The Lifters League Podcast

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The Lifters League Podcast is hosted by Head Powerlifting Coach Gus Cooke and co-host Ben Ashmole here to bring real science to the strength and muscle world.

Gus Cooke


    • Feb 5, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 1h AVG DURATION
    • 40 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Lifters League Podcast

    Programming for Powerlifting Competitions

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2023 170:57


    The second episode of a new series, 'Rants with Gus & Sam'. Since we are both preparing athletes for ProRaw (an international invite-only powerlifting competition), we decided to talk about our methods behind the stages of competition preparation for a powerlifting meet. Warning this comes with many tangents that explore the depths further into programming. 

    Rants with Gus & Sam - Episode 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 27, 2022 113:30


    Hopefully the first of many series with myself and Sam Thomasson. Two coaches having a great conversation talking shop.

    Innerwork with Coach Em Stemm & Ruby Cooke

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2022 78:00


    Hosted by Ruby Cooke, Lifters League resident Nutritionist, today had Coach Emily Stemm onto the show to discuss the importance of inner-work. How our understanding of self can better the long-term outcome of both lifestyle and performance goals. 

    We consume too much protein

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2022 96:40


    We had guest speaker Hayley Forrest, who we have had on the show before on metabolic super-compensation. The main topic of the day is protein intake. Do we consume too much protein... the short answer is, yes. Plus plenty of other rants on food culture. 

    Training & Nutrition While Traveling

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2022 62:18


    This episode is about how you should approach training and nutrition whilst travelling. We share our adventures travelling around the world and talk about what we do. Lifters League is an online coaching service for anyone wanting to get stronger, build muscle and get leaner. We incorporated strength and conditioning and sports nutrition to create a more science based approach to attaining your goals. Visit our website www.liftersleague.com You can also follow me http://instagram.com/liftersleague/

    Harm Reduction for Image and Performance Enhancing Drugs

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 28, 2021 91:11


    In this episode is speak to Tim Piatkowski, a researcher in harm reduction for Image and Performance Enhancing Drugs. We discuss the social cultural influences and the pressure it puts on both men and women to enhance image and performance. We look at the current strategies in place to educate and reduce harm through peer-to-peer and support programs and we discuss how Tim's research will help bolster the resources into these programs.  Lifters League is an online professional service for coaching people in strength training and coaching development for passionate strength coaches and personal trainers. You can message us on our website http://www.liftersleague.com.au/ You can also follow me http://instagram.com/guscooke_liftersleague/  

    Starting a coaching/pt business

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2021 50:52


    Here is my personal experience with starting my coaching business and how I have help PTs and coaches make that start themselves into coaching. If you need help with business you should seek a business advisor or you can reach out to me and I can see how I can help you. Email me gus@liftersleague.com.au 

    Finding The Why

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2021 48:00


    Lifters League is an online professional service for coaching people in strength training and coaching development for passionate strength coaches and personal trainers. You can message us on our website http://www.liftersleague.com.au/ You can also follow me http://instagram.com/guscooke_liftersleague/

    Smart & Dumb ways to make weight

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2021 39:35


    Lifters League is an online professional service for coaching people in strength training and coaching development for passionate strength coaches and personal trainers. You can message us on our website http://www.liftersleague.com.au/   You can also follow me http://instagram.com/guscooke_liftersleague/  

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    Recovery Management

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2021 28:54


    Recovery Management is critical for both understand and maximising the effects of your training program. Without proper recovery management we will lose the capacity to adapt to our training. People say is training and nutrition but without recovery it doesn't matter how well you train or eat. Lifters League is an online professional service for coaching people in strength training and coaching development for passionate strength coaches and personal trainers. You can message us on our website http://www.liftersleague.com.au/ You can also follow me http://instagram.com/guscooke_liftersleague/

    BPC-157 peptide on Post-Surgery Pec Tear

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2021 30:08


    I had a complete pec detachment and decided to use the research peptide BPC-157 to help with recovery.  

    Autoregulation

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2021 37:11


    RPE, RIR, Descriptors, Velocity, Percentage. All methods to regulate training load and I explain how the work and how you get program them more effectively. 

    Back Pain in the Deadlift

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2021 41:22


    Lifters League is an online professional service for coaching people in strength training and coaching development for passionate strength coaches and personal trainers. You can message us on our website http://www.liftersleague.com.au/ You can also follow me http://instagram.com/guscooke_liftersleague/  

    Stephan McMurray | Foot Mechanics for Powerlifting

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2021 70:14


    Podiatrist Stephan McMurray on Foot Mechanics for powerlifting. After my talk on the Converse shoe episode he was able to clear a lot more up and elaborate. Controversy, we discuss if the whole barefoot world has taken too far and that there is a happy balance between regular shoes and bare feet.   Lifters League is an online professional service for coaching people in strength training and coaching development for passionate strength coaches and personal trainers. You can message us on our website http://www.liftersleague.com.au/ You can also follow me http://instagram.com/guscooke_liftersleague/  

    Sleep for Performance

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2021 39:01


    Rant on sleep to recover and increase performance. Lifters League is an online professional service for coaching people in strength training and coaching development for passionate strength coaches and personal trainers. You can message us on our website http://www.liftersleague.com.au/ You can also follow me http://instagram.com/guscooke_liftersleague/  

    How long should you rest?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2021 9:48


    How long should you rest between sets? Is it even important?   Lifters League is an online professional service for coaching people in strength training and coaching development for passionate strength coaches and personal trainers. You can message us on our website http://www.liftersleague.com.au/ You can also follow me http://instagram.com/guscooke_liftersleague/  

    Why Converse Is a Bad Shoe for Powerlifting

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2021 15:47


    The famous powerlifting shoe and does it hold up to we want from a shoe for lifting performance.    Lifters League is an online professional service for coaching people in strength training and coaching development for passionate strength coaches and personal trainers. You can message us on our website http://www.liftersleague.com.au/ You can also follow me http://instagram.com/guscooke_liftersleague/  

    Are Lifting Belts Killing Your Gains

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2021 14:09


    Lifters League is an online professional service for coaching people in strength training and coaching development for passionate strength coaches and personal trainers. You can message us on our website http://www.liftersleague.com.au/ You can also follow me http://instagram.com/guscooke_liftersleague/  

    Training Intent Matters

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2020 23:13


    Arousal in sport psychology is a spectrum from laid back to hysterical and somewhere in the middle is ideal for performance. This usually means you need some hype or your need to calm down. This can be as find tuned as when you take a breath, what music you play, how you apply chalk, how long you take to get ready. I have observed up to a 20% increase in performance from one set to another simply either changing a routine to increase hype, visualise before lifting to reduce overthinking or breathing to calm down to reduce anxiety. This matters for strength development as this increase in velocity will maximise force production and creating a better adaptive stimulus. You can't just lift, you must lift with intent.   Lifters League is an online professional service for coaching people in strength training and coaching development for passionate strength coaches and personal trainers. You can message us on our website http://www.liftersleague.com.au/ You can also follow me http://instagram.com/guscooke_liftersleague/  

    Christian Thibaudeau | Neurotyping for Powerlifting

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2020 102:26


    In this episode, I speak with Christian Thibaudeau about neurotying, specifically how an athlete's neurotype can determine the best powerlifting prep and how they peak for a competition. We also just talk a lot of shop on powerlifting training, programming, exercise selection and much more.   Lifters League is an online professional service for coaching people in strength training and coaching development for passionate strength coaches and personal trainers. You can message us on our website http://www.liftersleague.com.au/ You can also follow me http://instagram.com/guscooke_liftersleague/  

    Dr. Derek Wilcox | Russian Vs American Methodology

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2020 82:37


    From Renaissance Periodisation we had Dr. Derek Wilcox on the show. We discuss powerlifting research, equipped powerlifting, the finding comparing Russian to American Methodology, programming, peaking for powerlifting meets and much more. Lifters League is an online professional service for coaching people in strength training and coaching development for passionate strength coaches and personal trainers. You can message us on our website http://www.liftersleague.com.au/ You can also follow me http://instagram.com/guscooke_liftersleague/  

    Luke Leaman | Muscle Nerds

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2020 98:53


    We talked about a lot of things but the main topic was the prep of a prep which essentially means doing a prep phase so you are able to prep better/healthier for a comp prep. I've talked about this for years, you have to train an athlete to capable of doing a prep as the prep is a huge stress and with stress comes issues. This stress unavoidable so how to we prepare for that. Lifters League is an online professional service for coaching people in strength training and coaching development for passionate strength coaches and personal trainers. You can message us on our website http://www.liftersleague.com.au/ You can also follow me http://instagram.com/guscooke_liftersleague/  

    luke leaman muscle nerds
    Hayley Forrest | Diet Supercompensation

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2020 123:37


    What an eye-opening episode. We talked to Sports Dietitian Hayley Forrest about super-compensation with dieting to manipulate the various metabolic processes to gain a performance advantage.    This challenged everything I've done with my athletes since... forever. But the beauty of science that it doesn't care about your biases, when new information presents itself you adjust or change your views to align with the facts.  Lifters League is an online professional service for coaching people in strength training and coaching development for passionate strength coaches and personal trainers. You can message us on our website http://www.liftersleague.com.au/ Follow me @guscooke_liftersleague Follow Lifters League @liftersleague Follow Hayley @hayleydynamicbodylabs Visit www.liftersleague.com.au Visit www.dynamicbodylabs.com.au

    Zenia Wood | Injury Management

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2020 72:47


    I this episode we had Zenia Wood from Swift Movement Academy and we talk about Injury Management over Injury Prevention plus plenty of other rambles.    Lifters League is an online professional service for coaching people in strength training and coaching development for passionate strength coaches and personal trainers. You can message us on our website http://www.liftersleague.com.au/ You can also follow me http://instagram.com/guscooke_liftersleague/  

    Will Crozier & Mikki Wescombe | Great Coaches Chat

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2020 86:54


    We talk to Coach Will Crozier and Nutrition Coach Mikki Wescombe from Nexus Performance. These guys are one of Australia's leading experts in the field of strength training and powerlifting. We just have a great coaches chat about Powerlifting, programming, athletic development, psychology, nutrition and drugs. Lifters League is an online professional service for coaching people in strength training and coaching development for passionate strength coaches and personal trainers. You can message us on our website http://www.liftersleague.com.au/ You can also follow me http://instagram.com/guscooke_liftersleague/  

    Brandon Senn & Kyle Young | Programming Chat with Kabuki Strength

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2020 70:00


    In this special episode, we have the Head Coach of Kabuki strength Brandon Senn and Strength Coach Kyle Young. We start the conversation with a heap of programming talk from Long Term Development, RPE, Velocity, super-compensation. We also talk about foot function, personality profiling, and the controversial vertical shin conspiracy. Lifters League is an online professional service for coaching people in strength training and coaching development for passionate strength coaches and personal trainers. You can message us on our website http://www.liftersleague.com.au/ Follow the Head Coach @guscooke_liftersleague Follow our Podcast @liftersleague_podcast Follow my team @liftersleague Follow Kabuki @kabukistrength  

    Coach Fuzzy | Impacts of Social Media on Lifting & Advice for Coaches wanting a gym

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2020 55:35


    Episode 5 of the Lifters League Podcast with Coach Fuzzy. Fuzzy is a strength/powerlifting coach, gym owner of Fuzzys power gym, and a competitive powerlifter. We discuss the implication social media has had on powerlifting, how it's affecting your training, competition preparation, and neuro-chemistry. We then segway into gym ownership for coaches and provide advice on those wanting to take that path especially if you're a strength coach. Lifters League is an online professional service for coaching people in strength training and coaching development for passionate strength coaches and personal trainers. You can message us on our website http://www.liftersleague.com.au/ Follow the Head Coach @guscooke_liftersleague Follow our Podcast @liftersleague_podcast Follow my team @liftersleague Follow Fuzzy @fearthefuzzys His Gym @fuzzyspowergym His Equipment @fuzzysironworks  

    Dr. Andrew Lock | A New Method To Spine Rehab

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2020 59:38


    In today's episode of the Lifters League podcast we had one of the most sought after rehab spine specialist Dr. Andrew Lock. We talk about everything about his new method to spine rehab, dive into neurochemistry, hip anatomy in the deadlift, his new approach to core activation the involves the glutes and hips and his new education business for personal trainers @united_health_education Lifters League is an online professional service for coaching people in strength training and coaching development for passionate strength coaches and personal trainers. You can message us on our website http://www.liftersleague.com.au/ Host: @guscooke_liftersleague  Podcast Page: @liftersleague_podcast Main Page: @liftersleague Guest: @andrew_lock_strength  

    Sarah Rainbow | Coaching Elite Powerlifters

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2020 65:36


    Sarah Rainbow is one of the best powerlifters in the country and world. In 2018 she beatAustralia's longest standing records held but the G.O.A.T Bev Francis taking her bench press record of 150kg with a massive 157.5kg. This also won her ProRawX which is one of the biggest powerlifting meets in the world.   You can also watch this on our YouTube Channel - Lifters League   Follow me the Head Coach @muscle_nerd_ and @liftersleague on instagram 

    Jay Kelly | Velocity Based Training For Powerlifting with GymAware and Flex Stronger

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2020 60:36


    I talked to Jay Kelly on our show, he is the High-Performance Liaison Officer of GymAware. The innovators of the technology behind Velocity Based Training. We talk everything powerlifting related to velocity-based training and see what are other applications to sporting teams around the world. You can download your free Force Velocity Profile from our blog at my website https://www.liftersleague.com.au/?p=7998 Here we also provide a discount for your own device and a case study. Follow my instagram @muscle_nerd_ @liftersleague

    15: Sleep Part 2: Sleep Hacking

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2018 68:36


    Detailed show notes will be live at http://www.musclenerd.com.au/sleep-hacking/ covering: Signs and Symptoms of Sleep Deprivation and Sleep Apnea Tips for Sleep Hygiene  Tips to treat apnea Tips to increase sleep performance 

    14: Sleep Part 1: What you should know about sleep

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 23, 2018 49:28


    For the next 2 episodes we will talk about sleep . In this episode we we will talk about the risk of not sleeping, benefits to sleep, performance benefits and lots of interesting facts. 

    11: Victoria Felkar | Females on Steroids

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2018 87:53


    in todays episode we have a special guest, Victoria Felkar. She is world leading researcher in womens's health and female hormone manipulation within sport and medicine. She is a practitioner, consultant, author and educator. She has spoken all over the world including the great SWIS symposium in Canada. She has worked with some of the most elite athletes from the olympics through to the Olympia Today we are going to speak about female using performance enhancing drugs or more specifically anabolic steroids, Now I'm not for or against the use of steroids but like any other drug I believe in risk management, health optimisation and education, its the only way we are going to combat stupidity of misinformantion. Steroids are going to be used in this industry weather we like it or not but I hope from this podcast we can get women and men to critically think about their decision to use performance enhancements drugs  

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    10: Reverse Diet Hysteria

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2018 34:04


    What all this hysteria about reverse diet. Here is our philosphy and science based approach to "reverse diet"

    9: Beyond Goal Setting

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2018 61:13


    Episode to of the Coaching series. This series started from requests to understand programming but we believe to truely understand programming your have to understand the whole system. We provide an Athlete Management Service that with every episode we will cover our system for Coaching.  Todays episode is on goal setting and it entire complexity. This is a big topic and try to cover as much as we can in the 1 hour long episode. 

    8: Justified Coffee Use

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 27, 2018 28:36


    We love coffee. Coffee is the nectar of he gods. It can make a bad day a good day and a good day a great day. Here is a little coffee science to brighten our morning and justify our absive of psychactive drugs. 

    6: Andrew Lock #2 | Advice for professionals who treat lifters

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2018 42:02


    If your a professional, physiotheripest, chiropractor, remedial theripist, strength coach who treats lifters with pain or injuries then this is for you. Today we have guest Andrew Lock giving advice for professionals who treat lifters.    Show Notes: SWIS Symposim - 26, 27, 28 October 2018 - Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Details here https://www.swis2018.com If you want to get in touch with Andrew Lock you can contract him through his facebook page Functional Strength Rehabilitation, email sportspinephysio@hotmail.com, contact number 0451785625. If your in Brisbane you will need to contact Lifters League, info@liftersleague.com.au (07)32520673 

    3: ProRaw Wrap-Up | Attempt Selection

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2018 41:51


    Topic of the day is attempt selection. Attempt selection makes or breaks athletes in competition. Plus we have special guest Sarah Rainbow, Pip Brown, Kit and Leoni Smith recapping ProRawX

    2: Andrew Lock | Shoulder Pain and Bench Press

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2018 27:10


    Shoulder Pain and Bench Press with world renouned genius physiolothepist Dr. Lock. We talk about shoulder pain, shoulder rehab and prehab for bench press. We also recap ProRaw and talk about some big benchers. 

    1: ProRaw Team | Programming for Elite Powerlifters

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2018 37:49


    The Muscle Nerd Podcast - Powerlifting, Strength & Conditioning and Sports Nutrition Science. Our first episode of The Muscle Nerd Podcast with the Lifters League ProRawX Team of Queensland, Australia including Sarah Rainbow, All Time World Record Holder, second strongest female in Australia, Biggest Female Bench, 13th biggest deadlift in the World (raw and equipped) and 14th in the 300lbs hall of fame. We also have with us Leoni Smith, Strength Coach. Pip Brown, ProRawX Athlete and the Host, Head Powerlifting Coach of Lifters League.  Today we talk about how we programmed and prepped our proraw competitors and we cover programming methods for elite powerlifters. 

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