Daniel Allen is a doctor of clinical psychology and a strength and conditioning coach specializing in preparing candidates for military and special operations service in New Zealand.

He spent 6 years as a medic in the NZ Army before leaving to fulfill a dream to compete as a professional Muay Thai and MMA athlete and embark on a decade-long formal training in clinical psychology. 

He has worked with people ranging from Olympians, professional and world-class athletes, to beginners starting out for the first time to successful New Zealand SAS candidates.

Dan’s wide-ranging academic background spans undergraduate study in Health Science, Exercise Science, master’s and doctoral psychology programs, and much to his wife’s dismay, he is currently in a 2-year neuropsychology program.

Dan’s doctoral research focused on factors that reduced PTSD and increased flourishing among military personnel in the years following deployment, including nutrition, sleep, exercise, social support, and leadership support.

His psychology background is similarly wide-ranging, including working as a high-school counselor, in a drugs and addiction service and, more recently, in a private psychology service.

Dan is passionate about understanding the relationship between nutrition, psychology, and performance and how these things facilitate resilience.

You can learn more about Dan at his website, drdancoach.com/ or on Instagram at @drdancoaching



Timestamps:

00:00:22 Introduction to Daniel Allen

00:01:46 Sidequest to Be Professional Muay Thai Fighter

00:06:40 Training in High-Level Gyms Around the World

00:09:15 How Did Daniel Allen’s Training Impact How He Coaches?

00:11:39 How to Separate Pain from Suffering

00:14:02 Exercise Science and Psychology Degrees 

00:14:59 New Zealand SAS 

00:17:49 What Would Daniel Change About How He Coached in the Past?

00:21:09 How to Balance Being Good at Running and Rucking

00:24:05 Predictors of Success

00:26:58 Most Common Mistakes in Prep

00:29:31 Test Within a Training Cycle

00:31:53 Fundamental Skills to Develop People’s Abilities

00:34:04 Sponsor Note on Segmenting 

00:34:28 Questioning Your Sense of Belonging

00:41:02 Common Success Factors from Olympic Athletes to SAS Operators

00:45:21 Cognitive Flexibility and Growth Mindset

00:47:45 Operational Longevity 

00:52:33 Limiting Factors During a Course 

00:54:04 Candidates with Cushie Backgrounds

00:57:43 Gaining Awareness of the Landscape of Your Mind

00:59:43 SAS Candidates Do’s and Don’ts

01:02:31 Best and Worst Advice Ever Received 

01:05:29 Outro