Be Legendary Podcast

I'm joined by Coach J. Aggabao for a conversation about finding your way in strength and conditioning, learning to lead, and handling the parts of this profession you can't plan for. J. shares how growing up in Guam and Palau, moving to the United States at 17, and serving in the Navy shaped his approach to coaching. We talk about his early experiences at Washington State and Illinois State, the mentors who gave him room to learn, and why he still makes time to step away from work. J. also takes me through his years with the Rams, from building trust with NFL athletes to helping move an entire weight room across the country. He shares what it felt like to lose that job and how, with his wife's support, he turned the months that followed into a professional development road trip. Sleeping in his 4Runner and visiting strength coaches across the country, J. found people willing to open their facilities and their homes. If you're working through a coaching career transition or wondering whether to reach out to someone you've never met, you'll want to hear his story. Thanks to our podcast sponsors, Sorinex and EliteForm, for making these episodes possible.

n Part 2, I continue our conversation with Ted, Ernie, Joey Savage, and Frank  Cracchiolo from  KRĒO by exploring how supplements fit into a food-first approach. Joey explains the oral delivery system used in KRĒO's products and makes the case for supplementation when obtaining a particular amount of an ingredient through food becomes impractical. We also take a closer look at the pressures sports dietitians face, including institutional rules, product selection, and the responsibility of helping athletes make informed decisions. From there, we explore the questions that travel, sleep disruption, and competition at altitude raise for performance staff. We discuss emerging research interests around creatine and cognition, along with the importance of distinguishing evidence for individual ingredients from research on a finished product. Joey shares KRĒO's plans for comparative studies, and I bring the conversation back to what matters when evaluating something new: asking good questions and looking for data that supports its use. We close with Frank's experience using the products, a reading recommendation from Joey, and a reminder to involve sports dietitians in the process. Thanks to our podcast sponsors, Sorinex and EliteForm, for making these episodes possible.

What goes into developing a sports supplement, and what does it take to bring it into an athletic department? I'm joined by my co-hosts Ted and Ernie, along with Joey Savage and Frank Cracchiolo from KRĒO, to explore those questions. Joey shares his path from supplement retail to formulating C4 and explains the thinking behind  KRĒO's liposomal delivery system. We dig into the cellular processes that drive performance and how his team hopes to improve the delivery of ingredients like creatine. We also get into the practical considerations we face when evaluating supplements for collegiate athletes, from budgets and education to collaboration with sports dietitians and sport science staff. We discuss third-party certification, the NCAA rules that shape supplement decisions, and why an interesting product still has to clear several hurdles before reaching athletes. Ernie brings an Olympic sport perspective, sharing his experience testing buffering supplements with the U.S. ski team and the challenges of balancing potential performance benefits with gastrointestinal side effects. Thanks to our podcast sponsors, Sorinex and EliteForm, for making these episodes possible.

In this episode of Beyond Sets & Reps, I sit down with my friend and longtime strength and conditioning coach Aaron "Double A" Ausmus to talk Squatober. Aaron takes us back to where it started in 2015 and how an idea to squat every day for a month has grown into something people around the world look forward to every October. We talk about his career in strength and conditioning, how Squatober has changed over the years, and why so many people keep coming back to it. We also get into an old story about my "Get Your Chili Hot" phrase and what it says about coaches learning from each other, giving credit, and showing respect for the people in this profession. Aaron and I also talk about what you need to know if you're thinking about doing Squatober. We get into preparing your body for the increased squat frequency, choosing a smart training max, making adjustments when you need to, and understanding who this program is actually for. We've both learned a lot from putting ourselves through this challenge over the years, and not all of those lessons have been about getting stronger. There's something to be said for showing up every day, doing hard things, taking care of your body, and finding out what you can handle. If you're ready to get your chili hot this October, head to squatober.com to learn more, participate in Squatober, and shop the gear.  

In part two of my conversation with Coach Jamie Wynn, we pick up with one of the more unique stops in her career: training performers with Cirque du Soleil. Jamie explains why performers doing hundreds of shows a year need strength and conditioning, what that environment taught her about overuse injuries and why being highly specialized doesn't necessarily mean you're prepared for everything your body will face. We talk about how those lessons influenced the way she trains collegiate athletes today, particularly when it comes to building a broad training base, improving movement literacy and bringing purpose and intent to every training session. From there, we follow Jamie's career through more stops at UNLV, Auburn, SMU and back to UNLV, where she's continued developing as a coach and leader. We talk about learning from different environments, improving communication and soft skills, and knowing when you need another tool in the toolbox. Jamie also shares what she's building outside the weight room, including several apps she developed herself, and her experience working with the Cleveland Browns and attending the NFL Women's Forum. No matter where Jamie goes next, the common thread is clear: keep learning, be a great teammate and find ways to get better. Thanks to our podcast sponsors, Sorinex and EliteForm, for making these episodes possible.

In this episode of Beyond Sets and Reps, I sit down with Coach Jamie Wynn, someone I've known for more than 20 years. Jamie's path has taken her from growing up in a military family to competing as a Division I thrower at Missouri while serving in the Missouri Army National Guard. We talk about what it took to balance athletics, academics and military responsibilities, and how those experiences taught her to communicate, plan ahead and find solutions when there were competing demands. We also go back to our time together at Missouri and the coaches, teammates and environments that helped shape both of us. Jamie shares what she learned from competing alongside elite athletes, transitioning out of her own athletic career and eventually finding her way into strength and conditioning. Her early career took her from an internship at Missouri to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Westside Barbell, Iowa and eventually UNLV. Through all of those stops, Jamie kept finding people to learn from and experiences that challenged her to grow as a coach and as a person. Thanks to our podcast sponsors, Sorinex and EliteForm, for making these episodes possible.

In part two of our conversation with Dr. Catherine Saenz, we pick up by discussing how professionals can work within different team cultures and bring their expertise into an environment without immediately trying to take over. Catherine, Ted, Ernie, and I discuss collaboration, consulting, and why sometimes one of the smartest things you can do is give people space, learn how the organization operates, and understand what the athletes and staff actually need before offering solutions. We also get into the role of health and performance teams and how a multidisciplinary structure can help protect athletes when coaching practices cross the line from demanding to potentially harmful. From there, we spend much of the episode discussing female athlete physiology, menstrual cycles, performance, and the major gaps that still exist in the research. Dr. Saenz explains why we need more than simple conclusions about what should happen during a textbook 28-day cycle, because real athletes and real menstrual cycles are far more variable than that. We discuss ACL injury questions, athlete-reported experiences, the need for better research funding, and the importance of creating environments where female athletes can openly communicate what they are experiencing. We also look at the bigger opportunity for exercise physiology in collegiate and professional sport and why bringing more physiology expertise into the performance team could help us ask better questions, collect better information, and ultimately serve athletes better. Shout out to our podcast sponsors, Sorinex and EliteForm, for making these episodes possible

In this episode of Research 2 Reps, we're joined by Dr. Catherine Saenz for a conversation that starts with her path through exercise science, nutrition, research, professional baseball, and academia. Dr. Saenz has built a career at the intersection of several disciplines, and we talk about how that background shapes her view of athlete health and performance. From her early research experiences at Maryland to her graduate work at UConn and Ohio State, she shares how her curiosity about performance nutrition eventually expanded into a much bigger picture of how training, nutrition, recovery, and physiology work together. We also spend a good part of the conversation digging into ketogenic diets and what the research actually tells us about using them with athletes. Catherine explains why no single sport or athlete is automatically a good fit, and why the individual, the timing, and the reason for using a particular dietary approach all matter. From elite ultra-endurance athletes using carbohydrates during competition to the differences between nutritional ketosis and ketone supplements, this conversation is a good reminder that performance decisions rarely happen in isolation. We close out this first part by talking about something that matters just as much as the science: learning how to listen, communicate, and work effectively within a multidisciplinary performance team. Thanks to our podcast sponsors, Sorinex and EliteForm, for making these episodes possible

This week, I'm sharing a conversation I originally had as a guest on the Voodoo Power Podcast with Steve Thompson. We sat down to talk about the lessons that have shaped my coaching philosophy over the past two decades and why I believe the best performance programs are built on much more than strength training alone. We explored the value of chasing small advantages, building high-performing staffs, creating a culture of continuous learning, and developing athletes as complete people rather than simply better competitors. I also shared the experiences that helped shape the systems I use today and the principles that continue to guide my leadership. Steve asked thoughtful questions that allowed us to dig into what it takes to build trust, develop resilient athletes and coaches, and create environments where people can reach their full potential. From mentoring young professionals and helping athletes prepare for life after sports to leading multidisciplinary performance teams, I shared why communication, collaboration, and genuine care remain at the center of everything I do. Whether you're a coach, administrator, leader, or someone committed to personal growth, I hope this conversation gives you practical ideas and a renewed perspective on what it really takes to build champions. Thanks to our podcast sponsors, Sorinex and EliteForm, for making these episodes possible

In this episode of Beyond Sets & Reps, I sat down with Becca Grizzard to discuss her unique journey into the strength and conditioning profession. Becca's path was anything but traditional. From pursuing veterinary medicine and working in animal research to creating her own graduate assistant opportunity and eventually becoming a collegiate strength coach, her story is a powerful reminder that careers are rarely linear. We talked about the value of taking initiative, creating opportunities when they do not exist, and being willing to pivot when life points you in a new direction. We also explored how Becca's experiences living abroad shaped her approach to coaching and ultimately led to her research focus on international student-athletes as a PhD candidate. Throughout our conversation, she shared insights on mentorship, networking, coaching philosophy, and the importance of genuinely caring about the people you serve. Whether you're a young coach looking to break into the profession, a student preparing for your next opportunity, or a leader seeking to make a greater impact, this episode offers practical lessons on resilience, adaptability, and taking ownership of your growth. Thanks to our podcast sponsors, Sorinex and EliteForm, for making these episodes possible.