When it comes to strength, Wil Fleming is one of the top coaches in the world with his athletes having set American records and won world medals in weightlifting. But the key to strength isn’t just in the muscles, it is also in the mind. On this week episode Fleming joins us to discuss the mental side of training and lessons he has learned on developing a strong mind.
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Southern California is known for its earthquakes, but it was also the epicenter of track and field during the golden age of the sport. On this week’s episode, longtime coach and author Larry Knuth looks back at the coaching scene in that era, reflecting on his own path to coaching, as well as the big names he worked with along the way. This episode isn’t just a walk down memory lane, but a look inside how some of the century’s top coaches got their start and developed their broad skillsets.
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Every quarter we take a deep dive into the latest research in sports science. In this edition we look at the latest research on putting together effective multidisiplinary support teams, REDs in sport, the limitations of sports science, and transfering theory into practice.
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Hundreds of athletes, dozens of sports, and just one coach. Nick Garcia is a master of building an efficient and effective athletic development program. He joins us again on this week’s GAINcast to walk us through his setup at Notre Dame High School, how he started the program, its critical success factors, and all the nitty gritty logistics of coaching.
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Every quarter we take a deep dive into the latest research in sports science. In this edition we look at the latest research on wellness the placebo effect, talent transfer in sport, gait retraining, velocity-loss and strength training adaptations, predicting ACL injuries, and nutrient timing.
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The world championships in track and field kick off this weekend. There is some thrilling action ahead in the throwing events, and University of Georgia coach Don Babbitt joins us on this week’s podcast to talk about trends in the throwing events, what we’re keep an eye on next week, and the future of American throws development.
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Alex Hutchinson is well known for his writing on sport science, but his new books goes in a different direction by taking a detailed look at exploration: why humans explore, how much we should explore, and methods of exploration. The topic might not be directly about sports, but it is directly relevant to coaches. Coaches are often weighing the question of when to try something new, and when to keep with the old ways. Hutchinson joins us on this week’s podcast to look at how some of the concepts in his book can apply to the world of coaching and high performance.
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Canada gets a lot of headlines for their recent dominance in the hammer throw, but there are aren’t the only ones making their mark internationaly. Over the last decade, coach Richard Parkinson has been building several world class shot putters out of his group in Toronto. This isn’t just by chance; it’s by plan. Planning is key to Parkinson. It seems so simple, but is often overlooked. On this episode Parkinson discusses his planning philosophy, as well as technical training.
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According to coach Dale Stevenson, technique is overrated. Technique is a tool, just like strength is a tool. We need tools, but we can’t forget that tools are there to help us accomplish a task. On this week’s podcast Stevenson joins us to look at his approach to technique in training, how that translates into session design, and much more.
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Today is Father’s Day and it has me reflecting on how parenthood has shaped my views on developing young athletes. My wife and I never set out with a plan, but when I look back at a decade of parenting there are some key values that really stick out. Before I share them, let me start with a disclaimer: I’m not an expert on long term athlete development. My official academic title is simply dad. What I lack in expertise I compensate for in a passion to see my kids lead an active and healthy lifestyle. You can ask me in a few decades if our approach worked or not, but below I share the principles that have guided us so far:
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