Australian Running Coach

Australian Running Coach G'Day! Click LIKE to receive updates from my page. Visit my website at www.JacobAndre.com As a little kid, I wanted to know how things worked.

I was most interested in life - how living things functioned. As I became older, I became more interested in the human mind and body. I wanted to know how it all worked and how it could function at it's optimal. My passion for the brain and body led me to study teaching, sport and exercise science, and psychology in three separate courses at university. When I realised I wanted to be my own boss,

I turned that passion into a blog, and that blog into a lifestyle. Now I consult, coach, teach, lecture and speak on how to achieve optimal performance of the mind and body. I'm a running coach and movement specialist, known for my ability to break down movement and prescribe specific exercises appropriate to one's level of competence. Physical literacy is the same as written, read, heard and spoken literacy. You wouldn't expect a student to read a novel without first learning the alphabet. I love movement patterns and that includes teaching people how to run optimally. I often get asked for advice on fitness, nutrition and mindset and appear regularly on radio and as a guest on other podcasts.

14/06/2026

City 2 Surf 📍Darwin 2026

My first time! Thank you…
fitness for having me in your team
for the amazing socks
for the encouragement
for your support…always!
for putting on a great event

Taking recommendations for the next event 📥

I love when I get to meet the people I train online in person. I trained for last year’s City2Surf in Darwin while I wa...
13/06/2026

I love when I get to meet the people I train online in person.

I trained for last year’s City2Surf in Darwin while I was in Melbourne.

Looking forward to running it together this year.

11/06/2026

🔥 Follow to maximise your performance 🚀

In the last reel, I introduced the Quick Switch drill to teach athletes how to create force while maintaining the positions required for acceleration.

Now we’re progressing to the next step:

The 1-2 Switch. 🚀

This drill builds on everything we’ve already established—the setup, body angles, shin angles, foot position, and hip lock positions—but introduces greater speed and coordination.

🔑 Why It Matters:

Acceleration isn’t only about moving your legs quickly.

It’s about applying force into the ground in the right direction.

The 1-2 Switch teaches athletes to repeatedly hit strong acceleration positions while maintaining rhythm, timing, and posture.

✅ Reinforces front-side mechanics

✅ Improves force application

✅ Develops acceleration-specific coordination

✅ Enhances hip stability and control

✅ Bridges the gap between isolated drills and sprinting

🔥 How to Perform It:

1️⃣ Start in your wall acceleration position with one knee up and your foot dorsiflexed.

2️⃣ Perform two rapid switches.

3️⃣ After the second switch, hold the position in a strong hip lock.

4️⃣ Focus on maintaining the same body angles throughout the movement.

⚠️ Common Mistake

Many athletes fail to drive the knee high enough during the first switch.

The result?

Poor positions, reduced force production, and less effective acceleration mechanics.

🎯 Aim for equal knee height on both switches.

And remember:

❌ Up and down

✅ Forward and back

Think Punch and Drive.

👊 Punch the knee forward aggressively.

🚀 Drive the stance leg back into the ground.

The goal here isn’t necessarily to move your feet quickly.

The goal is to apply force efficiently while maintaining the positions that produce speed.

Master the positions first.

Then build the speed.

💬 Comment RUN for FREE access to my FootyFit Speed System: Quick Start Guide ✅

10/06/2026

🔥 Follow to maximise your performance 🚀

In the last reel, I showed you how to set up the ideal acceleration position using the wall drill to create the correct body angles, shin angles, foot position, and posture.

Now it’s time to progress to the next drill: the Quick Switch.

This is where athletes start learning how to apply force rapidly while maintaining the positions that underpin acceleration performance.

🔑 Why It Matters:

The first few steps of a sprint can make the difference between winning or losing a contest.

The Quick Switch teaches athletes how to create force quickly while maintaining the body positions required for efficient acceleration.

✅ Improves acceleration mechanics

✅ Develops front-side mechanics

✅ Reinforces optimal shin and body angles

✅ Strengthens the hip stabilisers through hip lock positions

✅ Improves force application into the ground

🔥 How to Perform It:

1️⃣ Start in your wall acceleration position with one knee forward and your foot dorsiflexed.

2️⃣ Quickly switch the legs. Early on, I simply cue athletes to think “forward and back”.

3️⃣ As they improve, I progress the cue to “punch and drive”.

👊 Punch the knee forward aggressively.

🚀 Drive the stance leg back into the ground.

4️⃣ After every punch and drive, pause and hold the position for 2 seconds.

This is known as a hip lock position.

Holding the position helps strengthen the co-contractions around the hip while reinforcing the ideal lines and angles needed for powerful acceleration.

🎯 Don’t rush to sprinting.

First, groove the positions.

Then build speed.

The athletes who accelerate best are the ones who can consistently get into the right positions and apply force efficiently.

💬 Comment RUN for FREE access to my FootyFit Speed System: Quick Start Guide ✅

09/06/2026

🔥Follow to maximise your performance 🚀

Acceleration 101: The First Step

Most footballers want a faster first step.

The problem?

They jump straight into sprinting without first learning the positions that create efficient acceleration mechanics.

As a coach, I always start by getting athletes into the correct setup position before worrying about speed.

Why?

Because acceleration is all about applying force into the ground in the right direction.

🔑 The Setup:

✅ Stand approximately one arm’s length away from a wall, fence, step, or any immovable object.

✅ Take one big step back and lean forward so your body forms a straight line at roughly 45 degrees.

✅ Step the other foot back so both feet are together.

✅ Arms should be straight out from the shoulders, creating approximately 90 degrees at the armpits.

✅ Heels should be slightly elevated.

❌ Not flat on the ground (calf stretch).

❌ Not high in the air (calf raise).

✅ Ankles should sit around 90 degrees.

🔥 The First Step:

1️⃣ Lift one leg with the ankle dorsiflexed.

2️⃣ Keep the sole of the foot parallel to the ground throughout the entire movement.

3️⃣ Step forward and place the foot on the ground.

4️⃣ The toe should be directly under the knee or slightly behind it.

5️⃣ Both shins should be parallel.

That’s it.

Simple.

But incredibly important.

I call this “grooving the movement.”

By repeating this drill for 10 reps each leg, athletes develop the positions, coordination and movement patterns required for effective acceleration.

Whether you’re a junior footballer learning the basics or an elite athlete chasing marginal gains, mastering these positions is one of the fastest ways to improve your acceleration mechanics.

Remember:

You can’t express power efficiently if you can’t get into the right positions first.

Position creates movement.

Movement creates performance.

💬 Comment RUN for FREE access to my FootyFit Speed System: Quick Start Guide ✅

08/06/2026

Contact - Bec Wescombe: +61 419 825 463 | Andrew Harding: +61 408 108 698

ChatGPT got it spot on 😆
31/05/2026

ChatGPT got it spot on 😆

Some happy snaps from Saturdays running mechanics session for .fitness members training for the
12/05/2026

Some happy snaps from Saturdays running mechanics session for .fitness members training for the

05/05/2026

🔥Follow to maximise your performance 🚀

Pogos: High-Performance Set-Up for Speed & Power

If your pogos look “bouncy” but not fast… your set-up is costing you stiffness and force transfer.

This is where we build true reactive strength for acceleration, top speed, and repeat efforts for footy.

🔑 The Set-Up:

🪣 Pelvis First —
Imagine your pelvis is a bucket filled to the brim.

Tip water out the BACK of the bucket. This locks in a strong, neutral-to-slightly posterior position so you’re not leaking force through the hips.

👣 Foot & Ankle Position —
Pull your toes up into the top of your shoes + spread them.

Get onto the balls of your feet with heels hovering just off the ground.

On grass? Heels should be brushing the top of the grass.

🧱 Full-Body Stiffness —
Lock ankles, knees, hips, and ribcage together.

Brace your core like you’re about to take a hit to the stomach.

⚡ Ex*****on:

Whether you’re going for time or distance:
Think quick, elastic contacts — not deep, slow jumps.

Minimal knee bend.
Maximal stiffness.
Snap off the ground.

That’s how you turn pogos into a transfer tool for speed — not just a warm-up drill.

Master the set-up → then chase intensity.

💬 Comment RUN for free access to my Running Mechanics Guide for Footballers ✅

28/04/2026

🔥Follow to maximise your performance 🚀

Most footballers want to run faster… but skip the foundation.

I always start with the pelvis.

Think of your pelvis like a bucket full of water 🪣

First, I get athletes to practice tipping water out the front… then out the back.

⚠️ But this isn’t hinging at the hips.

Stay tall through the upper body and simply rock the pelvis back and forth to develop awareness of where it sits in space.

Then I cue athletes to tip the water out the back of the bucket.

Why?

✅ Brings the pelvis toward neutral

✅ Switches on the deep core (transverse abdominis)

✅ Creates a stronger platform to put force into the ground

✅ Sets up better running mechanics at ALL speeds

And when it comes to running faster, only two things matter:

1️⃣ Minimal time on the ground

2️⃣ The power you exert into the ground

That’s it.

If your pelvis position leaks force, you won’t be as fast as you can be and you increase your risk for injury.

This is why I teach this with everyone — from developing footballers to elite athletes.

Position before power. Mechanics before speed. Foundations before performance. 💥

If you’re serious about maximising your performance, FootyFit Academy is where I coach these principles in a complete system — speed, strength, power and football performance all in one place. 🚀

💬 Comment RUN for free access to my Running Mechanics Guide for Footballers ✅

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