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. 2d ago

    Insane Coaching Stories, Navigating Life, and the Future of APEX | Coach Em Up Podcast Ep. 131

    Check out Tim on socials! @timrileytraining 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 goes solo on the Coach Em Up Podcast for a Q&A covering apex competition rules, sprint training for beginners, OCD diagnosis, sobriety, and much more. He shares combine stories, his biggest coaching blunders, and why carbs are still the OG performance enhancer. He breaks down the viral Hyrox biohazard incident in Beijing and uses it to set the record straight on Apex competition health policy. Then he rewinds to age 26, no car, no phone, no money, walking to his first training job out of a Florida halfway house, and explains how he became the person he is today. On the business side, Tim talks about how watching physical therapist David Gray build ethical, high-value content convinced him to post consistently and eventually launch Cheat Code, open his own gym, and build Apex from the ground up. He shares his rules for hiring new coaches, the real reason Apex does not use weight classes, and his 2026-2027 expansion targets. Tim walks through how to improve broad jump mechanics with the Blaine Broad progression, covers sprint training for beginners with a slow-to-fast, low-impact-first framework, and shares his experience training Xavier Worthy. He also recounts two genuinely catastrophic coaching mistakes involving a plyo box and a Swiss ball on a treadmill. The back half of the episode goes personal. Tim opens up about his OCD diagnosis and how Exposure and Response Prevention therapy finally gave him tools that worked. He also reflects on fatherhood, egocentric bias, and what it actually means to live instead of just survive. This is a strength and conditioning podcast that does not stay in its lane. That is the point. Produced by Q6 Media https://q6.media 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:28 - The Hyrox poop incident 00:10:32 - Advice to his 26-year-old self and early sobriety 00:14:48 - Finding venues for Apex and expansion hurdles 00:18:11 - Building influence, business ethics, and launching Apex 00:29:52 - How to improve your broad jump 00:32:49 - Scaling brands and rules for hiring coaches 00:37:13 - Game speed vs weightroom skill 00:40:46 - Biggest coaching mistakes 00:50:11 - Sprint training for beginners 00:54:08 - Apex 2026-2027 road map and international expansion 01:01:38 - Stepping back from full-time client training 01:06:01 - Why Apex does not have weight classes 01:10:41 - Unsolicited advice, lying, and egocentric bias 01:18:20 - Pure OCD diagnosis and Exposure Response Prevention therapy 01:29:11 - Carbs for athletic performance, fatherhood, anxiety 01:37:27 - Managing career transitions and embracing uncertainty #CoachEmUpPodcast #ApexCompetition #SprintTraining #StrengthAndConditioningPodcast #BroadJump #MentalHealth #OCD #NFLCombine #XavierWorthy #Podcast

    Insane Coaching Stories, Navigating Life, and the Future of APEX | Coach Em Up Podcast Ep. 131

  2. Sep 15

    ALEC BLENIS on Training For A Sub-2:30 Marathon While Gaining Muscle | Ep. 130

    Check out Alec on socials! @alecblenis 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 Hybrid athlete and coach Alec Blenis is back for his SIXTH appearance on Coach Em Up! Alec breaks down his pursuit of a sub-2:30 marathon while holding serious muscle, training alongside Paris Olympian Yaseen Abdalla, and surviving sodium bicarbonate's most brutal side effects. Alec Blenis is a hybrid athlete who has been chasing the sub-2:30 marathon while maintaining elite-level strength. In this episode he lays out exactly how he got there: doubling weekly running volume to 75 miles, outsourcing his programming to coach John Davis to kill decision fatigue, and training on treadmills next to a guy who ran a 2:11 in Paris. The interference effect is real, but Alec explains how adaptation eventually brought strength back online. He also speaks on his unorthodox fueling, drinking a liter of OJ a day and over 400 grams of sugar total to maintain his training. From there, things get weird in the best way. Tim and Alec break down backyard ultramarathon psychology through Mark Dowdle's 5-day performance in Germany, dissect trainer Joel Seedman's Instagram content connecting 90-degree squats to theology, and then unload a stacked Q&A covering high-carb marathon fueling strategy, unilateral vs bilateral training, hybrid athlete training split design, HRV usefulness for athletes, endurance training for heavy runners, treadmill stiffness vs road running, and whether mental toughness drills are actually overrated. If you are running a marathon while lifting heavy, training concurrently, or just trying to understand the interference effect without losing your mind, this episode has you covered. Produced by Q6 Media https://q6.media Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Introduciton 00:01:41 - Alec's Running Background and Sub-2:30 Marathon Goal 00:07:04 - Marathon Benchmarks, Coaching Value, and the Interference Effect 00:12:48 - Training with Yaseen Abdalla and Mitch Ammons 00:18:23 - High-Carb Fueling: OJ, Sugar, and Surviving Austin Heat 00:27:18 - Backyard Ultras and Mark Dowdle's Psychological Warfare 00:35:36 - Joel Seedman's Eccentric Isometrics and Theological Squats 00:46:14 - Tim's Best and Worst Qualities 00:50:06 - Unilateral vs Bilateral Training 00:52:11 - Session Flow vs Exercise Ordering 00:53:30 - Building Muscle Under High Endurance Fatigue 00:55:04 - Smartwatch Metrics and HRV Skepticism 00:59:01 - Structuring a Hybrid Training Split 01:00:45 - Sodium Bicarbonate Side Effects 01:06:33 - Weekly OJ Totals and Apex Australia Plans 01:09:16 - Single High-Volume Run vs Spreading Weekly Mileage 01:10:06 - Endurance Training for Heavy Athletes 01:15:02 - Heat Acclimatization and Overrated Mental Toughness Drills 01:20:07 - Treadmill Stiffness vs Road Running #HybridAthlete #ConcurrentTraining #AlecBlenis #CoachEmUpPodcast #MarathonTraining #InterferenceEffect #RunningAndLifting #EnduranceTraining #Podcast #StrengthAndConditioning

    ALEC BLENIS on Training For A Sub-2:30 Marathon While Gaining Muscle | Ep. 130

  3. Sep 8

    The Secrets to Getting Fast, Jumping High, and Winning Life with JASON ROTGER | Ep 129

    Check out Jason on socials! @Jason_rotger @jasonrotger 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 Speed and performance coach Jason Rotger joins Tim Riley to break down speed training, sprint mechanics, and vertical jump training the right way. From a near-fatal BMX crash at 15 to Division I decathlon at FIU, Jason's story is as wild as his coaching methods. He dropped his own 100m from by ditching heavy squats, and he'll tell you exactly why your weight room obsession might be killing your speed. Jason Rotger went from BMX national rankings to pole vaulting, then earned a D1 scholarship as a decathlete at Florida International University. Along the way, he dealt with ankle surgery, a torn labrum, a supraspinatus tear, and a sprint plateau that had him squatting 435 lbs at 175 lbs bodyweight and still running an 11.8 hundred meter. The fix? He stopped squatting and started sprinting. That single shift dropped his time almost immediately. This episode covers the how to run a faster 100m debate head-on, the real role of plyometrics for sprint speed, timing gates as a non-negotiable coaching tool, 40 yard dash start technique, and how to improve broad jump distance fast. Jason also breaks down decathlon training volume, pole vault physics, and why sprint coaches need to invest in timing equipment for their athletes. He also opens up about completing his first full decathlon post-college without injury. You only lose when you quit. Produced by Q6 Media https://q6.media 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:02:06 - BMX Racing Career and Near-Fatal Crash 00:11:28 - Transition to Pole Vaulting 00:19:14 - D1 Decathlon at FIU and Injury Streak 00:27:36 - First Full Decathlon and Process Mindset 00:31:00 - Mental Grit and the Rocky Influence 00:34:49 - Sprint Plateau and Heavy Squats 00:39:45 - Coaching Collegiate Sprinters to 25 mph 00:44:49 - Vertical Jump Training and Volleyball Athletes 00:48:25 - Coaching CrossFit Athletes for Combine Events 00:52:54 - Combine Timing Systems and Hamstring Injury Risk 01:02:14 - Pole Vault Physics and Apex Targets 01:12:09 - Hottest Takes on Speed Training 01:16:02 - Authentic Brand Building and Event Swaps 01:20:05 - Three Pieces of Advice for Performance Coaches 01:22:02 - Sprint Coach Rant 01:25:41 - Overrated vs. Underrated in Athletic Performance 01:30:43 - Unsolicited Advice #SpeedTraining #SprintMechanics #VerticalJumpTraining #CoachEmUpPodcast #Decathlon #PoleVault #JasonRotger #AthleticPerformance #Plyometrics #Podcast

    The Secrets to Getting Fast, Jumping High, and Winning Life with JASON ROTGER | Ep 129

  4. Aug 25

    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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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
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4.9
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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
    131
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Tim Riley
  • Show Website
    Coach Em Up Podcast

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