NSCA’s Coaching Podcast, Episode 14: Loren Landow

Loren Landow, Director of Sports Performance at Landow Performance Denver, talks to the NSCA Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Scott Caulfield, about beginning your coaching career, having longevity at one institution, where and when to “pick your battles” (or not), and learning to listen.

Loren Landow, CSCS,*D, is highly sought after for his ability to analyze and correct biomechanics. His goal is to maximize human performance, while decreasing the likelihood of injury. Landow has trained thousands of athletes of all ages and abilities, including over 500 professional athletes in the National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Baseball (MLB), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), and Olympic athletes. Landow has worked with over 30 NFL All-Pros and over 20 first-round draft selections in the NFL. He recently published “My Offseason with the Denver Broncos: Building a Championship Team (While Nobody’s Watching).”

Find Loren on Twitter: @LorenLandow | Find Scott on Twitter: @scottcaulfield

Show Notes

“We know our ‘why,’ but we’re trying to evolve our ‘why’ and truly grow as coaches each and every day.” 4:01

“We’ve put together this team of practitioners (the Resilience Project) and everything we do is data driven.” 13:52

“My ‘why’ is to be a source of direction to guide your path, help you find your way, I want to be that person to help guide a path.” 16:43

“I want to show coaches that you make a living in this industry in the private sector and you can make a very nice living… you can do all those things… you just have to get up every morning and push.” 17:56 

“I think I’m equivalent to a greyhound dog because if I’m not coaching, I’m going to lose my mind.” 18:41

“Most of my employees have been interns for me and I don’t care about your resume, I do not care about what you’ve done… what I care about is how you interact with our team… are you a ‘me’ or a ‘we’ guy?” 19:40

“During the internship I’ve got 400 – 600 hours that I can evaluate you, I can watch you. If you walk into the bathroom and there’s water all over the sink are you going to wipe it down or are you just going to leave it? If you see some paper on the ground are you going to pick it up and throw it away?” 20:22

“Just watching who you are from a character standpoint and a value standpoint that tells me all I need to know.” 20:50

“I can’t teach you to be a good person, I can’t teach you to be a person who has good relationships, I can’t teach you to be a good team player, but if you are those things I do believe I can teach you how to be a good coach.” 20:58

“Our time is limited in everything that we do, so to me it makes no sense to do anything half-hearted.” 23:05

“I want to be able to share a passion of mine and something that gives a purpose to our industry.” 25:45

“We talk about putting ourselves in vulnerable positions to make ourselves grow.” 27:12

“If you have a question ask it, don’t be intimidated, don’t be afraid to go up and talk to a speaker or someone you look up to.” 29:21

“Mentorship is a two way street.” 29:42

“Don’t just take, take, take. Provide and give.” 30:05 

“Always pay homage to those ‘who have set the table for you.’” 30:36

“With all the mistakes I’ve made within the industry, I would not change a single one because I’ve truly learned from them.” 33:01

“Working with the middle school athletes, that’s where you really learn a lot.” 37:10

“People give up way too soon… it’s not going to be easy, it’s going to be a grind (to become the best).” 38:07