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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 #239 In-Season Strength, Online Coaching Myths, and Building a Sustainable Training Model with Joe Aratari
Send us your questions, or thoughts on today's episode!
In this episode of Muscles and Management, Gerry welcomes back Joe Aratari for a raw conversation on the realities of in-season training, youth sport culture, and what too many coaches get wrong when it comes to online content, business, and development.
Joe shares lessons from over a decade training youth and high school athletes, including:
- How to properly train during the season without overtraining or undertraining
- Why soreness and time constraints are excuses, not roadblocks
- The importance of consistent, year-round strength work to maintain gains and prevent injury
- How to integrate lifts into practices without disrupting performance
- Why simple full-body templates win during in-season phases
- When and how to adjust for recovery, lifestyle, and sport-specific stress
They also dive into:
- The rise of influencer strength coaches with no real-world experience
- The value of long-term trust, buy-in, and smart programming
- When it’s okay to tell a kid to go home and just be a kid for a day
- The real ROI of off-season training—and how it’s lost without in-season consistency
Packed with practical strategies, real-life anecdotes, and brutally honest takes, this one is a must-listen for any coach or parent serious about long-term athlete development.
0:00 – Introduction and Catching Up with Joe
2:25 – Social Media Coaching: Who Should You Listen To?
6:44 – Why Context and Experience Matter More Than Followers
10:32 – Building a Remote Program with Integrity and Results
15:04 – Creating Sustainable Systems for Coaches and Facilities
17:17 – Why Most Athletes Need In-Season Training
21:00 – Top Reasons Parents and Coaches Still Avoid In-Season Lifts
25:52 – Time Constraints, Practice Integration, and Real Solutions
28:29 – The ROI of Off-Season Work Hinges on In-Season Consistency
33:01 – How “Feeling Better” Converts Athletes to Buy-In
36:19 – Sample Week for a Busy High School Athlete
42:58 – Full Body Templates: Simple, Scalable, and Effective
45:43 – Year-Round Sports and Overuse: A Growing Problem
48:23 – Misconceptions Around Heavy Lifting and Injury Risk
51:08 – Rehab vs. Performance: Staying in Your Lane but Learning Enough
53:43 – Sport-Specific Training vs. Athlete Development
56:38 – Strength First: Why Foundations Beat Fancy
1:01:25 – Final Thoughts on Long-Term Athlete Development and Testing
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