HNL Movement Podcast

We are now in December of the year 2020.  This year has been a challenging year for all of us, and just in a couple of weeks, 2020 is coming to a close.  Do you remember where you were back in March, just before all of these changes took place?  As we approach 2021, let’s reflect on what we’ve learned this year.  To shed a positive light on our times, these times of hardship allow us to grow and learn more about ourselves.  What have you learned this year?  Taking this time to reflect on all of our growth during these challenging times will help to propel us into 2021 so that we can enter this new year feeling strong.   In this episode, Andrew talks about how we can enter into this next new year with a fresh mindset.  In 2020, a lot of us may have felt knocked down.  How do we pick ourselves up and continue to persevere?  Listen in on this episode, as Andrew sheds a positive light on change and reminds us that we all have each other for support.  Stay tuned for more great episodes in the next couple of weeks, just before we enter newly into the year 2021!  Did you enjoy this episode?Please subscribe and leave a review on:AppleSpotifyGooglePandoraiHeartRadio

In this episode, Andrew welcomes Larry Tuileta, aka Tui, to the podcast!  Tui is a Hawaii-born-and-raised star athlete from Punahou School in Honolulu.  Tui grew up playing multiple sports, later settling proudly with volleyball and football.  In high school, he was an instrumental part of three state championships in volleyball and a state championship in football as a senior.  A highly sought athlete, Tui was a walk-on at USC, even though the coaches at UH were banking on having him play at home.  Eventually, he made the call to move back to Hawaii and play for UH, as the UH coaches had hoped! A great episode for aspiring athletes, this interview highlights the journey of an athlete who has found his success through developing his own style, perfecting his techniques, and becoming a student of the game.  Tui’s story is not without a history of injuries, which he speaks about, and explains his process with recovery and finding his mental toughness.Where can you find Tui now?  Check him out on Instagram!  First, listen to this podcast to find out how he became known as the Kuki Man.  Since, Covid, Tui has been running his own cookie delivery service, all made fresh by him!  You can find him as @kukumanofficial on IG.  Be sure to check his page for updates, giveaways, and most importantly every Sunday at 6:00pm HST to order cookies!Did you enjoy this episode?Please subscribe and leave a review on:AppleSpotifyGooglePandoraiHeartRadio

In this episode, Andrew welcomes Bryant Moniz, former University of Hawaii quarterback and professional quarterback in the CFL.  Bryant uses all of his experiences to serve as a football and strength and conditioning coach for the next generation.  He runs the Hawaii Football Academy, a training program focused on developing young athletes.  Also, he is motivating and inspiring people of all walks of life to become more active, fit, and healthy through his training program at the “Warrior’s Den.” Bryant encourages parents to let their kids try as many sports as they can.  His philosophy is that one sport will help you excel in another sport, and sports can teach children a lot about discipline, teamwork, and sacrifice.  He believes the fact that playing sports growing up can help a person develop both on and off the field as a person as well as elevate overall performance.  Bryant has many stories to share, especially when it comes to his experience dealing with injuries.  Bryant had a few major setbacks with injuries, starting with his junior year in high school just as the recruitment process was beginning for colleges.  He began his college career at Fresno City College.  He returned home and walked-on at the University of Hawaii where he had a successful career and made Hawaii proud.  Unfortunately, during this senior year, he experienced a season ending ankle injury that halted not only his college career, but also preparation for pro day and hopes to play in the NFL.  After college, he played Arena Football in Georgia and suffered another significant injury tearing his MPFL in his knee.  Bryant has a lot to share around mental toughness and staying strong.  He believes that his work ethic and drive to keep going has led to his success and accomplishments.   Bryant has 3 children who he loves to teach and inspire.  He has a passion for shedding a positive light on fitness and training, helping others to live and move better.  For motivation and inspiration be sure to check out his Instagram accounts: Personal Instagram:    @_mightymo_Mind/Body Training:    @_warriorsdenYouth Academy:          @hawaiifootballacademyDid you enjoy this episode?Please subscribe and leave a review on:AppleSpotifyGooglePandoraiHeartRadio

The holidays are here already!  Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and in this episode, Andrew dives into holiday nutrition.  We all know that we tend to eat more during the holiday season, and food is typically the centerpiece of our holiday celebrations.  What if we make nutrition a centerpiece too?Andrew provides some great tips in this episode about living healthier during the holiday season, even though our plans this year may look a little bit different.  It’s possible to enjoy the holidays without taking ourselves completely off course and feel the need to make a drastic change once the new year hits.  Andrew includes tips on how to be present during the holidays and paying attention to our hunger cues.  When we overeat, how much of it did we actually enjoy?  Looking at portion sizes, one huge meal at Thanksgiving is not going to make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things.  It’s when we overeat consistently throughout the holiday season that has the greatest impact on our health and well-being.  Paying attention to our portion sizes can help us to continue enjoying what we love during the holidays without overdoing it.  Listen in on Andrew’s other great tips, such as adding value to our favorite holiday foods, thinking ahead of each meal, and striving to create a better balance.  The holiday season can be the best time to pay attention to our nutrition habits.  All in all, a few indulgent evenings are not going to make or break our results.  It’s our habits during all of the other days of the year that matter most.  Enjoy this episode where Andrew empowers us to develop a new holiday mindset around enjoying food while sustaining our performance.  Did you enjoy this episode?Please subscribe and leave a review on:AppleSpotifyGooglePandoraiHeartRadio

In this episode, Andrew interviews former professional volleyball player, Shawna Santos!  This episode is filled with many unique and interesting stories from Shawna’s journey into professional volleyball.  From a young age, Shawna played many sports, but volleyball became her favorite.  Shawna brings inspiration to anyone with huge goals and big dreams.  She began competing in the 6th grade and dreamt of being a professional volleyball player from that point on.  In 2012, one of the many highlights of her career was making the USA National team.  She speaks about her college and professional career and how she learned to master the practice of time management and life balance with sports and school. Shawna had to work hard and deal with her share of setbacks.  She tore both of her ACL’s playing volleyball, first in college and later as a professional.  Just after her first ACL reconstructive surgery, she badly broke her pinky finger at the start of her senior season. After her storied collegiate career, she turned down an opportunity to play volleyball in Germany.  She didn’t know if she would get another opportunity to play volleyball.  During this time, she was enjoying her dream job as a production assistant at Madison Square Garden.  A short while later, she received an opportunity to play professionally in the Philippines.   She couldn’t pass up this opportunity and was given three weeks to pack up her life in New York, fly across the world, and begin the professional sports career she had always dreamt about.  From her own experience, Shawna has some great advice for overcoming serious injuries.    As a successful athlete who has grown through a series of challenges, Shawna has a lot to share when it comes to becoming mentally strong.  She speaks about the way these challenges and shortcomings can shape a person into a better athlete.  Listen in on this inspiring episode with Shawna Santos about being a well-rounded athlete and remaining a student of the game.  Did you enjoy this episode?Please subscribe and leave a review on:AppleSpotifyGooglePandoraiHeartRadio

In this episode, Andrew interviews one of Hawaii’s most loved volleyball trainers, Alika Williams.  Alika Williams was born and raised in Hawaii, and he began playing indoor and sand volleyball in the ninth grade.  Alika played at Punahou School and played on the sand at Outrigger Canoe Club and Waikiki Beach.  He went on to play in the NCAA for indoor volleyball at the University of California at Santa Barbara, which led to his professional sand volleyball career on tour with the Association of Volleyball Professionals.Alika is now a highly sought volleyball trainer at Hunakai Park in Honolulu.  He operates from his own court and works with people of all ages and levels.  In 2012, the NCAA opened up scholarships for a women’s division, and he began coaching some now very well-known female players in women’s volleyball, including Carly Kan, Julia Scoles, and Julia Lau.  Listen in on this episode as Alika shares from his passion as a volleyball coach, what he loves most about being a coach and watching his students evolve.  He shares about his own challenges along the way, the setbacks, and the ways that he developed his own mental toughness as a player who was “undersized” in the world of volleyball.  Alika’s personality is super uplifting and this is an episode that will inspire anyone to keep going after their dreams.To find out more about Alika, go to his website, www.hunakaihi.com IG: @hunakaihiDid you enjoy this episode?Please subscribe and leave a review on:AppleSpotifyGooglePandoraiHeartRadio

In this episode, Andrew goes into the concept of regional interdependence.  The concept of regional interdependence is a concept that physical therapist Gray Cook, and strength coach Mike Boyle, came up with that applies to the majority of situations.  It has shifted the way that trainers are seeing movement in people, and it has shifted the way that they apply strength and conditioning techniques.  This concept can help anyone to make more sense of how the body needs to function.  Andrew talks in great detail about this concept, breaking it down in a way that anybody can process and understand.  He speaks from his belief that everyone should have access to this knowledge.  Knowing this concept can bring about a deeper, more unified whole-body awareness.  This episode will help to provide a deep understanding of the way our joints and different parts of the body are connected and interact with one another, affecting each other during movement.The parts of our body are connected like the links of a chain.  Therefore, when one area of the body is weak, the other parts of the body will begin to move in accordance with the weaker link to compensate.  To put it simple, the body functions as a system that needs to work together.  One area of the body will influence and affect all other areas of the body.  Listen in on this very informative talk by Andrew and gain a better understanding of how we can address movement to train more effectively and optimize our performance. Did you enjoy this episode?Please subscribe and leave a review on:AppleSpotifyGooglePandoraiHeartRadio

This episode features an interview with Aneesa, a Pennsylvania-born athlete who eventually re-located to Hawaii in order to begin her Ph.D. in tropical medicine.  Aneesa shares a very relatable experience with an injury she had just before grad school.  This is a great episode for anyone who can relate to having an injury, and at the same time, that drive to keep going.  Aneesa shares her background as an athlete, participating in a wide range of sports growing up.  Athleticism has always been ingrained in her life.  As an adult, she began competing in triathlons.  Yet, her injury didn’t happen during her normal athletic practice and training.  It happened while she was running on the beach.  She was working on an ocean rescue team in North Carolina around the Outer Banks.  Something that could happen to anyone, she stepped into a dip in the sand while running along the beach and tore her ACL, unknowingly at the time.  Just like many people do after an injury, she nursed it the best she could, and once she got to a functional level, she kept going on with her athletic training.  Later, she began doing CrossFit after moving to New Orleans for grad school.  It is very common for a lot of people who have had injuries and to stick with what they have been doing once they feel that they are at a functional level.  What happens then is overcompensation in other parts of the body.  Aneesa functioned with this injury for three years, until the pain and swelling prevented her from doing athletic activities that she needed to have ACL reconstructive surgery.  Listen in on Aneesa’s story, as she describes her recovery process, overcoming setbacks, returning to all of her activities, and most importantly maintenance to take care of her knee moving forward. She shares what she learned inside of the experience and how she did not expect the process to be as difficult or challenging as it turned out to be. This episode is an excellent listen for anyone who can relate to the injury recovery process, especially after ACL surgery. Did you enjoy this episode?Please subscribe and leave a review on:AppleSpotifyGooglePandoraiHeartRadio

This episode features Tumua Tuinei, a former University of Hawaii football player turned stand-up comedian.  Tumua shares his story of how his path in sports took a surprising detour into theater, as he became noticed as a stand-up comedian.  Yet, he compares the two journeys, both having obstacles to overcome and a requirement for mental toughness and stamina.  His journey is unique and inspiring to anyone who is following their passion as a career.  He encourages everyone to do what they love, and this story is proof that we really never know how things are going to turn out.  Tumua was born and raised in Hawaii and grew up playing football from the age of six.  His uncle played for the Dallas Cowboys, and his father was in the NFL as well, playing for the Detroit Lions.  He was leading into a career in sports and played football for the University of Hawaii.  He had his eye on business and sports broadcasting, but little did he know, his minor in theater would change everything.  The University of Hawaii at the time was one of few universities that offered a stand-up comedy class.  Tumua just happened to be in the right place at the right time.  Part of the class requirement was to perform at local bars.  Something that began as a fun part of his college curriculum soon expanded into invites to perform in other locations.  These invites just kept expanding.  Now, Tumua has a full-blown career in stand-up comedy, now headlining in various locations.  His footprint on social media continues to grow and as he makes us laugh during this pandemic.   You can catch him on Instagram or watch him live soon, December 4th-6th, headlining at The Blue Note Hawaii.  Listen in on this episode as Tumua speaks about what becomes possible when you follow what you love. Instagram: @tumua_Tumua's Youtube ChannelFacebook: @tumua.tuinei.3Twitter: @tumua_3Did you enjoy this episode?Please subscribe and leave a review on:AppleSpotifyGooglePandoraiHeartRadio

In this episode, Andrew talks about one of the key factors of success, consistency.  Andrew states that success doesn’t happen from what we do occasionally, it happens from what we do consistently.  Like anything, there are ways to execute consistency in our daily lives.  Andrew brings up two main points.  First, choose to focus on one thing at a time.  When it comes to working out, for example, it isn’t solely a practice of how many repetitions, but it is about having consistent focus and energy with each repetition.  The second point is to focus on progress, not perfection.  Everyone has their own journey, and there is one thing we all have in common.  We all have our bad days when we don’t feel like doing much of anything.  Obstacles are always going to show up.  How can we learn from our hardest days?  Andrew reminds us that the people who stay consistent are the ones who have found ways to overcome these obstacles and deal with situations in ways that are not counterproductive.  This is a great episode for anyone who wants to improve on their goals and see the progress.  Listen in as Andrew gives us tips on how to implement consistency, and to embrace our journey each and every step of the way. Did you enjoy this episode?Please subscribe and leave a review on:AppleSpotifyGooglePandoraiHeartRadio