The Tommy Brideson Show

If you cannot touch your toes you shouldn't be deadlifting period. In this episode I break out why the hamstrings are not always the culprit and an easy way to assess yourself so you can add some drills into your weekly training that will help you unlock the range and control to do so. In alot of cases its much easier than you think, the trick is working on the right areas. Hosted on Acast. See ac...

If you have tried all the conventional cues and your training technique still breaks down as you approach heavier loads and start to fatigue. Then this podcast could be the missing link to help you lift better and more consistently. Everyone has different arm, torso and leg lengths, which means they will need to adjust technique to suit. If you find yourself not being able to maintain a consistent...

To all the mobility haters in the world, please give this a listen. I say this all the time but you are only going to be as good as the positions you can get in and maintain throughout lifting. If you cannot get into a good position to start, you will just be fighting yourself the entire time compensating to get the movement done. As a short term strategy this may be ok, long term it absolutely is...

We all know the positive effects that training has on our health, how we move and ultimately how well we live, this is a given. For me personally one of the most profound components of training is not actually the training outcomes its the confidence you get through doing hard things consistently. Showing up for yourself, approaching your training goals progressively and making progress unlocks a...

Training as a whole should be working for you not against you. Please read that first line again. Whatever stage of life you are at, I truely believe training should be adding value, providing a vehicle for growth and challenging you to be better.  However I have seen in so many instances training work against people, training in ways that are not conducive to long term progress in the gym, w...

One thing I have really grown out of in current years is this approach to training where you put everything on the line to complete a set or rep in the gym. My role as a Physiotherapist and Strength Coach exposes me to a-lot of lifters who are incredibly hard working, talented and dedicated to progress. These are all traits I admire and expect of my direct team. But the question that has come to m...

You hear about it all the time, I got one injury now I have 10. The reality is anyone who has been training hard enough for a long enough period of time, has likely ran into a roadblock with an injury or niggle that limits your ability to train hard make progress.  In my world as a Physiotherapist and Strength Coach, I see alot of lifters and there presentations, truth be told a lot of the pa...

Training is the thing everybody needs I don't think anyone would argue that. When we look at your training journey there will be periods of time where you will need to pull back training and focus on rehab. This is where you need an ecosystem to think about how this all works together. The end of the rehab process should flow straight back into the start of the training process. In episode 56 of m...

Anyone who’s done a science degree probably has the saying “structure dictates function” burned into their brain. When we look at coaching and programming this is no different. We need to account not only for training outcomes but for the way the body is made up. There is no way you can train everything at once so periods of the year should be dedicated to structural balance. If you are injured, i...

Everyone goes through different seasons in life. These seasons inevitably push us in different directions, challenge our values, beliefs, and what we ultimately want. I am a big believer that training should adapt and evolve with you. What was once meaningful to you may not be true for you today. Everyone trains for different reasons, but an overarching principle I live by is that training should...

Truth be told I have wanted to have this podcast up and running for a very long time. It had been on the back burner for many of years with other things taking priority. In 2024 I drew a line in the sand and made a plan to get this off the ground. It wasn't meant to be perfect, the goal was just to start and commit to weekly episodes. In this episode I summarised the main points from the most down...

At the start of your training journey you go through a massive period of winning. You are making fast progress, your strength is improving, your technique is getting better and you are winning constantly.  I hate to be the bearer of bad news but this rate of progression does slow down, there is more time between each PB, you have to spend more time building specific qualities and you need to...

Core training is one of the most overlooked areas in most strength programs. Personally I believe that its because people are not sure how to structure it so it progresses alongside your training. As with all lifts you will want periods where you are working in isolation and periods where you are pushing up the strength and intensity with bigger compound movements. Core training is no different. I...

Knee pain is one of the most common issues lifters deal with. In today’s episode, I break down the key factors that often contribute, training volume, technique, and programming decisions and how to approach them with more intention. For many, the pain is manageable enough to train through, but that doesn’t mean it should be ignored. Over time, symptoms can build up and eventually limit your abili...

I always say to people be cautious taking advice from anyone who speaks in absolutes. If the best coaches, practitioners and researchers basically never talk in absolutes, why would you listen to some random person on social media talk this way? If people are really well trained in one area or have gotten great results from themselves and clients following a specific method, it is so short sighted...

Individualised programming gets thrown around a lot in the coaching world. While it sounds impressive, it’s often misunderstood. The reality is reality, most effective programs aren’t built from scratch for each client. They’re personalised to suit the clients preferences, goals and training history within the context of a training system. In this episode, I break down the difference between indiv...

Most people treat accessories like filler — something to just knock out after the “real” work is done. But the truth is, accessories are where a lot of the real progress happens. This is where you build muscle, reinforce movement patterns, and address the weak links that hold you back in your main lifts. If you treat them with the same intent as your big lifts, they’ll pay you back tenfold. In thi...

The more technical you become in the gym, the more progress you’ll make long-term. When you train with intention and precision, the outcomes take care of themselves. You build muscle, fuel performance, and show up with purpose. This is why strength training is the OG. You don’t just get strong — you get smart. You learn how to eat, how to train, how to move. And eventually, you become a total weap...

I truely believe that strength training is one of the most powerful journeys someone can take themselves on. Life and society can be complex, busy and hard to navigate. The world is largely set up for convince and comfort, and people often feel lost without direction or purpose. 

 Todays episode I delve into why I believe that strength training is one of the most powerful tools you have for growt...

Recovery seems to be the hot topic in most fitness circles at the moment. The question I want to ask first and foremost is: Do we actually need to factor it in outside of your training program? Are we just adding extra stress and clutter into your week that resource be better spent in other areas? I am massive on providing context in all areas of training and rehab so let’s talk recovery today but...

Before we get stuck into the podcast, I have worked with so many high performers in the gym, very few can train under optimal conditions every session, nutrition and sleep being perfectly timed, body feeling ready to go and motivated to get stuck in. People are juggling work and life commitments, introducing new family members into the world, trying to find extra hours in the day to get more work...

From the outside looking in, powerlifting may seem quite intimidating and something that you would never consider trying or getting involved in. I get it trust me I do, but hear me out before we get stuck into today’s podcast I want to share a bit of my story as to how I now own a gym that is so niched down to a single sport. Personally I had never aspired to be or compete in powerlifting and most...

Often the key to progression is making sure you tick the boxes of mastering the basics. We are wired to chase progress and as a result we often move to quickly through exercises progression chasing the more complex variations thinking we will get more benefit from them. Something I often say is, harder isn't better, better is better. In this weeks episode I rub through why regressing exercises can...

When it comes to training adaptations and making sure you achieve great outcome, you have to follow the principle SAID (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands). Simply put: If you want to build muscle you need to spend time training volume and intensity, If you want to get stronger, you need to essentially add more weight to the bar over time When it comes to the actual skill side of lifting heavy...

The world that we live in is largely set up for comfort and convenience over anything else. The problem with comfort and convenience is we end up working within a small percentage of our available capacity and range. This over time will compound and as a result we will develop compensatory movement patterns and a decrease in overall health. These patterns need to be offset as part of your daily mo...