Performance Talk

In this powerful and perspective-shifting episode of Performance Talk, host Dr. Ewell Gordon welcomes Dr. Mike Israetel—renowned sports scientist, professor, co-founder of Renaissance Periodization, and competitive athlete. From high school wrestling roots to academic mastery in performance science, Mike shares his journey through education, self-discovery, and relentless pursuit of truth in training.

Gain insider insights on the evolution of strength and conditioning, the misconceptions of overtraining, and why recovery is the unsung hero of peak performance. The conversation dives into the modern athlete’s toolkit—from high school weight rooms to AI-powered programming—and challenges long-held myths in sport and fitness culture.

In this episode of Performance Talk, Dr. Ewell Gordon sits down with John Flagg, founder of Rebuild Stronger, to discuss the differences between powerlifting, Olympic lifting, and strongman training. John shares his journey from athletic training to coaching elite strength athletes and how he helps them recover from injuries while maximizing performance. Tune in for expert insights on training, injury prevention, and the mindset needed to excel in strength sports!

In this episode of Performance Talk, Dr. Ewell Gordon welcomes Dan Pope, a physical therapist and strength coach, to discuss the intersection of strength training and rehab. Dan shares his journey from fitness enthusiast to PT, the misconceptions about strength training in rehabilitation, and how the industry is evolving.

Episode Overview

Join host Dr. Ewell Gordon on this episode of Performance Talk as he welcomes guest, Dr. Steve Nightingale, a sports scientist and performance coach with the NHL's New Jersey Devils.

Key Topics Discussed:

Steve’s Journey: From being a passionate but not-so-great ice hockey player in England to becoming a performance coach for various international teams.

Breaking into Sports Science: The unexpected path from teaching to discovering strength and conditioning, leading to roles across different countries including China and Russia.

Adapting in Professional Environments: Insights on how Stephen navigated through diverse coaching styles and team dynamics across global leagues.

Highlights:

Challenges in Pro Sports: Debunking myths about the ease of working at high levels; discussing the relentless work needed both by athletes and support staff.

Importance of Flexibility: How adapting plans according to real-time situations is crucial—illustrated by experiences like delayed flights affecting practice schedules.

Data Utilization: Exploring how less can be more when it comes to data usage; focusing on meaningful metrics that align with team goals.

Insightful Quotes:


"The more I work in pro sport as a sports scientist, the less data I use." - Dr. Steve Nightingale

"Write your plans in pencil, not pen." - A reminder about flexibility from Dr. Steve

Takeaways for Professionals:

Understand what coaches want before implementing new methodologies or technologies.

Develop skills beyond theoretical knowledge—real-world application often deviates from textbook models.

What does the next era of sports psychology look like? In this special roundtable, Dr. Hillary Cauthen, Dr. Brent Hogarth, and Dr. Eddie O’Connor join Performance Talk to break down where the profession is headed—covering trust-building with coaches and athletes, the rise of the CMPC, and why service, self-awareness, and collaboration are redefining what it means to perform at the highest level.