Raise The Bar

One Coach
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Health & Fitness
  • Updated Weekly

Raise the Bar is a place for honest conversations about health, fitness, and high performance. It exists to give you the tools and mindset shifts to close the gap between where you are and where you want to be. In a world of thirty-second reels and conflicting advice, this show filters out the noise and creates space for nuance in the health conversation. Hosts Ariel Comeau and Matt Duncan, coaches with 30 years of combined experience, sit down with world-class experts and everyday high performers to discuss the latest research, hard-won lessons, and the difficult realities of transformation.

  1. 2d ago

    Biohacking: What Actually Works (and What's a Waste of Money)? | Camilla Thompson

    What if everything you're doing to improve your health is actually making it more complicated?You're tracking your sleep, buying supplements, following health experts and trying the latest wellness trends. But are you actually getting healthier, or just getting better at measuring everything?Biohacker and author, Camilla Thompson, joins Raise the Bar to challenge the idea that better health requires more money, more technology or a perfectly optimised routine.After years of unexplained illness and a difficult recovery from mould exposure, Camilla became determined to understand what her body needed. But her journey also taught her something unexpected: knowing when to stop optimising can be just as important as knowing where to start.Camilla explains:Why getting the basics right should come before expensive biohacking trends How to use health testing and wearables without becoming obsessed with the numbersWhy the same diet, supplements or health routine won't work for everyoneWhich free and paid biohacks Camilla actually usesHow exercise, sleep and everyday habits can support brain health and healthy ageingWhy doing everything perfectly isn't necessarily the healthiest approachFrom genetics and supplements to sleep, brain health and longevity, this conversation will change how you think about taking control of your health.In This Episode You Will Learn:00:00 Intro01:00 What Is Biohacking and How Do You Start?03:13 The Foundations of Better Health: Sleep, Diet and Exercise 07:46 Camilla Thompson's Chronic Illness and Recovery Story 15:27 Biohacking for Longevity: Healthspan vs Lifespan 17:23 Do You Really Need Supplements? Why Testing Comes First 21:04 Are Health Trackers and Wearables Helping or Hurting? 31:20 Can Your Lifestyle Change Your Genetic Risk? 41:59 Can You Get Everything You Need From Food? 57:23 How to Protect Your Brain Health as You Age 01:06:06 How Exercise and Sleep Support Brain Health 01:20:47 How to Build a Better Sleep Routine 01:26:22 The Best Free and Paid Biohacks to Try 01:36:21 How to Avoid Biohacking Overwhelm*Resources:*Follow Camilla Thompson:Instagram: @biohackmecoach - https://www.instagram.com/biohackmecoach/ Website: https://www.biohackme.com.au/*Raise the Bar Podcast:*Experience OneCoach: https://one.coach/Visit One Playground: https://oneplayground.com.au/Follow Raise the Bar: https://www.instagram.com/raisethebarpodcast/Follow Ariel: https://www.instagram.com/arielcomeau_/Follow Matt: https://www.instagram.com/mattduncancoach/

  2. Oct 11

    The Brutal Truth About Making It To The UFC | Cameron Rowston

    Talent is highly overrated; undeniable execution is what scales. In this episode, Ariel Comeau and Matt Duncan sit down with undefeated UFC middleweight fighter Cameron Rowston (3-0 UFC, "The Battle Giraffe") to strip back the hyper-polished world of professional mixed martial arts and reveal what it actually takes to survive the trenches. If you are a martial artist, a personal trainer, or an everyday high performer fighting through self-doubt, gym slumps, or an unforgiving professional transition, Cam’s story is a masterclass in resilience. Discover why his elite coaches at City Kickboxing in Auckland told him he had "zero talent" from day one, how he survived a brutal cross-country relocation and institutional locker room hazing as the lone Australian on the mat, and what it truly feels like to look up at the ring announcer and realise you are making your UFC debut on five weeks' notice. Cam also pulls back the curtain on the hyper-scientific training protocols designed by performance specialists like Bill Smart to engineer functional power. Learn why heavy barbell grinding might be stalling your development, the agony of 2-minute bodyweight isometric lunge holds, and how to program your weekly split across three distinct energy systems. TIMESTAMPS:  00:00 - The "Zero Talent" Reality Check: Why Accountability Beats Raw Ability  01:20 - Transitioning from Metropolitan Basketball to Competitive Combat  02:01 - Unpacking the Nickname: How COVID Shuttle Runs Created the "Battle Giraffe"  03:08 - Majoring in MMA: Balancing a UTS Exercise Management Degree with the Gym  04:51 - Stepping Into a Real Fight Gym: Overcoming Family Scepticism at 18  06:26 - The 18-Month Litmus Test: Sparring a UFC Veteran to Prove You Belong  09:01 - Running Off 4 Long Blacks: The Exhausting Balance of Early Amateur Training  10:52 - Turning Pro in 2016: Filtering Out Distractions and Sacrificing Social Circles  12:38 - The Amateur Apprenticeship: Why Early Losses Are Essential Lessons 14:47 - The MEN'S HEALTH Circuit Myth: Moving to Scientific Training Layouts  16:43 - Getting Dropped on Your Head: The Brutal Stinger That Forced a Technical Shift  22:08 - Assembling Your Performance Team: Why Every Fighter Needs Specialist Coaches  24:10 - Finding a Head Coach Who Has Walked the Walk (City Kickboxing Auckland)  27:44 - Numb on Adrenaline: Surviving the Panic of the Locker Room Wait  30:45 - The Turning Point: Getting Knocked Out Cold by an Undefeated Prospect  34:57 - Vetting the Madmen: Inside the Screening Processes of Elite Fight Teams  39:13 - Negative Motivation and Old-School Approval: The Power of the Silent Nod  42:05 - The Road to the UFC Contract: Navigating the Brutal Contender Series  47:11 - Dana White's Ultimatum: Turning a High-Pressure Vegas Show into a 1st Round KO  54:10 - The Penthouse vs the Reality: Debuting on the Perth and Sydney Cards  01:00:11 - The Science of Isometrics: Building Absolute Strength Without Heavy Lifting  01:02:48 - Foot Strength and Pogo Drills: Why Training Barefoot Changes Mechanics  01:05:18 - Mapping the Training Week: Balancing Striking, Grappling, and Weight Cuts  01:12:01 - Emotional Down-Regulation: Staying Present in the Middle of an Octagon  01:20:05 - Fueling a 4,500 Calorie Deficit: Six Espresso Shots and Clean Macro Strategies 01:27:03 - Learning from Alexander Volkanovski: High-Definition Focus and Time Management  01:33:03 - Shifting to an "Unk": Using the Sour Energy of the Next Generation to Raise Your Bar CONNECT WITH RAISE THE BAR & CAM ROWSTON • Follow Cameron Rowston on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camrowston/ • Follow Raise the Bar Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raisethebarpodcast/ • Connect with One Coach: https://one.coach  • Visit One Playground Gyms Sydney: https://oneplayground.com.au  #RaiseTheBarPodcast #UFC #CamRowston #CityKickboxing #IsraelAdesanya #AlexanderVolkanovski #IsometricTraining #MiddleweightUFC #OneCoach #SydneyFitness

  3. Oct 9

    Where Should You Start in Health: Movement, Sleep, or Nutrition? | Coach’s Corner

    In this Coach's Corner, the hosts reflect on their conversation with exercise physiologist Rob Lyon. They take two ideas from his episode and turn them into steps listeners can use throughout the week. The first is the lead domino, an idea that a single change makes every following event easier. They discuss how to use the mindset as a coach, from assessing training regimens to determining the best systems for beginners, including sleep schedules.  The second part of their conversation focuses on intensity. While plenty of people sweat through classes that sit in zone three, most coaches agree that it’s a dead zone because it's too hard to build an aerobic base and too easy to raise VO2 max. Matt and Ariel break down the heart rate zones and explain why a 20-second all-out sprint often never gets your heart rate into zone five. They also walk through the 4x4 protocol: a ten-minute warm-up, four minutes at zones four to five, and three minutes of active recovery, repeated four times for 16 minutes of hard work. In This Episode You Will Learn: (00:01:08) How to tell whether your biggest problem is spending too little energy or recovering too little (00:04:19) What a newborn taught one host about controlling bedtime when sleep quality is out of reach (00:05:53) Why committing to three days a week builds more motivation than promising seven (00:09:30) Why better sleep leads to harder training and less impulsive food choices (00:10:47) What heart rate zones two, four, and five mean, from about 60 to 95 percent of your max (00:12:03) Why so many class workouts stall in zone three, the so-called dead zone (00:14:34) The 4x4 protocol step by step, from the ten-minute warm-up to 16 minutes at high intensity (00:18:15) How threshold training differs from VO2 max work and grows your zone two (00:19:08) The two takeaways: more 4x4 sessions and one habit you know you can master Resources:  Connect with Rob Lyon Instagram: @lyon__health Connect with Raise the Bar Podcast: Experience OneCoach: https://one.coach/ Visit One Playground: https://oneplayground.com.au/ Follow Raise the Bar: https://www.instagram.com/raisethebarpodcast/ Follow Ariel: https://www.instagram.com/arielcomeau_/ Follow Matt: https://www.instagram.com/mattduncancoach/

  4. Oct 4

    Exercise Physiologist: The Cardio You Need for Longevity | Rob Lyon

    Training can be about more than numbers on a scale. In this episode, exercise physiologist Rob Lyon joins Raise the Bar to discuss his unique training approach and why he's chosen to focus on lifestyle changes and longevity over aesthetically based results. He explains the importance of family history and how to use it to build an effective training routine.  Rob has spent more than 20 years in the fitness industry, training all types of people. He’s delivered over 10,000 personal training sessions, but his work as a cardiac stress testing technician shifted his mindset. Today, his work is dedicated to special populations and at-risk clients such as those with diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In this conversation, he makes the case for approaching health with the same energy as fitness. He covers topics like heart screenings and how to break unhealthy diets and exercise habits and shares the simple tests he uses to measure fitness. He also gives listeners the scoop on the interval work that earned him a two-minute HYROX PB with almost no running. In This Episode You Will Learn: (00:03:14) What an exercise physiologist does that a typical personal trainer does not (00:12:04) What a US cardiology practice taught Rob about waiting to act (00:26:43) The family history questions that tell you how early to get screened (00:40:14) Why the cholesterol in egg yolks is less of a worry than you were told (00:47:41) The one "lead domino" change that makes every other habit easier (01:12:36) Why lifters need an aerobic base too, and how supersets help build one (01:26:43) How living in the middle heart rate zones leaves you tired without getting fitter (01:30:01) Two simple fitness tests you can run yourself and repeat in six weeks Resources:  Connect with Raise the Bar Podcast: Experience OneCoach: https://one.coach/ Visit One Playground: https://oneplayground.com.au/ Follow Raise the Bar: https://www.instagram.com/raisethebarpodcast/ Follow Ariel: https://www.instagram.com/arielcomeau_/ Follow Matt: https://www.instagram.com/mattduncancoach/ Connect with Rob Lyon Instagram: @lyon__health

  5. Sep 30

    Discipline or Control? What a World Champion Got Wrong About Winning: Coach’s Corner

    After speaking with Hattie Boydle, professional bodybuilder and world champion fitness model, Ariel and Matt sit down to discuss a hot topic in the fitness community: discipline. Hattie’s story is a prime example of what discipline can achieve. Her strict training regimens transformed her body and ultimately led her to become a world champion. But her struggle to separate discipline from control stayed with the coaches. In this episode, they explore what it looks like when discipline turns from being beneficial to controlling.  It walks through the psychology behind Hattie’s story. Discipline helped her do the work and win the title, but she questioned whether she deserved it. Her reaction isn't uncommon. In the professional fitness world, disciplinary schedules and routines are critical for success. They move you forward but can also be a form of control that masks a fear of uncertainty. Throughout the conversation, the hosts break down the gap between the two, including the signs to look for when discipline has tipped into control, how common behaviors (an early gym session, a strict eating pattern) can stem from different places, and what coaches can do when a client starts showing those warning signs. In This Episode You Will Learn: 00:34 Revisiting Hattie Boydell's story and the real question behind it: is your discipline serving you, or controlling you 01:48 The study on newly tenured professors that proves why hitting a goal rarely produces lasting satisfaction 04:14 Why the process matters more than the achievement  05:11 Body image and motivation: why loving where your body is now doesn't stop you from working to change it 08:48 The warning signs that discipline has been overtaken by control, including a physiological spiral when a plan goes off track 09:15 Discipline flexes with life and  control treats any deviation as failure 11:28 The language test: "I must" points to control, "I get to" points to discipline 13:51This week's practice: notice the thoughts that show up around small setbacks, and write them down to get perspective Resources: Follow Hattie Boydle: Instagram: @hattieboydle Website: https://hattieboydle.com.au/ Raise the Bar Podcast: Experience OneCoach: https://one.coach/ Visit One Playground: https://oneplayground.com.au/ Follow Raise the Bar: https://www.instagram.com/raisethebarpodcast/ Follow Ariel: https://www.instagram.com/arielcomeau_/ Follow Matt: https://www.instagram.com/mattduncancoach/

  6. Sep 27

    Building Body & Mindset with World Champion Fitness Model Hattie Boydle

    What happens when you finally achieve the goal you’ve been working towards, but it doesn’t change the way you see yourself?Fitness World Champion Hattie Boydle joins Raise the Bar to unpack what 15 years of bodybuilding has taught her about mindset, identity and the pursuit of ambitious goals. From being hospitalised at 16 to becoming a World Champion, Hattie shares how her understanding of discipline, success and what it means to be a champion has changed along the way.This conversation explores why high achievers can struggle to become beginners again, the difference between growth and fixed mindsets, and how to keep pursuing progress without letting the outcome determine your self-worth.*Hattie shares:*- Why winning a World Championship didn’t make her feel like a champion- Her beginner, athlete and champion mindset framework- The difference between discipline, control and self-bullying- Why doing more isn’t always the answer as you become more advanced- How recovery, play and self-compassion can support long-term performance*In This Episode You Will Learn:*00.00 Intro01:58 Eating Disorder Recovery & Mindset16:07 Strength Training for Physical & Mental Health20:41 How to Start Competitive Bodybuilding30:32 World Champion Mindset & Imposter Syndrome40:17 Why More Training Doesn't Mean Better Results51:07 Beginner Mindset vs Champion Mindset52:39 Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset1:03:12 Discipline vs Self-Bullying*Resources:*Follow Hattie Boydle:Instagram: @hattieboydleWebsite: https://hattieboydle.com.au/Raise the Bar Podcast:Experience OneCoach: https://one.coach/Visit One Playground: https://oneplayground.com.au/Follow Raise the Bar: https://www.instagram.com/raisethebarpodcast/Follow Ariel: https://www.instagram.com/arielcomeau_/Follow Matt: https://www.instagram.com/mattduncancoach/

  7. Sep 23

    How to Train for HYROX: Building Your Aerobic Base, Strength, and Race-Specific Fitness | Coach’s Corner

    After speaking with Ben Seymour, a former professional rugby player and ultra-endurance athlete, the coaches come together to discuss what a real HYROX prep block looks like. They break down what’s required and explore an issue many people run into when training for mixed sports: how to train properly. Your body can only do so much at one time, which is why it’s important to break up your training. Trying to build strength, power, and endurance at one time rarely works. Instead of splitting your training time equally between the race demands, they suggest assessing your capabilities, figuring out where you’re strong, and building a plan around the gaps.  From there, they explain in detail how to build a 16-week structured training system. The first four weeks begin with building an aerobic base and foundational strength. During this time, you can also add threshold and interval work to raise VO2 max and teach faster recovery. The following weeks shift focus to race-specific training built around compromise running and moving under fatigue. Later in the conversation, the coaches discuss why HYROX is considered more of a running race with strength stations built in, what it means to pace yourself against your lactate threshold, and why mental strength and energy management matter as much as raw fitness on race day. In This Episode You’ll Learn: (00:01:16) Why coaches usually build a plan around one or two adaptations at a time, not all of them at once (00:03:55) Why HYROX is really a running race, with roughly eight kilometers covered across the event (00:04:19) The pyramid analogy for aerobic base, and why a wider base supports a higher ceiling later (00:05:04) What the first four-week training block of a 16-week structure should include (00:07:03) What threshold work is and how to recognize when you've crossed your own lactate threshold (00:08:06) The most common pacing mistake people make (00:08:55) What VO2 max actually measures (00:11:08) Why compromise running, training runs done under fatigue from strength work, matters more than steady-state mileage as race day nears (00:12:23) The difference between fitness and conditioning, and why "educated energy expenditure" decides who fades late in a race (00:13:01) How the SAID principle explains why practicing race-specific movements under fatigue builds real race readiness (00:15:21) A sample five-day-a-week training split for someone training for HYROX, and how it shifts across the four phases Resources:  Follow Ben Seymour Instagram: @seemorebenny Website: benseymour.com.au Raise the Bar Podcast: Experience OneCoach: https://one.coach/ Visit One Playground: https://oneplayground.com.au/ Follow Raise the Bar: https://www.instagram.com/raisethebarpodcast/ Follow Ariel: https://www.instagram.com/arielcomeau_/ Follow Matt: https://www.instagram.com/mattduncancoach/

  8. Sep 20

    The 16 Week HYROX Prep Plan a Pro Athlete Actually Follows | Ben Seymour

    What does it take to keep performing at a high level when your priorities keep changing? Former professional rugby player and HYROX athlete Ben Seymour joins Raise the Bar to talk training, fuelling, recovery and the lessons he’s carried from professional sport into business and fatherhood. Ben shares the strategies he uses to keep pushing himself without pretending everything can be the priority at once. After a seven-year career in professional rugby, including time with the Waratahs, Western Force and a club in Italy, Ben moved into the fitness industry and went on to build businesses across training, recovery and supplements. Today, he’s balancing RISE, NOBS Training, HYROX and endurance events with his newest role as a dad. How is Ben Raising The Bar? Why a pay dispute in Italy ended his rugby career The HYROX doubles strategy he swears by How he uses creatine for focus as a sleep-deprived new dad Why nutrition should come before saunas, ice baths and other recovery tools Why Recovery Lab closed its head office How he structures a 16-week HYROX training block In This Episode You Will Learn: (00:09:48) How did missing rugby selection at 17 change the direction of Ben’s career? (00:19:05) Why did Ben Seymour retire from professional rugby? (00:26:17) What matters most for exercise recovery? (00:31:12) How much creatine should you take for cognitive performance? (00:41:06) What are the health and recovery benefits of sauna? (00:57:42) How do you prepare for a 250km ultramarathon? (01:11:02) How should you structure a 16-week HYROX training plan? (01:25:16) How do you train for HYROX while balancing work and parenthood? Resources:  Connect with Raise the Bar Podcast: Experience OneCoach: https://one.coach/ Visit One Playground: https://oneplayground.com.au/ Follow Raise the Bar: https://www.instagram.com/raisethebarpodcast/ Follow Ariel: https://www.instagram.com/arielcomeau_/ Follow Matt: https://www.instagram.com/mattduncancoach/ Connect with Ben Seymour Instagram: @seemorebenny Website: benseymour.com.au

See All (24)

Trailer

About

Raise the Bar is a place for honest conversations about health, fitness, and high performance. It exists to give you the tools and mindset shifts to close the gap between where you are and where you want to be. In a world of thirty-second reels and conflicting advice, this show filters out the noise and creates space for nuance in the health conversation. Hosts Ariel Comeau and Matt Duncan, coaches with 30 years of combined experience, sit down with world-class experts and everyday high performers to discuss the latest research, hard-won lessons, and the difficult realities of transformation.

Information

  • Creator
    One Coach
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © One Coach
  • Show Website
    Raise The Bar

You Might Also Like