Humble Beginnings
From a small quiet city in Peterborough, Ontario to the bright lights and big names of the NHL
from student to pro
From a small city of Peterborough Ontario competing as a multi sport athlete with a love for all sports Twist was drawn to the potential career as a Physical Education teacher.
Peter instead progressed to achieve his Masters in Coaching Science at the famed University of British Columbia, living in the rugged mountains in Vancouver on Canada’s west coast.
Since that time, he graduated on to work as a sport scientist conducting brain-body research, coached for 11 years in the National Hockey League, was selected by Under Armour and IMG as their Global Education Partner and as well by the China Olympic Committee to help modernize how their summer and winter national teams train and rehab in preparation for the Olympic Games.
Along the way, Coach Twist has travelled the world as an invited expert speaker who often reminds people he remains “a physical education teacher, I just create my own environments to teach movement skills and the joy of sport”.
A Step Apart
Coach Twist was not only a Professional Performance Coach for Collegiate, National, Olympic and Professional hockey athletes, his methodologies and vast knowledge of sport and the human body allowed him to transfer his programming to include: rugby, football, lacrosse, soccer, track and field, basketball, baseball, alpine + downhill + freestyle skiing, alpine snowboarding and boardercross, speed skating, ice dance, motocross, skateboarding: park and street, mountain biking: enduro, downhill and XC, rowing, netball, golf, ringette, tennis, adventure racing, ultra running, triathlons, snow shoeing, table tennis, squash, motocross, wrestling, MMA and wakeboarding.
The Pioneer
Since the early 90's Twist Methods have been packaged into teaching systems that certify trainers and performance coaches around the world. In 2022 aspects of Twist Methods are evident globally throughout both the gym market and pro sport training culture. His training systems have been continually refined and updated with cutting-edge new research that has enhanced his concepts and methodologies to include more focus on improving both brain and muscle with neural adaptations by the introduction of a neural complexity variable to prescribe overloading designed to improve the software of the body.
Advancing the Elites
Coach Twist is one of the few industry leaders who is consistently driving the field ahead with his innate ability to create purposeful independent training systems, new rehabilitation exercises and exercise methodologies specifically crafted to give elite athletes and coaches a distinct edge over the competition.
By making advances in functional movement-based rehabilitation for return-to-play systems while creating new performance training concepts that involve integrating strength with movement skills, he has been able to draw attention to the fascial communication web which is essential in operating the body.
This has led elite athletes to recognize the need to achieve improvements not only in muscle physiology and bioenergetics but to also deeply understand the complex nature of the neural connections between highly advanced skill execution and tactical sport maneuvers.
The Chronicles of TWIST
“Each year Peter Twist creates new innovative exercises that produce even better
on-ice performance. Importantly, the coaching style and training environment are extremely positive and motivating”. (Trevor Linden, May 2003)
Breathing New Life into Sport
Peter Twist’s extensive career was fuelled by the inception of his new contrarian training paradigms and applying them to the sport and fitness industries. This quickly led to numerous international coaching, teaching, training, and research opportunities with several pro and national level organizations.
Known in the USA as the ‘pioneer of modern functional training’, Coach Twist quickly became a high performance training ‘guru’ who has mentored, certified and consulted most coaches and trainers from North American collegiate and pro sport leagues.
Since the early 90’s, Twist’s revolutionary exercise style has redefined how the industry trains athletes for sport skills and tactics. His innovative and proprietary exercise style not only elevated athletes to reach new heights within their career but he was able to fundamentally change how the sport and fitness industry would program workouts.
Coach Twist’s students and converts range on the spectrum from online home gym trainers or professionals looking to change their career to highly coveted Olympic coaches and professional athletes across a wide range of disciplines. For Twist students, it’s not just about receiving an educational experience; it’s also about the mindset focus, deeply centred mentoring, learning the fine ‘art of coaching’ and diving into his nature based messaging geared to inspire mind shift and life change.
Research
Twist’s research and writing focusses on the brain-body connection, 3D movement skills, mindset motivation and holistic health.
Awards + Education
A leader of leaders, Twist's corporate keynotes address CEO's, managers and sales staff with powerful memorable messaging on overcoming obstacles and unlocking their potential, referenced in ways that align with each corporations' vision, core values and short term business mandate. Clients include Celebrity Fitness chain in Indonesia, Virgin Active in the UK, IMG in Florida and Under Armour USA.
Awards
Peter Twist has received many accolades from his peers over the course of his career and has received several international awards.
- 2020 nominated for IDEA China Fitness Inspiration Award.
- 2019 selected by United Nations to lead Physical Literacy in schools for their SDG’s
- 2018 IDEA China Most Inspiration Leader in Fitness Award
- 2017 named Canada’s Scientific Advisor to the Global Foundation of Community Health
- 2017 Top 100 Fitness Influencers
- 2015 Coach Twist was inducted into the prestigious USA Fitness Hall of Fame for Innovation and Leadership in celebration of his advancements in training methodologies and athlete programming.
- 2013 IDEA World Fitness Inspiration Award, joining past winners Rick Hansen, Dick Hoyt and Mike Huckabee
- 2012 CFP’s Canadian Presenter of the Year Award
- 2010 IDEA’s Programmer of the Year Award for innovations in developing unique proprietary functional training methodologies and sport performance methods.
- Nominated for ECA’s International Presenter of the Year Award in New York
- 2003 Canfit Pro’s Specialty Presenter of the Year Award
- 2001 National Strength and Conditioning Association’s Presidents Award for Innovations in Functional Training Methods
- 1998 National Strength and Conditioning Association Presidents Award for Innovation of Forward-Thinking Functional Training Methodologies and Leadership of Training Industry
Education
- Masters of Coaching Science, University of British Columbia (specialization in exercise physiology and sport psychology), First Class Honours
- Bachelor of Physical Education, McMaster University, First Class Honours
- Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Strength & Conditioning Association
- Personal Trainer Specialist (PTS), CanFitPro
- TSCC Gold Coach, TWIST Sport Conditioning
Keynotes
Under Armour (Baltimore, USA)
EMPOWER (Chicago, USA)
STRIVE (Toronto, Canada)
IMG Academies Combine 360 (Florida, USA)
VIRGIN ACTIVE (Wembley Stadium, London England)
CanFitPro (Montreal/Toronto/Calgary/Vancouver/Halifax Canada)
IDEA World Health & Fitness Conference (San Diego, USA)
IDEA World 2020 Virtual Conference
PRECOR 2021 Global Sales Staff Team Building January Kickoff
Perform Better Coach Conference (Providence USA)
China Olympic Committee (Beijing, China)
IDEA China Health & Fitness Conference (Shanghai, China)
Celebrity Fitness health Club Chain (Jakarta, Indonesia)
Canadian Embassy – Sport Development (Tokyo, Japan)
Asia Fitness Convention 2021 Opening Ceremonies (Bangkok, Thailand)
Equinox High Performance Symposia (New York, USA)
MFORUM High Performance Business (Sochi, Russia)
Dinamo Minsk Team Training Camp (Minsk, Belarus)
FILEX Fitness Convention (Sydney, Australia)
Professional Fitness Symposia (Nicosia, Cyprus)
Vancouver Canucks Rookie Camp (Vancouver, Canada)
Sports Medicine Council of BC (Squamish, Canada)
Real Estate Board of British Columbia (Vancouver, Canada)
National Strength and Conditioning Association (New Orleans, USA)
Cossette Marketing Firm (Vancouver, Canada)
Vision Electronics (Calgary, Canada)
Athletics For KIDS Charity (Langley, Canada)
Swimming Canada National Summit (Whistler, Canada)
Lectures
Peter Twist has delivered over 1500 lectures and workshops in dozens of countries at sport, health, fitness and academic conferences, with a spirit to share methods and scale positive impact.
TWIST Athletes
Peter Twist has personally coached over 700 professional athletes, including MVPs from basketball (Hakeem Olajuwon), baseball (Justin Morneau), and hockey (Mark Messier, Henrik Sedin). In 2001, he was sent to Ornskolsvik, Sweden where he spent several months putting Markus Naslund, Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin through his trademark strength and conditioning program in order for them to 'make the grade' and return back to the Vancouver Canucks as the All-Stars Coach Twist knew they could be. With his team of expert coaches and therapists in multiple TWIST locations and High Performance Camps the TWIST Team has helped over 2,000 professional and Olympic athletes train, develop and prepare for their competitive seasons along with 20,000 collegiate and high school athletes. They never forget the honour to have someone trust them with their highest goals and put full heart and brain and sweat behind helping each athletes highest aspirations be realized and for most, fully exceed what was thought their DNA potential.
MENTORSHIP
Mindset Mastery