In our chat, we really focused on how important it is to prioritize quality over quantity when it comes to training. We talked about how crucial it is for athletes to get enough sleep and maintain a balanced lifestyle. We also debated that it's not so much about the specific exercises or routines you do in the gym, but more about the intention and effort you put into them. We stressed how vital it is to have a good coaching relationship and really understand each athlete's individual needs. Oh, ...
Mar 04, 2024•29 min
In this engaging conversation, the speakers delve into the complexities of coaching and building efficient programs in wrestling and combat sports. They highlight the significance of allowing young athletes to explore multiple sports, while simultaneously recognizing the advantages brought by specialization as athletes mature and identify their core interests. The discussion notably underscores the importance of the coach-athlete relationship, especially when athletes face challenging situations...
Feb 26, 2024•45 min
In this riveting episode of "Building a Fighter", hosts Dr. Austin Schoen, a sports chiropractor, and Alex Friedman, a strength coach, sit down with Micah Schnurstein, a licensed clinical social worker and a part of the sports psychology department at the Performance Institute. Micah shares his journey from being a professional baseball player struggling with performance anxiety to becoming a mental performance coach. He dives deep into the concept of the 'Negativity Bias' and how understanding ...
Feb 19, 2024•1 hr 4 min
In this episode of Building a Fighter, Dr. Austin Schoen and Alex Friedman discuss the key factors when choosing the right gym. They discuss the importance of a coach's adaptability and the necessity for coaches to communicate with each other, not just with the athlete. They stress the importance of finding a balance between training and personal life, underlining that a harmonious personal life is crucial for high-performance training. Tune in to explore these topics and more. Visit our Website...
Feb 12, 2024•33 min
The discussion revolves around the integration of technical and non-technical training in sports, specifically MMA. We look to emphasize the importance of understanding how these two aspects complement each other, and the role of effective communication in managing injuries and rehab. We also discuss the concept of periodization in an athlete's development and the potential development of an app to help coaches aggregate data for training load management. Get in touch with our guest Dean Amasing...
Feb 05, 2024•1 hr 15 min
The discussion revolves around the importance of bodywork and maintenance for athletes, particularly those in combat sports. Key points include the necessity of addressing injuries, the role of bodywork in recovery, and the importance of sleep, diet, and workload management. The conversation also touches on the financial aspect of healthcare, suggesting alternatives like massage guns, foam rollers, cold plunges, and saunas for those unable to afford regular therapy sessions. The speakers emphasi...
Jan 30, 2024•33 min
Top 5 movements that you are missing in your MMA Strength training. We dive into some of the best specific mma strength and conditioning movements that we have seen. We value these movements for their variability, use toward MMA, and overall ergonomic benefit. All of these movements have very high transferability and a high movement specificity. The movements that you are missing are all progressions of simple basic movements. We are excited to share with you our top 5 movements that your are mi...
Jan 24, 2024•40 min
What is the difference between flexibility and mobility? How should we train each of them and why do they matter? We define these terms and identify the true value to getting more “flexible.” We articulate how to get there and for what purpose. This articulation includes best practices, theoretical gains, and live examples. We talk about specific mobility as it relates to mma and where these drills fit within a training scheme. We cover this topic holistically from defining the terms all the way...
Jan 16, 2024•44 min
Freestylin’ for the people! Talking a ton about wrestling coaching, how to create a good influence as a coach and stay positive! Then we delve into some technique talk and how to coach wrestling through live situations. We talk about systematizing a wrestling plan and how to identify the flow charts that happen in your head to end up hitting YOUR move. This is an incredibly useful podcast talking about how to build and coach a high school wrestling program! We share stories of our experiences wr...
Jan 09, 2024•53 min
Starting 2024 off with a banger! Phil Daru. Phil has been super influential in the mma strength training and performance space! We talk to Phil about everything related to training, his come up, his love with sports, and now even running a business. Phil is crushing the game in training and gives us good technical insights to training the MMA population as well as tips to keep growing and finding ways to evolve and grow. Phil touches on impactful principles to his training methods such as FRC, a...
Jan 01, 2024•55 min
Back to it with the dynamic duo! We are talking about coaching as a whole! What does it mean to have these skills as a coach and how can we implement this into our practices. Now you dont have to have a master’s degree or even know the word “pedagogy” to have this. It does however necessitate some forethought and consideration into practicing this thing we call “coaching.” The art of coaching has so much more to it than just showing up with a whistle. Coaching takes a three prong approach which ...
Dec 28, 2023•59 min
Hello Mr. Matt Guffey! Thanks for joining us and sharing your perspective with us. Matt is the owner of Victory Submission and Strength. Matt was referred to the podcast by a former guest and mentor Jordan Rudolph. Matt is also a BJJ brown belt. His insights into training for jiu jitsu, owning a business, and creating a good relationship with sport coaches is huge. It was a pleasure to have him on and learn more about how he runs his facility. Training a huge population of grapplers is a challen...
Dec 19, 2023•51 min
Welcome Gavin Pratt! Director of Strength and Conditioning at the UFC PI. Gavin is a bad ass in the field and has experience in everything from shark attacks to surfing, to strength and conditioning and preparing mixed martial artists. Gavin enlightens us to new approaches in preparing MMA athletes, and advances the team at the PI is making. Gavin also goes in on neck training. Gavin is a leader in this field and developing neck strength protocols and standards for athletes. We had a blast havin...
Dec 11, 2023•1 hr 4 min
Welcome Mr. Loren Landow! Loren is a legend in the strength game, owns a facility in Denver called Landow Performance, and was recently the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Denver Broncos. Loren has trained mixed martial artists for decades now and has even published a book on how to do so. Loren is a great coach and we enjoyed hearing his stories and lessons as he helped evolve preparation for mixed martial arts. We get into the weeds of how to organize training weeks, periodization...
Dec 04, 2023•1 hr 6 min
Welcome Mike Pierkarski aka Doctor Kickass. Mike is a Physical Therapist, Black Belt and strength coach. He has a huge insight into Jiu Jitsu, FRC, and Mixed Martial Arts Injuries. His page is a great follower as he breaks down major injuries and articulates scientifically backed information about how to prevent them. We had a great time discussing MMA common injury patterns, coaching while using a physical therapy lens, and connecting with athletes. Mike has so many insights from all the roles ...
Nov 27, 2023•1 hr 2 min
Welcome Julian “the Cuban Missile Crisis” Marquez! Julian is a UFC Middleweight. Julian is a fun and analytical athlete! We talk about everything from mma training to the love/hate relationship with strength and conditioning and even disc golf! Julian has trained with Alex at two various points in his career and the relationship building has led to a mutual benefit in their respective fields. Having an athlete’s perspective is so valuable as a coach, and vice versa a coach helping give athletes ...
Nov 20, 2023•1 hr 22 min
Welcome Dustin Jacoby! DJ is the #15 ranked UFC Light Heavyweight. This interview is a great insight into Dustin’s journey in resilience and ultimate success in MMA. Dustin shares personal stories of doubt, belief, and inspiration. Dustin and Alex met through training at Landow Performance where Alex serves as a strength and conditioning for DJ. Dustin points toward S&C as a key part of his longevity in the sport and maintenance on his body. WE round out the discussion talking about coaching...
Nov 13, 2023•56 min
Motivation. Inspiration. Consistency. Discipline. We take a deep dive into these characteristics and talk about what they mean and how they apply in our everyday life. On the more temporary side we have motivation and inspiration, these are great fuel sources for work and attitudes but they are also fleeting. So how do we capture these flames and make consistent or disciplined habits around positive feelings and actions. Which consistency and discipline also apply to negative habits as well. Ove...
Nov 06, 2023•35 min
Welcome Dr. Dino Del Mastro! Dino is a veteran in the field and works in California with many of the best mixed martial artists in the world. His passion for helping elevate the field is evident and he speaks to so many great points in our field. We were blown away with his knowledge and insights into professional and passionate care. Dr. Del Mastro is also a highly educated chiropractor having accomplished the Primary Spine Practitioner, and Corrective Exercise Specialist through NASM. We bonde...
Oct 30, 2023•1 hr 19 min
October Freestyle. We are talking about garage gyms, gym equipment/space, blending combat sports & S&C, and flat out wrestling coaching. This conversation was fun and we really dove into the weeds within training and coaching wrestling. What does next level coaching look like and how can we prepare to be there? Coaching doesn’t just happen on the tactical front, and its not just techniques either, coaching encompasses preparation and not just the individual pieces but how to blend each o...
Oct 23, 2023•35 min
The everlasting fear in combat sports. Gassing out. We talk a lot about conditioning in this episode, pretty much hit the whole topic from top to bottom. Outline the energy systems, talk about common pitfalls and offer our suggestions on how to best prepare any energy system. Long story, short you must be intentional and patient with your conditioning work. Know where in your process you are. Hint: you don’t have to die everytime you train conditioning… Planning this process out is key and worki...
Oct 16, 2023•45 min
Not actually brought to you by Coke.*** How good is good enough with movement? Where is the balance between moving perfectly and moving good enough? What is the risk vs. reward of moving inefficiently for performance? We discuss this topic in depth in this episode. As a strength coach or chiropractor we want athletes to move well and reduce the risk of injury, but performance demands some risk and poor positioning because of the sport. Where is the happy medium in this movement vs. performance c...
Oct 09, 2023•34 min
Building a Fighter welcomes Aaron Porter. Aaron is a sports performance coach with Alex at Landow Performance and Aaron has the privilege to train some of the best MMA athletes in the world such as Kamaru Usman, Justin Gathje, Cory Sandhagen, Drew Dober, and various other high level mixed martial artists. We have a great conversation just talking about training and MMA and UFC and how important it is to be part of the total process. Really knowing your athlete’s and being there for them in more ...
Oct 02, 2023•49 min
Technology and life balance! How should you approach technology as a business person in 2023. Alex takes the Bah-humbug approach to tech, whereas Austin thrives in it. This is a talk as much about taking on challenges and deciding how to address hurdles as it is about embracing technology in training or business. This talk gets heated as we argue about systems and how to become robust in dealing with technology. We end talking about the best way forward in coaching athletes and how to approach t...
Sep 25, 2023•50 min
Life outside your hustle. Does doing cool things make you a more well rounded human and add to your ability. When we as humans get so focused and narrowed into what we are doing we have a hard time seeing with perspective. This can lead to being unattached and unable to relate. There are benefits to hyperfocusing at times, but the eternal struggle to be balanced is worth the pursuit. Take this opportunity to reassess your own hustle and see if you are truly living out your values or if you are h...
Sep 18, 2023•28 min
Building a Fighter welcomes Adam Lusby, Strength and Conditioning Coach out of Dundee, Scotland. Adam has a great story of how he found his love in Strength and Conditioning and pivoted from no background in the space to owning and operating a high performance facility. Communication is a huge sticking point for Adam, he speaks to the importance of this ability and how coaches can go from simple communication to connection. The conversation then shifts toward workload management and recovery, an...
Sep 11, 2023•1 hr 2 min
Special Guest! Brandon Morgan. “B.Mo Fit” is a strength and conditioning coach for the Serra-Longo fight team based in New York. You can find his online bio here! He has some excellent insights into the strength and conditioning game and how to truly connect with athletes. A lifelong martial artist himself Brandon is entrenched in all performance related to the fight game, strength and conditioning, nutrition, mental performance, and skill practice. WE go through his process and how he handles a...
Sep 04, 2023•59 min
Our most frequent guest returns! Miss Christina Chu is back and we do a bit on a nutrition Q & A! We also spend time exploring the gray area in the questions from Christina’s Instagram Poll. We cover topics that range from good pre-workout fuel (food not supplements) to optimal weight loss strategies. Christina brings lively energy, great information, and professional conduct no matter her venture and we are luck to be associated! Check out her new venture into patreon where you can get grea...
Aug 28, 2023•54 min
Talking fitness myths. And, our apologies for the intro. Lol From getting sunlight to making up artificial stressors. What is the best way to pursue health, wellness, and value in life? It's not these little fads or trends that people fall victim to, it's the whole picture. Doing the one thing most likely won't change your life, but putting together the whole may change how you live your life. Understanding, insight and applying many small changes in how we live our lives will change the health ...
Aug 21, 2023•39 min
A peak under the hood! We recorded a live programming session for one of our Building a Fighter athletes. We talk about her need analysis and what our process in programming for this athlete has been. Then we get into the nuts and bolts of how we build any program then how we built her program. We are giving you a live look at a real program we would build for any athlete. Each program that Building a Fighter writes will get this level of attention to detail and detail. This program is specific ...
Aug 14, 2023•52 min
