The Garage Strength Podcast

Dr. Skyler Mayne, a sport scientist for BYU Football, dives into the latest innovations in football strength and conditioning. He discusses how specific lifts can enhance speed and the importance of athlete screening through force plates. Skyler explains the difference in training approaches for big-bodied athletes versus skill players and the role of nutrition in performance. He emphasizes the need for individualized training plans and effective communication, especially for athletes returning from missions, showcasing BYU's successful culture in sports science.

Strongman coach Alec Pagan, renowned for training elite athletes like Lucas Hatton, shares insights on building unrivaled strength. He discusses why weightlifters excel in strongman events, applying CrossFit techniques for conditioning. Alec breaks down his annual training phases, customizing programs based on athlete weaknesses. He emphasizes mental health in the offseason, outlines key qualities like force absorption, and advises on drug use responsibly. With predictions for Lucas becoming the Strongest Man on Earth by 2026, Pagan reveals the future of strongman athletes.

Get 7 FREE Days of Training to our Strength Training App - Peak Strength 👉 https://www.peakstrength.app/?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=Video&utm_campaign=APP&utm_content=KenClarkPOD Try our FREE Max Rep Calculator 👉 https://peakstrength.app/training-progress-calculator?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=Video&utm_campaign=TPCalc&utm_content=KenClarkPOD Follow Dr. Clark on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenclarkspeed/ Strength and Conditioning Coach Dane Miller sits down with exercise scientist and speed researcher Dr. Ken Clark to discuss the best ways to get faster for athletes. #garagestrength #speed #strength LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST 🎙🏆🎙 👉 https://feeds.megaphone.fm/HUM1295049334 Join Our SubReddit and Discord 👉 https://www.reddit.com/r/GarageStrength/ 👉 https://discord.gg/hGs2AHHxq2 0:00 – How Do People Actually Run Fast? (Big Picture Speed Question) 1:06 – Introducing Dr. Ken Clark & Why Speed Research Matters 3:06 – The Traditional Sprint Model vs Team Sport Speed 4:47 – Why Elite Sprinters Don’t All Run the Same Way 6:35 – Different Speed Models: Track Athletes vs Field Athletes 7:02 – Sprinting Non-Negotiables: What All Fast Runners Share 9:27 – Ground Contact Position, Foot Strike & Center of Mass 12:37 – Top-Down vs Bottom-Up Speed Coaching Approaches 15:12 – Track vs Team Sport Mechanics: What the Research Shows 17:28 – Are Better Mechanics Always Faster? (Surprising Findings) 19:49 – Injury Risk in Sprinting: Anterior Pelvic Tilt & Overstriding 21:08 – Can You Coach Pelvic Tilt or Is It Structural? 23:18 – What Happens During Ground Contact at Max Velocity 26:38 – Braking vs Propulsive Forces Explained Simply 29:35 – Ground Contact Times, Forces & Rate of Force Development 32:08 – Hip Torque, Thigh Reversal & Why Speed Comes From the Hip 35:18 – Front Side vs Backside Mechanics Revisited 38:05 – Should Coaches Change an Athlete’s Sprint Style? 41:03 – Sprint Non-Negotiables for Team Sport Athletes 42:01 – Assisted Sprinting, 1080 Sprint & Motor Learning 45:00 – Acceleration vs Max Velocity in Field Sports 47:08 – Transitional Acceleration: The Most Underrated Speed Skill 50:05 – Step Rate vs Step Length During Acceleration 53:23 – Why Acceleration Is About Progression, Not Angles 56:05 – Max Velocity Raises Acceleration Potential (NFL Combine Data) 59:21 – Why All Athletes Need Max Speed (Even Linemen) 1:02:48 – Speed Golf: Training Fast Without Max Effort 1:07:24 – Weekly Speed Training Structure for Team Sports 1:10:28 – Ideal Fly Distances for Max Velocity Training 1:13:24 – Hills vs Sleds vs 1080: What Works Best? 1:15:02 – Coaching Large Groups With Sled Sprints 1:17:31 – Velocity Decrement Explained for Sprint Training 1:22:04 – High-Low Speed Training Weekly Layout 1:25:36 – Linking Speed Metrics to Weight Room Strength 1:30:01 – Programming Sled Loads Across a Training Cycle 1:33:43 – Hip vs Lower Leg: What Matters More for Speed? 1:37:02 – Why Elite Jumpers Are Always Fast 1:39:32 – Usain Bolt vs Michael Jordan: Speed Myth Busting 1:42:29 – Hamstring Injuries: When and Why They Happen 1:45:28 – Final Thoughts on Speed, Safety & Long-Term Development

Get 7 FREE Days of Training to our Strength Training App - Peak Strength 👉 https://www.peakstrength.app/?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=Video&utm_campaign=APP&utm_content=JonHeckPOD Try our FREE Max Rep Calculator 👉 https://peakstrength.app/training-progress-calculator?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=Video&utm_campaign=TPCalc&utm_content=JonHeckPOD Subscribe to Jon on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HammerAndChiselPerformance Follow Jon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what_the_heck71/ Strength and Conditioning Coach Dane Miller sits down with former NFL/D1 Strength Coach Jon Heck to discuss nutrition necessities for athletes. #garagestrength #speed #strength LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST 🎙🏆🎙 👉 https://feeds.megaphone.fm/HUM1295049334 Join Our SubReddit and Discord 👉 https://www.reddit.com/r/GarageStrength/ 👉 https://discord.gg/hGs2AHHxq2 0:00 – Intro: Periodized Nutrition for Athletes & Gen Pop 1:15 – Why Early Offseason Is Best for Body Composition 2:40 – Offseason Nutrition for Football Players (Gain vs Cut) 5:14 – Carb Cycling: Fuel Training Without Getting Fat 6:23 – In-Season Nutrition: Performance, Recovery & Digestion 7:55 – How Coaches Decide If an Athlete Is “Too Fat” or Undersized 10:49 – Recomping Athletes: Lose Fat While Getting Stronger 13:09 – Diet Slowly: Why Crash Diets Kill Performance 15:25 – Do Lift Numbers Actually Matter for On-Field Performance? 18:08 – Why Strong in the Weight Room ≠ Good Athlete 19:20 – Calories & Macros: Daily vs Weekly Nutrition Planning 21:24 – “Kill It, Pick It, Grow It” Nutrition Framework 23:50 – Training Day vs Non-Training Day Nutrition 27:02 – Intra-Workout Nutrition: Carbs, Electrolytes & Aminos 30:05 – Why Insulin & Carbs Matter During Training 33:12 – Potassium: The Most Underrated Performance Mineral 37:47 – Fixing Digestion & Gut Health for Athletes 42:29 – Fiber, Fermented Foods & Gut-Brain Health 47:10 – Macros Made Simple: Protein, Carbs & Fat Ratios 49:03 – The Anti-Carb Myth (Why Cutting Carbs Backfires) 54:22 – Diet Trends, Detoxes & Nutrition Cult Mentality 58:04 – GLP-1 Drugs, Bodybuilding & Performance 1:03:39 – PEDs: Strongman vs Bodybuilding Drug Use 1:13:10 – “Safer” PED Choices & Long-Term Health Risks 1:17:56 – Final Takeaways + Where to Find John Heck

In this engaging talk, exercise scientist Dan Cleather, a specialist in strength and conditioning, delves into the complex relationship between impulse and force in athletic performance. He highlights how different sports, like football and triple jump, demand unique force production strategies. Dan emphasizes the significance of dynamic correspondence in training, discussing the five criteria that ensure exercises align with sport-specific needs. He also challenges traditional notions of power, advocating for impulse as a better predictor of jump height and velocity.

Get 7 FREE Days of Training to our Strength Training App - Peak Strength 👉 https://www.peakstrength.app/?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=Video&utm_campaign=APP&utm_content=IsaiahRiveraandJohnEvansPOD Try our FREE Max Rep Calculator 👉 https://peakstrength.app/training-progress-calculator?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=Video&utm_campaign=TPCalc&utm_content=IsaiahRiveraandJohnEvansPOD Subscribe to Isaiah, John, and THP on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IsaiahRivera1 - https://www.youtube.com/@JohnEvans - https://www.youtube.com/@thpstrength1 Follow Isaiah and John on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isaiahrivera1/ - https://www.instagram.com/johnevans_thp/ Strength and Conditioning Coach Dane Miller sits down with Vertical Jump World Record Holder Isaiah Rivera and his Coach John Evans to discuss the best ways to get explosive and jump higher in the gym. #garagestrength #speed #strength LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST 🎙🏆🎙 👉 https://feeds.megaphone.fm/HUM1295049334 Join Our SubReddit and Discord 👉 https://www.reddit.com/r/GarageStrength/ 👉 https://discord.gg/hGs2AHHxq2

Get 7 FREE Days of Training to our Strength Training App - Peak Strength 👉 https://www.peakstrength.app/?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=Video&utm_campaign=APP&utm_content=FergusCrawleyPOD Try our FREE Max Rep Calculator 👉 https://peakstrength.app/training-progress-calculator?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=Video&utm_campaign=TPCalc&utm_content=FergusCrawleyPOD Subscribe to Fergus Crawley on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ferguscrawley95 Follow Fergus on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ferguscrawley/ Strength and Conditioning Coach Dane Miller sits down with Hybrid Athlete Fergus Crawley to discuss the best ways to get stronger while training endurance. #garagestrength #speed #strength LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST 🎙🏆🎙 👉 https://feeds.megaphone.fm/HUM1295049334 Join Our SubReddit and Discord 👉 https://www.reddit.com/r/GarageStrength/ 👉 https://discord.gg/hGs2AHHxq2 0:00 – Can You Deadlift 500 lbs AND Run a Sub-5 Mile? Hybrid Training Explained 0:42 – Why “Fatigue Masks Fitness” & How Cardio Actually Affects Strength 1:53 – Building the Hybrid Week: Heavy Deadlifts, Track Work & Session Structure 3:41 – Understanding Athlete Weaknesses, Backgrounds & Adaptation Needs 5:02 – Strength + Endurance Programming: Volume, Intensity & Recovery Cycles 7:49 – Managing Systemic vs Local Fatigue & Avoiding Performance Drop-Offs 10:08 – Fergus’ 500 lb Squat + Sub-5 Mile: Lessons in Fatigue, Power & Adaptation 12:53 – Assessing Goals, Baselines & Time Availability in Hybrid Training 15:14 – Strength Background vs Endurance Background: Movement Skill Differences 18:01 – What “Hybrid Athlete” Really Means & Why Training Isn’t Black-and-White 20:37 – Hustle, Stones & Ultras: Extreme Feats of Strength-Endurance Explained 23:02 – Intensity vs Volume in Running: Why High-Impact Training Breaks You Faster 26:11 – Marathon Training Mistakes, Stress Fractures & Bodyweight Challenges 30:22 – The Role of Inefficiency: Femur Length, Running Mechanics & Injury Risk 33:58 – Key Takeaways: Volume vs Intensity & What Actually Improves Running Speed 36:41 – Using Rowing, Cycling & Cross-Training for Threshold Development 41:58 – Maintaining Aerobic Capacity During Injury: Heart Rate, Zones & Return to Run 45:12 – How to Progress Threshold Training for Heavy Athletes (200+ lbs) 48:22 – Session Ratios: Strength Work, Threshold Days & Weekly Hybrid Layouts 52:01 – Stone Lifting, Strongman & Why Odd Objects Reveal Real Strength 58:42 – Mental Battles: Self-Doubt, Pressure & Learning to Problem-Solve Under Fatigue 1:03:35 – Project Tenacity: Fergus’ 10 Ironmans in 10 Days for Suicide Awareness 1:07:52 – Vulnerability, Masculinity & Why Endurance Training Heals the Mind 1:12:27 – Finding Purpose Through Movement, Community & Showing Up Daily 1:18:46 – Lessons From Hybrid Training: Fulfillment, Routine & Reducing Barriers to Entry 1:24:34 – Closing Thoughts: Embracing What You Suck At & Growing Through Challenge

Get 50% OFF this Black Friday Weekend on our Strength Training App - Peak Strength 👉 https://www.peakstrength.app/?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=Video&utm_campaign=APP&utm_content=MitchellHooperPOD Try our FREE Max Rep Calculator 👉 https://peakstrength.app/training-progress-calculator?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=Video&utm_campaign=TPCalc&utm_content=MitchellHooperPOD Subscribe to Mitchell Hooper on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mitchellhooperstrongman Follow Mitchell on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mitchellhooper/ Strength and Conditioning Coach Dane Miller sits down with World's Strongest Man Mitchell Hooper to discuss the best ways to get stronger in the weight room. #garagestrength #speed #strength LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST 🎙🏆🎙 👉 https://feeds.megaphone.fm/HUM1295049334 Join Our SubReddit and Discord 👉 https://www.reddit.com/r/GarageStrength/ 👉 https://discord.gg/hGs2AHHxq2 0:00 – Intro: Best Lifts for “Stupid Strength” 0:45 – Meet Mitchell Hooper & What This Episode Covers 1:47 – Strongman Training Split: Offseason vs Show Prep 3:47 – Peak Strength Black Friday Offer 4:39 – Key Lifts & Movement Patterns for Strongman (Push, Pull, Squat, Hinge, Press, Carry) 6:37 – Olympic Lifts, Jerks & Plyometrics for Strongman Power 9:01 – Squat Variations, Front Squats & Transfer to Events 10:06 – Dumbbell / Bodybuilding Accessories & Shoulder Support Work 11:20 – Peak Strength App Plug (Train Like a Powerlifter or Athlete) 12:18 – Sports Backgrounds That Transfer to Strongman (Football, Marathons, Multi-sport) 14:09 – What’s Harder: Running a Marathon or a Strongman Show? 15:06 – How to Gain Weight & Strength Without a “Dirty Bulk” 19:24 – Hooper’s Daily Calories, Macros & Meal Frequency 22:39 – Pre-Workout & Contest-Day Fueling (Monster Mash, Carbs, Caffeine Strategy) 27:27 – Evidence-Based Training: Pros, Cons & Real-World Application 32:55 – Experimenting on Himself vs Following the Research 35:37 – How Freakishly Strong Is Joe Kovacs? 37:01 – Using Strongman Training for Sports Performance (Football, Wrestling, etc.) 40:48 – Breathing, Bracing & CO₂ Tolerance for Max Lifts and Medleys 44:06 – Could Hooper Be the Next Mariusz Pudzianowski? Longevity & Health Trade-Offs 45:22 – Big Z, Bodyweight & Why He Doesn’t Want to Get Bigger 46:15 – Closing Thoughts & Where to Follow Mitchell Hooper

Get 7 FREE Days of Training to our Strength Training App - Peak Strength 👉 https://www.peakstrength.app/?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=Video&utm_campaign=APP&utm_content=LesSpellmanPOD Try our FREE Max Rep Calculator 👉 https://peakstrength.app/training-progress-calculator?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=Video&utm_campaign=TPCalc&utm_content=LesSpellmanPOD Subscribe to Les Spellman on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LesSpellman Follow Les on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/les7spellman/ Strength and Conditioning Coach Dane Miller sits down with NFL Speed Coach Les Spellman  @LesSpellman  to discuss the best ways to get athletes faster. #garagestrength #speed #strength LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST 🎙🏆🎙 👉 https://feeds.megaphone.fm/HUM1295049334 Join Our SubReddit and Discord 👉 https://www.reddit.com/r/GarageStrength/ 👉 https://discord.gg/hGs2AHHxq2

Get 7 FREE Days of Training to our Strength Training App - Peak Strength 👉 https://www.peakstrength.app/?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=Video&utm_campaign=APP&utm_content=WillRatellePOD2025 Try our FREE Max Rep Calculator 👉 https://peakstrength.app/training-progress-calculator?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=Video&utm_campaign=TPCalc&utm_content=WillRatellePOD2025 Strength and Conditioning Coach Dane Miller critiques the insane strength workout of NFL Running Back Christian McCaffrey. #garagestrength #speed #strength LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST 🎙🏆🎙 👉 https://feeds.megaphone.fm/HUM1295049334 Join Our SubReddit and Discord 👉 https://www.reddit.com/r/GarageStrength/ 👉 https://discord.gg/hGs2AHHxq2 0:00 – Key Lifts Will Retell Used to Reach the NFL (Strength Training for Football) 1:26 – Podcast Intro: Explosive Strength & Speed Training with Will Retell 2:25 – Why Olympic Lifts Built Will’s NFL Power (Clean, Snatch, Jerk Breakdown) 5:02 – How Olympic Lifts Bridge Strength and Speed for Field Sport Athletes 10:03 – Double Knee Bend Explained: Hidden Plyometric Tool for Jumping & Sprinting 11:10 – Does Strength Training Make You Faster? Research, Speed, and Long-Term Gains 15:32 – Peak Strength App: Athletic Performance Programming for Field Sports 16:32 – “Strong Enough” vs “Fast Enough”: Strength vs Speed Training Debate 24:41 – Front Squat vs Back Squat for Athletes: Best Squat for Team Sports Performance 30:00 – Upper Body KPIs: Bench Press vs Pull-Ups vs Dips for Athletic Strength 36:12 – Baseline Strength Standards Before Advanced Methods (Effective Reps, Nuance) 39:03 – How to Progressively Add Weight to the Bar (Auto-Regulation & Training Data) 50:02 – Plyometric Training for Athletes: Weekly Jump Volume, Rest, and Quality Reps 56:05 – Submaximal Olympic Lifting for Speed: Power Cleans, Power Snatches & Recovery 59:00 – Will Retell Programs & HOS Combine: NFL Combine Prep and Olympic Lift Programming