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.

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.

You know what great coaches are like? Carpenters. Carpenters that have a whole host of tools at their disposal-- carpenters who know how to deploy those tools at the right times, during the right projects, and for the right purposes. 

You know what great coaches are not like? Cult leaders. Cult leaders who doctrinize exercise, who proclaim some movements “good” and others “bad”-- whose approach is not only anathema to science, but is also no good for their clients.

In Episode 29 of the Strength Ratio Podcast, we discuss how you can both qualitatively and quantitively measure performance over time so as to gauge the effectiveness of your training. We also offer practical programming benchmarks for weightlifters, powerlifters and Crossfitters in the context of a competitive macrocycle.

Lastly, we provide metrics you can use to increase the efficacy of a nutritional plan across body composition goals.

In April, we celebrated our third year anniversary as a company! Therefore, in Episode 27, we identify how, and why, our major training philosophies have changed in this time. We also acknowledge the individuals in the field who've had the greatest impact on our growth. We discuss, most notably, our evolved stance on exercise selection, exercise correlation, and muscular imbalances.

Lastly, we acknowledge the inherent limitations to the research performed in our field…

In episode twenty-one of the Strength Ratio Podcast, we discuss muscular symmetry for strength sports, fitness sports, and endurance sports. We first reference science-based literature on the topic, which is currently inconclusive in finding correlations between symmetry and a decreased probability of injury. In doing so, our hope is to reduce fear around asymmetry, especially when it is subtle. In his article, "How Important is Muscular Symmetry for Strength Sports?" author Greg Nuckols states, "our bodies aren't symmetrical, so we don't lift things symmetrically." 

In episode seventeen of the Strength Ratio Podcast, we’re joined again by Alex Viada of Complete Human Performance. Alex is back to discuss athlete development using a concurrent training model. 

This episode first highlights the development of an intermediate to advanced level endurance athlete, who, as a novice to weight training, begins training both endurance and strength concurrently. Alex details his methodology for introducing this particular athlete…

In this episode, we share our thoughts on recovering from and adapting to training for optimal results. We begin by highlighting the importance of adequate sleep, nutrition, and stress management/relaxation. We also discuss how, when these areas are negatively impacted, one can adjust training accordingly to reduce the risk of injury and allow for the maintenance of, rather than the regression of, desired fitness characteristics.

Next, we discuss methods of biofeedback…

In this podcast, we share how we program for both strength and conditioning, concurrently. Our ABC Model creates a framework of exercise selection and exercise intensities that help our athletes improve performance, and regulate fatigue over time. Grab a pen and paper for this one; you may want to take notes!

Make sure to send us any questions you have through Instagram (strengthratio) or Facebook (Strength Ratio LLC).

In this episode, we highlight the origins, theory, and distinct training phases of periodization for strength adaptations, as it was popularized in Soviet Russia. In doing so, we provide context for whom, and for how long, this traditional model may work.

We then discuss how one can blend the general characteristics of periodization simultaneously, including general physical preparedness, hypertrophy, strength, power and taper…

In this episode, we begin by discussing the stress response to training, and the indicators of training thresholds necessary to elicit a minimum effective dose. Next, we highlight traditional recommendations of strength training variables such as volume, intensity, frequency and time, as well as their effects on size and strength.

In this episode, we discuss the neuromuscular adaptations to strength training and define three types of strength: relative, absolute, and general. We explain the significance of each of these three types of strength training, and how they can be trained concurrently. Make sure to send us any questions you have through Instagram (strengthratio) or Facebook (Strength Ratio LLC).