The year is coming to end, which means it is time for our annual combined episode of the GAINcast and HMMR Podcast to discuss the state of training for sports. We share highlights from our favorite episodes of the year, discuss training trends like isometrics, microdosing vs. split training, and what we’ll be trying out in 2023.
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The debate about the transfer of change of direction and agility training is a bit like the debate about general and specific training. Specificity is a critical factor, but not all general training is the same. And specific training can also be counterproductive if you don’t understand what you’re training for. On this weeks GAINcast, Bill Knowles joins us to discuss how he sees the spectrum of agility training and how a purposeful approach can improve performance all along the spectrum.
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As the year comes to close, we look back to share some quick tips from what we learned this year, new things we are trying out, lessons from the John Smith interviews, and how to successfully blend different training methods.
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On Vern’s recent visit to Switzerland we did a live Q&A, answering questions and exchanging ideas on a variety of topics including: measuring strength, building connections, enhancing training transfer, best practices for combining different training methods, rethinking overload, strength training for endurance athletes, and more.
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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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Testing is a crucial part of the training and coaching process. On this episode of the GAINcast Vern walks through his approach to testing and shares his best practices, including a walk through of how he set up and implemented the testing program at the Chicago White Sox in the 1990s.
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In the last few years Ryan Crouser has cemented himself as the top shot putter in the history of the sport. Behind the scenes along the way has been his father, helping him from his first throw to his world record. On this week’s episode Mitch Crouser joins us to discuss his own throwing career, the long-term development plan he put in place for Ryan, how they developed their technical model, and what the future holds for the both of them.
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Lots of people write about common myths or the core principles of training. But it’s easy to find what always works and always doesn’t. What about the half truths of training? What about the statements that hold some water until you take them too far? On this week’s podcast we share some of the half truths we encounter in training and how to navigate them.
Rightly, or, as some people would argue, wrongly, resistance training is a major component within the training programs of most sports. We know from research that improvements in strength tend to lead to improvements in physical performance—such as sprint speed or jump height—and, in many cases, injury resilience. But how specific does that resistance need to be? Read more
In most team sports, the ability to withstand high ground reaction forces with the lower limbs is one of the important keys to top level performance. The legs have to be strong. Thus begins the pursuit of heavier loads to build strong legs through to two-legged, high resistance exercises. Read more
