Controlling High Performance Variable
Podcast

Today, I sat down with Jeremy Hartman, owner and operator of Hartman Performance Training. Jeremy is a licensed educator and high school strength & conditioning coach based in Indianapolis, Indiana. He founded Hartman Performance Training, where he works with athletes ranging from youth sports to elite competitive powerlifters.

He’s a six‑time USAPL National Champion, represented Team USA internationally, and earned gold in the deadlift and bronze in the bench press at the 2008 IPF World Championships. Jeremy was named USA Powerlifting Coach of the Year in 2023. His athletes have broken eight IPF world records and more than sixty U.S. records, collectively earning over 20 national titles. Known for his effective communication and high athlete engagement, Jeremy blends motivational speaking with evidence‑based coaching.

He’s a sought‑after presenter at events like the SWIS Symposium.  In 2024, Jeremy was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Contributions to Strength and Conditioning at the prestigious SWIS Symposium in Canada. This recognition celebrates his lasting impact on the field and his ongoing role as a sought-after speaker at international events, where he continues to educate and mentor coaches and athletes alike.

Jeremy opens up about the principles that have guided him to develop World Games medalists, American record holders, and national champions across multiple sports. From taking teenage athletes to elite levels to supporting his lifter, Jared Martin, through personal tragedy to international success, Hartman shares the mindset and methods behind sustainable athletic excellence.

10 Key Takeaways from Controlling High Performance Variable

Most Powerful Tool Isn't Equipment—It's Environment

My most powerful tool isn't a piece of equipment—it's the ecosystem I've built. When you come train here, you've got four, five, six high-level people coaching you at the same time. My thousand-pound squatter Jared Martin is mentoring high school kids. My Division I wrestlers are sharing technical insights with newer lifters. Two heads are always better than one in coaching, and I've got multiple championship-level heads working together every single session."

Raising Floors, Not Chasing Ceilings

"Here's something that goes against what you see on Instagram—I'm not interested in my athletes hitting max efforts every week. I'd rather see a kid hit 500 pounds for five sets of five than chase a new PR constantly. Ed Cohen told one of my high school athletes exactly this: 'You just need years under the bar. Get your volume, get your practice, and be patient.'

Technical Mastery Trumps Complex Programming Every Time

I've seen athletes make tremendous progress on basic programs like Bill Starr's five-by-five, simply because we focused relentlessly on movement quality. Sometimes I'll use 10-second tempo squats to teach every single part of the movement. The programming is secondary to technical advancement. Fix the technique, and the numbers will follow."

Competition Philosophy: Building Champions Through Conservative Strategy

My lifters rarely miss on strength at competitions. When they do miss, it's usually a small technical error or mental mistake. That's because we've built confidence through consistent success. I'd rather have them leave a meet thinking, 'That felt easy, I want more,' than having them bomb out trying to prove something. Every meet is preparation for the next level."

Creating Virtual Community in the Digital Age

When someone hits a PR, I make a video about it. When they're struggling, others chime in with encouragement and technical advice. I share backstories about overcoming adversity because everyone needs to see they're part of something bigger. The community piece is what keeps people around for years, not just months. When you're part of the family, you're part of the family."

Total Environmental Control for Peak Performance

"When Jared moved in with me for the final month before World Games, I got to control everything for the first time with one of my athletes. His wife had passed away two months prior, and we knew this was our shot at something special. I controlled his nutrition completely—no junk food, no energy drinks, everything optimized.

We timed his training sessions to match the competition schedule in China. I made him travel to different gyms to practice adapting to new equipment. We did nightly walks for conditioning, even at 11:30 PM. Every variable was managed. That level of environmental control is what separates good performances from world-class ones."

The Power of Overload Training for Confidence Building

"All my raw lifters see their numbers go up when we introduce equipped training because they're handling overload repeatedly. When you're benching 650 pounds with a shirt for multiple sets, your raw bench feels light by comparison. When you've squatted over 1000 pounds in gear, 800 raw becomes manageable.

This isn't just physical adaptation—it's psychological. As Ed Cohen says, the assistance work is just Christmas lights on a tree. You need to build the branches through overloaded movements. My equipped lifters often accidentally hit raw PRs because they've developed confidence with heavy weights that transfers directly."

Reading Athletes: Individualized Motivation Strategies

I love figuring out what makes each athlete tick. Sometimes I'll create competitive situations—'Hey, so-and-so did this today, you better beat that.' Other times, I need to provide calm reassurance. The key is having enough tools in your toolbox and knowing when to use each one based on the individual in front of you."

Never Stop Learning: Jeremy's Approach to Continuous Development

I regularly call Ed Cohen for advice. I spent a whole day with Dr. Eric Serrano, learning new training methods that I immediately applied to my athletes. Your business growth is directly proportional to your personal development.” If you stop growing, your athletes stop growing too."

Always Exceed Expectations: Jeremy's Value-First Philosophy

I follow up with personalized emails, I stay after events to help people individually, and I maintain relationships long after formal coaching ends. Most of my business comes from referrals because people come to me already sold—someone they trust vouched for the experience. When you treat people right, get them results, and go above and beyond, they become advocates for life."

Jeremy's approach demonstrates that elite coaching transcends technical knowledge—it requires creating environments where athletes feel supported, challenged appropriately, and connected to something larger than individual achievement. His methods have produced not just stronger athletes but more resilient, motivated, and successful human beings who carry these lessons far beyond the platform.

Find Jeremy

Instagram - @hartmanperformance

Facebook - HartmanPerformanceTraining

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