Tag Archive for: Hammer Throw Training

HMMR Podcast Episode 287: Part 2 (with John Smith)

Last month Ole Miss coach John Smith joined our podcast for a rare interview looking at his unconventional approach to strength and power training. The conversation got a lot of people thinking and left us with many more questions. Thankful we were able to get him back on this week’s episode where we dived into many more throws-specific topics such as throwing heavy and light implements, peaking strategies, individualization, technical models, motor learning, and more.

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HMMR Podcast Episode 285: The real strength guy (with John Smith)

When we chase power we often look to strength coaches for the answers. But some of the most powerful athletes in the world are throwers. Coach John Smith thinks we’re asking the wrong people; we should be looking to the throwing coaches for the best examples of how to develop powerful athletes. Smith is one of the most successful in the NCAA. On this week’s episode he talks about how he developed his unconventional approach to strength and power training, and much much more.

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HMMR Podcast Episode 279: The long road back (with Tuomas Seppänen)

In 2016 Tuomas Seppänen was on the verge of a breakthrough when everything went wrong. It took him years to build but now, at age 36, he is throwing better than ever. On this week’s podcast he joins us to discuss his long road back to the top, including overcoming vertigo, rehabilitating injury, adjusting his training, dealing with the pandemic, balancing work, and much more.

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A guide to jumping for throwers

When I think of jumping for throwers, Werner Günthör is the first athlete that comes to mind. The 130-kilogram Swiss shot putter could almost fly and this explosive strength helped him capture three world titles. Jumping is perhaps the ultimate expression of power and can play an integral role in preparing throwers. But as with anything, it needs to be adapted to the needs of the sport and athlete, especially in a sport whether athletes can be massive. Below are a few considerations for integrating jumps into the physical preparation of throwers.

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February/March 2022 in review: throwing

Throughout February and March we looked at team at topic close to our heart: throwing. Our team of contributors put together 2 new videos, 6 new podcasts, and 5 new articles on the topic from 10 contributors. Find links to both our new and archived resources on throwing below.

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Are you training with a chainsaw or sandpaper?

Swedish speed skater Nils van der Poel was one of the most impressive athletes at last month’s Winter Olympics. After obliterating the field and setting records at both the 5000 and 10000m events, he released a free eBook detailing his training plan and philosophy. One important point he made was in what tools he choose. There is a role for nearly every tool in training, but you have to choose the right tool for the purpose at hand. He used the analogy of a sculptor to get his point across:

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HMMR Podcast Episode 266: Use the ball (with Lance Deal)

The hammer throw is a unique sport. Most types of throwing require an athlete to apply force to an implement, but in the hammer throw you have to work together with the implement. That changes the whole dynamic of how you think about accelerating. On this week’s episode we nerd out a little and get into technical detail with one of the best of all time as Olympic medalist Lance Deal explains how he thought about accelerating in the hammer throw.

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Remembering Yuriy Sedykh

World hammer throw record holder Yuriy Sedykh passed away on Tuesday. When you think of Sedykh there is Sedykh the thrower and Sedykh the man. I’m not going to pretend I knew Sedykh the man very well. I met him a handful of times at clinics, but never had an in depth conversation with him. Nevertheless, like every hammer thrower in the world, I intimately knew Sedykh the thrower. Looking around social media for the past few days it is amazing to see all the memories of throwers like me. They met him a few times, but he changed their lives. Below are a few thoughts on Sedykh the thrower.

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HMMR Podcast Episode 245: The Bondarchuk reunion special

Anatoliy Bondarchuk’s success record as a coach can match any coach from any sport. The former hammer throw world record holder and Olympic champion has coached dozens of Olympic medalists over five decades. What is the key to his success? On this week’s podcast six of his former athletes get back together to discuss their first impressions of the coach, what made him so successful, and the role of language in coaching.

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HMMR Podcast Episode 234: The outsider (with PJ Vazel)

What happens when a top sprint coach takes a hammer thrower into his training group? PJ Vazel has coached some of world’s best sprinters but more recently is known for his work in guiding Quentin Bigot to a silver medal in the hammer throw. On this week’s podcast he discusses the parallels between the events and what he learned from transitioning between them. Read more