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From building a strength & conditioning program from scratch to leading national initiatives for high school strength coaches, Amanda Berg has made a major impact in the field. In this episode, we dive deep into the systems, culture and curriculum she’s developed over nearly two decades, and how she’s helping coaches nationwide do the same (make sure to stick around for the 25% off code to her course!).
Coach Berg shares her journey from college softball and military service to becoming a driving force in high school strength & conditioning. She breaks down her movement-first philosophy, athlete and non-athlete integration, auto-regulation systems and the progression models that have transformed her program. Plus, we explore her leadership role with the NHSSCA and the push for qualified strength coaches in every high school.
Whether you’re in the private sector, at the high school level or coaching teams, you’ll take away actionable ideas to improve your training environment immediately.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- How Coach Berg grew a “weight room supervisor” role into a full-scale high school S&C program at Dassel-Cokato HS
- Her drop-down menu progression system for squat, hinge and press movements using TeamBuildr
- Balancing athletes and non-athletes in the same class without sacrificing quality
- Why she uses a “stoplight” auto-regulation system for game-day readiness
- The NHSSCA’s mission to get qualified strength coaches in front of every high school athlete
- Why “cardio is not conditioning” and the real keys to sport-specific readiness
- How military lessons shaped her views on over-conditioning and athlete care
- Practical fundraising and space-expansion tips for high school weight rooms
Key Quotes:
“Weightlifting will literally save your life. If you learn it at 15, you can come back to it at 33, 43, or any age.”
“Cardio is not conditioning. Conditioning is preparing athletes to perform at their highest level when it matters most.”
“Some of the best movers in class aren’t just athletes—they’re role models that accelerate learning for everyone.”
“The stoplight system puts decision-making in the hands of the athlete. It teaches them to adjust training based on readiness.”
Resources & Links:
- Amanda on Instagram: @chargertough
- NHSSCA: https://nhssca.us
- TeamBuildr Course: Building a Strength Training Curriculum Course
- Use code PEstrength for a free 30-day TeamBuildr trial + 25% off the course
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- Host: Justin Ochoa on Instagram
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