Recent Podcasts
Mike Coval on Developing a Complete High School Athlete
It can be challenging to coach a high school athlete. Caught between training and studying, these young athletes have a lot of things going on in their lives and can be prone to fatigue and exhaustion. Especially during the COVID-era. Former IFAST intern Mike Coval knows this all too well. Mike is the owner of […]
Continue ReadingDonovan Santas: The Evolution over 21 Years in Pro Baseball
Over his 21-year-long career in professional baseball in different capacities, Donovan Santas has seen some of the most momentous changes and shifts in the sports industry – from how strength training is implemented to how the strength & conditioning coach’s role has gained prominence. But Donovan didn’t always have the fancy tools he has access […]
Continue ReadingJon Pope on Resilience, Stress Physiology, and Changing Beliefs
Jonathan Pope is an embodiment of what it means to be resilient. As a high school athlete, Jon was a six-foot, 150-pound, right-handed baseball pitcher who could throw a ball 90 miles an hour. But he needed to get bigger and throw harder if he wanted to play at the Division I level. Thinking that […]
Continue ReadingAshley Jones on Planning, Programming and the Quadrant System in Rugby
Early in his life, Ashley Jones had aspired to become a professional rugby player, but a shoulder injury derailed him from becoming an elite-level player. That didn’t stop him, though. Ashley continued to realize his love for rugby and sports by getting into a training role. He went on to earn a degree in Physical […]
Continue ReadingJoey Burton on the Life and Times of an NBA Skill Development Coach
Basketball Skill Development Coach Joey Burton saw at a very young age what bad coaching looked like. As a high school player, Joey felt frustrated over his coaches’ blatant display of politicizing and favoritism. Though this experience discouraged him from playing in high school, Joey remained passionate about basketball and eventually played in college. Being […]
Continue ReadingDr. Sarah Martin on EVERYTHING Pelvic Floor
Dr. Sarah Martin completed her doctorate in Neurobiology from the University of Kentucky in 2008. While in graduate school, one of her peers introduced Sarah to T-Nation, kicking-off her interest and love for lifting and physical preparation. After completing her PhD in Neurobiology, Sarah further pursued her interest and returned to the University of Kentucky […]
Continue ReadingGrant Downie on Recruitment, Success and Selling the Dream in Sports
Grant Downie is a consultant in medical and performance solutions for elite sports. In his childhood days, Grant saw how physical therapists worked on the playing field, treating athletes and their injuries. The role appealed to him as it posed an opportunity for him to improve a person’s quality of life. He soon became a […]
Continue ReadingCraig Weller on Building Healthy, Resilient and “Goal-Fixedness” Focused Athletes
Being raised with a growth mindset immensely helped the Exercise Specialist and founder of Barefoot Fitness, Craig Weller. A former US Navy SWCC, Craig volunteered for a Navy special operations unit, despite not knowing how to swim and knowing that most of the people who actually do know how to swim tend to fail the […]
Continue ReadingDr. Marc Bubbs on Building a Complete Nutrition Program
Dr. Marc Bubbs is a Naturopathic Doctor and author of Peak: The New Science of Athletic Performance That is Revolutionizing Sports. Marc, like many people in high school, was active and played a lot of sports. But an illness ran him down in his senior year, impacting his health so much that he lost a […]
Continue ReadingAlex Calder on Developing a Bulletproof Soccer Player
Alex Calder is the Head of Sports Science at Houston Dynamo’s Sports Performance team. Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, the then 17-year-old Alex received a scholarship in North Dakota. There, Alex competed for a Division II college, where he also learned about the ins and outs of sports management before returning home after two […]
Continue ReadingAsk Mike: The Big Q&A Show
Whether you’re a veteran or new, there is always something new to learn or think about when you’re a coach. From educating your clients on a program to choosing the best exercises for athletes, it’s easy to get overloaded with information. But don’t worry! Learning is crucial to our growth as coaches, and one of […]
Continue ReadingPat Rigsby on the Past, Present and Future of Fitness Business
Pat Rigsby is a fitness business coach who has been in the industry since 1994. Growing up in Portsmouth, Ohio, Pat never had an interest in entrepreneurship and wanted to be a Major League Baseball player. And even though he had a season in professional baseball, he eventually realized playing the sport wasn’t his calling […]
Continue ReadingSteve Tashjian on Logistics, Integration and High-Performance Teams
Steve Tashjian was a soccer hack who got injured and had a taste of what bad rehab looked like. Nevertheless, the experience taught him to appreciate physical movement and kindled his interest in the medical and biomechanical fields. Taking his growing passion with him over the years, Steve worked as the Head of Fitness Coach […]
Continue ReadingAlex Effer on Assessments, Exercise Selection, and Coaching
As a young Canadian, Alex Effer understood the importance of health and physical activity from playing hockey, and he dreamed of playing the sport professionally, a life path that contrasts the careers of his accountant parents. Although health complications later hindered Alex from becoming an NHL player, he accepted the challenge to overcome physical pain […]
Continue ReadingJosh Bonhotal on the Future of Health & Wellness Training
Josh Bonhotal had to write a letter to his future self for his 3rd grade class. Growing up in the era of Michael Jordan, Josh had dreamed of becoming a starting point guard for the Chicago Bulls. Although he didn’t become point guard, Josh was already working as an intern for the Bulls by the […]
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