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In Episode 8 of the Stronger is Better Podcast, Nick Delgadillo sits down with elite junior golfer McKenna Murphy and her Starting Strength Coach, Pete Troupos, to discuss how barbell training played a critical role in elevating McKenna’s golf performance. From winning the U.S. Kids Teen World Championship to earning a D1 scholarship at South Alabama, McKenna shares her journey and how lifting—particularly squats and deadlifts—directly improved her club head speed, consistency, and endurance on the course.

Pete gives insight into programming for a high-level youth athlete and highlights the value of adapting barbell training to support a primary sport rather than compete with it.

Whether you’re a coach, parent, or athlete looking for that performance edge, this episode showcases how strength training can transform golf—and why it might be the X-factor you’ve overlooked.

00:00 – Intro: Meet McKenna Murphy and Coach Pete Troupos

01:16 – The link between barbell training and golf performance

02:51 – Pete’s coaching background and Starting Strength journey

06:05 – McKenna’s athletic background and how she started lifting

10:00 – Winning the U.S. Kids Teen World Championship

13:56 – How competitive junior golf really is

17:14 – Technical vs. mental breakthroughs in tournament play

18:58 – Club head speed, consistency, and fatigue resistance

21:17 – A 10 mph club head speed gain: how rare is that?

24:02 – Pete reflects on tracking performance gains through strength

27:45 – Observations from golf coaches and peers

32:08 – Why strength needs to come before “golf-specific” training

34:00 – Golf as a sport: redefining athleticism

37:51 – McKenna’s college schedule: balancing golf and strength

41:23 – Adjusting programming around tournaments and travel

44:34 – The coach’s role: strength serves the athlete’s goals

46:19 – Is golf hard on the body?

48:34 – Future plans: McKenna’s goal of turning pro

50:51 – 1,400+ swings a week: what elite training volume looks like

53:00 – Strength training as the untapped differentiator in golf

56:04 – Final thoughts: strength + consistency = performance

57:39 – Thanks and closing remarks

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🔗 Brought to you by https://www.startingstrengthgyms.com

🎧 New episodes every other week on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify

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In this episode of the Stronger is Better Podcast, Nick Delgadillo sits down with Dr. Becky Maidansky, pelvic floor specialist and founder of Lady Bird Physical Therapy https://www.ladybirdpt.com/ in Austin, TX. They explore the realities of training through pregnancy, postpartum recovery, pelvic floor dysfunction, and why strength is one of the most underappreciated tools in women’s health. This conversation bridges the gap between medical rehab and high-performance coaching—essential listening for strength coaches, pregnant athletes, and anyone working with women in the gym.

00:00 - Intro & how Becky got involved with Starting Strength Austin

01:15 - Lifting workshop recap & Becky’s team background

03:27 - What is pelvic health PT?

05:04 - Why Becky started Lady Bird PT

07:12 - Pregnancy isn’t a problem to manage—training is essential

10:00 - Medical conservatism, strength, and female physiology

13:23 - Training during pregnancy: Becky’s and Nick’s coaching experience

16:36 - What guidelines should lifters follow?

20:20 - What symptoms matter and how to respond

22:55 - Exercise modifications & movement adjustments

24:58 - The role of energy availability during pregnancy

26:07 - Postpartum recovery: timelines and expectations

29:54 - Real-world coaching after pregnancy

32:03 - Strength persists post-pregnancy

34:12 - Weighing health vs. aesthetic goals postpartum

35:16 - Strength training protects pelvic health

37:24 - Stress incontinence: how coaches should think about it

41:08 - Common causes & symptoms

44:25 - What coaches can ask—and what’s in their scope

46:35 - How and when to modify training for stress incontinence

51:18 - Proper Valsalva vs. bearing down

54:03 - Practical breathing cues to reduce pelvic stress

55:35 - Do Kegels work? It depends

59:18 - Are there standard pelvic floor strengthening protocols?

1:00:52 - When to refer out to pelvic PT

1:03:42 - Understanding prolapse & how to respond

1:07:28 - What is a pessary and who might benefit from one?

1:08:29 - How to contact Dr. Becky Maidansky

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🔗 Brought to you by https://www.startingstrengthgyms.com

🎧 New episodes every other week on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify

📩 Send feedback or questions to: podcast@ssgyms.com

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In this episode of the Stronger Is Better Podcast, Nick Delgadillo sits down with Starting Strength Gyms founder Ray Gillenwater for a wide-ranging conversation about entrepreneurship, vision, and the founding story of Starting Strength Gyms. Ray shares how his experiences in tech, corporate leadership, and global markets led him to Starting Strength—and why strength training is at the core of building better people, teams, and businesses.

They explore the parallels between barbell training and business operations, discuss lessons from launching a franchise, and highlight the power of doing hard things. From his time at BlackBerry to the launch of Starting Strength Gyms, Ray’s story offers valuable insight for entrepreneurs, coaches, and anyone seeking freedom through ownership.

00:00 – Intro: Ray returns to the podcast

00:44 – Ray’s background in tech and telecom

02:20 – First encounter with Starting Strength

04:50 – Discovering the program, contacting Rip

07:00 – Attending his first seminar and injuries

08:20 – Starting Strength retail vision emerges

10:24 – Franchising vs affiliation

12:42 – How the response to COVID tested the franchise

14:59 – Corporate vs mission-driven business

16:35 – BlackBerry in Southeast Asia

19:30 – Sales tactics and incentive alignment

23:19 – Launching BlackBerry Money, ahead of its time

27:30 – What went wrong at BlackBerry

30:00 – The draw of Starting Strength

31:35 – Bullshit in the corporate world

33:00 – Rip’s influence and brutal honesty

34:15 – Returning to the franchise—lessons learned

36:04 – Coaching gym owners like lifters

38:49 – Business fundamentals mirror training

40:26 – Product, people, and solving real problems

44:42 – Technical expertise vs human connection

48:30 – How to help the runner, the skeptic, anyone

52:46 – Weekly habits and business levers

54:20 – Vision, strategy, and scalable simplicity

56:34 – Why the culture makes it all work

57:37 – Hard physical effort = quality people

1:01:25 – Franchising done the right way

1:03:31 – Humility, hardship, and growth

1:06:35 – Closing reflections on freedom and purpose

⸻

🔗 Brought to you by https://www.startingstrengthgyms.com

🎧 New episodes every other week on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify

📩 Send feedback or questions to: podcast@ssgyms.com