“Matt Nichol is undoubtedly one of the greatest strength and conditioning coaches in the world. His ability to help athletes perform at the top of their game while simultaneously maximizing their health is truly world-class.”
“Matt Nichol has the knowledge, the experience, and the dedication not just to train, but to teach athletes how to reach way past their current level and to achieve their dreams of performance. I worked with Matt for 8 years and he helped me to achieve my dreams of performance.”
“What makes this place special is the setup we have here: who our head trainer is, who our trainers underneath Matt are, it’s what separates us from other gyms and other companies. I’ve been with Matt and this group for 15 years, which if you can do the math is my whole career. I wouldn’t be anywhere near as successful without Matt or without the organization we have here.
This place is special because it’s my own hockey team when I am away from my team, in the off-season. You have guys that you play against, but you are also following the group of guys in here, and the female hockey players as well. You watch their success in other sports and in our sport, and we just have a family here and it makes it comfortable and a place where you want to get better.
I am nowhere near the athlete I am without Matt and Mike, near the person I am without you two. Thank you for making this place such a special place to be comfortable and reach our goals and our limits, and push us back when we need it to humble us.”
“With Matt, it’s the process which you can just trust. You show up on day 1 and everything’s been extremely thought out, everything’s dialed in. You know that when you come through those doors, everything’s going to be taken care of and all you have to do is show up and work hard. The attention to detail from the first day that I came through these doors until today is next level.
Huge thank you to Matt and Mike, I do not know if I’d be where I am without you two. You guys are two of the best in this business.
Matt has been a mentor and someone I’ve been able to come to and look up to all these years. I feel the love, and it’s mutual. I love you guys, and thanks for all the hard work.”
“Matt is second-to-none. He knows what he’s talking about. He has had success with numerous sports and athletes.
It’s crazy to think that it has only been a few years for me working with Matt and in just that short span you can see the growth in my game and my body physically. I wish I would have come at a younger age to see the results we could have had together!
Everyone knows Matt as a great guy, a great person, and he just brings that down from top to bottom – his whole staff is the same, he treats everyone really well.
I appreciate all you have done for me.”
“Not only is Matt the best trainer with whom I’ve ever had the pleasure of working, but he is an amazing person who truly cares about his clients! He does not believe in trying to fit a square peg in a round hole – what works for one person may not work for another. And with me, a generic approach would not have worked, so I’m lucky to have found him! I didn’t actually start lifting weights until I joined the bobsleigh team in September ’05, and the following year I started to struggle with some nagging injuries. Fortunately, it was then that I was introduced to Matt and we started working together between my various tours. My primary goal at that time was rehab, as it continued to be as I broke my shoulder in a rugby game the following spring. However, I needed to continue to train within the context of two very physically-demanding sports, and traditional rehabilitation would not have cut it. I needed to be more than simply “pain-free”.
I needed to be able to push a 400-lbs bobsleigh and tackle the biggest girl on the rugby field without hesitation. I needed to go from 6 seconds of power in bobsleigh to 80 minutes of endurance in rugby. Besides formulating an exciting, ever-changing, challenging, sport-specific training program for me, I was blown away by Matt’s talent at modifying exercises for my injuries to achieve the same purpose, without compromising the intensity required for my sports! Matt has been a critical part of my successful return to World Cup bobsleigh and will continue to help me improve as an elite athlete. He is an amazing trainer and a genuine person, and I consider myself very lucky to have worked with him.”
“There is nothing like being around people who not only know what they are doing and love what they are doing, but who do so without pretense or a sense of privilege. Matt is one of those rare people. He is a teacher who cares. He sees in us what we did not know what was there and he makes us better.”
“First of all, his knowledge. All the areas he covers, he knows everything you need, and if he doesn’t- which is rare- he has someone who does know. Having the support, not only in the gym, but for anything you need, is huge and it’s what sets him apart.
I think it’s been about 14, 15 years now since I first met Matt and Mike, and first coming into camps and now being at the gym, it’s been a blast getting to know you guys.”
“First and foremost, he really cares about all of the athletes and he really puts the time in and works with you. It’s not just you show up and do your thing and no ones really correcting you or doing stuff, they’re always correcting you and just trying to make you the best you can be.
Matt, thank you for everything. Over the years you’ve really improved my hockey game and I really appreciate all that you’ve done with me.
Mike, thanks for all the work you’ve done with me. You’ve been a great coach for me and you’ve taught me so much.
Thank you both so much.”
“Training with Matt Nichol was one of the best decisions of my career. Matt not only helped me play some of my best basketball as a pro but helped me to stay healthy and extend my career…”
“I began working with Matt in July 2018 after sustaining my second right hamstring tear in less than one year.
We took a holistic approach to our rehab plan and focused not just on the injury site but on maximizing my overall health and performance. He made it clear that we would treat the current symptoms, but more importantly we would fix the underlying cause.
Matt was in constant communication with my track coaches, my doctors, and my management team throughout the process which made it seamless when I was ready to get back to my regular sprint training.
Matt made it clear that our goal was never to just be “pain-free” or even to just get back to competition- instead the goal was to return to my sport better than ever before and we were successful in doing just that, setting a new personal record in the 100m one year later.”
“Matty, you helped me to do something that nobody else believed was possible….You gave me my career back! You are the best trainer out there. I owe my career to you.”
“It’s Matt. He puts together an incredible program, makes everyday fun, and most importantly you see the results. He really cares about everyone and there’s nowhere I’d rather train- for sports, for life, for anything other than here.
It’s been over 10 years now, and Mike and Matt have been a staple in my life. It’s more than a friendship, and being able to train with them, share a friendship, share fun stories, and create that relationship that’s lasted a decade now- hopefully a lifetime- it’s been amazing. I look forward to a lot more fun talks and adventures moving forward.
Before I met Matt I had always worked hard but I wouldn’t say I always worked smart. It wasn’t a quick process, but to realize that training smarter, is not always harder.
It’s that care that he has that is incredible. I can never really express in words how much I appreciate it.
I came in limping and broken and you pieced me back together allowing me to feel confident and healthy to keep playing the game I love. Thank you so much Matty.”
“I met Matt after having surgery for a Sports Hernia. I was scared to death about my recovery, I thought to myself, will I be able to come back? Will I ever be the same player again? Matt quickly alleviated my fears because of his extensive rehab knowledge. His rehab techniques were on the “cutting edge” and not only did I come back…I came back stronger than ever! I highly recommend Matt to anyone who is looking to get better – whether it’s rehabbing an injury or improving performance. Matt will have the best and most cutting edge answers for you and your needs. Do you want the best? You got the best in Matt Nichol!”
“I think over the past few years that I’ve been here, the culture that is present every single year, everyone in the gym wants to be here, and really enjoys every single morning that we’re in. I just think the group that’s in here is really special and the trainers guiding you everyday is pretty special. There’s so many resources available to you, it’s second-to-none and that’s what makes it so high-end. The group you work out with as well- I’ve been fortunate to have worked out with all the guys that I don’t typically get to workout with on a daily basis, so i think it’s really helped me grow my game.
Matt, thank you for everything. Honestly, in the past few years I’ve seen so much growth in my game and as well as in myself away from the game. You’ve helped me so much with so many things, I appreciate that.
To Mike, as well as everyone else in the training staff, thank you so much for all you put in everyday, it means so much and it’s awesome so thank you.”
“Matt is so knowledgeable and uses many different techniques to reach the goals that are set by both trainer and athlete/client. My summer began as rehabbing my knee and back injuries but before I knew it we were hitting new personal bests in the gym. Training with Matt was hard work but it was a lot of fun too. There was lots of sweat and pain but there was always laughter in the gym and out on the track and those laughs were what kept me going on the hard days! He showed me that I can do anything that I put my mind to, helping me to set goals that were attainable and then setting new ones once the first was accomplished. Matt is a hard worker, a great trainer and always has his client’s best interests in mind and I thank him for helping me reach my goals in his programs and in my everyday life.”
“Without the knowledge and expertise of Matt Nichol as my personal coach, I would not have had the opportunity to win a Grey Cup championship. His ability to adjust to my needs as an athlete allowed me to get and stay healthy and to finally achieve my potential. I had my healthiest and most productive seasons after working with Matt. His professional attitude and passion for his clients contributed to my development as an athlete and as an individual. You will definitely find yourself “Preaching the word of Matt” (as I like to put it) once he has passed on his knowledge to you. His programs are innovative, progressive and eventually give the client a better understanding of their body and what it means to be truly healthy. Thanks, Matt! I could not have done it without you!”
“What makes this place so special is coming with other athletes- high end athletes in my sport- coming in and being able to work beside them, learn from them, compete with them, and against them. We do a lot of things that are super hard, but it’s good to look over to my friends and know that they are going through the same thing and try to beat them at any given exercise- that camaraderie and intensity and people having fun at the same time.
Number one, I think Matt is a genius. He’s helped me tremendously throughout my career with problems that I don’t know that different trainers would be able to solve. What sets him apart is how he gets you to come in and work as hard as you can, but he’s okay with you having fun and he’s okay with you competing and smiling while you’re doing it whereas I’ve worked with other trainers that if they see you smiling or having fun, they just assume you’re not trying as hard as you can. He encourages that compete, and encourages to have fun while doing it. He rides that line perfectly, where he’s demanding you to do what you have to do, but at the same time he wants you to enjoy it as well.
Matt, you’ve played a massive part in my career. I am so thankful that I found you 10 years ago and was able to come along when you were in every step of my professional journey.”
“Matt Nichol is the preeminent strength and conditioning coach for both professional and Olympic athletes in Canada. His unique ability to synthesize the most relevant information from the worlds of strength training, rehabilitation, nutrition, and supplementation has made him an invaluable resource for many of the world’s top athletes.”
“I’ve learned so much since I’ve been here. It’s a great training environment and it comes from the big man himself setting the tone every single day. Matt and his team have helped to solve so many issues with my body. Last season was the healthiest one I have had in my 13 year career.”
“It’s really important for me to be here every summer. The level of training and the detail they put in everyday really makes a difference. I owe a lot to Matt and all the training staff that have been here for a long time- it makes me want to keep coming back. I know going into each season that I’m prepared.
This gym is a special place. It is so different from anything I’ve been a part of. It’s a tight community, it’s always been and it means a lot coming here every day.”
“I’ve been training and competing in wheelchair racing at the international level for over 15 years, and have had a good deal of success in middle distance on track- 1500m and 5000m particularly. In the last few years, I seemed to have hit a plateau with my strength and speed. There were a bunch of factors that I suspected- I was getting older, started doing more volume and adding mileage, added some longer distances to my schedule, and was faced with ever-increasing levels of competition.
Anxious to break through these plateaus, I hired Matt Nichol to troubleshoot my training plan.
Matt spent an enormous amount of time with me in the planning stage- he had never trained an athlete with a disability before and he was very frank and honest with me about that right up front. The first thing he told me was that he would insist on working closely with my primary coach, Peter Eriksson, to make sure that the strength program that he would design would coordinate, and not conflict, with the conditioning that Peter was concentrating on. He also told me that he was going to have to go do some research, that we would both be learning as we went. He made it clear to me that he didn’t have all the answers, but that by applying tried and true scientific principles of training, he was sure that we would figure them out.
In the first couple of weeks Matt and I worked together quite a lot, and he made sure that I truly understood the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of the strength program- he was incredibly patient with me, and although he was firm and insisted me on doing things the right way, I never got a “because I said so” answer from him. He really understood the value of helping me understand the program, and went above and beyond to make sure it got through my thick skull!
We targeted the Rolling Rampage 10K race, which was the opener for the World Series that year, and having moved up to the longer distances I really needed to ‘set the tone’ for the season.
Within three weeks, I was hitting new personal bests in the gym, and saw my new strength translating into speed when I was doing distance work or intervals in my racing chair.
At the Rampage, I was first up all the hills, and attacked hard in the last kilometer, up a slight rise, using my new strength as a surprise weapon. I finished second by 2/100ths of a second to Ernst Van Dyk of South Africa- 5 time winner of the Boston Marathon. The rest of the season went incredibly well, and I ended up winning the Zurich Weltklasse on the Golden League Circuit, a bunch of races on the Grand Prix, and finishing with a silver in the World Cup.
I had my best season in years!
Thanks Matt!”
What makes this place so special? It’s a combination of things for me.
First of all, the personnel- starting with Matt and Mike- and the environment they create. The treatment staff is bar none, I think one of the best out there. Anything you need, each day of the week, they prepare something, the resources, we have food coming in- it’s just the total package. Being here is such an easy decision for me. The convenience factor, it’s a one-stop shop. The gym, the ice, the treatments, the massages, stuff like that.
Huge thank you, you’ve had a huge impact on my career and my life so it’s been a pleasure getting to know each one of you over the last 8 years or so.
Matt is the thing that keeps me coming back. There’s lots of places i could workout, but what sticks out to me with Matt is, while we’re off during the season banging in our bodies and putting in our work, Matt is here doing seminars, taking courses, talking to the best minds in the world so he can put together a whole new program for the next summer to cater to our physical needs and our overall development as athletes. His attention to detail is incredible.
I think the thing that sticks out for me the most is Matt’s humanity. The type of person he is- you are lucky if you meet five people like Matt in your life – what that man’s been for me in particular, is a space where when the rest of the world turns their backs on me, Matt is there with a smile saying “let’s figure this out”. When I’m at my best he’s there to support me and tell me that it doesn’t last forever and enjoy it. At my worst, he’s there to tell me the exact same thing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Matt give up on a player that’s come through his gym, on a person that’s come through this gym. In a world where he is constantly dealing with the most competitive of competitive, the fact that he is still able to be there for people and support them is what i find to be the best part about Matt.
Thank you, you inspire me everyday and constantly in my thoughts in terms of how and where i want to be in my life. You’ve given me time, and provided me with the patience that I needed to grow as a person. I can’t thank you enough- when I look at my hockey career, this place is my favorite part. If I only had this and never played in the NHL, or in the Olympics, I’d still be a happy guy. This place has been more of a professional home to me than anywhere and thank you for giving me this space to find myself.
“Matt Nichol has been an invaluable resource for me throughout my career, not only by providing strength and conditioning programs, but also providing insight into nutrition and supplementation to maximize my health throughout the season. When I met Matt I was immediately impressed by his vast knowledge of not only strength and conditioning, but also nutrition, rehabilitation techniques, and overall health matters. He has a tremendous understanding of the rigors and demands of an NHL season. He would be a huge asset to anyone looking to improve their performance, whether it’s through individualized workouts, specific nutrition advice or a comprehensive rehab program. I believe that through Matt’s guidance, he can help any athlete maximize their potential. Matt will always be a trusted resource throughout my career and beyond.”
“It’s been seven summers for me. I didn’t know what to expect walking into this arena. Pretty old and run down but walking into this gym I knew right away it was a place for me! It’s not about the bells and whistles it’s about the people that are here and the work ethic you bring every single day. Thank you for what you’ve done for me on and off the ice. You’ve made me a better athlete a better hockey player but mostly a better person.”
“For me, it’s the environment that Matt creates. From the guys that I train with, to his team of trainers, I look forward to it everyday. Obviously it’s a long summer, there’s days where you’re tired or dragging down, but I can honestly say that I love coming into the environment, the people, it’s a very positive energy in here, very focused. It’s fun that we all have different aspirations- there’s different athletes here- but when we’re in here we have one common goal, that’s to get better.
We have fun doing it. Matt’s done a great job at architecting from top to bottom. I think Matt’s allowed me to open up my mind to different avenues of how to get better, whether that’s mentally- the different things we do in here: Pilates, ELDOA, the treatment we get- I don’t think I’ve gotten better treatment in my life. That’s hopefully helped me extend my career and play at a high level.
I think he does a great job of keeping me focused. I’m with guys that push me and I’d like to think that I push them. For me, it’s easy for me to come in and have a mindset of “let’s attack it today.”
“I am incredibly fortunate to have met Matt Nichol. Until I started working with Matt I was never able to secure a permanent roster spot. I struggled with numerous injuries and surgeries, moved through four different NHL organizations and was feeling like my career was in jeopardy. I worked with Matt Nichol for 11 years. With Matt’s inspiring leadership, expertise in strength and conditioning and nutrition, he empowered me to go on and play over 1,000 games in the NHL. I can say with 100% confidence that Matt Nichol was the single greatest influence on my professional hockey career!
“I think it’s just the atmosphere. Guys push each other, and it’s pretty competitive, and the guys also keep it light, so it’s good if you’re looking for that kind of challenge in the off-season to get better and train harder. I think also with the resources we have here, you have a lot of coaches here that are here to help and are looking out for your best interests. You’re almost always having a one-on-one with a coach, you’re never not having someone watch out for you so it pushes you. It’s been a great couple summers.
The programs and knowledge Matt has speaks for itself. He’s one of the best in the world and you can tell with how everyone continues to come back- with how many guys we have here, we have full team practices. It’s no surprise that people respect Matt and want to learn from him. For me, I have nothing but great things to say. Every time i have something to ask him, or he comes up to me saying “hey you can fix this” or “add this”, it goes a long way.”
“The systems, processes, and team that Matt was able to put in place have reduced our medical costs, kept our players on the field, provided more roster control for our coaches and key decision makers, and most importantly have resulted in our most successful season in the history of the franchise.”
“Matt Nichol was hired as a consultant prior to the 2016 season with the goal of improving the health and performance of our players.
By implementing Matt’s strategies for the planning of the training process, the team experienced immediate and remarkable improvements. Our team strength and speed were significantly improved.The start of our season was one of the most successful in team history, opening with 15 straight wins and finishing with the second most wins overall in the history of the franchise.
Perhaps most significantly his work resulted in a dramatic decrease in our Man Games Lost, including almost zero non-contact soft tissue injuries sustained in games. We are very grateful to Matt. He is a great professional and we highly recommend his service.”
“Federal Policing investigators and criminal analysts are responsible for tackling the highest level of criminal enterprise operating across international borders. These men and women are responsible for combatting the most sophisticated and determined of criminal organizations. The investigations undertaken are often long-term, complex, and require a high level of national and international coordination- individual excellence within a team environment is essential to success. As the officer in charge of Federal Policing Operations and Intelligence for Nova Scotia, it was my task to ensure my personnel were supported and inspired to perform. I recognized Matt Nichol as a highly credible person to deliver that message as a guest speaker at our federal policing training conference P.O.W.P.M. (Fox Harb’r, 2018).
Matt was the only non-law enforcement speaker among experts flown in from the US, the UK, and elsewhere in Canada. Matt dynamically spoke about the common denominators amongst high performers, regardless of sport or profession. The depth of his experience and accomplishments with individuals (not just athletes) at the top of their field were clearly key to establishing his credibility. An important component of his presentation was the recognition and attention to mental health and wellness, all part of the process of breaking down the stigma attached to this issue. Matt concluded with a thought provoking investigation of high performance teams and shared key insights into how they, not only built, but maintained success. Matt is a natural speaker and feedback on his presentation was overwhelmingly positive. Police personnel are a skeptic all bunch, so winning over the audience was no easy feat. Job well done!”
“Our organization sought out the services of Matt Nichol to help solve a very specific problem. For four consecutive seasons prior to Matt’s arrival, our team had finished with the highest Man Games Lost in the league- in addition to this being a competitive disadvantage on the field, this also came with a significant financial cost.
Matt completed a thorough audit of our medical and performance programs and devised a plan to streamline them and improve their efficiency. We gave Matt the authority and autonomy to assemble and lead our entire medical and performance staff.
By his second season with the organization, Matt had helped to effect a 58% decrease in Man Games Lost due to soft tissue injuries, and we went from the highest Man Games Lost in the league to the lowest. In the following two season we were able to sustain this improvement in health and combine that with an even greater amount of success on the field, setting the All-Time Franchise record for wins in a season and reaching the Grey Cup Championship two years in a row.
The systems, processes, and team that Matt was able to put in place have reduced our medical costs, kept our players on the field, provided more roster control for our coaches and key decision makers, and most importantly have resulted in our most successful season in the history of the franchise.
Overall it has been a very successful relationship.”