Ryan brings a unique perspective to this conversation. A former action sports athlete himself whose career was cut short by a life-threatening injury, he has since spent over 20 years working across elite sport, academy systems, private education, and national governing bodies, before circling back to the world he started in. Today, he works as a performance consultant for British Water Ski and Wakeboard, Head of Sport Science at St Paul's School in London, and Lead Tutor for the Youth Strength and Conditioning Association.

This isn't a conversation about conventional periodisation or standard gym metrics. Ryan challenges the assumptions baked into most traditional performance models and makes a compelling case for why action sports, think X Games, halfpipe snowboarding, freestyle skiing, demand an entirely different approach. One built not around chasing peaks, but around building repeatable, durable performance that holds up under fatigue, variable terrain, and real-world unpredictability.
He talks through his Restore, Apply, Own framework in practical terms, explains why training in a fresh state but competing in a fatigued one is one of the most underappreciated problems in sport, and shares how he uses a blend of velocity-based training, jump testing, readiness monitoring, and athlete-specific education tools to close that gap. He also weighs in on the growing use of AI in competition judging, the rapid rise of the X Games League, and why the preparation systems in action sports simply haven't caught up with where the sport is heading.
Whether you're a sports scientist, strength and conditioning coach, or simply someone with an interest in how elite performance is built at the fringes of mainstream sport, this is a conversation worth your time.

In This Episode You Will Learn

• Why traditional performance models fall short in action and adventure sports, and what needs to change
• The difference between performance capacity and durability — and why durability is the more important target in action sports
• How Ryan's Restore, Apply, Own framework structures athlete preparation from the ground up
• Why training athletes in a fatigued state is just as important as having them fresh — and how to do it effectively
• How to use a simple SWOT analysis to identify athlete needs and prioritise support when resources are limited
• The role of technology in action sports performance, including VBT, jump testing, readiness monitoring, and AI in competition judging
• Why strength training alone doesn't transfer to sport performance without progression through capacity, application, and environment
• How the rapid growth of the X Games League and Olympic inclusion is creating both opportunity and a preparation gap in action sports
• Practical first steps for coaches and athletes looking to engage with a more structured performance system in action sports

About Ryan Blake
Ryan Blake is a performance coach and consultant specialising in action and adventure sports. He founded Extreme Sports Performance in 2018 after a career that has taken him through elite academy systems, professional sport, private education, and national governing body consultancy. He holds accreditations from both the UKSCA and NSCA, holds an MSc in Maintenance and Enhancement of Elite Performance from the University of Portsmouth, and has worked with world champion athletes and Olympic medallists across disciplines including British Tennis, England Cricket, British Cycling, and now British Water Ski and Wakeboard.
Alongside his consultancy work, Ryan serves as Head of Sport Science at St Paul's School in London and as Lead Tutor for the Youth Strength and Conditioning Association. His own background as an action sports athlete — and the life-threatening injury that ended that chapter — underpins his philosophy around risk, durability, and long-term performance. He is based in Guildford and can be found on Instagram at @extremesportsperformance or at extremesportsperformance.com.

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Lew brings more than 16 years of experience at one of the most successful athletic departments in the NCAA. His journey from a Division III football lineman to a leader shaping the development of athletes in softball, gymnastics, men’s soccer and more, is filled with hard-earned lessons, humility, and an unwavering commitment to supporting people first.

In this conversation, Lew dives into:
• How to develop trust-driven relationships with athletes
• What it truly takes to “raise the floor” of athletic performance
• Why systems like Perch have changed the way Michigan trains
• The realities of guiding young, ambitious athletes through strength, power, and conditioning programmes
• The age-old question: How strong is strong enough? How fit is fit enough?
Lew’s philosophy blends evidence-based practice, a deep understanding of human behaviour, and a humility-first leadership style that resonates across the world of elite sport.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How Lew progressed from internships to a senior leadership role at Michigan—and what he learned along the way
• Why treating athletes as humans first is central to unlocking performance
• How Michigan individualises training across sports with vastly different demands
• The process of integrating Perch velocity-based training and how it transformed athlete intent and coaching quality
• How to use real-time data to adjust loads, manage fatigue, and protect athletes from themselves
• When to stop chasing maximal strength and start focusing on raising the floor for performance
• How to guide young athletes who want PBs every week without compromising long-term development
• Why the most fulfilling moments in coaching come from watching athletes realise they’re capable of more than they thought
• Lew’s leadership philosophy: vulnerability, authenticity, and serving others
• The role of strength & conditioning in creating athletes who are not only powerful and robust—but durable and available

About Lew Porchiazzo
Lew Porchiazzo is the Assistant Director for Strength & Conditioning for Olympic Sports at the University of Michigan, where he has worked since 2009. He currently oversees physical development for a range of elite programmes including softball, women’s gymnastics, and men’s soccer.
Lew began his career with internships at the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and Baylor University, before joining Michigan as a graduate assistant. Across 16+ years he has become a central leader within the department, known for his athlete-first approach, relationship-driven coaching style, and commitment to developing staff and students with authenticity and humility.
His expertise spans strength training, power development, velocity-based training, long-term athlete development, and programme design across sports with widely different physical demands. Beyond the weight room, Lew is passionate about helping athletes grow as people—and maintaining a love of movement and training long after their competitive days are over.
He occasionally even officiates weddings… but you’ll have to listen to the episode to hear that story.

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With over 15 years in high-performance sport, Nathan shares his unique journey from the pathways of Australian rugby league to the courts of the NBA, and now back to the NRL. The conversation dives deep into velocity-based training (VBT), practical insights into using data in elite environments, and the importance of education and context when applying technology in sport.
Whether you’re a coach, sports scientist, or performance professional, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways and thought-provoking discussions about how to truly leverage tech and data to improve athlete performance.

What you’ll learn in this episode

• How Nathan transitioned from rugby league to the NBA and back, and what he learned in the process
• The real-world application of velocity-based training (VBT) in different sports, from basketball to rugby league
• Why context and interpretation matter more than the tech itself
• Lessons from managing high-performance environments through challenges like COVID and condensed seasons
• How to educate and upskill coaches to make better, data-driven decisions
• Emerging trends in VBT and where the technology is headed
• Insights into Nathan’s upcoming VBT course with Science for Sport, designed to help coaches apply these principles in their own environments

About Nathan Spencer
Nathan Spencer is an experienced Strength & Power Coach with a global career spanning rugby league, basketball, and elite sport. He has:
Worked with NRL clubs, the NBL, and spent four years with the Orlando Magic in the NBA
A Master’s in High Performance Sport and a current PhD candidate researching coach mentorships
A passion for educating and upskilling coaches, helping practitioners make better, context-driven decisions in their environments

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• ​ Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More
• ​ Improve Your Athletes' Performance
• ​ Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
• ​ Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research

Jacob shares the journey from an MIT startup to being trusted by pro teams, collegiate programs, and the military, and how the recent Catapult acquisition of Perch is creating a seamless ecosystem that connects weight-room data with on-field performance metrics.

What you’ll learn in this episode

• How camera-based velocity-based training (VBT) is revolutionising athlete monitoring.

• Why closing the feedback loop in the weight room is a game-changer for S&C coaches and sports scientists.

• Real-world insights: how LSU Football leveraged Perch to fuel a national championship season.

• What the Catapult–Perch integration means for the future of athlete data and performance analytics.

• The challenges and lessons of building a hardware-software platform for elite sport.

About Jacob Rothman
Jacob Rothman co-founded Perch at MIT after a back injury inspired him to find a safer, smarter way for athletes to train. Since 2017, Perch has become a trusted solution for pro teams, collegiate programs, and elite training facilities, capturing over 500 million reps in the weight room. In June 2025, Catapult acquired Perch to bring non-invasive, AI-powered strength analytics into its global athlete performance ecosystem. Today, Jacob leads Strength at Catapult, driving innovation in integrated performance and health solutions.

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• ​ Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese
• ​ Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More
• ​ Improve Your Athletes' Performance
• ​ Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
• ​ Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research

Specifically Steve will be looking at:

• Obstacled to VBT use
• Best practice in VBT
• How anyone can use VBT to optimise training for under $10

About Steve

"Steve Thompson is an accredited Strength & Conditioning coach with the United Kingdom Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA) and a Senior Lecturer and the Course Leader for the MSc in Strength and Conditioning Coaching at Sheffield Hallam University. He has recently submitted his PhD in VBT, but more specifically, the use of load-velocity profiling to aid load prescription. Steve is an active early-career researcher, with publications in high-impact journals such as Sports Medicine, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research and International Journal of Sport Physiology and Performance. He currently holds multiple S&C consultancy roles, including City of Sheffield and GB Diving and Barnsley Football Club. Steve has a wealth of experience in elite sport, specifically with GB Commonwealth medallists and Olympic competitors in Diving, Women's Volleyball and Table Tennis, as well as with professional athletes in Rugby League, Tennis, Fencing and Golf. "

Twitter: Steve381
Instagram: stevethompson99t

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Steve_Thompson17

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Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More
Improve Your Athletes' Performance
Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research

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Specifically Hamish will be looking at:

• What are cluster sets
• What are the key advantages
• Use of VBT in combination with clusters
• Practical examples

About Hamish:

"Like many, my first experiences within a gym setting were as a fitness instructor and personal trainer in a local gym during 2008 at the age of 18. The next step was a BSc at St Mary's University in London during which I was lucky enough to intern within the academies of both Norwich City Football Club and London Scottish Rugby Club. From there I interned for a short time at Peterborough United Football Club before moving to China to work with a 2nd and latterly 3rd division professional football club, during which time I studied for a PGCert at the University of Bedfordshire. Following this I moved to Dubai in the UAE to work with an (professional) U21 team for four years during which time I also worked for a brief period with a professional tennis player who played on the WTA. Upon my return to the UK I completed my MSc at the University of Worcester and now work as a Strength and Conditioning Coach for Bristol City and as a Physical Performance Coach on the FA's womens talent pathway."

Instagram:
@Hamishmunro90
@Enhancedphysicalperformance

Twitter:
@Hamishmunro90

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