In this week's episode of Strength Coach Rants we talk about the story of Ben Johnson, Carl Lewis, and a really sketchy drug test that resulted in your mediocre gym gains.

In this follow up episode Coach Connor talks about the situation at San Jose State with the women's volleyball program. 12 women have filed suit against the Mountain West Conference alleging Title IX protections, and infringement of their 1st amendment rights.

On Thursday November 7th, 2024 the NCAA DI Council voted to extend eligibility to hockey players in the CHL. This is a landmark vote that will completely change the landscape of hockey development in North America. Who will benefit, who get's hurt, and what are the outcomes here? We'll go over all of that today on Strength Coach Rants!

When it comes to children specializing in and playing the same sport year-round, who's actually to blame? Today we're going to go over a few studies that give us that very answer!

Kids leave, families break up, and all to continue persuing their dreams of playing hockey at the next level. It doesn't have to be this way. How much AAA/Tier I hockey opportunity is there in Florida? We're constantly told by governing bodies that there just aren't enough players in the state to field more than one organization at the Tier I level. That's total nonsense! Today we go over the numbers, and look towards possible solutions!

This week Coach Connor goes over a presentation that he delivered at the USA Hockey 17U National Development Camp back in June. There's a ton of good information in this one! From workout structure, to why and when we do certain things in the gym, and there's even some information on warming up, cooling down, and recovery strategies for hockey players!

Youth sports generate almost 20 billion dollars a year in the United States, and everyone is trying to get their piece of the action. Youth sports organizations, skills coaches, and sport coaches telling you that you'll get left behind if you don't play all year are looking out for their bottom lines, not your child's success. Will your kid be left behind if you take time off? Absolutely not! We're going to talk about the why today.

In about 2 months the world of athletics is going to change. Joe Biden's new rules and regulations concerning Title IX go into effect on August 1st which afford trans athletes the same protections as women. So this begs the question, should biological men be allowed to compete against biological women? We'll talk about that today on Strength Coach Rants!

A study titled Exploring the Association between Elevated Anxiety Symptoms and Low Skeletal Muscle Mass among Asymptomatic Adults: A Population-Based Study in Republic of Korea was published recently in the Brain Sciences Journal. They sought to find out if there are links between muscle mass and anxiety. And they actually found some pretty interesting information and we're going to talk about that today!

The Biden administration just signed into effect a new set of rules when it comes to TITLE IX reversing rules set by Betsy Devos during the Trump administration. What effect will these new rules have on women? Find out today on Strength Coach Rants!

Sports specialization is all the rage. In fact, it's seen not just as the cool thing to do, but as the only way to achieve the highest levels of sports. This could not be more wrong and every data set we have points to the complete opposite! Today Coach Connor reacts to a question from the John Deloney Show that came from a mother whose 10 year old's sports ambitions are ruling their household.

Stop running! Running is a horrible way to increase your aesthetics, and fitness in general. Most people who embark on a running routine have visions of six-pack abs and an overall aesthetic look. Today we talk about the history of running and the science behind why you’ll never accomplish your fitness goals if running is front and center in your programming.

The FHSAA (Florida High School High School Athletic Association) just put forth a proposal to allow NIL deals for high school athletes. This move would help the state of Florida join 33 other states and DC in allowing athletes to make money off their name, image and likeness. Is this a good move, or a bad one? We'll talk about that, and the history of the NIL today!

The 80-year generational continuum based on the Strauss-Howe Generational Theory is real, and we're in it. Whether we're in the weak men create hard times or the hard times create strong men part remains up for debate. Today we're going to talk about some of the parallels between the Fall of the Roman Empire and the Fall of the American Republic.

Most training programs seem to incorporate some direct kind of forearm training. The reality is, this is a total exercise in futility (no pun intended) and you would be much better off devoting this time to other training modalities. We'll talk about the why today.

Ankle tape may be one of the most common preventative measures taken by athletes today. We've all had that one teammate who couldn't seem to stop rolling their ankle and would use either tape or braces ALL THE TIME. Is there benefit to using ankle tape? Is using ankle tape productive? Should I even use ankle tape? We'll answer all those questions today!

The most studied supplement for performance on the planet is creatine. There are hundreds of studies yielding tons of data. But I still hear all the time "You shouldn't take creatine during the season" or "Creatine dehydrates you" and even "Creatine is dangerous". Is there any truth to these accusations?

We're going to talk about how creatine works, why it works, and why it should be a staple in your supplement regimen!

Artificial Intelligence applications are becoming more and more popular by the day. Chat GPT and GROK are two of the most successfully marketed chatbots and they can do your homework, write you an article, code, draw contracts, and as I found out today, even create training programs.

We're going to go over some of the limitations and advantages of using AI to create training programs for yourself, or (hopefully not) your clients.

Youth sports have been commercialized and it's only getting worse. The US spends 19B dollars per year on youth athletics, and that's projected to more than double by the year 2026! Today we'll look at how much money parents are spending on their kids' sports, what the time cost is, and the odds that you'll be lucky enough to land that full ride to a university.

Are high school weight rooms safe? All across the country high school football programs are entering into Winter workouts in preparation for the Spring football game. This means kids will be lifting weights and conditioning with their football coaches. Quite possibly the worst-case scenario at many schools that don't have strength coaches, but that doesn't stop them. So to answer the question of what is going on in high school weight rooms, nothing good.