Chapters
1. Joe DeFranco To Host Mind Pump2. Fitness Legends Unite3. Joe DeFranco on His Love Life4. Joe DeFranco at the Onit Academy5. CPPs Certification6. DeFranco on CrossFit7. Personalized Weightlifting8. Smart Training9. Building Super Freaks10. NFL Combine Stories11. The Gym That Changed My Life12. Strength Coach on Pro Athletes13. Context is Key14. Social Media's Impact on Fitness15. Coaching Integrity and Gym Technology16. Measuring CNS Fatigue17. Heavy SEWS Make You Faster18. Elite Athletes19. Trainer Certification & CPPs Masters1. Joe DeFranco To Host Mind Pump
Joe DeFranco:Sal, Adam, and Justin talk with Joe DeFranco about his no-nonsense attitude towards fitness and his unwavering integrity in the industry. They discuss his reputation as a legend in the strength and conditioning world and his commitment to science-based information.+
DeFranco's Gym Certification:Sal, Adam, Justin, and Joe talk about Joe DeFranco's upcoming fitness certification event at Mind Pump Studios on November 9th and 10th. They discuss the difficulty of the certification and how it's one of the best out there for coaches interested in training people for speed and performance and strength. They also mention that the event will fill up quickly and provide information on how to sign up.+
2. Fitness Legends Unite
Fitness Legends Unite:Joe DeFranco, a fitness legend, finally connects with the Mind Pump hosts after two years of fans demanding it. The hosts express their admiration for DeFranco's work and share how they came across his content.+
Joe's Fitness Journey:Joe DeFranco shares his journey from being a football player to becoming a personal trainer. He talks about how he built a foundation for himself by focusing on being the best trainer in his town before becoming famous on social media.+
3. Joe DeFranco on His Love Life
Onnit Gym Relationship:Joe discusses the history of his relationship with Onnit Gym, from starting in a small storage closet to growing into a 2000 square foot warehouse gym and becoming the main gym at Onnit. He also talks about how YouTube helped him showcase his high school kids' impressive fitness achievements.+
Gym Reality Show:Joe talks about how he turned down a reality show that was going to be about his gym. He didn't want to compromise his integrity and turn his gym into a Jersey Shore type of show.+
Onit's Beginning:Joe talks about how he got involved with Onit through promoting their Shroom Tech Sport supplement and how Aubrey Marcus, the CEO of Onit, visited his gym and trained with his NFL guys. Aubrey later offered Joe space in their warehouse.+
4. Joe DeFranco at the Onit Academy
Gym Business Struggles:Joe discusses the struggles of running a gym business, including burnout and the headaches that come with it, despite being listed as one of the top gyms in the world. He contemplates the idea of having a satellite location for his gym but realizes that he doesn't need it due to his online coaching and celebrity clients.+
DeFranco's Gym Transition:Joe DeFranco discusses his decision to transition ownership of DeFranco's Gym at the Onit Academy to a young trainer, Cameron Joss. The gym grew tremendously, but they eventually outgrew the space and Cameron decided to move back to New Jersey. Joe explains that they mutually parted ways and he is now completely out of Austin.+
5. CPPs Certification
Joe and Jim started the CPPs certification to change the game and make coaches better. Unlike other certifications, theirs is a true college curriculum for personal trainers and coaches. They also discuss how popular certifications have a high pass rate and how their certification is more comprehensive.+
6. DeFranco on CrossFit
CrossFit Annoyances:Joe and Justin discuss the emergence of CrossFit and how it affected Joe's gym and training. Joe shares his annoyance with people assuming his gym was CrossFit and how high school kids would only train with them twice a week and then do CrossFit at school without proper technique and warm-up.+
CrossFit for Athletes:Joe and Sal discuss why CrossFit is not appropriate for athletes who need specific training for their sport. They explain the importance of training for specific adaptations and performance, rather than doing random exercises that may not be beneficial.+
Exercise for Athletes:Joe, Justin, Sal, and Adam discuss how exercise execution matters and how fundamental movements are more important than specific exercises. They also talk about how experienced athletes need different exercises than those starting off.+
7. Personalized Weightlifting
Weightlifting for Everyone:Joe, Adam, and Sal discuss the importance of proper form and individualization in weightlifting. They emphasize the benefits of resistance training and how it can be tailored to each person's abilities and goals, even if they never reach the level of a barbell squat.+
Customized Exercise Programs:Joe DeFranco discusses how he creates customized exercise programs for his clients, including Triple H, based on their individual needs and injuries. He emphasizes the importance of personalization and injury prevention, using box squats as an example of a modified exercise that better fits a client's body. Sal Di Stefano adds that many people don't know how to run properly, highlighting the need for personalized exercise programs.+
Perfecting Exercise:Sal and Joe discuss the importance of practicing exercise and perfecting the skills involved, rather than just going through the motions to feel tired or sore. They highlight the common injuries caused by running and weightlifting, and suggest that treating exercise like practice could lead to better results and a higher chance of it becoming a mainstream form of exercise.+
8. Smart Training
Smart Training:Joe and Adam discuss the importance of having a plan and progression in workouts, rather than just focusing on intensity all the time. Joe shares how working with college football players helped him understand the value of specificity in training.+
Specific Goals:Joe DeFranco shares his experience training NFL prospects and how he realized the importance of setting specific goals and training in a specific way to achieve them. He emphasizes the need for a reason and purpose for every exercise and technique used to reach the goal. This approach is not only applicable to athletes but also to the general population.+
9. Building Super Freaks
Assessing Athletes:Joe explains that assessing athletes and typical clients is more similar than people think. They use basic assessments like overhead reach, bodyweight squat, and push up. For athletes, they add performance-based tests like vertical jumps to determine if they need more strength or explosive work.+
Building Super Freaks:Joe DeFranco shares his experience in assessing athletes and how he helps them improve their general physical preparedness and strength. He emphasizes that even some NFL linemen lack general fitness and strength. He explains how he helps athletes become super freaks by improving their mobility and general fitness. He also shares a success story of Miles Austin, a former Cowboys receiver, whom he trained in high school.+
From Javelin to NFL:Joe talks about how he trained an NFL player from a small college who came out of nowhere and became one of the best receivers in the league. He discusses the challenges they faced in training and how his client's hard work and dedication paid off.+
10. NFL Combine Stories
NFL Combine Struggles:Joe shares the story of an NFL prospect who struggled at the Combine due to his slow 40 time and how important those numbers are for scouts and coaches in making draft decisions.Show transcript +
Training High-Level Athletes:Joe shares his experience training a high-level athlete who needed to improve his speed. He emphasizes the importance of mobility work and specific strength training for the ten and forty-yard dash. By focusing on unilateral work and sled work, they were able to improve the athlete's stride length and hip flexibility.+
Two Steps:Joe shares the story of how he helped an NFL player get his foot in the door with the Cowboys by reducing his sprinting steps from 8.5 to 6.5 in just eight weeks of training. This ultimately changed the player's life, as he went on to sign a $54 million contract.+
11. The Gym That Changed My Life
Joe DeFranco discusses how he builds strong relationships with his clients through his gym, which is a hardcore facility that holds athletes accountable and doesn't baby them. He has many long-term clients, some of whom he has trained for 16 years, and he attributes the success of his gym to the fact that it attracts the right kind of people who appreciate the old-school atmosphere combined with new exercise science and technology.+
12. Strength Coach on Pro Athletes
Joe DeFranco, a trainer for professional athletes, discusses the politics involved in pro sports. He explains that there is just as much politics in pro sports as any other aspect of jobs and that connections often play a bigger role than qualifications in hiring decisions. This can make it difficult for highly qualified strength coaches to get jobs in the NFL or NBA.+
13. Context is Key
Context is Key:Joe and Sal discuss the importance of context when it comes to applying scientific studies to training. While studies may show certain benefits, individual context such as sensitivity to caffeine can greatly impact the effectiveness of supplements. It's important to have the wisdom to apply science in the right context.+
Caffeine Dosing:Joe and Sal discuss the dosage of caffeine and how it affects an individual's performance. They emphasize the importance of considering real-world context and individual behavior when recommending caffeine intake.+
Individualized Warm-ups:Joe and Adam discuss the importance of individualized warm-ups and auto-regulation in workouts. They emphasize the need to address specific mobility issues and the importance of coaches developing relationships with their clients to better understand their needs. They also touch on the limitations of group training and the benefits of being able to adjust workouts on the fly.+
14. Social Media's Impact on Fitness
Social Media Fitness:Joe shares his thoughts on the good and bad of social media as a way to get fitness information. While it's great for sharing and reaching more people, there's no barrier for entry and it's hard for younger people to discern between good and bad advice.+
Influencer Wisdom:Joe and Sal discuss the lack of wisdom in the fitness industry despite the abundance of information available. They criticize influencers who provide no value and only sell products. They also emphasize the importance of experience in gaining wisdom and suggest a minimum of five years of training to become a coach.+
Coaching Experience:Joe, Sal, and Adam discuss the importance of having in-person coaching experience before becoming an online coach. They share their personal experiences and challenges with online coaching and emphasize the value of hands-on experience in coaching.+
15. Coaching Integrity and Gym Technology
Online Coaching Integrity:Joe, Adam, and Sal discuss the challenges of online coaching and the importance of maintaining integrity when working with clients. They also touch on the value of learning from old training methodologies and how they can still provide valuable insights for today's coaches.+
Old School Training:Joe and Justin discuss the benefits of incorporating variety into training programs while also emphasizing the importance of sticking to the fundamentals. They also touch on the origins of strong man training and how it relates to minimalist training approaches.+
Gym Technology:Joe and Cameron discuss the importance of incorporating technology into their gym to improve performance, including tendo units, HRV tracking, and a cheap hand dynamometer for assessing grip strength. They also share how they use this technology to adjust workouts for athletes based on their recovery levels.+
16. Measuring CNS Fatigue
Measuring CNS Fatigue:Joe shares his method of measuring CNS fatigue by using a hand dynamometer and resting heart rate. These simple assessments help him determine if his clients need a recovery day or if they're ready for a max effort session.+
Context Matters:Adam and Joe discuss how context matters in coaching and how the same answer doesn't work for everyone. They highlight the importance of knowing who you're talking to and tailoring the message accordingly.+
17. Heavy SEWS Make You Faster
Sled Drags Debate:Joe explains how he faced criticism for using heavy sled drags to improve sprinting speed. Despite a lack of studies, he logged over 30,000 sprints and found that incorporating sled drags in training improved speed.+
Enhancing Athletic Speed:Joe discusses his experience with enhancing athletic speed through sled drags and the importance of force into the ground for acceleration. He explains how heavy sled drags can improve technique and biomechanics, leading to faster sprint times.+
Heavy Sled Drags:Joe explains why heavy sled drags are the best way to practice accelerating and sprinting at specific joint angles. He argues that you can't practice sprinting slow and that heavy sled drags are the only way to hack this problem. He also discusses the importance of coaching cues and how they help athletes maintain proper form while dragging the sled.+
18. Elite Athletes
Joe shares his experience working with elite athletes and how the research has finally caught up to his methods. Sal and Justin show their appreciation for Joe's work.+
19. Trainer Certification & CPPs Masters
Practical Trainer Certification:Joe and Smitty's trainer certification stands out from others because of its practical curriculum that took them years to develop. The certification includes assessments, training for dysfunctions, fundamental movement patterns, and program design.+
CPPs Masters Class:Joe DeFranco discusses the CPPs certification process and introduces the upcoming CPPs Masters class, a community for certified coaches to stay up-to-date with industry trends and maintain their certification through ongoing education and direct contact with the creators of the program. The goal is to ensure that trainers with CPPs letters after their name are implementing the latest techniques and providing quality coaching to their clients.+