Strength Chat

This week I had the opportunity to sit down with Ross Leppala, Reactive Training Systems coach and 2x Masters Powerlifting World Champion. As lifters get stronger physically, what often holds them back isn’t their body, it’s their mind. The good news is that, just like strength, mindset can be trained. And that’s exactly what we unpacked in this episode. In this conversation, we break down: 🧠 Are your limits real or self-imposed? 🔥 The impact of confidence on performance 📈 Why progress requires stepping outside your comfort zone If you’re stuck at a plateau, second guessing attempts or playing it safe in training, this one will be helpful for you. Want more insights like this every week?👉 Join the newsletter - https://mailchi.mp/c596e11d086b/vqfx9t7rgl  Follow Ross: 👉 @ross.leppala 👉 @intentionalathlete_podcast Follow me:  👉 @coach_cuthbert 👉 @strength_chat 

This week I was joined by Kyle McKee, strength & powerlifting coach and Pre-Script Level 3 coach. There’s no shortage of “quick fixes” in training. Tweaks. Hacks. Adjustments. Shortcuts. Promises of faster results. But most of them don’t last. In this conversation, Kyle and I talk about something far more powerful: How to make success inevitable, without constantly changing your programme.  In this episode we break down: 🔥 Trying harder vs. changing your programme  🏋️ How to get more out of the training you’re already doing  📈 How to build a system where progress becomes unavoidable If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing a lot but not moving forward, this episode will challenge how you think about progress. Join the Built By Strength Community - https://mailchi.mp/c596e11d086b/vqfx9t7rgl Follow Kyle: 👉 @_kylemckee Follow me:  👉 @coach_cuthbert 👉 @strength_chat 

This week I was joined by Julia Hlaing, a pelvic health physio with experience competing in bodybuilding, weightlifting, CrossFit and powerlifting. When it comes to training before, during, and after pregnancy, there’s a huge amount of misinformation that creates fear, confusion, and unnecessary limitations. Julia is doing the opposite, breaking myths, sharing evidence-based practice, and helping women (and coaches) feel confident, not cautious. What makes this episode even better, is Julia is actually pregnant herself in this episode.   In this episode, we cover: 🤰 The most common myths around training & pregnancy  🏋️ What best practice actually looks like pre, during, and post pregnancy  🗣️ The role of the coach and why language & communication matter so much  If you coach women or train through pregnancy yourself, this episode is essential listening. If this episode helped shift your thinking, the newsletter is where it continues - https://mailchi.mp/ea9ee2b51d7c/built-by-strength Follow Julia: 👉 @pelvicstrong 👉 @pbphysio_olympicpark Follow me:  👉 @coach_cuthbert 👉 @strength_chat 

This week I had the pleasure of sitting down with Brandon Schultze, a strength coach, Pre-Script educator, and someone who’s worked across both general population and professional sport. What stands out most about Brandon isn’t just what he knows, it’s how curious he’s been willing to stay. That curiosity has led him to: • seek more knowledge • sharpen his coaching language • and produce real results with both the coaches he mentors and the athletes he supports And that’s exactly what we explored in this conversation. In this episode, we chatted about: 🧠 Why so many coaches avoid curiosity 📈 The positive impact curiosity has on learning and result🗣️ How communication & language can elevate (or limit) your coaching If you coach people, this episode will challenge how you think, speak and ask questions. If this topic resonates, the newsletter is where it continues. 👉 Sign up to the newsletter via the link - https://mailchi.mp/ea9ee2b51d7c/built-by-strengthFollow Brandon: 👉 @brandon.schultze Follow me:  👉 @coach_cuthbert 👉 @strength_chat 

We’re back for the first episode of 2026 and we kicked off this week with Dr. Matt Casturo, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and Founder of The Movement System. Matt has a great skill of: 👉 taking complex performance topics 👉 stripping away the fluff 👉 and making them clear, practical and usable for coaches and athletes. If you’ve ever asked “Am I actually training for performance… or just getting strong?”, this episode is for you. What we break down in this episode: 🏋️‍♂️ The difference between being strong in the gym vs strong in your sport 🧠 How to make better programming decisions (without overthinking it) 📊 What information you actually need to improve athletic performance If you enjoyed this episode, you’ll love the newsletter. Each week I share: ✅ Coaching insights ✅ Training principles that actually work ✅ Lessons pulled directly from podcast conversations 👉 Sign up to the newsletterFollow Matt: 👉 @themovementsystem 👉 https://www.themovementsystem.com/  Follow me:  👉 @coach_cuthbert 👉 @strength_chat 

This week I was joined once again by Josh Bryant, strength coach, author and Co-Founder of Jailhouse Strong. Every time Josh is on, you walk away with something you can actually use in your training. With so much knowledge and experience helping lifters and athletes get brutally strong, this chat was packed with gold. We dug into:  🔥 What is “the zone” and how to get there  🧠 How mindset drives performance and longevity  🏋️‍♂️ Why work capacity is your secret weapon for long term progress Follow Josh: 👉 @jailhousestrong 👉 https://joshstrength.com/  Follow me:  👉 @coach_cuthbert 👉 @strength_chat 👉 Strength Chat Podcast 📬 Want weekly training & coaching tips straight to your inbox?Join my newsletter for real, practical advice to help you:✅ Train smarter✅ Coach better✅ Cut through the BS👉 Sign up here: https://mailchi.mp/ea9ee2b51d7c/built-by-strength

This week I was joined once again by Tom Sheppard, strength coach, author, educator and every time he’s on, you can guarantee you’ll learn something new. Our last episode was one of the most popular I’ve shared and this one dives even deeper. We tackled a topic that sits at the core of every great training program, the one thing that can make or break progress: effort and intent. It’s not just about working hard; it’s about how you apply that effort and whether your intent matches your goals. We covered:  🔥 What effort and intent actually mean in training  🎯 How they directly impact your results and consistency  🧠 How to tell the difference between training with effort and intentConnect with Tom: 👉@tom_kaizen Connect with me:  👉 @coach_cuthbert 👉 @strength_chat 👉 Strength Chat Podcast 📬 Want weekly tips to help you train smarter, coach better & cut through the BS?  Sign up for my blog — https://mailchi.mp/ea9ee2b51d7c/built-by-strength  

He’s back for the hat trick!  This week I was joined once again by Sean McInroy after two very popular previous episodes.  Every time Sean joins Strength Chat, the episodes have been awesome. Why? Because everything he shares is immediately actionable. You walk away with ideas you can apply in your next training session. This chat was no different. We got into:  🏋️‍♂️ Beyond the bar, what else changes as you progress  🌍 The variables outside of training that make or break results  🧠 The difference between difficulty and effectiveness Connect with Sean: 👉@sean.mcinroy 👉@apexstrengthsociety Connect with me:  👉 @coach_cuthbert 👉 @strength_chat 👉 Strength Chat Podcast 📬 Want weekly tips to help you train smarter, coach better & cut through the BS?  Sign up for my blog — https://mailchi.mp/ea9ee2b51d7c/built-by-strength  

It was awesome this week to be joined by Eric Bugera, a strength coach, Pre-Script educator, and fitness writer with over 11 years of experience in the game.  In the world of fitness and strength and conditioning, there’s this idea that if something isn’t “optimal,” it must be wrong. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Eric and I dove into what actually works when coaching real people, not perfect scenarios. Because sometimes, the “less optimal” choice is the one that gets real results. We discussed:  ❓ What to do when your coaching solution doesn’t work  ⚙️ Why the less optimal approach can often be more effective  📈 How to actually maintain progress once a goal is achieved Connect with Eric: 👉 @ericbugera Connect with me:  👉 @coach_cuthbert 👉 @strength_chat 👉 Strength Chat Podcast 📬 Want weekly tips to help you train smarter, coach better & cut through the BS?  Sign up for my blog — https://mailchi.mp/ea9ee2b51d7c/built-by-strength  

In this week's Strength Chat, I was joined by Tom Swales, physiotherapist, strength coach, and founder of COMPHYSIO+ Performance Wellness, as well as the creator of the Advanced Movement Therapist Certification. Human movement can easily get overcomplicated, especially when pain, injuries, or mobility issues are involved. But Tom is changing that. He’s built a repeatable system that strips away the noise, helping clients and athletes move better, feel stronger, and perform at their best, without overthinking it. We discussed:  🧠 Why people struggle with body awareness in movement  🏋️ How to actually improve movement quality  🔎 Why zooming out often reveals the real issue Connect with Tom: 👉 @swales.tom 👉 https://www.amtcertified.ca/  Connect with me:  👉 @coach_cuthbert 👉 @strength_chat 👉 Strength Chat Podcast 📬 Want weekly tips to help you train smarter, coach better & cut through the BS?  Sign up for my blog — https://mailchi.mp/ea9ee2b51d7c/built-by-strength

This week I was joined by Nick Ridpath, performance coach and educator, for a deep dive into something every coach thinks about, exercise selection.  Anyone can add exercises to a program. But choosing the right ones that support progress, reveal weaknesses, and actually move the needle? That’s an entirely different level of coaching. We covered:  🗺️ How to create a roadmap with exercise selection  🔍 How exercise choice can reveal strengths & weaknesses  🏆 Whether there’s a hierarchy of exercises (and what that means for programming) Connect with Nick: 👉 @nickridpath_ Connect with me:  👉 @coach_cuthbert 👉 @strength_chat 👉 Strength Chat Podcast 📬 Want weekly tips to help you train smarter, coach better & cut through the BS?  Sign up for my blog — https://mailchi.mp/ea9ee2b51d7c/built-by-strength  

This week I was joined once again by Jason Tremblay, Founder of The Strength Guys and someone who’s made a huge impact on how I approach coaching and programming. Jason has now been on the podcast five times, and for good reason. His insight into strength training, athlete development, and data-driven programming is world class. There’s been a lot of talk lately about higher volume training as a way to build stronger lifters. But for Jason and The Strength Guys, this isn’t a new concept. It’s something they’ve been refining for years, producing national and international champions in the process. In this episode, with a few tangents thrown in, we covered:  💪 Why the conversation around higher volume is back again  🔁 How to create a repeatable system for success  📊 Managing lifter fatigue and performance Connect with Jason: 👉 @jasontsg 👉 @thestrengthguys Connect with me:  👉 @coach_cuthbert 👉 @strength_chat 👉 Strength Chat Podcast 📬 Want weekly tips to help you train smarter, coach better & cut through the BS?  Sign up for my blog — https://mailchi.mp/ea9ee2b51d7c/built-by-strength

The last time I chatted with this guest, way back in the popular Episode 163, it struck a chord with a lot of listeners.  It was great then to be joined once again this week by William Wayland, a sports performance consultant and strength & conditioning coach. In a world where everyone’s chasing “more”, whether that be more training, more results, more grind, William challenges that mindset with a simple question: What would happen if we slowed things down? We talked about:  🐢 What the Athletic Slow Life principles are  🤝 How to get athletes to buy in to slowing down  🎯 How this approach can change goal setting and progress Connect with William: 👉 @coachwwayland Connect with me:  👉 @coach_cuthbert 👉 @strength_chat 👉 Strength Chat Podcast 📬 Want weekly tips to help you train smarter, coach better & cut through the BS?  Sign up for my blog — https://mailchi.mp/ea9ee2b51d7c/built-by-strength

This week I had the pleasure of chatting with Nat Galloway, a British Army veteran, strength coach, and competitive powerlifter. 💪I’ve followed Nat’s articles for Master Athletic Performance for a while now, so it was awesome to finally sit down and go deeper into some of those ideas around training, mindset, and building consistency.Because let’s be honest, motivation comes and goes. What keeps you progressing is the system you build and the environment you create.We discussed:⚙️ How to build a system so you can train even when motivation dips🏋️‍♂️ How your environment affects consistency and results🧠 How to manage anxiety and overwhelm in the gymConnect with Nat: 👉 @coach_nat_galloway Connect with me:  👉 @coach_cuthbert 👉 @strength_chat 👉 Strength Chat Podcast 📬 Want weekly tips to help you train smarter, coach better & cut through the BS?  Sign up for my blog — https://mailchi.mp/ea9ee2b51d7c/built-by-strength  

This week I sat down with Dr. Adam Sawyers, a strength coach, gym owner, powerlifter, and doctor who’s on a mission to bring people back to what really works: the basics.With so much information and noise out there, it’s easy to overcomplicate training. But when you look at the results Adam gets with his clients, it’s clear that doing the fundamentals really well beats chasing the next trend every time.We chatted about:🏋️‍♂️ What doing the basics better actually looks like🧠 Why so many people struggle with the fundamentals💪 How to become a healthy powerlifter…plus a few tangents along the way 😅Connect with Adam: 👉 @dradamsawyers Connect with me:  👉 @coach_cuthbert 👉 @strength_chat 👉 Strength Chat Podcast 📬 Want weekly tips to help you train smarter, coach better & cut through the BS?  Sign up for my blog — https://mailchi.mp/ea9ee2b51d7c/built-by-strength  

This week’s Strength Chat was a special one. I was joined by two international powerlifters and an absolute athlete–coach dream team: Carole O’Neil and Pia Marangoni.With Pia a performance nutritionist and Carole an athlete pushing to level up, this really was a perfect match. Carole balances work, travel, and training, yet still finds a way to perform on the platform thanks to a smart, tailored approach from Pia.This wasn’t just about setting macros or handing over a meal plan. It was about creating a strategy that fits real life and drives real results.We covered:🤝 The athlete–coach relationship between Carole & Pia🥗 The challenges of building a sustainable nutrition plan⚡ How nutrition has positively impacted Carole’s performance on the platform…plus a few fun tangents along the way 😅Connect with Carole: 👉 @caroleoneil Connect with Pia: 👉 @pia_marangoni 👉 @fiercelyfuelednutrition Connect with me:  👉 @coach_cuthbert 👉 @strength_chat 👉 Strength Chat Podcast 📬 Want weekly tips to help you train smarter, coach better & cut through the BS?  Sign up for my blog — https://mailchi.mp/ea9ee2b51d7c/built-by-strength  

This week I had the pleasure of chatting with Andy McCloy — Owner & Founder of BCI Sports Performance & Fitness, where he’s coached thousands of athletes, with hundreds reaching the elite level in their sport.When Andy speaks, you listen. His results and track record speak for themselves.In a world where many coaches want quick results and shortcuts, Andy reminds us that the art of coaching, experience, patience, and raising standards, is what truly makes the difference.We dug into:🎯 The art of coaching beyond programming🧠 How to build real experience as a coach🏋️ Creating a coaching-first mindset as a gym owner…plus a few Strength Chat tangents along the way 😅Connect with Andy: 👉 @andymccloy_bci 👉 @bci_sports_performance Connect with me:  👉 @coach_cuthbert 👉 @strength_chat 👉 Strength Chat Podcast 📬 Want weekly tips to help you train smarter, coach better & cut through the BS?  Sign up for my blog — https://mailchi.mp/ea9ee2b51d7c/built-by-strength  

This week I was joined by Pauric O’Rourke, strength coach with KILO Strength Society and someone who knows how to cut through the fluff to focus on what actually works.There’s no shortage of fads and gimmicks in fitness. But when you strip it all back, the goal is simple: help clients get stronger, healthier, and more consistent.That’s exactly what we dove into in this chat.We covered:✅ The real difference between coaching beginners vs advanced clients❓ If we know what works, why do fads & gimmicks keep coming back?🎯 The pros and cons of specificity in programming…plus a few classic Strength Chat tangents 😅Connect with Pauric: 👉 @pauric.orourke 👉 @kiloeducation Connect with me:  👉 @coach_cuthbert 👉 @strength_chat 👉 Strength Chat Podcast 📬 Want weekly tips to help you train smarter, coach better & cut through the BS?  Sign up for my blog — https://mailchi.mp/ea9ee2b51d7c/built-by-strength 

This week’s episode was a special one as it was my first in-person Strength Chat recorded here in Thailand!I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jack Thomas, Founder & CEO of BASE, Co-Founder of The Fit Guide, and host of the Fitness Business Asia Podcast & Five-Star Fitness podcast.From the start, it was clear how passionate Jack is about raising the standard in fitness when it comes to service, systems, and scalability. If you’re a coach, gym owner, or just someone interested in what makes the best gyms in the world stand out, this episode is for you.We covered:🏆 What separates gold-standard gyms from the rest🛠️ Why systems are essential for long-term success📈 How to scale your business without losing quality…plus a few fun tangents along the way 😅Connect with Jack: 👉 Jack Thomas - LinkedIn 👉 @jacktbase Connect with me:  👉 @coach_cuthbert 👉 @strength_chat 👉 Strength Chat Podcast 📬 Want weekly tips to help you train smarter, coach better & cut through the BS?  Sign up for my blog — https://mailchi.mp/ea9ee2b51d7c/built-by-strength 

This week I was joined by Veronica Zuccala — strength & conditioning coach and educator with Pre-Script.You don’t have to be an athlete to benefit from training like one. The principles that make athletes strong, fast, and resilient also apply to everyday gym goers. And when you apply them the right way, progress skyrockets.We got into:✅ Why “athlete-style” training works for the general population🎮 The role of games in athletic development (yes, fun matters!)🔥 Why effort is the ultimate non-negotiableThis one’s a mix of education, insight, and a couple of fun tangents along the way 😅Connect with Veronica: 👉@veronicazuccala Connect with me:  👉@coach_cuthbert 👉@strength_chat 👉 Strength Chat Podcast 📬 Want weekly tips to help you train smarter, coach better & cut through the BS?  Sign up for my blog — https://mailchi.mp/ea9ee2b51d7c/built-by-strength