- 1 hour 20 minutesStephen Calarco on Earned Empathy, Accountability, and Moving the Needle with Gen Pop Clients
Today I sit down with my good friend Stephen Calarco to talk about what really helps gen pop clients make progress.
We unpack a few key items in this episode:
- Why more gym time isn’t always the answer,
- How to get clear on what a goal actually requires, and
- Why nutrition habits, sleep, and life outside the gym matter just as much as the workout.
We also dive into the human side of coaching: How your words can build confidence or reinforce negative self-talk, when a coach should listen versus refer out, and how to cut through the noise of social media.
If you listen to this entire episode you’ll come away with practical strategies to coach with more empathy, hold clients accountable, and help them build fitness that supports a better life.
Quotable Quotes:
You can’t negotiate with what your goals require
The three hours you see me every week isn’t going to compete with the hundred and sixty five hours of noise you’re getting elsewhere
I would rather you only come in the gym three days a week and take those extra two hours to go home and meal prep
This Week on the Physical Prep Podcast:
- Stephen Calarco: Husband, father, and owner of The Strength Spot in Hartford.
- The foundational basics of general-population training: clarity, intent, and what really moves the needle
- Thoughts on body recomposition, and why your clients have to understand what their goals REALLY require
- Why meal prepping is such a critical piece of the body comp puzzle
- How small comments can give you big insights into how your clients think about themselves
- Where to draw the line between coaching and therapy
- How to hold clients accountable without shame or guilt (and why EVERY client is unique here)
- Cutting through the noise of social media as a coach
- How to maximize your continuing education time and budget
- How fatherhood changed his Stephen’s training priorities, and what “strong enough” means to him now.
- And last but not least, Stephen hit ME with a lightning round where we talk coaching, smoked meats, and training music!
Connect with Stephen:
Related Links:
Grow Your Fitness Business or Gym with Push Press!
Gym owners and coaches, have you heard about PushPress?
It’s the best gym management software company and it’s revolutionizing the fitness world.
So check this out: PushPress is built BY gym owners. They understand the ins and outs of running a fitness business because they’re “in the trenches” in their own gyms every single day.
Key products like Core, Grow, and Train are designed to help you with everything from billing and scheduling to lead generation and progress tracking.
Built on the “help first” ethos, PushPress places an exceptional focus on prioritizing client needs, listening to feedback from their community, and using it as the impetus for its ever-evolving, innovative features.
And here’s the strongest plug I can give them – I’ve actually switched to PushPress for all of my clients and athletes.
Getting things set-up and running smoothly is not only easier, but also far more intuitive than many other solutions.
So if you’re interested in learning more, just head over to pushpress.com/ppp.
Subscribe, Rate & Share
Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Physical Preparation Podcast!
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts and leave your honest review. I’d also love to connect via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit our website.
Thanks so much for your support – love and appreciate you!
The post Stephen Calarco on Earned Empathy, Accountability, and Moving the Needle with Gen Pop Clients appeared first on Robertson Training Systems.
27 September 2026, 9:38 pm - 55 minutes 34 secondsJoel Jamieson on Cardiovascular Disease, Longevity Training, and Avoiding the Law of Averages
Today, I’ve got my good friend Joel Jamieson back for his final stop on the podcast!
In this episode, we explore the science and practice of training for a longer, healthier life.
As the title implies we spend a great deal of time covering cardiovascular disease, but we also discuss the differences between high- and low-intensity cardio, how to optimize your training schedule, and the differences between training men and women.
Joel brings decades of coaching experience and a research-driven perspective, and after listening to this episode I’m confident you’ll have a better understanding of what actually moves the needle for performance, health, and longevity!
Quotable Quotes:
Exercise is a powerful tool because it helps prevent cardiovascular disease, dementia, cancer risk and millions of other things – but it doesn’t stop the plaque.
If most people train 4 days per week, they think they’ll do 3 lifts and 1 cardio session. But if your goal is health and longevity, or you want to live as long as possible, and be as healthy as possible, you have to invert that.
The earlier you treat your progression of cardiovascular disease, the better off you are.
This Week on the Physical Prep Podcast:
- Joel’s journey from strength coach to healthy and longevity mastermind
- Why he built Morpheus, and why it’s designed to help you optimize YOUR personal fitness
- The family history that changed Joel’s view of heart disease
- Why fit people are NOT immune to cardiovascular disease
- Joel gets a little nerdy on the types of cholesterol, and what to look for if you’re worried about tracking your numbers
- Why exercise helps stabilize plaque—but may not stop it
- High- vs Low-Intensity Cardio: Which is best? And how might both fit into your program?
- The EXACT weekly schedule Joel would use if he wanted to promote longevity and healthy aging
- Why most people probably need LESS strength training than they think (and the research to support it)
- Should men and women train differently? Why individual data beats aone-size-fits-all fitness advice
Connect with Joel:
Level Up Your Program Design with Train Heroic!
Are you tired of using clunky, antiquated program design tools like Microsoft Word or Excel?
Are you ready to level up your programming, and make it far more engaging to your clients and athletes?
If so, you need to check out Train Heroic.
I’ve been using TrainHeroic for years now both here at RTS and at IFAST, and I can tell you the user experience both as an athlete and coach is truly second to none.
To learn more and start your free 14-day trial, just follow this link to learn more about Train Heroic.Not only will you get your first 14 days free, but it’s just $10/month to get started officially after that.
So don’t wait any longer – head over trainheroic.co/rts and start crafting beautiful programs your clients and athletes will love TODAY!
Subscribe, Rate & Share!
Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Physical Preparation Podcast!
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts and leave your honest review. I’d also love to connect via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit our website.
Thanks so much for your support – love and appreciate you!
The post Joel Jamieson on Cardiovascular Disease, Longevity Training, and Avoiding the Law of Averages appeared first on Robertson Training Systems.
18 September 2026, 11:51 am - 1 hour 14 minutes3 Core Competencies You MUST Develop to Build a Gym That Lasts (with Andy and Luka)
Do you want to build a better coaching business?
Level up your gym?
Or simply take your game to the next level?
If so, you need to listen to this podcast NOW!
While I’ve had both Luka and Andy on numerous times before, it definitely takes it to another level when they’re on the show together.
And in this episode, we’re going to dive into the three core competencies that every high-level business must develop to achieve greatness.
So without any further ado, let’s dive in!
Quotable Quotes:
If you become a great coach first, it transfers really well into every other area of running a business
Operational excellence is the management and organization of the people, the processes, the performance and outcomes that are created
Your product is THE MOST important thing
This Week on the Physical Prep Podcast:
- Quick intros from Andy and Luka, and props to Andy for hitting 25 years at BCI and Luka at 20+ in Slovenia!
- The importance and power of becoming a great coach FIRST
- And a corollary: Why even great marketing can’t save a weak product
- The “trip over your own truth” moment – when numbers expose the real problem in your business
- What is “Operational excellence?” And why is it the hidden engine behind real growth?
- Real Talk: Most gym owners don’t know what they don’t know
- Dream gym, Dream life: How to build backward from the life you actually want
- The power of personal leadership, and becoming the person the business requires
- Why your business will only grows as much as its leader
Connect with Andy and Luka:
Books Mentioned:
Level Up Your Program Design with Train Heroic!
Are you tired of using clunky, antiquated program design tools like Microsoft Word or Excel?
Are you ready to level up your programming, and make it far more engaging to your clients and athletes?
If so, you need to check out Train Heroic.
I’ve been using TrainHeroic for years now both here at RTS and at IFAST, and I can tell you the user experience both as an athlete and coach is truly second to none.
To learn more and start your free 14-day trial, just follow this link to learn more about Train Heroic.Not only will you get your first 14 days free, but it’s just $10/month to get started officially after that.
So don’t wait any longer – head over trainheroic.co/rts and start crafting beautiful programs your clients and athletes will love TODAY!
Subscribe, Rate & Share!
Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Physical Preparation Podcast!
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts and leave your honest review. I’d also love to connect via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit our website.
Thanks so much for your support – love and appreciate you!
The post 3 Core Competencies You MUST Develop to Build a Gym That Lasts (with Andy and Luka) appeared first on Robertson Training Systems.
7 September 2026, 5:42 pm - 54 minutes 22 secondsBill Hartman on Movement Models, Return to Play, and Playing the Probabilities
I’ve got a good one for you today my friend!
Bill Hartman brings 35 years of experience, and more importantly, a totally unique way of thinking about rehab, performance, and movement.
In our conversation, we take a deep dive into how he moved from standard, rule-based systems to a principle-driven framework called the UHP that helps him make better decisions with less guesswork.
Along the way, we get into the bigger ideas behind his model—why shape and position matter, how the whole system influences performance, and why the best solutions often come from understanding movement in context rather than chasing isolated fixes.
It’s always great to get Bill back on the show, and I promise this one won’t disappoint.
Let’s dive in!
Quotable Quotes:
I got frustrated because I kept hitting dead ends – so I scrapped everything and started from scratch
The minute you start adding resistance, you’re adding a challenge where the load becomes the constraint
It’s not just about “pushing this thing” – It’s like “hold this position as you do something”
This Week on the Physical Prep Podcast:
- Bill’s background and how he got started in the PT and S&C worlds
- His shift from rigid rules to principle-based thinking, and why frustration pushed him to build a new model.
- Why the goal of training or PT is better reasoning, NOT perfect prediction
- How the model has evolved over time, but the core principles have stayed the same
- Bill’s approach to evaluating in the return to play process
- Why you MUST know and understand the injury, the constraints, and the specific demands of the sport
- A big consideration: Injuries are rarely isolated, and why you have to look at all the pieces of the puzzle when creating a RTP program
- How external load can become a constraint – and that can be a good OR bad thing (depending on how it’s applied)
- Table Tests: Why Bill uses them, and what he wants to get out of them
- How to take the information from table tests and apply it to your standard gym exercises (squats, lunges, etc.)
- Why all table tests are inherently “dirty”
- The power of consolidating change and stabilizing an athlete before progressing them
- How manual techniques and mobilizations fit into Bill’s treatment programs these days
- Final thoughts, and how you can learn more about Bill’s work!
Connect with Bill:
Level Up Your Program Design with Train Heroic!
Are you tired of using clunky, antiquated program design tools like Microsoft Word or Excel?
Are you ready to level up your programming, and make it far more engaging to your clients and athletes?
If so, you need to check out Train Heroic.
I’ve been using TrainHeroic for years now both here at RTS and at IFAST, and I can tell you the user experience both as an athlete and coach is truly second to none.
To learn more and start your free 14-day trial, just follow this link to learn more about Train Heroic.Not only will you get your first 14 days free, but it’s just $10/month to get started officially after that.
So don’t wait any longer – head over trainheroic.co/rts and start crafting beautiful programs your clients and athletes will love TODAY!
Subscribe, Rate & Share!
Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Physical Preparation Podcast!
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts and leave your honest review. I’d also love to connect via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit our website.
Thanks so much for your support – love and appreciate you!
The post Bill Hartman on Movement Models, Return to Play, and Playing the Probabilities appeared first on Robertson Training Systems.
17 July 2026, 11:00 am - 41 minutes 21 secondsJune Q&A #2: Performance Assessments, Return to Play, and Optimizing Knee Health
Okay my friend, we’re back for Round #2 this week!
Last week, I had some AWESOME questions for the show, so that made for a fun episode that got a ton of positive feedback.
But I got so many good questions about assessments and return to play, I wanted to put all those into a second Q&A episode for this week!
Here we’ll not only cover my assessment process for both gen pop clients and athletes, but also take a deep dive into return to play – and how to navigate those waters with both a ton of OR minimal technology and resources.
There’s a ton of ground to cover here so let’s dive in!
Quotable Quotes:
If you don’t have the mobility and you’ve got extra fluid in your knee, you’re not going to have optimal strength
Start with a CMJ first, and then, when they’re ready for it, the better test for return to sport is the CMJ rebound
Don’t let a lack of resources hold you back. If you can dial in the details, I think in a lot of cases, you’re gonna get 90% of what you need to out of the rehab process without a ton of tech.
This Week on the Physical Prep Podcast:
- How to get assess and get GREAT results in return to play (RTP) with minimal tech and resources
- The 6 “steps” every RTP athlete needs to go through to get back to 100%
- An overview of my assessment process with both gen pop clients and athletes
- How I’ve evolved my basketball assessment to dive in to the specific needs of hoopers
- The technology and tools I use to evaluate my athletes
- Specific tests and metrics I use for clearing athletes on my end in a RTP setting
- The cadence that I’ve found works best when collaborating on an athletes injury
- How to make an RTP collab work when the practitioners aren’t in the same location
- The Stack, Slide and Swivel approach to bulletproofing knees
- What changes when I’m writing an R7 program for basketball versus a “standard” program
- The physics of lateral movement, and why the medial heel and arch are such key pieces to the puzzle
Related Links:
- Mike on the Informed Performance Podcast
- 3’s for Stronger Knees: Stack, Slide and Swivel Knee Article
- Complete Coach Certification
- Optimizing Movement Workshop Recordings
Supercharge Your Decision-Making and Program Design with Hawkin Dynamics Force Plates!
Hawkin Dynamics designs and builds performance hardware and software the right way.Their dual wireless force plates give you the most accurate, real-time data on athletic performance.
You’ll have the ability to performance test your athletes in a matter of seconds, and give them immediate feedback on their strengths, weaknesses and readiness for that day’s training session.
Their software is designed in house and continually updated to ensure the interface is clean, intuitive and easy to use, so both you and your athletes can visualize what’s going on and how to improve their performance.
And Hawkin Dynamics is built around their customers and provide industry-leading support and training services to ensure you get the most out of their solutions.
With options to lease or buy, coupled with a 5-year warranty, Hawkin Dynamics force plates can take your performance facility to the next level.
To learn more, head over to HawkinDynamics.com or follow them on Instagram @HawinDynamics.
Subscribe, Rate & Share!
Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Physical Preparation Podcast!
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts and leave your honest review. I’d also love to connect via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit our website.
Thanks so much for your support – love and appreciate you!
The post June Q&A #2: Performance Assessments, Return to Play, and Optimizing Knee Health appeared first on Robertson Training Systems.
26 June 2026, 11:00 am - 52 minutes 16 secondsJune Q&A: Professional Mentorship, Unlocking Mobility, and Speed Training for Young Athletes
I asked, and you answered the bell!
In fact, I got SO MANY questions from this Q&A podcast that I had to break it up into two separate episodes.
In today’s show, I put 45-minutes on the clock and knock out as many questions as I can get to.
So whether you’re interested in learning more about mobility, speed training for young athletes, or why I charge for my mentorship programs and services, I cover a TON of materials in this quick hitting and informative show.
Let’s dive in!
Quotable Quotes:
The best programs are vertically integrated, but think of them as levers or dials? Not all of them are at a level 10 in every training block
Recovery becomes a real issue if your training sessions are pushing two, two and a half, or three hours every time you’re in the gym
If you find value in something, you’ll find a way to get it done
This Week on the Physical Prep Podcast:
- Are topics like flexibility and mobility covered in the Complete Coach Cert?
- How do I integrate progression into my programs?
- Building programs for hybrid athletes that cover strength, power, conditioning, etc.
- Becoming a better communicator
- Tips on becoming more empathetic and understanding with your clients/athletes
- How I structure speed development sessions with groups of 12-14 year old athletes
- The SDC (Skill-Drill-Compete) framework I use for speed training
- How important is it to do an assessment with your clients/athletes?
- Thoughts on improving thoracic mobility
- Quick update/life recap on how I’m doing LOL
- Recovery strategies for young athletes who are playing multiple times in one day/weekend
- Structuring well-rounded programs for gen pop clients
- How I define a “high stim” day
- Helping athletes get faster in the 60-yard dash
- Final (and most heated) question: Why do I charge for my mentorship?
Related Links:
Level Up Your Program Design with Train Heroic!
Are you tired of using clunky, antiquated program design tools like Microsoft Word or Excel?
Are you ready to level up your programming, and make it far more engaging to your clients and athletes?
If so, you need to check out Train Heroic.
I’ve been using TrainHeroic for years now both here at RTS and at IFAST, and I can tell you the user experience both as an athlete and coach is truly second to none.
To learn more and start your free 14-day trial, just follow this link to learn more about Train Heroic.Not only will you get your first 14 days free, but it’s just $10/month to get started officially after that.
So don’t wait any longer – head over trainheroic.co/rts and start crafting beautiful programs your clients and athletes will love TODAY!
Subscribe, Rate & Share!
Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Physical Preparation Podcast!
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts and leave your honest review. I’d also love to connect via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit our website.
Thanks so much for your support – love and appreciate you!
The post June Q&A: Professional Mentorship, Unlocking Mobility, and Speed Training for Young Athletes appeared first on Robertson Training Systems.
19 June 2026, 11:00 am - 48 minutes 11 secondsTanner Care on Foot Strength, In-Season Training, and Unlocking an Athletes Superpowers
Tanner Care is the Director of Performance for both the BC Lions and the Vancouver Bandits, and over the past couple of months, I’ve really enjoyed learning more about his thought process and approach.
So why not bring him on the podcast and dive a little deeper?
In this episode of the show, Tanner outlines his comprehensive approach to training basketball players.
Whether it’s using force plate assessments to drive his program design, or simply being more effective with our in-season and foot/ankle specific training, I really think there’s something in the episode of everyone.
Let’s dive in!
Quotable Quotes:
The Natera run-specifics ISO’s were great because it allowed me to broaden my lens, and ultimately provide clarity as to where these athletes are potentially deficient
I want to have a relationship so I can – at the very least – transfer their data and show what we’ve kind of mapped out over of the summer
I talk to my athletes all the time about this notion of poison and antidote. If we look at the sporting demands of basketball, it is a ton of breaking forces, a ton of accels and decels, and that’s going to impose a very large demand on the body – so we need to know what the antidote is
This Week on the Physical Prep Podcast:
- Tanner’s background and his current role with not one but TWO professional sports teams
- His overarching training philosophy and focus on athletic adaptation
- The assessment process he uses to onboard and test his incoming athletes
- How he buckets athletes based on his assessment to drive better adaptations
- Tanner’s thought process on integrating and collaborating with the team sports staff
- Navigating the (always tumultuous) in-season period
- The power of isometric training in-season
- Why he originally became fascinated with foot and ankle training
- Low-hanging fruit with regards to improving foot and ankle function
- And last but not least, some key takeaways for young and aspiring coaches!
Connect with Tanner:
Supercharge Your Decision-Making and Program Design with Hawkin Dynamics Force Plates!
Hawkin Dynamics designs and builds performance hardware and software the right way.Their dual wireless force plates give you the most accurate, real-time data on athletic performance.
You’ll have the ability to performance test your athletes in a matter of seconds, and give them immediate feedback on their strengths, weaknesses and readiness for that day’s training session.
Their software is designed in house and continually updated to ensure the interface is clean, intuitive and easy to use, so both you and your athletes can visualize what’s going on and how to improve their performance.
And Hawkin Dynamics is built around their customers and provide industry-leading support and training services to ensure you get the most out of their solutions.
With options to lease or buy, coupled with a 5-year warranty, Hawkin Dynamics force plates can take your performance facility to the next level.
To learn more, head over to HawkinDynamics.com or follow them on Instagram @HawinDynamics.
Subscribe, Rate & Share!
Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Physical Preparation Podcast!
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts and leave your honest review. I’d also love to connect via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit our website.
Thanks so much for your support – love and appreciate you!
The post Tanner Care on Foot Strength, In-Season Training, and Unlocking an Athletes Superpowers appeared first on Robertson Training Systems.
12 June 2026, 11:00 am - 43 minutes 54 seconds7 Things I’m Thinking About (And Work/Life Updates)
I’m baaaaccckkkk! Did you miss me?
It’s been a minute since I did a solo show, so I figured it was time to jump back in and hit you with some of the good stuff.
Here we’re going to dive into seven things I’ve been thinking about lately, which are sandwiched between some random work and life updates as well.
So without any further ado, let’s dive in and talk shop!
Quotable Quotes:
I think one of my goals with IFAST Basketball is to just help the next generation of hoopers move better than we did
You can’t let athletes get hurt in the weight room. Like Joe Ken and I used to say, we (the strength coaches) are the often sane person in the room
For me, the most important thing is creating content versus consuming it – it’s trying to be more signal and not a part of the noise
This Week on the Physical Prep Podcast:
- Work updates: IFAST Basketball, podcast notes, and the Optimizing Movement Workshop videos are coming soon!
- Updated thought: Should you write all your programs at once?
- Programming plyos (especially deep tier) and a shout out to Matt McInnes Watson
- How I’m evolving my basketball-specific performance assessment
- Random thought: Are we really doing great work with our young athletes? And are we really developing them like we should?
- Using normative data to profile athletes and guide program design
- The power of the HEELS in sport
- Doing my best to focus more on the SIGNAL and less on the NOISE
Related Links:
Grow Your Fitness Business or Gym with Push Press!
Gym owners and coaches, have you heard about PushPress?
It’s the best gym management software company and it’s revolutionizing the fitness world.
So check this out: PushPress is built BY gym owners. They understand the ins and outs of running a fitness business because they’re “in the trenches” in their own gyms every single day.
Key products like Core, Grow, and Train are designed to help you with everything from billing and scheduling to lead generation and progress tracking.
Built on the “help first” ethos, PushPress places an exceptional focus on prioritizing client needs, listening to feedback from their community, and using it as the impetus for its ever-evolving, innovative features.
And here’s the strongest plug I can give them – I’ve actually switched to PushPress for all of my clients and athletes.
Getting things set-up and running smoothly is not only easier, but also far more intuitive than many other solutions.
So if you’re interested in learning more, just head over to pushpress.com/ppp.
Subscribe, Rate & Share
Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Physical Preparation Podcast!
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts and leave your honest review. I’d also love to connect via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit our website.
Thanks so much for your support – love and appreciate you!
The post 7 Things I’m Thinking About (And Work/Life Updates) appeared first on Robertson Training Systems.
5 June 2026, 11:00 am - 53 minutes 9 secondsAustin Ulrich on Mental Models, Lifelong Learning, and Cash-Based Physical Therapy
In this episode, Austin Ulrich shares how a curiosity-driven approach transformed his understanding of movement and patient care.
His journey from powerlifter to clinical innovator reveals how traditional education often falls short, and how a mindset of lifelong learning is key to growth.
For Austin, questioning traditional biomechanical models and diving into foundational sciences like physics, biology and chemistry have lead to more effective treatment strategies – and better outcomes.
This episode will inspire you to to rethink movement, reimagine your PT practice, and reignite your passion for helping others move better than ever.
Quotable Quotes:
Because of my experiences, I’m a more curious and creative individual, and I love the work I do now. I’m always questioning things and trying to understand at a deeper level.
It’s a never-ending process. There’s no finish line. And I wouldn’t want there to be.
It’s just a whole different culture at IFAST, but the same time, you’re constantly trying to get better.
This Week on the Physical Prep Podcast:
- Austin’s journey as a strength coach, personal trainer, and now physical therapist
- How randomly deciding to intern at IFAST changed his career path – and outlook – forever
- Why removing constraints can unleash your potential as a coach or therapist
- The transformative power of mentorship, and why all of us should be looking to learn from others
- Why traditional biomechanical models and “Dead Guy Anatomy” simply don’t add up
- The value of continuous learning, and specifically, diving into the core sciences
- How he runs his cash-based PT practice and gets to blend PT and S&C
- The power of individualized care and creating environments that lead to success
- Austin’s advice to aspiring physical therapists to create a career that they love!
Connect with Austin:
Related Links:
- The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
- Cells, Gels and the Engines of Life
- 4 Phases of Water
- 7 Brief Lessons on Physics
- Discovery of Slowness
Level Up Your Program Design with Train Heroic!
Are you tired of using clunky, antiquated program design tools like Microsoft Word or Excel?
Are you ready to level up your programming, and make it far more engaging to your clients and athletes?
If so, you need to check out Train Heroic.
I’ve been using TrainHeroic for years now both here at RTS and at IFAST, and I can tell you the user experience both as an athlete and coach is truly second to none.
To learn more and start your free 14-day trial, just follow this link to learn more about Train Heroic.Not only will you get your first 14 days free, but it’s just $10/month to get started officially after that.
So don’t wait any longer – head over trainheroic.co/rts and start crafting beautiful programs your clients and athletes will love TODAY!
Subscribe, Rate & Share!
Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Physical Preparation Podcast!
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts and leave your honest review. I’d also love to connect via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit our website.
Thanks so much for your support – love and appreciate you!
The post Austin Ulrich on Mental Models, Lifelong Learning, and Cash-Based Physical Therapy appeared first on Robertson Training Systems.
29 May 2026, 11:00 am - 48 minutes 33 secondsEric Cressey on Athletic Development, Sports Science, and Becoming a Great Coach
Today I’ve got the man, the myth, the LEGEND Eric Cressey on the podcast.
Now you may know Eric as the Director of Player Health and Performance for the New York Yankees, or for his incredibly successful gym, Cressey Sports Performance.
But in case you didn’t know, Eric and I go waaaaayyyy back.
If you watch the video, you’ll see I actually pull out the old DVD’s we created together back in the early 2000’s and 2010’s.
But now that we’ve both been in the game 20+ years, what have we learned along the way?
How are young athletes more broken than ever before?
How can we use technology to positively impact our assessments and programming?
And perhaps most importantly, what can we do as trainers and coaches to help shape the next generation of young coaches and athletes?
We cover all that – and much more – in this week’s episode of the Physical Preparation Podcast!
Quotable Quotes:
You have to solve a problem, and you have to consistently over deliver on value – and I don’t think people who cut corners will ever do that.
The most important thing that we can do for kids is we’ve got to expose them to a wide variety of stimuli. We’ve got to make them curious about figuring out movement problems
We’re seeing more and more college baseball players taking Toradol to get through a season…these kids are more broken than ever before in the college ranks
This Week on the Physical Prep Podcast:
- Eric’s background and how he initially got into the S&C game
- The challenges parents face in the youth sports landscape – especially as he and I have now seen it from every perspective!
- Why exposing kids to diverse stimuli to develop curiosity and problem-solving are so critical to long-term development
- Injury rates are going through the roof, and what some college players are doing just to get through a season (this will actually shock you)
- How to scale a business the right way, and the limiting factor most people never think to consider when building their business
- The power of playing the long-game in coaching, and why you simply can’t win with shortcuts
- How to balance building strength with maintaining movement capacity in rotational sports athletes
- Why technology can be so useful in building better athletes, but understanding it’s not the only tool in your toolbox
- The power of consistently investing in staff development and growth
- Finally, why we all need genuine human connection and mentorship in coaching!
Connect with XYZ:
Supercharge Your Decision-Making and Program Design with Hawkin Dynamics Force Plates!
Hawkin Dynamics designs and builds performance hardware and software the right way.Their dual wireless force plates give you the most accurate, real-time data on athletic performance.
You’ll have the ability to performance test your athletes in a matter of seconds, and give them immediate feedback on their strengths, weaknesses and readiness for that day’s training session.
Their software is designed in house and continually updated to ensure the interface is clean, intuitive and easy to use, so both you and your athletes can visualize what’s going on and how to improve their performance.
And Hawkin Dynamics is built around their customers and provide industry-leading support and training services to ensure you get the most out of their solutions.
With options to lease or buy, coupled with a 5-year warranty, Hawkin Dynamics force plates can take your performance facility to the next level.
To learn more, head over to HawkinDynamics.com or follow them on Instagram @HawinDynamics.
Subscribe, Rate & Share!
Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Physical Preparation Podcast!
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts and leave your honest review. I’d also love to connect via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit our website.
Thanks so much for your support – love and appreciate you!
The post Eric Cressey on Athletic Development, Sports Science, and Becoming a Great Coach appeared first on Robertson Training Systems.
22 May 2026, 12:54 pm - 57 minutes 15 secondsBen Sporer on Sequencing Training, Clear Objectives and Marginal Gains
With over 30 years in high performance sport, Ben Sporer has seen what it takes to be successful at the highest level of sport.
From Canadian Olympic athletes to the Vancouver Whitecaps of the MLS, Ben has made a career on being clear and intentional about the goals of his program.
So where do we go wrong when writing programs?
Are we too caught up in the 1% that we’re missing the long hanging fruit?
Or are we too enamored with cool recovery modalities that we’re actually NOT getting the training adaptations we want?
We cover all that – and much more – in this week’s episode of the Physical Prep Podcast!
Quotable Quotes:
Performance is an output. It’s not an outcome. It’s an expression of a bunch of integrated factors in a moment to try to achieve an objective.
Marginal gains matter only when they actually matter. Fundamentals first, marginal gains second.
Integration is a verb, it’s an action. It requires people to actually talk.
This Week on the Physical Prep Podcast:
- Ben’s pioneering role as the first full-time paid physiologist for Olympic sports in Canada.
- His transition from strength coaching in hockey to leading performance strategies for Olympic and professional sports teams.
- Why Ben believes that “performance is an output, not an outcome.”
- The importance of mastering fundamentals FIRST (or again!) before focusing on marginal gains
- What is “net performance impact?” And how can you use it to evaluate training and recovery strategies?
- Ben’s emphasis on recovery being as intentional and rigorous as training itself.
- The distinction between multidisciplinary and integrated teams, and the need for active communication across domains
- Challenges and strategies you’ll see when customizing training programs for individual athletes within team environments.
- The importance of clear objectives and context in performance planning.
- Ben’s approach to balancing training and recovery, including the strategic use of recovery periods.
Connect with Ben:
Grow Your Fitness Business or Gym with Push Press!
Gym owners and coaches, have you heard about PushPress?
It’s the best gym management software company and it’s revolutionizing the fitness world.
So check this out: PushPress is built BY gym owners. They understand the ins and outs of running a fitness business because they’re “in the trenches” in their own gyms every single day.
Key products like Core, Grow, and Train are designed to help you with everything from billing and scheduling to lead generation and progress tracking.
Built on the “help first” ethos, PushPress places an exceptional focus on prioritizing client needs, listening to feedback from their community, and using it as the impetus for its ever-evolving, innovative features.
And here’s the strongest plug I can give them – I’ve actually switched to PushPress for all of my clients and athletes.
Getting things set-up and running smoothly is not only easier, but also far more intuitive than many other solutions.
So if you’re interested in learning more, just head over to pushpress.com/ppp.
Subscribe, Rate & Share
Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Physical Preparation Podcast!
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts and leave your honest review. I’d also love to connect via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit our website.
Thanks so much for your support – love and appreciate you!
The post Ben Sporer on Sequencing Training, Clear Objectives and Marginal Gains appeared first on Robertson Training Systems.
15 May 2026, 11:03 am - More Episodes? Get the App











