Andy Van Strength and Conditioning

Good morning and welcome back! After 26 episodes on the year, Zack and I took a well-deserved week off to rest and recover. We come back from the break with a special guest: Willis Graves. Willis is a local physical therapist and Highland Games athlete, and he joins us today to talk shop. There are … Continue reading A2Z No BS Episode 77: Is that a Caber in your Pocket? Drinking beer and Throwing Hammers with Highland Games Athlete and PT, Willis Graves

Good morning and welcome back! When it comes to working out, everyone wants to look and feel tough. It's "war" and we're "going into battle," two of many lines of thinking that Zack and I both believe to be hilariously silly. Instead, most fitness as we know it is fairly "softcore" if we were to … Continue reading A2Z No BS Episode 76: Softcore Fitness and getting Punched in the Face

Good morning and welcome back! Zack and I are a little worse for the wear after a weekend with the boys in Austin, Texas but the show goes on! Today we're talking about decision fatigue: that overwhelming feeling you get when it comes to all the choices you have at your disposal. Part of what … Continue reading A2Z No BS Episode 75: Decision Fatigue and Game Changers

Good morning and welcome back! Today, Zack and I are welcoming Mindi Martinez to the gym to be a very special guest on the podcast. Mindi hails originally from the Midwest and through work in the movie industry found her way to LA, Atlanta, and finally to Nashville. Over the years, Mindi was introduced to … Continue reading A2Z No BS Episode 74: Special Guest Mindi Martinez on Mastering the Oly Lifts

Good morning and welcome back! Zack and I are checking in from his apartment drinking some gas station Yuengling (because we're not above some store-bought plain stuff) and talking about training. Last week, after some busted sleep and back to back training sessions I found myself with a little back soreness. And what did I … Continue reading A2Z No BS Episode 73: Baby Got Back (Pain)

Good morning and welcome back! Today, Zack and I are talking about training the "skinny-fat" or "dad bod" type of client. In our line of work, this is usually someone in their 20s to 30s, has probably been active before but isn't slinging weights or doing cardio regularly, and wants to get in shape. What … Continue reading A2Z No BS Episode 72: The Dad Bod Solution

Good morning and welcome back to the show! This week Zack and I are diving right into some talk about marketing - whether writing, filming, or social media - and how we each approach the subject in our respective businesses. Next, we're talking about our "lesser strengths" as coaches and business owners, where we get … Continue reading A2Z No BS Episode 71: Lesser Strengths and the Motivation Trap

Good morning and welcome back! Today, Zack and I invite a special guest and Nashville's go-to Calisthenics guru and Acro-mutant Dustin Del Rio to the show! Dustin and I met a few years back when he had just opened his first gym, and ever since, he's taken his expertise in strength and conditioning and honed … Continue reading A2Z No BS Episode 70: Free Falling with Acro-Mutant Dustin Del Rio

Good morning and welcome back! When things get tough - when work, life, or stress gets in the way - how do we go about navigating those stressors with regular training? How do we "bring it" when we'd rather do anything else? How could we change some variables to make sure we're staying in the … Continue reading A2Z No BS Episode 69: When the going gets tough, Brush your teeth anyway

Good morning and welcome back! Today, Zack and I are hanging out at his place slinging some local beers and chatting training. This week, we're talking about some of the ways we agree and disagree in our approaches to training. While the meat and potatoes of training remain largely the same, there are several ways … Continue reading A2Z No BS Episode 68: Agree to Disagree