Having looked at the influence of heat and altitude and travel and match demands at the 2026 World Cup, I’ll now turn my attention to the next topic in my World Cup preparation series: preparing for pressure.
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Having looked at the influence of heat and altitude on performance at the 2026 World Cup, and what can be done about it, I’ll now turn my attention to the next topic in my World Cup preparation series. This is something that affects many of us in today’s world: travel, jet lag, and travel fatigue.
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Olympic hammer throw Adam Keenan recently retired after the Paris Olympics. His long career spanned getting to work with Bondarchuk as a teenager to included a late career breakthrough to the top of the sport. On this week’s episode he joins us to debrief on his career, including a look at what led to his breakthrough, advice for young throwers, how his training methods evolved, the role of light and heavy implements in training, and a detailed discussion of hammer throw technique.
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I am a self-professed believer in “quality-over-quantity” in all things. This runs contrary to the American ethic, and the ethic in most cultures around the world. We are culturally hard-wired to ask quantitative questions: How much? How fast? How far? How soon? As Reinhold Niebuhr noted: “Americans seek a solution to practically every problem in life in quantitative terms.” Just look at teh Walmart sales pitch: save money, live better. It’s effective; getting more and paying less has to be better . . . right? I don’t think so. We need to consider a valuation system based on the innate quality of things.
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Some coaches make training seem complex. Some make it seem oh so simple. And when you play the long game it is. Coach Paddy McGrath has been coaching Rudy Winkler for nearly 15 years. Slow and steady he’s developed into the American record holder and a favorite for the podium at this summer’s World Championships. On this week’s episode he joins us to talk about his approach to training, teaching, and throwing.
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Every month we take a deep dive into the latest research in sports science. In this month’s edition we look at failures in talent development, mental toughness, mental rest, using data in elite sport, nutrition, and more.
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Our mailbag is full, so it’s time to go through some listener questions about a variety of topics. On this week’s episode we dive into questions on the planning for truncated seasons, recovery, teaching the Olympic lifts, rest periods in circuit training, who do we want to grab a beer with, and more.
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It’s now been a year since the pandemic started and lockdowns started around the world. The impact has been massive for everyone. And while I think we all wish we didn’t have to go through the experience, there is a thing or two we can learn from the past year.
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The GAIN Master Class Series has been going strong the last six months and we want to give you a taste of what it’s about. Our latest event last week looked at reconsidering periodization, including a top panel discussion with leading practitioners. On this week’s episode of the GAINcast, we share highlights from the panel discussion, as well as an interview with Professor Keith Baar, our next Master Class presenter. Read more
