Performance conditioning for musicians
10,000 hours on your craft. Zero on the foundations beneath it.
In sport, there are entire departments dedicated to conditioning elite athletes for the demands of their game. In music, that infrastructure doesn't exist. We practise our instruments. But we don't train the systems that our careers rely on.
The Inner Athlete is the first book to change that — 68 tips across physical conditioning, mental conditioning, and recovery, built specifically for working musicians.
About The inner athlete
In every sport, the best performers in the world aren't just playing the game you're watching.
They're playing the game within the game… The physical conditioning, the mental preparation, and the recovery systems that make their skill possible under the pressure of competition.
In music, that game doesn't exist.
We practise our craft. But we don't train the body and mind that delivers it. And the entire culture, from music schools to the professional circuit, is built on the assumption that the only preparation that matters is the kind that involves your instrument.
This book challenges that assumption.
With stories, data points, and research from fields such as elite sport and neuroscience, it addresses the question of why the music industry doesn’t better prepare you for the demands of the industry, and what you can do to better support your livelihood.
Throughout the book, you will acquire 68 practical tips to help you condition for your career, so you can master your physiology, perform better, and become an athlete in your own right.
Inside the chapter:
Why up to 97% of musicians report a playing-related injury serious enough to affect their careers
What music can learn from the world of sport
The 3 pillars of Performance Conditioning: Physical, mental, and active recovery
Why playing your instrument isn't enough to condition you for the demands of your career in the long run
What happens when you sign up
The free chapter is just the start.
When you enter your email, you’ll get the opening chapter right away.
But that's not all. Here's the full picture of what's waiting for you on the other side.
The Opening Chapter: Delivered right away
The first chapter of The Inner Athlete containing the case for why you should be taking better care of the systems that underpin your craft.
[Coming Soon] The Ultimate Guide to Performance Conditioning — 7-Day Free Course
Starting the next day, you'll get free access to the 7-day email course covering the foundations of all 3 pillars: Physical conditioning, mental conditioning, and active recovery.
[Coming Soon] The Performance Conditioning Scorecard
At the end of the 7 days, take the free assessment to see your biggest gaps and get a personalised next step.
The Inner Athlete Newsletter: Delivered Every Wednesday
After that, you’ll hear from me once a week with a practical tip to help you better condition yourself so you can master your physiology, perform at your best, and become an athlete in your own right.
About Chris Draper
Chris is a professional drummer of 20+ years, currently residing at Hamilton in London’s West End.
In 2023, he suffered two traumatic brain injuries that fundamentally changed how he understood the relationship between a musician’s body, their mind, and their ability to perform.
Performance Conditioning was born out of these realisations.
He now holds multiple qualifications in personal training, exercise science, and strength and conditioning, and has spent years studying the science of human performance, injury prevention, mental conditioning, neuroscience, and active recovery as it applies to the unique demands musicians face.
Chris coaches professional musicians around the world through his online programmes and one-to-one work, helping them build the physical and mental infrastructure to thrive, not just survive, in an increasingly challenging industry.