they've missed the lift, they may be all rah-rah, getting all hyped up for it, and then go and they miss it and then go oh I don't, I didn't think I got it, I didn't think I would have it.
Speaker 1:So, as they're approaching the bar, they are actually saying to themselves, essentially, I can't do this, this is not going to be successful, and that's what you were saying about yourself in that particular period of your time. Sorry, that period of time that you talked about, where you know, your personal life was a struggle as well. So were you at that time in your head thinking I don't have this as in the bar, I don't have this lift. Were you also thinking I don't have this in your life?
Speaker 2:Yeah, like honestly it was. The comparison was exactly that. It was pretty much exactly the same. I would walk into the gym and go why am I here? What am I doing? I don't have this. I'm not good enough. I haven't earned the right to get to this weight and I'd go into where it'd be my business at the time you know the same business I'm in now or I'd walk home and go. I don't deserve this happiness. I don't deserve this success. I don't deserve this. I'm not good enough. I'm not good enough. It was just that constant repeat which anyone knows. You get told something long enough and on repeat, you start to believe it. So you're walking into an environment where you're supposed to be confident. You're walking into up to a squat bar. You're walking to a meeting and you're supposed to go. I've got this like I'm really positive, but behind closed doors. You're like an anxious mess going. I don't know if I've got this. What the hell? I'm seeing multiple psychologists at the at the means.
Speaker 2:At that point in time, you know, I feel like I'm crazy, like all the evidence is showing me that I'm actually okay. You know what? Maybe you are mentally unstable right now, but life doesn't stop.
Speaker 1:You just keep going. So it seems that time was a very difficult hurdle in your life. So did you see that coming, or how did you navigate that situation in your life? How did you work through that?
Speaker 2:So I think to give context to the conversation is I'd first say I probably didn't see it coming. I think we can all really fool ourselves into thinking everything's all sunshine and rainbows. But my partner at the time, who's now my wife, you know we were having problems. I was, and nothing to do with, obviously, my wife. She's the greatest thing since sliced bread and the. I credit a lot of what I am today and who I am today to, to the love and support she gave me and still gives me, obviously.
Speaker 2:But you know we were having issues because I had undiagnosed, unbebeknown trauma that was going on. So we actually ended up going to a couples counselor just trying to get you know, get back on the same page, and it was a different type of therapy that I'd ever been to or exposed to. So I guess a lot of therapists, psychologists, will work within the realm of cbt, um, so cognitive behavioral therapy, whereas this shift in therapy that we went saw uh sorry, used was called eft, so emotionally focused therapy. So really starting to talk about the emotion which, for a male in his prime and I'm for those not watching, I'm using air quotations because I don't know if you'd call that prime, but in that prime I didn't think I needed to talk about emotions.
Speaker 2:I was lifting big weights, I had this ego inflation, I was alpha male, I was everything, and so to go into a room that would probably be no bigger actually it was probably smaller than the office I'm in right now sit directly in front of someone and go why isn't this working? It was quite confronting, it was quite hard. I remember my wife she wasn't my wife at the time, but her talking about things and I'm listening going. This is new to me, but it's probably something she'd already said to me years ago, but it just didn't land with me until we're in this point and I go, she's really reaching for me. The only thing was that again I had this trauma that I hadn't really dealt with, that I didn't even know really existed. So in this space it all came out.
Speaker 1:Is that actually the first? Was that the first time that you where you confronted that trauma or realised that that was there in that room at that time?
Speaker 2:Yes, 100%. Like I delved into therapy before never really getting anywhere because, again, it was working very much on a cognitive level for me. Just, you know, I know it works for a lot of others. It didn't land with me because I think a lot of my trauma childhood trauma, um, sexual abuse, trauma was deep-rooted down, like it was just like I tried to just pack as much stuff on top of that when you know it came from, you know business. I put on top of that lifting, I put on top of that drugs, alcohol, anything I could to really hide that um, or escape it is probably even a better word. So then it, you know you're in a room and it just came out. I just started.
Speaker 2:I remember one session, um, our therapist, we were talking about like uncovering our family histories and I didn't get really much of a chance to speak, um, just purely because of time, time constraints, and then all of a sudden I just started crying. I just was just this ball of wet mess, tears, and so we ended up going. I started this journey and then, um, you know, my partner and I at the time we took some time apart and I continued to work with this psychotherapist and we delved deep and it was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. Like I put my hand on my heart and I always remember this time in my life because it was so clear. Like I would see this therapist on a Tuesday, bawl my eyes out, expose a lot of myself, be super vulnerable, have to let this guy down. And anyone who's listened to this, going through therapy or has gone through therapy will know that is an arduous task. It takes a lot of. At the time I didn't realize. You know people would tell me it's really brave what you're doing. You should be all this courage, you have to face these things. And I didn't understand it I doing you should be all this courage, you have to face these things. And I didn't understand it. I'm like what do you mean? I'm just crying in a room for an hour and a half, like what's going on, and then I look back now and go. That was hard. Like I can understand it.
Speaker 2:Like I would go to therapy on a tuesday and I'd be so emotionally drained I could therapy, go to work, give more of yourself to your clients, because that's what you do in this business, right? And then I would have to rock up on a Wednesday coach in the morning and then try and squat heavy triples, heavy doubles, and that's where those thoughts would come in and I would go I can't do this, I'm too tired, I'm too this, I'm too that, and I would have to create ways on how to navigate that. I'd have to create ways to overcome that because I was like you've met me, leanne, like maybe it's the Italian genes in me, but I would go up and I'd create this persona of this person to go be that person. When I'd go train, I would hype myself up and for me like it's super cringe and super cheesy, but for me it was always about overcoming it.
Speaker 2:Got to a point in my therapy and my life I was like I'm not going to be defined by this, this is not who I am. I need to overcome. I need that resistance. And same thing with training right, you put a little bit of pressure on you, put a little bit of resistance, you start to flourish, you start to see what you're made of. So I started to put that pressure on myself in my personal life. I was like this isn't going to be what the story is. It sucks right now, but I can get through it In my training I was like, okay, same thing. So I'd create this persona. I would walk up to the bar and just talk to myself and be like I need. For me, it was always superheroes. I love marvel comics um, always have always. Will you know, I've got a whole tattoo sleeve of marvel superheroes and you know this is a little bit of a side tangent. But for people like, oh, you look so tough with your tattoos, I'm like brah, they're superheroes. It's ridiculous, do?
Speaker 1:you have a favorite superhero? I?
Speaker 2:don't know if I have a favorite, but like that's the thing. That's why I'm like, too addicted to it. Um, you know, I'm pretty sure I'm keeping marvel studios open with every movie they release. But I would literally talk to myself and be like I need to be this hulk-like figure. I just need to be big, aggressive and angry to be this Hulk-like figure. I just need to be big, aggressive and angry to get this work done in the gym. And that's what I would be. If you look back at those times in my videos from my Instagram, I would headbutt barbells, I would just rage and scream at it and I got the work done. It was just a way for me to cope with the absolute tornado that was going on around me and inside my head.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so you approached that bar, visualising, like turning, literally turning yourself in your head into that superhero. Is that correct? So you were thinking of that superhero. How would they act here, what would they do here? And you would turn yourself into that superhero. And in saying that, what actual words were going through your head? I know that you saw yourself as a superhero. Were there any? Was there any particular words that were going through your head when you, when you, stepped into that superhero persona?
Speaker 2:superhero persona. So I remember approaching the bar and I'll take you through it. Um, it's like a almost like an out-of-body experience. Right, come up to the bar. I've had my knees wrapped. I'm at the chalk bowl and that's where it begins, because I know that's where the fear starts like. That's where it starts to go. I don't't have this. I don't got this.
Speaker 1:Those words are starting in your head. So this is what I'm really curious about how did you turn I don't have this into being successful with that lift or your approach to the bar?
Speaker 2:So from there, those thoughts would come in and immediately, like as I said before, I'm stubborn, I love competition and I thrive under pressure. So I would turn it into like this is now me against me, because, again, lifting weights is hard when it's just yourself and in team-based sport, you know who your opponent is. You can see them In my head. I was like I need to make this a competition. So I would literally just go all right, this is me versus me, and I would become what we spoke about, to become that aggressive persona, that that hulk-like figure and go. I need you right now because I need to overcome this. And for me, that was that marker that switch, switch, that flit where I just go. I'm going to win, because there is no way in hell I'm going down without a fight.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so that's really interesting. So you've changed your words from I don't have this to it's me versus me. So when you say it's me versus me, how did that make you feel at that time?
Speaker 2:At the time, I saw those like me versus me and I saw it as like two different parts of me. I saw it as this person that didn't believe I could do it. And then this, this, this figure that I created as everything I wanted to be, everything that I knew could overcome that, and I just chose to be him because I knew this one would beat the other one, and that's how it became in my head.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. So it's like a visualization technique, but it's looking down at yourself. I'm really curious with this because I know when I talk to people about visualization, I talk to them about making sure that they're not looking at themselves perform, they're not looking down at themselves. They're actually in themselves and feeling the bar and smelling everything around them and hearing the sounds. So I'm really curious did you have that third-person view or did you have the first-person view as that superhero? Were you inside the superhero when you were approaching the bar, or was it like a movie?
Speaker 2:It was like I would visualize the bar as that other side of me and I would visualize myself as that superhero, obviously, and it was just like this head-on clash, like I'm coming for you, like let's go put it in any movie scene you want, like a head-on thing. It was just that's how I, that's how it was. I couldn't be honest, like because for me it was just I was so wrapped up in it. You know, it's like that flow stage for me. That was how I accessed that flow stage, because time would dilate, everything around me would just people could be yelling and I wouldn't hear them. There's only ever one voice I hear, or sorry, two voices I hear in a competition, and that's one the referee giving me the commands and two, my coach screaming. Whatever he has, you can be as loud as you want, I'm not hearing you.
Speaker 1:So for the people that are listening that actually do strength sports, barbell sports and, in particular, obviously, powerlifters but you know there's also Olympic weightlifters, there's crossfitters what would be? That approach really worked well for you and you came at it from a feeling point of view. So, if we look at your life outside the the gym, you at that time you were feeling like you weren't good enough, okay, and your feelings were, uh, you were like you were confronting your demons in your. You know those feelings that you tried to push down for so long. So in your, in your therapy, um, all of those negative feelings that you didn to push down for so long, so in your therapy, all of those negative feelings that you didn't want to confront were coming up and you transitioned from at that point in time, if I'm correct, going into the gym and creating this superhero visualisation that transferred into a better performance. Is that correct?
Speaker 2:Pretty much Like we use a lot of techniques in therapy that I was never really exposed to, like I was. When you don't know what you're dealing with for so long and for it to all come up at once, it's just like a lot to handle. So we had to put in obviously with my psychologist, a lot of measures around how to keep myself safe. I was prone to self-harm, I was prone to suicidal thoughts, so we needed to create a safe place for me to be able to express all these feelings be negative therapy.
Speaker 2:It was that that wasn't therapy like like creating these safe environments but then also outside unleashing all these things. So, like I'm a big believer in training to feel good, but I'm not a believer in training for therapy. People who believe training is their therapy, it's like no, no. I think it's just that language has been the way we articulate that has been lost on us. I know that if I want to work on myself in therapy, I'll go see a psychologist, but when I'm in the gym it's an outlet for me and that's what we use. The gym as I would look at that other side and that doubt and I'd be like I remember saying to it and I remember saying to the bar, I remember saying to myself all the time like labeling it like this is my pain, this is the pain that I've experienced, that I've bottled up for so long. This is that and I'm overcoming that and I'm in. That provided me evidence, that provided me a foundation to build off. That provided me like man. If I can overcome this, I can overcome whatever other bullshit's going on in my life and I like and you know what I'm very proud to say that I did it.
Speaker 2:You know I would I never say I've. You know I won that battle. You know that war still rages on. I don't think. You know, mental health is a constant battle. It's a constant thing. And look, there's still some days where I am down and by all evidence suggests I'm depressed. You know, I'm still human. I'm still have my really good days and I still have my really shitty bad days. And the thing is just that my bad days aren't that bad anymore.
Speaker 2:My bad days don't end up with me on the floor or self-harming or turning to alcohol to to cover up pain. You know my bad days are pretty damn good these days and I'm very grateful for that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so that was a very. It was a very vulnerable, but also a very brave. It was a brave move that you made in seeking help for yourself, and what I find really fascinating there is the fact that you could be, that you turned those emotions of going into therapy and exposing the emotions that you tried to stuff down and turned, letting those come out. Okay, now some people would. Once they stepped out of that room, that emotion could keep going in other areas of their life and what you managed to do was use those emotions to turn them into a powerful force in the gym. So that's a really, really interesting way to marry the mind and the body together, absolutely.
Speaker 2:I think it comes back to that like it's just an outlet For some people. They may be able to transfer that and put it into like something creative. They may be able to. You know, it might be art, it might be writing, it might be running, whatever it may be, but for me that was my outlet and the only outlet I had at the time where I could afford to do that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, exactly because it's you and the bar, it's not you having an outlet with another person where you could actually damage a relationship. If you were going to do any damage with the bar, it would only be to your own body, right? Yeah?
Speaker 2:And trust me after years of powerlifting, and if I knew what I knew now when I first started, I think my body would be a lot better.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I'd love to delve into that too. That's more you know, because I know that a lot of people listening are starting out in their strength journey, in their physical strength journey, and perhaps that could be another episode, but what I want to focus in on here is I know that you said that when I asked you about your mentors, one thing that you really appreciated as you were developing as a coach was the fact that the gym, as you were developing as a coach and working with people, you said that they held space for you to have those important conversations, and can you explain to us a little bit more how important that is to you as a coach, that coach-athlete relationship and the ability to have the conversations that change people's physical and life performance?
Speaker 2:I recently went back to study with the Australian Training and Conditioning Association, so I've just done my level two and I'm currently in the process of completing all the assessments and stuff. There was one lecturer there that his name's Grant Jenkins, so I can't I'm not taking credit for this. Grant Jenkins is, I would say, a pioneer. He's worked with Australian Swimming, australian Tennis, the QAS. He's done footy clubs, everything you can imagine from school level all the way to the elite. He's coached Olympians.
Speaker 2:And he said this the most profound thing I've heard to date of his coaching philosophy is to connect before you direct. So you don't have the right to tell someone what to do unless you've connected with that person. In an athletic sense, absolutely brilliant. In a personal sense, absolutely brilliant. In a business sense, even better. Because how we meant to get someone who we've just met or they've just met us, who don't trust us, to do what we say? We can't do that until we connect with the person. If you want evidence of that, I urge anyone listening go try and coach a football squad. Go try and coach rugby league and see what the boys will do. If you cannot connect with the boys, if you cannot connect with the group, Can you give us an example of that particular scenario?
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. I've seen good, qualified coaches lose the ability to control a room or to hold a room because they can't connect with the boys. And whether that be and I've worked in a lot of different spaces it doesn't matter if they're young, young athletes or if they're this super elite. If you can't connect with them you know both male or female you're not going to be able to get the best out of them. And I think that was very evident.
Speaker 2:You know, with our season last year talking purely with you know, the qrl redcliffe dolphins we were we finished underwhelming, like we finished fifth on the table and then bowed out first week of the finals. And I look forward to this year where we look to be in a very strong position heading into finals. We're sitting top four, we've had a lot of good wins on the boards and the best thing is we've built this really strong culture around the brotherhood. That is our culture, that is the word we have up in our training sheds and that we spelt out with every win is brotherhood and we've been able to connect with those boys and we're getting the best out of them from a performance perspective but then also on the field.
Speaker 1:Can you outline how you have some of the strategies that you've used to actually connect with those players?
Speaker 2:This is actually like I got asked this question a lot because you know, obviously, whether it be in the coaching course that I do or you know I've worked with a lot of. I do a lot of mentoring for ASCA. So a lot of level ones come through the doors and they learn, they shadow me and they just go. You have this really good relationship with your clients. You have this really good relationship with the boys. How has that developed? And I'm like bro, you just fucking talk to them. You just say, hey, man, how's it going? And they'll go yeah, good, you know. And then I might follow up with like this is not groundbreaking, but unfortunately to a generation that's grown up with technology, it is. But I'll literally they'll go like what do you mean? I'll like I'll just say how's it going, and they'll go how's your day? And they'll go oh cool, you know I went to work, what do you do for work? And they're like I'm a bricklayer, like you're a bricklayer. And then you come into training after a long day jesus, that's tough already.
Speaker 1:This person's like yeah, this guy gets it or I'm gonna give you a statement that I've learned over the last couple of years in connecting with people, and it's this um, answers, push, questions, pull. So your ability you've just outlined your ability there to ask questions is that that underlies your ability to connect so well, because you're showing that you're interested in them, not only as an athlete, but as a person, because you're asking questions. So you're not saying this is what we're going to do today. You should do this, do that. This will make you a better athlete. You're actually saying hey, how was your day? You know what are you interested in outside of football and you know who are you as a person, not just who are you as an athlete.
Speaker 2:And I think it's very easy to get trapped in that, whether it be like oh, look at a doctor, they probably have some of the worst bedside manner ever. I'm you know? Or? Or a physio or something, because they see the problem, they see the injury, they see what needs to be rehabilitated, and often I believe we get lost in the fact that there's a person behind this injury. There's a person behind it.
Speaker 2:You've got a client that walks through a door. They're not just a client, they're a husband, they're a wife, they're a brother, they're a sister, they're a mother. Whatever it may be, there are other aspects and other layers to this person. The greatest achievement in my coaching career is not the PRs, it's not working at the Red Cliff Dolphins and meeting some of my childhood heroes throughout. It's the young uni student who asked me to write a recommendation for them to get into some scholarship. It's the couple that I get to emcee their wedding because I've coached them for the last five, ten years, and they go hey, I think you'd be really good at this. Do you mind being our emcee?
Speaker 2:and I'm like what an honor it's the barbecues the dinners, all those things outside of the gym that I'm always going to remember more like. Honestly, I don't remember half my clients and this is no word of a lie and I don't mean to be rude here. I don't remember half their lifts. I can't tell you what all their PRs are, but I can tell you who they are and I can tell you what they're like. I can tell you what they're struggling with. I can tell you what they've done in the last three weeks, because that, to me, is so much more than any weight on the bar that you'll probably forget yourself as well.
Speaker 1:yeah, so it sounds to me like you have mastered the art of communication and connection and, um, really, that's the art of coaching. Yeah, okay.
Speaker 2:I'm pretty like there's a whole book on it by Brett Bartholomew, if I'm not mistaken like Conscious Coaching or Curves, whatever it may I think that's what it's called. But like and also, I just want to point out I don't think I've mastered it by any stage. I still get it wrong. I still, you know, say the wrong thing, put my foot in. That's all a learning experience, and it just grows and develops. The difference between myself is that I'm happy to put myself out there again. You know, with everything that I've been through, everything that I've learned, being so vulnerable for so long, is that if you want to connect with someone, you have to be vulnerable, you have to be open to making mistakes. Let your own guards down if you expect someone else to.
Speaker 1:So that's really interesting, exactly what you said just then. If the audience is sitting there thinking I'm looking for a coach or I don't know where to start, if we flip the script, do you believe that they should? You know? What are your recommendations? What type of coach should they look for? Because there are so many coaches now. There are so many online coaches. There are so many online coaches and look, I'm not going to say anything against online coaches because I've been online coach my entire 12 years of barbell sports. But what recommendations do you have for someone who's searching for a coach or a mentor or somewhere to start in the strength world?
Speaker 2:Firstly and foremost, like, as you said, there's nothing wrong with online coaching. Like, a lot of my business is now online coaching and it's obviously a lot harder to build that connection. But it's not that hard to set up a Zoom call. It's not that hard to set up a phone call. People are shocked when I go. I get a, say an Instagram inquiry, and I'll respond with yep, have space available, love to chat about it. When is the best convenient time for me to give you a call? And they're like call, what's a phone call? And I'm like bro, you just answer the thing when I ring.
Speaker 2:But on the flip side of that, if you're in-person coaching, I usually say to people find someone you can connect with. Find someone that you would want to go have a beer down at the pub with. Find someone that you could have a coffee with. If beer's not your thing, just find someone you want to hang out with and who you can just chat to.
Speaker 2:If you go into a meeting, if you go in to meet your coach, and they're just like tell me what you want to achieve, tell me, what about all this shit is? I'm just like, bruh, you've nobody cares, like, yes, that could work for maybe a very small population, but for the majority of people who you know, they come into the gym and they're just here to feel a little bit better, because they want to live a little bit longer, because they've got kids, they want to run around with their dog, whatever it may be. It's like they don't care that you've got eight abs and 10% body fat and achieved all these things. Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care. And that's one of my favorite quotes, I'm pretty sure, from Simon Sinek. I could be completely wrong and butchered that it could have been said by Jim Rohn.
Speaker 2:It sounds like a Simon Sinek quote it does sound like a Simon Sinek quote start with Y, and I'm big love him as an author.
Speaker 1:I'm a big fan. I'm a big fan too, and if the audience who are listening don't know who simon cynic is, go and google him, because he is pretty much. Uh can be life-changing to uh the way that you um view connections, the way that you view how people connect to one another and how you can connect to other people, especially if you're in a position of leadership, go read his actually go read his first two books.
Speaker 2:I think they're a mainstay for everyone. Um start with, why? And leaders eat last? I think those two are just groundbreaking. Not from a even if you're not. I think another thing this is a bit of a tangent, but like to think, oh, I'm not going to read that because you know leaders eat last, I'm not really a leader. You lead your own life. How you lead yourself is a very big indication for how you'll treat others, and I think those two books can revolutionize. Revolutionize there. It is Brain's a bit foggy I've only had three shots of coffee today but it can revolutionize the way you think and interact 100%.
Speaker 1:So let's come back around to what are you focusing on now and can you give the audience a brief overview of some of the things that you provide for people as a coach, because I know that what you do provide people is. There's quite a wide range in there. So what are you focusing on now and how can you help people become a better, stronger version of themselves? How do you do that?
Speaker 2:That's a very, very good question. I think right now, my focus is on just building the brand that is Epic, whilst also balancing the billion other things I like to do at once. I'm not really good at the idea of balance or what balance is, so I apologize to my wife for that in a public domain, to get some brownie points, but the focus is always to spread the message of Epic. To spread, you know, to be your own hero to better people. Sorry, better people create better lifters and the opposite.
Speaker 2:But also, just I think for now, right this second today, I think for now, right this second today, my whole goal is to share my message on this podcast, get back into the gym, talk with a lot of people and just enjoy the day. And then what we offer people, you know, we've got one-on-one coaching, we've got online coaching, we've got our level one strength conditioning course. We're about to launch our level two. Um, in all those areas, what I like to think we offer the most is what we said before is that offering people and holding space for them, allowing them the environment to grow, develop, fall down, fail and get back up and go again.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so where can people actually find? I know you've said Epic Coaching and obviously it'll be linked to the notes, the podcast notes. Tell people the best way they can connect with you.
Speaker 2:The best way to connect with myself is definitely through Instagram, so at I better check it so I don't get up. I know you said it was linked, but I don't even know my own Instagram. At Brandon underscore Epic Coaching, on Instagram You'll be able to find me. Please drop me a DM. I'm always happy to chat. We've got our website, so epiconlinecomau, you'll have the articles website, everything there for more information.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's fantastic, and so the audience know as well you're very good, not only at if someone is just struggling with like one part of their performance. Okay, like I said, I came to you, um, because I was struggling with. I'm trying to think back to what it was. It was the prehab, engagement stuff.
Speaker 2:So I remember specifically you were having trouble, especially in that overhead position with your shoulders, um, in your upper back development. So like it's actually quite funny because I work with a lot of olympic weightlifters now on correcting those very little details in their lifts, correcting the ability for them to hold stability and create stability in a protracted shoulder position overhead or create more stability around the hips. Those little little things in their movement. We really digress and that's exactly what we did with yourself.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because little things become big things right in life and in the gym. Yep, so what you do every day, either in your life or in the gym, becomes what you do in the big things like the big things. So that's what I wanted to tell the audience. It's not, um, they can come to you, whether it's. I want a program, I want an online coach, I want to do one-on-one, I want to be part of a group. Do you do group online coaching too?
Speaker 1:I don't do too much group online you don't okay but the relationships that are formed in those group sessions are some of the best and and even for lifters, or if not even doesn't have to be a lifter, an athlete, any athlete that has that has a part of their performance, physical performance, that they need um a little bit of help with. They can come to you for that as well which is what I do yep, and you know that's.
Speaker 1:That's another very important thing for people to realize that they don't have to be the fountain of knowledge. They don't have to have a fountain of knowledge within themselves. If there's a part of your performance that you're really struggling with, then you know, reach out to someone who you know who can help you with that.
Speaker 1:You don't have to know everything I'm myself, I'm a strength coach, yet I reached out to you because I knew that you know that's what you're good at, and I call that staying in your lane. Yeah, and it's just very, very um fantastic that you, you have a foot in many lanes, brandon, and that's what I love about your coaching.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've been privileged enough to learn from some of the best people in the industry and I definitely don't take that for granted. So, look, I'm really looking forward to what the next 10 years bring but, as I said, like I don't really focus too far ahead, I just really focus on the day-to-day and how I can create connection.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you so much for being here, and it looks as if we're going to have to have another episode so that we can delve into some of the other things that came up today, like the connections within a community and how that can empower people. Yeah, becoming part of a community of people, becoming part of a community of people. Also, some of your coaching gems that no doubt will help all of the strength athletes that are listening, and especially the powerlifters, because I know that that's your baby is powerlifting.
Speaker 2:It always will be. I'm still. No matter how much more I develop, I'm always going to be a meathead at heart.
Speaker 1:Well, you will be pleased to know very quickly and we're going to end on this is that I'm going into a powerlifting competition in chance on the 21st of September.
Speaker 2:I've never been more happy to hear those words come out of anyone's mouth.
Speaker 1:But can I tell you something? The reason why I'm doing that, and it's very pertinent to this conversation. I coach a lot of powerlifters as well and I am so connected to them as people and I want to share in the joy. I want to share in that road trip.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I want to go on a road trip to cans. I want to share in the competition. I want to go on a road trip to Cairns. I want to share in the competition. I want to, like, do high fives and celebrate the failures and the wins and the successes, and I want to be part of that. So, in order to be really immersed in that, I'm going in the competition with them.
Speaker 2:And you're going to have the best time ever, because we're about to head down to Nationals in Newcastle in a couple of weeks and I'm so excited for everything out like the powerlifting as well, don't get me wrong, but I'm just excited to hang with our crew.
Speaker 1:Uh-huh, it's wonderful. So thank you again and we'll chat on another episode soon.
Speaker 2:Absolutely Love to come back on. Thank you so much for having me.