Fluid Movement & Performance

20/02/2023

New day, new oval ⚽️🥅 working with Physio Andrew down at Tuggerah with the today. Let’s hope the temps stay below 30•c🤞

08/06/2021

Currently many field-based sports are midway through the season. But how have you been training? Many individuals start to drop off the ball (or even stop) when it comes to in season training. Others decide that this is the time they try to get fit and strong. It’s important to fist understand what the goal of ‘In-season’ training. In-season training can be prioritised into two things; 1) recover from the previous game, and 2) maintain the strength and fitness capacities you have built in the offseason. From an S&C standpoint; early in the week should be a recovery session (tempo or flush running, core skills for field sport, and strength training focusing on large range of motion movements using lighter weights), mid way through the week should be your main session (Speed, higher intensity conditioning [ideally in the “red zone”], skills and heavy resistance training), and the end of the week (possible the day before your game) should be a session that takes you through the skills needed before you play, and also gets you physically prepared (plyometrics and power based strenght training. Training volume needs to decrease, but we want the intensity to stay high for the limited sessions you have. Game fitness will increase as the season goes on. The more you play and the better your recovery is, the better your chances for making it through the season and being able to peak for finals (if you make it that far). For further inquires book in for a consultation with one for the S&C staff at or DM me.

18/04/2021

29/10/2020

By accessing performance, coaches can ensure that the training an athlete is doing is going to improve sports performance. Think of testing as a map to get us to a specific destination. Sure after walking around aimlessly, you may still stumble across the goal. But if you create a plan of where you are and where you need to be, the process becomes a lot clearer and precise without any wasted time.

There are many ways and reasons for why we test athletes’ physical performance. The first and most obvious reason is to see whether an athlete is improving and where they are in comparison to top athletes in their sport. In sports such as swimming or athletics, it’s easy to see if someone is improving performance as you have an objective result such as race time, or distance thrown. Team sports, however, cannot have an accurate measurement of individual performance as it is the combined effort of a team that wins or loses a game.

Coaches need to create an objective way that they can use to measure how an athlete performs. Therefore, a physical assessment is used to “profile” an athlete and identify strengths and weaknesses that may contribute to their current ability. This can give coaches information on the specific components of fitness such as strength, power, acceleration, maximum sprint speed, and maximum aerobic speed.

The second reason we may need to assess athletes is in a rehabilitation setting, or injury prevention setting. These tests are usually measured in comparison to how an athlete moved or performed before they got injured. Testing allows coaches or clinicians to measure how an athlete is progressing through their rehabilitation objectively.

With the correct choice of testing, a training program can be developed to improve or focus on improving a specific component of fitness. Similarly, in a rehabilitation setting, coaches can prioritise a specific movement, coordination or strength tests during a specific phase of rehab.

13/10/2020

What is the functional movement system (FMS)? Athlete Performance and Strength Assessments use a mix of tailored physical tests as well as the functional movement screen (FMS). The FMS is an exercise screen which assesses an individual's movement patterns. It uses a scoring system to specifically look at strength, mobility and stability. The underlying goals of the assessment are to identify movement limitations, strength and skill deficits, so they can be addressed and improved using our periodised training programs.

So why is using the FMS important for athletes? Honestly, it's not. The assessment is only as good as the clinician or coaches ability to interpret the information collected. A good score does not always improve performance, and/or reduce injury risk, likewise, a bad score does not always reduce performance, and/or increase injury risk. The FMS is merely a way for a coach to identify deficits in strength, stability and flexibility, and address compensatory movements.

So if the FMS screening isn't crucial for athletes, why then should we use it? The FMS gives us a way to quantify movement. It is based on a system where functional movement is the base for improving performance and sport skills. By having a good movement pattern, an athlete is able to be strong through full ranges of motion, and maintain an efficient posture in various positions. If an athlete can do this, they can then start to build on these movements to promote improvement in strength and power for specific sporting requirements.

At physio connex performance clinic, the strength and conditioners use the FMS screening as a baseline to assess movement. Along with physical capacity assessments, we can gain insight into where your strengths and limitations lie so that we can optimally choose exercises to address imbalances and weaknesses.

12/10/2020

At Physio Connex, we offer a Athlete Strength and Performance Assessment, using the latest science in conjunction with your goals.

25/09/2020

Stacy Harsh will be completing her own half Ironman on the Central Coast to inspire others to stay mentally and physically fit and raise money for the charity, Central Coast ARAFMI.

10/09/2020

Hey guys, on the 26th of September, will be completing an Ironman 70.3 on a track mapped out on the Central Coast. I have agreed to join her for the swim and run leg. The event consists of a 1.9km swim at Terrigal Beach, Ride 90km to Swansea and back, then run 21km from Terrigal to Bateau Bay and return.
is also raising funds to help support the mental health of families on the Central Coast. You can help support this cause by donating to Central Coast ARAFMI.
Central Coast ARAFMI is a local charity that supports the mental health of whole families, including people in their mental health recovery journey, and carers of people affected by mental health issues.
Contact for details to on how to donate, or for any additional information
Unfortunately, as a result of COVID-19 restrictions, THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC EVENT, and Stacey is encouraging the public NOT to join her on the day. However, you can follow her journey online through the accounts above.

05/03/2020

I just wanted to make a formal post. As of the 1st of March I’ve officially joined the team at North Wyong. I’ve taken over the role of Strength and Conditioning Coach working alongside Physiotherapy, for sports performance, exercise rehabilitation, and any training related education. One of my main roles will be to work within the process of return to sports performance.
So what is Strength and Conditioning? And why is it so important?... See the link in bio for my latest blog post 🔥

05/03/2020

Strength and Conditioning, and Strength and Conditioning Coaches, are terms thrown around a lot in the sporting and fitness industry. But what exactly is Strength and Conditioning? And who exactly are the best Strength and Conditioning coaches? Jack Waddell explains here in our most recent blog.