Michael Fahey is a filmmaker and strength coach behind the "Westside Barbell vs The World" documentary. We get into Westside myth vs reality, his coaching biz and OVR, and the ruthless mindset that actually builds a winning training culture—no fluff, just what works.

This episode is Sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TeamBuildr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠:

Coaches, revolutionise your training programs with their cutting-edge platform. Create and customised workouts, track progress, communicate effortlessly, and analyse performance data-all in one place. Take advantage of our 30-day free trial and see how TeamBuildr can elevate your team's performance.

Head over to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.teambuildr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code "PACHALKUP" for your 30-day free trial.

⁠⁠Apex Cool Labs ⁠⁠has joined us as a sponsor, here is a little more about them:

The Apex Cool Labs Narwhals give you a powerful edge by accelerating recovery and delaying fatigue during training and competition. By cooling the body through the palms—one of the most effective places to remove heat—the Narwhals help maintain performance longer, allowing you to add extra volume to lifts and intervals, and prolonging stamina during games. The Narwhals can be found in weight rooms and on sidelines in all major sports including football/soccer, basketball, hockey, volleyball, and beyond. 

To find out how you could get your hands on the Narwhals, please follow visit Apex Cool Labs on the link below.

⁠⁠www.apexcoollabs.com⁠⁠

Manny' Social:

Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@_coachmanny_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Enquiries:

[email protected]

Website:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠primitiveathletix.com

Thomas Newman is back on the podcast — and this time, he’s doing it all under his own banner. Now working independently through Newman HP, Thomas brings even more clarity, edge, and impact to the performance world.

In this episode, we dive into what’s changed, what’s stayed true, and what it really means to coach athletes at the highest level. From elite-level programming decisions to managing athlete readiness with purpose, Thomas shares raw, unfiltered takes that challenge the norms of the industry.

If you’re a coach, you’ll walk away with:

• A better understanding of performance under pressure

• Tools to navigate real-life innovations in the field

• Why being a flexible is key for athlete development

This episode is Sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TeamBuildr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠:

Coaches, revolutionise your training programs with their cutting-edge platform. Create and customised workouts, track progress, communicate effortlessly, and analyse performance data-all in one place. Take advantage of our 30-day free trial and see how TeamBuildr can elevate your team's performance.

Head over to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.teambuildr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code "PACHALKUP" for your 30-day free trial.

⁠Apex Cool Labs ⁠has joined us as a sponsor, here is a little more about them:

The Apex Cool Labs Narwhals give you a powerful edge by accelerating recovery and delaying fatigue during training and competition. By cooling the body through the palms—one of the most effective places to remove heat—the Narwhals help maintain performance longer, allowing you to add extra volume to lifts and intervals, and prolonging stamina during games. The Narwhals can be found in weight rooms and on sidelines in all major sports including football/soccer, basketball, hockey, volleyball, and beyond. 

To find out how you could get your hands on the Narwhals, please follow visit Apex Cool Labs on the link below.

⁠www.apexcoollabs.com⁠

Manny' Social:

Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@_coachmanny_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Enquiries:

[email protected]

Website:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠primitiveathletix.com

Episode 100 – The Best of PA Chalk Up (100 Episodes Strong)

100 episodes. A hundred conversations that have shaped how we look at strength & conditioning, sport science, and what it actually means to coach athletes.

To celebrate, we’ve pulled together 10 of the most powerful moments from past guests—raw, unfiltered insights that stick with you long after the mic is off:

• ​Ron McKeefery – Building confidence in coaches.
• ​Mike Boyle – Sport science integration in the industry and building confidence in all lifts.
• ​Dane Miller – Do hard lifts; they’re not hard to teach.
• ​Paul Comfort – The importance of conditioning in sport.
• ​Joey Guarascio – Building preparation for practice.
• ​Bert Sorin – The Open Door Theory.
• ​Sean Swetnam – No excuses on performance standards.
• ​AJ Middleton – Taking athletes to the deep end.
• ​Thomas Newman – Myths of periodisation.
• ​Ray Zingler – It’s okay to not hit 100% all the time.

This one’s a throwback highlight reel. Ten clips. Ten lessons. Ten reminders of why we started this podcast in the first place.

This episode is Sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TeamBuildr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠:

Coaches, revolutionise your training programs with their cutting-edge platform. Create and customised workouts, track progress, communicate effortlessly, and analyse performance data-all in one place. Take advantage of our 30-day free trial and see how TeamBuildr can elevate your team's performance.

Head over to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.teambuildr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code "PACHALKUP" for your 30-day free trial.

Apex Cool Labs has joined us as a sponsor, here is a little more about them:

The Apex Cool Labs Narwhals give you a powerful edge by accelerating recovery and delaying fatigue during training and competition. By cooling the body through the palms—one of the most effective places to remove heat—the Narwhals help maintain performance longer, allowing you to add extra volume to lifts and intervals, and prolonging stamina during games. The Narwhals can be found in weight rooms and on sidelines in all major sports including football/soccer, basketball, hockey, volleyball, and beyond. 

To find out how you could get your hands on the Narwhals, please follow visit Apex Cool Labs on the link below.

www.apexcoollabs.com

Manny' Social:

Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@_coachmanny_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Enquiries:

[email protected]

Website:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠primitiveathletix.com

Blair Lloyd, Strength and Conditioning Coach and Director of Training at Pure Performance, works with athletes across various disciplines, bringing a data-driven approach to her programs. Blair places a strong emphasis on athlete metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to guide her training.

This episode is Sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TeamBuildr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠:

Coaches, revolutionise your training programs with their cutting-edge platform. Create and customised workouts, track progress, communicate effortlessly, and analyse performance data-all in one place. Take advantage of our 30-day free trial and see how TeamBuildr can elevate your team's performance.

Head over to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.teambuildr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code "PACHALKUP" for your 30-day free trial.

Blair' Socials:

Instagram - ⁠@builtforthissportsperformance⁠⁠⁠⁠

Manny' Social:

Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@_coachmanny_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Enquiries:

[email protected]

Website:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠primitiveathletix.com

Renowned strength and conditioning coach Aaron Uzzell, this podcast dives deep into the world of athletic development, human performance, and the mindset required to push beyond limits.

Whether you're an athlete, coach, or fitness enthusiast, each episode delivers practical insights, training philosophies, and real-world experiences designed to help you train smarter, move better, and perform at your peak. From elite-level programming and recovery strategies to candid conversations with top athletes and coaches, Aaron brings both expertise and authenticity to every episode.

This episode is Sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TeamBuildr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠:

Coaches, revolutionise your training programs with their cutting-edge platform. Create and customised workouts, track progress, communicate effortlessly, and analyse performance data-all in one place. Take advantage of our 30-day free trial and see how TeamBuildr can elevate your team's performance.

Head over to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.teambuildr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code "PACHALKUP" for your 30-day free trial.

Coach Uzzell:

Instagram -

Manny Silveira:

Instagram -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@_coachmanny_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Enquiries:

[email protected]

Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.primitiveathletix.com

AJ Middleton is the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach at Seattle Prep High School, but to me, he’s much more than just a title. I first met AJ during our time at the University of Washington, where he was not only a coach but also the driving force behind the internship program. It was in that setting that I had the privilege to learn directly under his guidance.

AJ shaped a huge part of my coaching foundation. His mentorship went beyond just sets and reps—he taught me how to think critically, communicate effectively, and lead with intent. A lot of how I approach coaching today—my systems, standards, and even the way I handle athlete development—can be traced back to what I learned from AJ in those early days.

Having him on the podcast was not only a full-circle moment, but a reminder of how impactful great mentorship can be. If you’re a young coach looking to learn from someone who genuinely invests in people, AJ’s someone you want in your corner.

This episode is Sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TeamBuildr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠:

Coaches, revolutionise your training programs with their cutting-edge platform. Create and customised workouts, track progress, communicate effortlessly, and analyse performance data-all in one place. Take advantage of our 30-day free trial and see how TeamBuildr can elevate your team's performance.

Head over to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.teambuildr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code "PACHALKUP" for your 30-day free trial.

Coach AJ:

Instagram - @coach_aj_middleton

Manny Silveira:

Instagram -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@_coachmanny_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Enquiries:

[email protected]

Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.primitiveathletix.com

Today we are joined by Sven Herzog who is a German performance coach currently working with FSV Mainz 05, a club in the Bundesliga, Germany's top football league. Sven has also engaged in innovative collaborations with technologies such as Moxy, which involves Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) to measure muscle oxygenation during training. This approach provides real-time insights into player fatigue and internal training load, helping refine individualized fitness and conditioning strategiesSven take on:

"How MOXY can be used in football and what it can do for athletes performance"

If you want to check out Moxy and what they are selling, Moxy have offered all listeners a 5% discount to all orders! Check out Moxy and use code: PACHALKUP for 5%.

Manny's Social:

⁠⁠@_coachmanny_⁠⁠

Enquiries:

[email protected]

Website:

⁠⁠⁠⁠primitiveathletix.com

Olivia Abdoo, sports medicine expert at the UFC Performance Institute, joins us to break down the brand new concussion protocol created to help UFC fighters return to sport both safely and efficiently.

We explore:

✅ How the UFC PI built a system rooted in athlete safety and performance

✅ The blend of neuroscience, cognitive return-to-play benchmarks, and fight-specific demands

✅ How Olivia's experience shaped the framework for treating head trauma in combat sports

✅ Why the protocol goes beyond clearance and focuses on capacity to compete

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in high-stakes return-to-play strategy, brain health, and athlete-first performance systems.

This episode is Sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TeamBuildr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠:

Coaches, revolutionise your training programs with their cutting-edge platform. Create and customised workouts, track progress, communicate effortlessly, and analyse performance data-all in one place. Take advantage of our 30-day free trial and see how TeamBuildr can elevate your team's performance.

Head over to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.teambuildr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code "PACHALKUP" for your 30-day free trial.

Dr Olivia Abdoo:

Instagram - @oliveabdoo

Manny Silveira:

Instagram -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@_coachmanny_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Enquiries:

[email protected]

Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.primitiveathletix.com

In this episode, I sit down with Alex Beljic, a strength and conditioning coach at the University of Southern California working with women’s soccer, swimming, and diving.

We dive into:

• ​His core coaching principles and adaptive learning strategies
• ​Key programming considerations across multiple sports
• ​The internship process and lessons for emerging coaches

A valuable conversation for anyone looking to sharpen their coaching lens and build adaptable, sport-specific programs

This episode is Sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TeamBuildr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠:

Coaches, revolutionise your training programs with their cutting-edge platform. Create and customised workouts, track progress, communicate effortlessly, and analyse performance data-all in one place. Take advantage of our 30-day free trial and see how TeamBuildr can elevate your team's performance.

Head over to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.teambuildr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code "PACHALKUP" for your 30-day free trial.

Coach Alex:

Instagram - @beljone

Manny Silveira:

Instagram -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@_coachmanny_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Enquiries:

[email protected]

Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.primitiveathletix.com

In this episode, I sit down with Madison Peele, a strength and conditioning coach working with the Florida State University beach & indoor volleyball. We dive into:

• Building and sustaining a strong team culture

• Programming principles specific to volleyball

• Expanding and adapting the coaching toolbox

This one's all about staying open-minded, being adaptable, and finding the right approach for each moment. A great listen for any coach looking to evolve their practice.

This episode is Sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TeamBuildr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠:

Coaches, revolutionise your training programs with their cutting-edge platform. Create and customised workouts, track progress, communicate effortlessly, and analyse performance data-all in one place. Take advantage of our 30-day free trial and see how TeamBuildr can elevate your team's performance.

Head over to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.teambuildr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code "PACHALKUP" for your 30-day free trial.

Coach Peele:

Instagram - @madisoncpeele & @no_quarter_performance_llc

Manny Silveira:

Instagram -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠@_coachmanny_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Enquiries:

[email protected]

Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠www.primitiveathletix.com