Spencer Arnold runs Power and Grace Performance and coaches Jourdan De La Cruz, youth and now Junior World Team member. Jourdan is the American Youth Record Holder in the snatch, clean and jerk, and total at 53 kilos. Jourdan is absolutely one of the top up-and-coming weightlifters in USAW, and she and Spencer give us a look into what their training and competition preparation look like. Enjoy!

Dane's Platform

Episode 27--Jourdan De La Cruz and Spencer Arnold

If you know weightlifting, you know his name. One of the best coaches in the country, Kevin has coached Harrison Maurus to, already, one of the best weightlifting careers in United States history. Similar to Dane, Kevin believes in developing well-rounded athletes who understand all aspects of their sport, not just lifting weights. Dane and Kevin took some time on their trip to Uzbekistan for the IWF Junior World Championships to give us a nice knowledge dump. Take a listen, enjoy, and drop us a review!

Episode 26--Kevin Simons

Dane takes some time away from his trip to the Dominican Republic for Senior Pan Ams to sit down with Sean Waxman, owner of Waxman's Gym in Los Angeles. Sean is one of the premier weightlifting coaches in the US, boasting over a dozen national-level weightlifters, as well as numerous senior team members. Sean has also successfully coached numerous other sports in strength and conditioning, so he represents a wealth of knowledge on the subject of improving athletic performance. Enjoy!

Episode 25--Sean Waxman

Don Ricci is the owner of Delta Weightlifting in Sacramento, California. Don was a 2-time National Champion in Water Polo, and saw some training time with the US National Water Polo team. Don later served as a coach at Waxman’s Gym in Los Angeles, before opening his own gym. Don has since become one of the premier weightlifting minds in the country. This episode is full of knowledge, and you won’t want to miss it!

Episode 24--Don Ricci

Dane has a great conversation with elite throws coach Lucais Mackay. Lucais is currently the head throws coach at Penn State, where he has coached numerous All-Americans. Lucais was a high level thrower in several disciplines, but primarily hammer, throwing for USC and Georgia, as well as post-collegiately. Lucais has a wealth of knowledge about the throws from both the athlete and coach perspectives. This is an episode you won't want to miss!

Episode 23--Lucais Mackay

Arete Throws is one of the most prominent throws training groups in the country, and today, Dane has the pleasure of sitting down with Erik Johnson, the head coach of Arete Throws. Erik had a successful career throwing for UCLA, followed by a post-collegiate stint working with legends like Art Venegas and Mac Wilkins. Erik now coaches many throwers of all levels, including National Championship-qualifying discus thrower Jason Harrell. Dane and Erik talk lifting, practice plans, and more in this episode, so be sure to listen and take some notes!

Episode 22--Erik Johnson of Arete Throws

As we move toward championship season in high school and collegiate track and field, Dane and Noah sit down to tackle some key questions about training as athletes approach big meets. Take a listen and enjoy!

Episode 21--Spring Training Questions

It's April, and that can only mean one thing. Outdoor track is back, baby! In this first episode back from a bit of a late-winter break, Dane discusses the opening of the track season here at Garage Strength, as well as some technical points for athletes to keep in mind as they begin their season. Enjoy and look for more technique talk throughout the season!

Episode 20--Outdoor Track!!

Cation Exchange Capacity. If you were perplexed by that phrase, and interested in learning about it and its relationship to farming, listen in to this episode. Dane and Brooks are back again, discussing more of what makes Brooks' farm tic and how both he and Dane have developed and improved their farming knowledge and skills over time. Enjoy!

Episode 19--Brooks Miller 2

This is a special episode. Dane got the chance to sit down with 2-time World Champion Reese Hoffa and talk shop. Reese boasts a PR of 22.43m, as well as holding the all-time record for marks at or above 21m. Take a listen if you want to get an inside scoop on what it takes to be one of the best American shot putters of all time!

Episode 18--Reese Hoffa

This episode of Dane’s Platform features David Blair, Paralympian in the discus. David was born with a club foot, and told he would never lead a fully functional life. Instead, David taught himself how to throw the discus in high school and won a state championship in Utah en route to earning a scholarship to Weber State University. David still holds the University’s school record in the hammer throw, and it second all time in the discus. David did not even learn about his Paralympic eligibility until he had spent 16 years away from the sport. 6 months after that, he medaled at the World Championships and then followed that with a Paralympic Gold the following season. David is a wealth of throwing knowledge as well as inspiration for achievement of any kind. Take a listen and enjoy!

Episode 17--David Blair

It's a family affair in episode 16, as Dane takes some time with his older brother, Brooks. Brooks is a former aerospace engineer who turned to sustainable farming. Brooks owns and operates North Mountain Pastures in Newport, PA, and is mastering the art of responsible farming.

Episode 16--Brooks Miller

We've got a great one here. Croatian Man-of-All-Talents Stipe Zunic takes some time to let Dane pick his brain on an illustrious athletics career. Starting as a junior World Champion kickboxer, Stipe moved on to the javelin, a discipline in which he earned All-American status. After deciding to pursue the shot put, Stipe became an All-American, National Record Holder, Olympian, and World Medalist in that event. Even if you aren't a thrower, this is a great chance to get a look into the mind and preparation of a world-class athlete. Enjoy!

Episode 15--Stipe Zunic

In another recap episode, Dane sits down with Noah and Sam Mattis to take a look back at the past weekend, spent in Grand Rapids, Michigan at the Grand Valley Big Throws Clinic. Dane speaks on the lectures he gave in the clinic, and all three discuss the throwing competitions that took place over the weekend.

Episode 14--GVSU Big Throws Clinic Recap

For this episode, Dane and Noah sit down and discuss the Garage Strength team's recent performance at the American Open Finals in Anaheim, California. Fresh off the plane, Dane breaks down the performance of each lifter who competed, and gives a great behind the scenes look at managing athletes at a national-caliber meet.

Episode 13--American Open Finals Recap

A weekly podcast from the owner and head coach of Garage Strength, Dane Miller. Garage Strength is one of the nation's premier performance gyms, and Dane takes to the world of podcasting to share his input on all of the aspects of elite athletics in every sport.