Performance coach Tim Riley returns to the Judd Lienhard Podcast for a high-level conversation on hybrid athletes, TRT, Olympic lifting, CrossFit culture, movement selection, and what truly drives athletic development today.

Tim has coached NFL athletes, Olympians, and elite competitors across multiple sports. In this episode, he and Judd break down the real principles behind power development, identity traps, steroid culture, coaching philosophy, programming mistakes, and how the fitness world has shifted over the last decade.

You’ll hear stories from NFL Combine prep, wild athlete experiences (Micah Parsons and Ja’Marr Chase get mentioned), plus myth-busting on hypertrophy dogma, kettlebell hate, Mike Israetel controversies, CNS fatigue, deadlift debates, mobility misconceptions, and more.

If you're an athlete, coach, or hybrid lifter chasing your potential, this episode will challenge your thinking and sharpen your approach to training.

Topics Covered

Olympic lifts vs. power alternatives
CrossFit standards and movement dysfunction
Functional training: where it went wrong (and right)
Isolation work & machine training for athletes
How identity sabotages training decisions
Athlete vs. hybrid athlete: redefining the term
Apex: building a simple, brutal competition model
Kettlebells, accommodating resistance & hypertrophy myths
Mike Israetel controversies & criticism in the fitness world
Power, speed, and why sprinting is a different animal
Steroids, TRT, stigma & hormone realities
Deadlifting for athletes: when it matters
CNS fatigue myths and programming mistakes

Follow Tim Riley

Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/timrileytraining/
Coach ’Em Up Podcast — https://open.spotify.com/show/4wjmPXjz59op5E5uPg5ATk

Follow Judd Lienhard

Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/juddlienhard/
YouTube — hthttps://www.youtube.com/@JuddLienhard
👉 Try Judd’s Training App — Free for 7 Days
https://www.juddlienhard.com

Episode Timestamps

00:00 – Olympic lifting debates
03:20 – Power training adaptations
10:55 – The evolution of “functional training”
15:20 – Isolation work & addressing weak links
22:40 – What defines an “athlete”?
28:10 – Apex: simple, brutal athletic competition
33:55 – CrossFit culture & misconceptions
40:20 – Mike Israetel: genius, autism, and criticism
47:00 – Kettlebells & hypertrophy dogma
58:20 – Strength, speed & sprinting
72:10 – TRT stigma & hormone realities
78:40 – Steroids, myths & athletic enhancement
85:50 – Deadlifts: when they matter
92:30 – CNS fatigue myths

This episode is brought to you by LMNT.

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The Judd Lienhard Podcast delivers unfiltered conversations with elite athletes, military leaders, and top coaches, exploring performance, mindset, and resilience. From NFL vets to Special Forces operators, each episode is packed with real-world lessons on training, leadership, and pushing limits.

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