In this episode, Andrew interviews Neil Santiago, a certified athletic trainer, and strength and conditioning coach for military personnel and athletes of all types. For over a decade, Neil has been working as a human performance program specialist at the US Army Schofield Barracks Health Clinic. Neil works with servicemen and women daily, applying innovative and effective techniques for elevating their performance. As an athlete growing up in Hawaii, he was introduced to athletic training after...
Sep 01, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 33
Are you religiously icing parts of your body because of aches, pains, and poor recovery? Believe it or not, utilizing ice is not as popular as you would think around the world. Yet, in the US, we tend to slap ice on everyone, everything, and anything that has performed something active. To be clear, I am not saying that ice as a modality is useless. Ice causes specific effects that have its place in sports medicine, which is to reduce local circulation, cellular communication, and overall metabo...
Aug 25, 2020•22 min•Ep. 32
This episode is filled with many great stories from Ronley Lakalaka, former San Diego State University linebacker. Andrew sits down with Ronley, covering his background, experiences, and his take on developing mental and physical toughness. Growing up in Hawaii with a big family in athletics, Ronley played a wide range of sports, and football took hold at a fairly early age. He speaks about the transition into college football and his experience playing on some of the biggest stages in college f...
Aug 18, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 31
Have you ever done certain exercises or strength training where you didn’t feel the right muscles turning on? In this episode, Andrew talks about enhancing neuromuscular activation. Making sure that the right muscles are turned on during any movement or exercise is crucial for injury prevention. An indication of not having the right muscles firing during an exercise can be soreness or joint discomfort in other areas of the body that were trying to compensate for the intended muscles you were try...
Aug 11, 2020•23 min•Ep. 30
This week’s episode features the one and only Tony Silva, from Da Braddah’s and Friends! Da Braddah’s and Friends is a local comedy show in Waikiki, led by Tony and James Roche. Tony is not only full of hilarious stories and great insight, but he is sure to make you laugh. In this episode, Tony shares his background and his journey with sports and professional entertainment. His performance experience began with dancing. Being a natural comedian, his backstage pranks in between performances are ...
Aug 04, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 29
Listen in to this basic breakdown covering the common mechanisms of hamstring strains, considerations for rehab and training after injury, and how to return to sports safely with optimal performance. If you have suffered a hamstring strain before, you very well understand what a nagging issue it can become. Functional disruptions and compensations contribute to the increased risks of subsequent hamstring injuries following the initial strain. This episode explains the neuromuscular disruptions a...
Jul 28, 2020•17 min•Ep. 28
This episode features Matt Kwock, a physician assistant and good friend of Andrew. Listen to this conversation between Matt and Andrew about what it means to play it smart while living big. Matt talks about setting specific goals while staying in line with your values. Matt has some great stories from growing up as a lifetime student in Punahou, playing a wide range of sports, and falling in love with football. Along with his love of football, came some injuries along the way. He learned a lot a...
Jul 21, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 27
This is a very informative episode and one not to miss if you’ve ever experienced any issues with IT band tightness or have felt any sort of knee pain. The common solution for people is to grab a foam roller and roll out the IT band, but this approach is very broad. IT band tightness is being caused by something else, so Andrew explains in this episode how to address these issues from a multi-faceted approach. Why is the IT band tight? What causes this issue? Andrew goes into depth about the fun...
Jul 14, 2020•18 min•Ep. 26
This episode is full of gems, and not to be missed if you’re looking to find balance and fulfillment with your fitness and nutrition habits! Andrew sits down with his good friend, Tony, who has so much to share about his journey working towards a healthier lifestyle through enjoyment and taking one step at a time. Tony has been training with Andrew in the last year and a half, and they both agree that each individual is going to have their own unique approach. Tony is a restaurant manager who wo...
Jul 08, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 25
In this episode, Andrew suggests taking a look at the way that you train. What are you focusing on when you’re practicing movement? What is your intent? We have all heard the phrase, “quality over quantity.” When we integrate this “quality over quantity” approach into our training and practice, we improve how we train and improve our results. Instead of focusing on the number of reps during each practice, try focusing on the quality of each rep. This episode has us take a look at how we are trai...
Jun 30, 2020•19 min•Ep. 24
Got tightness? In this episode, Andrew discusses the ways that we can address muscle soreness, tightness, and restrictions that make us feel uncomfortable. We all experience this from time to time. Of course, stretching, massage, and myofascial release are ways that can help us to feel better. However, what can we learn from the issues associated with tightness when it occurs? How many times have you had the same issue of tightness reoccur? What have you learned about it? Listen in on this episo...
Jun 23, 2020•21 min•Ep. 23
This episode features Randy Morris, a true awe inspiring performance coach with an impeccable story. As an African American raised in the South, Randy gives us a story very relevant to the times. He gives us a story shedding light on the current picture we have on racial equality today. Listen to the unfolding of Randy’s career, which was driven and inspired by a pivotal moment in his life as a teenager. A woman, by the name of Mrs. Burris, noticed Randy playing basketball with his friends on th...
Jun 16, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 22
Do you ever wonder how much you should be eating? This is a common inquiry, and the answers tend to vary. Sometimes we can eat bigger meals and feel unsatisfied. Other times we can eat just a little and stay full for a while afterward, even when the hunger level is the same each time. Why is this the case? If you have ever found yourself lost inside the mystery of portion sizes, this episode is for you! Andrew shares his nutritional knowledge and provides a practical way to estimate portion size...
Jun 09, 2020•23 min•Ep. 21
In this episode, Andrew interviews UFC veteran Yancy Medeiros! This episode is very uplifting, as Yancy shares with us what he truly finds important in life and what brought him to success. He has some truly inspiring stories and experiences to share with us in this episode. Yancy speaks about what brought him to the UFC and the valuable lessons that he learned along the way. What makes Yancy unique is the way that he views success. He speaks about his own success by seeing fighting is a techniq...
Jun 02, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 20
Tendonitis is one of the most frustrating nagging injuries for athletes. Addressing underlying issues that may place excessive stress on tendons is crucial during the rehab process. Early interventions during the early stages of tendonitis will save you a lot of headache, frustration, and setbacks. Ideally, paying attention to everything in this episode as injury prevention strategies will produce the best outcomes when training to elevate your performance. Listen in on this episode to understan...
May 26, 2020•27 min•Ep. 19
I am excited to share this week’s episode with Derek Takai, DDS, as he shares his story growing up playing sports, staying active as a busy working professional, and the lessons learned through overcoming injuries. He shares his love for jiu jitsu, as well as the price he has paid through sustaining injuries and the hard work it took to come back stronger than before. We talk about his experience rehabbing a severe ankle sprain and the process of going through ACL reconstruction surgery and the ...
May 19, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 18
Dating back throughout history, there are a few common trends that we see for health and fitness. We all need to move well, be functional, and have adequate movement capacity to carry out tasks in life. In addition, having "exercise" integrated into our lives leads to higher levels of fitness. As society started to become more sedentary, more of an effort for intentional movement and "exercise" with equipment and at gyms have become mainstream. During these times, with gyms and facilities being ...
May 12, 2020•21 min•Ep. 17
I am excited to welcome Jay Christensen, MS, ATC, to the podcast this week. We both go a while back and were graduate athletic training classmates at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. It was nice to catch up and talk about his awesome, yet demanding position as the Head Athletic Trainer for Marvel Universe Live. We share everything from taking care of his athletes on the road, to the crazy stunts that he witnesses, to why we both are proud to be ATCs (Certified Athletic Trainers). You won't wan...
May 05, 2020•56 min•Ep. 16
There's so many options when it comes to purchasing exercise equipment, both large and small purchases. Bottom line is to ask yourself some basic questions before purchasing exercise equipment. What is it that you need? What type of training is this for? And what is it that you will make the most use out of? Sometimes just small additions at home make a big difference with your home workouts. I share my experience in creating a home gym in high school to cater to my goals at the time. Most of us...
Apr 28, 2020•29 min•Ep. 15
In this week’s episode, Andrew had the opportunity of catching up with Ka'imi Fairbairn, kicker for the Houston Texans. Kaimi is an extraordinary athlete who has so much to share when it comes to optimizing your performance. This episode covers some interesting topics, beginning with how Kaimi began paving his pathway into professional football. He speaks about his journey throughout the years and explains the concepts that have helped him perform at higher levels. Some of these may surprise you...
Apr 21, 2020•50 min•Ep. 14
How can you keep progressing with training, fitness, and exercise during this time of social distancing? I will go over important aspects to consider with how to continue high level training during these times we all are staying at home. I discuss ways to train smart at home and progress your training volume gradually to help you create favorable adaptations and minimize overtraining risks. Listen in on other key variables of movement and exercise that will help you create effective and appropri...
Apr 14, 2020•22 min•Ep. 13
Kaia shares his story from growing up around sports, playing basketball, overcoming knee injuries, and learning how to create lifestyle habits to takes care his body. We talk about all kinds of classics, from jump soles to fad nutrition strategies that he has tried firsthand. There are a lot of stories in the episode that we can all relate to when dealing with injuries, going through rehab, and finding ways to train smarter to build your body up. He also shares a lot of his knowledge and experie...
Apr 07, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 12
Let’s talk about the relationship of pain, injury, and motor control. This information will help you understand the process to reduce pain, lower injury risk, start to move better, and ultimately elevate your performance. I will breakdown the different types of pain and what happens with orthopedic and musculoskeletal injuries. I also breakdown what motor control is and how crucial it is to address how we move. The take home message of this episode is that pain is a signal that indicates somethi...
Mar 31, 2020•32 min•Ep. 11
Listen in on this episode as Brian Buck, the Director of Sports at Sparta Science, joins Andrew in an interview to discuss the innovative technology of Sparta Science and how it works. Brian shares his own story of beginning with baseball, and a host of injuries throughout his career inspired him to work with Sparta Science later on. Sparta Science is a technology used to assess movement holistically through three simple scans, which include balance, plank, and jump. In this episode, Andrew and ...
Mar 24, 2020•56 min•Ep. 10
As an athletic trainer, I am an advocate for sports, but even more so for public health and safety. The rapid spread of the coronavirus and its effects in suspending sports, canceling school, and negatively impacting businesses is a tough one. However, it is completely necessary and understandable in order to reduce the risk of rapid spread and infection in the interest of public health. During this time we all need to support each other, respect everyone, and help each other out to get through ...
Mar 16, 2020•23 min•Ep. 9
The squat is an important movement in life, activities, and sports. No one has a perfect squat and there are always ways we can tune up this movement pattern. Good squatting technique helps to minimize low back pain, strengthens our lower body, and helps us to move, jump, land, etc. During this episode Andrew provides insight on basic squat fundamentals, how he assesses and teaches squat mechanics, and corrections that will help you to improve how you squat. The take home message is to pay atten...
Mar 10, 2020•33 min•Ep. 8
This week we have Kekai Rios here on the podcast to talk about his professional baseball career, off season training, and how he works towards elevating his performance. I can honestly say that this off-season built on what Kekai did last year. He has grown in his understanding of what works best for his body, how to be a better professional athlete, and preparing as best as he can for the upcoming season. We talk about a wide range of topics from mobility, overcoming adversity, demands through ...
Mar 03, 2020•44 min•Ep. 7
Have you ever gotten sucked into the marketing claims of a health and fitness product that you ended up realizing you didn’t absolutely need? What we all need sometimes is to trust the process and not give in to the “put a band aid on it” quick fix claims. That’s when we need to put in the right type of work, be consistently, and be patient. I discuss some insights that will help you to remain consistent, enhance your fundamentals, and pull philosophies from very successful coaches and health ca...
Feb 25, 2020•28 min•Ep. 6
Kristina has a unique story that has brought her towards her passion to help people as she pursues a career as a physical therapist. This is one of those conversations that provides invaluable insights of what it is like to overcome injuries as an athlete, the hard work and persistence required when going through rehab, and how things come full circle when you pursue your passion to help others in ways that you received help. We discuss a little bit of everything from her athletic career to the ...
Feb 18, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 5
Many of us try and follow diets in the short term, but it ends up failing us and doesn’t provide a sustainable way to live your life. Why is this? In this episode I break down the differences between “diet” and “nutrition.” I share my approach to nutrition in my practice and how I coach my athletes and clients. The bottom line is understanding how nutrition is integrated and interconnected with every aspect of your life. When you are aware of this holistic perspective of nutrition you will start...
Feb 11, 2020•36 min•Ep. 4
