E174 | Christina Myers: Rethinking How We Approach Coaching Female Athletes
It’s time to rethink how we approach coaching female athletes. Understanding and appreciating nuances in their physiology and psychology is one thing, treating them as a “special population” is another. So which differences should we attend to and which just aren’t true? Today we’re joined by Christina Myers, a strength and conditioning & gymnastics coach who’s changing the game when it comes to the training of female athletes and redefining coaching styles traditionally expected of women. Christina owns a private sector strength & conditioning company and serves as both head strength and conditioning coach and head coach of a high-level competitive gymnastics program in Birmingham, Alabama. She took a non-traditional route to the strength & conditioning profession and uses this experience to mentor undergraduates and young coaches in the field. Christina holds a masters degree in Strength & Conditioning (MS Applied Exercise Science, S&C Concentration) and regularly guest lectures for undergraduate and graduate programs catering to potential strength coaches. We cover: Considerations for training female athletes Strategies for working with highly intellectual & perfectionist individuals How to identify and eradicate psychological abuse in sport Why we should lean into non-traditional coaching styles Connect with Christina: Via her website: https://www.liftheavyprincess.com/ Via her Instagram: @lift_heavy_princess We discussed some heavy stuff on this episode. Remember, if you need someone to talk to or want to report any type of abuse - please go to https://uscenterforsafesport.org/. Also, give some love to our sponsor: SAGA Fitness, makers of the first wireless automated training BFR cuffs of their kind. Fancy science aside, this tool reduces the time and intensity required to build muscle, gain strength and/or come back from injury. They’re a way to workout more efficiently and calibrate to individual needs without having to buy really expensive equipment. Use code BRETT20 for 20% off your order!