The Skateboard Strength Podcast

Smashed out another Ep of the poddy this week and maaaann was it a good one.   Was fortunate enough to have on someone who is fast becoming the go to guy marrying the worlds of Physical Therapy and athletic performance and really leading the industry for long and overdue positive changes.   Coach Quentin Willey (Coach Q) stopped by to do a deep dive on all things injuries, performance and PT industry taking on topics such as:   Why the best coaches often don’t have the biggest followings Speaking in absolutes. The mark of a charlatan coach. Sport specific training, where is the line of doing things that work and what turns in to circus tricks.  Biggest time wasters for athletes when it comes to training. Feeling good VS being prepared. Knowing the difference and the role it plays in returning to skating. Where most skaters and athletes mismanage return to sport and end up re-injured. Manual therapy, foam rolling, dry needling and other manual therapies, do they ACTUALLY work? What a quality PT should be doing with their patients and why so many are misleading their clients. Plus much more.   Enjoy!

Back for the first Ep of the year of the Poddy we are kicking things off by having on an absolute G in the industry Andres Ubach.   Andres is an incredible trainer out of Texas who has had an incredible journey battling injuries that threatened to cut his skate life short only to turn it all around with education, receiving the proper help and then flourishing on his own to spread the good word becoming a practitioner of the fine arts of Strength and Conditioning and athletic training.   Join us for a great convo where we get in to a range of topics such as:   Growing up in Ohio with no skate community and finding your own path Battling through an injury that never seems to get fixed. What are the mistakes most skaters make when returning from an injury. Mental health struggles when dealing with injuries. Tips and tricks to help the biggest battle of them all. The knock on effect prioritising your health can have not just to your on board performance but off it as well.   Plus much more. Enjoy.

With the final ep of the year we are honoured to have the very legendary Ryan Clements on the SBS poddy.   Ryan is an absolute G in the skateboarding world leaving his mark in positive ways all around. Through his company Excel Management he has a hand in managing some of the top skaters in the world such as Jamie Foy, Felipe Gustavo, Ishod Wair, and Nora Vasconcellos. Additionally, through his other company The Boarder, he also manages to put on some of the best events in skateboarding such as the classic Vans Park series.   Having grown up as a core skater in the 80s himself he provides a unique perspective of both sides of the coin from both the core skaters and industry side of skateboarding. It was an honour to have him on to talk about things such as:   What it takes to be a pro, not just being Pro How younger skaters should manage social media to be valuable to their sponsors Changing the stereotype that managers ‘take advantage’ of skaters Meeting your heroes and having them hate you Growing up as a core skater and transitioning to a manager of some of the best skaters in the world How to manage the negative blow backs from being successful in the skating world   Plus Much More.   Enjoy 👊🏼

Today’s guest I have been following for quite some time. When I first started skating around 5 years ago he was legit the only guy posting skate tutorials over on YouTube. As the years went on I would catch glimpses of these crazy things he was up to like doing 50 tricks in 50 states and then breaking a Guinness record for skating across America.   It was after I heard him speak on other interviews about his journey through sobriety and how all of this had come from getting sober and rekindling his love with skating that I knew we had to have him on to tell his crazy story and man he did not disappoint. Join us for the poddy where we touched on topics such as:   Career ending knee injury and the spiral it sent him on Getting sober and rekindling a love for skating Letting go of worrying what the skate community thinks of you Being a “core skater”  and starting a YouTube despite the negative views 50 tricks in 50 states Skating across America and setting a world record   Plus much more.   If you enjoy the pod Chad is currently selling his book so be sure to head over to www.chadcaruso.com and check it out.   Enjoy!

Ever wanted to know if you should be heading in for surgery for your skate based injury?   Wondering what the process might look like?   Or whether it should be managed conservatively?   Then you won’t want to miss this weeks pod with the legendary Dr Simon J. Kramer.   Simon is a orthopaedic surgeon from Germany. Having cut his teeth performing surgery’s on ankles and knees (a skaters bread and butter) he has recently turned his efforts to his practice as a sport physician treating the German Olympic skate team as their head doctor.   If it wasn’t enough he is also an incredible skater in his own right. Having been sponsored by shops, competed in the European championships and had pics published in mags you will not find someone who is more qualified or has more experience to speak on skate injuries then this guy.   Join us as we do a deep dive on topics such as:   Surgery or Conservative methods? how you know which route to take. Why we are seeing more and more recommendations towards training and therapy over surgery. Why you shouldn’t compare your surgical journey with your favourite athletes What the real reason is for not coming back from ACL surgery before 9 months.   Belief around returning from injuries. What it takes and the mental side of the grind. Studies for skateboarding. Why we need them to help the community and what you can do to help   Plus Much More.     Dr Simon is also funding a study on injuries for skaters which we need as many skaters as possible to go and take part in to begin collecting data to help assist the community. So please, head over to www.skateboardinginjuries.com and fill out the survey so the people that want to help skaters get the information they need.   Hope you enjoy this amazing episode

We are officially back from a little hiatus (more on that in the intro) and pretty stoked to make that come back with a skater very dear to my heart the very talented Mr Sam Fairweather.   Sam is a beast of a skater from Syd Australia and well known for leaving his creative mark on well known spots all around the world. His relentless filming and part releases has seen him supported by brands such as indy, converse, board world , crawling death, just to name a few.   He joined us on the pod to do a deep dive on all things skating as well as the recent changes he has made on his health/life journey. Join us for a quality ep where we covered topics such as:   Releasing footage on Instagram vs as a full part. Why the change? Switching from big impact skating to leaving a mark creatively on famous spots. Pursuit of going pro, getting sponsors and making a living from skating. Is it all worth it? Body failing from all the abuse of skating 1 year sober. What was the reason and what’s the experience been like? Experience with introducing strength training and help it’s had on skating and overcoming jumpers knee issues. Gym culture and bad perceptions that stop skaters from trying training. Finding joy in skating by eliminating the drive to “make it”   Enjoy 😉

Carolina Rey is a skate specific strength coach doing amazing things to help effect change in the skate community over in Oakland California. Having trained the likes of skaters such as Chris Cole and Marbie Miller, she is carving a name for herself and becoming the go to trainer for skaters in the area.   She joined the pod in which we covered topics such as:   Investing money in getting quality care to speed up your injury’s recovery process Dealing with Injury’s and surgery with the health care system available to you Experience training skaters like Chris Cole and Marby Miller Expensive treatment vs Quality treatment. How to find good practitioners Training skaters in the Bay Area and creating a community through training Taking positives away from injury’s. Where to look and how to support your mental health.   Plus much more.   Enjoy

This week on the pod we were honoured to have on the legendary Spencer Hamilton for a chat. Spencer needs no introduction in the  skate community due to his insane body of work as a pro skater. A rarity in the skate industry due to being so vocal around his pursuit in searching for exercise methods, modalities and nutrition practices in order to aid him in doing what he loves, I was thrilled to have him on and pick his brain covering topics such as:   Early days coming up in Canada as a skater Experience with rare auto immune disease that had him fearing for the safety of his skate career due to debilitating pain. His nutritional and exercise practices he uses to help aid his skating Importance of taking time off and allowing for proper recovery Keeping an open mind to different practices in order to get the best health routine for yourself possible The importance of using exercise and nutrition practices in order to get the most out of your body for skating.   Plus much more. Enjoy.

First poddy for the year it was such a pleasure to have on the legendary Hayley Wilson.   In this conversation, Hayley and Dan discuss the challenges and benefits of taking breaks from skating, the mental toll of intense training, and the importance of finding balance in a skater's life. Hayley shares her experience of feeling burnt out after training for the Olympics and how she rediscovered her love for skating.   They also touch on the role of mental coaching and the unique pressures faced by skaters in a sport that lacks an off-season. The conversation also covers topics such as: Impact of the Olympics on skateboarding Early skateboarding experience and what lite the spark Importance of training and injury prevention Transition from competition skating to putting all her efforts in to filming parts. Plus Much More.   Enjoy

Irene Oyang is a mental performance specialist working closely with Red Bull athletes to help them find peak mental performance. I first came in to contact with Irene’s work on the Ryan Sheckler Documentary where she featured as an expert on dealing with injuries as a skater and was thrilled when she agreed to come on the pod to cover topics such as:   Dealing with injuries and having what you love (skating) be taken away from you How top end athletes/skaters mentally prepare for competition Creating routines in order to drive mental performance and flow state The Yips, what happens when you all of a sudden can’t do simple things you can usually do with your eyes closed.   Plus much more.   Enjoy

From publishing stand out novels to releasing what I believe to be one of the stand-out parts last year, Walker Ryan can do it all. Having missed connecting with each other on a couple of cross projects between Old Friends Fitness and Skateboard Strength, I was psyched we finally got to sit down and chat.   We get Walker at a really interesting time having recently become a father and getting ready to travel overseas for an extended period of time. We sat down and got into topics such as:   Navigating fatherhood and skating ACL injuries and the birth of Old Friends Fitness Effects of training on skaters' longevity and body Expressing creativity through parts and writing within the skate community Skating and social media   Plus much more.   Enjoy

This man needs no introduction within the skate community but this week on the pod I am thrilled to have on none other than Felipe Gustavo.   The pursuit of helping skaters heal and look after their bodies can be treacherous at times leaving the community divided and often time’s angry. I have always maintained that the change will need to come from the top level guys leading the way and being vocal with the things they do to help them fine tune their bodies to skate a life time at a high level. To me, Felipe represents that change.   Always vocal around his journeys with training, health and his injuries he is a beacon of positivity for creating change within the community towards releasing the stigma around looking after our bodies to continue to do what we love.   It was for this reason and of course the legendary status he has achieved in skateboarding not only with his skills and achievements but also with his always smiling and positive vibe and time he gives to all, I was honoured to sit down with him and explore topics such as:   ACL injury journey (fears, recovery, returning, mindset) Shifting focus through periods of injury recovery. How to stay sane and positive. Catalyst and drive to begin training and looking after his body. Skater or Athlete? Why not both? Recovery tips, tools and things he does to ensure he is ready to go. Skating for Red Bull and the Red Bull training facility Spreading love and positivity in the community. Why its so important Warm up routines when skating to find flow   Super grateful for Felipe giving up his time to jump on the poddy. Hope you all enjoy a different insight in to the life of a pro skater. Enjoy   Product mentioned in Pod: https://www.doterra.com/US/en//my-cart 

Tendons, tendons and more tendons. If you have ever suffered from a tendon related injury you know the true frustration that tendon injuries can truly bring on. Why are tendon injuries such a bi#$h to recover from?   What is the best lunge pattern to help recover from Jumpers Knee/ quad tendon issues? *hint* it aint a knees over toes lunge   What are the common mistakes that hold most people back from making a recovery from their tendon related issues.   All these questions plus soooo much more were discussed on the poddy this week by world renowned Jumpers Knee/ tendon expert Jake Tuura.   There is some hard truths delivered in ways only he knows how, as well as deep thought and reflections based off personal experience AND scientific research in this pod making it a must listen too if you have ,or are currently experiencing tendon related issues as a skater.   Def tune in, you won’t want to miss this one as it can, and will be, a game changer if you are having issues with those pesky tendons..   Enjoy.

What separates those that do well with rehab programs and those that can never seem to rehab an injury?   This week I sat down with Rehab Specialist David Grey to deep dive all things rehab and pick his brain around gems you can apply if you are frustrated with the rehab process or perhaps not seeing the results you are after. David is fast becoming the guy people turn to when their rehab programs do not seem to work. Having sold over 20,000 copies of his programs and interacted with thousands more online he is fast becoming the go to guy to fix the unfixable.   Hit up the poddy to hear us chat about topics such as:   Common traits you see in successful rehabilitation clients Why are tendons so damn hard to rehab What the difference is between his rehab programs and what he feels is the reason for the results he gets. How social media has effected the rehabilitation space Where does the common rehab model most practitioners use fail clients especially when returning to sport.   Enjoy.

This week on the Poddy we sat down with Killian Hamilton and took apart some of the most burning questions skaters have from the perspective of learning and acquiring skill. In skater language “how the f#ck do I learn this trick as quickly as possible”   Killian, a strength coach himself, teaches a course online called Skill Acquisition where he delves deep in to the science, anecdotal and personal experience from training world class athletes in order to accelerate the learning process. His teachings has seen world class coaches from all around the world seek out his expertise in order to help their athletes learn techniques that fast track their learning experience.   With skating being such a skill based endeavour, I had to have him on to help out all the skaters out there battling away with tricks and wondering if there is a quicker way. Sure enough he did not disappoint.   Join us for the convo where we went in to topics such as:   - When to walk away from battles and when to hang on. - How to speed up the process of learning tricks - The 3 stages of learning and how to maximise potential at each. - Tips on what to do when you are stuck making the same bad mistakes over and over.   Enjoy:

This week I am so pumped to bring you an interview I did with legendary Physiotherapist, and all round badass, skate physio Amy Schultz. Amy is an absolute beast of a practitioner taking care of the Red Bull skate division and their insane roster of skaters.   A physical therapist by trade with her CSCS certification, I was thrilled to have her on to pick her brain around all things skate performance and her experience interacting with these insane athletes. Join us for the pod where we cover topics such as:   - Experience with common injuries skaters at the top levels face - Mindset around training and performance - Experience traveling with SLS - Frequency of training. Just how often are your fav skaters training? - Collagen supplementation for tendon healing. How to do it properly - Pelvic floor, bracing your core and its importance around not just skating but athletic function.   Plus a whole lot more. Enjoy.

This week on the poddy we got DR Shawn Robinson most notably known in the skate community as Chiro skate. Shawn has a chiropractic clinic in Atlanta where he is a big part of the skate scene helping skaters heal injuries and return to skating. A skater turned Chiro himself it was awesome to have him on the pod to get his unique expertise having experience in both fields. Join us as we cover topics such as:   - What is a chiropractor and why do they get a bad wrap? - What are some of the biggest hurdles skaters face when navigating injuries? - How do you spot a good practitioner such as a Chiro, physio etc? - Things skaters can do to create longevity in the game - Stigmas around training for skaters and why they hold you back.   Plus much more. Enjoy.

This week on the poddy we have Nathan Star an expert on all things breath work and cold ice emersion therapy. Both have been getting a lot of traction in the health and even skateboarding space recently due to the health and performance benefits both of them offer. Join us for a conversation where we cover topics such as:   - Breath techniques to wind down after a late night skate sesh - breath techniques for better concentration skating - breath techniques to calm down in the heat of trick battles - cold immersion therapy, what is it and how to do it   Plus much more. Enjoy.

On this weeks pod we got none other than Matt from The Daily Push. Matt is one of the earliest content creators supplying skaters with knowledge on how to navigate the all encompassing skate lifestyle. Covering all aspects from Injuries, nutrition and how to skate tekkers he is someone I frequently talk with in order to iron out ideas around all things skate performance.   Naturally I was pumped to have him on so you guys could bare witness to what is pretty much a standard conversation between 2 guys obsessed with all things skate performance covering topics such as:   - Best exercises for skaters - To squat or not to squat for skaters? - Different qualities skaters need to train - Vestibular system and how it effects balance and proprioception when skating - Flick and all things flick - How to navigate training and skating without getting sore   Plus much more. Hope you enjoy this conversation and be sure to go drop him a follow on The Daily Push.

Imagine finding out at 19 years old after having been sponsored, travelled the US for skateboarding and dropped parts online that you were never supposed to have been able to do any of it. That the condition you were born with which is labelled a disability should have prevented you from ever having been able to do any of it.   Such is the story of TJ Peters and the amazing things that can happen when someone simply falls in love with skateboarding. Join us in todays Pod for his incredible story that will leave you appreciating the beauty of not only the character of this amazing guy but also the beauty of the wonderful world of skateboarding and what it can give us in return.   - Enjoy.