Global influencer Peter Twist on coaching professional team sports talks to John Polley (JP) about training movement not muscles
Another industry giant, Peter Twist, is the guest in this interview with JP. As a global influencer before social media even existed, and still in 2025, JP explores Peter’s journey through our industry from athlete, to student, to coaching professional team sports, having training facilities across Canada, creating a physical product line, advising the Olympic training approach for both winter and summer programs for the Chinese team, writing books, courses and so much more. Alongside this, JP and Peter talk about how high performance is so much more than physical training – covering brain, beliefs, attitudes, environment and philosophy. If you love understanding what it is to be human, training movement not muscles, and creating health and happiness, then you’re in for a treat!
Sport scientist, author, CEO. Peter Twist coached 11 years in NHL, Operated 12 Training Centers in 4 countries, TWIST Conditioning developed 20,000 college & high school athletes, 2,000 pro & Olympic athletes, including 5 major league MVPs. He also led modernization of training for China Olympic Program. Peter shifted the fitness and sport industries’ training paradigms when he introduced the world’s first 3 Functional Training certification courses. He has authored 22 certification courses, built TWIST education and a product business to 330 global distributors. He’s also Under Armour’s selected Global Education Partner and brought IDEA World to Shanghai China.
Incredibly, he has delivered 1,500 lectures, authored 20 books, 44 DVDs, was the recipient NSCA President’s Award, IDEA Programmer of Year & Inspiration Awards, China’s Most Inspiring in Fitness Award, CFP Presenter of the Year Award. Peter is a stage 4 cancer & stroke thriver inspiring keynotes speeches on Champion Mindset. In his spare time he enjoys hiking & skiing the mountains & rainforest on the west coast of Canada.
Watch another in JP’s series of interviews with global influencers in the fitness industry, this one with Karen Mahar, co-founder of Animal Flow
