Check out Brian on socials! @briankula @kulasportsperformance

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Brian Kula has spent 27 years turning athletes into weapons, from high school track kids to NFL Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey. On this episode of the Coach Em Up Podcast, Tim Riley sits down with Brian to break down sports performance philosophy, the biggest mistakes coaches make in speed training, and how to safely bring sprinting to the general population. Plus, Brian gets candid about coaching elite pros, building ETS Performance, and why relationships matter more than any X's and O's.

Brian Kula is one of the most decorated performance coaches in the game. A third-generation coach and former decathlete, Brian built Kula Sports Performance from the ground up, including a pivot during the 2020 pandemic that helped him scale his private training business.

This episode covers the full spectrum: why coaches keep making the same speed training mistakes, what vertical integration speed training actually looks like in practice, how to coach sprinting mechanics for athletes without destroying your general population clients, and what Brian learned from his elite mentors. Brian also opens up about the realities of coaching pro athletes, his work with ETS Performance to build career tracks for young coaches, and why plyometrics for speed development are criminally underrated.

If you are chasing faster athletes, a smarter program, or a coaching career worth building, this one is packed.

Produced by

Q6 Media

https://q6.media

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:20 - Brian's background and coaching legacy

00:06:40 - Athlete to coach transition and developing patience

00:11:12 - Coaching youth athletes vs. coaching pros

00:18:33 - Evolution of training philosophy and mentors

00:27:10 - Learning from coaching mistakes and pivoting your program

00:32:04 - Top mistakes in speed training

00:34:40 - Sprinting for general pop and the Fast Forever protocol

00:45:12 - Assessing and coaching elite pros

00:49:18 - Pros and cons of coaching professional athletes

00:55:25 - Mentorship, ETS Performance, and building careers

01:11:34 - The power of relationships

01:14:37 - Listener Q&A with Brian Kula

01:29:37 - Three Things, Rant and Rave, and Unsolicited Advice

#CoachEmUpPodcast #BrianKula #KulaSportsPerformance #SpeedTraining #StrengthAndConditioningPodcast #SprintingMechanics #PerformanceCoach #ETSPerformance #SpeedDevelopment #Plyometrics

Check out Jon on socials! @what_the_heck71 @HammerAndChiselPerformance

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"If you're going to go down this road, you better be prepared to be on it for life."

Tim Riley sits down with elite strength coach and former D1 football player Jon Heck to break down the real science behind PEDs, covering anabolic and androgenic steroids, TRT, growth hormone, insulin, fat burners, and peptides. John Heck gives a no-BS, medically grounded take on who actually uses this stuff, what it does to your body long-term, and why PEDs in sports performance are wildly misunderstood.

This episode covers why pro athletes actually don't use steroids (99% of users are recreational gym bros), how side effects of oral vs injectable steroids differ drastically, why kidney health is the silent killer, and the terrifying reality of insulin risks in bodybuilding and DNP fat burner dangers. Jon also walks through growth hormone hyperplasia bodybuilding, the peptide recovery benefits debate, gray market loopholes, and why steroids ruining athletic performance is especially true for team sport athletes relying on connective tissue elasticity.

The Q&A at the end gets practical fast: reverse dieting, budget nutrition, potassium targets, and phasic diets laid out step by step.

Produced by

Q6 Media

https://q6.media

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:04:00 - PEDs in Sports Performance

00:07:50 - Who Actually Uses Steroids? Pro Athlete Misconceptions

00:10:45 - Anabolic vs Androgenic Steroids

00:22:20 - Jon's First Testosterone Cycle

00:29:45 - Lifetime Commitment, Fertility Risks, and the Endocrine Shutdown

00:35:55 - Estrogen Management, Gyno, and Kidney Health

00:44:00 - Roid Rage Myth, Side Effects of Oral vs Injectable Steroids, Health Timelines

00:54:35 - TREN: Origin and Side Effects

00:59:20 - Diminishing Returns, Counterfeit Gear, and Infection Risks

01:07:00 - Youth Steroid Use in High School Football

01:11:30 - Growth Hormone Hyperplasia Bodybuilding

01:17:20 - Insulin Risks in Bodybuilding

01:21:05 - DNP Fat Burner Dangers, Clenbuterol explained

01:25:30 - Peptide Recovery Benefits and Risks

01:32:10 - Reverse Dieting and Budget Nutrition

01:45:05 - Jon's Phasic Dieting Protocol

01:48:00 - TRT vs Anabolic Steroids for Real Life

01:51:15 - Nutrition Travel Hack

#CoachEmUpPodcast #PEDsInSports #AnabolicSteroids #TRTvsAnabolicSteroids #JohnHeck #StrengthCoach #BodybuildingPodcast #SportsPerformance #Peptides #DNPDangers

Check out Erica and Ashley on socials! @ericalowreystrength @ashleykowalewski

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Erica Lowrey and Ashley Kowalewski join Tim Riley on the coach em up podcast to break down how to increase vertical jump, fix jumper's knee, and survive the grind of collegiate athletics. The group goes deep on patellar tendinopathy in volleyball players, isometric exercises for tendon stiffness, eccentric overloading, and strength training for female volleyball players. They also tackle the real conversation around female athlete body composition coaching. And if you are a strength and conditioning intern or a young coach figuring out how to navigate your first role, the Q&A and intern advice segments in this episode are required listening.

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast! It's free to you and helps us bring on more badass guests like Erica and AK :)

Produced by

Q6 Media

https://q6.media

Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:26 - Erica's Volleyball Background

00:09:24 - Liberty University & Exercise Science

00:12:08 - Pillars for Strength and Conditioning Internship Success

00:20:08 - Eccentrics and Isometrics for Tissue Longevity

00:23:20 - Recap of the Coach Em Up Conference

00:26:26 - Tackling Body Composition in Female Athletes

00:32:02 - Ashley's Road Back from 98 Pounds

00:37:58 - Body Image Talks with Female Athletes

00:44:44 - Erica's Coaching Journey and USA Bobsled Recruitment

00:52:20 - Ashley's Academic Background and Mentorship Path to LSU

00:59:33 - The Mental Demands of Strength Coaching

01:16:04 - Assessing Incoming Freshman Athletes

01:21:24 - Tendon Stiffness and How to Fix Jumper's Knee

01:31:00 - Overcoming Dumb Athlete Beliefs and Building Exercise Systems

01:33:40 - How to Increase Vertical Jump, Shoulder Stability, and Coaching Autonomy

01:46:01 - Most Impressive Female Athletic Feats and Handling Difficult Sport Coaches

01:58:03 - Overrated vs. Underrated in Athletic Performance

02:02:06 - Final Advice for Interns

#CoachEmUpPodcas #StrengthCoachPodcast #EccentriOverload #JumpersKnee #FemaleStrengthCoach #VerticalJumpTraining #TriphasicTraining #CollegiateStrengthCoaching #EricaLowrey #AshleyKowalewski

Check out Ben on socials! @drbenhouse

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Dr. Ben House returns to the internet to drop some hard truths: baseline testosterone does not predict hypertrophy, the TRT industry is largely built on noise, and your environment matters more than your willpower. Tim Riley and Zack Zillner dig into Ben's wild journey — from MCAT prep and Teach for America, to building a volcano compound in Costa Rica, farming through COVID, and working in the NBA — before landing on his new venture, Biomolecular Athlete. In this episode, he dismantles some of the most pervasive myths in the performance world — testosterone optimization, biohacking culture, and the obsession with chasing biological mechanisms over real output.

Ben breaks down why obesity is the number one driver of low testosterone, why androgen receptor sensitivity matters far more than serum testosterone levels, and why women can build comparable relative muscle mass to men despite having a fraction of the hormone. He also shares his evolution from authoritarian coach to 'Sherpa', how Self-Determination Theory explains the gap between knowledge and action, and why the best coaching often means doing less.

Produced by

Q6 Media

https://q6.media

Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:41 - How Dr. Ben House Changed Tim's Coaching Career

00:07:00 - Ben's Origin Story: Sports, MCAT & Hating Clinical Medicine

00:10:45 - Teach for America, Austin, and Finding the Fitness World

00:16:19 - Biohacking Skepticism & What Actually Drives Adaptation

00:19:10 - The Costa Rica Volcano Compound & Farming Through COVID

00:30:00 - Memphis Grizzlies Tenure & Leaving the Internet

00:42:25 - Coaching Philosophy Evolution

00:49:22 - Sobriety, Obsession & the Gap Between Knowledge and Action

00:56:50 - Building Ecosystems Over Willpower

01:12:56 - Testosterone & TRT Reality Check

01:21:57 - Obesity, Leptin Resistance & Why Your Testicles Are Inflamed

01:30:42 - Sleep Myths & Why Women Can Match Men's Gains

01:44:41 - Chasing Mechanisms

01:50:35 - Unsolicited Advice

#CoachEmUpPodcast #DrBenHouse #TestosteroneMyths #Hypertrophy #StrengthCoaching #NutritionalScience #BiomolecularAthlete #AndyGalpin #FunctionalMedicine #Podcast

Check out Dylan on socials! @dylan_shannon @_dylanshannon

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Dylan Shannon is back and he's built different. Tim Riley and Zack Zillner chop it up with the PowerJacked creator about his move to Boston, prepping for Apex, and why your perfect program is probably the one you're already sleeping on. Plus, Dylan reveals the WWE actually slid in his DMs — and he said no.

Dylan Shannon went from a part-time strength coach with zero online presence to one of the most engaged creators in the fitness space. In this reunion, Dylan breaks down his training philosophy, why science based lifting is quietly ruining young lifters, and why he finally got serious about fixing his hormones and his relationship with food.

The listener Q&A goes deep: body dysmorphia, TRT, junk volume myths, bench press mastery, content creation strategy, and how to build a training business from the ground up.

Produced by

Q6 Media

https://q6.media

Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:03:46 - Why Dylan Moved to Boston

00:05:05 - Training for Apex Boston & the Fitness Scene

00:08:22 - How One Podcast Episode Changed Dylan's Life

00:11:16 - PowerJacked Program & Chalk Performance

00:15:35 - 10-Year Plans & Why Rigid Goals Kill Momentum

00:20:17 - Peaking for Apex & Mile Strategy

00:26:08 - Binge Eating, Body Dysmorphia & Getting on TRT

00:32:28 - Performance Bulking, 550 lb Squats & High School Beef

00:35:54 - How to Build a Personal Training Business from Scratch

00:39:31 - Midbod Freak Athlete vs. Mr. Olympia Trashlete

00:42:22 - The Truth About Junk Volume

00:46:06 - Top 3 DM Questions Dylan Gets Every Day

00:48:02 - Lifetime Lift Goals & Top 3 Exercises

00:50:51 - How to Build a Freakishly Big Bench Press

00:52:08 - Dylan's Foolproof Content Strategy

00:55:11 - The WWE Slides Into Dylan's DMs

01:00:16 - From Self-Doubt to Self-Belief

01:06:01 - Overrated vs. Underrated in Athletic Performance

01:08:48 - The #1 Piece of Advice for Coaches Who Want to Create Content

#DylanShannon #PowerJacked #CoachEmUpPodcast #StrengthCoach, #FitnessPodcast #AthleteTraining #BenchPress #TRT #ContentCreation

Check out Joe on socials! @pedullaperformance

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Oklahoma University strength coach Joe Pedulla is back on Coach 'Em Up, and he's not holding back. He digs into VBT, identity-based branding, in-season periodization, and why your athletes might be getting slower because of how you're training them. Plus Joe drops some of the most quotable lines in Coach Em Up history.

He opens up about coaching female athletes at OU and how it completely reshaped his character — patience, temperance, the whole deal. He also breaks down why personal brands that win aren't selling information — they're selling identity, feeling, and community. If you coach and you're trying to build something online, this section alone is worth the full episode.

On the training side, Joe goes deep on Velocity-Based Training. He explains the difference between effort and exertion, breaks down minimal voluntary thresholds for squats, bench, deadlifts, and more, and explains exactly why letting your athletes train at high exertion levels converts fast-twitch Type 2X fibers to Type 2A. He also covers his king metrics — Propulsive Net Impulse and Peak Relative Propulsive Power — and why usable strength is the only strength that matters.

Throw in Daily Undulating Periodization for in-season, a critique of program hopping, audience Q&A, and a hilarious urinal story involving Joe Girardi, and we've got a great episode on our hands!

Produced by

Q6 Media

https://q6.media

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:30 - Coaching Female Athletes & Life Transitions

00:07:33 - Personal Brands Sell Identity, Not Information

00:12:13 - Time Management, Capacity & Business Systems

00:19:33 - Mentorship & Belief Systems

00:25:44 - Evaluating New Training Methods & Volume Load

00:30:47 - Velocity-Based Training

00:39:03 - Velocity Loss & Fast-Twitch Fiber Conversion

00:43:36 - In-Season Training & Daily Undulating Periodization

00:50:08 - Usable Strength & King Metrics

00:53:10 - Stop Program Hopping

01:00:40 - Q&A: Dictator Mode, Social Media & Elbow Issues

01:04:09 - Pro vs. College Coaching & Building an Online Brand

01:09:02 - Faith, Introspection & Business Foundations

01:11:07 - The Coach's Frame

01:14:15 - What's Next for Joe Pedulla

01:17:36 - Three Things, Rant & Rave

01:24:53 - Resisted Sprints & Submax Training

01:28:12 - Urinal Advice

#CoachEmUp #StrengthCoach #VelocityBasedTraining #JoePadulla #StrengthAndConditioning #AthleticPerformance #SportScience #OnlineCoaching #PodcastForCoaches #Podcast

Check out the boys on socials! @timrileytraining @zack_zillner

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Tim Riley and Zack Zillner take the Coach 'Em Up Podcast live at their second annual conference, fielding real-time audience questions with moderator Tatum Brandt. Topics include building gym culture, online coaching transitions, in-season vs. off-season programming, managing bad training days, and the early mentors who literally changed their lives. Oh, and someone got Rhabdo...

Recorded live at the Coach 'Em Up Conference, this episode is part Q&A, part therapy session, and part cautionary tale about running Pat Davidson's MASS program in August heat. Tim and Zack break down what separates elite strength coaches from general population trainers, why your clients are buying YOU and not your program, and how a single conversation mid-session can flip an athlete's entire week. Tim gets real about a mentor who refused to give up on him in high school while Zack talks about getting thrown into the fire at Kansas under Andrea Hudy.. If you coach, train, or are building something in the fitness space, this one's for you!

Produced by

Q6 Media

https://q6.media

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:07 - Best Meals in Austin

00:03:58 - Strength Coaches vs. Gen Pop Trainers

00:10:05 - In-Season vs. Off-Season Training

00:12:50 - Managing Clients on Bad Days

00:19:24 - Growing an Online Training Product

00:22:46 - Building A Gym Culture

00:27:55 - Transitioning from In-Person to Online Coaching

00:32:24 - What Tim and Zack Learned from Each Other

00:35:00 - Humility & Open-Mindedness

00:40:09 - Launching in Underserved Markets

00:44:36 - Rhabdo Horror Stories

00:51:11 - Biggest Coaching Impact

#CoachEmUpPodcast #StrengthCoaching #AthleticPerformance #OnlineCoaching #GymCulture #TimRiley #ZackZillner #FitnessPodcast #StrengthAndConditioning #Podcast #Livepodcast

Check out the gang on socials! @kellylmatthews @Blainemcconnell @alecblenis

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The Coach 'Em Up Podcast is officially in the new Austin studio — and Tim Riley, Kelly Matthews, Blaine McConnell, and Alec Blenis are breaking it in! This Legendary Q&A roundtable hits GLP-1s, bench press programming, hybrid athlete plyometrics, sprinting, mobility training, and the most jaw-dropping athletic feats they've ever witnessed in person, plus plenty of great stories including Blaine's million dollar ice skating horses and Tim's world record sunburn. Stay tuned for major Apex expansion announcements and a sneak peak at THIS gym's grand opening party!

Produced by

Q6 Media

https://q6.media

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:34 - THIS Gym Grand Opening

00:06:13 - Are GLP-1s Cheating?

00:16:04 - Mobility & Flexibility Through Strength Training

00:21:27 - Women's Bench Press tips

00:26:08 - Adding Plyometrics & Sprinting to Hybrid Programs

00:36:11 - Coaching Gen Pop Clients to Sprint & Jump Safely

00:42:36 - What Does "Train Like an Athlete" Actually Mean?

00:51:27 - Most Jaw-Dropping Athletic Feats Witnessed in Person

01:01:01 - Sprinters Are Born, Endurance Athletes Are Made

01:03:49 - Overvalued vs. Undervalued Training Concepts

01:12:22 - How to Get Training in as a Coach

01:18:39 - Best & Worst Vacations

01:27:17 - Future Goals & Apex Announcements

#CoachEmUp #PerformanceTraining #StrengthCoaching #GLP1 #HybridAthlete #SprintTraining #Plyometrics #FitnessPodcast #TrainLikeAnAthlete #ApexCompete

Check out Kelly on socials!  @kellylmatthews 

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Tim Riley sits down with his partner and fitness creator Kelly Matthews for a wide-ranging episode covering the influencer economy, public fatphobia, GLP-1 culture, coaching careers, and what it's like living with an unmedicated Tim. Highlights include building a mutant female athlete, Kelly's animal rescues, and an honest breakdown of the hamster wheel that is content creation. They unpack why Gen Z wants to be influencers, Kelly's international travels for Oner Active campaign shoots, disordered eating, and why peptides are overrated. This is a can't miss episode!

Produced by

Q6 Media

https://q6.media

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:19 - Kelly's Year in Review

00:07:05 - Why Gen Z Wants to Be Influencers

00:11:17 - Fatphobia, GLP-1s & Rage-Bait Creators

00:17:18 - Clapping Back at Toxic Creators & Parasitic Content

00:28:29 - Training for the Apex Competition

00:33:50 - How to Start a Coaching Career

00:45:33 - Youth Athletes, Living with Tim's ADHD & The Frankenstein Athlete

01:00:44 - The TKO Program, a Sports Tea Podcast & Healing Your Food Relationship

01:23:54 - Kelly's Animal Farm Dreams & Fitness vs. Athleticism

01:33:59 - The Real Mental Toll of Being a Fitness Influencer

01:36:53 - Overrated vs. Underrated, Peptides, & Tattoo Advice

#CoachEmUpPodcast #KellyMatthews #FitnessInfluencer #GLP1 #WomenWhoLift #FatphobiaTalk #FitnessCoaching #ApexCompetition #FitnessPodcast #Eleiko

Check out Josh on socials! @gillamfitness

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Tim Riley sits down with Josh Gillum, a former gymnast, collegiate linebacker, and Master of Dietetics student, to dismantle the biggest myths in sports nutrition. They cover the overblown electrolyte supplement industry, why low-carb diets fail high-intensity athletes, and the brain-saving science of creatine after concussions. Plus, Josh breaks down the viral content strategy behind 660K followers and why embarrassment might be your most underutilized growth tool.

On this episode, Josh explains why gymnastics is the most underrated foundational sport for injury prevention, how sodium-heavy electrolyte packets can wreck your gut and spike your blood pressure, and why the fitness world's obsession with protein is actively sabotaging athletic performance by crowding out carbohydrates.

They also dig into: why processed foods aren't the enemy for high-calorie athletes, the predatory marketing behind pink "female-specific" supplements, carbohydrate timing windows that actually matter, and how Josh built his content empire using a lab coat, a stylus, and a deliberately dumbed-down voice.

Produced by

Q6 Media

https://q6.media

Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:03:09 - Josh's Athletic & Academic Background

00:05:43 - Gymnastics, Football & Injury Prevention

00:09:14 - Food Additive Safety Myths

00:11:09 - Electrolyte Supplements Are Bad

00:18:33 - Sweat Rates, Potassium & Magnesium Deficiencies

00:29:18 - Protein vs. Carbs: What Athletes Actually Need

00:36:29 - Why Carnivore & Keto Fail High-Intensity Athletes

00:43:59 - Strategic Use of Processed Foods for Performance

00:53:32 - Creatine & Concussion Prevention Science

01:15:16 - The Strategy Behind Josh's Viral Content

01:22:55 - Embracing Embarrassment to Grow

01:27:34 - 3 Steps to Upgrade Your Sports Nutrition

01:29:20 - Electrolytes vs. Fiber & Creatine

01:33:46 - Philanthropy in Haiti

01:36:25 - Overrated vs. Underrated Nutrition

01:40:00 - Unsolicited Advice

#CoachEmUpPodcast #GillumFitness #SportsNutrition #CreatineScience #AthleteNutrition #ElectrolyteMyths #PerformanceNutrition #CarbsForAthletes #ConcussionRecovery #Podcast