Weakly Weights

Joey joins the boys to talk about nutrition coaching, how and why body composition is related to powerlifting performance, and how we can move discussions away from just nutrients towards foods. We discuss why individualising the amount and type of information provided to athletes is important, and how different tiers of tracking interventions can be more or less appropriate for different goals. We also have in-depth discussions on what makes a good pie and foods that make you think you might be dying. 

Official Powerlifting Australia physiotherapist Dan joins the boys to talk about what pain is, why we experience it, and what we can and should do about it. We talk about why expectations and environments influence pain, how we can differentiate between niggles and injuries, and what we are doing when we do rehab exercises. We then cover tightness, and he continues to blow the place up with knowledge napalm

Mike joins the boys to talk about his practice as one of the most successful powerlifting coaches in the world today. We cover the concept of RPE, what problems it helps us address, and how perceptions can and do differ from a strict rating of reps in reserve. We then talk about emerging strategies, and how as coaches we can assess whether and how well training is working. 

The boys talk about the process (TM) of reintroducing lifters to training post-comp. We also cover a brand new review paper about the minimum effective training dose required to increase strength. 

Jamie joins the boys to talk about predictors of injury risk in lifting. We talk about the assumption that assymetrical postures are injurious or necessarily limiting, before discussing what other factors might better describe injury risk. We dive into the idea of the acute:chronic workload ratio, explore its applications and limitations, and then talk about how biomedical, psychological and social factors can impact our experiences in the gym and life more broadly, and how coaches can communicate better in light of the information we discussed in this episode. We also discuss Maroon 5 and explore the quality of various fast food chains. 

Dr Daniel Hackett of the University of Sydney joins the boys to talk about his research. We focus on two papers that are soon to be published discussing the trainability of men and women. We talk about the limitations of research and our knowledge, and why differences between practice/anecdote and research might exist, and the ways in which trainers and coaches can be more scientific in their approach. 

Will and Alex discuss a program that the former has written to peak a client for both deadlift stances at once. They discuss what changes about the programming strategies used to facilitate this goal, and some considerations for programming around unusual circumstances. More importantly, they discuss the appropriate amount and technique for consuming Milo, periworkout carbohydrates, and the recent Record Breakers powerlifting competition.

Luke joins the boys to talk about fatigue. We talk about what fatigue is from a physiological perspective, delineating between central and peripheral components, and then discussing how they are interrelated. We also chat about which types of training induce more or less fatigue, why and how it can be important to monitor fatigue, and some practical considerations for your training structure. 

The boys answer your questions about training and other stuff. What matters more, genetics or work ethic? How to be a credible coach, and when to refer people on to others? Who performed the greatest squat of all time? Can you test positive by having sex with somebody on gear? Can you avoid comparing yourself to others, and should you? All of the above, and more

The boys chat about what decisions and changes they made in their development as powerlifters that led to them becoming better lifters. They talk about the mindset and philosophical approaches create the most conducive environments for success and the pitfalls of reactive behaviour. 

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.