From general population to elite footballers – integrating BFR training for everyone. Interview with Matt Ham (Hammer Athletic)

Hi there and welcome to this month's episode. In the last episode I reviewed an awesome paper highlighting the positive effect of just 12 BFR sessions after knee arthroscopy. This prompted me to put together a mini-series of papers that combine all of the positive effects of using BFR around knee surgery.  So usually I'd follow up with the next article, however I've been trying to interview Matt Ham for a short while so I'd thought I put this interview out.

Similar to a previous episode where I interviewed S&C coach Tony Lewis (https://www.instagram.com/tonylewispt/), Matt was also born in the same town  (Ayr, Queensland). This is remarkable considering the small size of the town.

Matt has worked in the fitness industry for over fifteen years and competed in professional football (soccer) for four years with Hyundai A-league teams including Gold Coast United, Brisbane Roar and the North Queensland Fury. He has held strength & conditioning positions with the Brisbane Roar (2016-2017), the Queensland Rugby League Referees, The Guam National Football Team and various young professional and semi-professional athletes.

Matt’s professional experience with sporting teams, coupled with his academic achievements in sports and exercise science and years of service in the fitness industry has subjected him to an expansive array of top-level strength and conditioning, resistance training, rehabilitation, group fitness and various cardiovascular training methods which has given him a well-rounded and superior approach to fitness training.

He has recently moved to Townsville and is the S&C coach for the Townsville Blackhawks Rugby league team which competes in the Queensland Rugby League competition.

In today's interview we talk through Matt's journey from a professional footballer (soccer for all of us Aussies) to how he got started as an S&C coach, opening his own business, working with elite footballers and of course all things BFR. This episode is more than just BFR so if you are an inspiring S&C coach or thinking about opening your own training business I think you'll get some great ideas and lessons learnt from this podcast.

If you are in Brisbane check out his facility:

Address: 3 Manilla St,                 EAST BRISBANE Q 4169