I've been fighting this fight for a LONG time. I always say, The Kids are #1. Yet, when it comes to what happens in the weight room, I do NOT see this. I see administrators turning a blind eye to what happens in high school weight rooms, even though we've seen / heard on the news SERIOUS injuries (even death) occur due to unsafe training methods. - Do high school kids NEED "Navy SEAL Training"? - Do high school kids NEED to test their 1RM in the squat, bench and power clean? Here are … [Read more...]
Why Our Youth (Middle & High School Athletes) NEED Great Strength & Conditioning
It's amazing to look back to my early days of training athletes from my garage compared to today. The BIG shocker is how much knowledge I've gained since 2002 when I REALLY began my journey as a Strength Coach. Back then, it was ALL about winning. How can I help this athlete get a D1 Football scholarship? How can I help this wrestler win a state title? Until I began paying closer attention to the deeper details such as..... … [Read more...]
171 | STRONG Life Podcast QnA: Gym / Strength Coach Business, Life Lessons & Abundance Mindset
STRONG Life Ep. 171: STRONG Life Podcast QnA: Gym / Strength Coach Business, Life Lessons & Abundance Mindset. Actually, the title of this blog post is kinda lame compared to all the awesome questions (and of course my answers :) that came through this QnA. It has also been a LONG time since I've held a QnA opportunity. This was refreshing and FUN! The questions were great. Here's just some of the topics / questions answered: From the gym business, strength coach "problems", lessons … [Read more...]
High School STRONG: Building Hammers Through A Safe & Effective Strength & Performance Program
The High School Athlete of today is MUCH different than the high school athlete of yester-year. When I started training HS athletes, they showed up capable and ready to go. They were able to perform the calisthenics quite well. They were tough. They had muscle on their frame and looked like they were capable of performing in athletics. That was around 2002. A few years later, the new breed of high school athlete began to show up. This athlete was lacking muscle, was struggling on … [Read more...]
Strength Coach Excellence | I’ve Got a Kitchen But That Doesn’t Make Me a 5 Star Chef!
I have a kitchen in my house but that doesn't make me a 5 star chef. You might be driving a sports car but that doesn't make you a Nascar driver. The success you achieve from training is greatly determined by the details of: … [Read more...]
Do NOT Conform, Be ALPHA
When you are in your 20s you don't see the slight differences among people. You're just living it up. You're moving forward. Then, you hit your 30s and you're charging forward in your own life, so you just put your head down and work. You assume everyone is on a similar path of pushing for growth, success and strength. Maybe you have a family now, maybe not. Maybe a career? Maybe not? Maybe just a "job" that "pays the bills". Then your mid and late 30s come and you see how people begin to … [Read more...]
Power Cleans for Athletes? The How & Why with Zach & Travis Mash
To power clean or not? THAT is the question. The answer of yes or no as well as HOW to Power Clean will vary depending on MANY scenarios that I discuss below in the videos on my own & with Travis Mash. SOME of those factors that will influence the how & why behind the Power Clean Are: College / High School setting where you KNOW you are with those kids for years or long term for the majority of the training Independent Strength Coach where athletes come / go for countless … [Read more...]
7 Important Lessons from 7 Years As A High School Strength Coach With Brian DeFiebre
7 Important Lessons from 7 Years as a High School Strength Coach By Brian DeFiebre / Underground Strength Coach From Zach ..... Before you dive into Brian's article I want to give you some history of how long I've known Brian and why I truly respect his work, dedication and desire to learn. Brian has been a member of Underground Strength Academy for YEARS now. It's gotta be 4 or 5 years at least. He's very active on the forum, always sharing what he is doing with athletes from his Lions … [Read more...]
STRONGCast Ep. 7: Ryan Brown, CrossFit Inspiration, Tosh The Legend & MORE!
In Episode # 7 of The STRONGCast PodCast I interview Strength Coach Ryan Brown. In this podcast we discuss the following and more: - The EPIC Brian Chontosh Boxing Match (Holy Shyt this is NUTS!) - Ryan's BEST Strength Coach Tips from both a training and a business perspective … [Read more...]
5 Summer Football Workout Tips & Avoid These 2 Mistakes At All Costs
I've been stepping up and voicing my opinion on the overbearing, ego-maniac parents and coaches out there who are hurting their kids with shitty training programs and overall shitty decisions pertaining to training and ultimately, life. Why is it acceptable to let anyone and their Mom run the high school weight room? I thought this was about the kids? I understand sport coaches don't like this, so they threaten their players and disallow any of them to train at The Underground Strength … [Read more...]