Weakly Weights

The boys compare two programs that Alex has written for an athlete in an offseason period, prior to entering competition prep. One is mostly submaximal, with the other involving more testing of strength. They discuss when and why one approach or the other may be appropriate, as well as the practical considerations for writing a program in either case. They also discuss why Peak Speak is derivative trash. 

The boys sit down and chat about coaching technique. We cover what technique entails, what coaching/teaching strategies exist to improve it, how these relate to the principles of programming, and how we can systematically diagnose errors of execution. We also discuss how concrete our perceptions of technique should be and whether technique is a phenomenon entirely "taught" by coaches, or whether it is "discovered" by athletes. Alex starts beef with Greg Nuckols and Eric Helms(?) of StrongerByScience

The boys answer your questions about powerlifting competition - covering topics including general nutrition recommendations, rehydrating after a weight cut, dealing with nerves, altering meet plans, and more. They also answer a completely unrelated training question (FFS, Dennis) and some less-serious ones. 

Thomas Lilley joins Alex for his second Weakly Weights episode, this time talking all things online coaching. Who does online coaching suit? Can anyone be coached online? What are some of the challenges we face as online coaches? Tune in to find out!

Nick Walters joins Alex today today all things muscles and mindset. As a competitive bodybuilder and powerlifter, Nick has some interesting insights into the differences in training, mindset and competition between the two sports. We discuss how his training experiences in bodybuilding have shaped his system as a powerlifting coach, as well some valuable lessons powerlifters can take from physique sports. We finish off with some chat around the power of the mind, and how it can influence your performance in training and on the platform.

3-time IPF world champ Natalie Hanson joins the boys to talk about equipped powerlifting. We explore some of the similarities and differences in execution of the powerlifts in the equipped world, hear some stories about her competitive history, and talk about how training demands change with the move to equipment. We also chat about coaching, touching on differences between men and women, how individuals' motivations can influence their training decisions and engagement, and how body ideals can influence athletes' decisions to gain weight for their sport. 

Charlie joins the boys to talk about how Melbourne Strength Culture use principles of autoregulation to improve powerlifting training. We talk about the process of learning to appraise RPE/RIR, how hard "effective" training should be, and whether progressive overload is something that we ought impose, or something that occurs as a result of prior training. We also chat mindset, covering what goes into successful goal-setting in training, before hitting him with the 4 questions that tell us everything that we need to know about a person. 

The boys talk shop about nutrition - covering nutritional needs for bulking/cutting, as well as getting into the practicalities of actually making diets effective and sustainable for powerlifters. 

The boys sit down and chat about things that they consider important in continuing your development as a coach. We cover basic principles of training and movement assessment, our attitude to learning and self-appraisal, and why having an overall vision/system of training and coaching delivery is important. 

The boys chat about two strength blocks that Will has prepared. We look at a low and a high frequency training program, discuss the differences and their relative merits, as well as some considerations for the application of either approach in your own training.