A show dedicated to all things long-term athlete development.
Learn how to help your athlete get faster, stronger, more explosive, healthier, and prepared for game-day and real-world success.
Join Dr. Zach Guiser as we talk about youth sports, sports physical therapy, sports performance training, strength and conditioning, and everything else around long-term athletic development.
A show dedicated to all things long-term athlete development.
Learn how to help your athlete get faster, stronger, more explosive, healthier, and prepared for game-day and real-world success.
Join Dr. Zach Guiser as we talk about youth sports, sports physical therapy, sports performance training, strength and conditioning, and everything else around long-term athletic development.
In this entry of the Athlete Development Journal, Dr. Zach Guiser tackles Training Your Mind by sounding the alarm on a growing public health issue: the rise of sports betting among young athletes. He discusses the "illusion of control" that makes athletes particularly vulnerable and why this is a danger hiding in plain sight.
Next, he dives into Building Your Body with a deep exploration of dynamic balance. He explains why this is a key separator for great athletes and breaks down the three essential balance receptor systems—Visual, Proprioceptive, and Vestibular. He details how the inner ear (semicircular canals and otolith organs) senses rotation and movement , and why these complex systems are highly trainable.
Finally, he Fuels Your Soul with a simple, powerful framework from James Clear: spend time on one thing for the future and one thing for the present.
Everything in these newsletters, podcasts, social media, and on our website is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice for you or your athlete. Consult directly with a healthcare professional.
IN THIS EPISODE:
00:00 - Introduction
00:19 - Train Your Mind: The Hidden Danger of Sports Betting
02:07 - Build Your Body: The 3 Systems of Dynamic Balance
06:44 - Fuel Your Soul: A Simple Framework for a Fulfilling Day
In this episode, Zach Guiser and John Tropeano kick things off with John's taper anxiety for his upcoming Ironman before diving into the wild NBA betting scandal involving Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups, and a secret poker ring with characters like "Albanian Bruce".
This leads to the main topic: a deep dive into supplements. Zach lays down the single most important rule—the FDA does not regulate supplements —and explains why athletes must look for third-party testing labels like NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport to avoid banned substances.
From there, they focus on creatine, breaking down:
How it works for explosive energy (the phosphocreatine system) .
If it works (Yes, for power/strength, but the effect size is small).
The myths vs. facts on kidney safety (creatinine vs. cystatin C) and hair loss.
The big question: Should adolescents take it? They review the limited research and land on the ISSN's stance: it's only for mature athletes who have already mastered their diet, sleep, and training .
What to buy: Stick to basic creatine monohydrate and avoid ineffective gummies.
Everything in these newsletters, podcasts, social media, and on our website is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice for you or your athlete. Consult directly with a healthcare professional.
IN THIS EPISODE:
01:15 - The NBA Betting Scandal Explained (Rozier, Billups, Albanian Bruce)
07:35 - Main Topic: Supplements in High School & College Locker Rooms
10:10 - The Most Important Rule: The FDA Does Not Regulate Supplements
12:55 - What to Look For: NSF Certified for Sport & Informed Sport
14:45 - What is Creatine and How Does it Work? (The Phosphocreatine System)
17:51 - How to Read Research: A Guide to Scientific Studies
22:25 - Does Creatine Actually Work? (The Adult Research)
28:29 - The "Effect Size" vs. Statistical Significance
31:00 - Creatine Safety: The Kidney Myth (Creatinine vs. Cystatin C)
32:21 - Creatine Safety: The Hair Loss Myth
35:51 - The Real Question: Should Adolescents Take Creatine?
41:34 - What Form of Creatine is Best? (Avoid Gummies)
In this entry of the Athlete Development Journal, Dr. Zach Guiser provides a framework for training your mind, building your body, and fueling your soul.
First, he tackles Training Your Mind by exploring the concept of "High Agency" and asking whether you are someone who happens to the world, or if you let the world happen to you .
Next, he dives into Building Your Body with a comprehensive answer to one of the most common questions: "Should I take this supplement?". After laying down three crucial caveats—including the non-negotiable importance of NSF Certified for Sport products —he breaks down the most popular supplements into three clear categories:
Finally, he Fuels Your Soul by sharing a simple 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique to help anyone with a "busy brain" stay present in the moment.
Everything in these newsletters, podcasts, social media, and on our website is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice for you or your athlete. Consult directly with a healthcare professional.
Links:
- read this article: gtperformance.co/adj102825
- the phenomenal high agency essay: highagency.com
- subscribe to the newsletter: gtperformance.co/newsletter
- creatine article: gtperformance.co/creatine/
IN THIS EPISODE:
00:00 - Introduction
00:27 - Train Your Mind: Are You a High Agency Person?
00:54 - Build Your Body: A Breakdown of Supplements
01:23 - The 3 Most Important Rules for Taking Supplements
02:44 - Category 1: Supplements Almost Everyone Should Take
04:36 - Category 2: Supplements for Specific Situations
07:59 - Category 3: Supplements That Are a Waste of Money
10:04 - Fuel Your Soul: The 5-4-3-2-1 Trick for a Busy Brain
In this episode, Zach Guiser and John Tropeano kick things off with a discussion about the staggering physical and mental excellence of Taylor Swift's 149-show Eras Tour.
They then pivot to a new, in-depth format, tackling one major question: Are artificial turf fields more dangerous than natural grass?
Zach breaks down the scientific literature, explaining the difference between minor injuries and the catastrophic, season-ending injuries (like ACL tears) that are more common on turf. He explores the "Traction Theory"—how the high friction that improves performance is the same thing that increases risk. The conversation also covers the major exceptions, like lower concussion rates on turf , the financial incentives for teams, and the ultimate trade-off athletes make between performance and health.
IN THIS EPISODE:
01:21 - The Unbelievable Physical Feat of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour
04:34 - Main Question: Are Artificial Turf Fields More Dangerous Than Grass?
05:51 - Analyzing the Research: Do More Injuries Actually Happen on Turf?
08:31 - Bias in Research (The Turf Industry Funding)
09:09 - The Key Difference: Catastrophic vs. Minor Injuries
12:21 - The "Traction Theory": Why Turf Causes More ACL Injuries
13:21 - The Performance vs. Safety Trade-Off
17:42 - The Financial Reason for Turf (Cost vs. Maintenance)
19:47 - The Big Exception: Concussion Risk is Lower on Turf
22:03 - Final Summary: Turf, Traction, and Trade-Offs
Everything in these newsletters, podcasts, social media, and on our website is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice for you or your athlete. Consult directly with a healthcare professional.
In this entry of the Athlete Development Journal, Dr. Zach Guiser helps you avoid 95% of injuries with reverse engineering.
First, he tackles the topic of Training Your Mind by exploring how to find meaning in suffering, drawing on a powerful quote from Viktor Frankl.
Next, he dives deep into Building Your Body with Part 2 of "How to Avoid 95% of Injuries". This week, he reverse-engineers the sport of basketball. He walks you through his exact research process—using AI, PubMed, and academic journals—to find the peak demands of the sport. He then provides the concrete numbers for peak jumps, high-intensity change of direction reps, and running distance. Using these numbers, he lays out a 7-week, 10% progression plan to safely build your load capacity and provides a practical method for tracking your load during open gyms.
Finally, he Fuels Your Soul with a quote from George Bernard Shaw, making the case that all progress depends on being "unreasonable" in your pursuit of excellence .
Everything in these newsletters, podcasts, social media, and on our website is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice for you or your athlete. Consult directly with a healthcare professional.
IN THIS EPISODE:
00:00 - Introduction
00:54 - Train Your Mind: Finding Meaning in Your Suffering
02:20 - Build Your Body: How to Avoid 95% of Injuries (Part 2: Basketball)
02:51 - The Research Process: How to Find Peak Demands for Your Sport
06:46 - Peak Demands for Basketball (The Numbers for Jumps, Sprints, & COD)
10:07 - A 7-Week Progression Plan to Prevent Injuries
10:48 - How to Track Your Load and Stats in Open Gyms
14:13 - Fuel Your Soul: Be Unreasonable
Read this article at gtperformance.co/adj102125.
In this episode, Zach Guiser and John Tropeano tackle some of the most common physical and mental challenges that athletes face.
First, they dive into a specific arm care routine for volleyball players dealing with "hitter's shoulder," breaking down the key exercises for the rotator cuff, serratus anterior, and low trap. Then, they answer a parent's question about helping a discouraged freshman football player with low playing time, using the story of Jalen Hurts as a prime example of character and being a great teammate.
The conversation shifts to the psychology of performance, discussing how to help an athlete break through self-made barriers by stacking small wins. They also explore the "High Expectation, High Support" coaching model as the key to motivating young people. Finally, they provide strategies for building confidence and assertiveness in a young basketball player who is hesitant on the court.
IN THIS EPISODE:
01:00 - How to Manage Hitter's Shoulder in Volleyball
07:00 - When to Push Through Pain vs. When to Rest an Injury
08:53 - Helping a Discouraged Athlete with Low Playing Time
09:50 - The Jalen Hurts Story: Being the Ultimate Teammate
16:59 - How to Break an Athlete's Self-Made Mental Barriers
20:10 - The "High Expectation, High Support" Coaching Method
23:24 - Using a "Cookie Jar" of Past Wins to Build Confidence
25:55 - How to Help a Young Athlete Who Isn't Aggressive
In this entry of the Athlete Development Journal, Dr. Zach Guiser provides a framework for maximizing your potential both on and off the field.
First, he breaks down the two essential character traits for athletic success: conscientiousness (the discipline for details and hard work) and killer instinct (the ability to compete with ruthless confidence on game day).
Next, he dives into the core principles of injury prevention, explaining how 95% of injuries can be avoided through smart load management. Using the analogy of getting a tan versus a sunburn, he illustrates how gradually increasing your body's "load capacity" is the key to staying healthy. He provides a week-by-week template for reverse-engineering your off-season training to prepare for the peak loads of preseason camp.
Finally, he encourages you to find your "why"—the guiding purpose that provides clarity, direction, and motivation through the toughest challenges.
IN THIS EPISODE:
00:00 - Introduction
00:46 - Train Your Mind: Be a Conscientious Killer
02:27 - Build Your Body: How to Avoid 95% of Injuries
08:38 - Fuel Your Soul: What Is Your "Why"?
Everything in these newsletters, podcasts, social media, and on our website is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice for you or your athlete. Consult directly with a healthcare professional.
In this episode, Zach Guiser and John Tropeano kick off with a look at John's intense preparation for his first full Ironman, detailing the staggering distances involved in the race.
They then jump into your questions, providing specific, actionable drills like sled sprints and tall kneel accelerations to improve a basketball player's first-step quickness. The conversation also covers the multifactorial causes of in-game cramping, the most important exercises for developing rotational power for baseball players, and how to manage a high ankle sprain late in the season. This leads to a detailed breakdown of why the injury protocol has evolved from RICE to POLICE.
Finally, the discussion takes a philosophical turn, exploring why you should be skeptical of anyone who speaks in absolutes and the challenge of maintaining intellectual honesty in an age of online "gurus".
IN THIS EPISODE:
01:21 - What a Full Ironman Race Entails
03:31 - Best Drills to Improve First Step Quickness Before Tryouts
07:04 - The Physics of Shin Angles: How They Make You Faster
09:16 - Why Am I Getting Cramps Even Though I Hydrate Constantly?
11:57 - Off-Season Conditioning to Prevent In-Season Cramps
14:34 - Top 3 Exercises to Increase Bat Speed and Exit Velocity
16:50 - How Much Training Should Be Sport-Specific vs. General?
19:06 - Playing Through a High Ankle Sprain: How to Manage It
23:09 - RICE vs. POLICE: The Modern Way to Treat Acute Injuries
27:50 - Why "Always" and "Never" Are Bad Advice (The Problem with Gurus)
36:46 - The Difference Between a Patella and Knee Dislocation
38:57 - Which Domain is Better: .co or a longer .com?
Welcome to the Athlete Development Journal, where Dr. Zach Guiser helps you train your mind, build your body, and fuel your soul.
In this entry, Zach starts by tackling the "ugliest trait known to mankind": the victim mindset. He shares a story about an intern and explains why taking "extreme ownership" is the only way to control your own life and success.
Next, he provides a complete framework for injury recovery with five actionable steps to heal faster and better. This section covers how to properly protect an injury, manage pain and swelling, the importance of early movement, and how to activate your parasympathetic "rest and digest" system to accelerate recovery. Here's the link to the ice article mentioned in the episode: https://gtperformance.co/%f0%9f%a5%87-is-ice-bad-for-an-injury/
Finally, Zach leaves you with one powerful question from Naval Ravikant to help you find your passion and purpose: "What feels like play to you, but looks like work to others?".
IN THIS EPISODE:
00:00 - Introduction to the Athlete Development Journal
00:54 - Train Your Mind: The Ugliest Trait (The Victim Mindset)
02:04 - Build Your Body: 5 Things You Can Do to Heal Faster From Injury
06:50 - Fuel Your Soul: The One Question to Figure Out the Rest of Your Life
In this episode, Zach Guiser and John Tropeano kick things off with a deep dive into the negative effects of cell phones and social media, discussing the "Reverse Flynn Effect" and why Zach is switching to a Light Phone.
Then, they jump into your questions, starting with how athletes can regain coordination after a major growth spurt. The conversation emphasizes the power of mastering the fundamentals, anchored by an inspiring story about Kobe Bryant's relentless dedication to the basics. They also cover a simple, all-around workout for young multi-sport athletes , how to manage Osgood-Schlatter's knee pain , and the most common mistakes athletes make when trying to bulk up. The episode wraps up with a powerful discussion on how the gym can be a place to build confidence and resilience, especially for athletes who don't get much playing time.
IN THIS EPISODE:
00:00 - Kobe's Secret: Never Get Bored with the Basics
00:47 - Why I'm Ditching My iPhone for a Light Phone
12:45 - I Grew 5 Inches and Feel Uncoordinated. What Exercises Can Help?
16:49 - The Full Kobe Bryant Story: Mastering the Fundamentals
21:04 - What Are the Top 5 Lifts for Runners?
23:35 - A Simple Workout for a 10 y/o Soccer Player and 13 y/o Gymnast
29:17 - Can I Play Basketball with Osgood-Schlatter's Knee Pain?
35:14 - Common Mistakes Thinner Athletes Make When Trying to Bulk Up
38:35 - If the Furnace Is Hot Enough, Does It Matter What You Eat?
42:39 - How the Gym Builds Resilience for Athletes Who Sit the Bench
In this episode, Dr. Zach Guiser and John Tropeano dive into some of the most common questions and concerns from young athletes. They tackle the myth that strength training leads to getting bulky and slow , discuss the "Superpowers vs. Kryptonite" framework for athletic development , and offer strategies for managing sport-specific pain, like low back issues in golfers.
The conversation also covers the critical topics of athlete burnout, especially in sports like softball , and the mental hurdles of returning to play after a major injury like an ACL tear. Listen for practical advice on training, recovery, and how to have difficult but necessary conversations with coaches and parents.
IN THIS EPISODE:
00:34 - Is mass transfer a helpful lifelong class?
02:52 - Will lifting weights make me bulky and slow?
05:21 - How do I get stronger without getting bigger? Should I focus on strength or speed?
05:38 - Superpowers vs. Kryptonite
13:37 - Exercises for a golfer with low back pain
24:15 - How do I tell my coach and dad I'm burned out and need a break?
29:25 - How do I overcome the fear of re-injury after ACL surgery?
Ask questions for the next episode here!
00:00
The Future of Education: AI-Powered Schools
02:41
Exploring Alternative School Models
05:53
Performance Training for Dual-Sport Athletes
08:31
Strength Training and Athletic Performance
11:47
Managing Training for Young Athletes
14:43
Recognizing Overuse Injuries in Young Athletes
17:52
The Importance of Recovery and Sleep
20:47
Practical Recovery Strategies for Busy Athletes
40:46
The Importance of Sleep and Recovery
43:00
Understanding the Autonomic Nervous System
44:24
Breathing Techniques for Recovery
45:26
Balancing College Life and Sleep
46:42
The Role of Wearable Technology in Sleep Tracking
51:45
Nutrition and Body Image in Young Athletes
56:26
Relative Strength and Performance
01:03:50
Trends in Athletic Performance Metrics
01:06:32
Managing Performance Fluctuations
01:10:19
Mental Strategies for Game Day Pressure
01:17:55
Nutrition Strategies for High-Intensity Events
Submit questions for our next AMA episode here: https://forms.gle/P73NT3UA6AhMs46u9
00:00 Introduction to Max Velocity Training
01:24 Understanding Max Velocity Mechanics
03:08 The Importance of Elastic Force in Sprinting
05:09 Transitioning from Acceleration to Max Velocity
06:12 Key Objectives for Max Velocity
07:58 Negative Foot Speed Explained
08:53 Applying Force at the Correct Angle
10:58 Foot Placement and Stride Mechanics
13:05 Backside vs. Frontside Mechanics
14:49 The Kinogram Method for Sprint Analysis
22:59 Reframing Life's Bugs as Features
The full Altis Kinogram article can be found here: https://simplifaster.com/articles/altis-kinogram-method/
Subscribe to the newsletter at gtperformance.co/newsletter.
In this episode of the GT Performance Podcast, Dr. Zach Guiser dives deep into the science of speed training, focusing on acceleration as a critical component for athletes. He discusses the importance of applying force effectively, the nuances between acceleration and max velocity, and practical techniques to enhance performance. The conversation also touches on the impact of technology on mental health and the importance of fostering community and connection in today's digital age.
00:00Introduction to the Game Speed Series02:18Understanding acceleration in sprinting05:43Key components of acceleration13:08Rate of force development17:30Directing force25:33Let's run that all back27:41Short form content is ruining our lives
Let's say you're first week of track practice will look like this:
That's a total of 7,160 meters in the first week of practice, with a mix of low intensity to high intensity impacts.
If I had 4 weeks to prep for that, I'd do something like this:
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Learn how to optimize your 2-foot approach technique to immediately jump higher.
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