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Lift Free And Diet Hard with Andrew CoatesAuthor: Andrew Coates
The Lift Free and Diet Hard Podcast dives deep into the science and practice of living a strong, healthy, and intentional life. Hosted by Andrew Coates, the show brings together inspiring guests to share insights, stories, and practical advice that empower listeners to build confidence, make informed choices, and stay resilient in their fitness and wellness journeys. Every episode encourages thoughtful exploration of what it means to lift free, diet hard, and live fully. Language: en Genres: Health & Fitness Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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#466 Erica Mulholland - Managing Injuries In Female Youth Sports
Monday, 4 May, 2026
Erica Mulholland is a strength coach who specializes in young female athletes and the author of Female Athlete High Performance.Erica joins me to share her expertise on:Are injury rates higher in young female athletesWhat’s going on with knee injuries in young female athletesWhat increases knee injury risk and what we can do to reduce that riskIs early sport specialization a problem for young athletesHow private equity has entered and created problems in youth sportsTalking to parents about the pressure to specializeIs there an age where young female athletes should start strength trainingHow to approach load management for young athletesHow to incorporate plyometrics into trainingHow to ensure young athletes aren’t overtrainingThoughts on the problems with the “work/life balance” narrative for coachesAnd much moreInstagram: @fitsoccerqueenCHAPTERS00:01:10 Injury Rates in Female Athletes00:03:05 Overuse, Fatigue, and Volume Problems00:05:05 Hormones, Cycle Syncing, and Injury Myths00:06:00 Strength Training as Injury Prevention00:08:10 Growth Spurts and Female Athlete Development00:10:05 Plyometrics and Athletic Development00:11:05 What Actually Causes Injuries (Fatigue vs Mechanics)00:13:00 Case Study: Strength and ACL Injury Prevention00:15:20 Overtraining and Poor Programming00:17:15 Why “Imbalances” Aren’t the Problem00:20:10 Reaction Time and Brain-Based Training00:23:00 Warmups, Recovery, and Sleep00:24:50 Nutrition Challenges in Female Athletes00:29:45 Early Sport Specialization00:31:50 Multi-Sport Athletes and Long-Term Success00:34:00 Identifying Talent and Development Pathways00:37:50 Private Equity and Youth Sports Issues00:38:50 Parental Pressure and Scholarship Myths00:40:00 Athlete Burnout and Dropout00:41:00 What Youth Sports Should Actually Teach00:42:10 Growth of Women’s Sports00:48:05 Work Ethic vs Work-Life Balance in Coaching00:51:00 Building a Career in Fitness00:56:00 Final Thoughts and TakeawaysSUPPORT THE SHOWIf this episode helped you better understand youth sports, coaching, or injury prevention, you can support the show by:Subscribing and checking out more episodesSharing it on social media (tag me and I’ll respond)Sending it to a coach, parent, or athleteFOLLOW ANDREW COATESInstagram: @andrewcoatesfitnesshttps://www.andrewcoatesfitness.comPARTNERS AND RESOURCESRP Strength App (use code COATESRP)https://www.rpstrength.com/coatesJust Bite Me Meals (use code ANDREWCOATESFITNESS for 10% off)https://justbitememeals.comMacrosFirst – FREE Premium TrialDownload MacrosFirst and during setup select ANDREWKNKG Bags (15% off)https://www.knkg.com/Andrew59676Versa Grippshttps://www.versagripps.com/andrewcoatesTRAINHEROIC – FREE 90-Day Trialhttps://www.trainheroic.com/liftfreeReply to the email you receive (or email trials@trainheroic.com) and let them know Andrew sent you






