Physical Preparation Podcast Archives - Robertson Training Systems

In this episode, Austin Ulrich shares how a curiosity-driven approach transformed his understanding of movement and patient care. His journey from powerlifter to clinical innovator reveals how traditional education often falls short, and how a mindset of lifelong learning is key to growth. For Austin, questioning traditional biomechanical models and diving into foundational sciences like physics, biology and chemistry have lead to more effective treatment strategies – and better outcomes. This episode will inspire you to to rethink movement, reimagine your PT practice, and reignite your passion for helping others move better than ever.   Quotable Quotes: Because of my experiences, I’m a more curious and creative individual, and I love the work I do now. I’m always questioning things and trying to understand at a deeper level.   It’s a never-ending process. There’s no finish line. And I wouldn’t want there to be.   It’s just a whole different culture at IFAST, but the same time, you’re constantly trying to get better.   This Week on the Physical Prep Podcast: Austin’s journey as a strength coach, personal trainer, and now physical therapist How randomly deciding to intern at IFAST changed his career path – and outlook – forever Why removing constraints can unleash your potential as a coach or therapist The transformative power of mentorship, and why all of us should be looking to learn from others Why traditional biomechanical models and “Dead Guy Anatomy” simply don’t add up The value of continuous learning, and specifically, diving into the core sciences How he runs his cash-based PT practice and gets to blend PT and S&C The power of individualized care and creating environments that lead to success Austin’s advice to aspiring physical therapists to create a career that they love!     Connect with Austin: Austin’s Website Austin on IG   Related Links: The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin Cells, Gels and the Engines of Life 4 Phases of Water 7 Brief Lessons on Physics Discovery of Slowness   Level Up Your Program Design with Train Heroic! Are you tired of using clunky, antiquated program design tools like Microsoft Word or Excel? Are you ready to level up your programming, and make it far more engaging to your clients and athletes? If so, you need to check out Train Heroic. I’ve been using TrainHeroic for years now both here at RTS and at IFAST, and I can tell you the user experience both as an athlete and coach is truly second to none. To learn more and start your free 14-day trial, just follow this link to learn more about Train Heroic. Not only will you get your first 14 days free, but it’s just $10/month to get started officially after that. So don’t wait any longer – head over trainheroic.co/rts and start crafting beautiful programs your clients and athletes will love TODAY!   Subscribe, Rate & Share! Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Physical Preparation Podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts and leave your honest review. I’d also love to connect via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit our website. Thanks so much for your support – love and appreciate you! The post Austin Ulrich on Mental Models, Lifelong Learning, and Cash-Based Physical Therapy appeared first on Robertson Training Systems.

Today I’ve got the man, the myth, the LEGEND Eric Cressey on the podcast. Now you may know Eric as the Director of Player Health and Performance for the New York Yankees, or for his incredibly successful gym, Cressey Sports Performance. But in case you didn’t know, Eric and I go waaaaayyyy back. If you watch the video, you’ll see I actually pull out the old DVD’s we created together back in the early 2000’s and 2010’s. But now that we’ve both been in the game 20+ years, what have we learned along the way? How are young athletes more broken than ever before? How can we use technology to positively impact our assessments and programming? And perhaps most importantly, what can we do as trainers and coaches to help shape the next generation of young coaches and athletes? We cover all that – and much more – in this week’s episode of the Physical Preparation Podcast!   Quotable Quotes: You have to solve a problem, and you have to consistently over deliver on value – and I don’t think people who cut corners will ever do that.   The most important thing that we can do for kids is we’ve got to expose them to a wide variety of stimuli. We’ve got to make them curious about figuring out movement problems   We’re seeing more and more college baseball players taking Toradol to get through a season…these kids are more broken than ever before in the college ranks   This Week on the Physical Prep Podcast: Eric’s background and how he initially got into the S&C game The challenges parents face in the youth sports landscape – especially as he and I have now seen it from every perspective! Why exposing kids to diverse stimuli to develop curiosity and problem-solving are so critical to long-term development Injury rates are going through the roof, and what some college players are doing just to get through a season (this will actually shock you) How to scale a business the right way, and the limiting factor most people never think to consider when building their business The power of playing the long-game in coaching, and why you simply can’t win with shortcuts How to balance building strength with maintaining movement capacity in rotational sports athletes Why technology can be so useful in building better athletes, but understanding it’s not the only tool in your toolbox The power of consistently investing in staff development and growth Finally, why we all need genuine human connection and mentorship in coaching!     Connect with XYZ: EricCressey.com Eric on Instagram   Supercharge Your Decision-Making and Program Design with Hawkin Dynamics Force Plates! Hawkin Dynamics designs and builds performance hardware and software the right way. Their dual wireless force plates give you the most accurate, real-time data on athletic performance. You’ll have the ability to performance test your athletes in a matter of seconds, and give them immediate feedback on their strengths, weaknesses and readiness for that day’s training session. Their software is designed in house and continually updated to ensure the interface is clean, intuitive and easy to use, so both you and your athletes can visualize what’s going on and how to improve their performance. And Hawkin Dynamics is built around their customers and provide industry-leading support and training services to ensure you get the most out of their solutions. With options to lease or buy, coupled with a 5-year warranty, Hawkin Dynamics force plates can take your performance facility to the next level. To learn more, head over to HawkinDynamics.com or follow them on Instagram @HawinDynamics.   Subscribe, Rate & Share! Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Physical Preparation Podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts and leave your honest review. I’d also love to connect via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit our website. Thanks so much for your support – love and appreciate you! The post Eric Cressey on Athletic Development, Sports Science, and Becoming a Great Coach appeared first on Robertson Training Systems.

With over 30 years in high performance sport, Ben Sporer has seen what it takes to be successful at the highest level of sport. From Canadian Olympic athletes to the Vancouver Whitecaps of the MLS, Ben has made a career on being clear and intentional about the goals of his program. So where do we go wrong when writing programs? Are we too caught up in the 1% that we’re missing the long hanging fruit? Or are we too enamored with cool recovery modalities that we’re actually NOT getting the training adaptations we want? We cover all that – and much more – in this week’s episode of the Physical Prep Podcast!   Quotable Quotes: Performance is an output. It’s not an outcome. It’s an expression of a bunch of integrated factors in a moment to try to achieve an objective.   Marginal gains matter only when they actually matter. Fundamentals first, marginal gains second.   Integration is a verb, it’s an action. It requires people to actually talk.   This Week on the Physical Prep Podcast: Ben’s pioneering role as the first full-time paid physiologist for Olympic sports in Canada. His transition from strength coaching in hockey to leading performance strategies for Olympic and professional sports teams. Why Ben believes that “performance is an output, not an outcome.” The importance of mastering fundamentals FIRST (or again!) before focusing on marginal gains What is “net performance impact?” And how can you use it to evaluate training and recovery strategies? Ben’s emphasis on recovery being as intentional and rigorous as training itself. The distinction between multidisciplinary and integrated teams, and the need for active communication across domains Challenges and strategies you’ll see when customizing training programs for individual athletes within team environments. The importance of clear objectives and context in performance planning. Ben’s approach to balancing training and recovery, including the strategic use of recovery periods.     Connect with Ben: Ben on LinkedIn Resync Consulting OutputBook Output Book on Instagram   Grow Your Fitness Business or Gym with Push Press! Gym owners and coaches, have you heard about PushPress? It’s the best gym management software company and it’s revolutionizing the fitness world. So check this out: PushPress is built BY gym owners. They understand the ins and outs of running a fitness business because they’re “in the trenches” in their own gyms every single day. Key products like Core, Grow, and Train are designed to help you with everything from billing and scheduling to lead generation and progress tracking. Built on the “help first” ethos, PushPress places an exceptional focus on prioritizing client needs, listening to feedback from their community, and using it as the impetus for its ever-evolving, innovative features. And here’s the strongest plug I can give them – I’ve actually switched to PushPress for all of my clients and athletes. Getting things set-up and running smoothly is not only easier, but also far more intuitive than many other solutions. So if you’re interested in learning more, just head over to pushpress.com/ppp.   Subscribe, Rate & Share Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Physical Preparation Podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts and leave your honest review. I’d also love to connect via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit our website. Thanks so much for your support – love and appreciate you! The post Ben Sporer on Sequencing Training, Clear Objectives and Marginal Gains appeared first on Robertson Training Systems.

Here are a couple of questions I’ve been thinking a lot about lately… What should “longevity” training look and feel like? Is early specialization as bad as we make it out to be? And how do we ensure better success with our rehab and return to play athletes? If you’re curious about any of these topics, you’re going to love this episode with Resilient Performance and PT founder Doug Kechijian! One thing I love about Doug is that he’s not going to simply go with the flow – he’s always going to take a practical and balanced viewpoint on different subjects. So if you’re interested in using common sense over the current dogma, you’re going to love this episode!   Quotable Quotes: Age conspires against us, so how do we not deteriorate with age? It starts with being relentlessly consistent. And it’s easier to be consistent when you’re not constantly getting hurt!   You’re using the weight room as a way to increase the stress piggy bank of your athletes, so that when they play their sport, it’s not expensive   The kid who does the thing more and doesn’t get hurt is going to be better at it, because the skill component of sports is so high   This Week on the Physical Prep Podcast: How the roles of PT’s and strength coaches should overlap throughout the rehab and return to play (RTP) process The most important things you should be focusing on if your goal is “longevity” Should you only be training Zone 2? And where/when might you be looking to incorporate more high-intensity conditioning? Rethinking traditional “big-bang” exercises, and figuring out where they might fit into your programs (if at all!) The power of micro-progressions to avoid setbacks and smooth the RTP process Why data is great, but it’s not the be-all, end-all some would like for it to be Sports specialization vs multi-sport participation in young athletes How training constraints influence program design in real-world settings The disconnect between online social media debates and practical application in training     Connect with Doug: ResilientPerformance.com Doug on Twitter Resilient on Instagram   Level Up Your Exercise Selection and Technique with Whatsthatstrap! Are you looking for ways to coach more effectively while cuing less? Or getting your clients and athletes into the right position WITHOUT overwhelming them with 35 cues every set? If so, you need to check out Whatsthatstrap! What’s That Strap makes specialty cable machine attachments that are specifically designed for rotation and multidirectional movement. The 3D Strap is amazing for driving separation between the hips and shoulders like you would in tennis, golf, baseball or even basketball, but it can also be used to resist rotation in standard weight room exercises like squats and lunges as well. And while the 3D Strap is awesome, I also find myself using their chop handles all the time as well. Whether it’s for exercises like chops and lifts, or just using them as a bonus sled dragging attachment, I absolutely love their versatility. To learn more about Whatsthatstrap or pick up a 3D Strap or chop handles, head over to WhatsThatStrap.com and use the discount code RTS at checkout to get free shipping on all US orders. I know you’re going to love training with their attachments!   Subscribe, Rate & Share Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Physical Preparation Podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts and leave your honest review. I’d also love to connect via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit our website. Thanks so much for your support – love and appreciate you! The post Doug Kechijian on Early Specialization, Longevity Training, and Rehab Success appeared first on Robertson Training Systems.

Andy McDonald is a strength and conditioning coach turned rehab innovator. He’s the founder of Gameplan Performance, and host for the Informed Performance Podcast. In this episode, Andy and I attempt to unravel the complexities of athlete recovery. He challenges the traditional “three-phase rehab model” of return to play, and advocates for a more nuance and collaborative approach. We talk about how important terminology and language are in the rehab process, versus throwing around buzzwords like “strength” or “power.” And most importantly, we talk about the synergy that needs to occur between PT’s and strength coaches if we want to get athletes back to 100% – and beyond. This is an awesome episode and one I know you’re going to love – let’s do this!   Quotable Quotes: Nobody owns rehab. At the end stage of rehab, if we’re talking about the athlete getting back to a sustainable level of performance at the highest level we can get them back at, the people that know the most about what that looks and feels like is the athlete and the coach   Three-phase systems don’t work. We’ve got this gravitation that years ago we would refer to things in rehab as early stage, mid stage, and late stage. But if we can more clearly deconstruct a rehab into its constituent parts, then what we’re left with is a system   The common currency that all of us share is exercise. The strength conditioning coach, especially in more advanced exercise stages, they’ve just got a better eye, feel, and understanding, knowledge base, how to coach it, how to program it   This Week on the Physical Prep Podcast: Andy’s background and how he got into strength and conditioning and physical therapy How collaboration between coaches, clinicians and rehab specialists leads to faster athlete recovery Why one of your first steps in the return to play (RTP) process should be to deconstruct or reverse engineer sporting demands The power of adapting and evolving strategies based on real-time feedback to improve buy-in and results Why getting clear on terminology and language is such a key piece of the rehab/RTP puzzle How transparency and humility go hand-in-hand in the athlete recovery process The “relay” approach that defines most high-quality, well-executed rehabs How to take the guesswork out of the process, and what to do when things DON’T go according to plan!     Connect with Andy: Gameplan Performance Website Andy on Instagram Andy on LinkedIn   Level Up Your Program Design with Train Heroic! Are you tired of using clunky, antiquated program design tools like Microsoft Word or Excel? Are you ready to level up your programming, and make it far more engaging to your clients and athletes? If so, you need to check out Train Heroic. I’ve been using TrainHeroic for years now both here at RTS and at IFAST, and I can tell you the user experience both as an athlete and coach is truly second to none. To learn more and start your free 14-day trial, just follow this link to learn more about Train Heroic. Not only will you get your first 14 days free, but it’s just $10/month to get started officially after that. So don’t wait any longer – head over trainheroic.co/rts and start crafting beautiful programs your clients and athletes will love TODAY!   Subscribe, Rate & Share! Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Physical Preparation Podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts and leave your honest review. I’d also love to connect via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit our website. Thanks so much for your support – love and appreciate you! The post Andy McDonald on Performance Frameworks, Integrated Rehab Cultures, and Return to Play appeared first on Robertson Training Systems.