Only The Strong Survive

I don't know about you but powerlifting has taught me more that I could learn on my own. From goal setting to coaching others to overcoming set backs, powerlifting teaches many life lessons that are generalized to all aspects of a persons life. At some point it is time to give back to the sport that we all love. But how do we do this? Coach Michael DeStefano and Jennifer DeStefano discuss ways to give back to the sport and help to continue to push the ethical growth of the sport in the right direction.

A competitive athlete may dedicate a lot of time and intent toward their goals, but this does not mean they do it alone. In this episode Jennifer DeStefano and Mike DeStefano discuss some of the difficulties of supporting a competitive athlete as well as some tips to help the process be much more smooth and manageable for everyone involved. 

In this episode Coaches Michael DeStefano and Dalton McIntire discuss adapting to changes inside and outside of the gym. With the recent move to Texas for Dalton, he shares he's experiences and how he has changed his routine to meet those changes. The Coaches also discuss how to overcome temporary changes like training during travel. This is followed by a brief recap of recent meets for each Coach and the recent removal of USAPL from the IPF. 

On this episode of Only The Strong Survive Podcast, Mike and Dalton discuss the effects of external stressors on the body. This includes physical and mental stress. How can we utilize progressive stress in not only powerlifting, but also day to day life to hit our goals whether it is strength, financial, retirement, etc. Also discussed is methods on reducing negative stress through the use of planning and management. Of course, as always, we go off topic... A lot. 

You've trained months for this day, you get one shot, 9 lifts to perform at peak capacity...Don't screw it up! In this episode we discuss de-load, weight cuts, warm-ups, attempt selection, judging, common mistakes, and our own personal experiences. 

You can't be your absolute strongest and have your best endurance at the same time. There is give and take any time you combine two sports or training modalities at the same time. But what if you are a tactical athlete like a firefighter, police officer, or soldier? We discuss the best routes to take in order to stay at peak condition for your job while training for competitive powerlifting. 

Recovery is a huge factor in strength performance but one that is rarely thought about or taught. There are five pillars of recovery: stretching, hydration, nutrition, sleep, and performance recovery. We discuss all of these topics in the episode of "Only The Strong Survive" Podcast. 

We have all heard the myths about youth strength training. Things like it will stunt your growth or it will lead to injury ring through your ears. The reality is that strength training when programmed properly and with proper form taught, leads to stronger better performing athletes in what ever sport they practice. Additionally, strength training itself leads to a higher level of confidence in life which creates better leaders. We interview a youth competitive cheerleader as well as a teenage club volleyball player. 

In this episode we discuss leadership, confidence, mentoring, and the effects it has on our personal growth. You can be confident and not have success, but you cannot have success without being confident. How do we build that confidence? Through goal setting and the mentoring process. 

Every strength athlete starts somewhere. Typically it is a transition from group fitness or bodybuilding that leads the person to powerlifting. Coaches Michael DeStefano and Dalton McIntire discuss tips for the new powerlifter as well as info they would have like to have known when they began.