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Contributor Interview with Exercise Physiologist Matt Majka (MCEP)

By January 28, 2017March 14th, 2017Uncategorized
Exercise-Physiologist-Matt-Majka

 

Hi Matt, tell us about Exercise Physiology and why you chose it as a career?

Exercise Physiology studies the physiological effects that occur during physical activity. Exercise Physiologists (EP’s) are allied health professionals who specialise in delivery of exercise prescription for prevention and treatment of injuries and chronic diseases.

The reason for choosing to become an EP was very simple, I genuinely wanted to help people.

I was touring Australia as a professional dancer at the time, and would interact with hundreds of people on a weekly basis from all walks of life. I got to hear a lot of their stories, and witnessed the lack of priority towards their health.

I had already obtained my degree in Exercise Science (Bach. Ex.Science), but knew I wanted to help people in a clinical setting also. That being my reason to further my studies and complete my Masters in Clinical Exercise Physiology (MCEP).

So having competed in basketball and B-boy/Breakdancing, how has that influenced your approach to your treatment method?

It’s helped me to greater understand and relate to people and what they are going through, as I have had my share of serious and minor injuries.

Having success at an elite level in B-boying/Breakdancing and Basketball, I also know the physical training requirements athletes go through, and the significance of the right kind of mindset and approach needed to succeed in both sport and rehabilitation for injuries.

These experiences have helped me develop effective treatment methods to assist people from rehabilitation to athletic performance in sports.

Fantastic, so you have your own business, tell us more about that and why you decided to go out on your own?

My business, Empower Health Concepts is a clinic specialising in Plyometrics, Injury Management, Strength and Conditioning, Rehabilitation and Chronic Disease prevention and management.

I needed to go out on my own, as I felt my skills were under utilised at various work places. I wanted to provide more and knew that I could, so the decision to step out and run my own business was easy. It was definitely daunting at first though!

So it has been quite a process. What kind of patients or clientele has been your market?

I have people come in from all different ages and reasons, from 10-70 year olds. Those that need injury treatment, strength conditioning for athletes who want to improve their movement efficiency, even people needing rehab from post-operative surgery.

Great, so there is something for everyone. You also mentioned plyometrics. What is it and why is it your focus?

Plyometric training has always been an area of interest and passion of mine, it is a specific type of training associated with fast powerful movements such as sprinting, agility and jump training.

This is particularly useful for developing and improving athletic skills and performance in sports such as basketball, volleyball, soccer, dancing and athletics.

It is an area of focus for me because of my background: basketball and breakdancing.

Plyometrics challenges many areas of fitness and functionality, all the cogs have a part to play to make the whole machine work, otherwise it doesn’t function efficiently.

I always enjoy seeing it all come together towards the last few weeks of training. Participants of the program in turn learning and appreciating how to move efficiently, and usually surprise themselves with their own abilities, it’s a really fun environment to be a part of.

And we hear you’ve launched your own program? Rubix Plyometrics? Sounds exciting.

It’s very exciting!

Rubix Plyometrics is my own 12 Week Plyometrics Program that I have designed and run.

Being a breakdancer and basketball player, both these areas have inspired me to create this program to help athletes and fitness heads improve their movement efficiency and tap into their explosive power training.

So why explosive exercise? Will there be other forms of training in the future?

Unless you have been trained at the elite level with professional coaching staff there are a lot of areas within your movement that will usually lack. Correct explosive power training being one of them.

People often ask why they don’t have the speed, leap, change of direction aspect in their movements. Most of us don’t even have the correct running technique to begin with. Unless you’re a sprinter and have had training there are a lot of fun tweaks and alterations that can be done to get you moving more efficiently, and therefore more powerfully. The right order and timing of certain exercises will do just that.

Yes there will be other forms of training in the future, look out for this space, exciting things are happening that will challenge the normal way of training and thinking.

Keeping these few things on the down low currently, so I cannot divulge much information but when they hit it’s definitely going to raise some eyebrows!

Wow, exciting things happening, we can’t wait to see what comes next.

Thank you Evolved Media for the opportunity to do this interview!

Interested in training Plyometrics? Matthew runs Rubix plyometrics his very own 12 Week Plyometrics Program. Get in touch: info@empowerhealthconcepts.com.au

Matt

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