Physical Preparation Podcast Archives - Robertson Training Systems

Okay my friends, today we’re trying something 100% and completely NEW with this podcast! Yes, even after 500 episodes, I’m still looking for ways to keep it fresh and exciting, so I really hope you enjoy it. In today’s MR Training Talk, we’re going to dive deeper into some of my most popular articles and social media posts in recent memory. For example… What are the biggest mistakes coaches make when writing in-season programs? How can you optimizing a client or athlete’s training based on their unique physical characteristics? And what the heck is a “Buffer Zone?” And why are they so important? I’m going to answer all those questions – and more – in this week’s episode of the Physical Prep Podcast!   Quotable Quotes: Tailor exercises to an athlete needs – not trends – for better results and fewer injuries   Recognizing whether an athlete is more stiff or compliant allows for a precise intervention   In-season training success relies on balancing multiple workout types—loading, maintenance, “stim” and recovery   This Week on the Physical Prep Podcast: Why I created this podcast format, and how I think it will help YOU How to optimize training for your floppy/unstable athletes Who deep tier plyos will work best for (as well as who should avoid them, at least early-on) The biggest mistakes I see coaches making with their in-season workouts Why you absolutely SHOULD lock in on the details of movement… …but why you SHOULD NOT do this at the expense of other physical qualities My “Big 3” physical qualities you should be developing if you want to make savage gen pop clients or athletes An introduction to the concept of the physiological “Buffer Zone” Understanding how the buffer zone concept works not only with mobility, but virtually any physical quality you want to develop!     Related Links: MR on Instagram In-Season Training Mistakes Article Movement Quality? Train Like a Savage? Or Both? Article Physiological Buffer Zone article by Patrick Ward   Ways to Continue Learning: Optimizing Movement Workshop in Arizona Complete Coach Certification In-Season Programming Masterclass   Level Up Your Program Design with Train Heroic! Are you tired of using clunky, antiquated program design tools like Microsoft Word or Excel? Are you ready to level up your programming, and make it far more engaging to your clients and athletes? If so, you need to check out Train Heroic. I’ve been using TrainHeroic for years now both here at RTS and at IFAST, and I can tell you the user experience both as an athlete and coach is truly second to none. To learn more and start your free 14-day trial, just follow this link to learn more about Train Heroic. Not only will you get your first 14 days free, but it’s just $10/month to get started officially after that. So don’t wait any longer – head over trainheroic.co/rts and start crafting beautiful programs your clients and athletes will love TODAY!   Subscribe, Rate & Share! Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Physical Preparation Podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts and leave your honest review. I’d also love to connect via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit our website. Thanks so much for your support – love and appreciate you! The post Buffer Zones, Optimizing Training and In-Season Workouts appeared first on Robertson Training Systems.

If you train young athletes, this episode is for you! Here I’m going to share 7 powerful insights from my 25 years of coaching young athletes. Whether it’s customizing your communication, monitoring your energy, or practical strategies to motivate and connect with your young athletes, I know you’ll take something away from this podcast that will help you level up. So without any further ado, let’s dive in!   Quotable Quotes: Understanding each athlete’s unique character, interests, and mindset is crucial for effective coaching. Tailoring your approach enhances engagement and development   The goal is to make young athletes love the process of training so it becomes a lifelong habit, not just a chore. Transform the gym into their favorite place   A relentless focus on effort and attitude can compensate for talent gaps. Perseverance becomes the real differentiator in performance.   This Week on the Physical Prep Podcast: How I’ve learned from ALL my various experiences in the fitness industry, and how they’ve all given me perspective Why just like coaching cues, you have to individualize how you coach your athletes The power of finding your own, unique aura and coaching-style to truly stand out Are some kids more “coachable” than others? And if so, how do you connect with the ones who aren’t??? Why effort is such a critical piece of the puzzle, and why it carries over to every facet of life after sports A question to ponder: Are you “that coach?” Why you have to monitor and control YOUR energy as a coach One thing you HAVE to do, for as long as you’re coaching!     Level Up Your Exercise Selection and Technique with Whatsthatstrap! Are you looking for ways to coach more effectively while cuing less? Or getting your clients and athletes into the right position WITHOUT overwhelming them with 35 cues every set? If so, you need to check out Whatsthatstrap! What’s That Strap makes specialty cable machine attachments that are specifically designed for rotation and multidirectional movement. The 3D Strap is amazing for driving separation between the hips and shoulders like you would in tennis, golf, baseball or even basketball, but it can also be used to resist rotation in standard weight room exercises like squats and lunges as well. And while the 3D Strap is awesome, I also find myself using their chop handles all the time as well. Whether it’s for exercises like chops and lifts, or just using them as a bonus sled dragging attachment, I absolutely love their versatility. To learn more about Whatsthatstrap or pick up a 3D Strap or chop handles, head over to WhatsThatStrap.com and use the discount code RTS at checkout to get free shipping on all US orders. I know you’re going to love training with their attachments!   Subscribe, Rate & Share Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Physical Preparation Podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts and leave your honest review. I’d also love to connect via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit our website. Thanks so much for your support – love and appreciate you! The post 7 Thoughts on Coaching Young Athletes appeared first on Robertson Training Systems.

Dr. Marc Lewis is the Director of Applied Sports Science for the Houston Texans, and prior to his time in the NFL, he also had stints at Penn State, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech and the University of South Carolina. Now today’s show is obviously going to focus on sports science, because that’s kind of his jam. But I’d argue even if you aren’t hard core about sports science, there’s a ton to be learned here. For instance, would you be interested in how a small wrestling team using a $347 set-up outperformed a bigger school with fancy tech? Or the big questions you should ask yourself FIRST, before you make any investment into your sports science program? If so, you’re going to love this episode – so let’s dive in!   Quotable Quotes: Our job is to help athletes perform better within their sport and help the team win games   The key is to create an infrastructure that links technology to practical interventions and action items   It’s not just about having data; it’s about centering it around the athlete and how to best support them   This Week on the Physical Prep Podcast: Marc’s incredible origin story, from his challenging childhood to become a leader in sports science How the military transformed Marc both physically and mentally, and gave him a path forward The “Million Dollar Question” of sports-science How a small college with a $347 sports science budget ran circles around a school with more resources The most important question you should ask BEFORE you invest in any sort of tech Why it’s not just about the tech, but how it will work in your environment that matters most How the Texans are incorporating sports-science to make real-time decisions on player health and performance The “layers” of sports science he’s trying to unpack to see where an athlete is underperforming (and why) Resources (both free and paid) that Marc is working on to take the sports-science industry to the next level!     Connect with Marc: Marc Lewis’ Website Marc on IG Marc on X The Sports-Science Handbook: A Blueprint for Better Decision-Making in Sport   Related Links: Eamonn Flanagan on Building Fast, Explosive and Robust Athletes with Plyometric Training Building a High-Performance Model on a Budget with Dr. Anne Beethe   Supercharge Your Decision-Making and Program Design with Hawkin Dynamics Force Plates! Hawkin Dynamics designs and builds performance hardware and software the right way. Their dual wireless force plates give you the most accurate, real-time data on athletic performance. You’ll have the ability to performance test your athletes in a matter of seconds, and give them immediate feedback on their strengths, weaknesses and readiness for that day’s training session. Their software is designed in house and continually updated to ensure the interface is clean, intuitive and easy to use, so both you and your athletes can visualize what’s going on and how to improve their performance. And Hawkin Dynamics is built around their customers and provide industry-leading support and training services to ensure you get the most out of their solutions. With options to lease or buy, coupled with a 5-year warranty, Hawkin Dynamics force plates can take your performance facility to the next level. To learn more, head over to HawkinDynamics.com or follow them on Instagram @HawinDynamics.   Subscribe, Rate & Share! Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Physical Preparation Podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts and leave your honest review. I’d also love to connect via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit our website. Thanks so much for your support – love and appreciate you! The post Marc Lewis on Overcoming Adversity, Data-Driven Insights, and Enhancing Sports Science appeared first on Robertson Training Systems.

What a year it was in 2025! Serious growth with IFAST Basketball. The gym is humming along. And my kids are getting BIG! But even with all the good stuff, there’s always a need to look back and reflect. Sure some things went right – but I definitely wasn’t perfect. Where did I miss the mark? And what can I do better in 2026? I cover all that – and some lessons I learned along the way – in this week’s episode!   Quotable Quotes: It’s not about giving my kids more stuff. It’s about making memories and doing things that they’ll remember and cherish for a lifetime   If you build it, they will come. Well, you know what? That sounds great. And it makes for an awesome movie. But it doesn’t work in real life!   The more curious you are, the more enjoyable this whole training and coaching thing is   This Week on the Physical Prep Podcast: Family updates: Team Robertson is crushing life right now! Awesome trips and travel in 2025, as well as experiences we’ll remember for a lifetime Why I finally decided to push IFAST Basketball, and how I’ll continue to tweak and refine it in the years to come How December of 2025 somehow became my most productive month of the year, and helped me really lock in for 2026 My life/work theme’s for 2024/2025, and how that’s evolved now for 2026 Why the mantra “If you build it, they will come” is absolutely NOT TRUE Personal goals for 2026, including how I’m investing in my body to stay healthy Professional goals for RTS, IFAST Basketball, and thoughts on some big projects for the year!     Related Links: Building a Fitness Business that Works for YOUR Life with Andy McCloy   Grow Your Fitness Business or Gym with Push Press! Gym owners and coaches, have you heard about PushPress? It’s the best gym management software company and it’s revolutionizing the fitness world. So check this out: PushPress is built BY gym owners. They understand the ins and outs of running a fitness business because they’re “in the trenches” in their own gyms every single day. Key products like Core, Grow, and Train are designed to help you with everything from billing and scheduling to lead generation and progress tracking. Built on the “help first” ethos, PushPress places an exceptional focus on prioritizing client needs, listening to feedback from their community, and using it as the impetus for its ever-evolving, innovative features. And here’s the strongest plug I can give them – I’ve actually switched to PushPress for all of my clients and athletes. Getting things set-up and running smoothly is not only easier, but also far more intuitive than many other solutions. So if you’re interested in learning more, just head over to pushpress.com/ppp.   Subscribe, Rate & Share Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Physical Preparation Podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts and leave your honest review. I’d also love to connect via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit our website. The post 2025 Review, 2026 Preview, and Lessons Learned Over the Past Year appeared first on Robertson Training Systems.

  Are you a smaller college, facility or business owner who is looking to take their sports performance program to the next level? If so, you’re going to LOVE today’s episode. Dr. Anne Beethe currently serves as the Director of Peak Performance at Colby College, a high performance model housing Sports Medicine, Strength and Conditioning, Mental Performance, Nutrition, and Sport Science. And in today’s episode, we’re going to talk about how she built an amazing high-performance program with limited people, funds and resources – something I’m sure many of us can relate to!   Quotable Quotes: The more a team has engaged with us – more entry points, more contacts – the more likely they are to succeed   When whoop first came out and coaches were like, why are my athletes better in the yellow? I’m like, “it’s okay if they’re not in the green!”   We have to work as our own team to make sure this all works together       This Week on the Physical Prep Podcast: Dr. Anne Beethe’s background, and how she originally got started in the world of physical prep The pros and cons of starting a high-performance model at a D-3 school. How to strategically invest in technology that will move the needle in YOUR environment. Why objective data is so critical to athletic development and performance. How you allocate resources when there’s only a handful of coaches and 750 athletes to manage! The importance of “Failing Gracefully” Why the most successful teams at Colby have jumped head first into the high-performance model How to build a tight knit team and community to help ensure success! Anne’s advice to anyone who wants to get started on this path, and ways she’s learned from her mistakes along the way!     Connect with Anne: Colby Peak Performance on Instagram Dr. Anne Beethe on Instagram   Related Links: Ryan Horn on NIL, the Transfer Portal, and the Evolution of a Coach   Supercharge Your Decision-Making and Program Design with Hawkin Dynamics Force Plates! Hawkin Dynamics designs and builds performance hardware and software the right way. Their dual wireless force plates give you the most accurate, real-time data on athletic performance. You’ll have the ability to performance test your athletes in a matter of seconds, and give them immediate feedback on their strengths, weaknesses and readiness for that day’s training session. Their software is designed in house and continually updated to ensure the interface is clean, intuitive and easy to use, so both you and your athletes can visualize what’s going on and how to improve their performance. And Hawkin Dynamics is built around their customers and provide industry-leading support and training services to ensure you get the most out of their solutions. With options to lease or buy, coupled with a 5-year warranty, Hawkin Dynamics force plates can take your performance facility to the next level. To learn more, head over to HawkinDynamics.com or follow them on Instagram @HawinDynamics.   Subscribe, Rate & Share! Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Physical Preparation Podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts and leave your honest review. I’d also love to connect via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit our website. Thanks so much for your support – love and appreciate you! The post Building a High-Performance Model on a Budget with Dr. Anne Beethe appeared first on Robertson Training Systems.