I love sharing the ups and downs, and most of all, the realities of what I experience in the field of strength & conditioning / sports performance. There's too much fake BS on social media and so I feel it is important to share the tough times and the challenges, not just the good times. I've been in this business since I was a teenager so I've seen the evolution and experienced the impact of this ever changing industry. In this BONUS episode of The STRONG Life Podcast, I am on The … [Read more...]
269 | Building Leaders in Athletes & Strength Coaches
STRONG Life Podcast ep 269 is with Jason Leydon from his Conquer Athlete Podcast. I had a blast on this episode chatting about building leaders on a sports team as well as empowering your coaches to all become Leaders. Jason has been in the coaching game for a long time and it's interesting to see how CrossFit still has a hungry following. Jason and I dug deep into how I've evolved as a Coach through the decades and the years along with my many experiences from the private sector, to D1 … [Read more...]
268 | Martin Rooney on Building GREAT Team Culture & Leadership
STRONG Life Podcast ep 268 with veteran guest, Martin Rooney. Martin always brings the thunder and as expected, I walked away fired up and enlightened to be a better coach and a better HUMAN. This was GREAT timing for a few reasons that are crucial to you and me. As a Coach in NJ and much of the USA, the restrictions have been lifted and sports will be going full tilt this year. My off season / Summer strength & conditioning at my school began today. School ended yesterday so we … [Read more...]
Get Hungry to Learn, Training TOUGH & Advice to My Younger Self
In this BONUS episode of The STRONG Life Podcast I am interviewed by Anthony Oliveira, who is a Strength Coach & Powerlifter in the Columbus, Ohio area. Anthony's podcast is The Stay Hated Podcast, Listen HERE to all his other episodes, they are powerful and inspiring. We crushed this podcast and get into some great topics on the mind, the body, career, finances and more. Any time I asked to discuss my early days of training and getting into the business of Strength & … [Read more...]
Program Design for Athletes: Are You Training for Sports or Powerlifting?
Last Friday an athlete I train pulled 500 on the trap bar. He is a 15 yr old high school Football player & LAX player. He was fired up that day and he said he wanted to go for it. On days when someone is ready emotionally AND physically to go hard, you Go for it. As long as the timing is right and safe, you go for it. In this Video I explain some context behind why I program the way I do for MOST athletes. Again, it depends on many factors and I never paint a broad brush, because times … [Read more...]
5 x 5 Strength Training QnA
Where did the 5 x 5 program originate from? Well, it's been around for DECADES. To my knowledge, Reg Park started the 5 x 5 program. As 1 of the strongest bodybuilders ever, and, a man who could bench 500 lbs, I actually NEVER recall reading about 5 x 5 in my teen years. And I read EVERY bodybuilding magazine and a TON of bodybuilding books. I WISH I came across this program in my high school years. I was too busy doing pump up bull shyt. Although I DO recall a kid I used to lift with … [Read more...]
255 | Jim Wendler: Training High School Athletes, Thoughts on Social Media, Music & Best Business “Advices”
STRONG Life Podcast 255 with Jim Wendler. https://JimWendler.com This episode is a barn burner and loaded with passion, real life training talk, discussions on our own training as we "get older" plus everything in between. Of course, we get into our dislike of social media and our love for music. Chatting with Jim is always inspiring. Being around this guy reminds how he is one of the realest dudes out there just living his truth. The story of How / When did Zach & Jim meet … [Read more...]
208 | Paul Kolody on High School Strength & Conditioning
STRONG Life Podcast ep. 208 HERE WE GO! BOOM! This was a POWERFUL episode I did with my friend, Paul Kolody, a NJ Strength Coach at powerhouse Hunterdon Central High School. In this episode we REALLY dig deep into how to organize and run a high school weight room like a PRO! Paul sometimes has 90+ kids in his weight room with NO assistant coaches! Can you image 90+ athletes in your weight room? Enjoy the show and make sure you follow Paul at … [Read more...]
5 Reasons Why High Schools Need Expert Strength & Conditioning Coaches
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...]