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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 #240 Culture Consistency and Coaching Beyond the Weight Room with Brijesh Patel
Send us your questions, or thoughts on today's episode!
In this episode of Muscles and Management, Gerry sits down with Brijesh Patel—longtime Director of Athletic Performance at Quinnipiac University—for a masterclass in building culture, earning athlete buy-in, and leading with purpose in the strength and conditioning world.
Brijesh shares lessons from over 20 years in the field, including how to:
- Build sustainable in-season training that actually improves performance
- Create a weight room culture where effort and discipline are non-negotiables
- Train athletes with vastly different bodies, personalities, and needs under one roof
- Use logistics and constraints as a tool—not an excuse
- Turn average athletes into exceptional ones through intention and consistency
- Teach athletes to become 24/7 performers, not just show up for an hour lift
They also discuss leadership development, athlete motivation tiers (survivors, contenders, competitors, commanders), and how real progress comes not from the perfect program—but from consistency, clarity, and culture.
Whether you’re a coach, athlete, or someone managing a high-performing team, this episode delivers truth bombs on what really drives long-term success.
Timestamps:
0:00 – Introduction and Brijesh’s Background
2:12 – The Real-World Value of Logistics and Flexibility in Programming
5:00 – Early Challenges: Culture, Buy-In, and Accountability
8:21 – Creating a “Do Extra” Culture and a Packed Weight Room
10:01 – Training Different Body Types? Focus on Mentality First
12:26 – Effort > Program: Why Execution Matters Most
15:00 – Building a 24-Hour Athlete: Nutrition, Sleep, and Recovery
17:45 – Peer Accountability and Building a Competitive Training Environment
21:07 – Discipline Over Motivation: Lessons from Real Life
24:30 – Using Role Models and Metrics to Drive Intrinsic Buy-In
28:05 – Leadership Tiers: Survivors, Contenders, Competitors, Commanders
32:13 – Team Roles, Intangibles, and How Leaders Are Made
34:20 – In-Season Training: Why “Maintenance” Isn’t Enough
36:39 – Adjusting Loads, Managing Travel, and Keeping Force Output High
39:14 – Buying In to Heavy Lifts In-Season (Without Fear)
41:33 – How Education and Transparency Build Long-Term Trust
43:52 – Final Thoughts: Invest in Yourself to Serve Others
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