Today we host a special guest, fellow strength coach and fitness enthusiast, Sam Pfister. 

Sam got his start in fitness while hustling and grinding in the gauntlet of all gauntlets – in politics. While working and interning in the DC area, Sam started doing Crossfit in his apartment and over time sharpened his coaching and programming skills. When the pandemic hit, he could’ve landed anywhere in the country but decided on Nashville, where he’s made his home and an impact for the last couple years. 

Sam’s major focus is what we might call “adult PT” or strength and conditioning for adults. He also spends a good deal of his time being the go-to strength coach for local homeschool athletes. Sam is a high energy, stellar coach, and Andy and I had a great time hearing his story and his philosophy on coaching.

Today we dive into the rabbit hole of what it means to be a “good” coach – what that looks like; our behaviors; our language; and how we carry ourselves in the gym. 

Because, to be honest, coaching sets, reps, volume, intensity, and exercise selection is both an art and science, and one that takes many years to develop. But beyond that, being a coach that people respect, admire, or just want to hang out with?…that’s a whole other ball game and one that takes years and thousands of hours of coaching to develop and refine. Grab a beer and enjoy as we peel back the curtains on who we are as coaches.

Today we’re talking about food. In the realm of fitness we often start our journey in one of two ways – we start watching what we eat and make sure to pack our days full of veggies and protein, and eventually add in some fitness here and there; or, we start slinging weights like maniacs with little regard for healthy eating until later in life. Such is the case for Andy and I: our journey to fitness professional started mostly with weight training before we ever considered how important nutrition was. 

In today’s episode, we reminisce about our childhoods and the foods we enjoyed; how over many years and well into adulthood we’ve discovered the joy of cooking; and how we’ve evolved in the kitchen over the years.

Andy and I are hanging out at Czann’s Brewing with a very special guest, Samantha Brunner. Sam is a Nashville-based strength coach, yoga instructor and pro kayaking badass. She joins the podcast today to tell us about her fitness journey, how she got into coaching and the types of clients she works with, and some of her favorite outdoorsy things to do. She imparts some crucial wisdom to those embarking on their fitness journeys in 2022, and helps us learn a few ways we can “get out of our own way.” She was an absolute blast of a guest, so grab a beer and enjoy!

A new year brings new ambitions, goals, and a brighter outlook – a clean slate to make changes in our lifestyle and health. Sometimes even the most motivated and ambitious of us can stumble a little along the way. 

Andy and I talk about new resolutions, how to attack them, and how to navigate them when the going gets tough. So let’s count those dominoes, stack them up, and start knocking them down.

As usual we’re checking in and drinking some fabulous beers at Czann’s Brewing in the Nations, reflecting on an incredible year. 

What first started as a pet project evolved into 50 episodes, six guests, over 200 beers, and countless laughs. 

Andy and I would like to thank you for sticking around with us and cannot express our gratitude enough. Today we talk about the past year, what we learned, and what we’re looking forward to in 2022 with the podcast, our own fitness, and with our roles as fitness professionals. Thanks again for being here, grab a beer, enjoy the show, and have a wonderful and safe NYE!

Andy and I chat about difficult clients and our experience coaching them. 

Our job as coaches is to guide our clients to their goals quickly, safely, and effectively. Sometimes, whether a mismatch in personality or a communication breakdown, this doesn’t go so smoothly. So today we talk about those issues, how we work through them, or how we might move forward next time.

Andy's client Leah shares her thoughts on strength training, what she’s learned, and how training has impacted her life inside and outside the gym. 

https://zackhenderson.com

This time of year can be challenging to stay on track with workouts and nutrition, but Andy and I got your back – today we discuss how, when, and what we like to do when we’re on the road to stay fit. 

Next, after 9 months of clawing our way back to pre-injury fitness levels, we talk about what we learned in the process.