Beyond Sets and Reps

Aaron Ausmus

Coach Aaron Ausmus had a rare opportunity to visit programs all over the nation while he was a sales rep for Sorinex Exercise Equipment. Even though he was between strength coaching jobs, he turned lemons into lemonade by broadening his knowledge base and cherry-picking the best parts of several programs. Now back at USC as the head strength coach for football, he’s confident his experience and knowledge gained is helping him make their program the best it can be.

Justin Smith

After more than a decade long career in the NFL, 5x Pro Bowler Justin Smith is living life off the grid and raising his children to be as hard-working as he is. While he hasn’t yet gotten to the reminiscing phase for his NFL career, he’s confident his motivation was simple – to play ball. A no-frills, no b.s. kind of guy, Smith shares his outlook on the NFL, his family, and simple living.

Keyon Dooling

Keyon Dooling is a Florida boy whose community supported him through adolescence and into adulthood when he ventured to the Midwest for college. Ultimately his successful 13-year NBA career came to an end as he began confronting his struggles with PTSD. Today he’s a mental health advocate raising awareness in society, but also on a deeper level advocating for the mental health of collegiate athletes.

Bert Sorin

Growing up with a chip on his shoulder to always exceed people’s low expectations of him, Bert Sorin has taken that drive and continued building the legacy of Sorinex Exercise Equipment. From developing state of the art equipment to bringing people together, Bert takes pride in leaving a positive footprint on the world, and on people’s hearts.

Joe Kenn

Having written the book, Joe Kenn (aka ‘House’) takes us through the philosophies that helped create the Tier System of training athletes. From how to most effectively put together a staff, to using the Tier System foundation to create your own programs, House delivers quotable ‘food for thought’ throughout the entire episode. It’s his way of paying it forward by teaching strength coaches around the world ‘how to fish’ rather than feeding them for a day.

Duane Carlisle

A veteran of the profession, Duane Carlisle is a long-time coach, expert, and mentor to many. From the private sector to the public (and back again), middle schoolers to professionals, Coach Duane Carlisle has seen and trained it all. In this episode, he offers his perspectives on coaching the person, how a high-performance model should work, and the business savvy side of coaching.

Jen Widerstrom

Jen Widerstrom is a fitness icon and after listening to this episode you’ll know why. She’s humble, wise beyond her years, and eager to help guide others to success. From her own journey with sports and fitness to how we can each pay it forward, there’s no shortage of quotables from this show.

Dr. Rick McGuire

As my Yoda of all things mental, Dr. and Coach Rick McGuire joins us for this week’s episode. Long time track & field coach and a pioneer in the sport psychology field, he brings a perspective unlike any other. With the understanding that kids meet sport through the coach, Coach McGuire fully supports the comprehensive, integrated performance model which thrives on communication between professionals for the benefit of the athlete.

Dr. Bryan Mann

Professor of kinesiology and sports science, Dr. Bryan Mann teaches us about his specialty, Velocity Based Training (VBT). From being a “poor white boy from backwoods Oklahoma” to how he became an expert, Bryan takes us through his journey of becoming a strength coach and an academic. We also “geeked out” a bit on his VBT talking numbers and training methods.

Chase Daniel

Chase Daniel, 10-year NFL veteran, discusses leadership, mental performance, QBs in the NFL Draft, and how he improves his longevity in such a difficult arena. A must-listen for anyone looking for the performance edge as Chase says confidently he’s at his best when he goes Beyond Sets and Reps with spiritual, mental, and emotional aspects of life.

 

Chase describes how growing up in a Christian household with many opportunities for success helped develop his leadership, both vocally and by example. He learned at an early age leadership is earned, not given and is blessed to have been put in so many opportunities to exercise and improve his leadership skills.

Going undrafted in the 2009 NFL draft was his first encounter with adversity, causing him to reevaluate his goals. Chase began taking one day at a time and learned to capitalize on each opportunity to get better, including learning what real hard work meant from none other than Drew Brees. He finds renewed energy when demonstrating his ability to handle adversity.

We got insights from the vet on NFL prospect Kyler Murray, as well as current NFL phenom, Patrick Mahomes II. In addition, Chase weighed in on how the requirements for QBs have changed over time, specifically the height requirement myth has been debunked.

Among the things that have made Chase most successful are his relationships with coaches, which he values immensely, and his life outside of football. He feels more balanced than ever with a clear sense or purpose, both on and off the field. 

You can find Chase on Twitter (@ChaseDaniel) or Instagram (@Chase_Daniel). A special thanks to our sponsor, Sorinex Exercise Equipment.