Soflete

Episode 1 - Introducing the Concept of Heart Health George and Matt kick off this new chapter with a thorough look into exactly what establishing good Heart Health means. George then uses real-world examples from his own experiences competing and coaching, both at the highest level, to illustrate the importance of this concept. George recounts how he learned the necessity of building a solid ‘aerobic base’, even with strength and power athletes, when he had the crushing realisation that his athlete wouldn’t recover in time between lifts at The US Open Weightlifting Championships. However, he also discovered that when integrated into a training plan appropriately, it can be truly life changing, especially for those with underlying health concerns. As ever, this episode sets out the foundations; to get the most benefit and insight from the remainder of this chapter, we highly recommend you check it out first. Everything we do here at SOFLETE is based on adding value to our community, so if you have any ideas,

The second part of this episode builds on the foundations laid out in Part A. George and Matt gets into the specifics of how you can weaponize this new knowledge to help better inform your training. Based on this, George shines the spotlight on exactly what his own training looks like, both whilst competing (including in Ultra competitions and the recent Recon Challenge) as well as when he's in more of a General Physical Preparation phase. As ever, we want you to join in the conversation- either through SOFLETE's social media or by contacting the guys directly (George@soflete.com or Matt@soflete.com).

We're back in the Human Performance Team's virtual office, listening in as the guys break down the tale that's as old as time... Can you really train for a marathon and still bang heavyweights?! To put it simply, it depends... listen as George and Matt take a deep dive into the exercise physiology principles that govern concurrent training (the practice of combining endurance and strength training). Make no mistake, and the boys dig right down into the nuts and bolts that help form the backbone of the SOFLETE training principles, so make yourself a strong brew/wet/coffee (depending on your denomination) and buckle up! As ever, we want you to join in the conversation- either through SOFLETE's social media or by contacting the guys directly (George@soflete.com or Matt@soflete.com).

Coach Tony Blauer has been in the martial art, self-defense, defensive tactics, and combative industry for over four decades. He founded Blauer Tactical Systems (BTS) in 1985 and it has grown into one of the world's leading consulting companies specializing in the research and development of performance psychology, personal safety, and close quarter tactics & scenario-based training for law enforcement, military, and professional self-defense instructors. • His research on the neuroscience of fear and the startle-flinch led to the development of the SPEAR System® a modern personal defense system based on physiology, physics, and psychology. It has been used by defensive tactics and combative trainers all over the world for over 30 years. • He developed the world's first impact-reduction scenario-based training equipment, called High Gear which revolutionized force-on-force training for police, SWAT, and military organizations. • After decades of interviewing victims of violent encounters and studying viol

Recon Challenge Event Reflection Podcast (Episode 3) In this episode, George breaks down all the action, laughter and tears from inside the 2021 USMC Recon Challenge. You’ll get some insider tips on how to optimize nutrition, hydration and performance psychology that are readily transferable to your endurance training and competitions. Plus hear about the 0315 reveille, the most beautiful sunrise of George’s life and getting such bad hand cramps he resembled Captain Hook… Quite simply, this is one episode you do not want to miss. During the show, George mentioned a few of the fantastic resources that are available to those specifically within the USMC Recon community: George’s interview with Honeybeard (https://youtu.be/vUTb_lNYvrw) Recon & Sniper Foundation (https://www.reconsniperfoundation.org/) Marine Recon Foundation (https://reconfoundation.org/)

Recon Challenge Training Podcast (Episode 2) It’s been 10 days since George and his teammate took an incredible 3rd place at the gruelling, annual Recon Challenge event at Camp Pendleton. In this episode of the SOFLETE Performance Podcast, we catch up with George and find out how he managed to complete the event with such a short amount of preparation. We dive into everything that has happened since the first Recon Challenge podcast four weeks ago, where George was just dusting off his Cammies. Hear how his training, sport psychology and nutrition knowledge and experience were tested to the maximum as he attempted to navigate his way through 5 monstrous weeks of preparation.

Pre-Recon Challenge Podcast (Episode 1) For most people, having a hobby like landscape photography whilst working a full time job, alongside being a husband and a Dad, is probably enough of a challenge. If you were to also add in coaching and competing in ultra-distance competitions, completing a college degree as well as being an active member of various veteran support networks, you start to get an insight into George’s life. As someone who truly embodies the SOFLETE slogan ‘Die Living’, George has never been one to back down from a challenge. So when a Recon’ Marine brother phoned George to invite him to compete in the Recon Challenge, as one of the first prior recon marine entrants, there was only going to be one answer. However, to make things even more interesting, there’s the small fact that the Challenge is only 5 weeks away! Listen along, as Matt tries to wrap his head around exactly how George plans to transform himself back into an operationally capable Recon Marine, hand tattoos and all...

Episode 3: How to Improve YOUR Sleep We get it, there’s only 24 hours in a day and between work, family and training it can be almost impossible to get 7-9 hours in bed. On top of that, we’re a community made up of people who make a living jumping out of aircraft at 3AM, or spending a 12 hour shift in an ambulance. So whilst it might be reasonable to expect a pro athlete to be maximizing their sleep, how can we make this work for the tactical professional? As with every chapter, in Episode 3, George and Matt work to interpret cutting edge research and best practice guidelines, to provide you with simple and actionable steps to make you a better human. The guys offer a new perspective on setting up a sleep plan and through the Conscious Warrior System, recommend utilising each of the other pillars to help leverage the best sleep of your life. At the end of today’s episode, the Human Performance Team throws out another challenge for you. This time, to see if you can use some of the different strategies and meth

Episode 2: How sleep is relevant to the tactical community When you’re supposed to be on stag but your body needs sleep so badly, you’re willing to fall asleep and allow Sgt Briones to steal your weapon (and have to face the inevitable consequences!)... that’s when you know this sleep thing must be pretty important! In today’s episode, George and Matt attempt to comprehend the fact that for thousands of years, humans have spent around a third of their lives in this vulnerable state of unconsciousness that we call sleep. Clearly, if evolution deemed this to be a worthwhile risk to take, the necessity of sleep must be non-negotiable. However, in today’s society and particularly within the tactical community, surviving on minimal sleep is still seen to be something of a badge of honour. The guys unpack the plethora of reasons why sleep needs to be taken more seriously by this population. Everything we do here at SOFLETE is based on adding value to our community, so if you have any ideas, requests or questions,

Episode 1: Introducing Sleep Welcome to Episode 1 of Chapter 2; where we start to explore the individual pillars that make up the Conscious Warrior System. Today George and Matt discuss why sleep is so important, not only for supporting training gains but also for learning, creativity and general health. From boosting testosterone and controlling appetite, through to improving problem solving and decision making, sleep is the closest thing to a magic bullet that we have available to us. George talks about how he learned first-hand, when making the switch from weightlifting to ultra endurance running, the importance of dialling in his sleep. You can also hear how he figured out some tips and tricks to boost his recovery and get the most out of his time in the sack. Everything we do here at SOFLETE is based on adding value to our community, so if you have any ideas, requests or questions, please feel free to reach out to us- either through SOFLETE social media or contact George and Matt directly via George@sof

Ever wondered what it might be like to be a fly on the wall in the SOFLETE Human Performance Team's virtual office?! Join George and Matt as they sip their morning coffee and generally put the world to rights. From existentialism to the benefits of performing a heavy ruck on tired legs, the guys use this time as a chance to look at life and training from a different perspective. Drawing on personal experience, conversation with some incredible podcast guests, and professional conferences, this truly is a behind-the-curtains peek into the inner workings of the Human Performance Team. Links to some of the influential people the guys talk about: Dave Collins - (https://twitter.com/dcgreymattersuk?lang=en) Rob Orr link - (https://bond.edu.au/intl/profile/rob-orr)

Episode 3: Practical application of the Conscious Warrior System In the final episode of this first chapter, the guys discuss exactly how the Conscious Warrior System could be implemented by the tactical athlete. They explore the connections between the 6 pillars of the system and George breaks down how seeing these pillars as tools can offer new perspectives to problem solving, both at work and at home. Finally, the guys throw down the gauntlet and offer the listeners a simple challenge, allowing them to experience the Conscious Warrior System for themselves. Everything we do here at SOFLETE is based on adding value to our community, so if you have any ideas, requests or questions, please feel free to reach out to us- either through SOFLETE social media or contact George and Matt directly via George@soflete.com or Matt@soflete.com. As discussed in the show, the book that introduced George to the concept of Spiral Dynamics was 'Integral Psychology' by Ken Wilber (https://www.amazon.com/Integral-Psychology

Episode 2: How the Conscious Warrior System is relevant to the tactical community Welcome to episode 2, where George and Matt dig into exactly how they see the Conscious Warrior System being beneficial for the tactical community. The guys acknowlege that whilst the tactical professional is different from the pro-sport athlete, there's still a lot we can learn from them about creating a performance based ecosystem that will support the individual. As part of this, George reflects back on what the original goals for the creation of the Conscious Warrior System were. He also explains how his experiences in the military, as an athlete and as a coach have provided him something of a unique perspective on what it means to be a conscious warrior. Finally, the guys talk about how the Conscious Warrior System is currently being researched and tested in the real world and tell you where to keep an eye out, if you're interested in being part of the next stage of this project. Everything we do at SOFLETE is based on a

Episode 1: Introducing the Conscious Warrior System As promised, this is the first episode of chapter 1 in this Lunch and Learn series. In this episode, George and Matt discuss exactly what the Conscious Warrior System is and how the 6 pillars work to support optimal tactical performance. George gives a brief insight into the origins of this system and how it has evolved to where it is today. We're extremely excited about the potential of this project and it's been hard for us not to share more information about it, until now. With that in mind, check out this first episode and as ever, please get involved in the conversation- either through SOFLETE social media or contact George and Matt directly via George@soflete.com or Matt@soflete.com.

Introducing the Lunch and Learn Series George and Matt introduce the latest offering from the SOFLETE Human Performance Team. We get it, everyone's busy and sometimes you don't have 2 hours to spend listening to a podcast. This is where the SOFLETE Lunch and Learn series comes in. Think of it like a Human Performance magazine, designed specifically for the tactical community. Every 2 weeks, we'll drop a 15-20 minute high octane dose of information and conversation; designed for easy listening on your way to work, during some brief down time, or maybe even whilst you're knocking out some work in the gym. This first series of the Lunch and Learn podcast will focus on another of SOFLETE's sparkly new projects, the Conscious Warrior System. Essentially, this is SOFLETE's take on an all encompassing system designed to optimise your performance as not only a tactical professional, but also the human underneath that uniform. Over the coming weeks and months, we'll dedicate a chapter to each of the 6 pillars that

George talks with Beau of V23 Athletics in Denver and Kegan of Autonomous Athlete about their methods and motivations.

George and Matt talk about the Tactical Transferability Scale.

Matt and George discuss the The Dynamic Systems Theory.

Matt and George talk about PTSD

George sits down to talk with SOFLETE's newest coach, Matt Sanderson.