Coach Em Up Podcast

Tim Riley
  • 4.9 (89)
  • Health & Fitness
  • Updated Weekly

Coach Em Up Podcast is here! Hosted by renowned coaches Tim Riley and Zack Zillner, Coach Em Up traverses all things training, performance, gains, and growth. Guests include your favorite coaches, current and former pro athletes, entrepreneurs, and influencers. Everyone can learn something from someone else- and we wanna learn from the best.

  1. 18h ago

    Olympic Sprinting Secrets, Enhanced Games, Trackflation & More with EMMANUEL MATADI | Ep. 128

    Check out Emmanuel on socials! @Matadi Use code "coachemup10" for 10% off EVERYTHING at https://eleiko.com/coachemup Head over to https://ovrperformance.com/coachemup and get $25 off Grab a Subscriber tee at https://www.dripthatdelivers.com Emmanuel Matadi, three-time Olympian and one of the most jacked sprinters on the planet, joins Tim Riley on the Coach 'Em Up Podcast to break down sprint science, recovery, the Enhanced Games controversy, and what it actually takes to run a 9.95 at age 35. From Liberia to the Olympic blocks, Matadi's story is as wild as his 40 time in Timbs. Matadi didn't start taking track seriously until his junior year of high school. He was too busy playing football, wrestling, and figuring out how to survive as a Liberian immigrant in Minnesota. Then he casually smoked the fastest kid at his school in a race and the rest wrote itself. On this episode, Emmanuel and Tim go deep on how to run faster in the 100m, why most youth sprinters burn out before they ever peak, and how the old-school method of running 400m repeats until athletes puke is the opposite of what athletes need. Emmanuel breaks down his phase-by-phase sprint cues, why tense muscles are slow muscles, his love of resisted hill sled work over overspeed, and how 8 hours of sleep a night is the ultimate recovery tool. They also get into the Enhanced Games, where Matadi ran 9.95 at 35 years old and had to address years of steroid accusations head-on. They also explain the science behind fast twitch muscle fiber training and why preserving Type 2X fibers into your 30s and 40s matters more than any 5K you'll ever run. Produced by Q6 Media https://q6.media 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:15 - Matadi's Background 00:06:23 - High School Football, Wrestling, and How Track Started 00:11:08 - New NCAA Eligibility rules and NIL 00:17:56 - JUCO Grind vs. Pro Sprint Programming 00:27:26 - Trackflation, Youth Burnout, and Why Off-Seasons Matter 00:32:27 - The Mental Side of Sprinting 00:36:22 - Racing in Three Olympics 00:43:16 - 100m Race Strategy, Acceleration, and Sprint Mechanic Cues 00:46:58 - Recovery Protocols, Weight Management, and Off-Season Lifting 00:52:21 - Line It Up 40 Tournament and the Enhanced Games Experience 01:03:22 - Longevity, Fast-Twitch Fiber Training, and APEX Philosophy 01:15:37 - APEX Miami Breakdown 01:19:38 - Crocs 40, Phase Cues, Bulgarian Split Squats, and Plate Marches 01:28:43 - Youth Mechanics, Peaking in Long Seasons, and Rant n Rave 01:37:06 - Unsolicited Advice and Closing #EmmanuelMatadi #CoachEmUpPodcast #SprintTraining #HowToRunFaster #EnhancedGames #SprintMechanics #FastTwitchTraining #TrackAndField #ResistedSprinting #OlympicSprinter

    Olympic Sprinting Secrets, Enhanced Games, Trackflation & More with EMMANUEL MATADI | Ep. 128

  2. Aug 11

    Change of Direction vs Agility & Perceptual Cognition with Q WILLEY | Ep. 127

    Check out Q on socials! @coach_q_physio Use code "coachemup10" for 10% off EVERYTHING at https://eleiko.com/coachemup Head over to https://ovrperformance.com/coachemup and get $25 off Grab a Subscriber tee at https://www.dripthatdelivers.com Tim Riley sits down with physical therapist and strength coach Q Willey to break down change of direction training, deceleration, and how to actually bridge the gap between the weight room and the field. Q brings his 4 level COD programming framework and zero patience for coaches running circus tricks with reaction lights. Q is a former UNC lacrosse national champion, exercise physiologist, and Doctor of Physical Therapy who now coaches out of Austin and collaborates with Dr. Katie Dabrowski on the Confusingly Jacked program and a comprehensive COD Program Guide. In this episode, Q draws a hard line between pre-planned change of direction training and true open field reactive agility, explains why deceleration ground reaction forces run 2 to 3 times higher than acceleration, and lays out exactly how to move athletes through Return to Participation, Return to Play, and Return to Performance phases without blowing them up. Q also torches the coaching mistake of substituting circus tricks like reaction light games for real cognitive perceptual training, walks through the model for deceleration kinematics, and breaks down how to calculate a COD deficit using the 5-10-5 drill. If you work with athletes and you are still debating whether COD work belongs in your programming, this one settles it. Topics include change of direction vs agility, reactive agility drills, biomechanics of deceleration, eccentric deceleration drills, return to performance continuum rehab, microdosing change of direction, the 4 level COD programming framework, and catastrophizers vs confronters in physical therapy. Produced by Q6 Media https://q6.media 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:45 - Q's Background, Adult Lacrosse at 35 00:10:31 - Change of Direction vs Agility 00:13:56 - Bridge Between the Weight Room and the Field 00:17:01 - Reactivity Spectrum and the Reverse Marilyn Monroe Principle 00:25:43 - Circus Tricks vs Real Cognitive Perceptual Training 00:32:01 - Deceleration Biomechanics 00:46:25 - COD Testing and COD Deficit Calculations 00:54:06 - Return to Participation, Play, and Performance 01:00:15 - The 4-Level COD Programming Framework 01:15:36 - Microdosing COD Work Into Your Weekly Routine 01:21:15 - Confusingly Jacked Program with Katie Dabrowski 01:29:21 - Non-PT Coaches, Confronters vs Catastrophizers, Pain Management 01:38:11 - Why Novel Exercises Cause Soreness, PT School Reality 02:03:17 - Clamshells and OVR Force Plates 02:10:33 - Heat Shock Protein Sauna Myth Busted #CoachEmUpPodcast #ChangeOfDirectionTraining #DecelerationTraining #ReactiveAgilityDrills #SportsPhysicalTherapy #StrengthCoach #ReturnToPerformance #QuentinWilley #AgilityTraining #PhysicalTherapyPodcast

    Change of Direction vs Agility & Perceptual Cognition with Q WILLEY | Ep. 127

  3. Aug 4

    The Secret To Building World-class Speed with BRIAN KULA | Ep. 126

    Check out Brian on socials! @briankula @kulasportsperformance Use code "coachemup10" for 10% off EVERYTHING at https://eleiko.com/coachemup Head over to https://ovrperformance.com/coachemup and get $25 off Grab a Subscriber tee at https://www.dripthatdelivers.com Brian Kula has spent 27 years turning athletes into weapons, from high school track kids to NFL Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey. On this episode of the Coach Em Up Podcast, Tim Riley sits down with Brian to break down sports performance philosophy, the biggest mistakes coaches make in speed training, and how to safely bring sprinting to the general population. Plus, Brian gets candid about coaching elite pros, building ETS Performance, and why relationships matter more than any X's and O's. Brian Kula is one of the most decorated performance coaches in the game. A third-generation coach and former decathlete, Brian built Kula Sports Performance from the ground up, including a pivot during the 2020 pandemic that helped him scale his private training business. This episode covers the full spectrum: why coaches keep making the same speed training mistakes, what vertical integration speed training actually looks like in practice, how to coach sprinting mechanics for athletes without destroying your general population clients, and what Brian learned from his elite mentors. Brian also opens up about the realities of coaching pro athletes, his work with ETS Performance to build career tracks for young coaches, and why plyometrics for speed development are criminally underrated. If you are chasing faster athletes, a smarter program, or a coaching career worth building, this one is packed. Produced by Q6 Media https://q6.media 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:02:20 - Brian's background and coaching legacy 00:06:40 - Athlete to coach transition and developing patience 00:11:12 - Coaching youth athletes vs. coaching pros 00:18:33 - Evolution of training philosophy and mentors 00:27:10 - Learning from coaching mistakes and pivoting your program 00:32:04 - Top mistakes in speed training 00:34:40 - Sprinting for general pop and the Fast Forever protocol 00:45:12 - Assessing and coaching elite pros 00:49:18 - Pros and cons of coaching professional athletes 00:55:25 - Mentorship, ETS Performance, and building careers 01:11:34 - The power of relationships 01:14:37 - Listener Q&A with Brian Kula 01:29:37 - Three Things, Rant and Rave, and Unsolicited Advice #CoachEmUpPodcast #BrianKula #KulaSportsPerformance #SpeedTraining #StrengthAndConditioningPodcast #SprintingMechanics #PerformanceCoach #ETSPerformance #SpeedDevelopment #Plyometrics

    The Secret To Building World-class Speed with BRIAN KULA | Ep. 126

  4. Jul 28

    The Science Behind PEDs, Steroids, Peptides, Hormones, & More | JON HECK | Coach Em Up Pod Ep. 125

    Check out Jon on socials! @what_the_heck71 @HammerAndChiselPerformance Use code "coachemup10" for 10% off EVERYTHING at https://eleiko.com/coachemup Head over to https://ovrperformance.com/coachemup and get $25 off Grab a Subscriber tee at https://www.dripthatdelivers.com "If you're going to go down this road, you better be prepared to be on it for life." Tim Riley sits down with elite strength coach and former D1 football player Jon Heck to break down the real science behind PEDs, covering anabolic and androgenic steroids, TRT, growth hormone, insulin, fat burners, and peptides. John Heck gives a no-BS, medically grounded take on who actually uses this stuff, what it does to your body long-term, and why PEDs in sports performance are wildly misunderstood. This episode covers why pro athletes actually don't use steroids (99% of users are recreational gym bros), how side effects of oral vs injectable steroids differ drastically, why kidney health is the silent killer, and the terrifying reality of insulin risks in bodybuilding and DNP fat burner dangers. Jon also walks through growth hormone hyperplasia bodybuilding, the peptide recovery benefits debate, gray market loopholes, and why steroids ruining athletic performance is especially true for team sport athletes relying on connective tissue elasticity. The Q&A at the end gets practical fast: reverse dieting, budget nutrition, potassium targets, and phasic diets laid out step by step. Produced by Q6 Media https://q6.media 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:04:00 - PEDs in Sports Performance 00:07:50 - Who Actually Uses Steroids? Pro Athlete Misconceptions 00:10:45 - Anabolic vs Androgenic Steroids 00:22:20 - Jon's First Testosterone Cycle 00:29:45 - Lifetime Commitment, Fertility Risks, and the Endocrine Shutdown 00:35:55 - Estrogen Management, Gyno, and Kidney Health 00:44:00 - Roid Rage Myth, Side Effects of Oral vs Injectable Steroids, Health Timelines 00:54:35 - TREN: Origin and Side Effects 00:59:20 - Diminishing Returns, Counterfeit Gear, and Infection Risks 01:07:00 - Youth Steroid Use in High School Football 01:11:30 - Growth Hormone Hyperplasia Bodybuilding 01:17:20 - Insulin Risks in Bodybuilding 01:21:05 - DNP Fat Burner Dangers, Clenbuterol explained 01:25:30 - Peptide Recovery Benefits and Risks 01:32:10 - Reverse Dieting and Budget Nutrition 01:45:05 - Jon's Phasic Dieting Protocol 01:48:00 - TRT vs Anabolic Steroids for Real Life 01:51:15 - Nutrition Travel Hack #CoachEmUpPodcast #PEDsInSports #AnabolicSteroids #TRTvsAnabolicSteroids #JohnHeck #StrengthCoach #BodybuildingPodcast #SportsPerformance #Peptides #DNPDangers

    The Science Behind PEDs, Steroids, Peptides, Hormones, & More | JON HECK | Coach Em Up Pod Ep. 125

  5. Jul 21

    Volleyball Training, Collegiate S&C, & Isometrics with ERICA LOWREY & ASHLEY KOWALEWSKI | Coach Em Up Podcast Ep. 124

    Check out Erica and Ashley on socials! @ericalowreystrength @ashleykowalewski Use code "coachemup10" for 10% off EVERYTHING at https://eleiko.com/coachemup Head over to https://ovrperformance.com/coachemup and get $25 off Grab a Subscriber tee at https://www.dripthatdelivers.com Erica Lowrey and Ashley Kowalewski join Tim Riley on the coach em up podcast to break down how to increase vertical jump, fix jumper's knee, and survive the grind of collegiate athletics. The group goes deep on patellar tendinopathy in volleyball players, isometric exercises for tendon stiffness, eccentric overloading, and strength training for female volleyball players. They also tackle the real conversation around female athlete body composition coaching. And if you are a strength and conditioning intern or a young coach figuring out how to navigate your first role, the Q&A and intern advice segments in this episode are required listening. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast! It's free to you and helps us bring on more badass guests like Erica and AK :) Produced by Q6 Media https://q6.media Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:26 - Erica's Volleyball Background 00:09:24 - Liberty University & Exercise Science 00:12:08 - Pillars for Strength and Conditioning Internship Success 00:20:08 - Eccentrics and Isometrics for Tissue Longevity 00:23:20 - Recap of the Coach Em Up Conference 00:26:26 - Tackling Body Composition in Female Athletes 00:32:02 - Ashley's Road Back from 98 Pounds 00:37:58 - Body Image Talks with Female Athletes 00:44:44 - Erica's Coaching Journey and USA Bobsled Recruitment 00:52:20 - Ashley's Academic Background and Mentorship Path to LSU 00:59:33 - The Mental Demands of Strength Coaching 01:16:04 - Assessing Incoming Freshman Athletes 01:21:24 - Tendon Stiffness and How to Fix Jumper's Knee 01:31:00 - Overcoming Dumb Athlete Beliefs and Building Exercise Systems 01:33:40 - How to Increase Vertical Jump, Shoulder Stability, and Coaching Autonomy 01:46:01 - Most Impressive Female Athletic Feats and Handling Difficult Sport Coaches 01:58:03 - Overrated vs. Underrated in Athletic Performance 02:02:06 - Final Advice for Interns #CoachEmUpPodcas #StrengthCoachPodcast #EccentriOverload #JumpersKnee #FemaleStrengthCoach #VerticalJumpTraining #TriphasicTraining #CollegiateStrengthCoaching #EricaLowrey #AshleyKowalewski

    Volleyball Training, Collegiate S&C, & Isometrics with ERICA LOWREY & ASHLEY KOWALEWSKI | Coach Em Up Podcast Ep. 124

  6. Jul 14

    The Problem With Testosterone & Biohacking Culture with DR BEN HOUSE | Coach Em Up Podcast Ep. 123

    Check out Ben on socials! @drbenhouse Use code "coachemup10" for 10% off EVERYTHING at https://eleiko.com/coachemup Head over to https://ovrperformance.com/coachemup and get $25 off Grab a Subscriber tee at https://www.dripthatdelivers.com Dr. Ben House returns to the internet to drop some hard truths: baseline testosterone does not predict hypertrophy, the TRT industry is largely built on noise, and your environment matters more than your willpower. Tim Riley and Zack Zillner dig into Ben's wild journey — from MCAT prep and Teach for America, to building a volcano compound in Costa Rica, farming through COVID, and working in the NBA — before landing on his new venture, Biomolecular Athlete. In this episode, he dismantles some of the most pervasive myths in the performance world — testosterone optimization, biohacking culture, and the obsession with chasing biological mechanisms over real output. Ben breaks down why obesity is the number one driver of low testosterone, why androgen receptor sensitivity matters far more than serum testosterone levels, and why women can build comparable relative muscle mass to men despite having a fraction of the hormone. He also shares his evolution from authoritarian coach to 'Sherpa', how Self-Determination Theory explains the gap between knowledge and action, and why the best coaching often means doing less. Produced by Q6 Media https://q6.media Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:41 - How Dr. Ben House Changed Tim's Coaching Career 00:07:00 - Ben's Origin Story: Sports, MCAT & Hating Clinical Medicine 00:10:45 - Teach for America, Austin, and Finding the Fitness World 00:16:19 - Biohacking Skepticism & What Actually Drives Adaptation 00:19:10 - The Costa Rica Volcano Compound & Farming Through COVID 00:30:00 - Memphis Grizzlies Tenure & Leaving the Internet 00:42:25 - Coaching Philosophy Evolution 00:49:22 - Sobriety, Obsession & the Gap Between Knowledge and Action 00:56:50 - Building Ecosystems Over Willpower 01:12:56 - Testosterone & TRT Reality Check 01:21:57 - Obesity, Leptin Resistance & Why Your Testicles Are Inflamed 01:30:42 - Sleep Myths & Why Women Can Match Men's Gains 01:44:41 - Chasing Mechanisms 01:50:35 - Unsolicited Advice #CoachEmUpPodcast #DrBenHouse #TestosteroneMyths #Hypertrophy #StrengthCoaching #NutritionalScience #BiomolecularAthlete #AndyGalpin #FunctionalMedicine #Podcast

    The Problem With Testosterone & Biohacking Culture with DR BEN HOUSE | Coach Em Up Podcast Ep. 123

  7. Jul 7

    The Case Against Overanalyzing Fitness & Content Creation | DYLAN SHANNON Q&A | Ep. 122

    Check out Dylan on socials! @dylan_shannon @_dylanshannon Grab a Subscriber tee at https://dripthatdelivers.com Use code "coachemup10" for 10% off EVERYTHING at https://eleiko.com/coachemup Head over to https://ovrperformance.com/coachemup and get $25 off Dylan Shannon is back and he's built different. Tim Riley and Zack Zillner chop it up with the PowerJacked creator about his move to Boston, prepping for Apex, and why your perfect program is probably the one you're already sleeping on. Plus, Dylan reveals the WWE actually slid in his DMs — and he said no. Dylan Shannon went from a part-time strength coach with zero online presence to one of the most engaged creators in the fitness space. In this reunion, Dylan breaks down his training philosophy, why science based lifting is quietly ruining young lifters, and why he finally got serious about fixing his hormones and his relationship with food. The listener Q&A goes deep: body dysmorphia, TRT, junk volume myths, bench press mastery, content creation strategy, and how to build a training business from the ground up. Produced by Q6 Media https://q6.media Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:03:46 - Why Dylan Moved to Boston 00:05:05 - Training for Apex Boston & the Fitness Scene 00:08:22 - How One Podcast Episode Changed Dylan's Life 00:11:16 - PowerJacked Program & Chalk Performance 00:15:35 - 10-Year Plans & Why Rigid Goals Kill Momentum 00:20:17 - Peaking for Apex & Mile Strategy 00:26:08 - Binge Eating, Body Dysmorphia & Getting on TRT 00:32:28 - Performance Bulking, 550 lb Squats & High School Beef 00:35:54 - How to Build a Personal Training Business from Scratch 00:39:31 - Midbod Freak Athlete vs. Mr. Olympia Trashlete 00:42:22 - The Truth About Junk Volume 00:46:06 - Top 3 DM Questions Dylan Gets Every Day 00:48:02 - Lifetime Lift Goals & Top 3 Exercises 00:50:51 - How to Build a Freakishly Big Bench Press 00:52:08 - Dylan's Foolproof Content Strategy 00:55:11 - The WWE Slides Into Dylan's DMs 01:00:16 - From Self-Doubt to Self-Belief 01:06:01 - Overrated vs. Underrated in Athletic Performance 01:08:48 - The #1 Piece of Advice for Coaches Who Want to Create Content #DylanShannon #PowerJacked #CoachEmUpPodcast #StrengthCoach, #FitnessPodcast #AthleteTraining #BenchPress #TRT #ContentCreation

    The Case Against Overanalyzing Fitness & Content Creation | DYLAN SHANNON Q&A | Ep. 122

  8. Jun 30

    Velocity Based Training, College Athletics & Identity-based Branding with JOE PEDULLA | Ep. 121

    Check out Joe on socials! @pedullaperformance Grab a Subscriber tee at https://dripthatdelivers.com Use code "coachemup10" for 10% off EVERYTHING at https://eleiko.com/coachemup Head over to https://ovrperformance.com/coachemup and get $25 off Use code "Tim" to get 15% off at https://davidgreyrehab.com Oklahoma University strength coach Joe Pedulla is back on Coach 'Em Up, and he's not holding back. He digs into VBT, identity-based branding, in-season periodization, and why your athletes might be getting slower because of how you're training them. Plus Joe drops some of the most quotable lines in Coach Em Up history. He opens up about coaching female athletes at OU and how it completely reshaped his character — patience, temperance, the whole deal. He also breaks down why personal brands that win aren't selling information — they're selling identity, feeling, and community. If you coach and you're trying to build something online, this section alone is worth the full episode. On the training side, Joe goes deep on Velocity-Based Training. He explains the difference between effort and exertion, breaks down minimal voluntary thresholds for squats, bench, deadlifts, and more, and explains exactly why letting your athletes train at high exertion levels converts fast-twitch Type 2X fibers to Type 2A. He also covers his king metrics — Propulsive Net Impulse and Peak Relative Propulsive Power — and why usable strength is the only strength that matters. Throw in Daily Undulating Periodization for in-season, a critique of program hopping, audience Q&A, and a hilarious urinal story involving Joe Girardi, and we've got a great episode on our hands! Produced by Q6 Media https://q6.media 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:02:30 - Coaching Female Athletes & Life Transitions 00:07:33 - Personal Brands Sell Identity, Not Information 00:12:13 - Time Management, Capacity & Business Systems 00:19:33 - Mentorship & Belief Systems 00:25:44 - Evaluating New Training Methods & Volume Load 00:30:47 - Velocity-Based Training 00:39:03 - Velocity Loss & Fast-Twitch Fiber Conversion 00:43:36 - In-Season Training & Daily Undulating Periodization 00:50:08 - Usable Strength & King Metrics 00:53:10 - Stop Program Hopping 01:00:40 - Q&A: Dictator Mode, Social Media & Elbow Issues 01:04:09 - Pro vs. College Coaching & Building an Online Brand 01:09:02 - Faith, Introspection & Business Foundations 01:11:07 - The Coach's Frame 01:14:15 - What's Next for Joe Pedulla 01:17:36 - Three Things, Rant & Rave 01:24:53 - Resisted Sprints & Submax Training 01:28:12 - Urinal Advice #CoachEmUp #StrengthCoach #VelocityBasedTraining #JoePadulla #StrengthAndConditioning #AthleticPerformance #SportScience #OnlineCoaching #PodcastForCoaches #Podcast

    Velocity Based Training, College Athletics & Identity-based Branding with JOE PEDULLA | Ep. 121
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4.9
out of 5
89 Ratings

About

Coach Em Up Podcast is here! Hosted by renowned coaches Tim Riley and Zack Zillner, Coach Em Up traverses all things training, performance, gains, and growth. Guests include your favorite coaches, current and former pro athletes, entrepreneurs, and influencers. Everyone can learn something from someone else- and we wanna learn from the best.

Information

  • Creator
    Tim Riley
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    128
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Tim Riley
  • Show Website
    Coach Em Up Podcast

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