Staying Relevant: The Future of Rehab & Peformance

Tom Swales
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  • Health & Fitness

The game changes. The rules shift. The spotlight moves on. So how do you stay relevant when everything around you keeps evolving? Hosted by Tom Swales, physiotherapist, strength coach, and founder of the AMT System; Staying Relevant dives into the habits, mindsets, and turning points that help people perform at the highest level and keep growing long after others stop. Each week, Tom sits down with athletes, clinicians, coaches, educators, doctors, influencers, and world-class performers to uncover what it really takes to last. These aren’t highlight-reel conversations, they’re raw, curious, and practical. We pull back the curtain on how top performers reinvent themselves, adapt under pressure, and find new ways to win when the odds say it’s over. Every episode delivers: Unfiltered stories from pros who found their next chapter beyond competition.Insider lessons from doctors, educators, and coaches shaping the future of health and performance.Hard-earned insights from entrepreneurs and creators building lasting impact in competitive spaces.This isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about resilience, reinvention, and relevance, the traits that keep you sharp, grounded, and ready for what’s next. If you’re ready to think bigger about your career, your craft, and your performance, this podcast is your edge. Staying Relevant is powered by the AMT System, giving health and performance pros the tools to assess, treat, and transform clients faster.

  1. 2d ago

    How to Come Back From Injury Without Losing Your Competitive Edge | Jan Hudec (Part 2)

    Welcome back for Part 2 of our conversation with Jan Hudec. In Part 1, we explored Jan’s battles with injury, fear, identity, and the mindset required to keep moving forward when everything seemed stacked against him. In Part 2, Jan takes us through one of the most remarkable chapters of his career — his comeback to the Olympic podium. After multiple career-threatening injuries and surgeries, Jan rebuilt himself through visualization, belief, preparation, and an unwavering mindset. Coming back from injury isn’t just a physical battle — it’s a fight against fear, doubt, and the belief that you’re no longer capable of performing at your highest level. Jan shares how he overcame those mental barriers and performed when everything was on the line. In This Episode, You'll Learn How to rebuild confidence when your body and results don’t match your expectationsWhy visualization and belief can change performance under extreme pressureHow Jan prepared for an Olympic medal performance after a devastating back injuryHow lessons from elite sport translate into business, leadership, and lifeThis episode is for athletes, coaches, clinicians, and high performers who want to understand the psychology of resilience, recovery, and performing under pressure. Timestamps 00:00 – Rebuilding the race mindset after injury 05:38 – Staying relevant mentally during a long recovery 07:50 – Visualization, belief, and controlling negative thoughts 13:46 – The pressure of balancing business and Olympic goals 21:08 – Choosing faith over fear during impossible moments 35:39 – Returning to competition after a career-threatening injury 38:58 – The podium jacket, lucky loonie, and Olympic belief 46:11 – The Olympic Super G run that changed everything 50:10 – Winning an Olympic medal against all odds 54:49 – Life after skiing: transitioning from athlete to entrepreneur 59:07 – How Ski Mojo helped Jan fall in love with skiing again Connect with Jan Hudec: 📸Instagram – @pandahausofrock 🔗 Facebook – Jan Hudec 𝕏 Twitter – @pandaHAUSofROCK 🌐Website – Olympic Team Canada Biography 🎓 Sponsored by the Advanced Movement Therapist (AMT) Certification The Advanced Movement Therapist (AMT) System helps clinicians and performance coaches stop guessing, understand the nervous system and identify the root cause of pain so they can deliver more consistent results — faster. 👉 Learn more at https://www.amtcertified.ca #SportsPsychology #AthleteMindset #InjuryRecovery #HighPerformance #MentalToughness #OlympicAthlete #PerformanceCoaching #Resilience #SportsMedicine #PeakPerformance

    How to Come Back From Injury Without Losing Your Competitive Edge | Jan Hudec (Part 2)

  2. Aug 11

    How to Perform Under Pressure Without Letting Fear Control You | Jan Hudec (Part 1)

    Fear, self-doubt, injury, and uncertainty can destroy performance long before competition begins. Whether you're an athlete, clinician, coach, or entrepreneur, learning how to perform under pressure—even when you don't feel ready—is one of the most valuable skills you can develop. In this episode, Olympic medalist and World Cup champion Jan Hudec shares the mindset that helped him compete at the highest level despite 14 knee surgeries, constant setbacks, and the mental battle between fear and faith. Rather than relying on perfect preparation or confidence, Jan explains how intuition, resilience, self-talk, and purpose allowed him to perform when it mattered most. This is Part 1 of our conversation with Olympic medalist Jan Hudec. Be sure to watch Part 2, where we dive into life after elite sport, business, identity, and what happens when the competition ends. In This Episode, You'll Learn Why confidence isn't something you wait for—it's something you build under pressureHow to separate fear from performance when the stakes are highestThe role of faith, intuition, and self-talk in elite decision-makingWhy structure matters—but adaptability wins championshipsHow injuries, adversity, and setbacks can become competitive advantagesWhat high performers often misunderstand about preparation versus execution This episode is for athletes, clinicians, coaches, entrepreneurs, and anyone who wants to perform at a higher level when circumstances are less than ideal. Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction to Jan Hudec's career and mindset 01:30 – Why feelings don't have to dictate performance 04:20 – Self-talk, faith, and eliminating mental noise 07:00 – Developing belief from childhood 13:20 – Why fun made Jan a better competitor 16:30 – Structure vs intuition in elite performance 22:00 – Why preparation creates freedom 24:30 – Training champions vs performing champions 27:00 – Competing through injuries and fear 30:00 – Visualization, crashes, and rebuilding confidence 33:30 – The story behind the nickname "Panda" 38:50 – Fourteen knee surgeries and the role of rehabilitation 42:00 – The unseen work behind elite performance 46:40 – Learning to ski, coaching stories, and life on the World Cup circuit 50:30 – Coaching lessons, leadership, and lasting memories Connect with Jan Hudec: 📸Instagram – @pandahausofrock 🔗 Facebook – Jan Hudec 𝕏 Twitter – @pandaHAUSofROCK 🌐Website – Olympic Team Canada Biography 🎓 Sponsored by the Advanced Movement Therapist (AMT) Certification The Advanced Movement Therapist (AMT) System helps clinicians and performance coaches stop guessing, understand the nervous system and identify the root cause of pain so they can deliver more consistent results — faster. 👉 Learn more at https://www.amtcertified.ca #MentalToughness #HighPerformance #SportsPsychology #Mindset #Resilience #PeakPerformance #Leadership #JanHudec #Olympics #Performance #StayingRelevant

    How to Perform Under Pressure Without Letting Fear Control You | Jan Hudec (Part 1)

  3. Jul 28

    The Coaching Skills That Matter More Than Programming | Matt Nichol

    Elite performance isn't built by better workouts alone. Many coaches, clinicians, and business owners spend years chasing more information, more technology, and more complexity while overlooking the fundamentals that actually improve performance, build trust, and create long-term success. In this episode, elite performance coach and entrepreneur Matt Nichol shares lessons from decades of working with professional athletes, building BioSteel from the ground up, and leading player health and performance at the highest levels of professional sport. From coaching communication to entrepreneurship, leadership, athlete development, and longevity, Matt explains what truly separates great coaches from great technicians. In This Episode, You'll Learn Why communication—not programming—is often the biggest performance advantageHow elite coaches earn trust and adapt their coaching style to every athleteWhy more data doesn't always lead to better decisions in sports performanceWhat building BioSteel taught Matt about entrepreneurship, scaling, and leadershipHow to develop athletes for long-term success instead of chasing short-term resultsWhy the best coaches continue learning, evolving, and questioning their own methods Whether you're a clinician, strength coach, rehab professional, entrepreneur, or anyone looking to build a longer, more impactful career, this episode will help you think differently about performance, leadership, and staying relevant. Timestamps 02:00 – Why Matt became a coach instead of a professional athlete 05:25 – Leaving teaching to pursue performance coaching 09:10 – Why communication matters more than knowledge 15:15 – Should coaches practice what they preach? 26:30 – Difficult conversations and athlete accountability 30:40 – Are coaches actually getting better? 35:00 – Why performance metrics can become distractions 40:00 – Wearables, recovery data, and information overload 45:20 – The problem that inspired BioSteel 53:20 – From athlete solution to successful business 56:00 – Coaching lessons that translated into entrepreneurship 59:25 – Scaling a business without sacrificing quality 1:01:40 – Leaving BioSteel and moving on 1:04:45 – Returning to professional sports with the Ottawa Senators 1:07:50 – Leadership, humility, and building great teams Connect with Matt: 🌐 Website – mattnichol.com 📸 Instagram – @matt_nichol 📸 Instagram – @paragenixsystems 💼 LinkedIn – Matt Nichol 𝕏 Twitter – @M_Nichol 🎓 Sponsored by the Advanced Movement Therapist (AMT) Certification The Advanced Movement Therapist (AMT) System helps clinicians and performance coaches stop guessing, understand the nervous system and identify the root cause of pain so they can deliver more consistent results — faster. 👉 Learn more at https://www.amtcertified.ca #HighPerformance #StrengthCoach #SportsPerformance #Leadership #AthleteDevelopment #PerformanceCoaching #Entrepreneurship #BioSteel #Coaching #Rehab #Clinician #StayingRelevant

    The Coaching Skills That Matter More Than Programming | Matt Nichol

  4. Jul 21

    What Most People Get Wrong About Returning From ACL Injury | Dr. Matt Jordan

    Most athletes are cleared to return to sport long before they're truly ready to perform. Passing strength tests or reaching the nine-month mark doesn't necessarily mean the nervous system, movement quality, decision-making, or explosive power have fully recovered. Making the wrong return-to-play decision can increase reinjury risk and delay long-term performance. In this episode, Tom sits down with Dr. Matt Jordan, exercise physiologist, sports scientist, researcher, and high-performance coach who has supported athletes across six Olympic cycles and worked with more than 30 Olympic and World Championship medalists. Together they explore what force plates actually measure, why data should support—not replace—coaching, how elite teams make return-to-sport decisions, and where AI is changing the future of sports science. In This Episode, You'll Learn Why return to play is not the same as return to performanceHow force plates reveal movement strategies your eyes can't detectWhat elite practitioners actually look for after ACL reconstructionHow to combine data, coaching intuition, and athlete psychology for better decisionsWhy AI will transform sports science—and where it could also create problemsThe leadership lessons high-performance environments teach about work, family, and longevityWhether you're a clinician, physiotherapist, strength coach, athletic therapist, sports scientist, or athlete navigating injury recovery, this episode will help you make smarter performance and rehabilitation decisions. Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction to Dr. Matt Jordan 01:30 – How Charles Poliquin shaped Matt's career 05:00 – Breaking into elite sport and earning opportunities 11:00 – Living between research and coaching 16:30 – What coaches misunderstand about research 22:00 – Why context matters more than data alone 25:30 – What force plates actually tell us 33:00 – The truth about ACL return-to-play timelines 38:00 – Behind-the-scenes conversations in elite sport 44:00 – The psychology of returning from injury 45:30 – AI, sports science, and better decision-making 56:00 – Leadership, burnout, and protecting family time 1:00:00 – Redefining success and mentoring the next generation 1:04:00 – Matt's legacy and advice for coaches Connect with Dr. Matt Jordan 🌐 Website – jordanstrength.com 📸 Instagram – @jordanstrength 𝕏 Twitter – @JordanStrength 💼 LinkedIn – Matt Jordan 🎓 Sponsored by the Advanced Movement Therapist (AMT) Certification The Advanced Movement Therapist (AMT) System helps clinicians and performance coaches stop guessing, understand the nervous system and identify the root cause of pain so they can deliver more consistent results — faster. 👉 Learn more at https://www.amtcertified.ca #ACLRehab #SportsScience #ReturnToSport #ForcePlates #StrengthAndConditioning #SportsPerformance #PhysicalTherapy #AthleteRecovery #HighPerformance #MovementScience #StayingRelevant #DrMattJordan

    What Most People Get Wrong About Returning From ACL Injury | Dr. Matt Jordan

  5. Jul 14

    Why Average Healthcare Is Failing You | Tony Medrano

    Most people are collecting more health data than ever before—but they're not getting healthier. Wearables, blood work, genetic testing, and AI promise personalized insights, yet many clinicians, athletes, and high performers still struggle to know what actually matters and what data to ignore. In this episode, Tony Medrano, CEO of LongevityPlan.AI, 3-time Ironman finisher, and technology entrepreneur, explains how AI-powered digital twins could change the future of personalized healthcare, athletic performance, injury prevention, and longevity. From wearable technology and genomics to peptides and inflammation, Tony shares how individualized data may help people make better health decisions instead of relying on population averages. In This Episode, You'll Learn How AI-powered digital twins could personalize health and performanceWhy wearables can both help—and mislead—your training decisionsHow elite sports organizations use predictive data to reduce injuriesWhy intuition still matters in an age of AI and health technologyWhat the future of healthcare may look like over the next decade Whether you're a clinician, coach, healthcare professional, athlete, or someone interested in longevity and performance, this episode will help you think differently about personalized health. Timestamps 01:05 – What is a digital twin? 05:40 – Genetics, AI, and personalized medicine 07:30 – Peptides explained 10:45 – Can AI predict disease? 11:55 – Building a digital twin with genetics, labs, and wearables 17:15 – The Ironman challenge that changed everything 22:20 – Recovering from a devastating cycling accident 26:20 – What Tony's own digital twin reveals 30:40 – Why intuition still matters more than data 35:10 – Are wearables making us less connected to our bodies? 41:05 – What the NFL measures to prevent injuries 43:15 – The future of AI in healthcare 44:45 – Will AI replace clinicians? 46:20 – Are we outsourcing our ability to think? 51:10 – The biggest myths in healthcare 52:20 – The overlooked biomarker clinicians should pay attention to 55:10 – What today's healthcare system may be getting wrong Connect with Tony: 🌐 Website – longevityplan.a 💼 LinkedIn – Tony Medrano 📸 Instagram – @longevityplanai 📸 Instagram – @tmedranosd 🔴YouTube – @LongevityPlanAI 🎓 Sponsored by the Advanced Movement Therapist (AMT) Certification The Advanced Movement Therapist (AMT) System helps clinicians and performance coaches stop guessing, understand the nervous system and identify the root cause of pain so they can deliver more consistent results — faster. 👉 Learn more at https://www.amtcertified.ca #Healthcare #ArtificialIntelligence #Longevity #Performance #PrecisionMedicine #Wearables #Biohacking #HealthOptimization #ClinicianEducation #AthletePerformance #DigitalTwin #StayingRelevant

    Why Average Healthcare Is Failing You | Tony Medrano

  6. Jul 7

    How to Build a Successful Clinical Career Without Burning Out | Dr. Jen Fraboni

    Building a successful career shouldn't require sacrificing your health, relationships, or family. Yet many clinicians, entrepreneurs, and high performers reach a point where the strategies that created success no longer fit the life they want. In this episode, we explore how to adapt through different seasons of life without losing your purpose, identity, or impact. Dr. Jen Fraboni, Doctor of Physical Therapy, educator, entrepreneur, founder of DocJenFit and Gen Health, shares how she evolved from treating patients in a clinic to educating millions online while navigating entrepreneurship, marriage, and motherhood. We discuss clinician burnout, online business, chronic pain, movement, longevity, and what it really takes to build a sustainable career. In This Episode, You'll Learn How clinicians can transition into entrepreneurship without losing themselvesWhat motherhood taught Dr. Jen Fraboni about success, balance, and prioritiesWhy movement, strength, and pain science matter more than outdated rehabilitation modelsHow to build trust, educate online, and create meaningful impact beyond the clinicWhat every clinician should understand about longevity, chronic pain, and lifelong learning This episode is for clinicians, physical therapists, chiropractors, healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, coaches, and anyone trying to build a meaningful career without sacrificing the life they're working to create. Timestamps 00:00 – Why success eventually requires reinvention 05:22 – What physical therapy school doesn't teach you 11:10 – Building an audience before building a business 15:39 – The reality of entrepreneurship behind social media 25:33 – Motherhood and redefining success 30:50 – Pelvic health, women's health, and treating the whole person 36:16 – What gets sacrificed when balancing business and family 36:47 – How Dr. Jen's clinical philosophy has evolved 42:26 – Why people believe pain is a normal part of aging 47:20 – Becoming an educator and overcoming imposter syndrome 48:34 – The ongoing challenge of entrepreneurship and balance 50:06 – Advice for clinicians building both a career and a life 51:02 – The legacy Dr. Jen hopes to leave Connect with Dr. Jen Fraboni 📸Instagram – @docjenfit 📸Instagram – @jen.health 🌐Website – docjenfit.thinkific.com 🌐Website – www.jen.health 🔴YouTube – @docjenfit 🎓 Sponsored by the Advanced Movement Therapist (AMT) Certification The Advanced Movement Therapist (AMT) System helps clinicians and performance coaches stop guessing, understand the nervous system and identify the root cause of pain so they can deliver more consistent results — faster. 👉 Learn more at https://www.amtcertified.ca #PhysicalTherapy #Clinician #Entrepreneur #WorkLifeBalance #PainScience #Longevity #Healthcare #Mobility #Leadership #DocJenFit #StayingRelevant

    How to Build a Successful Clinical Career Without Burning Out | Dr. Jen Fraboni

  7. Jun 30

    Why So Many Athletes Plateau (And How to Break Through) | Marcellus Bowman

    Most athletes, coaches, and high performers believe the answer to better results is doing more. More training. More intensity. More volume. But for many people, the real reason performance stalls is because recovery, joint health, sleep, nutrition, and nervous system regulation are being ignored. In this conversation, expert strength and conditioning coach Marcellus Bowman shares what he learned competing as a professional athlete and now coaching elite athletes at the highest level. From overtraining and recovery to joint longevity and sustainable performance, Marcellus breaks down how mastering the fundamentals unlocks long-term success. In This Episode, You'll Learn • Why most athletes are overtraining and limiting their performance • How the nervous system acts as a brake on performance and recovery • The real role of sleep, nutrition, and hydration in athletic success • How to build strength and power without sacrificing joint health • Why elite athletes focus on sustainability instead of constantly doing more • How to balance ambition, family, and high performance without burning out Whether you're a clinician, coach, athlete, or high performer looking to maximize results while staying healthy, this episode will help you simplify performance and focus on what actually works. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Marcellus Bowman 01:29 Why Most Athletes Do Too Much 04:24 The Injury That Changed Everything 05:37 Nutrition, Recovery, and Rebuilding Performance 11:54 The Nervous System's Role in Performance 13:28 Creating Self-Awareness in Athletes 16:09 The Eat, Sleep, Peak Framework 18:24 Optimizing Sleep and Recovery 21:44 Why Performance Has Become Overcomplicated 27:12 How Marcellus Evaluates New Training Methods 29:31 Training Young Athletes vs Veteran Athletes 36:39 Recovery Strategies Inside Professional Football 41:18 Balancing High Performance and Family Life 45:32 The Future of Joint Health and Longevity 48:00 Isometrics, Tendons, and Tissue Adaptation 52:22 The First Step to Better Joint Health Connect with Marcellus: Instagram – @eatsleepeak Instagram – @coachboomiii Website – eatsleeppeak.com LinkedIn – Marcellus Bowman Book – The 1% - The Athlete's Guide to Nutrition, Sleep, and Peak Performance 🎓 Sponsored by the Advanced Movement Therapist (AMT) Certification The Advanced Movement Therapist (AMT) System helps clinicians and performance coaches stop guessing, understand the nervous system and identify the root cause of pain so they can deliver more consistent results — faster. 👉 Learn more at https://www.amtcertified.ca #AthleticPerformance #StrengthAndConditioning #SportsPerformance #Recovery #HighPerformance #SportsScience #MobilityTraining #AthleteDevelopment #InjuryPrevention #NervousSystem #PerformanceCoaching #StayingRelevant

    Why So Many Athletes Plateau (And How to Break Through) | Marcellus Bowman

  8. Jun 24

    The Real Reason Your Rehab and Training Isn't Working | Rocky Snyder

    Most pain, movement limitations, and performance plateaus aren't caused by where symptoms show up. They're often the result of compensation patterns, nervous system adaptations, and movement strategies that have been building for years. If you're only treating symptoms, you're likely missing the real problem. In this episode, strength coach, movement specialist, educator, and author Rocky Snyder shares how he moved beyond traditional strength training and rehab models to focus on the underlying causes of pain, dysfunction, and performance limitations. Drawing from over 30 years of experience, Rocky explains how biomechanics, gait analysis, applied neurology, and systems thinking can help clinicians and coaches get better outcomes. In This Episode, You'll Learn • Why pain is often the body's solution—not the problem • The biggest mistakes clinicians and trainers make during assessment • How movement compensation patterns develop and why they persist • Why language and diagnosis can dramatically influence recovery outcomes • How posture, gait, balance, and neurology reveal the root cause of dysfunction • Why effective rehab and performance training require a systems-based approach This episode is for clinicians, physiotherapists, chiropractors, trainers, strength coaches, rehab professionals, and anyone who wants a deeper understanding of how the body truly adapts and heals. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 01:14 What Rocky Believed 20 Years Ago That Was Completely Wrong 02:18 The Moment Strength Training Stopped Being the Answer 06:04 Mentors That Changed Rocky's Career 10:05 Functional Training vs Traditional Strength Training 19:48 The Importance of Assessment Over Protocols 20:07 Rocky's Complete Assessment Process 29:28 The Power of Language in Rehabilitation 33:48 Why Pain Is Often the Solution 36:20 Diagnosis vs Understanding the Real Cause 37:25 Teaching Clients Self-Awareness 45:13 Building a Systems-Based Assessment 54:07 What Excites Rocky About the Future of Health and Performance 55:50 Advice for New and Experienced Clinicians Connect with Rocky: 🌐Website – www.rockysnyder.com 📸Instagram – @rockysnyder 🔴YouTube – @RockySnyder 🔗LinkedIn – Rocky Snyder 🎓 Sponsored by the Advanced Movement Therapist (AMT) Certification The Advanced Movement Therapist (AMT) System helps clinicians and performance coaches stop guessing, understand the nervous system and identify the root cause of pain so they can deliver more consistent results — faster. 👉 Learn more at https://www.amtcertified.ca #PhysicalTherapy #Rehab #MovementAssessment #AppliedNeurology #StrengthCoach #PerformanceTraining #Biomechanics #PainRelief #FunctionalMovement #SportsPerformance #HealthcareEducation #StayingRelevant

    The Real Reason Your Rehab and Training Isn't Working | Rocky Snyder
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The game changes. The rules shift. The spotlight moves on. So how do you stay relevant when everything around you keeps evolving? Hosted by Tom Swales, physiotherapist, strength coach, and founder of the AMT System; Staying Relevant dives into the habits, mindsets, and turning points that help people perform at the highest level and keep growing long after others stop. Each week, Tom sits down with athletes, clinicians, coaches, educators, doctors, influencers, and world-class performers to uncover what it really takes to last. These aren’t highlight-reel conversations, they’re raw, curious, and practical. We pull back the curtain on how top performers reinvent themselves, adapt under pressure, and find new ways to win when the odds say it’s over. Every episode delivers: Unfiltered stories from pros who found their next chapter beyond competition.Insider lessons from doctors, educators, and coaches shaping the future of health and performance.Hard-earned insights from entrepreneurs and creators building lasting impact in competitive spaces.This isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about resilience, reinvention, and relevance, the traits that keep you sharp, grounded, and ready for what’s next. If you’re ready to think bigger about your career, your craft, and your performance, this podcast is your edge. Staying Relevant is powered by the AMT System, giving health and performance pros the tools to assess, treat, and transform clients faster.

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