Inform Performance

Episode 33: Andy McDonald chats to Strength & Conditioning Coach Alex Natera. Alex is based at GWS Giants Football Club in Sydney as Senior Athletic Performance Specialist. Alex has a wealth of experience and has enjoyed previous roles at Aspire Academy in Qatar, South Australian Sports Institute, English Institute of Sport, St Mary’s University, and Crystal Palace Football club to name a few. In this episode we have a discussion about something he is world renowned for in Isometrics and Eccentric training methods. In this episode Andy and Alex Natera discuss: Alex’s background Training during Covid. High-Neural output work Alex’s interest in Isometrics Reasoning & benefits isometrics When to implement isometrics Methods for implementing Isometrics Program transitioning in/out of isometrics Eccentric Training Isometrics in rehab Where you can find Alex: LinkedIn Instagram Twitter Smartletics Tempo App Apple App Store Google App Store Website Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website Our team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

Episode 32: Andy McDonald chats to Alex Wolf the co-founder of Wayfaring. Alex is a Performance Consultant, Strength & Conditioning Coach and also an experienced leader with a demonstrated history of working in the high performance. He has a wealth of experience of preparing athletes, staff and teams successfully for Olympic Games. He has previously been Head of Learning, head of strength of S&C and the technical lead at the English Institute of Sport, as well as lead S&C coach for GB rowing amongst other sporting roles. Alex in this episode shares wealth of technical knowledge and thinking on the topic of adaptation led programming. In this episode Andy and Alex Wolf discuss: Alex’s professional background Adaptation Led Programming Origin of work and questions Why do we strength train? Function as product of outcome not method Clarity and explicit objectives Simple solutions to clear objectives Structural, local & global coordination adaptation Periodisation & adaptation led programming Clarity in language and terminology Wayfaring - leading teams Where you can find Alex: Twitter LinkedIn Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website Our team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

Episode 31: Andy McDonald hosts a discussion on achilles tendinopathy between Karin Silbernagel, Mark Young and Matt Tuttle. Dr Dr Karin Grävare-Silbernagel is an Associate Professor at the Department of Physical Therapy, University of Delaware, Newark, USA. At University of Delaware she runs the tendon research lab together with her colleagues from mechanical and biomedical engineering. Mark Young is a Senior Physiotherapist at the Geelong Cats who has previously worked at the AIS, EIS, UK Athletics, Nike Athletics and the England & Wales Cricket Board. Dr Matt Tuttle has previously been on the podcast in episodes 11 and 24 and is the Lead Sport Scientist and Physical Therapist for NBA team the Denver Nuggets. In this episode the panel discuss: Their backgrounds & personal interests in tendons Achilles diagnostic considerations & processes Acute achilles tendinopathy management Management approach & philosophy Challenges in their individual athlete settings Tendon risk mitigation Elastography & UTC to monitor and Intervene with rehab Imaging Achilles tendon ruptures Tendon Resiliency Managing Tendons In-season Athlete cut points / can the athlete train or play? Managing warm-up and game timing Setting expectations What exercises to use to make a tendon feel better in-season. Thorough assessment and differentials Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website Our team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

Episode 30: Andy McDonald chats to Dr Meeta Singh. Dr Meeta Singh is a sleep doctor whose work and research focuses on “Coaching the sleep muscle” to help maximize performance in both individual athletes and sports teams. She is the Service chief of the sleep medicine, and section head and medical director at the Henry Fordsleep laboratory in Michigan. Dr Singh is board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology as a psychiatrist and sleep medicine sub-specialist. She has served as a consultant for multiple NFL, MLB, NHL and NBA teams. She has also worked with college sports teams. As part of this service, Dr. Singh performs athletic sleep assessments with personalized prescriptions for better sleep. She also helps sports teams and athletes with their travel management with a focus on addressing sleep deprivation and jet lag and maximizing athletic performance. Her passion is lecturing and educating teams and athletes about the benefits of sleep on performance. In this episode Andy and Dr Meeta Singh discuss: Her background Sleep requirement, deficit & dose response Sleep Diaries Wearable Technology Educating and implementing sleep strategies Orthosomnia Sleep Environment Jet lag Crossing time zones Relationship between sleep and Injury risk Sleep and Recovery from injury Can you get too much sleep? Napping Uncoupled sleep and circadian rhythm Backroom staff sleep considerations Where you can find Dr Meeta Singh: Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Website Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website Our team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

Episode 29: Andy McDonald chats to Dr Andy Barr a British Physiotherapist / Doctor of Physical Therapy. Andy is an established leader in the field of high performance and injury risk reduction with over 20 years of experience working in professional sports. He has held Director of Medicine and Performance roles with Bolton Wanderers F.C., Southampton F.C. and Manchester City F.C. in the EPL, New York Knicks in the NBA and New York City F.C. in the MLS. More recently Andy is the CEO & founder of Quantum Performance in Los Angeles providing rehab and performance solutions to elite athletes and teams. In this conversation with Dr Andy Barr we discuss: Andy’s background Transitioning from the UK to USA / EPL to the NBA Working freelance and as a consultant Andy’s 4 Pillars approach to rehabilitation Variety during rehab Pros and cons of working independently vs in a team Andy’s current and future projects Where you can find Dr Andy Barr: Twitter Linkedin Instagram Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website Our team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

Episode 28: Andy McDonald chats to Dr Matt Taberner, a Sport Scientist, S&C and Rehab Coach who has enjoyed career spells at Aston Villa and Everton Football Club previously. Matt recently finished his PHD constructing a framework for return to sport in elite football. In this episode we’ll hear Matt explain his work and dive into the control chaos continuum framework he’s produced. In this conversation Andy & Matt discuss: Origins of the Control Chaos Continuum Bridging the gap between traditional rehab and return to performance Applying the Control Chaos Continuum to specific injury cases Applying the principles of the CCC to different sports What Matt is looking to do next professionally Where you can find Matt: Twitter LinkedIn Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website Our team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

Episode 27: Andy McDonald chats with Dr Phil Wagner the Founder & CEO of Sparta Science. Phil is a a Physician and a Strength Coach who received his medical degree from USC focused on biomechanics. Phil’s passion for protecting athlete health and longevity through injury resilience coupled with his medically-oriented human performance mindset inspired him to found Sparta Science, a movement technology and data science company focused on improving musculoskeletal health. In this conversation Andy & Phil discuss: Phil’s from athlete to Strength & Conditioning Coach to medicine. Setting up Sparta Science Informed consumers Assessing methods & tools before Implementation Re-defining what “Injury prevention means” How Sparta Interacts with team systems AI & Machine learning in predictive injury models Blind spots in data models Injury risk identification verses occurrence The value of coaches & clinicians gaining foundation knowledge in data methods Where you can find Phil: Twitter LinkedIn Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website Our team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

Episode 26: Andy McDonald catches up with Pete McKnight the Hintsa Performance Director of Coaching & Sports Science. Pete has also been a Strength & Conditioning Coach in elite sport and human performance for almost two decades, working across multiple organisations including the French Ski Federation, Leicester CCC, England & Wales Cricket, UK Athletics, The English Institute of Sport and he was previously Chairman of the Board of Directors for the UK Strength & Conditioning Association (UKSCA). In this conversation Andy & Pete discuss: His current role at Hintsa The skills, qualities and lessons Pete carried forward in the journey director. Stability at home Goal setting Skills: leadership, communication, building a team, systems, program development What Pete learnt from being at the English Institute of Sport MDT environment Preparedness to lead a discipline / department Preparedness to progress to Director / Head of Dept Challenges he faces and strategies he deploys Advising yourself in hindsight People that have Inspired him Books and resources Changing jobs, accepting and turning down offers Were you can find Pete Twitter LinkedIn Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website Our team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

Episode 25: Andy McDonald speaks to Dan Howells the Houston Astros Head S&C Coordinator. Dan is a British S&C coach that has transitioned from the English Institute of sport, England Rugby Sevens to Major League Baseball. With these transitions in mind in this episode with Dan we discuss his move to baseball and how he structured the thought processes for developing and managing a strength & conditioning program and department. Andy and Dan discuss: Dans Role Dans transition from Rugby to Baseball How Dan developed through changing sports Muti-Sport Environments Relating principles of training to the athlete Individual load management - “Biological Periodisation” “Push Pull” Player load management Being perceived as a coach rather in the front office Difference of S&C provision between the UK / USA or rugby and baseball Approach to developing and managing a strength and conditioning program/dept Identifying what the team/organisation needs Effecting performance remotely as a coordinator Ashtest Were you can find Dan Twitter Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website Our team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

Episode 24: Andy McDonald chats to Dr Matt Tuttle a Physical Therapist working at NBA team the Denver Nuggets as Lead Sport Scientist / Physical Therapist. We spoke to Matt in episode 11 about pain science and the realities of managing pain within an elite athletic population. In this second episode with Matt we discuss The relationship between single vs multipart athletes in the NBA and 3 key injuries in professional basketball. Lateral ankle sprains Managing lateral ankle sprains What do they use / do at the Denver Nuggets Patella Region Injuries How much Matt considers n=1 biomechanics How do you understand the internal overloads from biomechanics Lumber Spine Injuries NSLBP Strength & Conditioning / Testing the lumber-spine Benchmarking lumber spine performance standards Were you can find Matt LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website Our team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

Episode 23: Andy McDonald speaks to Per Lundstam the Director Of Performance at Redbull. Per previously enjoyed roles at both the US Ski & Snowboard association and the Swedish Ski Federation perviously. In this episode Andy and Per discuss: Redbull High Performance Program Redbulls performance values and ‘pillars’ The process for Redbull athletes to access performance services Program development at Redbull Organisation objective & shared direction Cross pollinating athletes Testing athletes at Redbull Assessing and understanding athletes extreme environments Where Per turns to develop his knowledge and skill-set Were you can find Per LinkedIn Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website Our team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

Episode 22: Andy McDonald speaks to Tom Batchelor the Head of Sport Science at Harlequins Rugby. In this episode Andy and Tom discuss: Tom’s background Working within the City in Equity Derivatives Surrey Sports Park - Internship Harlequins GPS In Rugby: Benefits and weaknesses of GPS in Rugby Overlaying technical and tactical information on top of physical data How Harlequins define and communicate load Acute Chronic Workload Ratio Communicating systems to Inform change Loading Blindspots Conditioning the modern rugby player. Conditioning at Harlequins Where you can find Tom Twitter linkedIn Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website Our team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

Episode 21: Andy McDonald speaks to Matt Jordan PHD CSCS, Strength Coach & Director of Sports Science at the Canadian Sports Institute, Calgary. Over his career, Matt was the personal strength coach to 30 World and Olympic medalists, and has worked with elite athletes in many sports including speed skating, cross country skiing, alpine skiing, snowboarding, biathlon, hockey, football, volleyball and mixed martial arts. In this episode with Matt we discuss: His career beginnings with Charles Poliquin and getting into the Canadian Olympic Setup PHD in Medical Science - Developing better methods to rehabilitate and recondition athletes after injuries. Matts role at the Canadian Sport Institute Research Projects Matt is involved with currently Semitendinosus study - Association between structural deficits post ACL hamstring grafts and hamstring function. Single Leg and double leg landing abilities in freestyle skiers and snowboarders. Relationship, Comparing their strength lab data with ACL re-injury. Managing or accounting for the “blindspots” - the dangerous nature, load and unpredictability in winter sports. Wearable solutions - Plantiga How does Matt identify what matters or is important when deciding on performance testing / monitoring batteries. Navigating “useful” verses “ problematic” limb symmetry/asymmetry Intervening with asymmetry Interventions Interrupting the bodies ability to self-correct Forceplates as a tool to prompt further investigation Matts usage of dual forceplate systems Matt can be found on twitter @JordanStrength Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth

Episode 20: I speak to Mike Reinold the co-founder and president of Champion Physical Therapy and Performance, a PT and performance training facility just outside Boston. He is also currently the Senior Medical Advisor for the Chicago White Sox and the Director of Baseball Performance at Northeastern University, where he has been instrumental in the restructuring and building of the high performance and medical teams. In this episode we discuss Mike educating & empowering athletes, managing increasing complexity within our roles, athletes taking ownership of their data and more!

Episode 19: I speak to Dr Ebonie Rio a Sports Physiotherapist who consults at The Victorian Institute of Sport, who is also a Senior Research Fellow at La Trobe University completing her Phd in tendon pain. Ebonies current research focuses on combining neuroscience with rehabilitation to bring innovative approaches to pain rehabilitation. In this conversation Ebonie brings us up-to-date on the fundamentals for managing both Achilles and Patella tendinopathies.

Episode 18: I speak to Dr Heather Linden the Director of Physical Therapy for the UFC. Heather is a Doctor of Physical Therapy with a background working for the USA Olympic Committee in Colorado Springs before heading up PT for the UFC at the Las Vegas Performance Institute. In this episode we'll discuss her professional role and approach to athlete care, rehab / return-to-fighting and the value of effective multi-disciplinary-team working and more!

Episode 17: I speak to Dr Fergus Connolly a sports performance expert, consultant, speaker and author. Fergus has worked in professional football, rugby, the NFL, NBA and with elite military units to name a few. In this episode we dive deep into his philosophies around data collection, interpretation and meaning as well as how he strategically guides teams to identify performance problems and solutions. Fergus provides a very deep insight into how he influences performance and covers the topic broadly and pragmatically from his experiences with top teams and organisations.

Episode 16: Host Andy McDonald speaks to Dr Sherylle Calder to receive a unique insight into her expertise assessing & coaching visual performance skills. Dr Calder has worked with both England & South Africa towards Rugby World Cup victory, The All Blacks, The Miami Dolphins, Formula-1 driver Valtteri Bottas and Golfer Ernie Els to name a few! In this episode we'll discuss Dr Calder's approach to enhancing on field or competitive ability through visual skills, the online EyeGym Program and more.

Episode 15: I speak to Dr. Christopher Dodson, M.D a board certified Sports Medicine surgeon and an Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University. He serves as Head Team Physician for the Philadelphia 76ers and is Head Orthopaedic Surgeon for the Philadelphia Eagles. In this episode we discuss his role as a surgeon/physician in pro sports, Injury trends, ACL and Shoulder Rehabilitation, consulting to teams across the leagues and much more.

Episode 14: I chat to Daniel Martinez the Head S&C Coach and Sports Performance Coordinator at Trinity University. In this episode we discuss. Jump performance testing, jump programming, force time asymmetry verses limb asymmetry, velocity based training, generating "bad date" and focussing coaching strategy from a foundation of emotions, character and behaviour.

Episode 13: I chat to Lauren Johnson the NY Yankees Mental Conditioning Coach. In this episode we discuss how Lauren and the New York Yankees organisation approach their players psychological wellbeing, enhance mental preparation and help players transition from rookie to pro or prepare for retirement.

Episode 12: I chat to Ed Lea the Harlequins Rugby Rehab and Strength & Conditioning Coach. In this episode Ed provides an incredibly transparent insight into how both he and Harlequins Rugby approach physical preparation, rehab for the long term injured platers, return to play and more!

Episode 11: I chat to Dr Matt Tuttle a Physical Therapist working at NBA team the Denver Nuggets as Lead Sport Scientist / Physical Therapist. In this episode Matt explains modern pain science and how he / the Nuggets manage pain in an elite athlete population. Matt pragmatically shares the current evidence on this topic combined with his clinical experience and the reality of managing pain in a professional sport environment.

Episode 10: I chat to Dave Alred a Performance Coach specialising in performing skills under pressure. We discuss his work in both rugby and golf with high profile athletes including Jonny Wilkinson, Johnny Sexton, George Ford, Luke Donald and Francesco Molinari. Dave shares his views on coaching, skill learning and performing under pressure in the competitive arena.

Episode 9: I chat to Chris Tombs, Strength & Conditioning Coach and Educator. Chris has just taken on a new role at Seattle Seawolves, but has extensive experience with previous roles at Leicester Tigers, Cardiff Blues, Northamptonshire County Cricket and Cardiff Met University. In this episode Chris provides us with a masterclass in his special interest - Velocity Based Training!

Episode 8: I chat with Les Spellman the Owner of Spellman Performance. Les is a speed Specialist & Consultant for the NFL, Olympic, Collegiate, and youth athletes. We discuss his inspiring background, philosophy on speed training, working with pro football players, his Spellman Performance app, the S3 Diagnostic Test and more.

Episode 7: I chat with Sue Falsone owner of Structure and Function Education and author of Bridging The Gap. Sue has worked for the LA Dodgers, the US Mens National team and was Vice President of Performance Therapy and Team Sport at Athletes performance. Sue now currently offers consulting for a variety of organizations in the NBA, MLB and NFL, and continues to work one-on-one with athletes.

Episode 6: I chat with Bill Burgos - Head of Strength & Conditioning for NBA team the Minnesota Timberwolves. Bill shares insights into his role at the Timberwolves, how to look after yourself and perform as a coach and we discuss his book which he has just released!

Episode 5: I chat with Dr Luke Hughes a post-doctoral research fellow in applied physiology at St Marys university. Luke is an expert in Blood Flow Restriction training (BFR) and in this episode Luke provides a highly educational master class in all things BFR. Get your pen and paper ready!

Episode: 4 I talk to Tim Gabbett a Performance Consultant with over 20 years of experience working as an applied Sport Scientist with elite athletes, coaches and teams around the world. In this episode we discuss both the art and science of workload monitoring, the acute chronic workload ratio and Tims wider perspective on being effective in a performance environment.

#3: I chat to Rachel Balkovec from Driveline Baseball who has worked in pro baseball for 7 years as an S&C coach. Rachel has worked for the Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Whitesox, LSU, ASU and EXOS! We discuss her research on gaze tracking, lower limb biomechanics, working globally and her plans to become a GM

Episode 2: I chat to Rob Madden about Performance coaching, life on the road, athlete data & coaching health. Rob is a chartered physiotherapist and certified strength and conditioning specialist. With over a decade of experience in high level sport - he currently works for Hintsa performance where he is placed as a performance coach with an F1 driver. On top of this he continues his work with professional boxers including Anthony Joshua and clinical work out of CHHP in London.

Episode 1: I chat to Head of Strength & Conditioning for Orlando Pride, Ivi Casagrande. In this episode we discuss her role, how she approaches training the girls at the Pride, barefoot gym training, Cognitive warm up drills and more. We hope you enjoy this first episode!