
Pacey Performance Podcast
There are lots of voices in the coaching world. Few are as trusted as the Pacey Performance Podcast. Rob Pacey and his guests share the philosophies, ideas and insights in conversations that are the signal in the noise of the sport performance space.
Latest episodes

Sep 7, 2023 • 1h 4min
Working in women’s football: Injury prevention, game demands and menstrual cycle tracking
Experts in women's football discuss the relevance of menstrual cycle tracking in training and performance. They emphasize the need for tailored approaches and collaboration within the women's football community. Gender-neutral perspective on eccentric training and the importance of education in menstrual health are highlighted. Challenges faced by women footballers in game schedule and recovery are explored, along with training principles in women's football and the potential link between menstrual cycle and ACL injury risk.

Aug 31, 2023 • 49min
Developing a more aggressive approach to hamstring injury rehabilitation with Tim Parham
Tim Parham, Head of Player Health at Adelaide Football Club, provides insights into the multifaceted approach to hamstring injury management and prevention. He shares strategies such as tailored training consistency, eccentric strength dosing, and individualized exercise selection. Tim discusses the challenge of finding the right balance between aggressive rehabilitation and cautious progression, emphasizing the importance of transparency, education, and collaboration with athletes. He also elaborates on the progression of high-intensity eccentric exercises and the importance of addressing individual needs and incorporating high-speed exposures into rehab sessions.

17 snips
Aug 24, 2023 • 1h 8min
Maximising the use of asymmetry data for profiling, rehab and fatigue monitoring with Chris Bishop
Dr. Chris Bishop, Associate Professor at Middlesex University, discusses the intricacies of asymmetries in sports performance. He emphasizes the need for context-aware analysis and highlights the limitations of relying solely on asymmetry metrics. Chris explores correlations, challenges with force plates, and selecting meaningful metrics for fatigue monitoring and injury rehab.

Aug 23, 2023 • 15min
#Bitesize - Using the anaerobic speed reserve to ”bucket” an athlete group’s conditioning with Phil Scott
Sports performance expert Phil Scott discusses the use of anaerobic speed reserve to 'bucket' athletes based on their conditioning. He talks about the tests used to collect anaerobic speed reserve data and how to create thresholds within the data. Individualizing conditioning based on these 'buckets' is also discussed.

Aug 17, 2023 • 1h 2min
Maximising performance, managing fatigue and optimising recovery in American Football with Marc Lewis
Marc Lewis, Director of Sports Science at the Houston Texans, discusses athlete fatigue management, load monitoring, and recovery optimization. He explains fatigue monitoring techniques, the importance of robust monitoring protocols, and the role of sleep and nutrition in recovery. Additionally, he explores various recovery modalities, such as cold water immersion, to manage fatigue in American football.

Aug 10, 2023 • 53min
How to implement micro-dosing strategies in team sports with Matt Cuthbert
Matt Cuthbert, Women’s Physical Performance Coach at The Football Association, discusses the concept of microdosing in resistance training. He explores its benefits, such as pre-session performance enhancement and load management. The podcast also emphasizes the importance of collaboration between coaches and individualizing training for optimal adaptation.

Aug 3, 2023 • 1h 1min
The evolution of American Football training and its impact on all collision sports with Kurt Hester
This episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast sees engaging in a fascinating conversation with Kurt Hester, Head of Sports Performance for Football at Tulane University. This episode delves deep into the ever-evolving world of athletic development, offering valuable takeaways for coaches.
Kurt emphasizes the importance of adaptation in training, steering away from rigid approaches and instead focusing on the individual needs of athletes. He challenges the prevalent obsession with strength numbers and highlights the significance of a more comprehensive athlete-centered approach to preparation.
Drawing from his expertise, Kurt shares his innovative incorporation of sports science, particularly the transformative impact of breathing techniques on performance. By embracing this aspect of training, he explains how it optimizes recovery, enhances focus, and prepares athletes for the rigors of their sport.
Throughout the episode, the discussion revolves around striking a balance between data-driven methodologies and intuitive coaching. Kurt advocates for coaches to spend time observing athletes in action, creating a meaningful correlation between data and on-field performance.
If you are a coach seeking new insights to elevate your athletes' performance or a sports enthusiast curious about the future of American football training, this episode is a must-listen.
Main talking points:
Reassessing our obsession with strength
Impact of absolute strength on output
Challenging conventional conditioning approaches
Kurt's biggest frustrations with strength and conditioning
The biggest thing he has added to his programme in the last 12 months
The biggest thing he has removed from his programme in the last 12 months
Breathing techniques to enhance athletic performance
Balancing sports science and observation

Jul 27, 2023 • 1h 5min
Using collaboration and smart data collection to enhance the transfer of training with Dan Tobin and Dan Grange
Join Rob on this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast as he delves into the world of game speed training with Dan Grange and Daniel Tobin, both of Gloucester Rugby. Discover their revolutionary approach to game speed training and the challenges they face in achieving optimal transfer from training to gameplay.
Dan and Dan share their philosophy, focusing on creating key principles that encompass different strategies rather than getting lost in a sea of training options. They emphasize the importance of effective communication with coaches, ensuring a common understanding of training objectives and encouraging collaboration where needed.
Explore the core of their gamespeed methodology which includes four key change direction strategies: the split step or shuffle step, the lane change, the zigzag, and the cut to a curve. Dan Grange reveals how they tailor these strategies to suit different players based on their physical qualities and positions on the field. They stress the significance of technical evaluation through targeted Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), tracking individual and team improvements over time.
The conversation delves deeper into the transfer aspect, acknowledging that measuring the success of game-speed training can be messy. They both emphasise the need to rely on educated opinions to gauge the impact on the team's system and identify areas that require further attention. They acknowledge the importance of personalized feedback to players, using video clips and one-on-one conversations to enhance their decision-making and execution during games.
Dan and Dan's dedication to adding value to players shines through, as they continuously seek new technologies and approaches to further enhance game-speed training.
"Using collaboration and smart data collection to enhance the transfer of training" is a captivating podcast that offers a rare glimpse into the world of rugby performance training. Gain deeper insights into how game-speed training can revolutionize player performance and elevate team success. Whether you're a coach, player, or sports enthusiast, this podcast is a must-listen for those seeking to unlock their full potential and gain a competitive edge on the field. Tune in and be inspired by the innovative strategies and dedication to excellence shared by Dan and Dan, as they navigate the fascinating world of training transfer and gamespeed.
Main talking points:
Importance of specific game speed training
Focus on key movement strategies
Analyzing technical improvements with KPIs
Navigating messy transfer of training
Collaborating effectively with coaches
Adding value to players through feedback
Technology limitations in game speed analysis
Honest reviews for progress and improvement.

Jul 20, 2023 • 1h
Using a fascia based approach to performance training and rehabilitation with Danny Foley
On this week's episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, Rob is speaking to Human Performance Coach at Rude Rock Strength, Danny Foley. Danny is on this episode to discuss all things fascia and a fascia based approach to performance training and rehabilitation.
In the first half of this episode we get to grips with what fascia actually is and how we can assess an athlete's fascia quality. Despite this being really difficult, Danny explains his subjective assessments and how other coaches can develop their own assessments. Then we start to unpack what a fascia based approach actually is and how its different to a traditional training approach.
In the second half of the episode we dive deeper into what a fascia based training approach is and how it can be specifically used in certain rehabilitations. Given how important the feet as within this approach, we get Danny's take on foot training specifically. This is an incredibly thought-provoking episode and we would love any feedback off the back of it. Enjoy.
Main talking points:
Danny's story
Understanding fascia
Assessing and measuring fascial quality
Fascia based training approach
How does this differ to a traditional training approach
Using this approach to run faster and jump higher
Using the fascia based approach during RTP
Training the foot and ankle

Jul 19, 2023 • 15min
#Bitesize - ”Activation” sessions - Do they do what we think/hope they do with Tony Blazevich
Tony featured on episode #450 of the Pacey Performance Podcast. This #bitesize episode takes a great clip from that episode where he discussed -
What is the purpose of an "activation" session
What do we think/hope they are doing
What are they actually doing?
Check out the full episode with Tony here - https://www.sportsmith.co/listen/activation-sessions-and-asymmetries-are-they-really-that-important/
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