GT Performance Podcast

Zach Guiser
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A show dedicated to all things long-term athlete development. Learn how to help your athlete get faster, stronger, more explosive, healthier, and prepared for game-day and real-world success. Join Dr. Zach Guiser as we talk about youth sports, sports physical therapy, sports performance training, strength and conditioning, and everything else around long-term athletic development.

  1. 3D AGO

    The 5 best lifts to build speed.

    Dr. Zach Guiser argues that for teenage athletes, strength is the "rising tide that lifts all ships," providing a higher return on investment for speed and health than almost any other training modality . He outlines five specific exercises—primarily unilateral—designed to prepare the body for the 600+ pounds of force required during elite sprinting and change of direction . The episode concludes with a life framework centered on essentialism, urging listeners to say "no" to anything that does not enhance their health, mission, or quality time with their "tribe". 00:00 – Introduction: Reframing Problems as Opportunities01:05 – The Rising Tide: Why Strength is the Ultimate ROI for Teens01:41 – The "Strong Enough" Threshold02:02 – Exercise 1: Reverse Lunges and Acceleration Specificity02:55 – Exercise 2: Trap Bar Deadlifts and the Athletic Position03:36 – Exercises 3 & 4: The Purest Unilateral Knee and Hinge Movements04:09 – Exercise 5: Single Leg Elevated Calf Raises for Achilles Stiffness05:08 – Summary and the "Say No" Framework Everything in these newsletters, podcasts, social media, and on our website is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice for you or your athlete. Consult directly with a healthcare professional.

    5 min

  2. FEB 3

    If it hurts, don't just cut it. Do this instead.

    Dr. Zach Guiser introduces the "mastery of the mundane" before diving into Graded Exposure, the essential rehab principle he realized was missing from his previous writings. He simplifies the recovery process into two paths: providing the body with the optimal environment to heal itself and intentionally building capacity by doing what you are capable of today before adding small increments over time. The episode concludes with a sobering reflection on professional envy, using the extreme schedule of an NFL head coach to remind athletes not to crave someone else's rewards unless they are willing to accept their specific burdens. 00:00 – Introduction: Stephen King and Mastering the Mundane01:06 – The "Snail Tank" Epiphany and the Sin of Omission01:34 – The Two Pillars of Rehab: Natural Healing & Graded Exposure01:50 – Pillar 1: Letting the Body Heal (Environment and Basics)02:11 – Pillar 2: The Logic of Graded Exposure02:45 – Real-World Applications: Squats and Hamstring Sprints03:59 – Professional Envy and the "Mike McDonald" Perspective04:41 – Conclusion: Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing Everything in these newsletters, podcasts, social media, and on our website is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice for you or your athlete. Consult directly with a healthcare professional.

    5 min

  3. JAN 28

    9 unconventional ways to get faster

    Dr. Zach Guiser explains that while sprinting is the ultimate tool for speed, peak performance is limited by the "weakest link" among various musculoskeletal and neurological subsystems. He details how sensory inputs from the eyes, inner ear, and joints are processed by the brain to determine how much power the motor cortex is allowed to output. The episode concludes with a nine-point training framework designed to address everything from tendon stiffness to automatic brainstem drive, ensuring athletes remove the internal "governors" that hold back their speed. Timestamps00:00 – Introduction: Why the Work "Just Needs Doing"00:36 – Speed as a Complex Interplay of Systems01:06 – Breaking Down the Musculoskeletal System01:18 – The Nervous System: Sensory Input, Processing, and Motor Output02:26 – How the Brain Interprets the Environment for Speed03:15 – The "Governor" Concept: How Weak Systems Limit Potential03:48 – 9 Actionable Steps for Well-Rounded Speed Development05:01 – Closing: Mark Twain on Excellence Everything in these newsletters, podcasts, social media, and on our website is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice for you or your athlete. Consult directly with a healthcare professional.

    7 min

  4. JAN 20

    Is dry needling safe? Does dry needling work?

    IF YOU JUST WANT THE TAKEAWAYS, JUMP STRAIGHT TO THE 43:35 MARK! Dr. Zach Guiser and John trace the evolution of dry needling from ancient Eastern acupuncture to modern Western "trigger point" therapy, examining whether the practice is truly safe and effective for athletes. 00:00 – Introduction and the history of Acupuncture, "Chi," and Meridians02:31 – Wet Needling vs. Dry Needling: JFK’s physician and trigger points04:13 – The TJ Watt Black Swan Event: A punctured lung in the NFL05:06 – Defining Trigger Points and Proposed Mechanisms of Action11:30 – Study #1: Efficacy for chronic low back pain (Short-term vs. Long-term)14:11 – How "Sham" Dry Needling works in research17:40 – Study #2: Dry needling for musculoskeletal conditions (Meta-analysis)27:24 – Study #3: Dry Needling vs. Manual Therapy (Head-to-Head)30:14 – Study #4: Dry Needling in Sports and Performance (The 2025 Evidence Gap Map)33:27 – Study #5: Safety Data and Adverse Events (Minor vs. Major)41:12 – The Philosophy of Risk: Fat-Tailed Risks and Black Swans43:35 – Summary, Zach’s Final Stance, and Attia Categories46:00 – The Legality of Dry Needling: Ohio vs. Pennsylvania vs. the UK Everything in these newsletters, podcasts, social media, and on our website is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice for you or your athlete. Consult directly with a healthcare professional.

    50 min

  5. JAN 14

    My plea to the softball community.

    Use the swing planner for free at gtperformance.co/swingplanner. Dr. Zach Guiser addresses the disproportionately high rate of preventable low back injuries in softball by explaining the concept of Acute to Chronic Workload Ratio (ACWR). He highlights a dangerous volume discrepancy where athletes take up to five times more swings in a single practice or lesson than they do on game day, often leading to a spike in injury risk during early-season ramp-ups. To solve this, he introduces a free digital swing planner that helps athletes gradually increase their workload within the "sweet spot" of 0.8 to 1.3 to ensure safe and durable athletic development. 00:00 – Introduction: The Problem with "More"01:05 – The Softball Back Pain Epidemic01:46 – Three Factors Driving Back Injuries02:30 – Understanding Acute to Chronic Workload Ratio (ACWR)03:59 – The Volume Gap: Game Day vs. Practice Swings05:10 – How to Build an Intentional Ramp-Up Period06:20 – The Free Swing Planner Tool07:47 – Special Considerations for Softball Pitchers08:43 – Softball vs. Baseball: Why the Injury Rates Differ10:00 – TLDR: The Sweet Spot for Performance Everything in these newsletters, podcasts, social media, and on our website is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice for you or your athlete. Consult directly with a healthcare professional.

    11 min

  6. JAN 6

    How an athlete should eat (an actionable checklist)

    Dr. Zach Guiser addresses the overwhelming "noise" of modern nutrition advice by introducing a structured six-level checklist designed to help athletes build near-automatic competency in their fueling habits. The progression begins with foundational habits like meal frequency, protein intake, and hydration before advancing to more technical strategies such as nutrient timing, AI tracking, and precision weighing. Guiser encourages athletes to be proactive by managing their pantry environment and meal planning, while ultimately maintaining that an athlete's worth is independent of their performance on the field or in the kitchen 00:00 – Introduction: The Commitment Gap00:46 – Level 1: Frequency, Protein, and Hydration01:41 – Level 2: Fruits, Veggies, and Liquid Calories02:11 – Level 3: Processing, Supplements, and Timing04:15 – Level 4: Caloric Targets and AI Tracking04:41 – Level 5: Manual Weighing and Measuring05:10 – Level 6: Advanced Blood Work and Imaging05:53 – Strategies for Proactive Success06:47 – Final Thoughts: Worth vs. Performance Creatine Info: https://gtperformance.co/creatine/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdQRMYsZZac

    10 min

  7. 12/30/2025

    How to get the most out of your life (a special episode for the adults)

    Dr. Zach Guiser introduces Jesse Itzler’s framework of "Misogis" and "Mini-Adventures," providing a structured way to build toughness and meaningful memories through one massive annual challenge and six scheduled life-enriching experiences . He then details Peter Attia’s Centenarian Decathlon, a goal-setting method that shifts the focus of physical training toward maintaining ten specific, high-value tasks during the final decade of one’s life. Finally, Guiser explores the concept of "time-limited potency," urging listeners to audit their current lives and prioritize relationships or physical pursuits that may not be as accessible or meaningful in five to ten years. 00:32 – Introduction: The Importance of Small Habits00:43 – Jesse Itzler’s Framework: Misogis and Mini-Adventures01:05 – The Two Rules of a Misogi02:18 – Rules and Examples of Mini-Adventures03:22 – Peter Attia’s Centenarian Decathlon: Training for 10003:59 – Real-World Examples of Centenarian Goals05:10 – Time Limits on Potency: Shifting Priorities06:20 – Fact-Checking Your Future: Living Intentionally Now

    9 min

  8. 12/23/2025

    What you should actually train in-season

    In this entry of the Athlete Development Journal, Dr. Zach Guiser outlines a six-bucket framework for in-season training designed to maintain maximal speed, power, and compound strength while addressing specific injury risks through isolated exercises . He concludes by discussing the "burden of the reward," emphasizing that high-level success requires an acceptance of the specific struggles and trade-offs that accompany it. Everything in these newsletters, podcasts, social media, and on our website is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice for you or your athlete. Consult directly with a healthcare professional . IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 – Introduction: Struggle as an Opportunity01:05 – Six Buckets for In-Season Training01:14 – Bucket 1: Compound Strength01:46 – Bucket 2: Maximal Speed02:30 – Bucket 3: Maximal Jumping02:59 – Bucket 4: Isolated Strength04:15 – Bucket 5: Proprioception & Vestibular System05:10 – Bucket 6: Mobility & Soft Tissue05:43 – The Burden of the Reward: Avoiding Jealousy

    6 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

A show dedicated to all things long-term athlete development. Learn how to help your athlete get faster, stronger, more explosive, healthier, and prepared for game-day and real-world success. Join Dr. Zach Guiser as we talk about youth sports, sports physical therapy, sports performance training, strength and conditioning, and everything else around long-term athletic development.

Information

  • Creator
    Zach Guiser
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    40
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Zach Guiser
  • Show Website
    GT Performance Podcast