In this episode of Everyday Strength, I break down how minimalist training can help you get stronger, look more athletic, and build conditioning without spending hours in the gym. You'll learn why simplicity beats complexity, how to master the basics, and how to structure your week for both strength and endurance.

Topics Covered:

• Why over complication ruins progress and enjoyment in training.
• The 5 foundational movement patterns every program must include.
• How the 80/20 rule applies to strength and conditioning.
• Weekly training splits for 3-4 sessions per week that actually work.
• Pitfalls to avoid: overstuffing, chasing novelty, skipping conditioning.
• Why minimalist training is simple, but far from easy.

Minimalist training isn't about shortcuts. It's about stripping away the excess and putting full intent into what matters most. At Hagele Strength, every program is built on this philosophy, helping busy athletes and professionals get stronger, leaner, and better conditioned without wasting time or energy on what doesn't move the needle.

🔗 Links & Resources

Follow me on Instagram: instagram.com/hagelestrength

Check out my training programs: hagelestrength.com/shop

Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter: hagelestrength.com/newsletter

🎧 If you enjoyed. this episode, leave a review and share it with a friend!

In this weeks episode, Anthony breaks down why squatting is one of the most important lifts for building athleticism. From bodyweight goblet squats to a two-times bodyweight back squat, and finally to moving heavy loads fast, you’ll learn why the squat is the foundation of strength, speed, and power.

Anthony also explains why he programs with the Conjugate Method. A system that balances heavymax-effort work with dynamic speed training, and why it works better for everyday athletes than rigid linear periodization.

This week we cover:

• Why simply "just squatting" is one of the first steps most people skip
• The strength baseline: why a 2x body weight squat is a solid athletic standard
• How to unlock athletic power with dynamic effort squats (squat heavy fast)
• Why conjugate fits better than linear training for busy athletes
• Practical ways to program squats into your training week

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Resources & Links

I’m Anthony Hagele, strength coach at Hagele Strength and an exercise and performance nutrition researcher at Lindenwood University. I created the Everyday Strength Podcast to bridge the gap between high-level performance science and the reality of being a busy everyday athlete.

This show is built for men who want to be strong, lean, athletic, and healthy without having to sacrifice family, work, and life outside the gym. Each week, I break down the science of training and nutrition into practical, no-nonsense strategies that you can actually use. You’ll hear deep dives into programming, why certain methods work, how to structure your week, and what it really takes to become incredibly strong and well conditioned.

We’ll cover themes like the Conjugate Method adapted for hybrid athletes, energy system development for conditioning, and the nutrition strategies that fuel both performance and longevity. We’ll dig into how to train for health and performance, not one at the expense of the other.

Along the way, you’ll also hear about mindset, discipline, and the lessons that carry beyond the gym. Because being an everyday athlete is about more than chasing numbers, it’s about building a body and lifestyle that can keep up with your kids, withstand stress, and thrive for decades.

You can expect episodes that blend evidence-based research with practical application, drawing from my work in exercise science, my coaching experience, and my own training journey. The goal is always the same: to equip you with tools, insights, and systems that make you better. Stronger. Healthier. And ready for whatever life throws at you.

If you’re tired of cookie-cutter fitness advice and want a podcast that goes deep while staying grounded in the realities of everyday life, you’re in the right place.

Stay tuned for new episodes dropping every week.

Most people train their core wrong. They think crunches and sit-ups are enough — but they’re skipping the very foundation of what the trunk is meant to do. In this episode, I’m breaking down the science, the programming, and my 5 most-used trunk exercises for strength, performance, and injury prevention.

We cover:

• Why I prefer the term trunk musculature and the exact anatomy it includes

• The three tiers of trunk training: intrinsic, dynamic, and ballistic stability

• How to program each tier into your week

• The physiology behind trunk stability and force transfer

• My top 5 trunk exercises, why they work, and how to make them harder

• How to think about “core” training if you’re an athlete, coach, or serious lifter

This isn’t about random ab workouts. It’s about building a stable, powerful trunk that carries over to every lift, sprint, throw, and carry you do. At Hagele Strength, everything starts with a clear framework backed by research and proven in the weight room. The trunk is no exception, and once you understand how to train it, you’ll never go back to guessing.

🔗 Links & Resources:

Follow me on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/hagelestrength⁠⁠⁠

Check out my training programs: ⁠⁠⁠hagelestrength.com/shop⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠hagelestrength.com/newsletter⁠⁠⁠

🎧 If you enjoyed the episode, leave a review and share it with a friend!

If you’ve been asking yourself “How many sets and reps should I do to get stronger?” — this episode will give you a clear, evidence-backed answer.

We’ll break down exactly how to structure your training for strength, including the set-rep schemes I use most often, the research that supports them, and advanced methods to layer in once you’ve built a solid foundation. Whether you’re an athlete, a coach, or a dedicated lifter, you’ll leave this episode with the knowledge to program smarter and train with more purpose.

Here’s what we cover:

• How strength is built: volume, intensity, frequency, and progression

• Prilepin’s Chart explained for practical programming

• Why certain rep ranges work better for certain phases

• How to choose between set and rep schemes based on your goals

• The baseline sets, reps, and rest periods for strength gains

• Advanced methods: cluster sets, wave loading, rest-pause training, and overwarm singles

• How to plug these methods into a 4-week block without overtraining

• Common mistakes when applying advanced techniques

Strength is a skill as much as it is a physical quality. At Hagele Strength, I design training that respects both. This episode will show you how to apply proven frameworks with the precision of a coach—so you can progress in the gym with intention.

🔗 Links & Resources:

Follow me on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/hagelestrength⁠⁠⁠

Check out my training programs: ⁠⁠⁠hagelestrength.com/shop⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠hagelestrength.com/newsletter⁠⁠⁠

🎧 If you enjoyed the episode, leave a review and share it with a friend!

Most people assume missing a few workouts means they’re losing progress, but that’s not how the body works.

In this episode, Anthony breaks down the science of training residuals: how long different physical qualities actually last once you stop training them, and how to use that knowledge to program smarter.

🎯 In this episode:

• What training residuals are and why they matter

• How long strength, endurance, speed, and power stick around

• Why some qualities fade fast — and others hold for weeks

• How Anthony is applying this during his HYROX prep

• Smart programming strategies for everyday athletes with limited time

Whether you’re programming for yourself or others, understanding training residuals lets you train with more intention, less stress, and better results over the long term.

🧠 Learn how to use these concepts to build programs that work, without doing everything, all the time.

🔗 Links & Resources:

• Follow me on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/hagelestrength⁠⁠⁠
• Check out my training programs: ⁠⁠⁠hagelestrength.com/shop⁠⁠⁠
• Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠hagelestrength.com/newsletter⁠⁠⁠

🎧 If you enjoyed the episode, leave a review and share it with a friend!

Is Zone 2 the magic bullet for fat loss, mitochondrial health, and longevity? Or is it just another overhyped trend?

In this episode, we break it down and dissect the latest research on Zone 2 training, including a new narrative review published in Sports Medicine. You’ll learn:

• What Zone 2 training really is (and isn’t)

• Why it may fall short for mitochondrial health

• Whether it’s truly best for fat oxidation

• The role of VO2max in health and longevity

• How everyday athletes can program Zone 2 effectively

• Why pro athlete protocols don’t always apply to you

If you care about performance, metabolic health, or just training smarter then this episode is for you.

🔗 Links & Resources:

• Follow me on Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/hagelestrength⁠⁠
• Check out my training programs: ⁠⁠hagelestrength.com/shop⁠⁠
• Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter: ⁠⁠hagelestrength.com/newsletter⁠⁠

🎧 If you enjoyed the episode, leave a review and share it with a friend!

Strongman-style conditioning might be one of the most underrated tools for building functional strength and work capacity, especially for everyday athletes. In this episode, we'll break down exactly how to program it, why it matters, and how to dial it in for long-term progress.

Topics Covered:

• What Strongman Conditioning really is (and isn’t)

• Why it works for busy everyday athletes

• Key tools: sleds, carries, sandbags, medballs

• How to program it weekly

• Mistakes to avoid and how to dial it in for results

🔗 Links & Resources:

• Follow me on Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/hagelestrength⁠
• Check out my training programs: ⁠hagelestrength.com/shop⁠
• Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter: ⁠hagelestrength.com/newsletter⁠

🎧 If you enjoyed the episode, leave a review and share it with a friend!