When I first stepped into the world of weightlifting, it was all about the rush. The adrenaline of walking onto a platform, being surrounded by people just like me—adrenaline junkies ready to take on the chaos and pressure of a max-effort moment.

Three athletes. Three different outcomes. One unified mission—to grow, reflect, and return stronger.

The week before Nationals isn’t about hitting PRs—it’s about controlling what I can and showing up ready.

A year ago, I had a conversation with one of my longtime athletes—someone I’ve worked with for nearly seven years. The talk was simple but real: “If this is the goal, you’ve got to start making choices to match it.”

One of the biggest shifts I made in my coaching was realizing that most athletes already know what they’re doing wrong. What they really need is help finding how to fix it—and confidence that they can.

Out of everything we teach, the squat might be the most versatile movement. You get so much return from it—whether you're chasing PRs as a weightlifter or just trying to move and feel better in everyday life. The squat challenges range of motion, demands stability, and teaches control. You can load it heavy, move it fast, modify it a dozen different ways, and it’s still going to give back.