What it takes to coach properly, train seriously, and build athletes who don’t need you forever. Written from the gym floor. No theory without practice.
Craig Spicer has spent 25 years in barbell sport — competing from novice to international level, building sports programmes inside the British Army, coaching athletes from their first session to the podium, and running Crazy Strength in Amesbury. This is where he writes about coaching, training, and the human side of building a real strength community. New posts drop regularly. Follow @craig.spicer to know when they land.
Summer is the most underestimated threat to consistent training. Not because the training gets harder — because it gets optional. Craig Spicer on unplanned breaks, what the gym environment actually does for you, and how to come out of summer ahead.
Competition day is one of the most accurate mirrors you will ever stand in front of. After 25 years on the platform — as athlete and coach — Craig Spicer on what it reveals, what you can build in training, and why the warm-up room matters more than most people think.
If your athlete cannot function without you in the room, you haven’t built a great athlete. You’ve built a dependency. Craig Spicer on coaching independence, what the dependency trap actually costs, and what real coaching produces over time.
There is a significant difference between being someone’s biggest fan and being their coach. Craig Spicer on what cheerleading costs the athlete, why it’s become so common, and what real coaching actually looks like.
GLP-1 weight loss injections are more accessible than ever. But nobody’s talking about what gets lost alongside the weight. Craig Spicer on muscle loss, what women actually need, and why strength training isn’t optional.
Mental Health Awareness Week 2026. Craig Spicer writes for British Powerlifting on coaching isolation and the one action that matters this week.
Most people think they’re working hard enough. Some are working too hard. Craig Spicer on minimum and maximum effective dose, velocity-based training, and why the coach in the room makes all the difference. Listen here.
Summer is the most underestimated threat to consistent training. Not because the training gets harder — because it gets optional. Craig Spicer on unplanned breaks, what the gym environment actually does for you, and how to come out of summer ahead.
Competition day is one of the most accurate mirrors you will ever stand in front of. After 25 years on the platform — as athlete and coach — Craig Spicer on what it reveals, what you can build in training, and why the warm-up room matters more than most people think.
If your athlete cannot function without you in the room, you haven’t built a great athlete. You’ve built a dependency. Craig Spicer on coaching independence, what the dependency trap actually costs, and what real coaching produces over time.
From 6-year-olds in CUBS to an 82-year-old on the platform. Craig on why strength is a lifetime skill and what it looks like at every stage of life at Crazy Strength.
Be a Good Human isn’t a soft sentiment. It’s a commitment to not walking past. The standard you walk past is the standard you accept.
Crazy Strength wasn’t built on spreadsheets or market research. It was built on people, experience, a cancer diagnosis at 26, and a snowball of passion that became unstoppable.
Words have weight. Actions have consequences. People are expected to stand behind both. This is about accountability — not the corporate buzzword version. The real kind, where holding the line is an act of respect, not aggression.
There’s a version of leadership nobody talks about in the highlight reels. The quiet, uncomfortable moment when the best thing you can do for everyone in the room — including yourself — is to sit down, shut up, and let someone else take the wheel.
Next up: The Right Cue for the Right Athlete at the Right Time. Coaching vs Cheerleading. The Difference Between Coaching Instruction and Mentorship. Why Great Coaches Create Independence Not Dependence. And I Can’t Save Everybody.
Follow @craig.spicer on Instagram to know when they land — or drop your email below and I’ll let you know directly.