The Ready State

🗣️ "Strength training will make swimmers slow."

That idea has been floating around pool decks for decades.

So have a few others:

🏋️‍♀️ "Stop lifting before big competitions."
🏊‍♂️ "Just spend more time in the water."

This week on The Ready State Podcast, strength coach Jack Brown () joins us to unpack why some of the most common beliefs in swimming and water polo training may be limiting performance instead of improving it.

Jack has spent years working with aquatic athletes, from middle school beginners to Division I competitors, and his message is simple: strong athletes are more durable athletes.

Along the way, we get into what strength and conditioning actually means, why sprinting and jumping belong in nearly every athlete's development plan, how sleep and nutrition often move the needle more than adding another workout.

We also dive into (pun kind of intended) what parents should look for when evaluating a youth performance program.

The conversation starts with swimmers and water polo players, but it quickly becomes a bigger discussion about youth sports, athletic development, and helping athletes stay healthy enough to enjoy the sports they love.

The long-term goal is to help young people build bodies that stay durable, capable, and confident well after their competitive careers are over.

🎧 Full episode is live now. Comment "195" and I'll send it over.

Mobility needs don’t look the same for everyone. 🏋️‍♂️

For my powerlifters out there… I’ll start by saying this: you’re doing exactly what your sport asks you to do.

You’re spending a lot of time in very specific positions, producing a ton of force in a narrow range. That’s how you get strong. 💪

Over time, though, that can make the system feel a little dense/fibrotic.

Tissues get robust and your joints get really good at the positions you train in.

Outside of those positions, things can feel a bit limited or harder to access.

So the goal is to give your body a little more access to positions you’re not touching regularly.

Spending time on the ground. Moving through deeper ranges. Letting the hips and shoulders explore a bit more space than they see under a heavy bar.

And for strength athletes, sometimes it takes a little more input to make a change. A band, a ball, some added pressure to get into those areas that don’t give up range easily.

Bottom line ➡️ Powerlifters (and literally everyone) need more hip extension.

You also gotta keep an eye on making sure your shoulders are seeing internal rotation & extension as well to support the positions you’re asking of them.

Keep up with the fundamentals to avoid slipping into moments of compensation.

Follow me for more ways to keep your strength working for you long term.

💬 A lot of people drink to de-stress… but your body may experience alcohol as just another stressor.

I get it. When life ramps up, most of us reach for something that helps take the edge off. That’s a very human response, and for a lot of people it’s been the default for a long time.

But if you zoom out and look at it through a performance lens, alcohol adds load to a system that’s already working hard.

🧠 Your brain and body are constantly asking one question: Am I safe?

When stress is high (training, work, life) your system is already managing a lot of input.

Adding another stressor (like booze) into that mix can make it harder to recover, regulate, and show up the way you want.

🍹 I enjoy a good margarita as much as anyone… what I’m touting here is really about timing and awareness.

When the pressure is lower and you’ve got more bandwidth, your system tends to tolerate it better.

When demands are high, it’s worth thinking about what actually helps you come down and reset.

We’ve seen this play out over and over again with athletes.

When they reduce alcohol during high-demand phases, things tend to move in the right direction with energy, recovery, performance.

So I’m not here to rain on your parade… just something worth paying attention to. 😉