socalbikept's podcast

After a rider fixes their knee pain with #GluteDoping the next question sounds like this: "What am I supposed to feel like when I'm riding?" Uhh...Well, simply put, you're supposed to feel good. The problem is, you don't have any reference points or context for gauging an experience as "good" or "bad" let alone the entire spectrum between. Great riders know themselves, understand the big picture and can self-assess. This episode dives into what all that is like. I call it the "Dream Riding Experience".

Every cyclists needs to do off-bike training. Period. After all, it is YOU that is actually pushing the pedals. And you need work. So naturally, when it comes time to do the work necessary to have a body that feels good, let alone works, the conversation of "Gym Time" get's brought up. Personally, I cant stand going to gyms. That's why I ride bikes outside. But I know that I want to be as healthy and fast as possible so I had to create my own GluteDoping Lab in my garage. Aka a home gym with just the essentials. This podcast is about it, and the philosophy behind selecting the tools with which you are to sharpen your sword.

What is this "Off-Season" Thing everybody is speaking of? SIMPLE. It's a time for a shift in philosophy with these 5 Practices: Study-Riding Time, Prioritize Enjoyment, Cross Training for Habit Forming, Gym Work (Limiters to STANDARDS), and Relationship Bank Deposits. It''s the #GluteDoper Mentality. Episode 49 is 10 years of wisdom on it, in 30 minutes. LFG.

After a summer hiatus from Podcasting to focus on rippin' up races and family shenanigans...I'M BACK. And stoked to share with you my 2021 Racing Season Reflection. Spoiler alert: It was my best season ever, with the most growth, and the most wisdom to impart to you. Soak it up. LFG. 

"On a scale of 0-10 what is your pain?" Give me a break. That's archaic. YOU are so much more than simply what arbitrary numerical value of "pain" you are in. So why then is progress so often in the world of rehab focused solely around reducing pain? In this episode I dive into a better definition of progress when it comes to getting better from injury as well as interpreting progress in training. As cyclists we are soooo used to just dealing with suffering that it almost becomes our goal. But what if I told you that there are more factors to consider and that truly understanding them will ACTUALLY make you a better rider overall?!?! Tune in to find out.

What's the best way to rapidly rehab your broken femur back to smashing 20 hours of bike riding after only 7 weeks? #GluteDoper training camp is the answer! Back in the first week of May my friend Tyler Pearce (Vegan Cyclist on YouTube) came down to SoCal to spend a week with me getting his body dialed in on and off the bike in preparation for a whole summer of epic cycling events including another Impossible Route. This episode highlights my take-aways and lessons learned to help YOU become better!

A Warrior is not one who always wins, but one who is always in the fight. After an amazing weekend of racing last week where I was able to make and hang with the breakaway in the Pro Field for the first time ever, I had time to reflect and react to the fact that I was crashed out of that breakaway and still recovered to finish in 9th. My best result ever. Bruised and bloodied to the finish I rode my heart out and wanted to share with you what it takes to cultivate the right mindset to be able to get back up and stay in the fight to the finish. No matter what your finish line is as a rider, we all need a dose of that Warrior on Wheels mentality. 

What are the practices that lead to long-term success on the bike? That's the question I've been trying to answer since I first got into cycling 10 years ago. Here's what I've found: It's not about short-term intense discipline to some crazy "30-day abs" style program that makes the difference, It's pragmatic sustainable habits done daily over decades that have the power to get every rider out of pain and moving towards their best possible performance. So I give you the 4 Pillars of #GluteDoping as the secret sauce to be the boss: Daily Mobility, Pre-RideActivation ALWAYS, Foundations Standards, Limiting Factor NOW. Tune in to learn what each is all about, how to incorporate into YOUR life and truly become a bulletproof bike ride NOW and forever. 

The difference between successful riders and those who always struggle to achieve their goals is simple..and can be summed up by this mentality. "Race To Finish". That's the critical foundation of success on the bike. The intention and mindset to do YOUR best at the moment with the goal of finishing no matter what. Call it Persistence. Call it Dedication. Call it Commitment. Call it what YOU wish...but the energy is all the same. New, Veteran, Amateur Professional? It doesn't matter. Get your #GluteDoper Mindset dose today and every day.

Probably THE most important questions I ask myself whenever evaluating riders who have injuries or pain...and when I an out training on the bike myself. Why? Because its the ultimate questions to expose the source of your pain or problems as well as strategically target and train gaps in your power generation system as a whole to unlock more speed and versatility as a rider. So tune in and follow along as I jump into this topic and give you some practical ways to apply this into your life!

Well that was lit. What a week hanging out with L39ION of Los Angeles at team camp. Not at all what I expected in Part 1. It got way more REAL. The Mission. The Vision. And how we ALL can do our part to move American Bike Racing forward. 

Heading out to Team Camp for L39ion of Los Angeles this week and I have all the feels. On one hand, its a professional dream of mine to be working with a professional cycling team at team camp. (and also as a bike racer myself a bit of a surreal moment to be around athletes of this high a caliber) On the other, the role of a PT within a professional cycling team is wildly undefined and under-utilized. So here's 4 main areas I plan on setting the trend this week while supporting the team as this 2021 season gets started! 

I get injured sometimes. I'm an athlete and I like to get a little crazy. But after a bit of a crash snowboarding 7 days before first race of 2021...I was a little nervous. Time to put my GluteDoping brain to the test and pull out all the tricks to get back in action. Ended up being very satisfied with my performance and I want to show you how I did it. Thanks for Listening!

That's right its another #GluteDoper Mentality Episode where I walk you through the ONLY strategy to win in the Infinite Game that is cycling, training, and LIFE. So join me for a quick dive into how to F.A.I.L. (First Attempt In Learning) more than the competition and unlock your path to mastery. 

For real though! What is the actual definition and why should you care? Because they're basically just tools. And, like the aspiring cyclist who owns a shiny box of bike tools but still can't get the rear derailleur just right, there's no replacement for the skilled hands of a professional mechanic. This episode is a crash course in the perspective of the mechanic...but for exercises...and why you should care. 

Are you an athlete at heart? Ready for the thrill of competition again? Not so fast, listen to these beginner tips for criterium racing (and group riding in general honestly) to help you stay safe, have fun and truly experience the joy of pushing yourself to the limits in any racing event you decide to join! On this episode we cover THE most important thing ever (its not your power, or your fitness...Pro-tip, it's developing awareness) and how to make your foray into the world of competitive riding a success!

Your greatest asset and your greatest limiter as a competitive athlete is what's between your ears. The mindset that it takes to push yourself in competition is not simply gifted at birth, it can be trained. Let's dive into that mindset and how to start cultivating it in your life with practical application in your riding and training. Hold on tight, it's another #GluteDoper Mindset episode!

I heard someone onetime quote that "Statistically speaking you're gonna most likely lose every bike race you entire". And in 10 years of trying I've come up with the Win on only a handful of occasions...So, I second that quote. But the difference, is I rarely lose. I get beat. And there's a world of difference. Let me telly you all about it with a story. Welcome to a #GluteDoper Mentality Episode.

Just ride more! Squat heavier weights! Do more intervals! These are the types of answers you hear when the question is "How do I become a more Powerful Rider?" And while, yes, you need those in some degree...there are all these other categories to focus on for unique benefits that are highly leverage-able as a cyclist. AKA get a lot of benefit for a little bit of work. Training balance to improve your brains coordination and smooth production of energy into power is absolutely one of them.

If I had to place my finger on the THE most important thing for success in anything you want to do its first to Cultivate A Growth Mindset. Those fixed false beliefs of your past are the strongest resistance to your dreams. Change your Mindset to change your life. 

New Year. New Opportunities for a bit of a reset and a refocus on 3 Areas of Training to Rapid Results in 2021. All inspired by my recent experiences living like mountain folks on vacation in Utah. Snow is difficult! Especially for the SoCal Born-and-raised. But, through the power of GluteDoping I emerge fresh and ready to share some insights into why focusing on Breathing Strategy plus core stability may be your missing link for sustained power, why spinal rotation is the most neglected mobility area in riders, and why its never wrong to be strong with frontal plane glute activation. Enjoy!

Another one from the throwback interviews with my all-time favorite Aussie Scott Law of Legion of Los Angeles. Scott just announced his retirement from professional cycling after an amazing career. So, enjoy this interview with a wise and talented rider...from my favorite Chinese food restaurant. #dimsumhour  

Prioritize what's important and forsake the rest. Honor the reality of trade-offs. Understand the exponential impact of feeling good.  These are some of the topics of practical advice I give to my patients to help them through the sometimes overwhelming journey of balancing all of the parts of their life AND direct focus towards getting better and training on the bike.  With holidays in the year of COVID-19 upon I wanted to share some of that with you. If it helps? Dope. Pass it along to a friend who needs to hear it. Together we rise. 

Originally recorded January 4, 2018 this interview with Hunter Grove is one of my all-time favorites! Fresh off a season with Cylance Pro Cycling and jumping into the world of starting a rider-owned and run cycling team Hunter shares plenty of great stories about life as a pro cyclist in America and the genesis for deciding to start Los Angele Bicycle Club. Fun fact, it was after this interview that I was able to start working with my first cycling team to learn and develop what is now my #glutedoper training approach!

3 Years ago when I first started SoCalBikePT i created the first iteration of this podcast as a way to pick the brains of riders I admired to learn more about them and refine my approach to making all cyclists better. This episode is the first in the Throwback Interview Series I'm doing and features both the first ever person I interviewed AND the first ever SoCalBikePT rider...Holly Breck! Back then she was moving up to the UCI World Tour Level with Cylance Pro Cycling from the Continental Team Sho-Air. Tune in to learn her valuable insights and story becoming a professional cyclist before we get her back on the podcast for an update with her racing career into 2021!

When I met Chris he was in a tough tough place. 4 years into the hole of chronic pain and injuries keeping him from the simple joy of riding the bike. Honestly I was a little skeptical I could truly help him out but I don't quit on people...and neither does Chris. This interview is special. It's his story over the past year and a window into the world that so many of you have been in before where pain and injuries beat down hope but rise through persistence, encouragement and the power of teamwork. 

Straight up, this whole episode is about Vasectomies and cycling. I recently had a Vasectomy procedure done and returned back to riding over the course of 14 days. During that time I gathered all of your questions about everything from deciding on the vasectomy procedure, actual experience of procedure day, and expectations and advice for making a smooth recovery and transition back onto the bike. Learn from my mistake and don't start on day 4 haha!

Winter's coming! Or maybe its already here where you may be...idk, SoCal just has "post-summer". Either way I'm sure that if any trainer time is in your future you'll want to listen in to my 3 Tips To Maximize Your Trainer Rides if you want to find that extra level of performance! (or pass the time on the recovery spin for another lap around Watopia.)   ***Here's the Link for the Referenced Video Training in my Facebook Group

Outside of crashing hard or other traumatic incidents it seems like cycling injuries tend to slowly ramp up until they boil over and BAM!...not you're sidelined with pain and weeks off the bike. Ever wonder why that is so? (After all, cycling is "low-Impact" and good for you right?) And better yet, is there a better way to identify and get ahead of these problems? Well in this episode I dive into the main reasons why these injuries take so long to evolve into serious problems and what to do about it!

With a gravel event called "Hardman" you know what you're signing up for. With racing all but cancelled in 2020 this was a huge event for me to prep for and learn from on the day. From tire choice to bike handling practice recommendations, Tune in to learn my 5 biggest takeaways and how you can apply them into your own training and racing TODAY!

Human beings have an incredible will to survive and an amazing capacity to adapt to any circumstance to come out alive! But is that the best strategy to be leveraging when it comes to riding bikes? So I ask you: "Are you merely Surviving Cycling? or Thriving in cycling?" And an even better question: "How do you find out?" Well Im going to discuss the context for this question, answer it for you and explain how YOU can figure out for yourself. Tune in and become a BulletProof Bike Rider!

Ever wonder why your muscles repeatedly get tight after riding? Even when you stretch...like...all the damn time??? Well, there's actually three specific components to training flexibility that you need to hit in order to build sustainable flexible muscles that allow for maximum comfort AND performance on the bike. They are: 1) Re-Training Compensatory Muscle patterns 2) Directly addressing muscle weakness with specific strengthening and 3) Building Tolerance to Tension! Tune in to hear all the details with specific examples for how to apply it into your training as a cycling today!

I "read" a lot of audiobooks while out riding and this past week I finished "Start with WHY" by Simon Sinek. He highlights the importance of gaining clarity on the deepest WHY we do what we do. When the WHY is clear the how is easy. I realized that I had been asking these same questions to every rider I work with in one way or another over the years and I want to invite you to dive into this a bit deeper with me and help you discover your big WHY for riding, training, being healthy and beyond!

Do you want to know what I train my riders in specifically to build bulletproof bike knees? Well, I'm diving into the secrets behind my approach and how to direct your focus to the RIGHT types of training to make your body anti-fragile and stop chasing those little tweaks and toys hoping for miraculous change. Tune in for all the detail and some lessons in anatomy to help you change the way to prioritize and execute on your exercises and your training!

In my mission to Educate and Empower ALL riders I created the Glute Doping Challenge Program back in November 2019 as a way to make the same MindSet, Bike Bike Knowledge & Assessments and #GuteDoping exercises that have helped every rider I work with eliminate knee pain AND increase their power and performance accessible to anyone! Tune in to learn about my approach to helping you set your self up for LONG-TERM sustainable success as a rider with our guided 21-day program!  

It's the Only Shirt I wear basically. Straight black. White Print of  #GluteDoper on it. What does it mean to be a GluteDoper? Beyond being my unique treatment approach to fixing knee pain and the pathway to unlocking MASSIVE amounts of power...its a complete Mindset that has allowed me and every rider I work with to be empowered with the ability to fix their own problems and secure their longevity. Tune-in to a straight FIRE episode and learn how become a #GluteDoper yourself!

If there was one thing that plagues every single rider I've ever talked to at one point or another its Knee Pain. There's so much information and confusion about what ACTUALLY contributes to knee pain so I take a dive into my philosophy on addressing this issue. Listen and learn about how PAIN works, what factors may be contributing to your specific scenario and how to address them. (Hint, there's a bunch of Glute work involved.)

Do you know the difference? And why should we even care? Well, if your goals are anywhere from "get out of pain when I ride" to "Realize my full potential as a cyclist" then it's critical to understand these concepts and adopt the right mindset about how to apply them to your rehab, your training, and your LIFE!

What's up everybody?! You ever notice how when the temperatures start to creep up everybody starts to consider their hydration much more? It's happening here in Southern California with weeks in the hundreds and sunshine blaring down. So, I wanted to dive into how best to approach hydration for sustained performance and even dive into some deeper details on how to specifically measure your fluid loss in order to optimize your hydration schedule on the bike!

When you understand that your Nervous System is in control of all things it opens up a window of opportunity to explain your pain, treat your injuries and re-build you for peak performance! Join me as I break down the perspective I have when approaching riders with pain and those who want to develop a versatile and resilient bike body!

Stretch more! That's what they all say. It'll fix all your problems. Its the one tool to rule them all! Not so much. Not unless you attack all 3 pillars of stretching and follow up with the right exercises to make it last. Learn all about how I use stretching with my patients and in my own life to help them get out of pain and maximize their ability on the bike. 

Many times when pain or an injury pops up it derails our riding plans with days or even weeks of rest. But what if I told you there was a better way to respond in these situations? One that allows you to quickly control symptoms, acutely address problems and get you back riding faster and stronger? Well, this episode is the story of how I navigated from a bad calf strain on Monday, to a 2nd best time up my local mountain (It's called Devil's Canyon...its not nice) Join me for a story of applied knowledge and leverage applicable to ALL riders. 

If you want the highest peak performance on the bike, you gotta have the widest base on The Performance Pyramid! Episode 9 is prime time to dive into the 3 levels of the performance pyramid at the source of fixing all your pain problems AND maximizing your performance...FOR LIFE! 

The mindset you have determines how far you will go. Plain and simple. I'm always looking for what specific component to focus on that will yield the greatest return on attention. With every rider I work with THAT greatest component is shifting their default way of thinking about their body and about their health from the restrictive false beliefs they have been conditioned to hold true, to the empowered understanding of the Million Mile Mindset. Tune in as I dive a bit deeper on this!

Yup. Officially old now...apparently. That's what every single birthday card I received said so it must be true. But that's cool. In turning 30 years old my "career" as a cyclist turns 10 years old. Plenty of lessons learned and stories to be told but on this episode I'm diving into how the role of cycling in my life has evolved to be something MUCH more important. Tune in. Learn some things. Relate to some things. Gain perspective and knowledge. 

What's going down?!? In this episode I'm diving DEEEEP (like 6th VO2 interval deep) into the "Bike Body Basics." Specifically, I'm discussing the anatomy of you as a rider...but ON BIKES! So, what is the job of each region, what are the specific demands of the cycling position that you have to train for, and MORE! Join me and enjoy the episode.

In this episode I'm keeping with the theme of foundational knowledge by covering THE 3 categories of problems you may have that are causing your symptoms. If you've ever been perplexed about what that diagnosis for your knee pain ACTUALLY means then this is episode for you!

In this episode I kick off the foundations of Bike Body Knowledge with a dive into PAIN! What is it? Why does it hurt so much? What does it mean? and What can I do  about it? Well, Tune-in and I'll help you better understand Pain so that YOU can be a "hard-to-kill" cyclist. #NervousSystemisKING

In the final part of the SoCalBikePT Origin Story I cover how I became a physical therapist then decided to go down the path of researching, experimenting and working with cyclists from the Southern California region. Now today SoCalBikePT is the full-time mission I out my efforts behind to help ALL riders get out of pain, and optimize their body to maximize their rides!

In this episode I continue the Origin Story from Part 1 with my entrance into the confusing world of trying to solve a debilitating knee pain issue and how I found myself on the path to becoming a physical therapist. 

In this episode, I begin the "re-boot" of the SoCalBikePT Podcast with a 3 part series on the origin and story behind my journey from an injured and frustrated cyclist to becoming a physical therapist and making it my mission educate and empower ALL riders to optimize their bodies to maximize their riding.