Perhaps the two most important words in programming are: it depends. We often focus on the exercise or structure, forgetting about the context. How do you train before a competition? It depends. Are speed ladders good or bad? It depends. Are kettlebells or dumbbells better? It depends. On this week’s episode we talk about variety of training topics and try to answer the question of what it depends on.
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Long-term athlete development models are often packaged with convincing narratives and buzzwords. But they’re also full of a few myths as well. Dr. Joe Eisenmann’s career has combined his academic interests in pediatric physiology with his practical experiences in youth coaching. Combined he’s helped bring some common sense to the topic of LTAD. On this week’s podcast he talks about some of the history and misconceptions of LTAD, as well as his own approach to the area.
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With some athletes, the key to coaching is about getting them to put their foot on the gas. However, with elite athletes it can often the opposite. On this week’s podcast Scott Russell joins us to share some experiences from his career as a javelin thrower, PE teacher, and coach about when to step on the gas, when to take the foot away, and much more.
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Competition season is starting up again in many sports. We start this week’s GAINcast off by looking at how to best structure training in the days before a competition and how to learn what works best for your individual athletes. In addition we also talk about pre-meet workouts, psychological preparation, GPS data, single-factor models, and much more.
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Training the overhead athlete is a topic that is shrouded in myths and misconceptions. On the week’s episode coach Dan Noble joins us to discuss how his training methods for overhead athletes have spanned the whole spectrum and how he came to his current approach. In addition we talk about the nuances of sports-specific preparation, the bench press, preparing athletes for training camp, and more.
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The SMU Locomotor Performance Lab is at the cutting edge of researching practical questions on sprinting and jumping. On this week’s GAINcast Emily McClelland joins us to discuss her latest research on vertical jumping and sex differences in short sprints.
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Coaching at a military academy presents some unique challenges. In addition to preparing athletes to compete at a high level in their sport, strength coaches are also involved in the physical education program, basic training, and more. On this week’s episode coach Taylor Lorbiecki joins us to talk about some of her creative solutions she’s implemented at the Air Force Academy.
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We often talk about developing elite athletes, but the amateur sporting world is even bigger and more demanding in many ways. On this week’s GAINcast coach and physiotherapist Donie Fox joins us to discuss how his team have implemented athletic development structure into their local GAA club. In addition we discuss the differences between building and rebuilding athletes, and how the mental side of physiotherapy is the real difference maker.
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On this week’s episode we cover a hodgepodge of topics including: best practices for jump testing, jumping on the TCU speed bandwagon, knees over toes training, and defining rest periods in training.
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GAIN stands for the Gambetta Athletic Improvement Network. Most people think it is all about Gambetta, but the Network is the most important word in GAIN. On this week’s GAINcast, three original GAIN members join us to discuss the power of mentorship, and how the network has evolved their own coaching careers, and some lessons learned from past GAIN events.
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