FIX Performance Medicine

Dr. Jenny Neiters is the team acupuncturist of the San Francisco 49ers and St Mary's College Rugby team on top of having a private practice in Alameda, CA. She is also a talented teacher and presenter who has lectured internationally on cutting edge sports acupuncture treatments. Jenny is one of my closest friends and colleagues within the Sports Acupuncture world. Every time we speak I get some tangible gems that help my practice immediately. This conversation was no exception.

Brian Lau is an Acupuncture Physician and on the faculty of the Sports Medicine Acupuncture Certification program. He has an extensive background in Qigong, Structural Integration, and many other therapeutic and movement-based therapies. His knowledge of anatomy and how it interfaces with other traditions, including Chinese medicine meridian theory and fascial systems is truly inspiring. There's so much more to learn from Brian but this was a good one!

Montana Mitchell is a yoga instructor and a master yoga teacher who leads trainings for yoga instructors and yoga retreats. In this episode we talk about the benefits and potential inefficencies within yoga. We talk a lot about cues and how to be better as a movement professional.

David May is a yoga instructor, crossfit coach, and mindset coach at Mecka Fitness in Pittsburgh, PA. I wanted to talk to David because it's rare you see a coach with a strong background in both yoga and crossfit. He clearly understands the importance of both strength and mobility and not taking a dogmatic approach to fitness. We start the episode commenting on my thoughts I shared about the shoulder episode 35 and cover a lot of ground after that.

In this episode, I run through a few thoughts I have on shoulder mechanics, injuries, and when we may be over coaching people. I talk about the upper traps and how they may be misunderstood.

In this episode I sit down with Dr. Kelton Mehls who is a PhD in Human Performance and Strength and Conditioning Coach. Dr. Mehls is a professor at Duquesne University, Strength and Conditioning Coach, and Director of Performance of Elite Sports Performance Lab in Pittsburgh, PA. We cover topics such as muscle activation and inhibition associated with different pathologies and movement inefficiencies. We talk about programming for objective outputs and ways to continuously monitor an athlete's progress. We talk about the art of coaching and cuing. And most importantly, we regularly talk about how strength can solve many problems.

Salt Garrison is a Human Behavior Specialists who specializes in optimum performance in sports, business, and life. He has worked with many professional athletes to help them abtain a higher level of success and break past mental barriers by working to reframing mindsets, modify behaviors to become more in line with thier higher values, and practice visualization. While these skills help the elite athletes and high powered executives achieve higher states, all of us can benefit from Salt's teachings. You can reach him at:  Facebook: Salt Garrison Instagram: @salt_garrison Website: grainofsalt.coach

Brittney Clements is a Functional Nutritionist and Integrative Brain Wellness Coach with a particular interest and skillset in mycology and the use of fungus as a medicine. In this episode we cover the medicinal uses, pharmacological properties, and intangible qualities of some of the most popular and powerful mushrooms. You can find Brittney online at @movementandmusing and on her website: www.dailyritual.live/britt-links

In this episode, Dr. Husain and I sit down with my friend Dani Abrahams, PhD. Dani is a biochemist and epigeneticist who specializes in nutritional and supplemental ways to improve performance, heal injuries, and heal chronic diseases. She's one of the smartest and most thoughtful practitioners I've had the pleasure of working beside and I love picking her brain whenever I get the chance. I always get something valuable and practical out of our conversations and I hope you do too.

In this episode we sit down with Registered Dietician and Personal Trainer, Monica Salafia. We talk about planning for the dietary demands of professional athletes, ways to optimize balancing macro and micro nutrients, and address many fads in the nutritional space. 

In this episode Dr. Husain and I talk about the role of testosterone, it's importance for overall health, particularly cardiovascular health, and the best ways to address low testosterone. 

I sit down with my good friend, Ben Nelson, to talk about how to continue progressing and evolving in the strange times we find ourselves in. Ben usually works in large scale extreme sports events such as Nitro Circus and Red Bull events. Obviously, that isn't happening, so now what? I'm always inspired by my creative and self motivated friends that refuse to just lay down and take it. Ben, is certainly one of those people.

In this episode, I talk about the functional differences between a lack of mobility and a lack of motor control. I go over how to assess the differences, why it's important and how to program treatment plans based on the findings. The goal of this episode is to give some context to treatments for patients and to make the practitioner think about how and what they are assessing.

Ryan Krol is the head coach of the Leadville Race Series and of Boundless. He's the go to guy for coaching for the worlds most popular ultramarathon, The Leadville 100. In this episode we talk about the physical and mental training necessary to complete of the world's toughest races.

One of the most common questions I get is, "What's the difference between Acupuncture and Dry Needling?" This is a fairly loaded question with multiple ways for me to answer it. In the clinic I give a more concise answer. Here, I take the time to answer the question with the nuances it deserves.

Dr. Jesse Riley is a Sports Chiropractor in Denver, CO. He has a varied background with a focus in movement therapy. He commonly works with all types of athletes but has a special focus in running injuries. In this episode we talk a lot about our similar philosophies despite different schooling and licensing. Enjoy!

In this episode, I speak with my friend Dr. Abid Husain about NAD+. This is an increasingly popular supplement for longevity, anti-aging, recovery, and performance. We talk about what it is, why it's important, why to supplement, and all the ways to supplement. Enjoy!

In this episode I talk through my thoughts and treatment plans for Low Back Pain. I talk about the uncertainty of diagnostic tests and incidental findings. I then go into the way I think about treating low back pain. For me it comes down to resetting the dysfunctional muscles then retraining proper movement patterns. Give it a listen to hear more of the complexity of the treatments.

Andrew is the co-founder and head run coach of both Lifelong Endurance and Peak Performance Running. His goal, in both coaching and as a leader, is to inspire others to be the best versions of themselves. He accomplishes this by applying fundamental and cutting-edge training principles along with compassion and acceptance. In this episode we dive into some deep conversations about the physical and mental training it takes to be a high performing runner.

In the first Book Club podcast, I sit down with my good buddy, Ben Nelson. Ben is an event producer working mostly in the extreme sports world. As the senior producer for events such as Red Bull Stratos and Nitro Circus World Games, he has to be a high performing individual with efficient systems in place. That makes it fitting to have our first book club be about the book "THE ONE THING" by Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan. This books helps you ask yourself the necessary questions to figure out the one thing you can focus now to make all of the other aspects of your life easier and more efficient.

Brittany is a former Professional Soccer player and current massage therapist, coach, mentor, and speaker. In this podcast we dive deep into the athlete mindset and how to transition from a professional athlete to life after sport.

Angie received her Bachelor's degree from Mid-America Christian University where she studied Behavioral Science and Music Performance. She went on to earn her Master's degree from Colorado Christian University in Counseling. Angie serves as a licensed professional counselor at Nepes and is currently in the process of becoming a Board Certified Professional in Neurofeedback. She combines fundamental elements from both studies the help change her clients' lives. She has clinical experience in treating addiction, domestic violence, anxiety, depression, concussion recovery, and performance anxiety.

Lance "The Boogyman" Wright is a Middleweight MMA athlete on Elevation Fight Team. Lance is all business. He trains hard, he fights hard and he has his eyes on one thing, being the best MMA practitioner he can be.

Philip Kish is a Licensed Acupuncturist in Rochester, MN. Philip has extensive background and training in movement assessments, corrective exercise, and functional testing. He uses a variety of different theories (As any good practitioner should) but I really wanted to pick his brain about the Functional Range Conditioning, Functional Range Assessment, and Functional Range Release ideas. It was great to speak to a fellow acupuncturist about movement!

Curtis "Razor" Blaydes is currently the #3 contender in the UFC Heavyweight division. Curtis is known for his superior wrestling skills and ground and pound game but being a true martial artist, he's become a top level striker since moving to Colorado and joining the Elevation Fight Team. He's a quietly confident fighter, a freak athlete, and a super good dude. Enjoy!

Vinnie is one of my favorite people there is. He's the best strength coach I've ever worked with, personally or professionally and over all one of the best people I know. Along with being a super knowledgeable strength coach, he's also a martial arts coach for Elevation Fight Team in Denver CO where he coaches, mentors, and corners some of the most successful fighters on the planet.

Shin Sakurai is an Exercise Scientist that specializes in assessing muscles that are inhibited and turning them back on. Shin is an especially gifted practitioner that has valuable insight to the treatment of pain and dysfunction.

This episode features, Jen Widerstrom. Jen has a extensive career in the health and fitness world including being one of the trainers on Biggest Loser, director of fitness for Shape magazine but she's mostly one of my favorite people to talk to.

Austin "Thud" Hubbard is a UFC Lightweight that fights out of Denver Colorado with Elevation Fight Team. We talk about the often unconventional path for professional MMA athletes, the team environment at Elevation Fight Team, and the evolution of his training.

In this episode I sit down with Denver based Personal Trainer Jourdan Baldwin. Jourdan takes the role of a personal trainer way beyond counting reps and stacking on more plates. Her style incorporates creative movement patterns that explore needed ranges of motion that are rarely stressed coupled with restorative techniques such as structured breathwork. Jourdan is a well rounded health and fitness professional who's constantly willing to question her philosophies and evolve as a coach and a person.

Chris is a multiple Leadville 100 Trail Race finisher, father, husband, and all around savage. In this episode we talk about the mental strength it takes to succeed in the ridiculous sport of ultramarathons as well as how to overcome the negative thoughts and possible failures that come with putting yourself out there to attempt some of the hardest physical endeavors known to the athletic community.

In this episode I sit down with Onus IV Owner and my good buddy Chaz Faulhaber. Onus IV was the first IV Hydration company in Denver Colorado and he and his team have been leading the charge in the IV world ever since. I personally use his services and recommend family, friends, and patients to on a regular basis for athlete recovery, immune support, additional treatment for chronic conditions and even the occasional hangover.

Dr. Jeff McWhorter is a Denver based Doctor of Chiropractic that specializes in orthopedic and neurological conditions. He runs a cutting edge practice that provides solutions for many stuck patients dealing with a multitude of neurological conditions including concussion and TBI. He uses some of the more interesting tools in the rehab field to work with patients ranging from post stroke to professional athletes looking for performance enhancement.

Alicia Botyrius is the Business Development Manager for Sunlighten Saunas. Sunlighten is the brand of sauna I use in the clinic because they're by far the best sauna on the market. They are the only infrared sauna company that utilizes 3 different wavelengths of infrared light to target different tissues in the body. Their saunas can be programmed to work on deep detoxification, muscle and joint recovery, and anti aging. In this episode, we dive into why use infrared sauna, how to optimize the different waves, and who benefits the most from regular infrared sauna use

Ian Fohrman is a writer and photographer out of Denver, Co. He is a partner in The Public Works, a unique creative agency with capabilities ranging from engineering and high end fabrication to multimedia production and web design. He has been writing and shooting editorial in the snow world for almost 10 years with features in every North American ski publication. He also has a background as a Red Bull photographer, commercial photographer across many genres, as well as ski-mountaineering photographer. Ian has had various “real jobs” throughout his career, most notably, from 2005-2010 Ian managed the Helly Hansen Global Snow Sports Marketing program where he wore a lot of hats but was more business guy than content creator. Currently he creates more words, videos and photographs than spreadsheets but still knows his way around a budget doc or marketing matrix. Ian would rather be outside or on the road doing something challenging and making beautiful imagery and thought provoking stories than almost anything else.

Bobby leads development and communications for the Savory Institute - a global non-profit facilitating the large-scale regeneration of the world’s grasslands to address the root cause of food, water, and climate security. Since 2009, the Savory Institute has influenced management on over 25 million acres of desertifying grassland through its global network of 43 regional Hubs that train and equip farmers, ranchers, and pastoralist communities to utilize the land-regenerating potential of Holistic Management within their cultural and ecological context. Savory’s new Land to Market program and Ecological Outcome Verification protocol connect verified regenerative supply to philosophically-aligned industries, bringing awareness and accessibility to products whose ecological footprint are a net positive for the planet.

I sit down with Dr. Abid Husain, a Cardiologist, Artist, and Functional Medicine Doc. Dr. Husain's approach to medicine finds that hard to reach balance between evidence based medicine with the room for creative problem solving. His unique skill set and attitude has shaped him into one of my favorite practitioners I've had the privilege to work with.

In the first episode of the FIX Performance Medicine Podcast I sit down with my good friend and yoga instructor mastermind, Scott Anderson. We talk about his new system and philosophy of yoga, PRISM, our passion for exploring quality movement patterns, and a whole lot of rabbit holes. Scott's a great friend an colleague in this intricate world of health and wellness. I couldn't have started this podcast without him.