MESA MCNELY - PILATES & REFORM COACH #138

MESA MCNELY - PILATES & REFORM COACH #138

We sit down with Mesa McNely — former strength and conditioning coach turned studio manager at Body Rock Lexington, a hybrid reformer Pilates studio — to talk about what happens when you leave elite sport, trust your instincts, and find something even more rewarding on the other side. Note: Mesa was a returning guest — one of the earlier guests on the podcast — and this conversation picks up where the last one left off, with a whole new chapter to dig into. In this Playbook: The Pivot Nobody Plans For: Mesa walked away from S&C — including a stint with the US All Super League — after an experience that left her questioning whether the traditional path was the only one. What she found instead was a reformer Pilates studio, a community of strong women, and a version of coaching that lit her up in ways she didn't expect. Cueing for Real Humans: Forty-five minutes, sixteen people, loud music, a mic, and a machine nobody's ever seen before — that's the proving ground that levelled up Mesa's coaching. She explains how teaching true beginners forced her to strip every cue back to its essence, find metaphors that actually land, and take ownership when someone doesn't get it. Load Management Without the Spreadsheet: Sports science principles don't disappear when you leave the performance setting — they just have to be communicated differently. Mesa shares how she brings load management and nervous system education to clients who are juggling jobs, kids, relationships, and five classes a week, without a whiteboard or a data point in sight. Sometimes all it takes is one honest conversation. TeamBuildr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Coaches, revolutionise your training programs with their cutting-edge platform. Create and customise workouts, track progress, communicate effortlessly, and analyse performance data — all in one place. Take advantage of our 30-day free trial and see how TeamBuildr can elevate your team's performance. Head over to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.teambuildr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.teambuildr.com/]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code "PACHALKUP" for your 30-day free trial. Exxentric: Coaches, take your training to the next level with Exxentric's flywheel technology. The kBox and kPulley deliver eccentric overload that you simply can't replicate with traditional weights — building strength, power, and resilience in athletes at every level. Trusted by elite programmes worldwide, Exxentric gives you the tools to train smarter and keep athletes on the field. Head over to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.exxentric.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://exxentric.com/wpam_id/140/] Mesa' Social Instagram - @mesamcnely [https://www.instagram.com/mesamcnely/#] Manny's Social: Instagram — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@_coachmanny_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/_coachmanny_/] Enquiries: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mannysilveira@primitiveathletix.com⁠ [mannysilveira@primitiveathletix.com]

MICHELLE BOATENG - S&C COACH @ WASHINGTON COMMANDERS #137

We sit down with Michelle Boateng — Assistant Strength Coach at Howard University working with women's soccer, volleyball, softball, and football — to talk about reading the room before you coach it, the injury prevention mindset she carried over from her athletic training roots, and what it meant to be part of the 10th class of the NFL Women's Forum. Since this episode was recorded, Michelle has gone on to join the Washington Commanders. Huge congrats to her — this conversation gives you a great look at the coach behind that move. In this Playbook: * Read the Room Before You Coach It: Michelle doesn't start her sessions behind a whiteboard — she starts in the corner, watching. Body language, pace of entry, whether athletes are talking to each other — all of it tells her what kind of coach she needs to be that day. * Gamify the Intent: Intent is everything when you're chasing a training adaptation — and Michelle has found that gamification is the fastest path to it. Cat-and-mouse change-of-direction drills for volleyball, in-weight-room competition for soccer, leaning into softball's natural grit to create self-competition. * Women Belong in the Room: As part of the 10th class of the NFL Women's Forum — joining coaches, executives, and Roger Goodell at the combine — Michelle came away with a simple but powerful conviction: if you've done the work and you know your stuff, you 100% deserve to be in that room. TeamBuildr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Coaches, revolutionise your training programs with their cutting-edge platform. Create and customise workouts, track progress, communicate effortlessly, and analyse performance data — all in one place. Take advantage of our 30-day free trial and see how TeamBuildr can elevate your team's performance. Head over to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.teambuildr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.teambuildr.com/]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code "PACHALKUP" for your 30-day free trial. Exxentric: Coaches, take your training to the next level with Exxentric's flywheel technology. The kBox and kPulley deliver eccentric overload that you simply can't replicate with traditional weights — building strength, power, and resilience in athletes at every level. Trusted by elite programmes worldwide, Exxentric gives you the tools to train smarter and keep athletes on the field. Head over to ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.exxentric.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://exxentric.com/wpam_id/140/] Michelle' Social Instagram - @michellejoell [https://www.instagram.com/michellejoell/#] Manny's Social: Instagram — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@_coachmanny_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/_coachmanny_/] Enquiries: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mannysilveira@primitiveathletix.com⁠ [mannysilveira@primitiveathletix.com]

LONNIE MADDOX - ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL @ USC #156

We sit down with Coach Maddox — Associate Director of Football Sports Performance at USC, former head strength coach at Alcorn State, and director at Valdosta State — to talk about building culture before chasing strategy, programming with and without resources, and why recovery deserves the same aggression as the weight room. In this Playbook: * Standard Over Feelings: At USC, the standard is non-negotiable — and it's written on the shirt Coach Maddox wears every day. When athletes walk out of that locker room, the feelings stay behind. * Ingenuity is a Muscle: Coach Maddox spent years at the D2 level doing more with less — bands looped over racks instead of Vertimax machines, creative workarounds instead of premium equipment. * Graduating Out of the Protocol: Coach Maddox's hamstring asymmetry protocol isn't set-and-forget — it's a weekly testing system with a clear exit threshold. Isometrics first, then eccentrics, then concentric loading, then oscillatory work. Athletes test every week and when the asymmetry drops to under 10%, they graduate. TeamBuildr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Coaches, revolutionise your training programs with their cutting-edge platform. Create and customise workouts, track progress, communicate effortlessly, and analyse performance data — all in one place. Take advantage of our 30-day free trial and see how TeamBuildr can elevate your team's performance. Head over to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.teambuildr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.teambuildr.com/]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code "PACHALKUP" for your 30-day free trial. Exxentric: Coaches, take your training to the next level with Exxentric's flywheel technology. The kBox and kPulley deliver eccentric overload that you simply can't replicate with traditional weights — building strength, power, and resilience in athletes at every level. Trusted by elite programmes worldwide, Exxentric gives you the tools to train smarter and keep athletes on the field. Head over to ⁠⁠⁠www.exxentric.com⁠⁠⁠ [https://exxentric.com/wpam_id/140/] Maddox' Social Instagram - @freeweightceq [https://www.instagram.com/freeweightceq/#] Manny's Social: Instagram — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@_coachmanny_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/_coachmanny_/] Enquiries: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mannysilveira@primitiveathletix.com⁠ [mannysilveira@primitiveathletix.com]

JOHN PATRICK - DIRECTOR OF PERFORMANCE @ SECKINGER HIGH SCHOOL #135

We sit down with John Patrick — Director of Strength and Performance at Seckinger High School (Gwinnett County, Georgia), former collegiate director across 20+ years to talk about building programs from scratch, earning the barbell, and why no free lunch is more than just a saying. In this Playbook: * No free lunch: Nothing gets handed out. Not in the weight room, not in the profession. You earn the barbell before you load it, you earn the coaching position before you expect respect, and you earn the results before you expect them. * AI is the new "get into computers": Thirty years ago the advice was get into computers. Now it's get into AI. John's already using it to analyse programs and get feedback. * Listen to the intern: Early in his career, interns cleaned racks. Now he pulls them into program design meetings, lets them run sessions, and asks them what went well and what didn't. TeamBuildr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Coaches, revolutionise your training programs with their cutting-edge platform. Create and customise workouts, track progress, communicate effortlessly, and analyse performance data — all in one place. Take advantage of our 30-day free trial and see how TeamBuildr can elevate your team's performance. Head over to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.teambuildr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.teambuildr.com/]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code "PACHALKUP" for your 30-day free trial. Exxentric: Coaches, take your training to the next level with Exxentric's flywheel technology. The kBox and kPulley deliver eccentric overload that you simply can't replicate with traditional weights — building strength, power, and resilience in athletes at every level. Trusted by elite programmes worldwide, Exxentric gives you the tools to train smarter and keep athletes on the field. Head over to ⁠⁠www.exxentric.com⁠⁠ [https://exxentric.com/wpam_id/140/] John' Social Instagram - @coachjgpatrick [https://www.instagram.com/coachjgpatrick/#] Manny's Social: Instagram — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@_coachmanny_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/_coachmanny_/] Enquiries: ⁠⁠⁠⁠mannysilveira@primitiveathletix.com⁠ [mannysilveira@primitiveathletix.com]

MARQUES WHITE - ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL PERFORMANCE @ BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY #134

We sit down with Marques White — Associate Director of Football Performance at Boise State University — to talk about what it really means to be built different: showing up with love, manufacturing adversity, and executing the basics at an elite level every single day. In this Playbook: * It's not what you do, it's how you do it: Marques isn't chasing the flashy stuff. Push, pull, squat, hinge, single leg — executed with intent, every rep. * Build a body that can take a hit: Football isn't a contact sport — it's a collision sport. Two people running full speed at each other as hard as humanly possible. TeamBuildr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Coaches, revolutionise your training programs with their cutting-edge platform. Create and customise workouts, track progress, communicate effortlessly, and analyse performance data — all in one place. Take advantage of our 30-day free trial and see how TeamBuildr can elevate your team's performance.Head over to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.teambuildr.com⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.teambuildr.com/]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code "PACHALKUP" for your 30-day free trial. Exxentric: Coaches, take your training to the next level with Exxentric's flywheel technology. The kBox and kPulley deliver eccentric overload that you simply can't replicate with traditional weights — building strength, power, and resilience in athletes at every level. Trusted by elite programmes worldwide, Exxentric gives you the tools to train smarter and keep athletes on the field.Head over to ⁠www.exxentric.com⁠ [https://exxentric.com/wpam_id/140/] Marques's Social: Instagram - @coach._white [https://www.instagram.com/coach._white/#] Manny's Social: Instagram — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@_coachmanny_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/_coachmanny_/] Enquiries: ⁠⁠⁠mannysilveira@primitiveathletix.com⁠ [mannysilveira@primitiveathletix.com]