This week I am joined by Dr Matthew Barnes. Matt is a husband and father of two teenagers. He is an Associate Professor at Massey University in Palmerston North and was one of my PhD supervisors.

I have Matt to thank for getting me into Powerlifting. When I was studying at Massey he noticed I was relatively strong and encouraged me to give it a try. To be fair his enthusiasm for research and our many yarns about strength training during my studies probably also helped move me into that field too!

In this episode we discuss Matt's childhood, growing up in a small town in the deep South of New Zealand. We talk about his days working in pubs, playing rugby, and how influential people impacted the direction he took in both his training and life. We also hear how getting hit by a rogue golf ball put an end to his rugby-playing days.

The episode finishes with us chatting about some of his philosophies around parenting and how he encourages his kids to be active but doesn't force them into specific sports. It was great to get to chat with Matt and learn his story!

We'll definitely be getting Matt back on to discuss some more of his academic research, I'm keen to dig into some of his insights into recovery from exercise. Expect to hear him on the podcast again in the future.


Enjoy the episode.

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You can find more from Hayden at the following:

• Instagram - @hjp_strongerdads
• Coaching - www.hjpmethod.co.nz/coaching/
• Research - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Hayden-Pritchard
• Website - www.hjpmethod.co.nz

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