John Welbourn pulls no punches when he speaks about what he is passionate about. It this case, trying to help other coaches wade through the amount of bullshit in today's industry to help athletes become more prepared.

I first talked to John over a year ago as I was a guest on Power Athlete Radio. When interacting with John, there is never any doubt of where he stands on any issue. From a long career in the NFL to owning and operating multiple businesses, John Welbourn would rather spare everyone the time of dancing around any comments. His reputation is built on work ethic and truth.

During the Elitefts™ Sports Performance Training Summit, Welbourn, along with Power Athlete coaches Tex McQuilkin and Bobby Goodfellow, stopped by the Elitefts S4 compound. John sat down with me for a brief interview as his conversation with Dave Tate and John Meadows was anything but brief, beforehand. Welbourn was right at home in the compound and the similarities of character between the three men were uncanny.

Welbourn is spot on with so many topics in this interview. His candid honestly is evident when speaking as if he literally has nothing to lose or gain. John's experience and knowledge attribute to his personality. The unstoppable combination of humility with drive. It is the reason so many believe in what he does and what he stands for.

A photo posted by Mark Watts (@mjdubs_elitefts) on

(l-r) JL Holdsworth, Mark Simoneau, John Welbourn, Mark Watts, Joe Kenn, & Mike Robertson at the #SPTS15

Sincere apologies for the poor audio

Topics in this Interview

:20 - Why John Welbourn started Power Athlete

2:00 - How training can extend an NFL career.

3:00 - The worse thing that has happened to strength & conditioning... hands down.

  • The iPhone Generation of athletes
  • How Louie Simmons helped John bench 500 pounds
  • The comfort of the keyboard.  When you are training with so many posts?

7:30 - The transition from athlete to coach and how John has figured out his strengths and weaknesses.

  • How coaching football is different from strength & conditioning
  • The universal blueprint: Reverse engineering athletes

10:00 - How to contact John

Sincere apologies for the poor audio

The Elitefts™ Sports Performance Podcast


The John Welbourne File

John was drafted with the 97th pick in 1999 NFL Draft. He went on to be a starter for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999-2003, appearing in 3 NFC Championship games, and for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2004-2007. In 2008, he played with the New England Patriots until an injury ended his season early. Over the course of his career, John has started over 100 games plus 10 play-off appearances. He lettered four times while playing football at the University of California at Berkeley and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Rhetoric in 1998.

John_Welbourn-682x1024

In 2009, John unleashed his CrossFit Football program on the world. This unique brand of strength & conditioning, based purely on performance, has grown into a global phenomenon. John is also owner of Socal Strength & Conditioning/CrossFit Balboa, a sport performance facility in Orange County, CA. SocalSC/CFB is one of a handful of Westside Barbell certified gyms in the world. In addition to training MLB, NFL and other professional and Olympic athletes, John travels the world lecturing on performance and nutrition.

Bio Courtesy of Power Athlete

Power Athlete

CrossFit Football

John Welbourn

Podcast Banner