Coach Travis and Coach Ray tackle topics in tactical human performance from the practitioners' view. Tune in for thoughts on training, good, bad, and funny. Real stories from the coaches actually doing the job. Episodes drop on Fridays...when we can.
Coaches’ AAR is a media and educational platform operated by Praxeon LLC.
This episode is genuinely all over the place — in the best way. Heidi Campo joins Coaches' AAR for a conversation that somehow connects NASA spaceflight research, Icelandic strongman training, and the psychology of performing under acute stress.
Heidi is a PhD student in the Physically Demanding Professions Research Group at UNLV under Dr. Brian Schilling, studying tactical human performance. Before that, her master's work focused on flywheel exercise countermeasures for NASA's Artemis missions — the same device astronauts are using on the Orion capsule right now. And before that, she spent a winter in Iceland training strongman under Magnús ver Magnússon, went on to open the first commercial strongman gym in Salt Lake City, founded the NSCA's Strongman Special Interest Group, and co-authored the book Strongman Training for Strength and Performance.
We get into:
Why NASA's biggest problems with long-duration spaceflight are more clinical than performance-related, and how that connects to longevity and neurodegenerative disease research
What it's actually like to train strongman in Iceland, and why elite environments tend to have zero ego in them
Why strongman removes the barrier to entry that traditional lifts create for tactical populations — and why "the badass factor" matters for buy-in
The stress-performance curve, and why physical readiness matters even in situations that aren't about passing a fitness test
Why intensity — not just aerobic base — is usually the missing piece when soldiers struggle with run times
Heidi's book, Strongman Training for Strength and Performance (Human Kinetics), is out now.
Find her on Instagram @ms.heidi.campo or LinkedIn.
https://www.heidicampo.com/
22 Aug 2026
Family, AI, and Low-T: Dr. Mark Jones Covers It All
Coaches Ray and Travis sit down with Dr. Mark Jones — Army veteran, Armed Forces Wellness Center project officer at Fort Bragg, and TSAC instructor — for a conversation that goes everywhere.
Mark opens up about balancing a demanding career with three kids in three different school districts, then the conversation shifts into how he actually uses AI day-to-day . From there it's a deep dive into the messy overlap between H2F and Armed Forces Wellness Centers, the military's new stance on testosterone therapy and GLP-1s, and why "low T" might really just be chronic sympathetic overdrive in disguise. M
ark closes with the research that's become his real passion: recovery and breathwork, and how a few minutes of intentional breathing changed an entire squad's PT sessions. Wide-ranging, opinionated, and worth the full listen.
Connect with Mark here:
http://peakvitalityconsulting.com/
Mark@peakvitalityconsulting.com (http://peakvitalityconsulting.com/)
(https://www.instagram.com/peak_vitality_consulting?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsi=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==)
14 Aug 2026
Be Present, Get Buy-In, Repeat: Guillermo Blanco on Thriving in Tactical Strength
Fifteen years in strength and conditioning, from Division II sidelines to Fort Campbell and Fort Bragg — Guillermo Blanco has seen tactical S&C from every angle. In this episode, Coach Ray and Coach Travis sit down with Blanco to talk about what actually separates coaches who thrive in tactical from those who burn out: showing up, building real relationships, and earning trust before you ever open a program. Blanco breaks down why collegiate habits can work against you in a tactical setting, and why nobody cares about your credentials until you've put in the face time. A candid, practical conversation for coaches considering the jump to tactical — or already in the fight and looking to level up.
Connect with Coach Blanco Here! (https://www.instagram.com/gpp_training/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet)
https://bio.site/GPP
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
14 ratings
Contact Coaches' AAR
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Coaches' AAR?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
