Strength Beyond Strength: Sean Waxman’s Journey from Olympic Weightlifting to High School Coaching

Learn How Olympic Weightlifting Coach Sean Waxman Found New Purpose in High School Coaching – Discover Strength Beyond Strength and the Power of Mentorship

Power Athlete Radio Ep 780 // Is emotional health linked to your fitness? / Power Athlete

I recently sat down with an old friend, Sean Waxman. Sean’s an Olympic
weighting coach turned high school football coach, and we got into some
real talk about his life, the choices he's made, and the path that brought him
from the world of Olympic lifting to working with young athletes at the high
school level. Sean joins us on Power Athlete Radio discussing his journey,
his philosophy, and his take on coaching, which is probably unlike anything
you’d expect.
Sean kicked things off by sharing how the pandemic turned his life upside
down - how it became a turning point that made him stop, assess, and
ultimately redirect his energy. "COVID gave me a rare chance to take my
foot off the gas," he said. For the first time in ages, he had a moment to slow
down and really think about what he wanted for the next 50 years. Sitting
on his porch with his dog, staring at his lemon tree, he realized he was
ready for a life with more balance and meaning.
The pandemic hit his Los Angeles gym hard. In just a few weeks, he’d lost
70% of his members, so he ended up running the place out of his own
pocket, keeping his staff paid and the doors open. When he finally closed
the gym, he made a bold choice to leave California for Utah – a place he felt
was aligned more with his values and where he saw an opportunity to get
back to what he truly loves: working directly with athletes. "I didn’t have a
family to anchor me down, so I was free to make a big move," he said. And
that’s exactly what he did, as tough as it was.
Moving to Utah brought Sean back to the foundation of coaching athletes,
and he immediately felt a difference. He had briefly coached at the college
level, but as he put it, "College football felt more like management and
cheerleading." What he values most about coaching is the chance to have a
lasting, one-on-one impact on young people - something that’s harder to do
with college athletes, who often already have a mindset focused on
professional aspirations.
High school coaching, on the other hand, is where he feels he can really
make a difference. He's able to get these kids in their formative years and
guide them not just in strength and conditioning but in life. Sean’s had the
chance to work with some incredible young athletes, kids who are now

going on to play Division I college football. But for him, it’s about way more
than helping them succeed on the field. “Football’s just the medium. The
weight room is just the medium. But it’s the life lessons in there, the
discipline, the resilience, that stick.”
One of the things Sean brought up was his approach to “productive
discomfort.” He laughed a bit, sharing that there was a time when he
dreaded pushing a prowler sled, of all things. Even as an elite weightlifter,
there were things he avoided because they made him uncomfortable. But
one day, he just got up, pushed that sled, and felt this incredible release.
That was a wake-up moment.
“I realized that if I could make myself do uncomfortable things on purpose—
things that challenged me but didn’t break me, it would change my life.”
This idea of finding growth through discomfort became something he not
only preached but lived. It’s also a big part of the book he’s writing, aimed
at helping others find their own resilience by tackling the things they shy
away from. To him, it’s not about lifting the heaviest weight - it’s about
pushing through mental barriers, those things we avoid that could actually
make us stronger if we faced them.
What Sean loves about coaching at the high school level is the chance to
shape young men beyond just their physical strength. He’s in a position to
see these kids transform from wide-eyed freshmen into capable young
adults. "These kids may not remember every lift or drill, but the lessons in
responsibility, preparation, and grit are lifelong,” he said, and you can tell
he means it.
He sees it as a longitudinal approach - getting these kids young and giving
them a solid foundation that will last them long after they’ve left the weight
room. And as he said, football and strength training are just tools. It’s the
consistency, the discipline, the small but meaningful choices they make
every day that truly shape who they’ll become. And that’s something Sean’s
proud to be a part of.
Talking to Sean was a reminder of why we do what we do. His journey from
Olympic weightlifting to coaching young football players shows that true
strength goes way beyond the numbers on the bar. It’s about building
people up from the inside out and passing on lessons that go beyond the
sport itself. Sean’s commitment to this next generation is inspiring, and I
think it’s something all of us in the performance world can learn from.
If there’s one takeaway from our conversation, it’s this: you don’t have to
stay where you are if it doesn’t align with what you value. And if you’re
willing to face the discomfort, both physical and mental, you just might find
a path that’s even more fulfilling. Sean is living the code.