Welcome to the FAKTR Podcast where we talk about the stuff they didn't teach you in school. How to grow your practice, refine your clinical skills, and get better results for your patients. We're here to help you navigate the real world challenges of being a healthcare provider. From delivering top notch patient care to running a business that doesn't run you into the ground. Whether you're fresh out of school or scaling your practice, we're diving into effective, cutting edge treatments to get patients better faster. We'll also talk about business strategies and tactics to help you work smarter and not harder, and the mindset shifts required to thrive as a top performer in your field so you can build a career you love without burning out. If you're ready to learn what works and what doesn't from leading experts, industry innovators, and respected clinicians across a wide range of specialties, you're in the right place, my friend. Let's dive in.

Welcome back to the FAKTR Podcast where we bridge the gap between rehabilitation performance and long term athlete development. Jessica I'm your host Jessica Riddle and today we're kicking off a brand new two part series with returning guest instructor Matthew McKay. If you joined us, from Matthew's previous conversation on durability over dominance, you already know this isn't about chasing max lifts, highlight reels, or short term wins. Today's conversation is about something far more important building athletes who can stay healthy, consistent and competitive over the long haul. In this series, Matthew takes us deeper into what durability actually looks like in real world settings, especially when you're working with middle school and high school athletes where habits, movement patterns and injury risk are often set long before college or professional play is even on the table. In part one, we'll focus on the foundation why strength should be treated as a skill before it's treated as a number how movement patterns communicate readiness, compensation and risk long before pain shows up. And why traditional approaches to youth training often reward dominance while quietly sacrificing durability. This conversation challenges some deeply ingrained assumptions in sports performance and it gives clinicians, coaches and healthcare providers a clearer framework for developing athletes who don't just perform well today, but but can still perform years down the road.

Let's cue the intro music and dive in. Hi guys. Before we dive into today's episode, I want to take a quick moment to let you know about something we're doing right now at FAKTR. See, every year, December is our absolute favorite month because we run something called the FAKTR 12 Days of Christmas. It's not a sale. It's not a countdown of random discounts. And it's definitely not about buying anything and everything. Instead, we're releasing one curated resource or offer each day.

Clinical tools, education, partner workshops, and strategic resources we genuinely believe help clinicians think more clearly about their practice and their future. Some days are about patient care, some are more focused on professional development, and some are about planning what comes next in 2026. Not everything on the list is for everyone, and that's intentional. If you want to follow along and see each daily release as it comes out, you can sign up for the 12 Days of Christmas updates using the link in today's Show Notes, we'll send one email a day. No spam, no pressure, just clarity. Again, check the Show Notes for the FAKTR 12 Days of Christmas link. And now let's get into today's episode.

Good afternoon everyone. I am really really really really excited about this one. This is my wheelhouse. I spent like 13 years in strength and conditioning for specifically for high school athletes as well as professional athletes as well. Middle school down to peewee all the way up to professional ball. Two years I spent working with military staff out in Fort Bliss. Installation at 1501 or 1 501st Company Combat Aviation Brigade. So again, just a period of experience.