Decoding Excellence

In this Cardio Talks episode of The Decoding Excellence Show, I’m breaking down one of the most overlooked threats to athlete recovery: late-night screen time and blue light exposure.

Whether you're a performance coach, sport scientist, or former athlete trying to stay sharp—this conversation cuts into the heart of why your HRV, deep sleep, and overall recovery metrics might be lagging.

We're talking science-backed disruptions to circadian rhythms, CNS fatigue, and why your phone might be robbing you of the restorative sleep your body needs to train hard and bounce back.

I cover:

• How blue light delays melatonin and pushes deep sleep into shallower phases
• The real reason HRV stays depressed after nights with poor sleep hygiene
• What does and doesn’t work—f.lux, Night Shift mode, and screen filters
• My personal stack: Roka x Huberman Wind Down Glasses, Portal (Magnesium Glycinate, L-Theanine, Glycine, Apigenin), and red light environments
• Why a "power-down routine" can be the difference between winning and flatlining in comp season
• What WHOOP & Oura data really say about sleep disruption

This isn’t a fluffy lifestyle chat. It’s a tactical, field-tested conversation based on what I see working with elite athletes at Colorado and remote pros who need every recovery edge they can get.

If your deep sleep scores are low, or you’re feeling like your readiness just isn’t rebounding after tough training days—this episode might be your blueprint for fixing it.

👟 Recorded while walking and reflecting—raw, unfiltered, and straight from the trenches.

Whether you’re on your own walk, stuck in traffic, or setting up the gym—this is your behind-the-scenes peek into how I think, plan, and process high performance. Listen in. Take notes. Let’s get better.

🎯 Additionally, I share details about the Former Athlete Society—my private community built exclusively for former college athletes who want to level up their fitness, training, and recovery.

Inside, you'll get:

✅ A community discussion board to connect & share wins

✅ A full classroom with education modules on training & performance

✅ A leaderboard to reward engagement & consistency

✅ A calendar for live coaching calls & Q&A sessions

🔥 Join the Former Athlete Society here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://adamringler.com/formerathlete⁠⁠

📬 If you haven't already, head over to ⁠⁠⁠⁠AdamRingler.com/Newsletter⁠⁠ and sign up for my weekly newsletter.

It’s a weekly drop for the curious—packed with the best articles I’ve read, the things I’m exploring, and ideas I’m chewing on. Think of it as your curated dose of performance, mindset, and experimentation.

💬 Let’s connect! If anything in this episode resonated with you, reach out and engage with me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠@AdamRingler⁠⁠ on social.

🎧 Thanks again for listening to the Decoding Excellence Show! If you’ve taken anything away from today’s episode, please take a minute to leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review on iTunes or wherever you tune in. It helps more than you know and supports this growing Sport Science and High-Performance Coaching resource.

In this special “Cardio Chats” edition of the Decoding Excellence Show, I’m hitting record during one of my Zone 2 ruck walks—raw, unfiltered, and straight from the heart.

No fancy studio. No edits. Just the real thoughts running through my head while I’m moving my body and reflecting on the work we do in Strength and Conditioning, Sports Science, and High Performance Coaching.

This isn’t scripted. It’s not polished. It’s just me sharing what’s top-of-mind—from training insights and performance frameworks to lessons I’m learning, testing, and integrating in real time.

If you're a coach, practitioner, or just someone who’s chasing improvement, these walks are for you. Think of it like grabbing a coffee with a colleague, except I’m breathing heavier and carrying weight on my back.

Whether you’re on your own walk, stuck in traffic, or setting up the gym—this is your behind-the-scenes peek into how I think, plan, and process high performance.

Whether you're in the gym, on a walk, or commuting—this is your reset button. Listen in. Take notes. Let’s get better.

🎯 Additionally, I share details about the Former Athlete Society—my private community built exclusively for former college athletes who want to level up their fitness, training, and recovery.

Inside, you'll get:
✅ A community discussion board to connect & share wins
✅ A full classroom with education modules on training & performance
✅ A leaderboard to reward engagement & consistency
✅ A calendar for live coaching calls & Q&A sessions

🔥 Join the Former Athlete Society here:
⁠⁠⁠https://adamringler.com/formerathlete⁠

📬 If you haven't already, head over to ⁠⁠⁠AdamRingler.com/Newsletter⁠ and sign up for my weekly newsletter.

It’s a weekly drop for the curious—packed with the best articles I’ve read, the things I’m exploring, and ideas I’m chewing on. Think of it as your curated dose of performance, mindset, and experimentation.

💬 Let’s connect!
If anything in this episode resonated with you, reach out and engage with me at ⁠⁠⁠@AdamRingler⁠ on social.

🎧 Thanks again for listening to the Decoding Excellence Show!
If you’ve taken anything away from today’s episode, please take a minute to leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review on iTunes or wherever you tune in. It helps more than you know and supports this growing Sport Science and High-Performance Coaching resource.

In this episode of the Decoding Excellence Show, I’m sharing a solo Q&A I originally recorded for the Former Athlete Society. Whether you're freshly out of sport or years removed, this one cuts deep into what really matters: rebuilding discipline, identity, and structure after athletics.

I break down four of the most common (and crucial) questions I hear from former athletes navigating life after sport:

1. How do I stay motivated like I was in college?
   → The truth: motivation fades—systems stick. I explain how to build a personal structure that keeps you consistent.

2. How can I bring that game-day mindset to real life?
   → Simple: Sunday is your new game day. Learn how to plan your week like you used to prep for an opponent.

3. Why does my nutrition fall apart now?
   → You had structure before—training tables, team lifts, accountability. Here’s how to replicate that for real life.

4. I feel like I peaked in college. Now what?
   → That athlete? Still in you. I’ll show you how to reframe your identity as a competitive edge, not a memory.

Whether you're in the gym, on a walk, or commuting—this is your reset button. Listen in. Take notes. Let’s get better.

Additionally, I share details about the Former Athlete Society—my community designed for former college athletes looking to level up their fitness, training, and recovery. Don’t miss this value-packed episode!

If you haven't already, you can head over to ⁠⁠AdamRingler.com/Newsletter⁠⁠ and sign-up for my weekly newsletter. This is a newsletter for the curious. It's chalked full of interesting articles I've read through the week, things I'm exploring and finding fascinating through my week, and a collections of thought experiences and resources I've cultivated.

If any of the material resonates with you, I'd love for you engage with me at ⁠⁠@AdamRingler⁠⁠

Thanks again for listening to the Decoding Excellence Show! I appreciate all the support growing this Sport Science, Strength & Conditioning, and High-Performance Coaching resource. If you have taken anything away from the show, please login to iTunes and navigate to ⁠⁠Decoding Excellence⁠⁠ page and leave us a FIVE STAR ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review.

🔥Join the Former Athlete Society! 🔥I built a private community exclusively for former college athletes who want expert coaching, a competitive environment, and the structure they’ve been missing.

Inside, you'll get:

✅ A community discussion board to connect & share wins

✅ A full classroom with education modules on training & performance

✅ A leaderboard to reward engagement & consistency

✅ A calendar for live coaching calls & Q&A sessions

🔗 Join the Former Athlete Society Here

⁠⁠https://adamringler.com/formerathlete

If you found this helpful, don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more content on training, nutrition, and high-performance living!

In this episode of the Decoding Excellence Show, I'm sharing a handful of the things that have been grabbing my attention lately—from what I'm reading to what I'm watching, buying, doing, and listening to.

We’re talking about Dan John’s new book The ABCs (and Fs) of Strength Training and how Easy Strength changed my approach early in my coaching career. I’ll break down a recent Flagrant podcast episode with Pete Buttigieg, some new health tech I'm using to stay ahead of cardiovascular risk, my endless battle to perfect air-fried chicken for meal prepping (spoiler: it’s harder than it looks), and why I’m running back through the entire Run the Jewels discography right now.

It’s casual. It’s personal. It’s a quick window into the stuff that's fueling the fire behind the scenes.

Thanks for listening—let’s get into it.

Additionally, I share details about theFormer Athlete Society—our Skool community designed for former college athletes looking to level up their fitness, training, and recovery. Don’t miss this value-packed episode!

If you haven't already, you can head over to ⁠AdamRingler.com/Newsletter⁠ and sign-up for my weekly newsletter. This is a newsletter for the curious. It's chalked full of interesting articles I've read through the week, things I'm exploring and finding fascinating through my week, and a collections of thought experiences and resources I've cultivated.

If any of the material resonates with you, I'd love for you engage with me at ⁠@AdamRingler⁠

Thanks again for listening to the Decoding Excellence Show! I appreciate all the support growing this Sport Science, Strength & Conditioning, and High-Performance Coaching resource. If you have taken anything away from the show, please login to iTunes and navigate to ⁠Decoding Excellence⁠ page and leave us a FIVE STAR ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review.

🔥Join the Former Athlete Society! 🔥I built a private Skool community exclusively for former college athletes who want expert coaching, a competitive environment, and the structure they’ve been missing.

Inside, you'll get:

✅ A community discussion board to connect & share wins

✅ A full classroom with education modules on training & performance

✅ A leaderboard to reward engagement & consistency

✅ A calendar for live coaching calls & Q&A sessions

The first 10 members get in FREE! DM me "Skool" or click below to grab your spot before it becomes a paid membership:

🔗 Join the Former Athlete Society Here

⁠https://adamringler.com/skool⁠

If you found this helpful, don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more content on training, nutrition, and high-performance living!

Join Skool Today with 14 Days Free!

Ready to build, grow, and engage your own thriving online community? Skool makes it easy to organize your content, connect with your audience, and create a space where learning and collaboration thrive.

💥 Here’s the best part: when you sign up using my affiliate link, you’ll get 14 days absolutely free to explore everything Skool has to offer.

👉 Click below to start your free trial!

⁠https://www.skool.com/signup?ref=c911...⁠

With Skool, you can:

✅ Organize your courses, live sessions, and resources in one place.

✅ Foster meaningful discussions and build real connections.

✅ Track engagement and reward your most active members.

It’s everything you need to turn your ideas into a thriving community—and you can try it risk-free for 14 days. Don’t wait—click the link, sign up, and see why so many creators and coaches love Skool!

In this episode of theDecoding Excellence Show, I’m diving into the intricacies of workload monitoring and athlete preparation, particularly for basketball players. From managing training on the road to adapting workouts to fit within the constraints of a packed game schedule, I break down the strategies we’re using to keep athletes performing at their best.

Episode Highlights:

• The challenges of training basketball athletes on the road and maintaining consistency.
• How to adapt workouts while staying aligned with our overarching training framework.
• The importance of protein supplementation while traveling and its role in recovery and performance.
• Updates on how we're managing training cycles during a busy stretch back in Boulder, Colorado, with two-day game windows.
• A dedicated Q&A segment where I answer your strength and conditioning and sport science questions.

Additionally, I share details about theFormer Athlete Society—our Skool community designed for former college athletes looking to level up their fitness, training, and recovery. Don’t miss this value-packed episode!

If you haven't already, you can head over to AdamRingler.com/Newsletter and sign-up for my weekly newsletter. This is a newsletter for the curious. It's chalked full of interesting articles I've read through the week, things I'm exploring and finding fascinating through my week, and a collections of thought experiences and resources I've cultivated.

If any of the material resonates with you, I'd love for you engage with me at @AdamRingler

Thanks again for listening to the Decoding Excellence Show! I appreciate all the support growing this Sport Science, Strength & Conditioning, and High-Performance Coaching resource. If you have taken anything away from the show, please login to iTunes and navigate to Decoding Excellence page and leave us a FIVE STAR ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review.

🔥Join the Former Athlete Society! 🔥I built a private Skool community exclusively for former college athletes who want expert coaching, a competitive environment, and the structure they’ve been missing.

Inside, you'll get:

✅ A community discussion board to connect & share wins

✅ A full classroom with education modules on training & performance

✅ A leaderboard to reward engagement & consistency

✅ A calendar for live coaching calls & Q&A sessions

The first 10 members get in FREE! DM me "Skool" or click below to grab your spot before it becomes a paid membership:

🔗 Join the Former Athlete Society Here

https://adamringler.com/skool

If you found this helpful, don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more content on training, nutrition, and high-performance living!

Join Skool Today with 14 Days Free!

Ready to build, grow, and engage your own thriving online community? Skool makes it easy to organize your content, connect with your audience, and create a space where learning and collaboration thrive.

💥 Here’s the best part: when you sign up using my affiliate link, you’ll get 14 days absolutely free to explore everything Skool has to offer.

👉 Click below to start your free trial!

https://www.skool.com/signup?ref=c911...

With Skool, you can:

✅ Organize your courses, live sessions, and resources in one place.

✅ Foster meaningful discussions and build real connections.

✅ Track engagement and reward your most active members.

It’s everything you need to turn your ideas into a thriving community—and you can try it risk-free for 14 days. Don’t wait—click the link, sign up, and see why so many creators and coaches love Skool!

‌In this episode of the Decoding Excellence Show, I'm discussing the rapidly changing landscape of collegiate athletics. From NIL deals and the Transfer Portal to the monumental implications of the House v. NCAA settlement, I explore how these seismic shifts are impacting athletic departments across the nation.

As a reminder, our Random Shows shows are a quick 15-30 minute episode where I typically discuss current industry trends, research reads, current events, and occasionally offer my insights into the training process that we're undertaking each week.

During this episode, I take a close look at how conference realignments are shaking up competition, focusing on the travel challenges faced by women’s basketball programs. With longer distances and more grueling schedules, how are teams managing the demands of the season?

Next, I share insights into the testing and monitoring strategies we use to optimize athlete performance. Specifically, I discuss the use of force plates for Countermovement Jump Testing and how workload monitoring plays a pivotal role in keeping players at their peak on the hardwood.

Finally, I pull back the curtain on The Former Athlete Society, the Skool community I’ve built to support former college athletes. I break down all the features, including:

💬 Community Discussion Board:

Connect with like-minded former athletes.

📚 Education & Modules:

Level up your fitness, nutrition, and mindset.

🏆 Leaderboard & Rewards:

Earn points for participation and unlock perks!

👥 1-on-1 Access:

Get personalized support when you need it.

📖 Monthly Masterclass:

Dive deep into game-changing topics.

This episode is packed with actionable insights, behind-the-scenes strategies, and a firsthand look at how we’re supporting athletes in a world that’s constantly evolving.

Whether you’re a coach, athlete, or just passionate about collegiate sports, this episode is a must-listen!

As always, thank you for supporting The Decoding Excellence Show!

In addition to those social mediums, you can head over to ⁠AdamRingler.com/Newsletter⁠ and sign-up for my weekly newsletter. This is a newsletter for the curious. It's chalked full of interesting articles I've read through the week, things I'm exploring and finding fascinating through my week, and a collections of thought experiences and resources I've cultivated. It's essentially a Birchbox for performance-related articles and musings.

If you are looking to help grow and support the Decoding Excellence show, navigate over to ⁠Buy Me a Coffee⁠. Buy Me A Coffee is a an easy & fun way to support the show. For the price of a caffè macchiato ☕ you can support the show and help us maintain the quality of the content. One hundred percent of the contributions go directly to supporting the hosting fees associated with operating this podcast.

If any of the material resonates with you, I'd love for you engage with me at ⁠@AdamRingler⁠

Thanks again for listening to the Decoding Excellence Show! I appreciate all the support growing this Sport Science, Strength & Conditioning, and High-Performance Coaching resource. If you have taken anything away from the show, please login to iTunes and navigate to ⁠Decoding Excellence⁠ page and leave us a FIVE STAR ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review.

Former college athletes, this one’s for you. If you’ve felt the void left by the end of your athletic career and want to reconnect with the discipline, drive, and sense of community that shaped your success, The Former Athlete Society is your next team. With resources designed to help you reclaim your edge and thrive in life beyond sports, it’s time to take the next step.

Check it out here! 👇

https://adamringler.com/skool

Episode Description:

Episode Highlights:

Quick Reminder:

Support and Connect:

Closing:

Leave a Review:

In this episode of the Decoding Excellence Show, I'm discussing my recent article 10 Hard Truths for Coaching in the World of Athletics. This was an article I wrote off the backend of several conversations with young strength and conditioning interns. This show narrates the article while adding some author commentary.

As a reminder, our Random Shows shows are a quick 30 minute episode where I typically discuss current industry trends, research reads, current events, and occasionally offer my insights into the training process that we're undertaking each week. I believe with conviction, you'll take away something interesting from this show and I hope it delivers you a little bit of value in your day.

As always, thank you for supporting The Decoding Excellence Show!

In addition to those social mediums, you can head over to ⁠AdamRingler.com/Newsletter⁠ and sign-up for my weekly newsletter. This is a newsletter for the curious.

It's chalked full of interesting articles I've read through the week, things I'm exploring and finding fascinating through my week, and a collections of thought experiences and resources I've cultivated.

If you are looking to help grow and support the Decoding Excellence show, navigate over to ⁠Buy Me a Coffee⁠. Buy Me A Coffee is a an easy & fun way to support the show. For the price of a Latte ☕ you can support the show and help us maintain the quality of the content. One hundred percent of the contributions go directly to supporting the hosting fees associated with operating this podcast.

If any of the material resonates with you, I'd love for you engage with me at ⁠@AdamRingler⁠

Thanks again for listening to the Decoding Excellence Show! I appreciate all the support growing this Sport Science, Strength & Conditioning, and High-Performance Coaching resource.

If you have taken anything away from the show, please login to iTunes and navigate to ⁠Decoding Excellence⁠ page and leave us a review.

In this episode of the Decoding Excellence Show, I'm discussing how we utilize Workload Monitoring across our basketball performance. We discuss weekly periodization models, basketball-specific movement metrics, acceleration vs. deceleration loads, and how you can take principles of wearable workload monitoring for basketball and apply it to your environment.

If you've been interested in utilizing workload monitoring strategies in your competitive practice environments, this is the episode for you!

As a reminder, our Random Shows shows are a quick 30 minute episode where I typically discuss current industry trends, research reads, current events, and occasionally offer my insights into the training process that we're undertaking each week. I believe with conviction, you'll take away something interesting from this show and I hope it delivers you a little bit of value in your day.

As always, thank you for supporting The Decoding Excellence Show!

In addition to those social mediums, you can head over to AdamRingler.com/Newsletter and sign-up for my weekly newsletter. This is a newsletter for the curious. It's chalked full of interesting articles I've read through the week, things I'm exploring and finding fascinating through my week, and a collections of thought experiences and resources I've cultivated. It's essentially a Birchbox for performance-related articles and musings.

If you are looking to help grow and support the Decoding Excellence show, navigate over to Buy Me a Coffee. Buy Me A Coffee is a an easy & fun way to support the show. For the price of a Grande Latte ☕ you can support the show and help us maintain the quality of the content. One hundred percent of the contributions go directly to supporting the hosting fees associated with operating this podcast.

If any of the material resonates with you, I'd love for you engage with me at @AdamRingler

Thanks again for listening to the Decoding Excellence Show! I appreciate all the support growing this Sport Science, Strength & Conditioning, and High-Performance Coaching resource. If you have taken anything away from the show, please login to iTunes and navigate to Decoding Excellence page and leave us a review.

In this episode of the Decoding Excellence Show, I'm discussing how we utilize Isometric Training across our performance benchmarking & testing, strength and conditioning programming, and several of the technologies we use to collect this information. If you've been interested in utilizing isometric testing in your pre-participation athlete profiling or sports performance training, this is the episode for you! 

As a reminder, our Random Shows shows are a quick 30 minute episode where I typically discuss current industry trends, research reads, current events, and occasionally offer my insights into the training process that we're undertaking each week. I believe with conviction, you'll take away something interesting from this show and I hope it delivers you a little bit of value in your day.

As always, thank you for supporting The Decoding Excellence Show!

In addition to those social mediums, you can head over to AdamRingler.com/Newsletter and sign-up for my weekly newsletter. This is a newsletter for the curious. It's chalked full of interesting articles I've read through the week, things I'm exploring and finding fascinating through my week, and a collections of thought experiences and resources I've cultivated. It's essentially a Birchbox for performance-related articles and musings.

If you are looking to help grow and support the Decoding Excellence show, navigate over to Buy Me a Coffee. Buy Me A Coffee is a an easy & fun way to support the show. For the price of a Grande Latte ☕ you can support the show and help us maintain the quality of the content. One hundred percent of the contributions go directly to supporting the hosting fees associated with operating this podcast.

If any of the material resonates with you, I'd love for you engage with me at @AdamRingler

Thanks again for listening to the Decoding Excellence Show! I appreciate all the support growing this Sport Science, Strength & Conditioning, and High-Performance Coaching resource. If you have taken anything away from the show, please login to iTunes and navigate to Decoding Excellence page and leave us a review.