Beyond Sets and Reps

Perhaps the most motivating episode we’ve had yet, Jeremy Anderson, professional motivational speaker, shows us why he gets paid big bucks to be on the big stage. Coming from a place of service and humility, Jeremy speaks with such passion because he remembers where he came from and works every day to get to the next level. Whether you need a kick in the butt, a reminder of why you’re doing what you’re doing, or just need the extra oomph in your day today, this episode is for you. Special thanks to our sponsors Sorinex and EliteForm.

Dr. Ty is a much sought after consultant to provide research and solutions at the intersection of race, leadership and space, particularly in the field of athletics. He advocates building systems of healing, not only to begin educating yourself, but to provide education and access to those around you. And it all begins with what he calls “me-search” … it’s no longer enough to research history, but rather it takes some hard looks in the mirror to see who you are, how you were raised and how it impacts your methods of engaging with others in the world.   Special thanks to our sponsors, Sorinex and EliteForm

Dr. Bryan Mann is our expert guest this episode as we dive into stress - our response to various stressors; how to adjust training for Covid-19 time off; measuring and tracking stress and more!   Special thanks to our podcast sponsors Sorinex and EliteForm.

Self-proclaimed “knucklehead football player” who made his way into administration and has seen his career thrive with his steady focus on enhancing the athlete experience both as the athlete but also the person. As a student-athlete himself, he saw coaching as his only future career path, but now hopes to open the eyes of current student-athletes to help them see the myriad of opportunities around them. Thanks to our episode sponsors: Sorinex, EliteForm

Dr. Anne Shadle is making a career of studying what it takes to be elite - whether in sport or in the military, she has surrounded herself with the best of the best. Having completed her doctoral work studying Olympic Gold Medalists, she continues to counsel and advise elite athletes from Olympians to the MLB and NBA. Now she’s using her understanding of elite athletes to research what it takes to be an elite war fighter and then how to optimally prepare elite war fighters.

Ted, Javair, and Pat are joined by Dr. Bob Murray to discuss performance enhancing drugs/substances. Covering the gamut from legal to illegal, what’s been proven to work versus what doesn’t have the science to back it up, and everything in between, there are few mainstream substances that weren’t discussed in this episode. 

Beginning with how to get into her chosen profession, Dr. Vanessa Shannon goes into depth on several topics surrounding mental performance, specifically for athletes. From how she instills the tools and skills to her teams and individual athletes, to how they carry them over into life after sport, Dr. Shannon brings a unique perspective to Beyond Sets and Reps this week. Plus, find out what you can do when a team or athlete is in a slump.

Louisville native, Kate O’Bryan is all too eager to give back to the University of Louisville in the form of directing their Mental Health Services. After describing some of her experiences as a mental health professional, she gives us an explanation of how the university of leveraging these services for student athletes - complete with the department structure, how they’re working to destigmatize mental health, and how they’re helping athletes through the pandemic and social unrest. 

With the majority of her career being spent coaching baseball, Coach Rachel Balkovec welcomes opportunities to earn respect from those around her. Having grown better as a person and a professional because of the discrimination she faced, she’s not only looking to continue advancing her career, but she’s also going to help other women do the same.

Premier of Research 2 Reps Roundtable, a monthly special episode featuring hosts Javair Gillett, Dr. Ted Lambridines and Dr. Pat Ivey. With COVID-19 keeping athletes from sport for over two months, we address the concerns of return to play, as well as some issues in keeping athletes motivating while sheltering in place is still recommended.

From being a student athlete and getting her start in broadcasting to now staying fit with a life on the road and her Winning Edge Leadership Academy, Maria Taylor is knocking out goals left and right! Breaking ground in her industry and providing a role model of possibilities to the younger generation, her self-awareness and maturity are off the charts.

Growing up a humble three sport athlete, Max Scherzer is no stranger to hard work, in fact he’s made hard work his version of normal. Beginning with his college days and the amount of effort he put into training, Max takes us through how the weight room helped him reach the elite level of baseball. That leads into a great discussion of accountability and how Max uses it in his everyday life.

Self-proclaimed old-school in his coaching principles, Coach Mickey Marotti speaks with us on not just winning championships, but developing champions. Having been in the strength and conditioning industry for over 30 years, he’s gained wisdom most of us will only aspire to.

Growing up in a small southern town 30 minutes from Clemson, it was always a flagship school in his mind so it was nothing short of a blessing when Coach Joey Batson got hired there 24 years ago. He attributes his longevity in strength and conditioning to humility and consistency. If you want a model for how to be a top tier strength and conditioning coach, look no further than Coach Batson.

A father, husband, Christian and coach - in that order - Coach Bennie Wylie has figured out a way to keep his priorities in order. After figuring out how the athletics industry can be cut throat, his family and his network of real friends allowed him re-enter the industry wiser and choosier. With a calling to mentor young men and women, Coach Wylie has no shortage of influence on our young people - from his athletes to the military to average Joe’s, he’s helping build better people.

A country boy at heart, Tommy Moffitt has only ever known hard work. With a great strength coach mentor in Jack Williamson, Coach Moffitt knew early he wanted to cut his teeth in the iron game. Now he’s coming off a CFP championship focused and wiser, so he’s taking his team back to the basics to get stronger for the upcoming season.

Grounded in beliefs, values and ethics, Coach Josh Stoner inherently makes those around him want to be better people, better coaches, better spouses, better parents, etc. The conviction with which he carries himself and his decisions draws people to him, despite his natural introvert tendencies.

Over the years, I’ve learned what matters most in my life—my faith, my family, and my friends. One day, you won’t be able to play sports like you did when you were in high school, college, or in the pros. This book is me passing the baton to my peers and the younger generation. I hope you take it and get across the finish line.

With experience at the institution, conference and NCAA level, Louisville’s Associate Athletic Director for Compliance is well versed in the complexities of collegiate compliance. While each level is to advocate for the health and well being of the student athletes, they each have their own ways of doing so. Matt takes us through some of the hot topics facing collegiate athletics and how they’ll be navigated going forward.

Growing up poor was all the motivation Coach Derek Legé needed to figure out a way out of poverty. The self-taught stock market investor and strength coach is now taking what he’s learned and helping his athletes get a taste for what investing can do. With some tips and insights on how to get started, Coach Derek Legé was an ideal guest contributor to my upcoming book, The Table.

As a long time professor of finance, Dr. Starla Ivey was a no-brainer as a guest author of the upcoming book, The Table, to help student athletes (and those who interact with them) take advantage of all the opportunities they have at their disposal. Anytime there’s a conversation or topic of substance with young adults, money and finances should be brought up. 

The first of this three part series by guest authors of my upcoming book, The Table, Coach Akeem Robinson is on the show to discuss his chapter on character development. With a diverse range of experiences - from a Clemson football athlete to homeless and living in his car - Coach Robinson has trained his mind to focus on the person he wants to become; and is on a mission to help his athletes do the same.

Crediting his ambition and work ethic to his family and their supportive upbringing, Dr. Andrew Paul is no stranger to success in the field of athletic performance. With great friends and coaches early on who provided positive experiences around sport, he quickly knew the kind of coach he wanted to be. Those early experiences set him on the trajectory to work at a Power 5 school, EXOS, and now at the professional level.

Trying to figure out if you want to play football or just say you were on a football team. That’s what Dave Roberson, the Director of Player Personnel & Recruiting Coordinator at Arkansas State University, helps kids figure out every recruiting season. With advice for high school coaches and how to best help their players get a scholarship, to how parents can assist their child in making the best choice, Dave fills this episode full of recruiting know-how.

Knowing from a young age he wanted to be a physical therapist, Brett Hayes has always had a knack for combining sports with the science of the body with the goal of optimizing performance. His mission is straightforward: doing what’s best for the athletes because when the team wins, everyone associated with it wins - there’s enough credit to go around. So Brett is trying to get physical therapy into the weight room, training room, on the field and intertwined with everyday sports.

Satisfied with the ‘old school’ label that Big D often gets, he’s confident in his old school values of treating people right, developing young men for a lifetime of success, and never letting the words “that’s not my job” pass through his lips. Having been in the game for so long, Donnie Sommer understands the cyclical nature of training - everything old is new and everything new is old. Even with changing times and approaching things a little differently, the underlying culture and lifestyle he teaches remains true.

As someone who had her collegiate athletic career abruptly cut short, Dr. Amber Selking knows what it’s like to feel lost after sport. She’s since made it her life’s work to help people with mental performance both on and off the field. With a deep belief that people want to be great, Selking is aiming to provide a template for that greatness via the mental game.

Coach Gabe Jackson’s passion for training today’s youth is evident throughout this entire episode. He takes us from his beginnings in athletics to now coaching young athletes with discipline and accountability, yet truly caring for them as people. The success he’s seen as an entrepreneur with both of his facilities is surely a result of the empathy and compassion he has in developing young athletes.

Eric Wood was forced into figuring out his “life after NFL” when he received the devastating news that a spine injury waiting to happen was found on a post-season MRI. This news came approximately 50 minutes before the birth of his son – to call it an emotional roller coaster doesn’t do it justice. In this episode, Wood takes us through transitioning his identity from 9 year NFL veteran to (soon to be) broadcast media personality.

From program structure to program philosophy, Coach Gary Pinkel is still not changing what he does. And with good reason – a track record of success done the right way is his proven methodology, and put simply, it works. He’s based his entire career on treating the people the right way and that’s something he’ll continue standing by.

Coach Aaron Ausmus had a rare opportunity to visit programs all over the nation while he was a sales rep for Sorinex Exercise Equipment. Even though he was between strength coaching jobs, he turned lemons into lemonade by broadening his knowledge base and cherry-picking the best parts of several programs. Now back at USC as the head strength coach for football, he’s confident his experience and knowledge gained is helping him make their program the best it can be.

After more than a decade long career in the NFL, 5x Pro Bowler Justin Smith is living life off the grid and raising his children to be as hard-working as he is. While he hasn’t yet gotten to the reminiscing phase for his NFL career, he’s confident his motivation was simple – to play ball. A no-frills, no b.s. kind of guy, Smith shares his outlook on the NFL, his family, and simple living.

Keyon Dooling is a Florida boy whose community supported him through adolescence and into adulthood when he ventured to the Midwest for college. Ultimately his successful 13-year NBA career came to an end as he began confronting his struggles with PTSD. Today he’s a mental health advocate raising awareness in society, but also on a deeper level advocating for the mental health of collegiate athletes.

Growing up with a chip on his shoulder to always exceed people’s low expectations of him, Bert Sorin has taken that drive and continued building the legacy of Sorinex Exercise Equipment. From developing state of the art equipment to bringing people together, Bert takes pride in leaving a positive footprint on the world, and on people’s hearts.

Having written the book, Joe Kenn (aka ‘House’) takes us through the philosophies that helped create the Tier System of training athletes. From how to most effectively put together a staff, to using the Tier System foundation to create your own programs, House delivers quotable ‘food for thought’ throughout the entire episode. It’s his way of paying it forward by teaching strength coaches around the world ‘how to fish’ rather than feeding them for a day.

A veteran of the profession, Duane Carlisle is a long-time coach, expert, and mentor to many. From the private sector to the public (and back again), middle schoolers to professionals, Coach Duane Carlisle has seen and trained it all. In this episode, he offers his perspectives on coaching the person, how a high-performance model should work, and the business savvy side of coaching.

Jen Widerstrom is a fitness icon and after listening to this episode you’ll know why. She’s humble, wise beyond her years, and eager to help guide others to success. From her own journey with sports and fitness to how we can each pay it forward, there’s no shortage of quotables from this show.

As my Yoda of all things mental, Dr. and Coach Rick McGuire joins us for this week’s episode. Long time track & field coach and a pioneer in the sport psychology field, he brings a perspective unlike any other. With the understanding that kids meet sport through the coach, Coach McGuire fully supports the comprehensive, integrated performance model which thrives on communication between professionals for the benefit of the athlete.

Professor of kinesiology and sports science, Dr. Bryan Mann teaches us about his specialty, Velocity Based Training (VBT). From being a “poor white boy from backwoods Oklahoma” to how he became an expert, Bryan takes us through his journey of becoming a strength coach and an academic. We also “geeked out” a bit on his VBT talking numbers and training methods.

Chase Daniel, 10-year NFL veteran, discusses leadership, mental performance, QBs in the NFL Draft, and how he improves his longevity in such a difficult arena. A must-listen for anyone looking for the performance edge as Chase says confidently he’s at his best when he goes Beyond Sets and Reps with spiritual, mental, and emotional aspects of life.   Chase describes how growing up in a Christian household with many opportunities for success helped develop his leadership, both vocally and by example. He learned at an early age leadership is earned, not given and is blessed to have been put in so many opportunities to exercise and improve his leadership skills. Going undrafted in the 2009 NFL draft was his first encounter with adversity, causing him to reevaluate his goals. Chase began taking one day at a time and learned to capitalize on each opportunity to get better, including learning what real hard work meant from none other than Drew Brees. He finds renewed energy when demonstrating his ability to handle adversity. We got insights from the vet on NFL prospect Kyler Murray, as well as current NFL phenom, Patrick Mahomes II. In addition, Chase weighed in on how the requirements for QBs have changed over time, specifically the height requirement myth has been debunked. Among the things that have made Chase most successful are his relationships with coaches, which he values immensely, and his life outside of football. He feels more balanced than ever with a clear sense or purpose, both on and off the field.  You can find Chase on Twitter (@ChaseDaniel) or Instagram (@Chase_Daniel). A special thanks to our sponsor, Sorinex Exercise Equipment.        

This introductory episode takes us through Pat Ivey’s history with strength and conditioning, beginning with being bullied in childhood. As he came up as an athlete, and then continuing as a coach, he learned the value of an open mind when considering ways to train optimally. Beyond Sets and Reps is helping fulfill Pat’s dream of paying it forward to all those striving to reach their own optimal performance - on the field, in the boardroom, or in life.