Writing
Coaching essays + training science
Long-form essays on programming, periodization, and the difference between coaching and prescription. New post roughly monthly. No clickbait, no diet pseudoscience.
Most recent
2026
The case against optimal training
Why ‘optimal’ is the wrong question. The program you’ll do for 12 months beats the ‘optimal’ program you’ll abandon in 4 weeks. Originally published in Men’s Health. — May 2026 · 24 min read
RPE: a 12-year retrospective
How RPE-based programming has evolved in my coaching since 2014. What I got wrong early on. What I now coach instead. — April 2026 · 28 min read
Why I cap 1:1 coaching at 12 clients
The math + the values. Why scaling online coaching past 50+ clients changes the product. The trade-offs of being deliberate about cap. — March 2026 · 18 min read
The hybrid athlete’s training problem
Long-form on dual-goal training (running + lifting simultaneously). Featured 4 of my hybrid athlete clients. Originally published in Outside. — February 2026 · 36 min read
Programming + periodization
Long-form essays
RPE vs. percentage-based programming
When to use which. Why I prefer RPE for most situations. The math behind autoregulation. The 5 RPE pitfalls beginners make. — 24 min read
Wave loading explained
What wave loading actually does + when to use it. The 3-week wave structure I use for intermediate clients. Variations for advanced lifters. — 20 min read
Volume + frequency + intensity
The 3 dials of programming. Which to turn first when progress stalls. The hierarchy of program adjustments. — 22 min read
Block periodization for 1:1 clients
How I structure 12-week blocks for 1:1 coaching clients. Volume → intensity → peak → deload sequence. With real client examples. — 28 min read
Deloads — when, how, why
How to know when you need a deload. What an effective deload looks like. Why most lifters under-deload + how it kills progress. — 18 min read
Programming around life stress
Real-world programming when work + family + travel disrupts training. The minimum-effective-dose framework. — 20 min read
Body composition
Fat loss + muscle gain
Body recomp: the realistic protocol
How to lose fat + gain muscle simultaneously. Why it’s slow but sustainable. The 16-week protocol I use with intermediate lifters. — 26 min read
Caloric deficits + strength training
How to preserve strength while in a deficit. Protein, training volume, sleep, deload frequency. The mistakes that cost lifters strength during fat loss. — 24 min read
Reverse dieting — when it makes sense
What reverse dieting actually is + when it’s useful. Why most reverse diets fail (it’s not the math). — 18 min read
Bulking strategies — clean, lean, dirty
How to add muscle without excessive fat gain. Caloric surpluses 200/350/500. Which works for which goals. — 22 min read
Athletic performance
Sport, periodization, peaking
How to peak for a powerlifting meet
The 8-12 week protocol I use with my meet clients. Tapering, opener selection, meet-day strategy. — 28 min read
Marathon prep with strength training
How to add strength training to marathon prep without hurting running. The 2x/week minimum-effective-dose for runners. — 24 min read
The hybrid athlete’s training problem
Dual-goal training (running + lifting simultaneously). Originally in Outside. Periodization, recovery, expectations. — 36 min read
Off-season programming for team athletes
8-12 week off-season blocks for football, soccer, basketball, lacrosse. Strength + power + conditioning balance. — 22 min read
Coaching philosophy
Why I coach the way I coach
Coaching > programming
Why programming alone isn’t coaching. The 80% of progress that happens in the conversations between programmed workouts. — 20 min read
The case for boring programming
Why exciting programming is usually bad programming. Sustainable + predictable + slightly boring beats novel + exciting + abandoned. — 16 min read
What I learned in 4 years of D1 coaching
Lessons from coaching 60+ college athletes simultaneously. How those lessons shaped the 12-client cap on my online practice. — 26 min read
Truth-telling as coaching
Why honesty (about overtraining, nutrition, life stress) is the most valuable coaching skill. How to give hard feedback without losing trust. — 22 min read
Blog questions
What readers ask
- Roughly monthly. Long-form essays, not quick takes. ~20-36 minute reads. Trying for quality over quantity. New post when I have something worth saying — not on a schedule.