Planned Fit

02/01/2026

Stop Sidelining Yourself! 🛑

​Most injuries don’t happen because of "bad luck"—they happen because of poor planning. The most successful injury prevention strategy isn't a fancy massage tool or a supplement; it’s a Periodized Training Plan.

​Your body is incredibly resilient, but it needs time to adapt to the stresses of exercise. Our plans focus on:

​Strategic Load Management: Increasing intensity without hitting the "breaking point."

​Specific Strength Training: Building the "armor" your joints need to handle impact.

​Calculated Recovery: Programming rest so you come back stronger, not more fatigued.

​Don't wait for a pop or a strain to take you out of the game. Invest in a plan that builds you up instead of breaking you down..

Online Coaching/Training Plans | Planned Fit

Personalised training plansStructured interval trainingRegular feedback and contact with coachLog your workouts on PC, Mac, or smartphoneAnalyse fitness trends with 30+ charts with premium15% discount on Stryd power meter30 day money back guaranteeFree 40 minute Online Consultation via Zoom or Faceb...

20/07/2025

Working with an Accredited Coach

What Roles do Accredited Coaches Perform?

Accredited Athletics Coaches are individuals who have been accredited by Australian Athletics and their State Athletics Association to deliver training to Track and Field athletes and recreational runners.

Accredited Coaches are trained and qualified to perform the following roles:

Support and Motivate: Understand the motivations of athletes and create the right training environment to meet the athletes' objectives.

Plan and Adjust Training Programs: Create short and long-term training plans to assist athletes to achieve performance objectives at target events or competitions.

Monitor Technique and Provide Feedback to Athletes: Provide meaningful feedback to athletes based on the optimal technical model of their chosen event/discipline.

Advise: Use principles of training to provide evidence-based advice to athletes on a wide range of sport-related issues.

Refer: When appropriate, direct athletes to relevant support specialists (e.g. Physiotherapists, Dietitians etc.).

Why Choose an Accredited Coach?

When choosing an Accredited Athletics Coach, you can have confidence that:

They hold professional qualifications recognised by Australian Athletics, State Athletics Associations, and the Australian Sports Commission. This education equips them with a strong foundation in coaching principles, sports science, and athlete development.

They are fully insured under the Australian Athletics Coaching Insurance Policy.

They agree to abide by and are held to the standards of the Athletics Coaching Code of Conduct, including the Child Protection policy and are aware of their responsibilities as an Accredited Coach.

They hold a Working with Children Check or have a valid exemption according to the requirements of their State or Territory.

They have completed an annual coaching update and have access to the latest resources to ensure that they remain up-to-date.

They follow best practices in body composition assessment, athlete data collection.

17/07/2025

You're ready to amplify your fitness journey and see results faster? It's time to train smarter, not harder!

Many people hit the gym with the "more is better" mindset, but often, that leads to burnout, injury, and stalled progress. To truly unlock your potential and achieve your goals more quickly, focusing on intelligent training is key.

What does "Train Smarter" mean?
It means optimizing every aspect of your workout for maximum efficiency and effectiveness. Here's how:

Strength training and hypertrophy training are both types of resistance training, but they have different goals. Strength training focuses on increasing the amount of force a muscle can produce, while hypertrophy training focuses on increasing muscle size.

Perfect Your Form: Incorrect form is a one-way ticket to injury and wasted effort. Focus on mastering the proper technique for each exercise. Even if it means using lighter weights initially, correct form ensures you're targeting the right muscles and getting the most out of every rep.

Prioritize Progressive Overload: To get stronger and build muscle, you need to continually challenge your body. This doesn't just mean lifting heavier! It can involve increasing reps, sets, decreasing rest times, or improving time under tension.

Listen to Your Body: Overtraining can lead to fatigue, decreased performance, and increased injury risk. Pay attention to how your body feels. Rest days are not a sign of weakness; they're crucial for muscle recovery and growth.

Strategic Programming: Random workouts yield random results. A well-structured plan that aligns with your goals, incorporates proper warm-ups, cool-downs, and periodization (varying training intensity and volume) will dramatically improve your progress.

Fuel Your Success: Your diet plays a massive role in your results. Proper nutrition provides the energy for your workouts and the building blocks for recovery and muscle repair. Don't underestimate its importance!

By shifting your focus to training smarter, you'll not only achieve your desired results faster but also enjoy a more sustainable and injury-free fitness journey. Let's make every rep count!

What aspect of "training smarter" are you most interested in focusing on first?

16/07/2025

Beyond the familiar beat in your chest, another vital pump resides in your legs: the soleus muscle. This often-overlooked, deep muscle effectively functions as a "second heart," relying on physical movement rather than electrical signals to do its job.

Each time you walk, climb stairs, or even just rise onto your toes, your soleus springs into action. Its heroic task is to courageously push venous blood from your lower limbs back up to your heart, defying the pull of gravity. This is precisely why it's earned the moniker "second heart."

Where does this quiet champion reside? Tucked away behind your larger calf muscle (the gastrocnemius), the soleus is a muscle of resilience. It's not about quick bursts of speed; it's about steadfast, enduring support, working diligently without needing recognition.

Its importance cannot be overstated. Engaging the soleus brings a host of benefits:

It significantly improves circulation.

It's crucial for preventing blood clots and venous stasis.

It helps reduce leg swelling.

It safeguards your cardiovascular health.

One of its most impressive traits is its continuous activity, even when you're stationary.

What can you do to keep it happy? Provide it with consistent movement! If your routine involves prolonged sitting or standing, incorporate these simple practices:

Go for brief walks.

Perform repetitive heel raises.

Consciously flex your ankles.

Draw circles with your feet.

Minor efforts can yield substantial results. Keep your soleus moving, and your heart will express its gratitude.

12/07/2025

Looking for that competitive edge. Look no further that a coach that is not just any coach.
Level 2 Training Peaks Coach.
Level 3 Athletics Australia Performance Coach.
Specialisation - Trail & Ultramarathon
Mountain Biking Australia coach & more.

Australian Athletics is the national governing body for the sport of Athletics in Australia.

16/06/2025

How does your muscle contract?
When you build strength, you're building more Actin & Myosin 💪
Shortening of Actin & Mysin proteins result in the subsequent shortening of myofribrils, muscle fibres, fasicles, and whole muscles.
Also ATP is the energy source of muscle contraction, adequate recovery & nutrition are essential for ATP replenishment & muscle recovery 😉

In this video, Dr Mike explains how skeletal muscle contracts via the sliding filament theory (mechanism).

27/05/2025

A new 2-year follow-up study (Baker et al., Clin Physiol Funct Imaging, 2025) tracked women across pre-, peri-, and postmenopause and found:

1. Muscle quality declines, even if muscle size stays the same.
Postmenopausal women had a significant increase in muscle echo intensity (a marker of muscle quality loss, despite no change in muscle size. Translation? Appearance may be deceiving
- strength and function can decline before size does.

2. Bone mass decreases significantly across the menopause transition.
Perimenopausal women had lower total bone mass than premenopausal women, with even greater losses after menopause.

3. Metabolic flexibility remained stable.
The body’s ability to switch between fuel sources (like fats and carbs) during exercise didn’t change significantly over the 2 years - but muscle and bone still took a hit.

Bottom line:
The menopause transition is a critical window where targeted exercise (think resistance training and impact loading) and evidence-based nutrition are essential to protect muscle quality and preserve bone mass.
Planned Fit

19/05/2025

Fixed v's Growth Mindset
Fixed Mindset
A fixed mindset is the belief that abilities are static traits that cannot be significantly changed. People with a fixed mindset tend to think that talent alone leads to success and that effort has smaller impact on outcomes.

Athletes with a fixed mindset may avoid challenges, give up easily when faced with obstacles, and view failure as a reflection of their inherent limitations. This mindset can lead to a fear of failure, reduced motivation, and a reluctance to take risks or try new strategies.

In athletics, a fixed mindset can hinder an athlete's development and performance, as they may not fully engage in the necessary practice and learning required to improve.

Growth Mindset
A growth mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed and improved through effort, learning, and perseverance. Individuals with a growth mindset view challenges as opportunities for growth, embrace setbacks as part of the learning process, and are more likely to persist in the face of difficulties. They believe that effort and dedication are key to mastering new skills and achieving success.

This mindset fosters resilience, encourages a love of learning, and supports continuous improvement, making it particularly beneficial in the context of athletics and development.

Which mindset do you have?

15/05/2025

Protein can improve your endurance.

During exercise lasting more than three hours, nutrition must be more than just carbohydrates. Adding protein to your fuel will improve your performance and recovery.
Our Senior Technical Advisor, Steve Born, explains;
During exercise beyond 3 hours, you must provide protein from a dietary source, or your body will borrow amino acids from your muscle tissue (breakdown). The longer you exercise, the more muscle tissue is sacrificed. This creates performance problems during exercise (due to increased levels of ammonia build-up) and during your post-exercise recovery due to lean muscle damage".
If you would like to understand this more in-depth, please The link below.