The Zack Henderson Podcast

This week we're checking in from Andy's backyard.  I just released Kettlebell Foundations, a beginner’s guide to training with kettlebells. If you’re getting into fitness for the first time and you’re looking for a comprehensive guide and instruction manual for kettlebells, head on over to zackhenderson.com /kettlebell-foundations.  Andy put me on the spot to dish the details on my top 3...

What does it mean to be coached or be coachable ?  Andy and I are both coaches, and even though we have the tools, resources, and knowledge to write our own workout programs, we have each hired coaches in the past.  There are a number of benefits to outsourcing our own coaching, and we each describe the things we learned from our respective experiences. Next, there are a handful of popul...

Social media loves soundbites, tweets, and memes... and they’re almost always unhelpful and possibly damaging. Nothing in fitness or nutrition is black and white: it is grey, nuanced… "it depends” as we say.  It depends on who we’re talking about, what we’re talking about, and the application of the subject matter, and Andy and I chat about it.  Next, for every Mr. Olympia; for every Oly...

When you think of the gym and the equipment you use there, you often think of barbells, dumbbells, benches, machines, and plates.  But there are many other tools at our disposal to help drive a training effect, like kettlebells, sandbags, farmer’s bars, tires, ropes, sleds, and yokes.  These “unconventional tools” are less often found in your typical gym, which is a shame because they of...

Andy and I chat about supplements today on the podcast, specifically those we like and encourage our clients to explore if it might benefit them, but more importantly, we discuss those supplements on the market whose marketing claims or ingredients might be suspect, unhelpful, or possibly dangerous.  Not only that, but supplements *should* play only a small role in one’s diet, and we explore...

Coffee shops and steak houses exist despite anyone being able to make these things in their own home. Why? The experience. In this episode, Andy and I discuss what this means for future fitness and the fallout from the pandemic.  

The definition of Motivation: “the reason one has for acting or behaving in a particular way.”  As coaches and trainees, Andy and I are often asked what motivates us to keep training – to keep showing up almost every day and hit the weights.  In our teenage years, we might have been motivated by the allure of the ladies (spoiler alert – it didn’t work). Putting on some muscle and size ba...

Travis Pollen is a PhD in Health in Rehabilitation Sciences, coach, author, professor, and record holder in Paralympic swimming.  This week, the three of us talk about bridging the gap between rehabilitation and performance, something that Andy and I are experiencing firsthand as we recover from our respective injuries.  As coaches, we sometimes encounter speed bumps with our clients whe...

As you know by now, I had a skiing accident last month, breaking my right leg.  Andy just couldn’t let an opportunity to trash-talk go to waste, so he constantly teased my chicken leg and how he was going to take this time to get stronger and more jacked than me.  Karma struck back with vengeance.  Andy tore his right bicep while deadlifting and faces many months of rehab.  We...

Today, Andy and I discuss our approach to effective communication with our clients to ensure their wants, needs, and goals don’t go unattended.  Andy even shares a trainwreck of a communication breakdown that he once had with a client.  And finally, we both discuss how we communicate with the outside world: whether that’s with articles, Instagram, or YouTube... and what we hope to accomp...

Brad is a BJJ brown belt, former client, and all-around smart dude. In this conversation, we talk about our respective experiences in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and kettlebell training.  We wrap up with some honest thoughts around goal setting and the importance of balancing training with real-life priorities. https://www.instagram.com/spudtopia/ ​ Reddit - half_guard_hipster

Andy trash-talks my broken chicken leg as I measure quad girth live on the podcast. We look back on old coaching mindsets that have changed over the years before diving into today's theme. While there are thousands of exercises to choose from, all with unique benefits and costs, there are a few that Andy and I find to be “king” in terms of checking the most boxes for the most people.  Now, we...

As the rain falls, flowers bloom, and the weather warms, we’re all finding our way outdoors and being a little more active. Some of us might even be thinking about summer and how we want to look and feel as the temperature rises and the amount of clothing we wear falls. Which got Andy and I talking: if we’ve been cultivating some strength and mass over the winter months, what should we start doing...

Sarah has been a strength coach for 7 years and has coached hundreds of individuals to be their strongest selves!  Sarah sees fitness as a collaborative experience and loves working with people to find the style of movement practice that works best for them!  Sarah has trained extensively with kettlebells and barbells, and she is currently working on her Master's degree in Psychology at...

I came back from Utah with new stories, insights, and an exoskeleton on my leg.

Another snowy day in Nashville and yet we’re back with beers in hand! You might see Andy and I and think we’re a couple meatheads: bending bars, swinging kettlebells, eating chicken and broccoli out of tupperware, and you’d be kinda right.  While weight training comes second nature to us, the nutrition side of things has been a delayed addition to our lives. Sure, we can eat , and we’re good...

Nashville is being pounded by snow and ice, but Andy and I grabbed a six-pack and set up shop in my apartment to record this week's episode. As they say, the show must go on! We both love lifting big weights and eating our vegetables (pizza is a vegetable, right?), but we have other interests, too and we talk a little about our hobbies outside of fitness. Next, we get into the weeds of program des...

Jen Meehan is a strength coach in Alexandria, VA. Once a 4th-grade teacher, she now brings a powerful and entertaining coaching approach to the realm of fitness. She boasts an INCREDIBLE 40 kg/88 lbs weighted strict tactical pull-up. Jen has also earned the title of Iron Maiden for performing a military press, pistol squat, and tactical pull-up with a 24 kg kettlebell.  In addition to her man...

This week, Andy and I welcome Erin, our first guest to co-host A2Z as we talk about exercise programming and training.  Erin is a Nashville-based Physical Therapist who works with patients of all types and abilities, from desk-jockies to professional athletes.  Today, she shares her experience and thoughts about assessing a patient, understanding their goals and needs, finding some commo...

Wrapping up our first month of podcasts, we turn the lens on ourselves and our colleagues in the fitness, nutrition, and wellness industry.  As coaches, we often talk about strength training, eating our fruits and veggies, getting eight hours of sleep, and so on. But this lifestyle isn’t who we are 100% of the time – we’re human, too, and often enjoy beer and pizza. Andy and I wrestle with th...

Tracy Cook is a competitive powerlifter on the USAPL Masters National Team as well as a state-level referee.   She is a strength coach certified under StrongFirst (SFG2, SFL) and owns the Strength Kitchen in Savannah, GA.   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tracyhcook/  Email newsletter - https://mailchi.mp/strengthkitchencoaching/email

This week, Andy and I talk about Crossfit, what it does well, and how we could all learn from it. Burpees are under the microscope for some much-needed scrutiny. Finally, we talk assessments - what they are and how we're each guided in our decision-making process for progressing clients. 

We're back! This week we're talking habits: reading, nutrition, training... but more specifically, healthy habits we know are good for us, healthy habits we encourage our clients to do, and yet we don't do them (because we're human after all!).  We then change gears to talk about over-training vs. under-recovery.  Have you ever felt beat up, sore, and just generally worn down? Maybe you'...

Nikki is a strength coach in Memphis, TN where she operates her own private training studio. She coaches clients online and runs the virtual  "Quarantined Kettlebell Club"  http://nvstrongtraining.com/ https://www.instagram.com/kettlebellatrix/ http://nvstrongtraining.com/qkc/

Andy Van Grinsven is a strength coach in Nashville, TN. In this chat, we discuss HAES and riff on our biggest training mistakes. A2Z / No BS