On our last episode coach Rett Larson explained his approach to warming up, both the theory and practice. This week, we’re sharing a bonus episode where we discuss our own approach to the warm up. As with the rest of our training program, the warmup is constantly evolving. We go in detail into the what and why we do now and how that has evolved over the last few years.
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Develop competent, confident, and effective coaches, and then competent, confident, and effective athletes will follow. As a director of coaching education at USA Weightlifting, Michael Conroy’s mandate didn’t just need to teach coaches about technique, he needed them to learn how to program creatively. On this week’s episode he walks us through the scaffolding of programming and the key elements all good programs in any sport should contain.
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Creating your own program takes a lot of leg work. It isn’t just about adapting a template to your situation; it is about seeking out influences and inspiration from numerous sources and making them your own. On this week’s episode we dive into the program at Notre Dame High School by analyzing some of the foundational influences and how they have been adapted, as well as important elements done on the periphery.
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We often talk on the podcast about different components of training: lifting, jumping, sprinting, throwing, and more. We spend less time talking about putting it all together. The best way to learn about that is to take a look at an example. Last week Nick posted an 8-week throws program on HMMR Media. We walk thought it to understand the thought process behind it and how coaches can look at fitting all the components of athletic development into a plan. Read more
My long-time coach Anatoliy Bondarchuk was an open book. You could ask him about anything in training and he’d sit down with you for hours and explain the why and the how. He would explain his experiences with all types of training, good and bad. There was only one topic that was off limits: a sample program. Bondarchuk repeatedly refused to share sample programs. Read more
On this week’s GAINcast expands on my vintage Legs, legs, legs video and looks at training the legs. We wanted to include some sample programs to give an idea how the parts can be put together. Read more
Ready made programs have proliferated in the internet era. With a simple search coaches can find hundreds of programs they can take off the shelf and use with their athletes. On this week’s episode Nick and Martin talk about some of the pros and cons of using ready made programs and what are some of the best ones out there. In addition, they discuss adapting plyometrics to training and building a strength reserve. Read more
The effectiveness of your training doesn’t just come down to what you do, but how you do it. Doing things in a different sequence can result in a completely different effect. On this episode of the podcast we discuss the role of sequencing in training, tips on setting up your own training, as well as some of the benefits and disadvantages of different approaches. Read more
Over the course of last season I was asked to put together a weekly video journal that tracked my team’s training and progress throughout the season. Championships Products has just compiled them and released this as a resource for coaches to learn from. Read more
The first major decision I had to make this offseason was whether to continue to train. That was simple. But as soon as I decided to keep training I faced the tougher question of how I would train. A lot is changing in my life, so I want to make sure I do things right if I will keep training. This means a host of changes in my training, but also many of the key elements that have helped me over the past decade.
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