In episode 40 of the Pacey Performance Podcast I have the pleasure of speaking with Matt Kuzdub who is the sports scientist at Train with Push, the makers of the PUSH band. A lot has been made of velocity based training (VBT) over the last few years especially over the last 12 months with the emergence of cheaper solutions such as the PUSH band. If you're new to VBT, check out this series on FreelapUSA (starting with Mladen Jovanovic) with contributions from some big hitters in the S&C game. It was a great chat with Matt after it took us weeks to sort it out and it gives a great insight not only into the PUSH band but VBT as a whole. In this episode you will learn - Who is Matt Kuzdub and how did he get to where he is today What is velocity based training and how has it developed Using VBT in a team sport environment VBT to assess athlete readiness Why the PUSH band The future for velocity based training Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following me on Twitter @paceyperform or visiting paceyperformance.co.uk/podcast. Matt can be found on Twitter @CoachKuzdub Train with Push can be found @TrainwithPUSH Enjoy PP

In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast I speak with Michael Watts who is Head of Performance at Aston Villa FC. I recently heard Michael speak in Seattle at the Seattle Sounders conference and was very impressed with is openness and honesty which is why I had to get him on the podcast. Michael and I also have mutual friend in Dean Riddle and if Dean speaks highly of someone, I definitely listen! At the Sounder conference, I think Michael caused a bit of a stir with how it actually is working in the Premier League which I respect massively. No fluff or jazzing up. Michael is a switched on guy and has some other very exciting projects that we discuss in this episode. In this episode you will learn - Who is Michael Watts and how did he get to where he is today Developing your own coaching philosophy Using GPS Dealing with and presenting useful data Off season and pre season training Keeping players on the pitch  Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following me on Twitter @paceyperform or visiting the links below. Michael can be found on Twitter @MCW_Fitness Enjoy PP

In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast I am speaking with Chris Brandner, Senior Talent Identification Manager at the Aspire Academy in Qatar. Chris is currently finishing off his PhD investigating the effects of blood flow restriction exercise which we talk a lot about in the episode. Chris is a super nice guy and was very open about his time in Qatar which was really interesting to listen to. In this episode you will learn - Who is Chris Brandner (experience, education and current role)? History around BFR exercise PhD work Does BFR exercise work? What do we know? How people can apply it safely? Working as a talent ID officer at Aspire Working in the middle east Where people can keep up to date with your work? Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following me on Twitter @paceyperform or visiting the links below. Chris can be found on Twitter @ChrisBrandner Enjoy PP

In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast I am speaking to my first guest who works at the English Institute of Sport, Mark Jarvis. Mark is Director of Performance Solutions and provides some great information on training for team sports, endurance athletes and plyometrics for both these groups. Mark was such a great guy to speak with and AGAIN echoes the point that I actually know nothing after speaking to a guest. In this episode you will learn - Who is Mark Jarvis and how did he get to where he is today Where to start when training for triathalon Movement efficiency Plyometrics for team sports Plyometrics for endurance events Strength training for endurance athletes Mark's PhD - quantifying plyometrics About the book...'Strength & Conditioning for Football' Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following me on Twitter @paceyperform or visiting paceyperformance.co.uk/podcast. Mark can be found on Twitter @MMJTraining Enjoy PP

Another great guest coming up in this episode with Head of Athletic Development at Port Adelaide, Ian McKeown. Ian was up at 5:30am to have a chat for this episode and his passion for what he is doing really shows. With Ian's knowledge and experience in the area of movement competency I thought it would be a great opportunity to really focus on that area for this episode, and as with every podcast I took a bunch of notes. Hopefully you get as much out of this episode as I did. In this episode you will learn - Who is Ian McKeown and how did he get to where he is today Importance of putting yourself out there to be shot at Assessing movement - when, how, why Movement assessment templates and the athletic ability assessment FMS - pro's/con's/adaptations Developing power in-season, off-season & pre-season Olympic lifting vs other methods Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following me on Twitter @paceyperform or visiting paceyperformance.co.uk/podcast. Ian can be found on Twitter @IanMackers Enjoy PP

In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast I am speaking with Josh Darrall-Jones, Yorkshire Carnegie Rugby senior academy strength and conditioning coach. Josh is combining his PhD whilst working at Yorkshire Carnegie and has just published his first paper which you can download from the links below. Its a really interesting chat with Josh as he is one of only a few PhD students we see working with elite players and using them players for research which is great. In this episode you will learn - Managing work & a PhD Testing with academy players What makes a top class rugby union academy player Differences across countries/hemispheres How is testing influencing your practice Use of the 30-15 test Using the isometric mid-thigh pull Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following me on Twitter @paceyperform or visiting paceyperformance.co.uk/podcast Josh can be found on Twitter @J_Darrall_Jones Enjoy PP

In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast sees me speaking with senior lecturer at Edith Cowan University, Dr Sophia Nimphius. After reading Sophia's chapter in High Performance Training for Sports and subsequently reading a lot of her work since, I had to get her on the podcast. Not only was this a great episode, but Sophia becomes the first female on the podcast, not to say I haven't tried though! In this episode you will learn - Who is Sophia Nimphius and how did she get to where she is today Ways of testing for 'agility' How can we detect which physical quality is lacking by performing COD tests Programming to enhance 'agility' Time spent focusing on hitting correct positions in COD Developing 'agility' in youths & adolescents Biggest considerations when training females Coaching the female athlete Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following me on Twitter @paceyperform or visiting paceyperformance.co.uk/podcast. Sophia can be found on Twitter @DocSoph Enjoy PP

In this episode of the podcast I speak with head of strength & conditioning and sports science at Bristol City Football Club, Rhys Carr. I have followed the fortunes of Bristol City this past season as an old central defensive partner of mine is now there. Coming all the way up from non-league to the Championship and getting in the team of the year on no mean feet. Rhys is a really open guy and was happy to share what he has got going on down at Bristol City. At the time of writing this they are on the brink of winning League One so by the time it goes out Rhys and the players will no doubt be on the beach! In this episode you will learn - Who is Rhys Carr and how did you get to where he is today Building a winning culture Injury prevention strategies Dealing with groups of players with differing training ages The need to talk 'coach' in football The benefit of having coaching qualifications in football The state of S&C in the UK Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following me on Twitter @paceyperform or visiting paceyperformance.co.uk/podcast Rhys can be found on Twitter @Rhyscarr86 Enjoy PP

This episode of the podcast features another amazing guest in Seattle Seahawks sport scientist, Patrick Ward. Patrick is such a nice guy and was very open talking about his work, not only with the Seahawks but with his past employees which included working at the Nike sports research lab. Patrick speaks at conferences and seminars all the US about his methods, many of which are alongside some of the best sports scientists and strength and conditioning coaches in the game!    In this episode you will learn -    Who is Patrick Ward and how has he got to where he is today  Breakdown of Patrick's coaching philosophy  What is the phyiological buffer zone'  HRV - what is it, how can it be used and its limitations  Data collection and how can it influence profiling, programme design and monitoring fatigue About optimumsportsperformance.com     Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following me on Twitter @paceyperform or visiting paceyperformance.co.uk.    Patrick can be found on Twitter @OSPpatrick and at optimumsportsperformance.com    Enjoy  PP

In this episode I speak with strength and conditioning coach to Edinburgh Rugby, Ashley Jones. I first got to know Ashley through Tom Mclaughlin after we were discussing future guests for the podcast. Tom mentioned how open Ashley was with his programme and his methods, so had to get him on. Ashley is a great guy and although only 'booked in' for a 30 minute chat, we ended up talking shop for much longer, which was an absolute pleasure.    In this episode you will learn -    Who is Ashley Jones, his background, education and how he got to where he is today  How Ashley's practice has developed over the years  Incorporating strongman exercises into a rugby programme - how, when , if at all  Strength and conditioning for the amateur player  Off-season conditioning for rugby  Power training for team sports  Are Olympic lifts essential to a rugby programme  Testing for rugby and how this informs practice    Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following me on Twitter @paceyperform or visiting paceyperformance.co.uk.    Enjoy  PP