14 Responses

1. Hey Z. I have been coaching 13-14 year olds in hockey since i started school last fall. I attend school full time, work 20 hours on the weekends, while competing in powerlifting alongside with coaching three of my athletes in my garage. I truly believe that I am very proficient in progressing the kids towards movements such as squats and deadlifts, and teaching them the proper execution of those lifts. This summer I am renting a local crossfit gym and will be training a group of around ten kids for three months prior to next years try outs. I am extremely excited to pass on the things I wish I had learned when I was their age.

   I believe myself and my atheletes would benefit greatly from this program because I sometimes have trouble putting all my knowledge together to form a structured system. I understand the concepts you teach of starting with exercises that are easy to execute and hard to fuck up to build general strength, training the kids to be fucking warriors, and passing along the strong life mentality. I believe this program will give me a huge step forward in my coahcing abilities. Thanks Z. #LiveTheCode365 #GarageGymGladiators

   Reply

   1. Cooper! LOVE what you’re doing, my man!!!

      Get a YouTube Channel and show me some of the stuff you have happening for these athletes!

      E Mail me and I will get you set up! LOVE your dedication and wanna see you soon!

      Reply

2. Good morning Coach! I’m not currently a Coach at a high school but I am trying to get in with a couple of them locally and I currently have two schools who are open to meeting with me. Their first ask of my was, “Please bring the program I would implement with their team”.
   I could put something together for them but how much better would it be to be able to present then with a 16 week program that has already been proven. I am so passionate about doing this that if the coaches love it (but like most schools in the area) but can’t afford to pay me for my time, I’m willing to give up my time for FREE. Thank you for your time and for doing this and I know you will pick the best 3 since one have been given away already. I am a LEADER ready to implement this program to the wrestling team.

   Reply

3. Yo Z!
   Jason here, first off thanks brother for being so generous in everything they you do. It fires me up to GIVE, GIVE and GIVE on a DAILY basis.

   I’ve been following your programmes for the last 18 months and I know they don’t work ha WE WORK. it’s not the sets and reps that count it’s the attitude of no matter how tough this gets I’ll bring my A game and grind this out till the end!

   Right now Zach I’m doing mostly online training but I have a guy just 1 at the moment who I’m training in the flesh. In 13 days my guy is doing a 3,000 Burpee challenge like I did a few months ago. (See even though I ain’t changing millions of lives I’m making a BIG impact in the lives of those I do help 🙂 )

   Dave my man is a beast and I ONLY want the BEST for him. He’s been with me from the start and invested his trust in me which I can’t begin to quantitify HOW grateful I am for.

   I believe in your programs 500000% Z and I believe that High School Strong has the power to change the lives of the people that I help.

   That’s why. I wouldn’t have written this if I didn’t believe in you and in me. My why is to serve as a constant inspiration to those around me both in and OUT of the gym, because TRUE strength doesn’t know where the gym ends and life begins. But it’s a life and it’s all living regardless of whether your raising a baby and dealing with that stress or the physical stress of squatting a stone in the rain it ALL requires STRENGTH!

   That’s what I believe your programs build Zach, TRUE strength that transcends the gym.

   It’s that which motivated me to write this and if I win High School Strong it will be Implimented and it will change lives just as you have changed mine!!!!

   Thanks again Zach

   You can’t begin to imagine how much of a positive force you’ve been in my life over the years.

   I THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART for that.

   Reply

   1. Jason love your passion!

      1 is better than zero!!

      Keep doing your thing and THAT is what counts!

      Reply

4. Coach Z:

   Currently training a group of 4 middle school basketball players (among a few other HS athletes and gen pop clients) from my hometown where I played 3 sports and graduated high school in Indiana.

   When I graduated 5 years ago our teams had won 82 games and a state championship in 4 years. The past 2 seasons they have won 2 games each year…

   I only started one of those seasons and was a reserve on the others and I played with players much better than me so I was no star so not trying to sound like I’m bragging.

   But the new coach has asked older players back to play in open gyms and the kids have ZERO PRIDE. No competitive fire, no desire to win. They acted like they were forced to be there and didn’t give a shit whether they got scored on, made a turnover or lost the game, they were weak mentally and physically and it made me sick to see.

   My goal with my middle school athletes I have now is to get them both physically & mentally strong now so they don’t act like those kids they have now and that they will bring back a winning mentality to the program and be leaders.

   I just graduated college in December and started a S&C business in January. Currently training at a commercial gym but have a 550sqft garage that I’m working on opening as my first facility. Been working on contacting the area coaches to try and work with them if possible.

   Having the High School Strong program would be a great resource to be able to present to coaches when I meet with them, and after reading your book snd listening to your podcasts and emails I know it will be a top level program.

   Appreciate all you do in helping other coaches. I know personally you were a big inspiration in deciding to open my own place. I also appreciate you giving an opportunity to win a program that took you years of trial and error to make. With me just getting started, being able to trust and implement a program that was made with that much experience in mind is priceless and even if I don’t win I will make it a priority to make it happen and purchase it when I’m able to.

   Again thanks for all you do!

   Matt

   Reply

   1. Matt, LOVE your fire & commitment to the kids. Sounds like me when I started!

      The middle school is a GREAT time to mold them for high school.

      Come high school you’ll have an army of young hard charging athletes.

      I have LOTS of middle school kids and they are crushing it!

      Reply

5. Zach,

   I have been looking forward to writing my request for your High School Strong program ever since I saw it this morning. I have taken some time to think about exactly what I want to say, so here goes.

   I am a high school Varsity Girls Soccet coach in Texas, and I firmly believe your High School Strong program can play a major role in our off season strength and conditioning program. I have been coaching competitive club soccer teams for the past 14 years. 3 years ago, I was approached by our new athletic director about coaching the girls soccer team. I have always believed in sharing the talents I have and quickly agreed to the position. I took on a team that had just come off a deep playoff run, graduating 15 seniors. But, basically starting from scratch. There was no JV program to build from, and I only had 2 returning players. However, I had a lot of girls interested in playing, and began building our program. We didn’t win any district games that first season, but we set the foundation for the next year. We worked hard in the offseason, and we began to really put some time in to our strength and conditioning program. We have a pretty solid weight room, and the girls have bought in to strength and conditioning and the benefits they bring to their game. Although our weight room is solid, I have worked on supplementing some implements that I thought we could utilize to help us more. I got in touch with a firefighter from the fire department and asked about old hoses we could use as battle ropes. By the end of the next week, over 20 hoses showed up on my front porch. We have put those hoses to good use, and we have added tractor tires.

   As a result of our offseason program, the next season saw us not only finding district wins and ties, but we made it to the third round of playoffs. We worked hard again this past off season, but weren’t able to make it to playoffs this year. We just started our offseason program last week. I told the girls after our final loss of the season, that we could let our season define us, destroy us, or strengthen us. We decided that we would let our performance strengthen us in the offsesason, so we can make it to playoffs next year. So far, we are on the right path. I decided to do some testing at the end of the week, and made some interesting observations. My strongest lifter is my left forward, and also the most committed player. At 115lbs, she had a 185lb 5rm squat. She is the captain of the team, and my only player playing club soccer. I had 57 girls tryout for soccer this past season. 56 are interested in playing soccer, but only 1 is committed. I believe your High School Strong program can help me get everyone else more committed to playing soccer.

   I really hope you give me the opportunity to use the High School Strong with my soccer team. I know it can make a difference and help us get on the more consistent winning path.

   Thanks for your consideration, and I look forward to working with you

   Reply

6. Zach

   Picked up gig as head coach football coach at a military academy style public charter school (300 cadets male and female in high school). School is in a struggling post auto industry town where over 70% of our students are free and reduced lunch eligible. We are a college prep school with a tough disciplinary model. Which means our kids get with the program or go elsewhere. This can be a challenge drawing in top tier athletes that cannot adjust to the schools standards. So since the calvary is not coming to save our athletic programs so we have have to make the cadets we have stronger and tougher.

   I picked it up the interim head football coaching job during last season and am now the head coach for next season.. Most times we take the field the difference between us and our opponents is striking. Our opponents might dress 60-80 kids to our 30. Physically we look like a middle school team playing varsity football. Which makes our need to transform is even more pressing. Our facilities are very weak and athletic department doesn’t get funded beyond ticket dollars. The coaches and I have scraped together a weight room from hand me downs, craigs list and play it again sports purchased by us and through our teams limited fund raising. The football program has won 12 games over the last four seasons. Sadly, football is our most successful team sport to date.

   I wanted to add greater accountability and structure to what we were doing in the weight room. We really worked the in season weight room program hard last year. Using available training methods gleaned from Underground Strength programs I purchased in previous years. It made a huge difference in our durability only one serious injury (broken arm) after we got up and running.

   In addition to helping our physical development we need the metal toughness that most of our kids seem to lack. They have lost or never built a competitive fire within. The little voice that says f***k you! fight back when things get hard. Many find it easier to just give up, quit or loaf. Our greatest challenge will be overcoming an apathetic community were good enough is good enough and breaking these kids naive belief that anything great comes from passive half-hearted effort. I think your high school program can help us break through.

   I appreciate all you do and thanks for the opportunity.

   Reply

   1. The Underdog ALWAYS has the BEST stories!!

      Reply

7. Looks like you got more than 4 responses Z! Ha!!

   I tried coaching high school “athletes” and I failed or rather… their heads were filled with such Resistance and their parents and coaches so brainwashed by the next ‘fad /gimmick or shortcut’ just getting kids to show up was impossible, let alone doing the work.

   I’ve checked out Zach’s High School Off-Season training program and it puts a powerful program in a coach’s hands. Now it’s up to you to create that magical moment where passion meets purpose… THAT is the greatest obstacle–the fear of commitment, finding the inspiration to just take that first step and keep going. Zach and Underground Coach’s #LiveTheCode… I hope all winning coaches in turn create winning athletes on and off the field. Thanks again Zach for all you do.

   Reply

8. Hey Zach. HS wrestling coach here in Walton, KY. Been training HS and MS kids for about 6-7 years. Started in my backyard flipping tractor tires and sledgehammers and sandbags. Graduated up to an awesome old school barn where we get 12-15 kids regularly killing it 3 days a week. Always looking to get better at what we do and help our boys get stronger and better at everything they do. Love to see what you have to share.

   http://youtu.be/6wks0JaBdnQ

   Reply

   1. Jason THAT is awesome!! Love it!

      Love the model you guys have of taking care of those kids!!

      Reply

9. Hey Zach. I’m a HS wrestling coach here in Walton, KY. Been doing strength training for HS and MS kids for about 6-7 years based on my intuition and great information online from guys like you. We started in my backyard with tractor tires and sledgehammers and sandbags and in the last couple years progressed to my buddy’s barn shown in the video. I’m always looking for better ideas and programs to benefit my hard working group of kids.

   Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.