
HNL Movement Podcast
Andrew Takata from HNL Movement discusses anything and everything related to optimizing human performance so that you can improve the quality of your life. Learn comprehensive ways to take care of your body, achieve better health, and elevate your performance so you can achieve your true potential. Andrew shares valuable information covering topics of rehab and injury prevention techniques, movement efficiency, strength and conditioning, and ways to create sustainable nutrition habits so that you can level up your performance in sports, daily activities, and life. He has over a decade of experience working with people of all ages, activity levels, training backgrounds, as well as helping people successfully return to activities following injury. Join Andrew and his passion to learn, understand, and share how health, nutrition, lifestyle, and movement collectively contribute to human performance. It will be a mix of interviews, great conversations, and solo episodes that you won’t want to miss. Hit subscribe, and get ready to optimize your human performance.
Latest episodes

Jun 17, 2025 • 15min
Training Smarter Prevents Your Volume From Outpacing Your Progress
In this short but impactful solo episode, Andrew dives into a common misconception in training: that more is always better. If you—or someone you know—are training hard 6–7 days a week but not seeing the progress you expect, this episode is for you. Andrew explains why piling on more volume or sessions can actually stall your progress, especially when recovery and quality are overlooked.He breaks down the principles of general adaptation and supercompensation, reminding us that adaptation only happens when training is paired with adequate recovery. In today’s world of well-rounded training programs, adding more often leads to redundancy and overlapping stressors that the body can’t effectively adapt to. The solution? Focus on quality over quantity and make sure every session has purpose.Whether you're an athlete, coach, or serious about performance, this episode challenges you to reframe how you approach your workload. Progress doesn’t come from doing more—it comes from doing better and recovering smarter. Tune in to hear Andrew’s insights and apply them to elevate your training game. Enjoy the episode!

Jun 10, 2025 • 19min
Understanding Baselines and Responsiveness to Make Sense of Your Progress
In this solo episode of the HNL Movement Podcast, Andrew breaks down an important concept from David Epstein’s The Sports Gene: the interplay between your starting point—your baseline—and how well you respond to training. Whether you're an athlete, coach, or just someone trying to make progress in your fitness journey, understanding where you fall on this spectrum can bring clarity, motivation, and smarter training decisions.Andrew walks through the four combinations of baseline and responsiveness—low/low, low/high, high/low, and high/high—sharing insights on how society typically labels each group. From the underdog “most improved” athlete to the so-called “wasted talent,” he challenges these stereotypes and reminds us that everyone progresses differently. The takeaway? Use this framework as a tool for perspective, not an excuse.Ultimately, your baseline and response rate don’t determine your ceiling—they simply shape the path you’ll take. This episode is a powerful reminder that consistency, mindset, and intelligent training are still the biggest drivers of long-term growth. Tune in for a quick, insightful perspective that will change how you view progress in training and performance. Enjoy the episode!

Jun 3, 2025 • 1h 28min
Blake Parado on Empowering Clients Through Functional Training
Blake Parado, owner of Parado Power, shares his journey from a young athlete in Manoa to a fitness entrepreneur. He discusses making fitness accessible for everyone, particularly working professionals and older adults. Blake explains how his background in kinesiology informs his functional training methods, highlighting the importance of joy in fitness. He reflects on the challenges of growing a business during the pandemic and the innovative semi-private training model that fosters accountability while meeting individual needs.

May 27, 2025 • 18min
From Basics to Precision in Coaching Athletes at Every Level
In this episode of the HNL Movement Podcast, Andrew takes a deep dive into the challenges coaches face when working with athletes at different stages of experience. For beginner athletes, the technical aspects of strength and conditioning may be straightforward, but the real challenge lies in communication—how to teach, connect, and help them understand the fundamentals without much reference point. It’s about getting them to embrace the basics and guiding them to move efficiently, which requires patience, creativity, and the ability to simplify complex concepts.As athletes progress and gain experience, the technical aspects of training become easier to grasp. The challenge then shifts towards refinement—helping athletes improve subtle details in their movement patterns, strength development, and training. For elite athletes, the communication becomes less about basic instruction and more about fine-tuning technique, improving efficiency, and addressing the nuanced aspects of performance. Like working on a high-performance car, it requires a more advanced understanding and a keen eye to get every detail right.Join Andrew for a compelling conversation on how coaching evolves with the experience of your athletes and how communication and technical expertise shift accordingly. Whether you’re coaching beginners or elite athletes, understanding where they are in their journey allows you to deliver more effective training and maximize their potential. Enjoy the episode!

May 13, 2025 • 13min
3 Basic Nutrition Tips for Optimal Athletic Performance
In this quick but insightful episode of the HNL Movement Podcast, Andrew breaks down three essential concepts to improve your nutrition for performance. He focuses on simple, actionable steps to help athletes and fitness enthusiasts optimize their food choices and build sustainable habits that enhance both health and performance. Whether you’re just starting your nutrition journey or looking to refine your approach, this episode provides a solid foundation for success.Andrew discusses the importance of developing a healthy relationship with food, shifting the focus from restrictive diets to balanced, nourishing meals. He emphasizes the value of prioritizing nutrient-dense foods over calorie counting, and how consistency and sustainability are key to long-term progress. Through practical tips and mindset shifts, Andrew shows how small, sustainable changes in your eating habits can lead to significant improvements in your performance, recovery, and overall health. Tune in to learn how to make nutrition work for you in the long run, not just the short-term. Enjoy the episode!

Apr 22, 2025 • 14min
Yin and Yancy Ep. 13: Shifting Perspectives for Growth, Learning, and Improvement
In this thought-provoking episode of Yin and Yancy, Andrew and Yancy explore the power of perspective and how seeing things from different angles can transform our understanding and progress. Yancy shares a powerful analogy, using his daughter’s new ability to crawl and discover hidden objects on the ground—things they had been searching for from a higher vantage point. This serves as a metaphor for how we, as adults, often view life from our fixed perspectives and miss opportunities to understand things from others’ viewpoints.The conversation flows into how we can apply this shift in perspective to personal growth, sports, and life. Whether it’s a referee’s review in a game or learning from new experiences, broadening our horizons allows us to challenge our own assumptions and gain more comprehensive insights. They discuss the importance of understanding others' perspectives, respecting differing views, and using this awareness to continuously evolve. As they reflect on their Yin and Yancy series, they highlight how mutual growth comes from blending perspectives and pushing each other forward. Tune in to explore how widening your perspective can lead to deeper understanding and better progress in every area of life. Enjoy the episode!

Apr 15, 2025 • 21min
Mastering Exercise Selection to Align with Optimal Performance
In this episode of the HNL Movement Podcast, Andrew delves into the art of exercise selection, offering a fresh perspective on how to sift through the countless exercise variations and choose the right ones to achieve your training goals. Drawing an engaging analogy to cooking, Andrew explains how selecting the right exercises is like choosing the right ingredients for a meal. It’s not just about picking exercises at random but understanding their purpose, how they serve your goals, and how you can tweak them to optimize performance.Andrew stresses the importance of building a core set of exercises that you master and implement with precision. You don’t need an endless list of exercises—just the right ones, with purpose behind each movement. He also discusses how variations in tempo, equipment, and movement methods can make a big impact on the effectiveness of an exercise. Tune in to learn how to select and apply exercises with intention to elevate your training and make the most of your efforts, with every move serving a specific function in your long-term progress. Enjoy the episode!

Apr 8, 2025 • 16min
Why Weight Belts Are Holding Back Your Athletic Performance
In this episode of the HNL Movement Podcast, Andrew dives into the use of weight belts in training and why athletes outside of powerlifting should reconsider their reliance on them. While weight belts can provide external support during maximal strength lifts, they can prevent athletes from developing the internal core stability needed for real-life sports movements. Andrew explains how athletes should focus on building strength through proper bracing, breathing, and core activation rather than relying on an external aid like a belt, which could ultimately hinder their progress.Throughout the episode, Andrew shares insights on why relying on weight belts can mask core weaknesses, impede proper breathing and bracing techniques, and ultimately limit the functional strength athletes need for performance. Using examples from football and other sports, he highlights how many athletes train without belts, focusing on technique and building real core strength. If you're looking to improve your performance in the gym and your sport, this episode provides key insights on how to train smarter and more effectively by developing your internal strength rather than relying on external crutches. Enjoy the episode!

Apr 1, 2025 • 17min
Yin and Yancy Ep. 12: Raising Your Performance on Tough Days
In this episode of Yin and Yancy, Andrew and Yancy discuss the power of perseverance, particularly when it comes to pushing through tough days and doing what needs to be done, even when motivation is low. They explore the importance of having non-negotiables—those habits and routines that remain consistent, regardless of how you feel. By emphasizing the need to show up and perform even on difficult days, they highlight how consistency, even in adversity, builds long-term success. Throughout the episode, they stress that your "bad days" often set the floor for your true potential. It's not about perfection, but about raising your baseline performance on those harder days. They also dive into how remembering your reasons why can serve as a powerful motivator, pushing you through obstacles. If you're struggling to stay consistent or find the energy to push forward, this episode will offer valuable insights on how to reframe your mindset, stay committed, and ultimately grow stronger. Enjoy the episode!

Mar 18, 2025 • 16min
Unlock Real Growth by Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone
In this episode of the HNL Movement Podcast, Andrew dives into the crucial topic of stepping outside your comfort zone in training. Many athletes and fitness enthusiasts find themselves sticking to what’s familiar, avoiding the discomfort that comes with challenging areas of their training. But true growth happens when you embrace those uncomfortable moments and push through them. Andrew explains how recognizing and working on your weaknesses, whether it’s refining technique, improving mobility, or mastering a difficult movement, is the key to getting better and improving performance.The episode emphasizes that growth doesn’t happen overnight and is not just about adding more weight or volume. It’s about consistently putting in the effort, working on the small details, and improving every single day. Andrew encourages listeners to stop avoiding discomfort and start looking at it as an opportunity to improve. Tune in for actionable tips and insights that will help you break through barriers, get out of your comfort zone, and see real progress in your training. Enjoy the episode!