Physical Preparation Podcast

Why is strength important for basketball players? And are the ways we currently evaluate strength relevant to the sport? As a coach or clinician, how do you toe that line between optimizing and improving movement, while still getting REAL training adaptations? And what’s the difference between kinetic and regional interdependence, and why should you care? Well if you’re curious about any of these...

Are you getting older, and worried about age-related decline? Are you interested in learning more about blood work, and how it can help you optimize your body? Or do you just want some super practical tips on how to live a longer, healthier life? If so, you’re going to LOVE today’s show with Christian LaValle! Christian is the President of Metabolic Elite, a cutting-edge performance health and sup...

Hey friend! We’re going to try something new today, with a pot luck episode that’s one part Q&A mixed with some of our usual solo episode flair. Because whether it was online mentees, observers who have come into the gym, our team of independent contractors or people coming in to attend the Lee Taft seminar, I’ve had A LOT of the same conversations lately. People want to know...

If you came up in a Division 1 S&C setting, chances are you spent at least some time around football. At Ball State, we have a team of 4-5 coaches who all worked with different sports – baseball, basketball, soccer, gymnastics, volleyball, you name it – but when football came in, it was all hands on deck. And here’s the thing – football has arguably the strongest S&C culture of all the spo...

Sometimes on this show we go deep into science, biomechanics or program design. And while that’s all fine and dandy, sometimes we just need a gentle reminder of how the basics can go a long way to helping us see more success! And that’s what this episode is all about. Whether it’s dialing in your programming, shifting your mindset as a coach, or just finding more ways to truly co...

I’m not sure there’s anything the Internet and social media like more than an argument. And while our parents taught us not to talk about religion or politics in public, for some reason, they forgot to tell strength coaches not to argue about the Nordic hamstring curl and whether it’s valuable or not in a strength and conditioning program. But luckily, today’s guest did his entire Ph. D. topic on...

My friends, it has been A WEEK. Between new athletes starting, my kids finishing up school, and the short/condensed week, it’s been an absolute sprint every step of the way. And while I have some great guests lined up for you in the coming weeks, I thought it would be a great time to go back to recent episodes and pull out some of my favorite segments. Now if you’ve already listened to...

Whether you’re a die hard college sports fanatic or a more casual fan, chances are you’ve heard about NIL – or name, image and likeness deals – and how they’re impacting the sport. And beyond NIL, there’s also the simple fact that it’s now easier than ever before to enter the transfer portal and go to a different school, with some athletes doing this virtually every year! B...

I don’t know about you, but I’m ALWAYS thinking about programming and coaching Even in my time off, I’m thinking about making myself a better coach, or how to better help the other coaches that I work with and mentor. Now this could be an incredibly extensive list, but what I’m sharing today are 10 of the biggest mistakes I see coaches making TODAY. Some are age-old and I’v...

A few weekends back, I was working full steam ahead at my “other” full time job in life. Now most of you know me as a guy who trains people in the gym and creates content like this, with the goal of making everyone I come into contact with better. But this was my OTHER job…the one where I’m an elite Uber driver and sports dad! And on this particular morning, with a 90 minut...

Born into an entrepreneurial family in Ontario, Canada, Brandon Cullen was raised with a front-row seat to hard work and high expectations. Pushed by his father to excel both in life and on the ice, Brandon’s grit landed him a spot in the New York Rangers’ minor league system. But when a career-ending concussion shattered his hockey dreams, everything he’d worked for disappeared overnight. Instead...

Let’s start with a few questions to ponder… Why are we chasing Internet or social media fame, when the surest way to develop a strong business is by connecting with the family down the road? How is perfectionism holding you back? Or keeping you from taking the next big steps in your development? And is a lack of authenticity keeping you from truly connecting with your ideal customers?...

What role should the weight room play in building FASTER athletes? How do you develop a program that’s built on sound biomechanical principles, without falling into the trap of doing corrective exercises for an entire hour? And why should you consider adding more “movement days” into your program? Well if any of those questions peak your interest, you’re going to love this episode with Justin Moor...

How do we keep our young hoopers healthy? What are they doing well in their training? And what can they improve upon? And what do THE BEST young players do that others can’t or won’t? If you train young athletes in any sport, you’re going to love this episode with Jeff Aldham! Jeff is a self-proclaimed “S&C Coach trying to develop hoopers”…and while he&#8217...

Training young athletes is tough these days – especially if you’re in the private sector. With so many athletes getting training at their high school, playing sports year round, and struggling to stay consistent with their workouts, how can we help them be successful? Well luckily my guy Ryan Patrick and I are here to help you out! Two of the biggest issues we in this population are: P...

If you were a basketball strength coach, what do you think you could learn working for a coach with NBA experience like Aaron McKie? Or what about a guy like Matt Painter, with his 19 seasons at Purdue? Or what about the one and only John Calipari? A guy who has had tremendous amount of success at numerous schools? Well today’s guest can give us the inside scoop – because he’s wo...

Do you want to help your athletes get faster? More explosive? And teach them how to move effectively in the process? If so, you’re going to love this week’s episode with Lee Taft! From PE teacher to world-renowned speed coach, Lee has always questioned the current dogma when it comes to speed training. And in this episode, we’re going to break down (get it) some of the hottest to...

So you’re having some success training and coaching, and that’s got you thinking about opening your own gym. Congrats! But before you do…listen to this episode FIRST! Andy McCloy is not only one of the realest dudes I know, but someone that practices what he preaches. He’s running one of the most successful coaching gyms in the United States out of Hunstville, Alabama, and...

Unless you’ve been living under a rock the past 2 months, it’s hard to ignore what Elon Musk has been doing with DOGE – or the Department of Government Efficiency. And while I’m not here to play politics, one thing I think we can all agree on is this: It’s valuable to audit our work, and determine what’s working well versus what’s not. So today I’m g...

Well my friends it’s been a hot minute, but we’re BACK with a new Q&A podcast! Now in the past when I’ve done these, I’ve always posted to IG and hoped (prayed!) that my core audience would see it and ask their questions. But this time I decided to get smart, sent it out to my newsletter list, and we got an absolute TON of awesome questions. In this episode we cover eve...

As an adult, it’s NORMAL to feel stuck at certain points in your career… …and I believe this is even more true in the fitness industry than others! Look, I’m 24 years in and I know there were numerous times along the way I felt like I was making zero progress. Couldn’t get a job out of college. Only working with broken people in a rehab job I hated after that. Grinding for...

Pic Lead   QUOTE – Lee Taft   This Week on the Physical Prep Podcast: Bullets   YOUTUBEZ   Connect with Lee: LeeTaft.com Lee on Instgram   Related Links: Lee’s Podcasts here   Level Up Your Program Design with TrainHeroic! Are you tired of using clunky, antiquated program design tools like Microsoft Word or Excel? Are you ready to level up your programming...

As a kid, I remember being enamored with tech and what the future could hold. Whether it was watching digital tennis instructors in movies like Total Recall, or imagining actually being IN your favorite video game, I knew the future was going to be pretty awesome. And with today’s episode, it feels like the future is NOW! A lifelong entrepreneur, technologist, martial artist and coach, Steve...

Most “high level” trainers and coaches don’t like to talk about this, but we’ve ALL had crappy clients and athletes over the years. The person who is never motivated to train. Late cancels all the time (but doesn’t want to get charged). And literally sucks the life out of you every time they’re in the gym. But have faith my friend, because there’s a better...

Do you work with athletes who want to improve their vertical jump? Are you curious about the differences between 2-leg and 1-leg jumping? Or how the best dunkers of all time approach their jump training? If so, you’re going to LOVE today’s episode! Tyler Ray is a former professional dunker and a true expert in the space of vertical jump training. His business is a combination of education for trai...