Blog Archives - CHALLENGER STRENGTH

Muscles & Management Podcast

Muscles and Management takes an in depth look at all things training and business.

Gerry DeFilippo is a gym owner from northern New Jersey with a business degree in management from Rutgers University. He started his gym/sports performance business during his last semester of business school and almost three years later he runs the day-to-day business aspects of Challenger Strength as well as heading the strength training.

This podcast will take on any and all topics in both strength training, personal fitness and business and welcome the perspective of some of the best coaches and business minds in the industry. Whether you are an aspiring gym owner, athlete or coach you will enjoy all aspects of this podcast as we dive into the "ins and outs," of the sports performance industry as well as what it takes to excel in business.

Episode #76 Navigating Remote Programming Effectively for Athletes and Coaches and Training Athletes from Home with Erica Suter

4/29/2020

*SHOW TIMESTAMPS FEATURED AT THE END*

In this episode Gerry welcomes Erica Suter back on the show.

Erica is a strength and sports performance coach who works primarily with soccer athletes and has made a career of expanding the horizons of sports performance in the soccer community, especially with female players and athletes.

The conversation starts out with how trainers and athletes can navigate the world of remote programming due to the current situations we are all facing in quarantine. Erica discusses effective strategies for accountability, successful programming and performance from a remote perspective.

Additionally, Erica gets into some business specifics of being an online coaching personality as well as what we may be looking at when we slowly return to normalcy following quarantine.

Training, remote programming and business, all that and more on this episode of Muscles and Management!

Timestamps

5:15 - Developing a Following That Cares What You Are Putting Out
10:00 - Building Trust with Your Community
13:45 - Difference Between Free Content and Providing a Professional Service
15:00 - When Is It Time to Charge for Your Services?
17:45 - Providing Online Services
20:30 - Email Lists
25:00 - Diversify Your Platform
29:50 - the Great Feeling of Your Platform Growing
35:00 - the Other Side of This Pandemic
42:45 - the Need for Structure, Even in Home Workouts
46:35 - Changing the Way We Share Info with Athletes
52:30 - Best Ways to Monitor Progress of Remote Clients

Episode #75 Meathead Monday: The Surface Doesn’t Move in Sport and it Shouldn’t When You Train Either

4/27/2020

Link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/238054/3519055

In this episode Gerry gives a full breakdown on unstable surface training and what makes it an ineffective gimmick.

Gerry gives principle driven and scientific evidence for why athletes should not train on unstable surfaces and what actually goes into sports performance and preparing to be a better athlete on the field of play.

More on this episode of Muscles and Management!

Episode #74 Philadelphia Phillies Pitching Coordinator and Driveline Assistant Director of Pitching Bill Hezel

4/22/2020

Link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/238054/3455491

In this episode Gerry welcomes in Philadelphia Phillies pitching consultant and Driveline Baseball assistant pitching director Bill Hezel on the show.

To start, Bill and Gerry discuss the importance of communication and presenting data and facts when engaging in the debates that sometimes occur in areas of pitching and pitching conditioning.

Then, Bill gives some insight on what pitchers can be doing during this uncertainty and off time to prepare themselves and stay ready as best they can.

All that and more on this episode of Muscles and Management!

Timestamps

4:45 - Running & Arm Injuries
8:20 - Helping Coaches
10:00 - Letting Athletes Have SOME Freedoms
13:00 - Explaining Details To Young Athletes
21:00 - Relationship Building
24:15 - Lifting Heavy & Injuries
30:00 - Why Pulldowns are Effective
37:35 - Unteaching Bad Habits
45:00 - Training Styles Based on Age for Pitching
55:00 - Be Cautious of Incorrect Information Online
58:12 - Giving Answers to Athletes that Stick
1:01:15 - The Disconnect Between Pros and Coaches Who Aren’t Former Pros
1:09:45 - Bill’s Final Thoughts

Episode #73 Meathead Monday: Will Improving My Squat Make Me Faster or a Better Athlete?

4/20/2020

Link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/238054/3422686

In this episode Gerry gives a breakdown to a question he received from a coach on Twitter pertaining to improving squat numbers and the correlation to speed and athleticism.

To start, Gerry lists the factors that could impact the correlation of squatting and speed such as planes of motion, rate of force production and the impact of technical proficiency with the squat in particular.

From there, the conversation turns to specifics of each of these factors and how they can all have a great impact on the correlation of strength in a particular movement and improvements in speed or sport.

To finish up, Gerry details the complicated formula involving the context of force production and how it impacts how much built force in strength training can actually be applied in sprinting and sport movements.

All that and more on this episode of Muscles and Management!

Episode #72 Skill Acquisition, Creating Effective Training Environments and Bridging the Gap between S&C and Sport with Tyler Yearby

4/15/2020

Link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/238054/3362308

*SHOW TIMESTAMPS FEATURED AT THE END*

In this episode Gerry welcomes on Tyler Yearby of Emergence Movement, a sports movement specialist helping athletes with skill acquisition and bridging the gap between strength training and sport.

To start, the conversation takes a look at agility and the need to have athletes participate in random and uncontrolled environments that can challenge their ability to create solutions to situations that are presented to their usual movements and tasks in their sports.

Tyler discusses that athletes can develop pre-determined solutions to issues they have been exposed to and thus turn to them when faced with those similar decision making situations. This, combined with the physical qualities involved in changing direction encompass agility and an athlete's ability to effectively navigate the environments of their sport.

To finish up, Tyler and Gerry discuss how we can best bridge the gap of strength and conditioning to sport for the sake of best preparing athletes.

All that and more on this episode of Muscles and Management!

Show Timestamps:

8:00 - Servicing Clients Remotely During Covid-19
10:40 - Tyler’s Sports and Training Growing Up
14:15 - The Variable of Time & the Use of Conjugate Programing
21:54 - How the Brain is Connected to Exercise
31:00 - 4 Stages of Skill Development
34:00 - Agility Ladders, Force Exertion in Movement, & Other Variables
43:00 - Tyler’s Mindset on Removing Limiting Factors Such as Strength & the Correlation to Young Athletes
51:20 - Should Strength and Skill Coaches be Seperate?
1:00:00 - Energy Systems, Offseasons, and GPP
1:04:29 - Tyler’s Closing Thoughts

Episode #71 Meathead Monday: Quarantine Training Tips Part #2 and Adaptations vs. Variations (Featuring Kevin Poppe)

4/13/2020

Link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/238054/3335026

In this episode Gerry welcomes on Kevin Poppe, strength coach and owner of DST Houston.

Kevin joins Gerry in part #2 of his quarantine training tips to help athletes and coaches navigate this period of unknown while away from their standard training facilities and seeking to continue effective training while at home.

To start, the two discuss the importance of maintaining adherence to goals, time of the off-season for each athlete and still aiming to improve the attributes we would be if we were still at the gym. Kevin points out the effectiveness of plotting programs and goals and writing them down to stay on track.

From there, the conversation turns to training adaptations vs. seeking specific variations and how it can be helpful in training with limited equipment. If we seek to train speed, strength, power etc. vs. trying to do cleans, squats, or other specific variations we can much better accomplish what we need to. Adaptations equal freedom and ability to program with what you have while variations leave you putting together half-baked attempts at mirroring our usual training with equipment.

To finish, Kevin gives some tips for athletes and coaches during this time and the importance of utilizing the internet and social media to find help from coaches you can trust.

All that and more on this episode of Muscles and Management!

Episode #70 University of South Carolina Director of Sports Performance Billy Anderson

4/8/2020

Link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/238054/3263761

*SHOW TIMESTAMPS FEATURED AT THE END*

In this episode Gerry talks to University of South Carolina Director of Sports Performance Billy Anderson.

Billy works specifically with the National Championship winning Baseball Team as well as both Female and Male golfers.

To start, the conversation turns to rotational power and how to go about building elite rotational ability in baseball players and golfers. The two talk about the importance of the core resisting rotation, extension etc. in building rotational power. Additionally, Billy discusses his strategies for training rotation in season when there are high volumes of rotating in sport.

From there, the two discuss general strength training principles like calculating diminishing returns of strength training through force-velocity profiling, energy systems, in-season training and more.

All that and more on this episode of Muscles and Management!

Episode Timestamps:

6:25 - Some Positives of the Current Situation
8:45 - Rotational Power & Lower Power
11:05 - Billy’s Thoughts on Lifting Schedule In-Season
17:45 - Coaches Trusting Strength Coaches
22:00 - Managing Relationships with Coaches
26:00 - Weightlifting & Arm Injuries
31:00 - How Teams Treat Injuries: Then and Now
36:20 - Rotational Movement & How to Train it In-Season
42:15 - The Idea Golfers Shouldn’t Strength Train
47:45 - Training Women
49:00 - How Strong is Strong Enough?
55:22 - Vertical Jump Testing
1:03:25 - Baseball, Acceleration, & the Use of 60’s
1:12:45 - Billy’s Final Thoughts

Episode #69 Meathead Monday: Building Your "First Step."

4/6/2020

Link: www.buzzsprout.com/238054/3247216

In this episode Gerry gives a full breakdown on acceleration, the fallacy of "quick feet," and how you can build fast and efficient acceleration.

To start, the breakdown encompasses a full explanation of the force required and needed to accelerate effectively and a full breakdown of the inaccuracies of desiring or working on "quick feet," to get more explosive in acceleration and speed in general.

From there, Gerry discusses the mechanical aspects of acceleration, how you can coach them and what you can look for when aiming to master this portion of your sprint.

To finish-up, the conversation turns to useful means to develop forceful strides early in your sprint, sled sprinting and various cues that can help build acceleration mechanics.

All that and more on this episode of Muscles and Management!

Episode #68 Strength Training, Pitching and Sports Performance with Ben Brewster

4/1/2020

Link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/238054/3195094

*EPISODE TIMESTAMPS FEATURED AT THE END*

In this episode Gerry welcomes on Ben Brewster, owner and founder of Tread Athletics. Ben has revolutionized remote training for pitchers since 2015 with the start of Tread Athletics.

Ben specializes in training pitchers with a full, "top down," approach consisting of strength training, general movement evaluation and pitching mechanical instruction.

To start, Ben and Gerry discuss the importance of fitting drills and programming to a unique athlete, not using a blanket approach to movement, training and pitching as all individuals require different areas and needs.

From there, the conversation turns to communicating to athletes and having them understand the basics, rather than complicated terminology, the importance of intensity with training and how to handle in-season training.

All that and more on this episode of Muscles and Management!

Show Timestamps:

:25 - Arm Action Drills Tailored to Each Athlete
6:48 - Cookie Cutter Plyo Drills That People Try to Use
10:00 - How to Decide What to Fix
17:00 - Using past Experience to Fix Common Issues in a New Athlete
19:30 - Missing the Little Things and Getting a Clear Picture of What Works
23:20 - Program Design & “being a Savage”
29:50 - Defranco Story about Sending Someone Home
39:30 - Gerry’s Story on Early Coaching and Overdoing Cues
44:30 - Explain Why Things Will Help an Athlete
51:25 - Baseball Players In-season (How Strong Is Strong Enough)
56:30 - Max Schmarzo’s Thoughts on Transfer Strength to Sport
1:01:00 - Maintaining in the Season