Pacey Performance Podcast

In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, Head of Sports Science at Everton FC, Jack Nayler. Jack comes on the podcast having spent the last 10 years at Chelsea, PSG, Real Madrid, Celtic and Everton. An incredible CV that many in the industry would love to have. So we dive into what he has learnt from working at these huge clubs with the huge players that play for them. Jack reflects on his experiences working with players, noting that some have an innate understanding of their bodies and their limits. He believes it's essential to recognize and trust those players who have this insight. Jack also underscores the importance of communication, teaching players to understand their bodies better, and always being observant. He recounts his time with Alvaro Arbeloa at Real Madrid, emphasizing Arbeloa's exceptional drive and commitment to training even when not in the starting lineup. Jack admires such players for their unwavering motivation, even if they don't possess the same natural talent as others. Mor

Nicol featured on episode #388 of the Pacey Performance Podcast. This #bitesize episode takes a great clip from that episode where he discussed - The value of screening athletes to understand injury risk What screens they perform at Irish Rugby The value these screens have on injury rates Check out the full episode with Nicol here - https://www.sportsmith.co/listen/what-injury-prevention-strategies-work/ This episode is supported by RockDaisy, the only FREE AMS on the market. AMS Lite features reporting capabilities, questionnaires and forms, alerts and communication, data sharing, data visualisation and calendar views.

In this episode, we delve into the intricate world of combat sports, specifically boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA), and the critical aspects of training and preparation that underpin these intense disciplines. Our expert panel includes Duncan French, from the UFC Performance Institute, Danny Wilson, Co-founder of Boxing Science, and Rhys Ingram, formerly of GB Taekwondo and currently with GB Cycling. They kick off the discussion by emphasizing the importance of multidisciplinary teams in supporting athletes, including strength and conditioning coaches, physiotherapists, and nutritionists. The challenge lies in orchestrating these diverse experts to work cohesively for the benefit of the athlete. The panel explores various training philosophies, particularly when it comes to building strength and power in combat sports athletes. The focus here is on lower body impulse and trunk muscle mass as significant contributors to punching power. Training strategies include lower force, high-velocity movements, and ma

In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast Rob is speaking to three experts in the area of women's football, Strength and Conditioning Coach at Manchester United Women, Jack Clover, Reader in Sports Performance at Leeds Beckett, Stacey Emmonds, and Head of Sport Science at The Matildas, Jack Sharkey. One of the central discussions revolves around menstrual cycle monitoring and its relevance to training and performance. They emphasize the importance of understanding menstrual health beyond just phase-based training, shedding light on the broader spectrum of menstrual-related issues and their impact on athletes' well-being and availability. The trio also tackles the challenge of setting appropriate training thresholds for female athletes in an environment where the demands are constantly evolving. They highlight the need for a more tailored approach and collaboration within the women's football community to establish science-based standards. Eccentric training, often a hot topic in sports science, is exam

In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, Rob chats to Head of Player Health at Adelaide Football Club, Tim Parham. Drawing from his extensive experience, Tim provides a comprehensive insight into the multifaceted approach to hamstring injury management and prevention. Throughout the conversation, Tim shares practical strategies for injury prevention, including the significance of tailored training consistency, eccentric strength dosing, and individualized exercise selection. He delves into the nuanced process of rehabilitation, discussing his philosophy of adopting an aggressive approach while aligning it with the athlete's clinical condition and sport demands. Tim provides a fascinating glimpse into his methodology of microdosing isometric exercises and integrating them into the overall training program. He discusses the challenge of finding the right balance between aggressive rehabilitation and cautious progression, and how transparency, education, and collaboration with athletes are key factors i

In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, Dr. Chris Bishop, Associate Professor at Middlesex University delves deep into the intricacies of asymmetries, exploring their relevance and implications across various aspects of sports performance. Chris dissects the misconceptions and misunderstandings associated with asymmetry metrics, emphasizing the need for context-aware analysis and a balanced perspective. The conversation delves into the practical challenges faced by practitioners and researchers in interpreting asymmetry data obtained from jump testing and other performance assessments. Chris' insights shed light on the limitations of relying solely on asymmetry metrics as a predictive tool and the importance of considering individual biomechanical factors and sports-specific demands. As the episode goes on, Chris navigates the listeners through the nuances of correlating asymmetry metrics with broader performance outcomes. He addresses the common pitfalls of overreliance on correlations and offers v

Phil featured on episode #417 of the Pacey Performance Podcast. This #bitesize episode takes a great clip from that episode where he discussed - Tests used to collect anaerobic speed reserve data Creating thresholds within the data to "bucket" athletes How to individualise with those "buckets" Check out the full episode with Phil here - https://www.sportsmith.co/listen/anaerobic-speed-reserve-individualising-conditioning-in-team-sports/ This episode is supported by RockDaisy, the only FREE AMS on the market. AMS Lite features reporting capabilities, questionnaires and forms, alerts and communication, data sharing, data visualisation and calendar views.

In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, Marc Lewis, Director of Sports Science at the Houston Texans delves into the intricate realm of athlete fatigue management, load monitoring and recovery optimisation. Marc offers a comprehensive overview of fatigue monitoring techniques. From analyzing performance metrics like jump height to decoding the significance of fatigue patterns, Lewis guides listeners through the nuances of assessing and interpreting athlete fatigue levels. He introduces the concept of "non-functional overreaching," highlighting the importance of recognizing when athletes are unable to adapt strategies to achieve performance goals, indicating a significant level of fatigue. Listeners gain valuable knowledge on establishing robust monitoring protocols. Lewis discusses the importance of understanding coefficients of variation and effect sizes, emphasizing the need to differentiate between measurement errors and genuine performance changes. The conversation also explores the optimal timi

This episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast sees Rob speak to Women’s Physical Performance Coach at The Football Association, Matt Cuthbert to explore the world of microdosing in resistance training. Microdosing, a concept borrowed from pharmacology, involves prescribing small, individualized doses of resistance training to athletes. Cuthbert, a leading researcher in this area, sheds light on how this approach can optimize performance and manage athlete fatigue effectively, especially in the high-stakes world of international football. The podcast delves into the nuts and bolts of microdosing, discussing the potential benefits of individualization and tailored training for athletes of various skill levels and playing positions. Cuthbert also highlights the crucial role of collaboration between strength and conditioning coaches and technical coaches to ensure seamless integration into team training. Listeners will gain valuable insights into Cuthbert's research and experiences, making this episode a must-lis

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

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 evaluat

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. Mai

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/ This episode is supported by RockDaisy, the only FREE AMS on the market. AMS Lite features reporting capabilities, questionnaires and forms, alerts and communication, data sharing, data visualisation and calendar views.

This week on the Pacey Performance Podcast, Professor at the University of Saint-Étienne, JB Morin joins Rob to chat about navigating scientific research and how we can use research intelligently to inform practice.  In the first half of this episode we delve into how to read a research paper properly. How can we systematically go through a paper, understand the content and pick the potential red flags which may highlight as to why you may question the conclusions drawn by the author. The publication process is definitely not flawless and without its faults and readers need to be aware of this. JB talks through these flaws and how readers can fully understand them and improve the critique of research. In the second half of the episode, JB gives his opinion on the "publish or perish" bias that leads to poor and sometimes not very original research. We finish off the episode with a discussion around using research in practice and how coaches and sports scientists should (or shouldn't) use research to inform pra

Robin featured on episode #334 of the Pacey Performance Podcast. This #bitesize episode takes a great clip from that episode where he discussed - What it was like working alongside José How thoughts on training load monitoring Robin's switch towards subjective data to provide useful insights to the manager Check out the full episode with Nathan here - https://www.sportsmith.co/listen/pacey-performance-podcast-334-robin-thorpe/ This episode is supported by RockDaisy, the only FREE AMS on the market. AMS Lite features reporting capabilities, questionnaires and forms, alerts and communication, data sharing, data visualisation and calendar views.

This episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast sees Rob speaking to Manager of Sport Sciences at the New South Wales Institute of Sport, Alex Natera, Head of Strength and Conditioning at the Singapore Sport Institute, Danny Lum and now Head of Academy Physical Performance at Manchester City FC, Matt Taberner.  These three guys are true experts in this area, not only from a applied perspective but also an academic one. In the first part of this episode we discuss the process of creating isometric strength training exercises that overload a particular position that is specific to a sport. We then transition into a discussion around quasi-isometrics, what they are and how we can use them from a performance perspective but also a rehabilitation one. We then finish off the first part of this episode discussing the use of isometric testing and training with and without technology. Within this, Matt discusses how he would programme isometrics and keep a track on intensity without the use of force plates. In the secon

This episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast features Head of Athletic Performance at the New South Wales Waratahs in Super Rugby, Nick Lumley. This episode is all about maximising training transfer and understanding what best transfers based on an intelligent use of testing and a good understanding of data. In the first half of the episode we chat through Nick's philosophy when it comes to building strong, powerful rugby players capable of performing at the highest level. He talks about his use of non-technically demanding exercises like the leg press over the squat and how he has changed the way he programmes. Nick also details how he makes alterations to his programme for the bigger guys in the squad. In the second half of the episode we dive into training transfer. Nick explains what data he collects on a regular basis and how he manipulates that data to understand which exercises do and don't transfer to the qualities he and the coaches want to see on the field. Performance in which exercises predict sp

Athol featured on episode #448 of the Pacey Performance Podcast. This #bitesize episode takes a great clip from that episode where he discussed - What footwear features may increase the risk of injury and why? How do we mitigate injury risk on artificial surfaces? How do we safely transition athletes between surfaces? Check out the full episode with Nathan here - https://www.sportsmith.co/listen/understanding-the-impact-of-athlete-footwear-selection-on-performance-and-injury-risk/ This episode is supported by RockDaisy, the only FREE AMS on the market. AMS Lite features reporting capabilities, questionnaires and forms, alerts and communication, data sharing, data visualisation and calendar views.

This week on the Pacey Performance Podcast, Rob is speaking to Former Head of Performance at Aston Villa and Rangers FC, Jordan Milsom. Jordan comes on and gives one of the most candid interviews we have had on the podcast. As Fitness Coach at Liverpool and two Head of Performance roles in the Premier League and Scottish Premier League, Jordan has a wealth of experience that he brings to this episode. In the first half of the episode we discuss his time at Liverpook at a Strength and Rehab Fitness Coach and he he developed the knoweldge required to rehab some of the most valuable assets in sport. We then went onto discuss his interactions with staff that were brought in by the manager and how he dealt with that as a club member of staff. In the second half of the episode he describes the role reversal as he became the "manager's guy" as he stepped up to a Head of Performance role at Rangers FC. Was he prepared to make that jump? How did he deal with club staff now that he was a "manager's guy"? And did he des

Nathan featured on episode #418 of the Pacey Performance Podcast. This #bitesize episode takes a great clip from that episode where he discussed - What is it about the split squat that means it gets so much hype in this philosophy? Is it worth the hype? What is better exercise to get the same results? Check out the full episode with Nathan here - https://www.sportsmith.co/listen/a-critique-of-the-knees-over-toes-phenomenon-and-maximising-cross-training-prescription/ This episode is supported by RockDaisy, the only FREE AMS on the market. AMS Lite features reporting capabilities, questionnaires and forms, alerts and communication, data sharing, data visualisation and calendar views.