Andrew Clayton is the founder of First Called Strength & Performance. First Called Strength & Performance is an online coaching and personal training service based in Jacksonville, FL. Clayton started First Called Strength and Performance on a mission to offer more than just run-of-the-mill coaching but change people’s lives through his God given gifts and ultimately help people to feel strong in all areas of life. Clayton has been a personal trainer since 2011 and online coach since 2013. Throughout his career he has trained and compete with some of the world’s top powerlifters and strongmen.

In addition to his experience as a coach, gym owner and consultant, Clayton is a former professional strongman, as well as strength and endurance athlete. He began competing in strongman in 2009 and grew in the sport and rankings earning his pro card as a professional strongman in both the 105kg and Open Divisions. Clayton boasts many accolades over the course of his competitive career including earning the title of 105kg World’s Strongest Man in 2017 and again in 2022 after a three year hiatus after a major knee injury. He podiumed every show as a Professional 105kg Strongman competing in all major shows. Has held numerous world and national strongman records as young as 19, was the U25 USAW Nationals 105kg+ runner up in 2017, and competed internationally as a strongman in both the Arnold Pro Circuit and Giants Live. If massive feats of strength weren’t enough, Clayton also competes as an endurance athlete where on the endurance side of things, he has run multiple half and full marathons (some less than 24 hours after a professional level strongman show). He has done sprint and Olympic distance triathlons, open water swims, a 62 mile ultramarathon while weighing close to 260 pounds, and broke the 24 hour ski erg record while competing adapted (no use of legs) in 2020. 

Samson Equipment
Samson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.

Cerberus Strength
Use Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.com

Sport Kilt
Use Code: TSG at SportKilt.com

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Chad Dunn is the Owner of Move Human Performance Center and Physical Therapy in addition to being a sports performance and exercise specialist specializing in catastrophic injury recovery. Based out of Chandler, AZ, Move Human Performance Center and Physical Therapy was founded in 2017 by Chad and his wife, Jackie. With local community ties, their goal was to help establish a local training and physical therapy clinic where everyone from the inured to the abled are able to reach their physical performance goals and make new goals. Move Human Performance Center offers up to date services and programs for physical therapy, sports medicine, and sports performance from athletes to spinal cord patients and everyone in between. Prior to opening the doors at MOVE, Dunn was an exercise specialist at Rehab Plus Physical therapy for over 20 years. 

In addition to his coaching and athlete development responsibilities, Dunn is an inspirational speaker and now author, with the recent release of his book, Mind Over Virtually Everything: 10 Codes to Transform Your Life. A book that shares the 10 codes that fueled his own transformation and now shape the culture at his Move Human Performance Center and Physical Therapy, where elite athletes train side by side with individuals learning to walk again. He also has been a youth counselor, mentor and life coach at Rehab Plus since 2008, working with athletes around the local area, keeping kids active and off the streets or in good homes, engaged in sports, and encouraging them to work hard no matter what life throws at them. 

A former BMX racer, skateboarder and extreme athlete, Dunn is active in and out of the weight room, making training more than just a workout, but a lifestyle! Chads hobbies include any extreme sport, playing with his English bulldog, watching people succeed, and hanging out with his wife Jackie and their three kids. 

Samson Equipment
Samson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.

Cerberus Strength
Use Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.com

Sport Kilt
Use Code: TSG at SportKilt.com

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Jeff Kryglik is a strength coach and personal trainer as well as founder of Deep Blue Training LLC, which offers personal training in person as well as online program, consultation and coaching. His mission is to teach the sport of strongman to the average gymgoer, prospective competitor and to simply make people better through unconventional methods. Kryglik began working as a local television producer, sports writer and reporter for multiple companies in the Maryland area, after earning his degree at Salisbury University. All while performing his main job at night, during the day he continued to stay involved in his own training before beginning to coach individual athletes during the day, and in 2016 got his first official job in the coaching world at FORZE XXIV Training Gym in White Marsh, MD in 2016 before later becoming an assistant coach at NEVERsate Athletics from 2017-2018. He continued to work with clients, athletes and other strongman competitors until stepping out on his own to coach full-time starting Deep Blue Training in 2023. 

Kryglik is a former outside linebacker for the Salisbury University football team. Since his time in college competing has concluded, he has traded training for the gridiron with training for strongman. Kryglik has been competing since 2015, having multiple National competition appearances in the middleweight division. He is the 2019 Maryland’s Strongest Man in the 200lb weight class and has competed at the Official Strongman Games in 2018 in the 90kg weight class as well as qualified for the Arnold XPC Deadlift Championships in 2021. When he is not training for an upcoming competition, he is an avid gamer or you can find him watching all sports.

Samson Equipment
Samson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.

Cerberus Strength
Use Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.com

Sport Kilt
Use Code: TSG at SportKilt.com

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Tommy LaBriola is an on-site Human Performance Specialist at O2X Human Performance training tactical athletes. Prior to working with O2X Human Performance in late 2024, LaBriola spent five years as a Minor League strength and conditioning coach with the Toronto Blue Jays. Most recently, he served as the head AAA strength coach and previously worked with the High-A team in Vancouver, British Columbia from 2019-2023. Prior to his time in professional baseball, LaBriola completed a graduate assistantship at Salisbury University from 2017-2019. He got his start coaching in the private sector at Parisi Speed School in 2016 and soon after interned as a sports performance coach at his alma mater, Salisbury University in 2017 before being promoted to a graduate assistant position. In addition, he has also held internship positions at the University of Pittsburgh in 2017 as well as Georgetown University in 2019.

A former four-year catcher at Salisbury University, LaBriola made the weight room a staple of his training throughout the season. As a member of the Seagull baseball team, LaBriola was the Conference Player of the Year in 2016 with a .413 batting average, hitting 4 home runs and 55 RBIs. He was a three-time Capital Athletic Conference Champion in 2014, 2016 and 2017, made two NCAA Regionals in 2016, and 2017, as well as two NCAA Division III World Series in 2014 and 2015. He continues to train and is active himself, enjoying spending time outdoors, listening to music, and playing the drums when he is not in the weight room.  

Cerberus Strength
Use Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.com

Samson Equipment
Samson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.

Sport Kilt
Use Code: TSG at SportKilt.com

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Ken Nowick is the owner and CEO of Cerberus Strength USA, the American brand of the Scottish company of the same name which strives to provide supportive equipment of the highest possible quality to not only high level athletes in strength sports but also the recreational athlete too. 

Attaining a master’s degree in chemical and process engineering, Nowicki not only shifted gears out of a career in oil but simultaneously emigrated from Scotland to the USA to begin a career in sports therapy in 2013. He interned at Teamwork Therapy & Sports Performance while attending school for a certificate in massage therapy at the Massage Therapy Institute of Colorado. While at Teamwork Therapy, he worked with an extensive range of patients from general public suffering from back pain, all the way to World’s Strongest Man winners in an attempt to avoid injury and maximize performance. Things shifted again in 2014 when the Cerberus Strength began releasing small batches of products in the USA. Since that time, Nowicki has been at the helm of Cerberus Strength USA and has seen the company continue to grow year upon year and gain large amounts of exposure within the strength community. 

In addition to managing the responsibilities of an owner and CEO of the company, Nowicki is a big presence in the strength sport and strongman community. He has been putting out content through Cerberus Strength in the form of educational articles and videos, as well hosting The Iron Edge Podcast.  

Nowicki has been involved with strongman and strength sports as a competitor since 2006 and has competed on some of the biggest stages in professional strongman. Over the course of his career he has traveled internationally, representing his home country within the sport, winning multiple titles and finishing on the podium at some of the biggest events in strongman, to include being crowned Scotland’s Strongest Man 4 times, 2011 UK’s Junior Strongest Man and UK’s Strongest Man runner-up, and finishing 7th at Amateur World Championships in 2012 amongst other accolades. He is still an avid lifter and enjoys snowboarding and hiking when he is not training in the weight room.  

Cerberus Strength
Use Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.com

Samson Equipment
Samson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.

Sport Kilt
Use Code: TSG at SportKilt.com

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Mike Colella is a Strength Coach and the Owner of Coach Mikes Dawg Pound. Colella established his coaching business and LLC in 2023 after training clients at Explosive Performance from 2018-2023 in Frederick, MD. Throughout his time working in the fitness industry as a personal trainer, group fitness instructor and strength coach he’s worked with athletes of all levels from youth to pro, competitive powerlifting and general population clients. In addition to his business and coaching role, Colella is an adjunct professor at Hood College. He began teaching in 2024 and currently teaches courses in Health and Wellness, Strength Training and Exercise Physiology, and Coaching Theory and Leadership. He is a former graduate assistant strength coach at Hood College from 2022-2024 where he earned his masters of business administration. Colella also garners experience as a strength and conditioning intern at UMBC in 2016 as well as being the director of youth and high school programs at Explosive Performance from 2021-2023.  

Colella is very active in training outside of his coaching and teaching responsibilities. Currently he is a competitive strongman athlete where he’s been competing since 2017.

Samson Equipment
Samson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.

Cerberus Strength
Use Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.com

Sport Kilt
Use Code: TSG at SportKilt.com

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Tim Kontos is the Associate AD for Sports Performance and Student-Athlete Wellness at Virginia Commonwealth University. Kontos is going into his 27th year at VCU. First arriving in 1998 as the head strength and conditioning coach, he became an assistant athletic director for sports performance and was again promoted to associate AD before his new title of associate AD for sports performance and student-athlete wellness. From August of 2018 to January of 2021 Kontos supervised the Sports Medicine, Sports Nutrition, Sport Psychology and Sports Performance departments. This was in addition to being responsible for the design, implementation and supervision of all strength, speed and agility programs for The Rams’ Baseball and Volleyball teams. He currently oversees the Volleyball program in addition to the Sports Performance department. Kontos got his coaching start at his alma mater, Radford University, where he spent two years serving as the strength and conditioning coach for the ice hockey team, prior to joining VCU. 

Kontos is a Master Strength & Conditioning Coach through the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association earning the highest honor in the profession in 2015. He is also the Head Coach and Owner of Kontos Strength which is an online platform that offers custom programming and coaching, including return from injury and competition prep. 

A firm believer in learning “under the bar” Kontos was a competitive powerlifter from 1994 until retiring due to injuries in 2023. His best lifting accomplishment? A competition best 600lb Squat in knee wraps at 198lbs. In his off time Kontos enjoys being outside with his wife, Laura, and kids Alex, Zane, and Moriah. 

Samson Equipment
Samson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.

Cerberus Strength
Use Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.com

Sport Kilt
Use Code: TSG at SportKilt.com

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Blair Vaughan is the Head Football Strength & Conditioning Coach at Sam Houston State University. Prior to his start with the Bearkats in 2025, Vaughan spent two season as the associate head strength coach at the University of Arizona. He arrived in Tuscon after spending 2020-2022 on the Army West Point strength and conditioning staff working with the Black Knights football team. Vaughan got his start as an intern football strength coach at his alma mater, Western Kentucky University in 2016 as well as interning with the football strength staff at Ohio State University in 2017. From there he served one season as an assistant strength coach at Robert Morris University in 2019. 

Vaughan had a very successful collegiate career himself. A 4-year letter winner for the Western Kentucky University football team. He was a part of WKU’s first AP Top 25 finish in 2015 being ranked 24th overall after a 12-2 season, won back-to-back C-USA titles in 2015 & 2016, and earned three straight bowl victories. Vaughan continues to stay active himself in the weight room and trains several days a week while balancing the rigors of the collegiate coaching schedule. He is an avid lifter and enjoys spending time with my wife and 15 month old son when he is not training in the weight room. 

Samson Equipment
Samson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.

Cerberus Strength
Use Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.com

Sport Kilt
Use Code: TSG at SportKilt.com

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Anthony Fuhrman is a Strength Coach, Athletic Trainer and Co-Founder of Strengthlete Collective. The Strengthlete Collective is an online community and training app that gives members access to strength sports-based fitness programs created by world-class athletes and coaches. In addition to working with strength sport athletes, strongman competitors and team sport athletes alike, from the high school level to pro level, Fuhrman is also a former Infantry Soldier. Enlisting in the U.S. Army in 2006, Fuhrman retired in 2022 as a Platoon Sergeant. At the tail end of his service in 2021, he earned his Master’s degree in Sports Administration and in spring 2025 earned his second Master’s degree in Athletic Training, to compliment his Bachelor’s degree in Sports and Health Science. 

In addition to his training programs on Strengthlete Collective and being featured on many strength sport and coaching podcast, he is a huge ambassador for the strongman community. He currently serves as a committee member on the NSCA Strongman SIG as well as owner, TV producer and commentator of Clash on the Coast hosted on ESPN from 2021-2023. 

Fuhrman is an extremely accomplished athlete competing in multiple strength sports over his career, while predominately competing nationally and internationally in the 105kg weight class as professional strongman. He is a two-time Middleweight World’s Strongest Man earning back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019. Fuhrman also appeared as a competitor on Season 1 of NBC’s Titan Games. He continues to train and remains very active in and out of the weight room.  

Samson Equipment
Samson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.

Cerberus Strength
Use Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.com

Sport Kilt
Use Code: TSG at SportKilt.com

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Justin Lima is a strength coach, high-performance consultant, as well as the president and CEO of Strength Coach Network. Lima has been at the helm of SCN since 2023, initially starting as a partner with the company from 2020-2022 and followed by serving as the general manager from 2022-2023. In addition, he is serves in dual coaching roles as the head strength and conditioning coach at Goldfinch Athletics as well as volunteer strength coach at Ankeny Centennial high school both since 2024. Prior to his current roles, Lima spent his career in the college setting. First starting as an assistant football coach at his alma mater, Bridgewater State University from 2009-2010 he secured his first strength and conditioning coach position in 2011 as an intern with the University of Rhode Island. From there he was a strength and conditioning fellow at Harvard University from 2011-2012, followed by intern strength coach at the University of Iowa in 2012 before earning a full-time assistant position on the University of Maryland staff where he spent the 2012-2013 seasons. Lima returned to the University of Iowa for a second stint in 2013, this time as an assistant on the football strength staff before taking over as the director of football performance at Towson University from 2018-2023.

Lima earned his Ph.D in Health and Human Performance from Concordia University Chicago in 2020 and is heavily involved in the coaching community where he serves on multiple Executive Council Boards for the National Strength and Conditioning Association, including the Iowa State advisory board, football special interest group and NSCA college S&C professional development special interest group. Dr. Lima is also the host of the Cheeky Mid Weeky podcast on SCN. 

A former four-year offensive lineman at Bridgewater State University, Lima has shifted gears from his college player days but has still found way to stay active himself both in and outside the weight room. Since his time on the gridiron, he’s stepped on the platform competing in powerlifting for multiple years. He continues to strength train in addition to training mixed martial arts. 

Samson Equipment
Samson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.

Cerberus Strength
Use Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.com

Sport Kilt
Use Code: TSG at SportKilt.com

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show