The Strength Game

Nick O'Brien

The Strength Game is a weekly podcast dedicated to discussing all things physical culture with the coaches, athletes, iron enthusiasts, and experts deeply imbedded in the strength game on both sides of the profession; as coaches and as competitive athletes. Hosted by Nick O’Brien, each episode we discuss, rant and dive deep into all things related to strength and conditioning, high performance and training lifestyle. Join us in The Strength Game! read less
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Episodes

#106 - Scott Caulfield
Apr 9 2024
#106 - Scott Caulfield
Scott Caulfied is the Director of Strength & Conditioning at Norwich University. Joining Vermont’s Military College in 2021, he is their first Director of Strength and Conditioning in university history. Caulfield has been in the strength and conditioning profession for nearly 30 years and has coached at nearly every level from the private sector, college, professional level and even NSCA Headquarters. Caulfield was the Coaching Education Manager and Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at the National Strength and Conditioning Association Headquarters in Colorado Springs for nearly 11 years. During that time he also served as the head strength coach for the Colorado College men’s hockey team from 2011-2015 and the women’s soccer team from 2011-2013. Much of Caulfield’s work with the NSCA was centered around training other coaches and interacting with the many different high school, collegiate, professional and international teams, coaches and tactical units that came the headquarters to train, learn and develop. Just prior to joining Norwich, he rejoined the Colorado College staff for his second stint as the director of strength and conditioning working with the schools two Division 1 programs, men’s hockey and women’s soccer. Caulfield is no stranger to Norwich, got his start training the then club Norwich University men’s rugby team from 2003-2006. He worked in the private sector as the Fitness Director for First In Fitness from 2001-2007, as well the American Basketball Associations’ Vermont Frost Heaves as their head strength coach and director of camps from 2006-2008 where they won back-to-back ABA Championship titles. From there he became the director of sports performance at River Valley Club and then serving as an assistant strength coach at Dartmouth College for five and four years respectively, before joining the NSCA staff.Caulfield is a respected speaker and lecturer, having lectured on the national and international circuit for over a decade. He has been an adjunct instructor at both Norwich University and the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. He is the current NSCA Vermont State Director in addition to serving previously from 2008-2011. Caulfield also holds the role of Vice President of the NSCA Foundation and was the former host of the NSCA Coaching Podcast for three seasons as well as been featured on numerous others. Caulfield is also a veteran, serving in the Navy from 1991-1995 where he was an Aircraft Director onboard the USS GUAM LPH-9. He is also an active firefighter and the true definition of a strength athlete, advocate, and enthusiast. He fell in love with training before the start of his coaching career and, Coach Caulfield, aka “Dr. Jacked,” continues to stay active in his spare time training, lifting and getting on the slopes as an avid skier. Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Sport KiltUse Code: TSG at SportKilt.comCerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the Show.
#105 - Nick Cidado
Mar 26 2024
#105 - Nick Cidado
Nick Cidado is an Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach at Boston College. Cidado arrived at BC in 2018 where he began working as an intern before being promoted to graduate assistant coach in 2019 and then full-time assistant coach in 2020. Over his tenure at BC he’s assisted with all 31 Olympic sports teams and now leads the performance training for the Eagles women’s lacrosse, field hockey and men’s and women’s golf teams. In his current role, Cidado has reached the NCAA National Championship in 3 consecutive years with the lacrosse program, who won the title in 2021, and most recently won the ACC Championship in 2023. Cidado started his career in the private sector first as an intern coach at Evolution Sports Performance in Easton, Massachusetts in 2017. He was an assistant strength coach at MJP Strength and Conditioning in Boston as well as sports performance coach at Velocity Sports Performance in Norwood, Massachusetts from 2018-2019. He also gained experienced as intern at Harvard University in the fall of 2019. Cidado is also the author of “Sweat More During Peace, Bleed Less During War: Preparation Tactics That Generate Success.” A former football player at the Bridgewater State University, Cidado continues to stay active in his spare time training throughout the demanding collegiate athletics year-round season. Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the Show.
#104 - John Grundy
Mar 12 2024
#104 - John Grundy
John Grundy is the Assistant Director of Athletic Performance at the University of Missouri. Grundy joined the staff in 2023 and directly works with the Mizzou baseball, cheer and track and field sprinters. He spent the previous two years as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Memphis where he designed and implemented strength and conditioning programs for the baseball, women’s tennis, men’s soccer, rifle and track and field sprinters.. Prior to working at Memphis, Grundy was the head strength and conditioning coach at Marymount University from 2020-2021, where in addition to his coaching role, he was also the chair of the school’s return to sport committee. Grundy was a graduate assistant at George Washington University and held internship positions at American University, Newman University and Liberty, along with spending seven years in the private sector in various capacities at YMCA Greater Wichita and Central Virginia. He began his career at his alma mater, Randolph College, as a volunteer coach in 2014.Grundy is a former college lacrosse player at Randolph College and continues to train and progress in the weight room during his downtime.Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the Show.
#103 - Joe Kenn
Feb 27 2024
#103 - Joe Kenn
Joe Kenn is the Vice President of Performance Education at Dynamic Fitness and Strength, where he leads the development and delivery of cutting-edge fitness and strength training programs and resources for athletes, coaches, and trainers. Coach Kenn has over 30 years of experience as a performance specialist and strength and conditioning coach. He has worked with athletes at all levels, from high school to professional, across various sports and disciplines. Coach Kenn has been a head coach at four major universities and an NFL team, a national, regional, and state level speaker, and the creator of the Tier System Strength Training and the Block Zero Concept. He began his career as an assistant athletic fitness director at Wake Forrest in 1991 before becoming a graduate assistant at Boise State University. He was later promoted to full-time assistant coach following his graduate assistantship and a year later became the head strength coach where he held that title from 1994-1999. Kenn spent two seasons as the as the director at the University of Utah before landing at Arizona State University as the head sports performance coach from 2001-2007. From there he spent two years leading the University of Louisville football program’s training before jumping to the NFL as the head strength and conditioning coach for the Carolina Panthers. He spent 2011-2020 with the Panthers before arriving at his current position working with Dynamic Fitness and Strength. In addition to working with high-level collegiate programs and professionals in the NFL, Coach Kenn has been the strength coach for Brian Shaw for two years on his quest for his 5th World’s Strongest Man title. Coach Kenn is a Master Strength and Conditioning Coach and boasts such awards as the, 2015 NFL Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year (Professional Football Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association, PFSCCA), 2013 National Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association (NCSA) Professional Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year, 2000 NSCA Mountain West Conference Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year and 1998 NSCA Big West Conference Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year.He is the author of multiple books including, “The Coach’s Strength Training Playbook” and “Push, Jump, Punch: A Developmental Process for Teaching the Athlete to Power Clean” He is the owner of Big House Power, which is a subscriber-based website designed for educational and professional development for all levels of strength coaches.  Coach Kenn has been training long before he began coaching and continues to develop himself in the weight room as a strength athlete. A former two-year letterman for the Demon Deacons football team at Wake Forest University, he has also competed multiple times in powerlifting both in the raw and single-ply divisions. Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the Show.
#101 - Zach Even-Esh
Jan 30 2024
#101 - Zach Even-Esh
Zach Even-Esh is a Sports Performance Coach, Life Coach, Business Consultant, gym owner, Speaker, Author, and Family Man.Zach Even-Esh is the Strength Coach & Founder of THE Underground Strength Gym. He established the gym in 2002 in his parent’s garage and backyard, and has seen it grown over the more than two decades he opened the doors to his facility. There are currently 2 Underground Strength Gym locations in NJ and over 1,000 Certified Underground Strength Coaches from around the world. Even-Esh is the current New Jersey State Director for the National High School Strength Coaches Association (NHSSCA) since 2021. Prior to making the full-time switch to coaching, he worked as a public school teacher for four years. He was the strength & conditioning coach for the Rutgers University Wrestling team from 2017-2018 as well as the Leigh University Wrestling team from 2014-2015. He was the marketing coordinator for Spartan Team from 2013-2014 and has consulted with countless coaches, gym owners and special operations military units throughout his career. He has also served as a consultant for adults in Corporate Health, Wellness & Leadership as well as a consultant for Military (Naval Special Warfare), LEO & First Responders. Coach Even-Esh began sharing his content on YouTube when YouTube first came out. In addition, to his large presence on-line he is also the host of the STRONG Life Podcast, Iron Roots podcast, NJ High School Strength Coach Podcast, former co-host of the Spartan Up Podcast and has been featured on multiple others as an expert guest. He is the author of three bestselling books including The Encyclopedia of Underground Strength & Conditioning which has been translated into numerous other languages. He has written countless E-books, training manuals and blogs for zachevenesh.com and the undergroundstrengthcoach.com. Strong Life is a fitting mantra, because Zach Even-Esh truly lives up to it. He is the epitome of an athlete and strength advocate and enthusiast who has been an avid lifter with dedicated time under the bar. He has had his hand in everything from bodybuilding, wrestling, training unconventionally with no-equipment in various New Jersey parks for sessions, powerlifting, strongman, you name it! He continues to test himself daily, train and find new ways to challenge himself and battle the barbell.Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the Show.
#099 - Connor Agnew
Jan 2 2024
#099 - Connor Agnew
Connor Agnew is the Director of Basketball Performance at App State. Joining the App State staff in July 2022, Agnew works with the both the men’s and women’s basketball as well as women’s golf team. Most recently, he was a strength and conditioning coach at Texas Tech working primarily with the women’s basketball program for two years. Agnew began his career as a sports performance intern working with the University of Pennsylvania men’s and women’s basketball programs. He then spent time as an intern for the New York Jets during training camp for the 2018 season. Following his stint in the professional ranks, he spent time at the University of Tennessee first as an Olympic strength and conditioning intern before working as an intern with the football team and finally being elevated to a part-time assistant Olympic sports performance coach for the Volunteers. Additionally, Angew is the host of the Samson Strength Coach Collective Podcast. Agnew himself is a prime example of someone who practices what they preach. He was a member of the Powerlifting Team at Temple University while completing his undergraduate degree. He continues to train, nowadays focusing still on powerlifting but also blending jiu jitsu, and marathon running.  Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the Show.
#096 - Gio Grassi
Nov 21 2023
#096 - Gio Grassi
Gio Grassi is an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Monmouth University where he is responsible for optimizing player readiness and performance through load management as well as implementing, analyzing, and interpreting all technology used with the Monmouth Football team, including Polar Heart Rate/GZPS system and Sparta Science Force Plates. He is also the head for programming strength speed/agility and conditioning programs for the baseball, men’s and women’s swim, and rowing teams. Before arriving at Monmouth, he was an assistant coach at Fordham University from 2018-2021 as well as assistant at Fairleigh Dickinson University from 2014-2017. Between those stops, he spent the 2017 season with the New York Giants as a strength and conditioning intern. Grassi got his start in the profession in 2010 as a strength coach and NFL combine preparatory coach at the Parisi’s Speed School, before working at Hackensack UMC Health and Wellness in NJ where he was the ACL return-to-sport coordinator spanning from 2015-2019. He’s also completed an internship working with the football program at Rutgers during the 2016-2017 seasons.In addition to his coaching, Grassi is the host of the “Toes on the Line” Podcast. He has presented at conferences, most recently the NSCA New Jersey State Clinic and has written multiple articles for his own website as well as Stack.com. Grassi is a former college football player at Delaware State University and continues to train during his downtime.Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the Show.
#095 - Anthony Paradis
Nov 7 2023
#095 - Anthony Paradis
Anthony Paradis is the Performance Dietitian for the US Army at Fort Jackson, SC. Paradis has spent time in multiple sectors of the sport nutrition space. Prior to taking his current role with the US Army’s H2F program in early 2023 he was the director of Olympic sports nutrition at the University of South Carolina from 2021-2023 and the director of sports nutrition at Tennessee Tech for 5 years from 2016-2021. Before entering the collegiate realm, he spent 8 years in the private space. He was a dietary technician at Lewisville Medical Center, a nutrition instructor in the school of human ecology at South Carolina, dietetic intern at Texas Woman’s University, and personal trainer. His time in the private sector culminated as the owner of “Food and Fitness LLC” where he built a six-figure and three-employee business from the ground up. Food & Fitness LLC, was Texas’s premier fitness training and nutrition studio where Paradis was both a private practice RD and personal trainer for over six years. In addition to his businesses, registered dietician work, and personal training, Paradis is himself an athlete in multiple different ventures. He’s tried his hand in many different strength sports, endurance-based sports and more. He is both a Tennessee state and Texas state record holder powerlifter, has completed a solo 500-mile consecutive hike on the Colorado trail in 2015, and has competed on American Ninja Warrior in 2012, in addition to continuing to be an avid strength lifter. Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the Show.
#094 - Jimmy Stitz
Oct 24 2023
#094 - Jimmy Stitz
Jimmy Stitz is the Head Olympic Strength and Conditioning Coach at Utah State University. Stitz joined Utah State in 2021 after spending the previous eight seasons as an athletic performance coach for USA Volleyball Women’s Senior National Team. He began his first season with the program as a seasonal assistant in 2014 through their mentorship program and took over the team the following year prior to their 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil where the team earned a bronze medal. In 2020 at the Summer Olympic Games, played in 2021 in Japan, the team won the gold medal. Stitz first started coaching as a volunteer assistant strength coach from 2009-2011 at his alma mater, Minnesota State University. From there he became the first-ever head strength and conditioning coach for Charter Oak High School in Covina, CA. He was then selected to serve as an assistant coach through the National Strength and Conditioning Association assistantship program in 2013 before interning at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA, prior to joining the national team. Stitz continues to train as a coach. He is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blue belt and enjoys lifting and training on the mat in his free time.  Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the Show.
#093 - Ryan Metzger
Oct 10 2023
#093 - Ryan Metzger
Ryan Metzger is the Assistant Director of Olympic Sports Performance at the University of Tennessee where she is directly responsible for the strength and conditioning efforts for women’s soccer and women’s tennis as well as having direct oversight of all volunteer interns. Metzger arrived at Tennessee in 2022 after spending the previous three seasons at Clemson University as their senior assistant strength and conditioning coach where she was in charge of softball, women’s soccer and the volunteer interns. From 2015-2019 she served as an assistant sports performance coach at Virginia Commonwealth University. Metzger’s first role was as an intern coach at her alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 2011. She then went on to the University of Kentucky as a volunteer the following season working with their Olympic staff prior to being promoted to graduate assistant from 2012-2014. She also spent time as an intern strength coach working with the Kentucky football team in 2015.Metzger has been featured on many other sports performance and coaching podcast, has written articles for SimpliFaster and TeamBuildr, as well as being awarded the 2022 NSCA Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year.A former gymnast at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Metzger continued to stay competitive in athletics following her collegiate career competing in Olympic Weightlifting. She has been competing on the national stage since 2012 and has earned a handful of National medals, with her best competition finish at the 2018 American Open Finals earning 2nd in the snatch and 3rd in total as well as most recently taking bronze in the 49kg class at the 2023 Senior National Championships. She has competed as a 53kg, 55kg and now in the 49kg class she frequently ranks among the top 5 in the nation for her respective weight class. Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the Show.
#091 - Bobby O'Mullan
Sep 12 2023
#091 - Bobby O'Mullan
Bobby O’Mullan is the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach at Rollins College as well as Performance Specialist at Spectrum Performance in Orlando, FL. Starting at Rollins in 2021, O’Mullan arrived from nearby UCF where he served as an adjunct instructor in the kinesiology department from 2017-2021 teaching courses in exercise science and strength and conditioning. In 2019 he served as a football sports performance intern at UCF before being elevated to assistant sports performance coach leading the cheer and men’s soccer programs for the 2020-2021 season, in addition to his teaching responsibilities. O’Mullan has held multiple other positions outside of the collegiate coaching realm, including being a strength and conditioning coach at Optimal Performance Training Center in Orlando, FL for one year, serving in a variety of roles at Spectrum Performance and Physical Therapy since 2016, coach at Alpha Knights CrossFit from 2016-2017 and both weight room supervisor and group exercise instructor at his alma mater, Loyola University Chicago. He got his start in the coaching world first interning at Loyola University Chicago in 2013 and has also interned with VCU Athletics in 2017. He was a graduate assistant with the UCF’s Recreation and Wellness Center from 2015-2017 while pursuing his master’s degree. The club football Founder & President at Loyola University Chicago he played 4 years on the team as well as a season of semiprofessional football with the Leyden Lions. Since then he is still heavily involved in lifting and training. A true hybrid athlete, O’Mullan has competed in powerlifting, CrossFit, triathlons, flag football tournaments and recently a relay half ironman. Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the Show.
#089 - Grant Broggi
Aug 15 2023
#089 - Grant Broggi
Grant Broggi is a Marine Officer, owner of The Strength Co., Starting Strength Coach and a member of the Starting Strength Seminar staff. Working in multiple other industries initially, Broggi joined the Marine Corps in 2012 and commissioned as an Artillery Officer the following year. Over the course of his nearly twelve year career in the service, he has moved up the ranks and has held many different roles. While at The Citadel and early into his military career, he learned the benefits and importance of strength training. Grant took his own experience and principles from Starting Strength, to first implement them as a young Lieutenant with his platoon. Seeing the impact it made on his Marines, this eventually led him to training civilians in his home garage gym before officially opening the doors to The Strength Co. in 2017, which now has two locations in Southern California. Broggi found a need for equipment for his gyms. He sought out to bring back quality manufacturing of Olympic weight plates to America and in 2020, he did did just that, producing their first line of high quality, American Made iron plates under The Strength Co. brand. Today, the company has expanded to offer a range of training products including plates, barbells, weight trees, collars, mats and more. All of which are Made in the USA.Alongside coaching in-person at the gyms two locations, Grant provides live online coaching as a Starting Strength Coach. He has competed in powerlifting and is still an avid lifter and strength athlete. He boasts personal best lifts of 500lb squat, 265lb press, 360lb bench press, and a 560lb deadlift. Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the Show.