This article takes a practical, no-nonsense look at how to structure a training block that actually drives progress. With real-world examples and a fresh take on progressive overload, it gives coaches the tools to build smarter, more intentional training plans that deliver results.

Big cleans mean very little without a locked-in jerk. Regardless of your style, the dip and drive is a critical component of success. Errors result from poor balance or extension mechanics, with the athlete sacrificing torso position in the process. Primers that enhance the dip and drive will not only improve your movement but also provide you with the opportunity to jerk like a champion.

Everyone has had that “aha!” moment with their technique after doing a drill or variation of the snatch or clean and jerk and instantly felt their technique click. In this case, the puzzle piece was a movement that “taught” the athlete what they needed. How do coaches and athletes reliably create that “aha!” moment? Or is it just up to luck… Well, I have good news for you, and it starts with one weird trick.

The no contact clean — a variation of the clean that eliminates the bar-body contact and forces a vertical and forceful extension of the legs. Due to the constrained nature of this exercise, the resultant movement and stress on the body drives powerful technique and muscular adaptations. Here’s how it can transform your own and/or your athlete’s technique.

Considering expanding your coaching business with a team? Zack Bartell’s guide provides practical insights on when to hire, structuring compensation effectively, avoiding common hiring mistakes, and building a strong coaching culture. Learn why clear expectations, effective onboarding, and performance tracking are essential for team success. Plus, discover how CoachLogik simplifies scaling by standardizing onboarding, centralizing program delivery, and improving coach performance tracking. Make your coaching business scalable, profitable, and sustainable in 2025.

Struggling to retain clients? Zack Bartell's ultimate guide breaks down why clients leave and how to prevent it. Discover essential retention metrics, actionable strategies to create a high-retention coaching experience, and how leveraging AI and automation with tools like CoachLogik can significantly boost your client engagement and loyalty. Ensure long-term success by proactively addressing client needs, enhancing communication, and making retention a priority in your coaching business.

Are you passionate about coaching and considering turning it into a full-time career? Zack Bartell's guide offers essential insights into transitioning from part-time coaching to a thriving professional business. Discover common pitfalls, crucial business and marketing strategies, and how leveraging technology like CoachLogik can streamline your processes, scale your business, and enhance client experiences. Take the leap confidently and build a sustainable, successful coaching career.

Looking to master online coaching? Zack Bartell's guide explores how successful coaches build scalable, thriving online businesses. Learn key strategies for client retention, essential business metrics, and why data-driven coaching can accelerate your growth. Discover how tools like CoachLogik streamline your workflow, enhance client engagement, and help you manage more clients effectively. Unlock your potential as an online coach and transform your side hustle into a sustainable career.

Wondering if online or in-person coaching is best for you or your clients? Zack Bartell breaks down each coaching model's key differences, benefits, and challenges. Learn how to determine which option aligns best with your goals and how coaches can scale their businesses effectively in either format. Discover if you're suited for the hands-on approach of in-person coaching, the flexibility and scalability of online coaching, or perhaps a hybrid of both.

Marketing for coaches has evolved significantly, and today, it's not enough just to be excellent at coaching—you must effectively communicate your value. Successful coaching businesses depend on clear marketing, targeted messaging, and structured sales processes.

AI is transforming coaching—not by replacing coaches, but by enhancing their effectiveness. CoachLogik leverages AI to streamline program creation, provide actionable data insights, automate tedious tasks, and offer advanced video analysis, enabling coaches to scale their business while maintaining high-quality client experiences. Embracing AI positions coaches to thrive in a competitive, evolving industry.

In conclusion, CoachLogik isn’t just another coaching platform—it’s a solution to the inefficiencies plaguing strength coaching. Integrating AI, consolidating tools, and prioritizing accurate data tracking empowers coaches to do what they do best—coach. If you're a coach looking to save time, improve athlete results, and scale your business, CoachLogik is the platform built for you. Try it today, join the beta, and help shape the future of strength coaching.

A targeted and systematic approach is critical to driving effective performance changes. With the Snatch Pull to Target, this is done literally.

Dive into the latest weightlifting research! This month, we deep dive into the concepts of deloading and overreaching.

Every athlete has unique needs, and designing a training day should reflect that. These principles provide a solid foundation to ensure you (or your athletes) are set up for success and progress toward specific goals.

Dive into the latest weightlifting research! This month we explore weightlifting performance and assessment and the relationship of isometric strength in the start position and competitive performance.

Dive into the latest weightlifting research! This month we explore maximal strength and the split jerk, and assessment strategies to monitor weightlifting performance.

Designing a training week is a balancing act; it’s about more than just following a set of principles. Learn to look for areas where fatigue might be limiting performance, and how adjusting session timing or load distribution can help.

Learn to use novel exercises, subtle movement modifications, and well-structured complexes to maximize progress.

Break free from rigid systems — learn the skills required to write personalized, process-driven programs for your athletes.

Max and Josh discuss the fundamentals of effective coaching, breaking down our three key principles.

Is your practice too easy? Science says that's why you're not improving.

Max and Josh discuss psychological fatigue, including what it is and why it matters.

Dive into the latest weightlifting research! This month we explore muscle activation patterns in clean and snatch variations, and analyze changes in snatch technique across training phases.

Josh and Max discuss the Xs and Os of successful remote coaching, including the importance of inter- and intrapersonal skills, thinking in patterns and not pieces, and where intuition fits in.

In this episode of the Philosophical Weightlifting Podcast, host Josh welcomes back listeners after a two-month hiatus, with guest Max Aita joining the conversation.

Joshua Gibson, Max Aita, and Eric Helms explore the challenges and nuances of tailoring training plans to individual athletes.

Everything you ever wanted to know about complexes in Olympic Weightlifting

Take your coaching to the next level by mastering the interplay of training volume and intensity.

Knowing the top 5 mistakes an athlete makes, you can defend against them by being more adaptable and willing to learn.

Master the Vardanian snatch, a powerful exercise inspired by legendary lifter Yuri Vardanian.

Improve your ability to coach the floor by understanding athlete readiness, training volume, and changing the weight on the bar.