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Master your mental game with the Mental Training Lab, hosted by Pete Kadushin. With 15 years of coaching experience and a PhD in performance psychology, Pete digs deep each episode to provide practical tools and expert insights so you can perform your best when it matters most. Enhance your focus, harness stress, and overcome challenges whether you’re an athlete, leader, or high-performer. Subscribe to learn how to elevate your game in work, play, and life.
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On this week's solocast I'm taking a hard look at the way motivation and discipline are talked about online — and why a lot of the popular advice actually works against long-term performance. You’ve probably seen the posts: discipline beats motivation, motivation is weak, success is just showing up no matter what. It all sounds tough and inspiring… until you actually try to live it. And then burnout, inconsistency, and frustration start creeping in. So let's unpack the fundamental misundersta...
What happens when the Mental Training Lab host hands over the mic? I’m your host Pete Kadushin, and in this special reverse interview episode, I’m interviewed by psychiatrist, meditation teacher, and longtime contemplative practitioner Holly Rogers. The conversation grew organically out of our previous episode together, one that sparked more questions, deeper curiosity, and the realization that it was time to balance the scales. Together, Holly and I explore how contemplative practices like m...
In today’s solocast, I explore one of my favorite mental training mantras: “No big deal.” We look at how quickly we label experiences as good or bad, and how those judgments (often made without the full story) can quietly hijack our nervous system, emotions, and performance. Using a classic Zen parable alongside examples from sport, I unpack how unexamined thoughts start to feel like reality, and what happens when we learn to loosen our grip on them. We also examine how “no big deal” isn’t ab...
In this episode of Mental Training Lab, I sit down with psychiatrist, meditation teacher, and author of The Mindful Twenty-Something, Dr. Holly Rogers. We’re breaking down how mindfulness and meditation can transform our relationship to the present moment, performance, and our lives as a whole. Holly has spent decades working with college students, emerging adults, and high performers, helping them use Vipassana (mindfulness) meditation not as a relaxation tool, but as a mental tr...
In today's solocast, we hit the slopes and explore the transformative power of acceptance through my own experience of learning to ski. We touch on how embracing the possibility of injury actually unlocked my ability to be present to the joy of skiing, and 10x'd my skill level after a decade away from the sport. We also look at some of the reliable barriers to acceptance and outline a couple of practices to help create more acceptance in your life. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ...
How does stress impact the experience of sport? In this episode of the Mental Training Lab, I sat down with Megan Bartlett, founder of the Center for Healing and Justice through Sport, educator, and faculty member of NM Sport, to explore the fascinating intersection of stress science, sport performance, and human development. Megan’s work brings together neuroscience and coaching practice through what she calls biological respect. It’s the recognition that our stress responses aren’t independ...
Today's solocast explores the role that negative visualization can play in generating gratitude, wonder, and a connection to the present moment. I share a vivid story from my early days as a mental performance coach, and outline practices that can support you in appreciating your current capacity in a way that will support your growth and best performance. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Learn more about The Mental Training Lab Connect with Pete on Instagram | LinkedIn | Website Subscr...
In this episode of the Mental Training Lab, I sit down with Dr. Ryan Hamilton, someone who truly lives the work he teaches. Ryan is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of New Brunswick, a certified mental performance consultant, and the mental performance coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Canadian National Team. Ryan embodies what it means to truly practice what we preach in the world of high performance. He deep dives on a couple of stories from his time working with e...
Today's solocast explores the difference between positivity and optimism, and how positivity can often get in the way of both presence and progress. I also cover how to practice The Stockdale Paradox in real time, and the importance of practicing this shift in mindset in order to create lasting change. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Learn more about The Mental Training Lab Connect with Pete on Instagram | LinkedIn | Website Subscribe to the podcast on Apple | Spotify This...
In this episode of the Mental Training Lab, I sit down with Jilyne Jarvis, co-founder and executive director of ZGiRLS, a confidence-building program transforming the lives of middle school girls. Jilyne was a professional ski racer who built a nonprofit that tackles one of the most pressing challenges facing young women (and human beings everywhere) today: self-doubt. We talk about the baby steps and big leaps it takes to bring an idea to life, how to navigate setbacks without losing momentu...
In this episode, I explore a common motivation pattern that presents itself as people walk the path of mastery. I'll outline the negative motivation model, why we get hooked on being driven by fear, and how it holds us back. Then, I roll out the alternative approach and offer up some practices that will allow you to cultivate more sustainable motivation over time. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Learn more about The Mental Training Lab Connect with Pete on Instagram | Linked...
What makes an organization truly high-performing? It’s not just the leader at the top, it’s the system, the culture, and the people who are working together toward a shared mission. In this episode of The Mental Training Lab I sit down with Adam La Reau, co-founder and President of O2X Human Performance. A former Navy SEAL turned organizational builder, Adam has dedicated this phase of his career to helping first responders, tactical athletes, and high level sports teams to unlock their highe...
Excellence leaves clues, and sometimes, those clues come from the most unexpected places. Today, we're talking about the wisdom of bass guitar legend Victor Wooten and what his approach to rhythm, groove, and performance can teach us about showing up at our best when it matters most. We’ll cover the difference between training and trusting mindsets, why so many skills fail to transfer from practice to performance, and how to make your training look, feel, and sound like the real thing. Along...
Ever wondered what elite MMA fighters, elementary school playground dynamics, and high-performing leaders have in common? Turns out, a lot more than you’d think. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. William Massey, a pioneering sports psychology researcher renowned for his immersive approach to research, from literally stepping into the MMA octagon himself to meticulously observing recess interactions to decode performance under pressure. William shares captivating stories from his groundbrea...
Is it possible to truly rest and reset, even amidst constant stress and high performance demands? In this episode, I sit down with Annie Okerlin, Yoga Nidra and iRest instructor who has spent decades guiding veterans, first responders, athletes, and top performers to profound states of rest and resilience. I first met Annie back in 2019 when she masterfully guided a room full of veteran detectives through a iRest yoga nidra practice that left a lasting impression on me. Annie’s approach is an...
The way we explain the past tells us everything we need to know about how we’ll predict the future… On this solecast, we’ll explore how the stories we tell ourselves about ‘why things happen’ can give us incredible insight into the ways we’re empowering ourselves, and where we’re holding ourselves back. At the heart of this is two questions. Does how we’re telling our story create the opportunity for success in the future, and do we believe that we’ll have influence over those future outcomes...
What happens when an athlete's passion fades, but their entire identity is wrapped up in their sport? In this episode I sat down with two distinctly qualified experts to talk about the psychological and emotional journey athletes face during career transitions: Tessa West, NYU Professor of Psychology and bestselling author of Jerks at Work and Job Therapy, and Kirsten Cooper, former U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete turned clinical and performance psychologist. We unpack how athletes grapple with ...
What does it mean to truly matter, and how can focusing on this concept transform your performance and fulfillment? In this powerful episode of the Mental Training Lab, I sit down with professional mountain biker and positive psychology expert Sonya Looney to explore how she transformed from being driven by external validation to finding deeper purpose and joy in her career. Sonya shares profound insights on why intrinsic motivation often outperforms extrinsic goals, how recognizing your stre...
Scott Stallings is a PGA Tour golfer who stepped off the green and ran right into the Boston Marathon - with no experience. In this episode of the Mental Training Lab, I’m joined by Scott and performance expert Steve Magness to explore this athletic and psychological journey. Inspired by Steve’s groundbreaking book Do Hard Things, Scott stepped completely outside his comfort zone, confronting challenges that tested his resilience, self-awareness, and mental adaptability. We hear what Scott le...
How can subtle changes in your physical awareness dramatically improve your performance and well-being? Today on the Mental Training Lab, I’m thrilled to welcome Mary Bond—renowned author, Structural Integration practitioner, and expert in physical intelligence—to discuss the power of posture and embodied movement. Forget the stiff, uncomfortable posture teachings of the past. Mary helps us reframe posture not as rigid alignment but as dynamic, playful, and deeply connected to our internal se...
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