EP. EP. Exercise Physiology + Movement

Meet Amelie - our newest Admin Team member!

Amelie graduated from Year 12 in 2025 and is taking a gap year before she commences a Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science at Adelaide University.

One of the things she loves most about the health and wellbeing industry is being able to positively impact people's lives. She enjoys helping others feel supported, motivated and healthier - both physically and mentally.

Welcome Amelie! We’re thrilled to have you join the team!

Another piece of equipment we've recently purchased for the studio are the fabulous Blaze Pods.

Not only do they make exercise a lot more fun (well...we think so anyway!), but they are excellent at building better:

✅ Reaction time/speed
✅ Agility
✅ Cardiorespiratory fitness
✅ Cognitive function

We've been using these in our classes and 1:1 sessions to challenge both our brains and bodies at the same time for a more well-rounded approach to movement and wellbeing. We think they’ve definitely added a fresh, playful edge to how we move, think, and train together!

Aligned with our July masterclass, this month's exercise theme is deadlifts.

If deadlifts are something you've always struggled with, or you know your technique needs work, we encourage you to join us at our upcoming deadlift masterclass. In this session, we'll take you back to basics in a group education session, answering all your questions and breaking down the finer details we don’t always have time to cover in a regular class.

Set yourself up for deadlift month - and beyond! - with a better technique and more confidence to perform this lift in your regular sessions.

Join us either tomorrow at 3:15pm or Friday 10 July at 5:15pm. These sessions can be booked using your regular class pass online or via our friendly admin team (7123 2488 or [email protected]).

"I don't know how to activate my glutes" is something we hear a lot of in the Studio!

We can asure you, your glutes are there and they are working - they may simply be lacking strength and motor patterns, meaning the muscle brain connection for effective and optimal function.

The glutes are a group of three muscles - gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus - that form our buttocks. They are crucial for daily movement such as standing up, climbing stairs, walking and running.

Signs of weak or poor glute motor patterns include:
❎ Lower back or knee pain.
❎Feeling squats/lunges/deadlifts in the lower back, hamstrings or quads rather than the buttock area.
❎ Difficulty with single-leg balance.

But once you've discovered your glutes, everything feels different!

Key indicators of glute activation include:
✅ Feeling a direct contraction, tension or "squeeze" in your butt muscles, rather than just your thighs or lower back.
✅ Reduced back and hamstring strain.
✅ Controlled movements where your knees don't collapse inward during squats or lunges and your pelvis remains stable.

If you've resonated with any of the above, we can help by assessing your movement in a 1:1 session and prescribing a number of exercises to get these muscles firing.

Sometimes, even just engaging a mind-muscle connection (such as physically touching your glutes while doing exercises to check they're activated) can be beneficial.

If this is something you're struggling with, chat to your EP in your next class. We'd love to help you get those glutes firing!

Creatine.

Do you feel like EVERYONE is talking about it...? Are you wondering what the deal is, and does trying to cut through ALL the info feel overwhelming?

Creatine, or, phosphocreatine, is a naturally occurring compound found in skeletal muscle. It plays a key role in rapid energy production (by not relying on oxygen) to help regenerate ATP, the body’s primary energy source. This process supports muscle performance, cellular energy availability and brain function.

So why is it so great for women?

Women naturally have less available creatine stores compared to men. This comes down to the different fuel strategies men and women have. Women are built for oxidative energy production - meaning they excel at longer, endurance-style activities in the presence of oxygen. Men are set up to excel with explosive, rapid energy production - quick bursts of power where they are not relying on oxygen to create that energy. Creatine is also stored in skeletal muscle and women tend to have less overall muscle mass compared to men. Hence, creatine stores are less available to women.

Creatine can support women by bolstering quick energy production, meaning better access to energy and improved muscular performance.

The best bit..? It also supports women from a stress resilience and cognition perspective (think reduced brain fog, improved moods, and better sleep), particularly during times when cellular stress is higher, including the luteal menstrual phase, postpartum and perimenopause.

Always speak with your health practitioner regarding the appropriateness of creatine for you.

Introducing... EP. EP. Masterclasses!!

Designed as a deep dive into a specific lift, EP. EP. Masterclasses take you back to basics in a group education session. We get into all the details and intricacies that we sometimes just don't have the time to do in a normal class environment.

The result is greater clarity, a better technique, and a more confident approach to each lift in your regular sessions. If there is a particular lift you always struggle with, or don't feel confident doing, these sessions are for you!

Join us on Thursday 2 July at 3:15pm or Friday 10 July at 5:15pm for our deadlift masterclasses. These sessions can be booked using your regular class pass online or via our friendly admin team (7123 2488 or [email protected]).

At the EP. EP. Studio, every appointment is reserved exclusively for you - your time, your EP, and a tailored plan built around your goals.

Our 24-hour cancellation policy exists to protect the quality and continuity of care we're committed to delivering, and to ensure that appointment times can be offered to others who need them.

We understand that life happens, and we will always do our best to work with you. In the event that you cannot attend your confirmed appointment or class, please contact us as soon as possible via phone, sms or email. All calls, emails and messages are date and time stamped so we can easily see when you contacted us.

For more information about our late notice policy, please visit the EP website.

GLP-1s, such as Ozempic and Mounjaro, are always a hot topic, but especially so last month when concerns were raised that the rapid rise in GLP-1 medications being used is leaving patients muscle-depleted and at risk of premature frailty.

Did you know that wihout appropriate intervention, GLP-1 medications can accelerate muscle loss equivalent to up to 20 years of age-related decline in just 12 months? It's genuinely concerning and not something to be taken lightly.

That's why ESSA is calling on governments to mandate referrals to Accredited Exercise Physiologists at the point of prescription, ensuring patients receive appropriate support to protect muscle health.

Here at the EP Studio, we are well-positioned to support people on GLP-1s. We're able to prescribe individualised programs that focus on strength training to help reduce the risk of age-related muscle and strength loss. All our practitioners are experts in strength training at any age and any stage.

Contact us (7123 2488 or [email protected]) to see how we can help!

ESSA CEO and Accredited Exercise Physiologist Katie Lyndon has been featured on page 3 of The Adelaide Advertiser, highlighting concerns that the rapid rise in GLP-1 weight loss medications is leaving some patients muscle-depleted and at risk of premature frailty.

ESSA is calling on governments to mandate referrals to Accredited Exercise Physiologists (AEPs) at the point of prescription, ensuring patients receive appropriate support to protect muscle health.

Today at the Activate Conference in Adelaide, ESSA is hosting a session: Exercise and weight loss in a world of lifestyle, stigma and pharmacology.

Presented by Dr Fiona Willer, AdvAPD, PhD, Dr Adelaide Boylan, Winthrop Professor Daniel Green and AEP Sara Slayman. Attendees will hear how, without appropriate intervention, these medications can accelerate muscle loss equivalent to up to 20 years of age-related decline in just 12 months.

Read The Advertiser article: https://bit.ly/4tah3jw
Read ESSA’s GLP-1 policy statement: https://bit.ly/4d87YBY

You might have noticed that we've introduced deload weeks at the EP Studio.

So what exactly are they and why are we doing them?

Every six weeks, we program a deload week by reducing either the weight or the number of reps for our main compund lifts to allow our body to recover from accumulated fatigue.

Apart from enjoying a reprieve from lifting some heavy weights, there are a number of benefits to deload weeks, including:

✅ Being able to really hone in and focus on your lift technique
✅ Giving your body a break without losing well-earned gains
✅ Allowing your muscles to recover
✅ Improving long-term performance by overcoming plateaus and boosting strength
✅ Preventing injury

Have you been enjoying deload weeks so far?