Episode 59: Dr. Jason Miller on the Intricacies, Challenges, and Joys of Coaching Weightlifting

When you're an olympic weightlifting coach, you're a leader, a guide, a teacher: You're the go-to person when people around you need answers. And while this is certainly a position of honor, it also comes with its difficulties, chief among them: Knowing who you can turn to with your questions. That's precisely why we invited Dr. Jason Miller, Ph.D., onto our podcast.

If you're looking to dive down the rabbit hole of programming design and coaching methodology for olympic weightlifting, if you've got nuts-and-bolts questions concerning the application of the latest scientific research on strength, power, technique development and more, then this podcast is a must-listen.

Episode 58: Dane Miller on the Science, Business, and ART of Coaching

Dane Miller is a force. Twice-over business owner and coach of Olympic competitors, world champions, and NCAA athletes across 7 sports, he combines a deep knowledge of sports performance with business acumen and people skills you just can't teach. We admire the heck out of him, so we invited him on our podcast to find out, essentially, how he does it all.

What ensued was a highly informative, highly animated conversation about everything from coping with COVID-19 to running a business in the health/ fitness industry to what it's like to train with pioneers such as Dr. Anatoliy Bondarchuk and Charles Poliquin.

Episode 57: Dr. Lisa Lewis on the Mechanics of Motivation

"Your most effective instrument for effecting change is your report, your relationship with the client."

We'll let that sink in for a moment. This quote, so profound in its succinct expression of truth, is one of the many gems that emerged from our conversation with Dr. Lisa Lewis, Ed.D. CADC-II. As a licensed, practicing psychologist, Dr. Lewis is an expert on motivation and behavior change. And while a portion of her career is dedicated to clinical work with individuals seeking to become healthier, we invited her on Episode 57 to talk about the other portion of her career-- the part focused on helping practitioners help others get healthier.

Zachary GreenwaldApril 1, 2020Sports Psychology, Psychology, Coaching, Evidence-Based Coaching

Episode 56: The Road to Success Is Paved with Good Habits

That distance between who you are and who you want to become? It can feel staggering, daunting, even impassible at times. Especially if you’re fixating on the sheer expanse of it. However, if you focus on taking a single step across that distance, things might not seem quite so overwhelming. Because a step is small. A step is manageable. And, as James Clear discusses in our latest podcast, a step is exactly the motivation you need to take another.

James Clear is the author of Atomic Habits, a New York Times best selling book about the art and science of habit formation.

Zachary GreenwaldDecember 13, 2019Habit Formation, Psychology, Sports Psychology, Mental Health, Self Improvement

Episode 55: Pixie and Alan on Why Nutrition Is a Social Justice Issue, not a Moral Issue

On episode 55, Pixie Turner, M.Sc., and Alan Flanagan, M.Sc, joined us as we jumped into our coveralls, rolled up our sleeves, and took a look under the sputtering, stalling, overheating hood of public nutrition.

And what did we find there? Increasing rates of food anxiety and disordered eating. Widespread chronic lifestyle disease. And hunger. People are suffering from an excess of food messaging at the same time that people suffering from a lack of food choices at the same time that people are suffering from a simple lack.

Zachary GreenwaldSeptember 11, 2019Nutrition Research, nutrition, Public Health, equity, social justice

Episode 48: Bryce Lewis on the Modern Coach-Athlete Relationship

As Bryce Lewis, IFP Champion, Drug-Free Powerlifting Coach, and founder of The Strength Athlete, puts it, “The whole relationship between a coach and an athlete is hinged upon success or failure in making the athlete better.” So how can we ensure this relationship will lead to success? On Episode 48 of our Podcast, Bryce Lewis helps us answer this complex question.

Episode 43: Dr. Andy Galpin on the Evolution of Strength & Conditioning, Fiber Type Changes, and Concurrent Training

We’re joined by Dr. Andy Galpin in Episode 43 of the Strength Ratio Podcast. Andy, who holds a PhD in human bioenergetics, is the founder and director of the Biochemistry and Molecular Exercise Laboratory at California State University, Fullerton. He is also the author of “Unplugged”, which educates readers how to “evolve from technology to upgrade your fitness, performance, & consciousness”.

Episode 42: Alex Harrison on Concurrent Training (Part 2) and HIIT "High Intensity Interval Training"

Alex Harrison, Science Consultant of Renaissance Periodization, joins us again to discuss Concurrent Training. Alex references the graph below, from the symposium review “Concurrent exercise training: do opposites distract?” by Coffey and Hawley, to explain the interference effect for both trained, and untrained populations.

Our topic then turns to HIIT “High Intensity Interval Training” for both endurance athletes and for CrossFit athletes.

Episode 41: James Hoffmann on Volume Landmarks for Hypertrophy, Power, and Strength

James Hoffmann, consultant for Renaissance Periodization, joins us again to discuss the volume landmarks of training. In Episode 31, James discussed the volume landmarks in the context of field sports and CrossFit. In this episode, however, James focuses on recoverable abilities for hypertrophy, power, and strength.

This episode also involves volume landmark considerations for…

Episode 40: Eric Helms on Microcycle Progressions for Volume & for Strength

Episode 40 welcomes Eric Helms, PhD in Strength and Conditioning and author/coach for 3D Muscle Journey.

This episode focuses most notably on microcycle progressions for hypertrophy training, wherein Eric shares his thoughts on the weekly evolution of loading and volume for training health and longevity.

The evidence that he provides for such progression has us rethinking the rate at which we add total work to our athletes’ hypertrophy cycles…

Episode 39: Mike Tuchscherer on "Emerging Strategies"

Episode 39 of the Strength Ratio Podcast features acclaimed powerlifter and coach, Mike Tuchscherer. Mike is also the founder of Reactive Training Systems (RTS). Reactive Training Systems is an online coaching, programming, and content provider for powerlifters.

This podcast is centered around RTS’s hallmark training methodology, which Mike has coined, “Emerging Strategies”. Emerging Strategies (ES) was created in response to the inherent limitations behind periodization theory, as well as to the individual response to training.

Episode 38: Max Aita of Juggernaut Training Systems

Episode 38 of the Strength Ratio Podcast features Coach Max Aita, who has spent nearly two decades in both Weightlifting and Powerlifting. Max has produced numerous senior national medalists in Weightlifting, as well as world record holders in Powerlifting.

We first learn how Max’s coaches, including Steve Gough (USA), Ivan Abadjiev (BUL), and Boris Sheiko (RUS), shaped Max’s current training systems.

Next, Max discusses the relationship between weightlifting specific technique and weightlifting specific strength.

Episode 37: Mike Molloy of M2 Performance Nutrition

Mike Molloy, owner of M2 Performance Nutrition, joins us for Episode 37 of the Strength Ratio Podcast.

Mike, who has worked as a nutrition coach for nearly a decade, explains how his one-on-one coaching has evolved from writing macro prescriptions, alone, to now involving lifestyle and behavioral coaching to better address the psycho-social influences of dieting.

For example, and as citied in greater detail in the episode, Kaymen et al., recently discovered that subjects who maintained their fat loss…

Zachary GreenwaldOctober 19, 2018Nutrition Coaching, Nutrition, Dieting, Lifestyle, Psycho-Social Influences, Psychology, Macros

Episode 36: Mattie Rogers & Danny Camargo

Episode 36 of the Strength Ratio Podcast features World Championships Silver Medalist, Mattie Rogers, and her coach, Danny Camargo, who’s earned Level 5 Senior International Distinction.

We begin the episode by discussing their latest competition, the American Open Series III. Mattie and Danny provide insight into the obstacles they encountered leading up to the meet, and how they overcame them. We discover that the strength of their relationship has, despite challenge and set back, been defined by their deep trust and ability to communicate.

Episode 35: Zach & Kyle's Reflection Episode

In Episode 35 of the Strength Ratio Podcast, Zach & Kyle review the major talking points of the latest five episodes. The topics discussed in this episode include the gut microbiome, athlete monitoring, and the relative frequency of high versus low intensity exercise in a concurrent training plan.

So, if recently you’ve been unable to tune in weekly, you can catch up on what you’ve missed in Episode 35!

Zachary GreenwaldSeptember 28, 2018Summary, Gut Microbiome, Athlete Monitoring, Intensity, Concurrent Training

Episode 34: Alex Harrison - A Journey from Power To Endurance

Episode 34 of the Strength Ratio Podcast features yet another team member of Renaissance Periodization, Alex Harrison. Alex received his Ph.D in Sports Performance from East Tennessee State University.

As an Olympic Hopeful in bobsled, Alex had trained many years for improved power. In fact, if you look through his social media, you'll see mesmerizing vertical jump abilities, as well as highly impressive numbers in the power clean, power snatch and push press.

Episode 33: Jacob Reed on Athlete Monitoring

Episode 33 of the Strength Ratio Podcast features another team member of Renaissance Periodization, Jacob Reed. Alongside his peers, Dr. James Hoffmann (Episode 31) and Dr. Mike Israetel (Episode 18), Jacob received his Ph.D in Sports Performance from East Tennessee State University.

In this episode, Jacob joins us to discuss athlete monitoring. Like the App Store, Jacob creates a list of the “Top Paid” and the “Top Free” ways to monitor progress and biofeedback. This list includes an evaluation…

Episode 32: Jeff Nichols (CSCS*D, TSAC-F*D) on "Purpose, Process, and Love"

Jeff Nichols, former Navy Seal and Strength & Conditioning coach of roughly twenty years, joins us to discuss his shared views on sustainable training as well as process-based perspectives and mental toughness.

Jeff's current business, Performance First, emphasizes "purpose, process, and love". Tune in to Episode 32 to learn how these three pillars have informed Jeff's personal and professional accomplishments!

Episode 31: James Hoffmann on Volume Landmarks for Sport

James Hoffmann, who holds a PhD in Sports Physiology, is a consultant for Renaissance Periodization. Jame's contributions to the field of exercise science have had a notable impact on our education in, and programming for, sports performance.

In Episode 31, James joins us to discuss volume landmarks of training in the context of field sports and of CrossFit. When training multiple fitness characteristics concurrently…

Episode 30: Dr. Gabrielle Fundaro on the Gut Microbiome

Episode 30 of the Strength Ratio Podcast features Dr. Gabrielle Fundaro, PhD in Human Nutrition and nutrition coach for Renaissance Periodization, who joins us to discuss digestive health and the gut microbiome.

Gabrielle first discusses digestive physiology to explain nutrient absorption and bacterial diversity. Next, she makes clear the influence that diet has on our gut and what considerations this may have for both a healthy diet and for athletic performance.

STRENGTH RATIO PODCASTS