Coach Your Face Off: Wisdom from Nate Palin

This episode is genuinely all over the place — in the best way. Heidi Campo joins Coaches' AAR for a conversation that somehow connects NASA spaceflight research, Icelandic strongman training, and the psychology of performing under acute stress.Heidi is a PhD student in the Physically Demanding Professions Research Group at UNLV under Dr. Brian Schilling, studying tactical human performance. Before that, her master's work focused on flywheel exercise countermeasures for NASA's Artemis missions — the same device astronauts are using on the Orion capsule right now. And before that, she spent a winter in Iceland training strongman under Magnús ver Magnússon, went on to open the first commercial strongman gym in Salt Lake City, founded the NSCA's Strongman Special Interest Group, and co-authored the book Strongman Training for Strength and Performance.We get into:Why NASA's biggest problems with long-duration spaceflight are more clinical than performance-related, and how that connects to longevity and neurodegenerative disease researchWhat it's actually like to train strongman in Iceland, and why elite environments tend to have zero ego in themWhy strongman removes the barrier to entry that traditional lifts create for tactical populations — and why "the badass factor" matters for buy-inThe stress-performance curve, and why physical readiness matters even in situations that aren't about passing a fitness testWhy intensity — not just aerobic base — is usually the missing piece when soldiers struggle with run timesHeidi's book, Strongman Training for Strength and Performance (Human Kinetics), is out now. Find her on Instagram @ms.heidi.campo or LinkedIn.https://www.heidicampo.com/

Coaches Ray and Travis sit down with Dr. Mark Jones — Army veteran, Armed Forces Wellness Center project officer at Fort Bragg, and TSAC instructor — for a conversation that goes everywhere. Mark opens up about balancing a demanding career with three kids in three different school districts, then the conversation shifts into how he actually uses AI day-to-day . From there it's a deep dive into the messy overlap between H2F and Armed Forces Wellness Centers, the military's new stance on testosterone therapy and GLP-1s, and why "low T" might really just be chronic sympathetic overdrive in disguise. Mark closes with the research that's become his real passion: recovery and breathwork, and how a few minutes of intentional breathing changed an entire squad's PT sessions. Wide-ranging, opinionated, and worth the full listen.Connect with Mark here:http://peakvitalityconsulting.com/[email protected] 

Fifteen years in strength and conditioning, from Division II sidelines to Fort Campbell and Fort Bragg — Guillermo Blanco has seen tactical S&C from every angle. In this episode, Coach Ray and Coach Travis sit down with Blanco to talk about what actually separates coaches who thrive in tactical from those who burn out: showing up, building real relationships, and earning trust before you ever open a program. Blanco breaks down why collegiate habits can work against you in a tactical setting, and why nobody cares about your credentials until you've put in the face time. A candid, practical conversation for coaches considering the jump to tactical — or already in the fight and looking to level up.Connect with Coach Blanco Here!https://bio.site/GPP

On this episode we are lucky to have Nate Palin on, a 2nd Ranger Battalion veteran and long time tactical strength and conditioning coach. From Rangers to various leadership positions in tactical, Nate shares nuggets of wisdom for any prospective or current strength coach. We talk about why relationships and consistency matter more than X's and O's, why the all-or-nothing approach to coaching needs to go, and why leadership isn't about having a title — it's about your ability to influence everyone around you, up, down, and across.Want to check out "Any Given Day" or learn more about Nate? Check out the podcast here and or check out https://www.agdready.com/

In this episode, Coach Ray and Coach Travis sit down with Chad Deaver — former 82nd Airborne Paratrooper, two-time US Strongman Nationals qualifier, and tactical strength and conditioning coach at Fort Stewart — for a candid conversation about what it actually takes to build a tactical fitness program from scratch.Chad's path wasn't a straight line. After the Army, he earned his B.S. in Exercise Science from Appalachian State (where he studied under the editor of the NSCA's Essentials textbook), completed his Master's at UW-La Crosse as a graduate assistant football S&C coach, interned with UCF football, and worked with high school athletes in Denver before returning to serve soldiers at Fort Stewart in 2021.He shares what the early days of building a tactical program really looked like — no playbook, no guidance — and how small wins, like helping a soldier crush her post-pregnancy ACFT, snowballed into full unit buy-in. Chad also breaks down his full plyometrics progression system, from drop squats to upper body plyo push-ups, and why teaching soldiers to land matters more than teaching them to jump.https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-deaver/https://www.instagram.com/coach.chad.deaver/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

In this episode, Coach Ray and Coach Travis sit down with Carson Randall, H2F Program Director at Fort Benning, for a candid conversation about his 15-year journey in tactical human performance. Carson walks us through his path from active duty Marine to collegiate strength coach at FAU, then into the tactical world with MARSOC, and eventually over to the Army side at Fort Benning — first with the Tactical Athlete Performance Center (TAPC) and now leading the H2F program with the 198th Brigade.The guys get into the real nuts and bolts of what it takes to run a human performance program in a basic training environment — navigating strict POIs, last-minute timeline changes, and the constant need to educate and re-educate rotating drill sergeants. Carson shares hard-won lessons on why buy-in has to come from both the top and the bottom, why "if you build it they will come" doesn't work, and why patience and relationship-building matter more than credentials alone.The conversation also touches on the importance of making PT more enjoyable to drive long-term consistency, the value of small-scale competition within units, and why the H2F community's culture of openness and collaboration is one of its greatest strengths.If you're a strength coach, program director, or human performance practitioner working in or looking to break into the tactical space, this one's for you.

In this episode, we respond to the recent “good vs bad coach” conversation and reframe it through real-world experience. We unpack why coaching success can’t be separated from unit culture, leadership engagement, and Soldier ownership—and why human performance is ultimately a shared responsibility. We discuss how friction shows up inside conventional units, how effective teams overcome it through collaboration and system-building, and what good coaching actually looks like when you’re managing large formations, high OPTEMPO, and uneven training backgrounds. We close by opening the door for direct dialogue with coaches navigating these challenges and looking for practical support on the [email protected]

On this episode, Coach DeJuan Hathaway joins us—a seasoned tactical strength and conditioning coach with years of real-world experience working on the ground and chasing the occasional adventure along the way. Coach Hathaway breaks down his journey serving tactical populations, his training philosophy, how he navigates friction in challenging environments, and what it truly takes to succeed in the tactical space.Check out his book: Special Forces Fitness Training: Gym-Free Workouts to Build Muscle and Get in Elite Shape

Joining us today is Coach Luke Propst—a seasoned strength coach who stumbled into the tactical world by chance and has been thriving in it ever since. Luke breaks down the experiences that shaped his coaching and how they drive the way he delivers training to soldiers. We dive deep into reconditioning physical training for injured service members, and even take a fun detour into how pop culture sparked our love for lifting in the first place.There are few coaches as knowledgeable as Luke. Whether you’re new to the tactical space or still finding your footing, this episode is packed with insight you won’t want to miss—tune in and make sure to give him a follow. If you like what we're doing, please review, follow and like!https://www.instagram.com/lukepropst_pst?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

We're back!This episode has been sitting waiting for me (Ray) to edit.Today we’re joined by Elza van Niekerk, a South African–born physical therapist with a deep passion for movement and tactical populations. We cover some familiar ground—but with a twist. Elza brings an outsider’s perspective, offering candid insight into what she sees working with tactical professionals on the civilian side. Tune in for an honest, refreshing conversation on movement quality, performance, and why precision matters for those in mission-critical roles.