Braydon Vo Physiotherapy North Lakes & Brendale

14/01/2026

Volume management is very important, but that doesn't mean you always need that planned deload.

More often than not I see athletes take deload weeks with no reasoning at all other than it was scheduled in to their program.

Deloads are supposed to help with volume management and assist with fatigue.

But if you're making considerable progress and feel great then why are you taking one? Why put the breaks on the train once it's left the station?

Additionally, I often find that events that unfold in your personal life will take care of the deload for you. Imagine taking a deload week only to come down with the flu the week after?

There are many things to consider that may prevent you from getting your regular workouts in such as time away for holidays, social gatherings and illnesses.

As much as coaches love to plan deloads, when deload week comes around we need to critically think about if we need to take it or if we should consider pushing it out another week or two.

It's called a plan for a reason, they are designed to guide us, not trap us.

29/11/2025

Celebrated 37 🎈 yesterday by attending a course on ACL tears hosted by

Great course and great company

The course really helped to reshape the way we think problem solving potential candidates for surgery vs conservative management after an ACL tear.

I think everyone would be surprised to hear about the volume of people who are successfully recovering from ACL tears without the need for surgery.

19/10/2025

It's 2025 and coaches are still trying to predict their clients menstrual cycles 🫠

I'm not trying to mansplain anything here. By now I think most people are aware that different stages of a woman's cycle can influence how they feel and perform.

But to predict this in advance is wild behaviour 🤡

25/03/2024

One of our amazing physios Declan has been putting in hours to support Soldier On's life-saving mental health services which helps veterans and their families.

If you feel like donating to show support click the link ☺️🙌

My 96km March On challenge ends this week! Please sponsor me now!

10/12/2023

Your GP can assist you with the majority of concerns, but in certain circumstances you may require more specialised advice.

This is no different when it comes to your coach or personal trainer. At times they (or you) will need to reach out to someone who specialises in a particular field.

Please be aware, everyones knowledge or scope of practice has its limitations.

If something isn't sitting right then get a second opinion.

A trainer who acts accordingly is worth their weight in gold 👐⚖️

29/11/2023

This post is to vent my thoughts and experiences so I can reflect on this one day and say that I was either right or an absolute idiot.

At uni I was shy and I worried about speaking up, especially when my questions were about challenging the content of what we were being taught. Which was often , and a lot of it was MT based, there was minimal exercise.

Only a little of it sat well with me. This compounded when I graduated, and for a brief moment, I actually thought that I could have 'magic hands'. Either that or physio was a scam.

It was only with time that I realised why my various treatments were a success and what one had to do to ensure high success rates when treating clients.

I've been around long enough to believe things will go full circle regarding our manual therapy (MT) use.

When I graduated TENS was slowly on its way out, and MT became the focus of our treatment.

As new research emerged theraband exercises were added to our treatment plans, that was until resistance exercises were encouraged as superior. Then, gym-based rehab became all the rage. Especially as the biomechanical concepts of MT were debunked.

Then, we took a brief and weird turn to emphasise pain science education until we realised that it was largely ineffective.

And so now we are back, by and large, as a profession heavily relying on resistance training as our main treatment technique.

I think this is a little weird, considering research seems to show that we don't need the physiological changes from exercises to occur to improve most common injuries such as shoulder or back pain.

I personally believe that good treatment is based on rapport building, solid narratives and improving how clients feel about their injuries. Because of this, we can have high success rates with various different approaches.

As a result, I wouldn't be surprised to see the pendulum swing back in favour of utilising manual therapy more commonly with a narrative this time around neurophysiological changes which in turn could help us ironically get more out of exercise.

I already do this commonly, but would love to see some of the naysayers get on board.

12/11/2023

🏋️‍♀️🤔 Exploring the Controversy 🤔🏋️‍♂️

💪 Strengthening exercises are a staple in our rehab. They seem to offer relief for various musculoskeletal pain conditions. But how it works its magic remains a bit mysterious 🧐💡

Right now, it seems that the strength improvements we achieve only explain just a tiny part of its effectiveness. 📉📈

16/10/2023

Your body is your 'Porsche' or whatever label you want to give it. Just like a luxury car, it's nice but also essentially a depreciating asset.

But this doesnt mean it has to be all bad. I'm far from perfect, but I go out of my way where I can to try and turn this body in to a 'classic model' that goes up in value. Even if I'm fighting an uphill battle.

I do this by investing my spare time towards things that improve my mind and body such as, lifting weights in the gym, running, reading and listening to podcasts.

And whilst im not the leanest, strongest or fastest I've been in my life. From a health aspect, I probably have the best balance in regard to physical and mental health. To me that's far more important than anything else, this feels like winning.

I enjoy working out, but don't over do it, I can at times 'eat dirty' without feeling guilty, I no longer feel pressure to be big or have a six pack.

The point is, you dont have to peak in your 20s. Not everything has to go downhill as you age.

08/10/2023

We are hiring!

Since 2016, we have set our sights on delivering a high-quality service that raises the bar with how health care is delivered and received.

Our practice offers unique opportunities compared to most standard physiotherapy clinics. This keeps us enthusiastic about what we do 👐

You will work amongst an inclusive, supportive team who have your best interests at heart at all times.

If you are a passionate Physiotherapist looking to expand your skills in a lively, gym-based setting with an active population, join our team.

We welcome applicants of all experience levels, including new graduates and experienced physiotherapists.

Please send your resume to info@braydonvophysio.com.au or send this to someone you know who would be a great fit!

08/10/2023

A common misconception that has persisted since the early 1990s is that 'lactic acid' causes muscle soreness and growth after exercise.

However, more recent scientific evidence has shown that lactic acid does not accumulate in the body and is also not responsible for muscle soreness or hypertrophy.

If someone is using lactic acid and muscles in the same sentence their information is likely incorrect. 👀

28/09/2023

I see it all the time, the person so obsessed with technique that they won't even let one rep deviate away from their idea of 'perfect'.

The fact is your body will do all sorts of things to find strength as you reach fatigue or failure.

Effort has to be high in order to make progress. Don't be afraid of a few 'ugly reps'. You're generally better off for it.

03/09/2023

A recent study questions the effectiveness of blue light glasses.

These glasses, often touted for reducing eyestrain and improving sleep during prolonged screen use, may not live up to their promises.

The research, which examined data from 17 clinical trials involving 619 participants across six countries, found that blue light-filtering lenses didn't provide short-term advantages over regular lenses for visual fatigue associated with computer use. Moreover, their impact on vision quality, sleep, and long-term retinal health remains uncertain.

One key reason for the glasses' limited efficacy is that the amount of blue light emitted by screens is only a fraction of what we naturally receive from daylight.

Additionally, blue light lenses typically filter out only 10%-25% of blue light. Given these findings, the study does not support the widespread prescription of blue light glasses.

To reduce eyestrain, consider cutting screen time and taking regular breaks.

For better sleep, avoid screen time before bedtime.

However, it's essential to acknowledge that this study had limitations, and more research on the effectiveness of blue light-filtering glasses is needed to understand their benefits fully (and if they are significant at all).

DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD013244