Miles Fitness & Performance

04/03/2026

Congratulations to the 6 girls (.capeci , , .mahoney , , .dohrman .cappa) I have had the pleasure of training over the past year (some longer) on making the Calder Cannons u18’s squad. All of you have worked super hard and improved so much to get to where you are and I know you’ll have a great season. And an extra congratulations to Chloe and Sienna for making part of the leadership group!!
Can’t wait to continue working with you all and see you play 🙌🏽

14/02/2026

Box height matters far less than most people think when it comes to box jumps.

Can box height be a useful way to challenge an athlete’s jump height? Sure.
Is it the thing that determines whether it’s a good or bad jump? Absolutely not.

Box height is just a constraint. It’s not the performance.

One of the biggest benefits of a box jump isn’t the height at all - it’s that the box reduces landing forces. Stepping or landing softly on an elevated surface decreases eccentric load compared to landing back on the ground. That makes box jumps a power expression tool, not a height contest.

When I coach a box jump, I’m looking at three key things:
1. Intent: Is the athlete actually trying to move explosively?
2. Jump quality: Are they producing vertical force or just tucking their knees?
3. Hip displacement: How high do the hips rise relative to their starting position?

Two athletes can start from the exact same position and jump to the exact same box height, yet one jump can be significantly more powerful.
Why? Because one athlete actually elevates their centre of mass, while the other simply pulls their knees up using hip mobility to “clear” the box.

The box doesn’t measure how high you jumped. It measures how well you folded.

If your hips don’t meaningfully rise higher than where they started, you didn’t jump higher… you just tucked better.

So before chasing higher boxes, ask:
• Are you producing more vertical force?
• Are your hips actually reaching a higher peak?
• Are you landing with control and stacked alignment? Or are you just showing off great hip mobility?

Box jumps are about power expression, not circus tricks.

Jump high. Land well.
Let the box be the tool, not the goal.

04/02/2026

More fantastic news with being recruited by Port Melbourne in the VFLW. Years of effort finally getting rewarded! Super proud of you Alex.

03/02/2026

Congratulations to members , and .verga for making the Cannons U16s girls team. Such a great accomplishment and I can’t wait to continue to help and watch how you all develop into the next generation of amazing players!

15/12/2025

Congratulations to for being selected with pick 22 to Melbourne FC (what a steal for them!) in the National AFLW Draft. Three years ago you came to me with a vision and a goal, and you have worked tirelessly to get to where you are now. It has been amazing watching you develop from the tiny, timid 15 year old girl, to the much louder, much stronger and most importantly, much more confident leader you are today (who still leaves behind their slides and hoodies at the gym). There have been so many highs and unexpected lows but it has all led to this. Thank you for trusting me to be a small part of your journey and I can’t wait to see flourish at the top level right where you belong. You’re stuck in Melbourne so regular gym visits are a non-negotiable 😋.
This is just the beginning of the CBW era 🙌🏽
•
•

29/10/2025

A couple of recent Vic Metro Hub invitees!!! Let’s god girls!!

24/10/2025

Are you recovering optimally?

Recovery is one of the most misunderstood parts of athletic development. Too often people are jumping on the trends of massage guns, compression boots, infrared saunas… the list goes on. But here’s the truth: The most powerful recovery tools aren’t the flashy ones — they’re the boring ones done consistently.

Staple Recovery Methods
1. Sleep
The most potent recovery tool on the planet. Growth hormone release, tissue repair, neural reset. It all happens when you sleep. Fight the urge to doom scroll late at night and get to sleep. Don’t lose out on the gold standard if recovery.

2. Nutrition
Just like you wouldn’t try run your car on petrol fumes or use poor quality fuel in a sports car, adequately feeling your body for both energy output and recovery is essential. Protein for muscle repair, carbs to replenish glycogen stored, and enough calories overall so your body actually wants to recover.

3. Hydration
Even a few % of body weight loss worth of dehydration can impair performance and delay recovery. Dehydration can mean increased soreness, delayed muscle repair and longer recovery times.

4. Stress Control
Your body doesn’t differentiate between training stress and life stress. Cortisol (our stress hormone) can negatively impact recovery by causing protein breakdown and slowing muscular repair, leading to increased levels of fatigue and increased injury risk. Minimising stress when possible and taking Breath work, mindfulness, or just taking 10 minutes to chill can make a bigger difference than most gadgets.
_________________________________________________

Too often people fall into the trap of spending hundreds, or even thousands of dollars on trendy recovery modalities like ice baths, massage guns and compression boots. These are definitely useful tools you can add to your recovery. However, they are merely the cherry on top of the cake, which means very little without the cake (nutrition, sleep, etc.).

Just like with your training, remember it’s important to master the foundations before worrying about the fancy extras.

07/10/2025

Specific Prep Phase (SPP) 📈

After laying the foundation in the general prep phase, athletes enter the Specific Preparation Phase. This is the point in a periodised program where training begins to mirror the actual demands of their sport. We shift from training general attributes to honing in on specific athletic characteristics.

Key objectives of the Specific Prep Phase:
• Target the athletic qualities needed in competition — speed, power, acceleration, change of direction, repeat efforts, or force production
• Shift from general strength to specific strength (think force-vector & movement-pattern transfer)
• Increase neural demand — faster intent, higher rate of force development
• Refine movement efficiency for sport-specific actions
• Introduce conditioning that reflects work-to-rest demands of the game/event

What training starts to look like:
• Heavier compound lifts with more velocity focus
• Unilateral strength & force-transfer patterns
• Olympic lift derivatives or power-based movements
• Plyometrics aligned with the sport (vertical, horizontal, lateral)
• COD drills, acceleration mechanics & decel work
• Conditioning matching the demands of the athlete’s sport.

Why is it important? ✅
This phase important as we start to build on the foundation built previously and start to advance the characteristics relevant and specific to our sport. If we stay in the general phase the results can be underdevelopment, overload, and increased injury risk.

The Specific Prep Phase:
• Converts strength into usable power
• Builds transfer from gym to field/court
• Reduces injury risk as intensity rises

07/10/2025

06/10/2025

A big congratulations to these two on taking part in the state and national AFL combine last week. It has been amazing being able to help these future stars develop into the players and athletes they have become. Looking forward to helping and watching them develop as they continue to work towards their AFLW dream 🙌🏽

11/09/2025

The General Preparatory Phase (GPP) 📈

With most sports seasons coming to an end and athletes looking to get a head start on their training for next year, here is a quick overview of how the structure of your training should look.

A good preseason program starts with a solid base, the GPP. This is the time in your program where we are laying down the foundation on which you’ll build into throughout your S&C journey.

What is it? 🏋🏽‍♀️
This phase focuses on building broad physical qualities that every good athlete has - strength, endurance/capacity, technique/skill and mobility. It is the spring board to allow you to progress and handle more difficult and specific training later on in your training.

How is it different to other phases? 📊
- GPP: This is all about building your engine, establishing good training habits, addressing weaknesses and mastering technique. A lot of people’s programs can look similar in this phase, especially if you share similarities in sports, age, ability. There is generally higher volumes, lower loads/intensities, and greater variety in movements.

- Specific Prep Phase (SPP): The SPP is where we start to fine tune our approach. The exercises get more specific, targeting athletic characteristics of your sport, and we see are drop in volume with a rise in intensities/loads.

- Pre-comp and Comp Phases will be touched on in a later post, but this is where we dial in to comp/game day specific needs. The aim is to maximise performance - intensity is at its highest with another drop in volume to manage fatigue.

Why is it important? ✅
Skipping GPP is like sprinting before you’ve learned how to walk and jog. Without the strong foundation, you’re more likely to hit plateaus early, increase injury risk and not get the full benefit of your training. Don’t rush the process. Respect the basics, put in the work, and the peak will come.

02/08/2025

Wishing another member of the x family, a massive congratulations on making his AFL debut for tonight. Your work ethic and dedication to your craft has been top tier, and all your hard work is now paying off. Good luck mate!

•
•