Coaching LARPing and Overcoaching

Today’s guest is Austin Jochum. Austin Jochum is the founder of Jochum Strength, a former All-Conference safety turned performance coach known for playful, movement-rich training. He blends strength, speed, and adaptability to help athletes build real-world capability and enjoy the process. So often, coaches inadvertently play by the formal “rules” of coaching, through substantial instruction, within smaller boxes of training. Gameplay and sport itself are the ultimate example of task-based stimulation, chaos, and problem-solving, and the more we learn from it, the more effective our training can become. In this episode, Austin Jochum and I explore how coaching transforms when you trade rigid cues for play, stimulus, and athlete-driven learning. We dig into why intent and novelty matter, how to “win the day” without chasing constant PRs, and the power of environments that let athletes self-organize. Austin speaks on his recent dive into improving his Olympic lifting, and subsequent improvement in explosive athletic power, along with the masculine and feminine nature of the snatch and clean and jerk, respectively. Finally, Austin also breaks down the JST Olympics—his team-based approach that’s exploding motivation, competition, and performance in the gym. Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and LILA Exogen wearable resistance. Use the code “justfly20” for 20% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to Lilateam.com Use code “justfly10” for 10% off the Vert Trainer View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage. (https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-home/) 0:00 – Austin’s background, wrestling influence, and early training lens 8:12 – How wrestling shaped his coaching, problem-solving, and creativity 14:30 – Working with movement constraints, unpredictability, and the “maze” idea 22:40 – Why he prioritizes exploration over instruction 31:18 – Building athletic bandwidth through games and environmental design 38:01 – Touch on wrestling in training and contact-oriented movement 45:10 – Heavy rope training, rhythm, and full-body sequencing 52:46 – Hiring coaches and building culture inside his gym 1:01:37 – Athlete intuitiveness, imitation, and imitation-driven learning 1:10:55 – Recovery methods, cold exposure, and principles behind them 1:18:42 – Breathing mechanics, sensory awareness, and relaxation 1:24:52 – Tempo, rhythm, and “feel” in athletic movement 1:30:48 – Coaching philosophy and where Austin is heading next Quotes from Austin Jochum "That was a big coaching shift for me is like working for the athletes in front of me and what their feedback was versus working for the Boyles, working for the head strength coach, working for the head sport coach, working for the head administrator that just wants to see pretty straight lines and their program regurgitated over and over again." "Why can't today we give them a benefit, a reason to show up and have fun so that we can get to those long-term gains." "It's all LARPing like we are LARPing as strength coaches when we do that and I don't know if it's just like they're not aware enough to realize they're LARPing, but it's like it's a video game they are playing and it's like they're trying to play off that they know something more than other people." "You should not be here to correct an athlete's foot placements on a skip when it's like, man, when is that, when is that applicable?" "The thing that works is getting intent and being excited for your training. If you're not excited to go Olympic lift, they're not going to work." "You're going to become a faster athlete if you PR in your sprints every other week. Like why are we not going and approaching it that way to get that high stimulus out of the athlete?" "If you can stack days of your wins, I'm telling you, you get the athletes way more stimulus and they're way more psychologically ready." "Once I got to like 350 on my clean and got to like 225 on the snatch, I stopped noticing the direct benefit, just because it was a strength deficit. I stopped noticing the direct benefit to my sprints and jumps. Now the benefit comes when I'm hitting that 65 to 85 % range." About Austin Jochum Austin Jochum is the founder of Jochum Strength, a performance coach known for blending old-school grit with modern movement science. A former University of St. Thomas football player and All-Conference safety, Austin built his philosophy around “training the human first,” emphasizing play, adaptability, and athletic expression over rigid templates. His coaching blends strength, speed, breathwork, and movement variability, creating athletes who are not just powerful—but resilient and skillful in chaotic environments. Through his in-person gym in Minnesota, online programs, and the Jochum Strength Podcast, Austin has become a leading voice in community-driven athletic development, helping athletes and everyday movers reconnect with their bodies, build real-world ability, and enjoy the process.