CircSci

CircSci

By Aaron KozHealth & FitnessFitness
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CircSci episodes

  • Ep 8 - Coaching Styles and Outcomes, Weight Training for Circus, and Fear-based RPE ft. Dave Tilley.

    Today on the podcast, we've got an interview with Dr. Dave Tilley, who runs his own podcast (@SHIFTMovementScience), we cover a variety of topics related to gymnastics and circus training as well as coaching, culture and scandals. We discuss how we can move the sport in a better direction, what are the mistakes that people are making still, and how we balance keeping someone safe, moving towards high performance and staying up to date with new ideas.


    As always, to grab a free/sliding scale copy of the Couch To Aerial Fitness 12 Week Program go here, and to support the show, please share if you're enjoying the show on social media and check out the CircSci patreon (which also has loads of articles and thoughts around the science of circus training and tutorials!).

    Dave Tilley is: a Physical Therapist who graduated in 2013 from Springfield College. Dave comes from an extensive gymnastics background, being a former athlete and currently still coaching optional level gymnastics in Boston. Dave was a competitive gymnast for 18 years, 4 of them collegiately as part of the Springfield College Men’s Team. Dave has also been coaching gymnastics for 12 years, being involved in beginner, national, and elite levels. His unique background as a former athlete and current coach gives him a one of a kind approach for the performance and rehabilitation of gymnasts. He has successfully treated some of the most talented high school, collegiate, and junior elite level gymnasts in the country. Along with gymnastics, Dave enjoys treating athletes of all sports as well as the specialized treatment of Olympic Weightlifters and CrossFit athletes. He has worked with regional and national level Olympic Weightlifters, as well as Regional and Games level CrossFit Athletes.

    Along with treating in the clinic, Dave is also the CEO/Founder of  “SHIFT Movement Science and Gymnastics Education”. This company was started in 2014 to help educate those involved in gymnastics, medical fields, Olympic weightlifting, CrossFit, and more about optimal performance and preventative rehabilitation strategies. By combining his roles as a healthcare provider, current coach, and athlete Dave looks to help remold the gymnastics world with current, scientifically backed principles that optimize a gymnast’s long-term potential. His new forward-thinking ideas have been nationally recognized with members of USA Gymnastics, being implemented into JO, Collegiate, and Elite level programs. Dave travels to speak both nationally and internationally at various events across the country including Make It Right Elite Gymnastics Camp, USAG Regional, and National Congress, Power Monkey Camp in Tennessee, and has consulted with many NCAA Division 1 Men’s and Women’s Gymnastics.

    1 hr 5 min
  • Pole Sport Injury Reduction, How to Structure a Pole Class , and Self-Determination Theory ft. Dr. Joanna Nicholas and Dr. Emily Scherb - CircSci Ep.7

    It was so wonderful hearing from Dr. Joanna Nicholas (with guest host Emily Scherb aka The Circus Doc) - this episode covers a range of topics from Dr. Nicholas who ran a broad study that looked at pole sport (physical and psychological factors) all over Australia!


    We talk about common injuries in the pole world, how much head position matters, how to structure classes to build competency in fundamentals while making sure students have fun, and what keeps people coming back to pole class.

    https://www.waapa.ecu.edu.au/about/our-staff/profiles/research-staff/dr-joanna-nicholas


    https://www.instagram.com/drjoannanicholas/?hl=en


    1 hr 8 min
  • Ep. 6 - Chris Gatti on Handstand Training, Coaching Perspectives, and Analysis of the 1-arm

    Alright, y'all, it has been a MINUTE! This episode was recorded a while back, but there are some gems in here! We talk about Chris' recommended general handstand training session outline, coaching perspectives, and Chris' biomechanical modeling analysis of a 1-arm handstand.


    Chris Gatti's (@bearded_mann) background includes time in both academic and acrobatic domains. He holds degrees in mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, and machine learning and data analysis. In part, his research experience includes approximately five years doing computational shoulder biomechanics in an orthopaedic laboratory and his dissertation work focused on reinforcement learning. After completing his PhD, he joined Cirque du Soleil as an artist to perform on tour in South/Central America, and he has since been a Head Coach and consultant for Cirque du Soleil as well. Currently, he pursues a variety of independent activities including handstand training and teaching (his passion), academic editing, and circus research.

    I've linked his website here: https://www.chrisgatti.com/ in case you're interested in reading his blog (lots of gems in there! OR his academic editing OR handstand coaching (though as you'll here, he isn't as much a fan of online coaching).

    1 hr 14 min
  • Embracing Adaptation through Pain Science, When to use RPE, Self-efficacy in Coaching, and How to Craft an Effective Warm-up ft. Tait Brown, Clinical Exercise Physiologist

    In this episode of CircSci, we cover aspects of pain science (and how tissue damage may not be as bad as we think), RPE scale usage (for strength versus skills), self-efficacy in coaching and rehab, and more (like some potential aspects of a good warm-up). Tait Brown is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist, and  is incredibly knowledgable in the field of Allied Health and is about as hilariously Australian as you get (he also has his own podcast: Into the Red Zone!).


    You can follow him here (https://www.instagram.com/totalbodybenefit/) and listen to his podcast here: https://www.spreaker.com/show/into-the-red-zone (or on Spotify!).

    His bio below:


    Tait completed a Bachelor of Exercise Science (Rehabilitation) in 2012, followed by a Masters of Clinical Exercise Physiology (Rehabilitation) in December 2013 at Charles Sturt University and has been accredited by Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA) as an Exercise Physiologist since January 2014.

    Tait has a long established interest in physical fitness and health, realising very early that this was his passion. Throughout his career, Tait has been exposed to a broad spectrum of chronic and complex health and injury conditions. He has a particular interest in musculo-skeletal rehabilitation & strength & conditioning.


    Tait takes an evidence based approach in his work, focusing on the biopsychosocial model. Tait’s ability to communicate and interact with clients ensures the greatest level of motivation and confidence from clients to achieve their goals. Tait is currently working in one of Sydney, Australia’s leading Strength gyms, working with strength athletes competing across powerlifting, weightlifting and strong man as well as general population.

    1 hr 10 min
  • Intermittent Fasting, Mice Research, Keto, and Dieting for Circus Artists and Aerialists ft. Dr. Ethan Weiss and Max March-Steinman

    Have you ever wondered about the interaction of dieting in relation to circus or aerial training? In this episode of CircSci, we look at intermittent fasting and keto diets and whether they make sense for circus athletes with Dr. Ethan Weiss.


    Dr. Weiss is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and a Principle Investigator in the Cardiovascular Research Institute (CVRI). He received his M.D. from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he also completed his internship and residency. He completed his cardiology training at UCSF.

    Dr. Weiss’ clinical interests include prevention, lipids, thrombosis and the emerging intersection of endocrinology and cardiology with a specific focus on pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes as risk factors for coronary disease. His research is focused on the mechanisms of obesity, fatty liver disease, and diabetes. He has an active program in clinical nutrition exploring time-restricted eating. He has served as Principle Investigator on grants funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). His laboratory previously focused on novel regulators of thrombosis and hemostasis. He serves on multiple scientific advisory boards and is a co-founder of Keyto Inc., a San Francisco-based company aiming to enable the use of a heart healthy ketogenic diet to treat metabolic diseases.

    49 min
  • Language Use, Perfectionism, and Nervous System Regulation - How They Impact Our Training/Performing ft. Janelle of CirquePsych

    Alright, y’all, we’ve got a new episode up with @janelledinosaurs AKA @cirque_psych (LSW). In this episode, we covered how the language we use can impact our physiological response in training, the benefits and detriments of perfectionism as it applies to training, and how to regulate our nervous system to support our goals (and just generally had a great time!).

    Janelle is a contortionist, aerialist, circus coach, and therapist (LSW). She started @cirque_psych in 2018 in response to seeing a need in the circus community for more transparency and vulnerability around mental health and mental illness. Janelle's work supports circus folks in improving their relationships with themselves, and uses circus analogies to explore topics in mental health, wellbeing, and social change. Check out her website at https://janelledinosaurs.com/ and the articles that we mention are listed here:

    https://flowmovement.net/poleflowblog/2020/06/alettertothepolecommunity

    https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1999-05027-021

    1 hr 16 min
  • Autoregulation, Minimum Effective Dose, and Oral Contraceptive Use on Maximal Strength Output (ft. Dr. Eric Helms)

    Ever been curious about how to assess when to stop training a dynamic aerial skill versus a strength skill? In this episode of CircSci, we explore the way you can use autoregulation and repetitions left in reserve to pick sets/reps and load for differing types of exercise and skills.


    Throughout my coaching and academic careers, I’ve always looked up to experts who: were constantly learning, humble, passionate, and admit when a question or idea is beyond their scope of knowledge. Dr. Eric Helms (@helms3mdj) is one of those people. He not only was open to doing an interview, but touched on a NUMBER of different subjects beyond our overall topic of autoregulation in bodyweight strength training, aerial, circus, and gymnastics. Eric is currently a research fellow at the Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand, author on MASS Research Review, two books, and competes internationally as a powerlifter, strongman, and bodybuilder.

    Please enjoy this lengthy podcast episode covering auto-regulation for strength training and skill training, minimum effective dose, and oral contraceptive impact on performance (piggy-backing a bit on the last episode with Dr. Jess Allen). As usual, if you have any questions for me, please comment below or email me at [email protected]

    If you’ve got more questions about the newest research in strength training science, check out MASS (Monthly Applications in Strength Sport) Research Review and give Eric a follow @helms3mdj and subscribe to his channels as he puts out incredible content constantly!

    1 hr 33 min
  • Hormonal Cycle Periodization - The Pun Wasn't Made

    Interview with Jess Allen - @awyrol - who is an aerial instructor/performer in Wales, has completed two PhD's, and has spent the pandemic looking into periodization into relation to hormonal changes because she's a bit mental (in the best way!).


    We cover the effects of hormonal cycles/changes as reported in meta-analyses, anecdotal experience, and ways to periodize or autoregulate your training to adjust for those changes.

    1 hr 30 min

About CircSci

From the publisher's feed

A podcast on the science of circus training and performing. Each episode hones in on different areas of practically applied research to use in your own circus training.