What Getting Stronger Means

Hosts:

• Coach Donald: M.Ed Exercise Science, Owner of Global Human Performance
• Coach Tim: MBA, CPT, PES, FNS

Summary:

Coach Donald & Coach Tim introduce the revamped Training Well Done podcast, and discuss the basics of strength and conditioning for the general population, youth beginners and endurance athletes.

Key Discussion Points:

• Addressing Common Misconceptions:

1. Getting “bulky” from lifting
2. Introducing weightlifting to youth athletes

• Deep Dive:

1. Neuromuscular adaptations & muscle fiber recruitment
2. Training for performance & injury prevention
3. Resources for athletes

Noteworthy Moments/Quotes:

• 1:40 - Coach Donald & Coach Tim introduce themselves and discuss their respective careers, education & coaching backgrounds
• 3:36 - Coach Donald introduces the episode topic (“How you get stronger”) and the podcast format (high-level discussion of training concepts in an accessible, conversational tone).
• 6:45 - Coaching Moments & Member Highlights
• 14:05 - The coaches address some common misconceptions in the world of strength training, including: getting bulky from lifting, and introducing weightlifting to youth athletes.
• 23:42 - Coach Donald & Coach Tim dive into the physiological mechanisms behind building strength, such as: neuromuscular adaptations, muscle fiber recruitment, and methodologies for elite vs. recreational athletes.
• 29:50 - Coach Donald breaks down what is biologically happening in muscle fibers during strength-training.
• 32:53 - The coaches discuss frequency of training, and how to cycle through training loads & intensity in-season vs. off-season including skill-based work and recovery costs.
• 39:40 - Utilizing strength-training as a means for injury-prevention, and improving an athlete’s ability to develop stress tolerance and raise the ceiling on the volume & intensity of their workouts.
• 47:00 - Coach Tim talks about the two main things that might keep a long-distance runner from prioritizing a strength-training program.
• 52:49 - Coach Donald walks through what an athlete can do on their own to ensure a safe and effective strength & conditioning training protocol, such as progressive overload, utilizing isometrics/tempos, emphasizing major movers and having appropriate supervision.
• 57:45 - The best tools and resources for athletes looking to enhance their knowledge and skill set when it comes to strength training, including Coach Donald’s Strength Training for Runners webinar!
• 1:01:23 - Outro & feedback request

Resources Mentioned:

• Webinar: https://ghperformance.com/webinar/
• Website: https://ghperformance.com/
• Meta-Analysis - https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2025.1598149/full?utm

Actionable Takeaways:

• Strength training is for everyone, but looks different for every athlete.
• Support the podcast by downloading Coach Donald’s Strength Training for Runners webinar!

Next Episode Teaser:

In Season 2: Episode 2, the coaches discuss speed and endurance training, how to develop the capacity to go faster and farther, the nuances of different training methodologies and realize the topic really needs more than one episode to explore.