The Minimum Effective Dose

  This episode is all about keys to longevity. We’re going to cover the basics such as sleep, hydration and nutrition. There are also so many other components that need to be included in this discussion from a training standpoint. We go over other topics that will likely affect your longevity including: load management overreaching guidelines on how to approach your training program and so much mo...

Let’s clear something up first. It’s not that we aren’t fans of the creative process. It’s just that quite often people (ahem coaches) are being creative for the sake of being creative, and there is no purpose. Enter: Principle based creativity! If you’re being creative for fun, go for it. If you’re being creative to be productive and/or find something new for yourself or your clients, you’re goin...

If you’ve been in the fitness industry for five or more years, you may have noticed the New Year’s rush is not what once was. We think of New Year’s in September now. While people still make New Year’s resolutions, we’re finding far more people start training or get back to training in conjunction with their fall routine. If you have kids, you know what I’m talking about. Most parents spend the su...

Today the MED team talks about the advice they would give to their younger selves, particularly when it comes to their careers in the fitness industry. While Brett and Mike had very different paths in life, there were plenty of similarities as well. In this episode we discuss things like education, mentorship, finding what you love, experiencing what you hate, and everything in between. If you are...

You may wonder if creativity in sport and fitness a good thing or a bad thing. You’ve heard it’s important to get creative, but you’ve also heard others say you must to stick to the plan. I think we’re asking the wrong question. Creativity in sport and fitness is not good or bad, but there are certainly times it’s appropriate to be creative and other times it’s better to stick to the game plan. Th...

So you want to be prepared? Let’s talk about the key principles of athletic development. Brett and Mike have both been coaching for over 20 years and have learned some valuable lessons about preparation, load management, blending skill, development, and strength and conditioning. We discuss everything above and also cover topics such as: conditioning based protocols in-season programming periodiza...

Coaching kids is challenging. If you’ve ever trained kids, I bet you agree! Middle school and high school athletes come in all shapes and sizes. On top of that, they have varied maturity levels, experiences and skill levels. Due to these discrepancies, pre-teens and teens can be a tough group of athletes to work with. It probably makes sense to you that training the kids who are athletic is a much...

This episode is a bit different from our normal Minimum Effective Dose Podcast format. Mike took this opportunity to catch up with his good friend, Evan Marcantonio, to discuss how, when and why he made a career change into the fitness industry. Becoming a coach later in life comes with some challenges and also some benefits. Evan is a successful gym owner who owns Elevate Strength and Performance...

This episode is all about fall sports preparation for youth athletes. August is coming right up and fall sports are around the corner. Brett and Mike both have experience working with youth athletes. Both are strength and conditioning coaches and Brett also worked with youth athletes as an ATC. Over the years, the MED team has accrued valuable information on how to optimally prepare athletes for t...

This episode of the MED Podcast is all about the cervical spine. We talk about training considerations, contraindications and scope of practice when it comes to the cervical spine. We cover: the basics of functional anatomy simple assessments for personal trainers how to work with individuals who have experienced neck or shoulder pain the importance of scope of practice how to create a successful...

The internet is a wealth of information – some great and some really bad. We know it’s hard to decipher between fake news and fitness truths, In this episode, Brett and Mike discuss fitness trends, research, how science impacts trends and much more. After working in the fitness industry for several decades, we feel better equipped to navigate the world of social media, influencers, cherry-picked r...

You’ve probably heard someone say something along the lines of  “you should eat like an adult,” but has anyone told you that you should train like an adult as well? What does it mean to train like an adult? Obviously, it depends on each individual, but in this podcast we discuss the most common qualities adults need to focus on developing as they age. In this episode, Brett and Mike discuss variou...

In this episode about optimizing your practice, we go over how to better understand and implement block, serial, and random practice. Brett and Mike talk about skill acquisition, motor learning and optimizing your practice and training sessions. Depending on the skill(s) you are trying to learn, there are different types of practice methods that will lend themselves to skill acquisition and practi...

One of the most common questions we get regarding youth training is whether kids should lift weights or not. The short answer is yes they should lift weights, but like anything, the devil is in the details. In this episode, Brett and Mike discuss all things youth training and share our thoughts on kids lifting weights. The MED duo covers various topics on youth training such as: The impact of spri...

Building the Engine is an 8-week customized conditioning program that will get you in the best shape of your life. Over the last 10 years, Mike has been working with some of the best combat athletes in New England. His e-book, Building the Engine, is the culmination of that work. In this episode of the Minimum Effective Dose, Mike gives you the story and science behind the e-book. He and Brett Jon...

This episode is all about the Beast Tamer and Iron Maiden challenge. If you are not familiar with this challenge, here’s a link to StrongFirst to learn more . The three events are a strict military press, a strict tactical pullup, and a pistol. Men lift a 48kg kettlebell to become Beast Tamers. Women earn their Iron Maiden title with a 24kg kettlebell. This challenge is simple, but not easy to com...

This episode is all about Iron Cardio. Brett and Mike dig deep into this style of training and cover topics including: Physiological adaptations of iron cardio Physiological adaptations of traditional cardiovascular exercise  The difference between iron cardio and traditional cardiovascular exercise  Programming options Pros and potential cons How to categorize upper body, lower body and/or system...

Stress Management is a hot topic these days. We still talk about training in this episode, but we’re focused more on the impact of training and less on a specific type of training. Eustress is defined as positive form of stress having a beneficial effect on health, motivation, performance, and emotional well-being. Strength Training is typically eustress. When you’re training in a way that’s worki...

You’ve probably had to figure out how to manage injuries from time to time. Tweaks, twinges and injuries happen. Unfortunately, they’re a part of life. If you’re an athlete, you may get injured while training or competing, but you also might just tweak something in your day-to-day activities. While we can’t prevent tweaks, twinges or injuries, we can: Make better programming decisions Use more com...

Today’s Minimum Effective Dose episode is all about the kettlebell windmill exercise. In this episode we discuss all things related to the windmill including: Movement prerequisites  Hip anatomy and how it plays a role in performing the windmill Tips to find your stance  Teaching progressions Coaching cues Programming considerations  And so much more! If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about the...

This episode is all about minimalistic training. The MED team discusses various topics around minimalistic training such as: Program design The beauty of simplicity Time management Lifestyle and recreational activities How to integrate barbell, kettlebell and and bodyweight training into your training regimen As always, there are movie quotes, shenanigans and plenty of laughs and sarcasm. If you w...

This podcast is a bit different than our normal episodes, but it’s quite important if you’re a gym owner, personal trainer or coach. We’re focusing on the importance of client retention and giving you 10 tips keep your clients coming back for more. The fitness industry is filled with individuals promising seven-figure sales, 100 new clients by tomorrow and all kinds of endless BS. Acquiring new cl...

Your individual hip architecture impacts your movement. Your hips, your movement! Today’s episode is all about the hips and pelvis. We discuss various topics including: Hip function Shape and orientation of the pelvis Various shapes of the femoral head The acetabulum Posterior and anterior pelvic tilts and how these can impact movement, such as hip flexion and extension Hip mobility The dreaded “b...

In this episode of the Minimum Effective Dose podcast, Mike and Brett dig deep into the kettlebell clean and press. In this episode, the team discusses various topics related to the clean and press such as: Shoulder mobility Scapular mechanics The importance of the thoracic spine, when pressing overhead How different shoulder anatomy impacts pressing groove The importance of the kettlebell clean a...

There is no shortage of programming options in the world of strength and conditioning. Some program options we go over in this episode include: Linear Periodization Wave Loading Auto-Regulation Reps in Reserve (RIR) Perceived Rate of Exertion (PRE) …and so much more! This episode is all about program design. Brett and Mike discuss various types of training options such as linear periodization, wav...