Michael Gragg- Harding University

Stephen Antley - Mansfield Timberview

Join us on this episode of the S&C Chit Chat Podcast as James Burk sits down with Strength and Conditioning Coach Brandon Antley for a candid conversation about the realities of high school athletic development. This episode explores both the technical and cultural aspects of running a successful weight room program. In this episode, we cover: * Program Culture: Strategies for building a program culture from scratch versus inheriting and evolving an existing one. * Technical Proficiency: Why Olympic lifts remain non-negotiable and how to coach them effectively using manual observation and visual demonstration, even without advanced tracking tech. * Programming Adaptability: Managing training sessions when faced with varying student experience levels, facility constraints, and complex schedules. * Career Growth: Insights on networking, mentorship, and why every day on the floor functions as a professional job interview. Whether you're looking to refine your technical coaching cues or develop your professional path in the strength and conditioning industry, this episode offers actionable takeaways straight from the field.

Zach Fowler - Performance Course

Join us for an insightful conversation with Zach Fowler of The Performance Course. We dive into non-traditional career paths in strength and conditioning, moving beyond college and high school coaching. Zach shares his journey from an 8-year-old athlete at PC to a Site Coordinator, the critical importance of initiative for young strength coaches, and how PC utilizes technology and specialized programming (including tiered systems and VBT) to train high school athletes. Plus, hear his recommendations for essential coaching qualities, a must-read book, and a top-tier podcast. SOCIAL: https://x.com/Z_Fowl37 [https://x.com/Z_Fowl37] https://www.instagram.com/zachfowler37/ [https://www.instagram.com/zachfowler37/]

Ross Garner - Effingham County HS

The "S&C Chit Chat with Ross Garner" includes conversation about facility conflicts, staff introductions, and an in-depth look at Ross Garner's career path and high school strength and conditioning philosophies. Career Advice: Master's in Education + CSCS provides best job security for high school S&C coaches. * Training Philosophy: Conjugate training approach, primarily using deadlifts and the snatch (preferred over the clean for high school athletes). * Deadlift Focus: Strong belief in deadlift's carry-over to speed; emphasizes correcting upper back posture. * Speed Training: Speed and jump work is done after strength training to "prime" athletes and teach them to "be fast tired." * Technology & Grants: Used business background to secure two $5,000 grants for iPads and data collection (Rock Daisy). * Job Stability: Highlighted the value of standalone, 12-month strength coach positions (like the one at Cleburne) for program consistency. * Recommendations: Book: Chosen Suffering. Podcast: Voodoo Power with Steve Thompson. COACH GARNERS LINKTREE: https://linktr.ee/coachrgarner [https://linktr.ee/coachrgarner] https://www.instagram.com/coachrgarner/ [https://www.instagram.com/coachrgarner/] SOCIAL FOR COACH GARNER: https://x.com/CoachRGarner [https://x.com/CoachRGarner] OTHER PODCASTS COACH GARNER HAS BEEN ON: https://rss.com/podcasts/victoryoverselfradio/ [https://rss.com/podcasts/victoryoverselfradio/] https://youtu.be/WSvH6RUejB8?si=z0dDIu1UP3y9ScEK [https://youtu.be/WSvH6RUejB8?si=z0dDIu1UP3y9ScEK] https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chosen-suffering-friday-night-speed-w-coach-ross-garner/id1659846420?i=1000749257750 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chosen-suffering-friday-night-speed-w-coach-ross-garner/id1659846420?i=1000749257750] https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nhssca/episodes/Work-Capacity-with-Ross-Garner--Effingham-County-High-School-e3e4opf [https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nhssca/episodes/Work-Capacity-with-Ross-Garner--Effingham-County-High-School-e3e4opf] https://www.youtube.com/live/YSU3CKG4_jI?si=OOrZgjiwM3ULCvQU [https://www.youtube.com/live/YSU3CKG4_jI?si=OOrZgjiwM3ULCvQU]

Michael Gragg- Harding University

Michael Gragg does a phenomenal job at Harding University and in this podcast. I on the other hand did less than desirable in pressing record for the first 10 minutes. Tune in for a "S&C Chit Chat" with Coach Michael Gragg from Harding University. We break down the technical and philosophical pillars of their national championship-winning strength and conditioning program. Topics include: the use of Catapult GPS, VBT systems (Vitru), and a Just Jump mat for athlete readiness; the high-low, four-day offseason training split; and the core importance of ground-based movement, team culture, and earned player autonomy. SOCIAL: https://www.instagram.com/mdgragg50/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/mdgragg50/?hl=en] https://x.com/MichaelGragg [https://x.com/MichaelGragg] OTHER PODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/culture-warrior-michael-gragg-head-strength-conditioning/id1806921751?i=1000719474083 [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/culture-warrior-michael-gragg-head-strength-conditioning/id1806921751?i=1000719474083] https://open.spotify.com/episode/4HuTrzh36Z4ZB4Jd2khe9D [https://open.spotify.com/episode/4HuTrzh36Z4ZB4Jd2khe9D] https://castro.fm/share/episode/2X4rs3 [https://castro.fm/share/episode/2X4rs3] https://youtu.be/aTID4ANcpFg?si=oCfHzMIgOlr8zQdU [https://youtu.be/aTID4ANcpFg?si=oCfHzMIgOlr8zQdU] https://youtu.be/oH9mrOoRAdI?si=OMySWkVSnb_BVorf [https://youtu.be/oH9mrOoRAdI?si=OMySWkVSnb_BVorf]

Cameron Prater- SMU Football

In this episode, James Burk, Brock Calvo, Jaxson Money, and Colin Elliot chat with HSU alumni Cameron Prater, an alum who is now the Internship Coordinator and Sports Science Coordinator for SMU Football. They dive into Prader's career journey, from his time at Hardin-Simmons University to his professional blueprint. The discussion covers his philosophy for training interns—prioritizing hard work and on-time arrival—and the core principles of SMU's football strength and conditioning program, including their four-day upper/lower split, daily posterior chain work, and the use of the Catapult system with "Player Load" as a key metric. SOCIAL: https://www.instagram.com/primetimeprater/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/primetimeprater/?hl=en]