Chad Vaughn, one of the most successful American weightlifters, is on the show this week. (@olychad) Altogether, Chad has one of the most successful careers in the sport of weightlifting. Having been a two time Olympian, breaking and holding national records, and medaling in the Pan American Games. Not only is he a superior athlete but he has also transitioned into a coaching position and working to build confidence and focus in athletes. In this episode we’ll be getting into Chad’s Olympic journey, his gym demeanor, as well as all aspects of coaching ranging from gym culture, making the transition from elite athlete to coach, and teaching focus. Enjoy the show. Brute Hotline: (801) 449-0503 Want a chance to get featured in a future episode? Call in and leave us a voicemail with some questions regarding training, nutrition, mindset, etc. Topics of discussion: [1:50] Gym demeanor [3:46] Athlete internal dialogue [8:05] Competitive awareness is a learned trait [12:25] Becoming an Olympian [23:26] Transitioning to coaching and finding CrossFit [28:49] How being an elite performer has/hasn’t helped be a coach [33:17] Coaching crossfitters [38:15] Common mistakes in strength building [41:01] Coaching the importance of fundamentals [45:30] Excess volume and its appeal in the CrossFit community [51:48] Coaching focus to athletes Links: Vaughn Weightlifting World Series of Fitness Reviews: If you LOVE this podcast, please click HERE to leave me a review. It energizes me to keep doing these as well as pushes us higher in the rankings. Thank you all for the support. Follow us on Instagram @brute.strength