The Physical Preparation Podcast is a one-stop-shop for trainers, coaches and athletes, where I’ll interview the best and brightest in our industry. Please subscribe via one of the links below to get updates for every new show!
Many young, aspiring coaches think that the path to becoming trainers is as smooth as just graduating from school then landing their dream job. Sometimes, there are lots of stops and hiccups along the way. Sometimes, there’s a lot of detours involved. Take Michael Kay, a Doctor of Physical Therapy based in Phoenix, Arizona. He […]
Continue ReadingPlaying sports initiates all things performance, whether it’s about trying to be a better jump shooter or a better athlete. And that’s exactly the catalyst that sparked the passion of applied sports scientist and educator Max Schmarzo. After playing Division III Basketball for Coe College, where he also completed his degrees in athletic training and […]
Continue ReadingDanny O’Rourke has seen soccer from the vantage point of both athlete and coach. After playing collegiate soccer at Indiana University – where he played 83 games, who back-to-back National Championships and the MAC Hermann Trophy – Danny had an 11-year MLS career. In the early years of his career as a professional soccer player, […]
Continue ReadingPerformance Coach and Brand Strategy Consultant Sam Pogue knows what it takes to be resilient in a time of uncertainty. After his stint as Director of Strategic Partnerships and Senior Coach for Onnit, Sam moved to Colorado to work for TrueCoach as Vice President of Brand. Amidst the global pandemic, Sam was laid off following […]
Continue ReadingTo me, Lee Taft is more than a highly-respected and world-renowned athletic movement specialist: He has been a constant mentor and role model who helped shape my thoughts on speed training. A former physical education teacher, Lee began his career in the world of physical preparation in 1989 and has since been helping people take […]
Continue ReadingBorn and raised in Minnesota, Athletic Performance Coach for Women’s Senior National Volleyball team Jimmy Stitz has always known he wanted to become a coach. Growing up with a passion for many sports, Jimmy stumbled into the world of strength and conditioning at an early age. Realizing his athletic career may not have been strong […]
Continue ReadingWhen 8 Weeks Out founder and best-selling author Joel Jamieson began his career in the fitness industry, he immediately learned the importance of data in gauging the factors that affect fitness and recovery. But what’s interesting is that those factors are often found outside the gym. Without an objective technology that can monitor these factors, […]
Continue ReadingFrom his experience working with elite athletes, Nutrition Consultant Kyle Pfaffenbach knows all too well a pitfall athletes tend to have: While they are driven for success, they can be too strict with everything from training to nutrition. Kyle is an Associate Professor of Health and Human Performance at Eastern Oregon University, where he teaches […]
Continue ReadingWhat does it take to have a long, stable career in the world of sports and physical preparation? And how do you make yourself stand out in a competitive industry where everyone is welcome to enter? Veteran Strength & Conditioning Coach Joe Kenn, whose career spans more than 30 years, is a well of wisdom […]
Continue ReadingSports science is a common thing in elite and professional sports today – but it hasn’t always been that way. Over the past 25 years in his career at high-level sports, sports scientist and consultant Chris Barnes has seen how sports science has evolved and gained prominence. When he began his career as a sports […]
Continue ReadingIt can be challenging to coach a high school athlete. Caught between training and studying, these young athletes have a lot of things going on in their lives and can be prone to fatigue and exhaustion. Especially during the COVID-era. Former IFAST intern Mike Coval knows this all too well. Mike is the owner of […]
Continue ReadingOver his 21-year-long career in professional baseball in different capacities, Donovan Santas has seen some of the most momentous changes and shifts in the sports industry – from how strength training is implemented to how the strength & conditioning coach’s role has gained prominence. But Donovan didn’t always have the fancy tools he has access […]
Continue ReadingJonathan Pope is an embodiment of what it means to be resilient. As a high school athlete, Jon was a six-foot, 150-pound, right-handed baseball pitcher who could throw a ball 90 miles an hour. But he needed to get bigger and throw harder if he wanted to play at the Division I level. Thinking that […]
Continue ReadingEarly in his life, Ashley Jones had aspired to become a professional rugby player, but a shoulder injury derailed him from becoming an elite-level player. That didn’t stop him, though. Ashley continued to realize his love for rugby and sports by getting into a training role. He went on to earn a degree in Physical […]
Continue ReadingBasketball Skill Development Coach Joey Burton saw at a very young age what bad coaching looked like. As a high school player, Joey felt frustrated over his coaches’ blatant display of politicizing and favoritism. Though this experience discouraged him from playing in high school, Joey remained passionate about basketball and eventually played in college. Being […]
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