98 Podcast

CMBT was founded in 20218 by Sel Berdie and Miles Muecke who came together for a common passion for combat sports. 

I have known these two men for years and I have always said that anything they do I will back, they have always operated with the upmost integrity in and out of business.  During this podcast we talk about training, fighting, combat sports and their vision for the company and training for the future. 

I always come away from these conversations better for it, enjoy! 

In this special episode of the 98 Podcast, Kev takes us through the newest program in the 98 Training app. 98 Capacity is the umbrella to the 3 current training programs that sit on the app so far. Helping you build your work capacity for bigger and better outcomes! 

Kev runs us through the hows and whys of the program and the best use for you depending on your goals and training load. 

www.98training.com

Alex began her professional career in 2009, for the Australian Institute of Sport. After the AIS, she was signed by her home town side, Canberra Capitals. After spending two seasons under Carrie Graf alongside the likes of Lauren Jackson, Alex then signed with the Adelaide Lightning in 2014. After a year in Adelaide, she then signed with the Dandenong Rangers for the 2015–16 season.

In 2016, she was signed by Dynamo Moscow to play in the 2016–17 season of the Russian Premier League and the Eastern European Basketball Women's League.

Over the years she has undergone 11 knee surgery's and now coming out of a short break she has resumed her playing career with the Capitals once again. Alex is also now the proud mother of her daughter Opel May. This was such a great chat, Alex is hands down one of my favourite guests!

This is episode Kevin will be talking over Special Forces and Tactical selection training, going over training principles and the subtle and not so subtle differences for this type of program.

For any more questions on this subject you can contact Kevin via Kev@98gym.com or @strengthelite on Instagram 

Craig Fitzgibbon (born 16 June 1977) is an Australian professional rugby league coach and a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s and is the current head coach of Cronulla Sharks.

A New South Wales State of Origin and Australia international representative goal-kicking forward, he played in the NRL for the Illawarra Steelers and St. George Illawarra Dragons as well as for the Sydney Roosters, with whom he won the 2002 NRL Premiership. Fitzgibbon then played in the Super League for Hull FC. He was also the last coach of the Country New South Wales rugby league team.

Craig is one of the best coaches I have ever known and this comes from his deep respect of the players and the game. Enjoy part 1 of this 2 part podcast! 

Having won three straight national junior titles between 2012-14, Nathan Katz won the junior Oceania Championship in 2014. He finished ninth at the Junior World Championships in 2015 before winning both the 2015 and 2016 -66kg Oceania Championships to secure his spot on his debut Olympic Team. Leading his opening match in the dying stages, Morocco's Imad Bassou eventually got the better of Katz to progress in the Rio 2016 tournament. 

From a family that lives and breathes the sport, Nathan lined up alongside his younger brother Josh in Rio as the duo became the first brothers to compete in judo at the same Games for Australia. Their mother Kerrye competed at the Seoul 1988 Olympics, when judo was a demonstration sport for women, while their father Robert was a coach on that team as well as the Rio 2016 team.

Following Rio, Nathan went on to win the 2017 Oceania Championships and finished runner up at the 2017 Taipai Asian Open. He was also crowned the 2018 and 2019 national champion in the -66kg division. In the lead up to the Tokyo Olympics, Nathan finished in fifth at the 2021 Asia-Oceania Senior Championships. 

Janay "Hollowpoint" Harding is a New Zealand born professional Mixed Martial Artist fighting out of Sydney Australia. At 26 years old is 6 - 5 in her professional MMA record with competition experience in Muay Thai, professional Boxing and Jiu Jitsu and currently fighting for the Bellator promotion, ranked #7 in the female featherweight rankings. 

Janay is a professional in every sense of the word, she is intelligent with the way she fights, thinks and acts in all aspects of her life. We cover off on her fighting, training and mindset as well as her targeted approach to marketing herself for now and later on in life. I loved this conversation!

Instagram @janayharding 

Jake Friend (born 1 February 1990) is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played as a hooker. He spent his entire first-grade career, spanning 2008 to 2021, with the Sydney Roosters in the NRL; at the time of his retirement, he was the club's co-captain. Friend won three premierships with the Roosters,in 2013, 2018 and 2019. 

Internationally, Friend represented Australia in a Test in 2016.

Friend also represented the Prime Minister's XIII, World All Stars and Queensland. With the latter, he won the 2020 State of Origin series, playing in all three games, in what would be the final full season of his playing career.

Jake is actions over words, he has said on many occasions that he'd rather his playing speak for him. I've witnessed it countless times as he walks the halls of Roosters HQ, people are better because he is there, his presence commands respect. He is first and foremost a friend, brother, husband and father, who played Rugby League. Enjoy! 

Michael Puhle’s career path reads like a typical early-adopter ‘millennial’, having had four career changes before the age of thirty. Most recently, Michael pursued a career in law with a focus on courtroom advocacy, the specific part he enjoyed – being trained in persuasion, rhetoric and emotive speech. In 2011 tragedy struck Michael’s family, having lost his father and his sister in the same year Michael found himself in a prolonged period of turmoil. Tragedy causes one to review life from a fresh perspective. Michael realised that life is too short to pursue a path we are half-hearted about. He realised that talent and money are not the only factors in deciding one’s life’s direction. People must also, do what they love to do. Now, after studying a Masters in Psychology of Coaching Michael helps highly-functioning professionals (Executives, Entrepreneurs, Lawyers, Bankers, Traders, etc), who want to • live passionately through what they do, • create more time for their families & partners, and  • do the work that actually moves the needle on their careers.

Looking for:

IMPROVISE... ADAPT... OVERCOME...

These three words – a mantra of the Australian Army – always resonated with Paul de Gelder. But they would take on new meaning after he was attacked by a shark in February 2009. Paul lost two limbs, and his career as an elite navy clearance diver was flung into jeopardy.

Drawing on everything his eventful life had taught him – from his wild teen years to his haul up the ranks of the defence forces – Paul left nothing to chance in his recovery.

He fought through excruciating pain, smashing challenge after challenge, and amazing the medical staff with his will to succeed. His inspiring story takes ‘never say die’ to a whole new level.

A bloodied Page shot to instant fame in 2015 while playing rugby for Lindenwood Uni in St Louis as the "Rugby War Goddess" after breaking her nose in the opening minutes of a college rugby sevens game. What was supposed to be a five-year scholarship in Missouri ended 12 months later after realising her degree wouldn't be transferrable back home in Australia. After stints with the QLD Reds, Bond Uni Sevens and Melbourne Rebels over the past 4 years, Page has returned to Sydney and opted play rugby league for the first time after coming to the realisation she had missed the vibes of team sport. Dr Page is a qualified osteopath outside of her sporting career. Enjoy the chat as we cover off on womens sport, training and how she sees both games evolving over the next few years! 

This episode Chris & Kev cover off on how the 98 App began and some of the most commonly asked questions in and around training, as well as how to get the best use out of the app.

This episode we chat with Harriet Walker on the topic of Chrono-nutrition.

There is a sizeable amount of research mounting to suggest that there are very real and important implications for when we eat, this is the basis for what Chrono-nutrition is. The cornerstone for many of the underlying mechanisms relates to impacts on, and impacts of, the circadian rhythmicity (day / night) of many processes in the body. We discuss the "hows" and "whys" of this growing science and how it can be adapted to training and lifestyle. 

Matt started competitive cycling at age 14. Like so many other Australian professional riders he started his career on the track under Charlie Walsh, competing in the Junior World Championship in Athens. Turning professional in 1996 at age 22 with the Giant-Australian Institute of Sport team.

After 2 years with the GIANT-AIS Team, Matt then went through Italian teams Amore & Vita–ForzArcore (1998) and Vini Caldirola(1999) before finding himself on the US Postal Service team from 2001 through to 2003. In this period Matt was not selected to ride the Tour de France with Lance Armstrong but did ride the 2003 Vuelta a España in support of Roberto Heras. In 2004, Matt moved to the French Cofidis team to join fellow Australian Stuart O'Grady. From 2006 - 2007 Matt rode for the Discovery Channel Team before taking up a management role in 2008 with Slipstream - Chipotle and then with Orca - Scott in 2012 (now Mitchelton - Scott) where he remains still. 

Its clear that Matt loves the sport and has evolved year after year ensuring he can perform at his best as a cyclist and now as one of the best Sport Directors the sport of cycling has seen. 

Owen Franks is undoubtedly one of the most feared props in world rugby. Hailing from Motueka, New Zealand, Franks has made his name as part of the the dominant Crusaders front row which has ruled so impressively in past seasons in Super Rugby.  Since his debut victory over Ireland in 2009, Franks has gone on to be a double World Cup winner in what has been an impressive career to date. In February 2019, having started 96 of his 106 Tests, the second-highest number of starts by an All Blacks prop, Franks announced that he will bid farewell to New Zealand at end of 2019 to join Northampton Saints where he currently plays.

Starting his rugby career in Canterbury, Ben Franks made his provincial debut for the side against Otago in 2005 before joining the Crusaders in 2006 and winning the Super Rugby title two years later. Having featured for the Crusaders nearly 100 times, Franks then moved to the Wellington-based Hurricanes in 2013. Making his Test debut for New Zealand in 2010 against Ireland, scoring his first points for the All Blacks, before helping his country defeat Wales a week later. Playing alongside brother Owen, the duo become only the second pair of brothers to represent New Zealand. Ben & Owen are two of only 20 players ever to have been a part of two World Cup victories. 

A true test of human endurance, adaptability and mental fortitude, the competitors travel 350 miles on the historic Iditarod Trail under their own power while hauling all of their survival gear with them. Only six checkpoints with food and minimal sleeping quarters are offered prior to reaching the finish line in McGrath, Alaska. We Talk to Danny Cooper about his latest adventure on testing the human potential after completing this race in March this year. 

It would be easy to look at Jai and miss some of the most important parts of him - He's well read, a talented musician, loves GOOD music and is dedicated to his craft as an actor. 

In this episode we cover his training, his acting career and life in between. You'll notice straight away Jai is laid back and a down to earth guy who is extremely humble with his success.  Also Chris seems to enjoy talking to him as you'll notice he increased his words in this podcast by a bit over 300%. Enjoy! 

Jason Fox is best known as a member of the hit show "SAS - Who Dares Wins" - However what built this man was 10 years in the Royal Marine Commandos and then after completing the UK's Special Forces Selection Course he completed a further decade within the elite Special Boat Service.

We cover and get real insight into what built and what almost broke him...only to come out even stronger and take him full circle. Humble, funny and a very accomplished man in every field he has chosen to pursue. - "By Strength and Guile" 

KNOWLEDGE DISPELS FEAR The three experts we have for this special edition podcast have qualifications that are far to long to list. Dr Moradi is one of the most qualified Surgeons we have here in Australia along side him we have Dr Rowan Gillies. Dr Gillies  BSci(Med) MBBS (Hons) FRACS is a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon with a fellowship from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

He has recently returned from a Senior Clinical Fellowship at Harvard Medical School as well as a Clinical Observership at the Jules Verne Clinic, Nantes, France.He has spent a significant part of his career overseas, working as a general doctor, administrator and surgeon with Medecins Sans Frontieres. And alongside these two men we have Harriet Walker, Harriet is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian and Accredited Sports Dietitian. 

We sat down with Michael, Erin & Kegan then we let the conversation take us where it did. These great friends of ours are who we call "like minded" people. Not because they train, but because they are always looking for more or questioning "why" and "how". We are always great-full for conversations like these. Enjoy! 

The names David and Candice Warner are ones that most of are familiar with, Cricket great and Ironwoman...their sporting stats are easy to find and read about. This podcast we get to talk to two of the best humans we have come in contact with, humble, honest, hard working and a true sense of self and family. You will love this one. 

This episode we interviewed Dan Cooper. He's a 18 year veteran of SASR, Australia's tier one Special Forces Unit, Former Strength & Power Coach for the QLD Reds, holds a Masters in Sport Science and is currently completing a PHD.

We talk on many subjects, stress, anxiety, sports performance and behaviour change. This is one of our favourites - everyone can listen to this and get something. Enjoy! 

In this episode we answer the questions that you all sent in, we cover training, nutrition, some of our favourite sessions and everything in between. 

Listen as Kev, Chris, Harriet and Kate cover off on a number of topics! 

Born in Bulgaria Monika moved to Australia at the age of 18 and completed a Bachelor degree at the Australian National University.

She joined the Army In 2010 completing her officer training at the Royal Australian Military College in Jun 2011.

Monika was posted to the Special Air Service Regiment in 2015 and whilst there attempted selection twice getting to day 9 and day 12 respectively.

Monika transferred to the Infantry at end of 2016 completing the Infantry Regimental Officer Basic Course and posted to 1 RAR.

Whilst at 1 RAR she qualified as the Reconnaissance and Snipers PL commander, completing both the basic and advanced reconnaissance courses.

Monika has just began her MBA through UWA and is transitioning out of the Defence force and into the Professional services as a Consultant, so that she can also pursue her mountaineering goals.

You'd be forgiven to judge on first impressions when you meet Mark...he's big, brash and loud. However another thing that you notice is he is highly intelligent, articulate and extremely thoughtful. Known as one of the NRL's hardest players he is also has represented NSW and Australia (12 test matches) along with playing for South Sydney, Manly and Penrith in a career that spanned 12 years. 

One of the nicest guys we have ever had the pleasure of talking to, Mark has great insight on players, coaches and the sport of Rugby League. Enjoy! 

On episode 5 of the 98 Podcast we sit down with the 98 Online members from around Australia and conduct a Q & A with Chris (98 Founder), Kev (Program Director 98 Gym), Sam Burgess (Captain of South Sydney NRL Team) and Harriet Walker (98 Gym Nutritionist). We touch on everything from leadership, programming, nutrition and all things in between. 

Sam Burgess is regarded as one of the best forwards in Rugby League, and in recent years has developed as a leader both on and off field.

Now the captain of the Rabbitohs, Sam also has the honour of skippering the English National Team, reaching the Rugby League World Cup Final in 2017.

No matter what number he has on his back, Sam always puts in 110% whenever he pulls on a Red and Green jersey, and recently re-signed with the Club until the end of 2023, making him a Rabbitoh for life.

Alyssa is the youngest Australian to Summit Mt Everest which she did at 19 years old on the 21st May 2016. Alyssa is also the youngest woman to Summit Mt Everest both the North and South sides after successfully reaching the summit of Mt Everest from the North Side (Tibet) on the 19th May 2018 at just 21 years old. 

Isabella Holland is a former Australian professional tennis player. Formerly ranked number 1 18/u female junior and number 5 women in Australia, she was also a member of the Australian Institute of Sports for 4 years based out of Canberra and Melbourne. Having travelled the world for 11 years across 40+ countries from the age of 13, Isabella had the opportunity to compete in main draw grand slam events and qualifying.

Career highlights include winning Junior Fed Cup, European ITF challengers and competing in Australian Open main draw singles and doubles. We sit down with Isabella today to chat through life on the tour and how she overcame her biggest battle to date, falling critically ill with a rare case of Meningococcal (W) Septicaemia in 2016.

We sat down with Trent Robinson, head coach of the Sydney Roosters and discussed leadership, culture, training, what it takes to play and coach in the NRL.

At 35 years old, he was the youngest coach in the NRL. He became only the 2nd rookie NRL coach to claim a minor premiership after the Roosters defeated the Rabbitohs in round 26 of 2013. He claimed the Coach of the Year at the 2013 Dally M Awards, becoming the youngest ever winner and only the second coach in NRL history and just the sixth since the Dally M awards started in 1980 to be named the league's best coach in his first season. He capped this historic season by leading his team to the Premiership title and to the Grand Final victory, becoming only the sixth rookie coach Premiership winner. At the end of the 2013 season he received the Rugby League International Federation's coach of the year award. He also led the Roosters to minor premierships in 2014, 2015 and 2018.