Mental Toughness. Here we go again. One of the most overused phrases in the coaching world. What is it? How do you help athletes "Get Tough" and why is it even important? Well, being a kid who grew up in the 80s and experiencing countless training styles and coaches, I am smart enough to see the changes and the evolution. And with all this experience comes a lot of mistakes and knowledge. What worked in the 80s and 90s doesn't always work today. As a high school athlete, my coach … [Read more...]
Random Thoughts November 2020
Sometimes I write for no other reason than to write for myself. That's right, just for me. It's a great way to cleanse the mind and get something out of your head and onto paper or in this case, on the computer. I don't care that "blogging isn't cool anymore" or whatever other bull shyt people like to spout. The photo above is because I often talk about a "cabin in the woods". Yes, that will happen. I look forward to that day..... OK, here goes, for the rare few who actually read and … [Read more...]
Building Stronger, Tougher & Faster Athletes: Eventually, Athletes Need a Heavy Bar on their Back
Times have been changing for quite some time..... Strength training with the basics is just not "cool" anymore. "Experts" hate on squats and now we have high school kids who can barely squat bodyweight. And this COVID shutdown of gyms didn't help. When gyms were open, at least the kids were in there training. Now, parents are afraid to send kids to a gym and we have everyone locked down in a "safety bubble" You see, many athletes took it upon themselves to do NOTHING during the COVID … [Read more...]
Ep 227 | Wrestling BEAST, Gabe Dean & Strength Coach, Dan Flanick: CRAZY Stories of Zach & The Underground Strength Gym
Photo Cred: FloWrestling.com & Tony Rotundo STRONG Life Podcast ep. 227 with Gabe Dean & Dan Flanick. I've known Gabe since my days of coaching at Lehigh (2014-2015) when our best guy was battling Dean all throughout the season. And last Summer, I got to work with Dean while filming new episodes for The Spartan Up Podcast series, which I will also share below. This is a BEAST of an episode. Gabe & his podcast partner, Strength Coach Dan Flanick really got me sharing some wild … [Read more...]
5 Tips for Training Athletes for Strength AND Toughness
There's a lot of chatter going on regarding training athletes for speed and strength. Some coaches feel we're not doing enough speed / sprint work. Others realize that MANY athletes are too weak to sprint properly. And, have we forgotten? We need athletes to be TOUGH. Give kids an opportunity to train on their own in a weight room today and you'll see some benching and lots of "chest work" and of course, lots of curls. NO back training. NO DEEP Squats. Farmer … [Read more...]
Art of Coaching: How & Why Strength & Conditioning Is MUCH More Than Sets & Reps
I've watched the worst movers in the weight room achieve some of the highest levels of success in their chosen sport. I've watched the highest achievers in high school struggle at the D1 Level and give up altogether. I've watched the strongest & toughest guys in the weight room demonstrate the least grit & toughness in their sport. These stories of irony go on and on. They are ironic only when you are new to training athletes. Once you've coached for a while, you see how … [Read more...]
We Need MORE People Getting Farm Boy STRONG
Too many Coaches have gotten entirely too nice with athletes and their training. Or, they refuse to learn and refuse to change, in turn doing dangerous and stupid training that either doesn't work and / or injures athletes. "This is how I always trained....." is what they say. Small minds refuse to change. Small minded people never succeed beyond their own mind. Don't be "that guy". Everyday is a learning opportunity. I learn everyday, not just from other coaches, but from my athletes as I … [Read more...]
STRONG Life Ep. 46: AWESOME QnA, Training Different Athletes, Lehigh Wrecking Crew & NO Best Biz Books
It's been a while since I've crushed a STRONG Life Podcast and I am sorry. My voice has been MIA for a solid 3 weeks and it's on the way back. I felt great physically but my voice didn't work. It was kinda like pushing the gas pedal on your car and it drives nowhere. That's how my voice was (not) working. In this episode, we have a loaded QnA which allowed me to delve into some awesome topics that you will love! … [Read more...]
3 Key Truths In Training You Must Accept To Maximize Size & Strength Gains
There are 3 critical keys that have been largely responsible for my success in training as well as coaching. Yes, there is science behind it, but most of all, there are these 3 keys behind the training. … [Read more...]
What REALLY Matters Is NOT A Best Seller
My book launched on a Monday and by Wednesday morning it hit # 1 on Amazon Kindle Exercise Section and was also sitting in the top 10 for physical books. I was pumped when I got the news that we hit # 1 on Kindle, NO lie. I was psyched and fired UP! I was finishing up a training session with my buddy at The Underground Strength Gym in Manasquan and I sent my wife a text message right away. But then, I got an e mail from a Dad of 1 of the kids I train at my Underground Strength … [Read more...]