Dr. Ben Skutnik is joined by fellow Power Athlete Certified Master Coach Dennis Dolan, who shares his journey from athletic trainer to Power Athlete Master Coach and why intentional movement is the foundation of long-term performance.

The conversation explores how patience, consistency, and adaptability create better athletes, whether you're chasing performance, returning from injury, or simply looking to move better for life. Ben and Dennis break down practical strategies for reducing injury risk, building effective warm-up routines that actually prepare you to train, and developing the mindset needed to keep improving at any age.

If you want straightforward coaching advice you can apply immediately, this episode delivers practical takeaways without the BS.

Show notes: https://bit.ly/ETW02

Time stamps:

00:00 - Ben introduces Dennis Dolan and the episode’s focus on training, readiness, and recovery

00:46 - Dennis’s background as a high school athletic trainer and how he found CrossFit Football

01:57 - The 2011 Denver seminar and why the Power Athlete approach made immediate sense

03:27 - Bedrock success with a “unicorn” athlete and how that led to deeper involvement

04:54 - Joining the beta group and becoming embedded in the organization

05:40 - Why Dennis functions like Power Athlete’s athletic trainer

08:23 - How Dennis uses warm-ups to expose limitations before the main session

09:48 - Why immediate feedback during warm-ups gets people bought in

11:31 - Adults versus younger athletes and how ego changes coaching

12:54 - The German language analogy for teaching movement

14:02 - Training around limitations without waiting to be “fully recovered”

15:12 - Why bad squat mechanics do not make someone a bad person

16:40 - Using basketball and sport examples to explain movement improvement

18:01 - Athlete mindset beyond sport and how it applies to work and life

19:49 - The top fault Dennis sees: movement without intent

21:38 - Why people need to move more and stop being so regimented

22:19 - Real-life movement examples, including kids and defensive athletic positions

24:04 - Scaling and substitutions to fit the athlete instead of forcing the template

25:21 - How Power Athlete coaches shift programming around injury, limits, and goals

26:42 - Not all agility work needs to look like sport, but it still has value

28:08 - Dennis’s own programming journey from collegiate to amateur and beyond

29:34 - Why he wants people to finish the full work, including sprints and prep

30:29 - Where Dennis is now: Bedrock, Field Strong, and Johnny Wad

31:35 - Getting stronger and faster in his 40s on Field Strong

32:22 - Why Ben wants more regular sprint work and better sprint prep

34:20 - Dennis’s wood bat baseball story and what it revealed about readiness

36:46 - Why people should start at the right dose instead of going all out

38:31 - The value of scaling intensity instead of avoiding movement

40:55 - Dennis’s final advice: be kinder to yourself and stay patient

43:53 - Where to find Dennis in Overland Park, Kansas and at Restore Thrive

45:00 - Why his clinic is cash-based and built around individualized care