Athletic Strength And Power Podcasts

ASAP Classic Podcast with the late Roger Schwab who passed this past March 2024.

ROGER HAD BEEN A PIONEER IN WEIGHT TRAINING FOR DECADES. HE WAS COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S FIRST STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH (PENN STATE 1964-1965) AND THE MAN WHO INTRODUCED THE NAUTILUS TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT SYSTEM TO PHILADELPHIA IN 1976. FROM 1976 TO 2015, HE WAS THE OWNER AND OPERATOR OF MAIN LINE HEALTH & FITNESS, RECOGNIZED BY MEN’S HEALTH AS THE FINEST WORKOUT IN THE UNITED STATES. ROGER WAS ALSO NAMED BY THE MAGAZINE AS ONE OF THE TOP PERSONAL TRAINERS IN THE U.S.

ROGER TRAINED BOTH THE U.S.A. WOMEN’S OLYMPIC SWIMMING AND FIELD HOCKEY TEAMS. HE ALSO TRAINED MIKE MENTZER FOR THE 1978 MR. UNIVERSE AND THE 1980 MR. OLYMPIA COMPETITIONS, AND SERVED AS HEAD JUDGE OF THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF BODYBUILDERS, PROFESSIONAL DIVISION, FROM 1978-1982.

A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED LEADER IN THE PREVENTION AND REHABILITATION OF SPORTS RELATED INJURIES, ROGER HAS CONDUCTED IMPORTANT RESEARCH INTO THE PREVENTION AND REHABILITATION OF INJURIES OF THE SOFT TISSUES OF THE LUMBAR AND CERVICAL SPINE. HE IS ALSO THE AUTHOR OF OVER 100 ARTICLES IN NATIONAL PUBLICATIONS ON STRENGTH TRAINING AND BODYBUILDING, AND PUBLISHED THE ACCLAIMED BOOK, “STRENGTH OF A WOMAN,” IN 1997. HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE PHILADELPHIA JEWISH SPORTS HALL OF FAME FOR EXCELLENCE IN SPORTS/MEDICINE IN 2008.

IN 2012, ROGER INTRODUCED X-FORCE “NEGATIVE ACCENTUATED” EXERCISE IN THE U.S. HE IS CURRENTLY THE OWNER-OPERATOR OF X-FORCE PHILADELPHIA, AND IS A LECTURER AND FEATURED SPEAKER ON THE BENEFITS OF “ECCENTRIC” TRAINING IN STIMULATING A SYSTEMIC PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECT.

In this episode of the ASAP Podcast, brought to you by SpecAthletic The Sports Flooring Professionals, Ed Cicale traveled to Philadelphia to visit the Mainline Health and Fitness Training Center in Byrn Mawr. Founded by the passionate strength trainer, Roger Schwab, Mainline Health and Fitness evolved from a small 1,200 square-foot facility to a whopping 35,000 square-foot behemoth. The conversation with Schwab uncovers the rich history behind the center's transformation and the unique approach towards strength training it offers.

Starting operations on Thanksgiving Day in 1976 as Mainline Nautilus, the gym was equipped with only nine machines. Inspired by his personal strength training journey, Schwab took the initiative to elevate his small fitness center. It wasn’t long before they expanded to include 120 Nautilus and Med-X machines, Nautilus medical testing machines, and a complete line of X-Force machines from Sweden, hailed by Roger Schwab for delivering the most effective workouts, brings a "wow" factor unseen in other fitness equipment due to its unique design for stimulating negative training.

Schwab elaborates on the benefits of X-Force machines, particularly for negative or eccentric training, citing how the technology has contributed significantly to the success of his fitness center over time. The remarkable physical transformations witnessed by clients, insists Schwab, are a testament to the efficacy of the X-Force equipment. This forward-thinking approach to fitness has not only garnered positive responses from patrons but has notably tripled business for Mainline Health and Fitness.

Wrapping up the episode, Cicale commends Schwab for his innovative and dedicated approach to fitness and strength training within the Mainline Health and Fitness Training Center. Tune in for an insightful look into one of the most incredible centers in the country and the inspiring story of its founder, Roger Schwab.

RIP Roger

In this episode of the ASAP Athletic Strength and Power podcast, our host, Ed Cicale, engages in an insightful conversation with Ethan Reeve, a prominent name in the strength and conditioning industry with deep ties to wrestling. This episode, sponsored by The CBD Healthcare Company, covers vast areas related to athlete conditioning, personal athletic experiences of Reeve, and his coaching philosophy.

Reeve, a seasoned professional with an illustrious wrestling and coaching career, illustrates the influence of wrestling on strength training. He underscores the need to teach correct training methodologies to young athletes, the art of making athletes tougher and more agile, and applications of these insights on all sports and training programs. He includes wrestling as a support sport to football, highlighting the physical fitness, tenacity, and kinesthetic awareness it imparts.

Harnessing his vast professional wisdom, Reeve shares valuable advice for coaches, stressing the need to progressively build the strength of athletes, emphasizing on their technique over merely amplifying their maximum weight. Though his approach extensively prioritizes athleticism, he acknowledges the necessity of power building, wrapping up every session with an athletic activity.

As a former four-time SEC champion, Reeve also provides us with an in-depth reflection on wrestling as an integral part of physical training, describing it as an anaerobic sport that inherently fortifies several muscle groups.

Get inspired and educated from our conversation with Ethan Reeve as he unfolds his expansive experience in the health and fitness realm. This podcast is filled with wisdom accrued from a distinguished career and Reeve's enthusiasm for assisting others in their fitness pursuits. It's an essential listen for budding coaches, athletes and fitness enthusiasts.

Ethan is currently Director of Strength and Athletic Performance at Mondo Sports Flooring and encourages all to contact him: [email protected]

Former President of the CSCCa | MSCC, SCCC | 44 years as a Coach in College and High School

One of the main reasons that the ASAP~Athletic Strength And Power Podcast is sought out by top professional, collegiate and high school coaches and athletes is because of our vast connection to many of the most brilliant strength, conditioning and speed coaches in the USA. Our advisory boardconsists of many of the top professionals in the field.

In this ASAP 'CLASSIC' Podcast, we leanon the expertise of Matt Krause. He was the Director of Baseball Strength & Conditioning of the Cincinnati Reds for eleven seasons. Krause followedthat by spendingseven seasons as the New York Yankees' Director of Baseball Strength Performance. Matt knows the special needs of the baseball player and that there is a fine line to training the player properly and training him to the point of over training. When you work with multi-million dollar athletes, future Hall of Famers and Major League Baseball All-Stars, there's no room for error.

Today, he's the Administrative Director of the ProfessionalBaseball Strength & Conditioning Coaches Society.Join us today for an information-packed podcast on training for baseball players.... useful for players at any level

Wrestling.... Strictly Business! For a Cincinnati high school wrestler, to qualify for the Ohio High School Athletic Association's State Wrestling Tournament is an arduous task at the very least. Attaining and maintaining a given body weight-class, wrestle-offs, intense practices, managing a disciplined approach to nutrition, continuing the in-season strength training and conditioning program goals, and of course..... lots of winning, especially in the district and regional tournaments that are along the way to Columbus, Ohio where the OHSAA State Wrestling Tournament is conducted at St. John Arena on the campus of Ohio State University. And that's the way it went for ASAP~Athletic Strength And Power Podcast guest Greg Strochinsky, a Cincinnati Oak Hills High School Hall of Fame wrestler who had the privilege to be coached by an Ohio High School wrestling coaching icon, Dick Roche. The coach, a stoic military veteran, was a strict disciplinarian who didn't veer off course too much when it came to following and enforcing rules. He was the Woody Hayes of Oak Hills High School who despised losing and demanded that his wrestlers felt the same. Conversely, Strochinsky was the loose, fun loving student athlete who oozed self confidence 24/7. His self-given nickname was ''strictly business', which he prominently displayed on his shoes, his pick-up truck, t-shirts, chains, etc. However, 'Stroh' shared the same desire for victory as did his coach. And, Coach Roche and Assistant OHHS Wrestling Coach Ken Hauck, a Championship Miami Redskin defensive lineman and former OHHS wrestler himself, knew that they had themselves a potential star in the making and didn't alter the "strictly business" mojo. Unlike a lot of today's high school wrestlers, Strochinsky never stepped onto a wrestling mat until he was a seventh grader. In fact, it was by chance that his junior high school gym teacher, Randy Owen, announced and encouraged the lanky twelve year old to explore the sport at an after school practice session. It wasn't long before the hook was set and Strochinsky was well on his way to becoming an Oak Hills High School wrestling star. Upon leaving junior high, he entered high school 10th grade, bringing a shiny winning record along in tow. Initially, Coach Roche wasn't greeting him with hugs and adulation. But, the two figures combined their passion for winning. Stroh felt a bond to Roche and never wanted to disappoint the legendary coach. Finally, as an undefeated senior and state qualifier making the two hour drive to Columbus and walking into an arena packed with thousands of wrestling fans and supporters, Strochinsky met the sting of defeat against a well skilled, experienced state meet opponent in the semi-final match. And, not one to sulk or mope from the loss, he'd only felt the emotions of thinking that he'd let his coach down. ... Coach Roche passed away at the age of 73. Greg Strochinsky became instrumental in starting the Dick Roche Memorial Scholarship which can be awarded to dedicated wrestlers from the school.

When The University of Cincinnati Bearcats' Director of Football Sports Performance, Niko Palazeti, took on his new role in January 2023, he recognized an immediate need for his program and the Bearcats football squad: he needed a strength and conditioning performance staff. Palazeti had been a member of Coach Mickey Marotti'ssports performancestaff at Ohio State Football. Yet now, he found himself having to formulate a complete staff to complement new Head Football Coach Scott Satterfield's vision and mission. Coach Palazeti moved quickly, as time was ticking away and the Bearcats would soon be returning from the holidaybreak. The returning squad had not quite really met him yet and he needed a staff that could hit the ground running to prepare the team for the rapidly approaching spring football practices. Nobody occupied the small and cramped assistant strength & conditioning office. Palazeti made his first call to Columbus, Ohio. His fellow strength and conditioning partner, Coach Chris Friend, had been a strength intern at OSU Football and was later promoted as a full-time strength coach under the olympic sports strength training umbrella. Coach Friend was ALL-IN for Cincy and made the 90 minute trip with his sleeves rolled up and ready to go. Next came Coach Brandon Garcia, who decided to depart Las Vegas, Nevada and UNLV to take on a fresh challenge of Big 12 Conference Football in Cincinnati. Garcia, a former football player at West VirginiaState University, also had coaching stints at WVSU and Maryland Terrapins as well as some experience as a personal trainer down in Knoxville, Tennessee. Next on board was Scottie Etherington who had gained some early coaching experience at Marshall University with some intern experience at Ohio State Football and also Maryland Football. Finally, Robert "Robo" Williams was brought back into the fold. Robo had gained football playing experience at Miami University (Ohio) and also played a fifth year at Ohio Dominican where he completed his Masters Degree in Exercise Science, did an internship at Robert Morris University as well one back in his hometown at Cincinnati. He was an assistant at Toledo Rockets, Duke Blue Devils and at Army Football. This is an energetic, meticulous and hard working strength staff with some very good early on coaching experience that is sure to provide solid strength and conditioning knowledge and motivation for a very good and surging college football team. So, here's the ASAP~Athletic Strength And Power Podcast with all four members of Niko Palazeti's strength staff.

It took awhile to reconnect with Andy Kettler, mostly due to that good old pandemic. Closed doors and stop signs, red lights and masks. However, I was finally able to get a mutual date on the ASAP~Athletic Strength And Power calendar with the veteran strength, conditioning and sports performance coach! I have seen him on several occasions, including at the West Virginia Mountaineers where he worked his program for legendary basketball coach Bob Huggins. Not only in Morgantown, but I tracked him down in Indianapolis, Indiana for an ASAP 'Final Four' Podcast at the Lucas Oil Stadium. A few years following that mission, Coach Kettler found himself in Louisville, Kentucky as the strength coach for the Louisville Cardinals. Then, opportunity to work under Head Basketball Coach Sean Miller, got him packing to head up Interstate 71 North to Cincinnati and Xavier University as their Head Strength And Conditioning Coach for Men's Basketball. The Xavier Strength and Conditioning Center has recently been refurbished and is the perfect size facility to train elite basketball players. Coach Kettler can even swing open their giant open air windows and if your a visitor to the facility, there's no question as to where the weight room is. Just follow the music, as you can almost see musical notes coming from those windows. Speaking of music, it's loud and if you happen to be an audiophile, you'll love the high quality-high fidelity sound emanating from the master sound system. Kettler likes it loud! He want the players to learn to communicate during loudness as if their in the raucous Xavier Cintas Center that's just down the hallway from the training center. In the podcast, Coach Kettler and I discuss the strength training methodologies that he employs....how the program is configured, and why he trains his players to develop a mentality and a tenacity that encourages physical and mental toughness. His program is not for the meek. When a player steps foot into the facility, he better be ready to get hit from all angles. This is about as far away from Planet Fitness as you can get! In fact, when I walked in and took notice of one of his guys, I assumed that Xavier University had re-instituted their football program. A few of the players in this group looked like decent size defensive backs so I decided it would be best not to challenge any of these guys in a game of H-O-R-S-E nor one-on-one, just in case things got a little salty. Here's the ASAP Basketball Strength Training Podcast with Coach Andy Kettler, that will also soon make a debut in YouTube video form so coaches can see the training demeanor and with pics of the facility mixed in. This podcast is brought to you by the following strength and conditioning businesses. They outfit the top training centers with great service and : Spec Athletic: The Sports Flooring Professionals Kevin Cassidy: The Bill Jacobs Power Company Call Coach Jake for any weight room facility need! 'From the Ground Up' TRX Suspension Training Call the TRX Director for Team Sports Tim Bourke

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Youngstown, Ohio    For the Youngstown State Penguins, the season can't start soon enough. Excluded from the play-offs in 2022, the football squad is ready to put that in the rear view mirror and move on. This is a program that prides itself on winning tradition, and the atmosphere around Stambaugh Stadium, which houses the athletic offices that include the football coaches and their meeting rooms along with the strength and conditioning facility, is basically: Let's go!!! The Director of Football Sports Performance, Jimmy Rodenberg, is making sure that the Penguins stay the course and avoid the cold treatment from the selection committee. Rodenberg, whose father is a well known, longtime high school football coach in the Cincinnati and Indianapolis region, got some great early experience at Ohio State and then expanded on that base to a greater extent under Coach Brady Collins at Cincinnati with the Bearcats and their story book season and College Football Play-off run.    Following his initial year at YSU,  he's made some staff additions since his arrival and it can only serve to help the cause and the team goals to get back to national prominence. Keep in mind that this is a program that's had its share of the limelight as legendary college football coach Jim Tressel rebuilt the Penguin program during his fourteen year reign and tenure there, winning four national championships.  Coach Rodenberg was able to bring in a full-time assistant, Mason Garrison, a Cincinnati high school product who was able to be a part of the big transformation as a member of the Cincinnati Bearcat team that was selected to the College Football Play-off vs Alabama during the Luke Fickell years. In addition, they've added G.A. in Sport Performance Colton Krueger, a Marquette University grad who got some quality experience at Oregon Football (intern) under Coach Aaron Feld. Justin Nikakhtar arrived in Youngstown via San Diego State and had an opportunity to work under Coach Adam Hall and Coach Chris Jurek with the Aztecs working on his professional internship in the southern California sunshine. And, Jake Puckett rounds out the strength staff. Jake is an Iowa State guy and had the opportunity to work under Coach Dave Andrews in Ames. He also had a stop at Valparaiso as a sports performance assistant there in northern Indiana with the Crusaders. 

In her five seasons as Director of Sports Performance-Women's Basketball at The University of South Carolina, Molly Binetti, has seen the Gamecocks lose but only 19 games. And, she's been on board to witness 152 wins that include NCAA Sweet Sixteen, NCAA Final Four twice and an NCAA National Championship! (The COVID19 fiasco eliminated a run for another championship opportunity when the Final Four was canceled). All this in just five years at USC. What an experience!!     So, it comes as no surprise that HAMMER STRENGTH Clinics sought out this championship caliber performance coach as one of their top notch presenters at the Spooky Nook Sports Center complex in Hamilton, Ohio. Ted Lambrinides, Tommy Moffitt, Niko Palazeti. Al Johnson. Molly Binetti to name a few. All experienced, detailed and highly motivated coaches that HAMMER STRENGTH brought in to provide a learning experience and environment to help coaches who have a strong desire for personal advancement.      Coach Molly Binetti is now tweaking the program a bit as the USC Gamecocks prepare for an off-season program that prepares South Carolina WBB for another SEC and national championship opportunity..... along with an international tip-off this November 6th in Paris, France.  In this podcast, recorded on location and surrounded by HAMMER STRENGTH equipment in Hamilton, Ohio, Molly describes how she got her career started in the strength and conditioning profession and updates us on the preparation for the coming 2023-24 season, as the team is on break in accordance with NCAA rules concerning mandatory off time. However, after mid June.... It's on!! And, it has to be because, as Binetti reminded me, the Southeastern Conference is a "super physical league.....you get your butt kicked every night".  So, a huge shout out to one of the best in the business, Molly Binetti. We wish her continued top tier success. Here's the podcast, sponsored by SPECATHLETIC and their world renowned Regupol sports flooring. Ed Cicale

One of the big highlights of the HAMMER STRENGTH Clinic that was conducted at the Spooky Nook Athletics Complex in Hamilton, Ohio was the presentation on the opening night by Coach Tommy Moffitt. Basically, he laid out the infrastructure of his championship performance program that had the LSU Fighting Tigers fighting for and winning the big games and the big prizes. He's been in the strength & conditioning field for over thirty years. At Louisiana State for 23 years and prior to there, he'd been at Tennessee Vols and the Miami Hurricanes. So, I guess it's a no-brainer that the Hammer Strength Clinic roped in the accomplished Tommy Moffitt. And, the clinic was the perfect time to catch an Athletic Strength And Power Podcast recording with Coach Moffitt. We talked strength training and conditioning an discussed how he used Polar heart rate monitors with the Tigers at LSU when conducting speed and conditioning workouts. Currently, Moffitt has a strength & conditioning website called The Moffitt Method. It looks like a great resource for coaches & athletes and can even merge with TEAMBUILDR, the online strength & conditioning software.  In addition, he has a podcast that he records every Wednesday! 

Things were moving quickly at The University of Cincinnati as the school's athletic director scoured the football world for a replacement for Head Coach Luke Fickell who had departed to take on a struggling program in Madison, Wisconsin. A little over a week later, Cincinnati A/D/ John Cunningham was welcoming in his new football coach, Scott Satterfield, to take the reins of a program that has seen winning and lots of it in recent history.    Meanwhile, one hundred miles to the north, in Columbus, Ohio, at Ohio State Football, assistant strength and conditioning coach Niko Palazeti was busy training his groups of Buckeye football stars at The Woody Hayes Athletic Center under the direction of his mentor and the Director of Football Sports Performance, Mickey Marotti. The Buckeyes were in training for another run in the College Football Playoffs. However, things were about to change for Coach Palazeti.  As the newly named UC Football Coach Satterfield began familiarizing himself with the Bearcats' athletics building, the Richard Lindner Center, he knew that his real and immediate focus was to find someone to take direction of the team's strength and conditioning program, often the heart and soul of a team, and assure the current roster of Bearcats that the uncertainty and doubt that they were experiencing was coming to an end. The Bearcats are now official members of the Big 12 Conference. In fact, the Oklahoma Sooners will be in town on September 23rd, so the football program was in real need of a strength & conditioning coach with much needed experience to guide the team and reset the foundation.    Phone conversations, texts, emails were suddenly lighting up the former Michigan State Spartan's cell phone. The Cincinnati Bearcats would like to interview Niko Palazeti! Things were moving fast and and   And, as it turns out, Niko Palazeti finished up his morning training-groups at Ohio State, changed shirt logos to a CINCINNATI "C" paw, and headed to I-71 South for the two hour drive  to the Queen City along the Ohio River. Bearcat football coach Scott Satterfield would introduce him to the squad a few hours later.                             It was a new focus for Palazeti, he needed a strength staff of his own. So, he finally was able to secure his new personnel: Chris Friend (via Ohio State, football, hockey) Scott Ethington (via Marshall, Maryland) Brandon Garcia (via UNLV, Maryland) Robert 'Robo' Williams (via Duke, Cincinnati) Now that he had a staff, it became time to roll out the Winter Program and begin Coach Palazeti's first priority: Prepare the Players for the demands of Spring Football In today's ASAP ~Athletic Strength And Power Podcast, Niko and I discussed:

• the Cincinnati Bearcats opportunity
• his admiration of his mentor OSU's Mickey Marotti
• how the Bearcats attack the ever important region of the neck
• Spring football strength training objectives
• looking ahead to the Summer Program
• construction has begun on the new indoor facility and subsequent football building