.JPG)
Muscles and Management
Over the last near decade, Gerry DeFilippo has trained THOUSANDS of athletes from the youth to pro level across all major team-sports.
Gerry started his gym and brand, Challenger Strength, as an ambitious 22 year old still finishing his college degree.
In the time since, he has built his facility and following into a nationally recognized performance company training thousands of athletes both in-person and online.
Gerry brings guests across all areas of sports and performance training, giving the listener inside access to his rolodex of collegiate, world renowned private and professional performance and sports coaches.
If you are looking to improve your own performance OR knowledge of performance/sports training (and learn how to shape your career), Muscles and Management is for you!
Muscles and Management
Episode #231 Speed Development, Strength Training, and the Evolution of Coaching with Brad Dixon
Send us your questions, or thoughts on today's episode!
In this episode of Muscles and Management, Gerry welcomes Brad Dixon, head football coach, track coach, and advocate for the Feed the Cats training philosophy. Brad shares his journey from traditional, old-school coaching methods to a more data-driven and athlete-first approach, optimizing both speed and strength for long-term athletic development.
Brad breaks down how he transitioned from overloading athletes with conditioning to implementing sprint-based training, why max velocity work is often the missing link in high school sports, and how to balance weight room training with speed development. He also dives into the biggest misconceptions about Feed the Cats, why football coaches often resist change, and the importance of adapting training models to individual athletes instead of following generic plans.
They also discuss how to integrate speed training into multi-sport schedules, why strength alone isn’t enough, and how to create a system that keeps athletes healthy while maximizing their performance.
All that and more on this episode of Muscles and Management!
Timestamps:
0:00 – Introduction to the Episode and Guest, Brad Dixon
3:17 – From Old-School Training to Feed the Cats
7:39 – The Shift in Strength and Conditioning Principles
12:10 – Social Media’s Role in Spreading Training Trends
15:35 – Addressing Misconceptions About Feed the Cats
19:54 – Why Max Velocity Training is the Missing Link
23:37 – Balancing Strength and Speed in Training Programs
26:23 – The Role of Game Speed in Athletic Development
30:24 – Overcoming Resistance to New Training Methods
39:46 – The Real Definition of Hard Work in Sports
44:15 – How to Program for Speed, Strength, and Recovery
51:01 – The Future of Coaching: Adaptation and Growth
54:11 – Final Thoughts: Train Smart, Recover Well, and Keep Learning
Get A 7 Day FREE TRIAL On Onlystrength! - https://www.onlystrength.training/podcastoffer