My Home Vitality
Introduction to guest:
Since 2008 Dr. Nichols Gill has been the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the one of the most elite sports teams in the world – the New Zealand All Blacks.
In that time they have won more than 120 rugby test matches, two World Cup titles and a plethora of other trophies.
In this podcast we discuss what makes these New Zealand warriors such elite athletes, how they train and what us mere mortals can do to increase our physical and mental performance.
Nic’s also a keen Ironman competitor so we talk about his training as well, and we also dive into some of the stories Nic has from behind the scenes of the New Zealand dressing room, including some of his most memorable world cup winning memories.
Enjoy the show…And don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel!
More from Nic:
Website: nicgill.com
Key quotes and takeaways from the show:
Leadership and culture are the two critical elements of team success.
Do the basics consistently well.
Do S&C training after easier sessions and away from tough sessions.
Put learning and skill training first and don’t be fatigued going into that.
If you lose consistency in your S&C training, you will get sore. Once your training becomes familiar and consistent, you won’t get as sore.
Sleep is king!
We learn to be stronger by firing neuropathways. First, lay neural pathways (grease the groove), then muscles will adapt over time. Brain adapts first, then muscle follows.
“Marginal gains only work when everything else is perfect. When you’ve got the other 99% humming.” Most organisations or individuals get the big things right before they focus on marginal gains.
Keep nutrition simple – Eat lots of colourful foods and reduce your intake of white, processed junk.
Experiment with your own nutrition and training so you can learn about your body. Once you have the knowledge, then you can adapt to any situation.
Most improved athletes deal with pressure better.
Your weaknesses don’t stop you from being good, but they do stop you from being great – work on becoming world class in your strengths and at least average in your weaknesses.
Put your own filter on the information you consume – put it into context for you and experiment.
“We were still doing stuff on the smell of an oily rag.”
Ice baths and massages are important for recovery.
Basics done well!
Links to podcast sites:
The full podcast:
Related episodes:
For more podcasts on elite performance check out these related videos…
How to find your path in life:
Get all of the most life changing techniques you need for accomplishing your dreams in this succinct guide.
It includes 35 years of research, including the best strategies from all of our podcast guests…
Show notes:
- 00:00:00 – 14 years and 2 world cups.
- 00:01:00 – Iron Man Australia.
- 00:03:08 – Why were the All Blacks so good?
- 00:07:17 – How the All Blacks train.
- 00:15:03 – Balancing strength & skill training.
- 00:24:33 – Rest days.
- 00:26:32 – Is strength a skill?
- 00:33:53 – Nutrition.
- 00:42:36 – World Cup winning memories.
- 00:44:49 – Common traits of athletes.
- 00:51:42 – Ice baths.
- 00:55:07 – How the All Blacks train – Part 2.
- 00:57:21 – Nic’s final thoughts.
- 00:59:06 – 2 World records.
People and resources mentioned:
In alphabetical order:
