Discipline Over Hacks: Dr. Kyler Case on Peak Performance for Athletes and High-Performers
Welcome back team! This week we have an incredible guest here to share great insights on performance. Lets welcome Dr. Kyler Case to the Gabarra Grind!
Dr. Kyler Case is a certified Doctor of Chiropractic, former college athlete, and the founder of Metro Movement Chiropractic and Rehabilitation in Urbandale, Iowa. With nearly five years leading his own clinic, he has built a reputation for bridging the gap between rehabilitation and performance through evidence-based, patient-centered care.
What sets Dr. Case apart is his perspective as both a practitioner and a high performer himself. After balancing the demands of entrepreneurship and fatherhood, he experienced firsthand how health is the foundation for leadership, energy, and longevity. That journey shaped his philosophy: sustainable performance isn’t about extremes or quick fixes—it’s about mastering simple, effective habits and building resilience that lasts.
Today, he works with active adults, executives, entrepreneurs, athletes, and leaders to eliminate pain, optimize health, and unlock long-term performance. His mission goes beyond treatment; he’s redefining healthcare by integrating proactive medicine, recovery, and fitness into a model that empowers people to “train for life” and lead with strength.
Dr. Case’s background speaks for itself, so take full advantage of the insight he shares with us. Lets get into it…
1. How do you integrate mental resilience—self-awareness, trust, discipline—when encouraging athletes to ‘listen’ to their bodies?
Dr. KC: Listening to your body isn’t code for “take it easy.” It’s about knowing the difference between the kind of discomfort that makes you stronger and the kind that puts you on the sideline.
I work with high-performing clients—active adults, executives, entrepreneurs, and former athletes—who thrive on pushing hard. My job is to help them develop the self-awareness to spot the signals early, the trust to act on them, and the discipline to either pull back or push forward with intention. That’s how you build longevity without sacrificing performance.
2. You talk about ‘simple things done consistently’—movement, sleep, nutrition, recovery. How did you adopt this minimalist yet impactful approach in your practice, and how can athletes lean into this mindset with discipline over time?
Dr. KC: I’ve seen too many people chase complexity before they’ve mastered the basics. Here’s the truth—complexity is chaos, simplicity is the solution.
My approach was shaped by years of working with elite athletes, former athletes, and high-performers, and seeing the same truth: the ones who move well every day, fuel intentionally, and treat recovery as training are the ones who stay at the top. In my business, these aren’t “nice-to-haves” - they’re non-negotiables. Discipline comes from weaving these habits into the fabric of your week so you don’t debate whether to do them—you just do.
3. You place a lot of value on quality movement over flashy training. How do you explain the performance payoff of mastering fundamentals to someone eager to skip ahead?
Dr. KC: Fundamentals are your performance ceiling. James Clear says it well in Atomic Habits: “You do not rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems.” If your systems—your movement, your habits—are shaky, everything you stack on top of them will crumble.
In my clinic and coaching programs, I’ve seen people extend their careers, hobbies, and active lifestyles by years simply by dialing in movement consistency, over chasing flashy workouts or lifestyle fads.
4. What’s one non-negotiable you hold yourself to every day/week that directly impacts your own physical performance and mental sharpness?
Dr. KC: Every day, I move my body through exercise or active recovery, and I take 5-10 minutes for quiet time—gratitude, prayer, and preparation for the day.
If I skip either, I feel like I’m operating at 70% instead of 100%. Those two things anchor my performance no matter what’s going on around me.
5. As a former college athlete, how did you mentally prepare for competition, and do you still use any of those strategies in your professional or personal life?
Dr. KC: Before games, I’d visualize every play call and scenario in my head—how it would feel, the plays I’d make, even the pressure moments. I still use that now before high-stakes situations—whether it’s a business meeting, a client strategy session, or a tough training block.
Visualization removes uncertainty. When the moment comes, you’re not “trying” to perform—you’re stepping into something you’ve already rehearsed.
6. In your view, what’s the most underrated habit or practice athletes overlook—whether related to mindset, movement quality, or recovery—that you wish more would embrace?
Dr. KC: Sleep. Everyone talks about training harder and recovering faster, but without quality sleep, none of it sticks.
As an athlete, it’s easy to be spread thin between practice, school, games, travel—so sleep is often the first thing to go. But it’s the one habit that can elevate everything else you do. I see it with clients all the time—when we address their sleep, their energy, performance, recovery, and mood all improve. Sleep is where your body repairs, your mind resets, and your performance potential actually grows. Ignore it, and you’re just burning energy you don’t have.
7. Can you leave us with a book, podcast, quote, habit, etc. that you’d like our audience to take away?
Dr. KC:
Habit: Choose one thing—and master it. Don’t spread yourself so thin chasing everything that you never get great at anything.
Quote: “Self-confidence isn’t built by shouting affirmations in the mirror; it’s built by proving to yourself, over and over, that you are who you say you are.” — Alex Hormozi
Book: The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson. It’s all about how the smallest daily actions—done consistently—separate extraordinary results from average ones. That principle is at the core of everything I do for myself and with my clients.
8. Final Word
Dr. KC: The athletes and high performers who thrive long-term aren’t the ones with the flashiest training or the most “hacks.” They’re the ones who master the basics, protect their mind, focus on recovery, and build unshakable discipline - one decision at a time.
Huge thanks to Dr. Kyler for sharing his time and wisdom with us. His insights aren’t just worth reading—they’re worth applying. Take what clicks, put it into action, and let it push you forward. Remember, growth doesn’t happen alone—our community is here to support you every step of the way.
Talk next week team,
Tyler & Talia
