Steve Barrick | University of Indianapolis Strength & Conditioning
Send us Fan Mail What does it take to develop 350–400 collegiate athletes across 25 teams? In this episode of the Voodoo Power Podcast, Steven sits down with Steve Barrick, Associate Athletic Director for Sports Performance at the University of Indianapolis, to discuss strength and conditioning, athlete development, coaching philosophy, Olympic weightlifting, and velocity-based training. Steve Barrick has spent years developing athletes and building a strength and conditioning system that combines Olympic weightlifting, traditional strength training, power development, and velocity-based training (VBT). Steve shares his journey into coaching, including the moment he realized that pursuing a career simply for money wasn’t enough. He explains why passion for coaching, building relationships with athletes, and continually learning from other coaches have been central to his career. The conversation dives deep into how he manages a large collegiate strength and conditioning program while still addressing the individual needs of athletes. Topics covered in this episode include: • Strength and conditioning at the University of Indianapolis • Steve Barrick’s coaching philosophy and career journey • Training 350–400 athletes across approximately 25 teams • Velocity-Based Training (VBT) • Using VBT for squats, bench press, and clean pulls • Olympic weightlifting for athletic development • Teaching the clean and developing proper technique • High-bar Olympic back squats and front squats • Clean pulls and clean deadlifts • RDLs, reverse hypers, Nordics, and single-leg training • Eccentric, isometric, and concentric training • Periodization and adapting training to individual athletes • Bar speed and power development • Strength versus speed and explosiveness • Developing a coach’s eye while using technology and performance data • Building relationships with athletes • Creating a strong team culture and family atmosphere • Recruiting and retaining athletes at a private Division II university • The impact of the transfer portal on college athletics • Learning from other strength and conditioning coaches • Visiting other facilities and stealing good ideas • Adapting training systems to different athletes and sports Steve also discusses his evolution from powerlifting toward Olympic weightlifting and how that transition influenced the way he trains athletes today. One of the biggest themes of the conversation is adaptability. A successful strength and conditioning system isn’t about blindly copying another coach. It’s about understanding your athletes, identifying weaknesses, developing the qualities that matter for their sport, and continually improving the system. Steven and Steve also discuss a new idea for Voodoo Power: “On the Road with Voodoo Power.” The goal is to visit strength and conditioning facilities around the country—from garage gyms to universities—and highlight the coaches and athletes doing the work every day. If you’re interested in strength and conditioning, sports performance, Olympic lifting, velocity-based training, collegiate athletics, power development, or athlete development, this episode is for you. Subscribe to Voodoo Power for more conversations with strength coaches, athletes, and performance professionals from across the country. #VoodooPower #SteveBarrick #StrengthAndConditioning #UniversityOfIndianapolis #VelocityBasedTraining #VBT #OlympicWeightlifting #AthleteDevelopment #SportsPerformance #StrengthTraining #CollegeStrengthAndConditioning #D2Athletics #PowerDevelopment #StrengthCoach #OlympicLifting https://youtube.com/@platesandpancakes4593 https://instagram.com/voodoo4power?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= https://voodoo4ranch.com/ To possibly be a guest or support the show email Voodoo4ranch@gmail.com https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/voodoo4ranch
