In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, I am speaking to Strength & Conditioning Coach & Sports Science Lead at Aspire Academy, James Baker. Not only is James working at Aspire Academy but he is also Director of Proformance Strength & Conditioning who are putting on three conferences this year on long term athlete development. James didn't go through the traditional route to get into his current position which makes this chat so interesting. He was a PE in Gloucester and developed one of the first official strength and conditioning school programmes in the UK. There is so much in this episode if you work with youth athletes or if you are wanting to work in schools as a strength and conditioning coach. If you enjoyed this episode with James Baker, you may enjoy these others focusing on youth development - Jeremy Frisch, Paudie Roche & Craig Harrison. In this episode we discussed... Who is James Baker (background, education and experience) Aspire Transition to Apsire Aspire vs St Peters Integrating S&C in PE (UK) Track development programme Monitoring growth and maturation Challenges to implementation Various options - new ways of thinking LTAD pathways Evolution of the pathway across different stages Slowing down/maintaining development vs accelerating at certain stages LTAD in elite performers vs non-elite performers Integration of gymnastic and parkour Where does it fit? Child to Champion James can be found on Twitter @proformanceteam Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following on Twitter @strengthofsci or visiting strengthofscience.com. Enjoy PP

In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, I am speaking to Strength & Conditioning Coach, Lecturer & Speaker, Dan Baker. Well over three years since we recorded episode #100, I am back with a part two with Dan Baker. Dan is an incredibly engaging speaker and in this episode delivers some incredible value for those interested in velocity based training. We also take a little detour at the start of the chat to discuss the S&C market in Australia, the minimum wage and what the ASCA are doing to safeguard their members from exploitation.  If you enjoyed this episode on velocity based training, these episodes with Chris Chapman, Bryan Mann, and the Velocity Based Training Masterclass. Hope you enjoy this episode with Dan Baker. In this episode we discussed... Who is Dan Baker (background, experience, and current role) The basics Why measure velocity Average vs peak Minimum velocity thresholds Normative scores What is new in VBT? VBT vs traditional percentage-based methods Differences in adaptation Improving programming Feedback Velocity loss Different percentages for different training focus Sub max lifting to measure NMF LV profiling Dan Baker VBT courses Dan can be found on Instagram @danbakerstrength_ Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following on Twitter @strengthofsci or visiting strengthofscience.com. Enjoy PP

In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, I am speaking to Callum Walsh, Ally Harris and Chris Haslam for the Championship Football Roundtable. Callum is Senior Physical Performance Coach at Huddersfield Town FC, Ally is Head of Performance at Fulham FC and Chris is Head of Athletic Performance at Brentford FC. I do love these roundtables and especially the ones involving practitioners who work in football. These three guys know each other pretty well so there was plenty to discuss before, during and certainly after recording. We covered lots of areas in this episode and hopefully we covered areas of interest to those wanting to work in football and also those that already do. If you enjoyed this Championship Football Roundtable, these episodes may also be of interest - Youth Football Roundtable & Senior Football Roundtable Hope you enjoy this Championship Football Roundtable with Chris Haslam, Callum Walsh and Ally Harris. In this episode we discussed... Who are Callum Walsh, Ally Harris & Chris Haslam (background, education and experience) Improving movement 'He doesn't move very well'... Philosophy Working with large groups Player understanding Where does it (whatever 'it' is) fit in the schedule? Academy transition The impact new academy structures have had on first-team operations Load management Psychological and emotional impact Strength training Philosophy Adjustments based on managers Educating players & staff Fitting it in Pre and post-game lifting What does it look like? Innovation in football Callum can be found on Twitter @Walshy2123, Ally can be found on Twitter @AlastairHarris and Chris can be found on LinkedIn. Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following on Twitter @strengthofsci or visiting strengthofscience.com. Enjoy PP

In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, I am speaking to Scott Drawer, Alan Richardson and Graham Williams from Millfield School. Scott is Director of Sport, Alan is Director of Athletic and Graham is Lead Practitioner & Athletic Development Coach. This episode is another one that is pretty unique, for two reasons. One, that we had three members of staff from the same organisation and two, that the organisation they are from is a private school here in the UK. We went pretty high level in this episode and if you're involved in adolescent sport or school sport, you will love this one. If you enjoyed this episode with Scott Drawer, Alan Richardson and Graham Williams from Millfield School. Hope you enjoy this episode with Pete Kirchmer. In this episode we discussed... Managing expectations Parents Technical coaches Student-athletes Developing athletes in an education setting Managing education and sport Changing sports landscape School to performance connection Influences from the world of sport Holistic development What does that actually mean in practice? What does the science tell us about working with adolescents? The programme What that looks like for different sports, ages and maturities Scott can be found on Twitter @ScottDUK, Alan can be found on Twitter @arichardson1501 and Graham can be found on Twitter @graywilliams_ Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following on Twitter @strengthofsci or visiting strengthofscience.com. Enjoy PP

In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, I am speaking to Coach, Researcher, and Owner of Glute Lab, Bret Contreras. Bret is another person who has been on my list to reach out to and I can't believe its taken me this long. I also can't believe I didn't witness the Glute Lab when I was in San Diego last year too. It was Bret's good friend JB Morin who made the introduction and I am glad he did because we had a great chat about the force vector theory, glute training and training the posterior chain. Bret has proudly transitioned into the personal training market and is absolutely killing it, amassing 900k+ followers on Instagram. Hope you enjoy this episode with Bret Contreras. In this episode we discussed... Who is Bret Contreras (background, education, current role) Force vector theory Vertical vs horizontal exercises Where they both fit? Dynamic correspondence 'Confused mechanical reasoning'? Glute development Training the glutes Hip thrust Carryover to sports performance measures? Other benefits Hip extension exercises Exercise selection Role in speed development Bret can be found on Twitter @bretcontreras and on Instagram @bretcontreras1 Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following on Twitter @strengthofsci or visiting the strengthofscience.com. Enjoy PP

In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, I am speaking to Mindfulness Coach and Director of mPEAK, Pete Kirchmer. On the recommendation of Head of Strength & Conditioning at England Rugby, Jon Clarke I am delighted to get Pete Kirchmer on the podcast today. Jon gave a glowing recommendation based on Pete's work with England during the recent rugby World Cup and given the increased interest among players and coaches in mindfulness, the introduction was perfectly timed. Apps like Calm and Headspace have brought meditation to the masses and an increased awareness in mental health has only amplified their popularity. But how can that help performance? If you enjoyed this episode on recovery, you may like these episodes with Shona Halson, Brandon Marcello and Geoff Head. Hope you enjoy this episode with Pete Kirchmer. In this episode we discussed... Who is Pete Kirchmer (background, experience and current role) What is mindfulness practice? Science in pro or collegiate athletes Anecdotal benefits Global popularity and its impact on sporting populations Indirect benefits to performance Stress, anxiety etc Impact of mental health awareness Where mindfulness fits within the programme Examples of how teams have structured it around matches and practice Resources that have fit in elite sport settings Pete can be found on Twitter @Mindful_Coach or via his website. Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following on Twitter @strengthofsci or visiting strengthofscience.com. Enjoy PP

In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, I am speaking to Head Strength & Conditioning Coach at LA Kings, Matt Price. I am delighted to bring Matt on the podcast today as he's another one that has been on my list for a long time. Matt recently hooked me up with some Kings tickets when I was in LA which was extremely kind of him. We didn't get a chance to chat before or after the game but thankfully we were able to make this episode happen and have a good conversation about what is going on at the LA Kings. 'Load management' as a topic is still red hot so we chatted about this and what that term means to Matt and how he manages workload on and off the ice. If you enjoyed this episode with Matt Price, you may enjoy these episodes with Eric Reneghan, Matt Nichol, Mike Potenza and Devan McConnell who also work in ice hockey. Hope you enjoy this episode with Matt Price. In this episode we discussed... Who is Matt Price (background, education and experience) 'Load management' What that means to you Application of it at the Kings What matters to coaches vs what matters to us Internal and external load Recovery Individualisation Sleep In-season vs off-season strength & conditioning Testing Game day lifting Influence of the stiffness of skates Speed work - transference to on-ice performance Varying emphasis Common injuries Preventative work Matt can be found on Twitter @MPriceStrength Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following on Twitter @strengthofsci or visiting strengthofscience.com. Enjoy PP

In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, I am speaking to Service Chief & Section Head at the Henry Ford Sleep Disorder Centre, Meeta Singh. I got introduced to Meeta via Fergus Connolly who has featured on the podcast twice over the last 5 years (episode #136 & episode #225) and is someone I respect very much. I was chatting to Fergus about sleep and how I thought there was a lack of real practical information out there on the topic. There is plenty of research but little in the way of case studies on how teams are actually improving sleep. Meeta worked with the Washington Nationals on their way to the 2019 World Series and this episode does not disappoint. If you enjoyed this episode on sleep, you may like these episodes with Shona Halson and Ian Dunican. Hope you enjoy this episode with Meeta Singh. In this episode we discussed... Who is Meeta Singh (background, experience and current role) Circadian rhythms What are they? Why are athletes specifically affected by sleep? Chronotypes Why this matters How this affects sleep at home and away Examples Sleep deprivation and insomnia Coexist? Predisposition to these Screening to identify these issues Strategies to improve these Sleeping pills in detail Vision for sleep science integration Meeta can be found on Twitter @athletesleepmd1 Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following on Twitter @strengthofsci or visiting strengthofscience.com. Enjoy PP

In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, I am speaking to Head of Performance at Preston North End FC & Founder of Colour-Fit, Tom Little. Over the last 5/6 years, Tom has become a really good friend of mine and it was great to finally get him on the podcast. Tom has had a fantastic career in football, working for Birmingham, Sheffield Wednesday, Huddersfield Town and most recently Preston North End. I was lucky enough to have Tom's PhD research back in 2012 to use for my undergraduate research project which we briefly discuss at the start of this episode. Over and above his full time role at PNE, Tom has founded Colour-Fit, a software solution designed to simplify the main goals of sports nutrition, performance, health and body composition which we chat about towards the end of the episode. If you enjoyed this episode with Tom Little, the recent Football Roundtable Podcast may also be of interest. Hope you enjoy this episode with Tom Little. In this episode we discussed... Who is Tom Little (background, education and current role)? Weekly periodisation strategies Philosophy Practice at PNE What hasn't worked for you in this area Tactical periodisation Influence on English football Skill based conditioning Philosophy Research in the area Practice at PNE Colour-Fit Side hustle to proper business Game Changers...? Nutrition philosophy for athletes Tom can be found on Twitter @drlittletom Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following on Twitter @strengthofsci or visiting strengthofscience.com. Enjoy PP

In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, I am speaking to Sprint Coach and Senior Advisor/Lecturer at the High Performance Center in Växjö Sweden, Håkan Andersson. Håkan came to my attention via his work with the Muscle Lab, resisted and assisted sprint solution. He has put some really interesting content on social media using this piece of equipment with very high level athletes in Sweden so it was great to get him on the podcast. Håkan not only talks about Muscle Lab but also his thoughts around periodising plyometrics, effects of resisted and assisted sprinting on technique and introducing non-sprint athletes to a sprint programme. Hope you enjoy this episode with Håkan Andersson. In this episode we discussed... Who is Håkan Andersson (background, education and current role) Jump training and plyometrics Where to start with sprinters Where to start with team sport athletes Progressions and regressions Inclusion of hurdles Force vectors and responses to plyometrics Structure Weekly Monthly Resisted sprints Progressions Different resistance to train different qualities Altering mechanics Sprint analysis Testing options Figuring out where to focus time and effort Use of force plates in training and testing Håkan can be found on Twitter @sprintcoachSWE Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following on Twitter @strengthofsci or visiting strengthofscience.com. Enjoy PP