We tend to think of the Olympic lifts as just two lifts, but there are numerous derivatives that each provide their own unique benefits. The muscle snatch is one overlooked variation that can help you maximize power while minimizing the technical demands. On this week’s episode lifting coach Wil Fleming breaks down the lift and what makes it special.
Read more
Every quarter we take a deep dive into the latest research in sports science. In this edition we look at the latest research on what artificial intelligence means for elite sport, optimizing practice environments, velocity based training, parkour for athletic development, and much more.
Read more
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.
Read more
Velocity-based training has been gaining traction over the last few years as the technology becomes more affordable. Many of the resources out there, however, keep discussing the same old approaches to VBT. Weightlifting coach Wil Fleming just published a new book on VBT based on his experience using it in a sport that is based around the barbell. On this week’s podcast we discuss some of the methods he has tried out and how they can be adapted to other sports. Read more
Snow sports run the gamut from acrobatic jumping and high speed downhill, to long distance endurance. Tschana Schiller has supported them all in more than a decade with US Ski and Snowboard. Athletes face unique demands on the snow, and she looks to find the best ways to support them off the snow. She joins us on this week’s episode to talk about the demands of snow sports, with a deeper look at cross-country skiing and supporting athletes remotely through velocity-based training. Read more
For all the talk about velocity-based training, in many cases the programs don’t look that different than load-based programs in the end. Maybe a few kilos there or a bit more intent there. Does those differences matter? Simon Overkamp works with the top throwers and handball players in Germany and he joins us this week to take a look at some of the research he is doing on the topic and his best practices for velocity-based training. Read more
High intensity training can have a massive training effect, but at a certain point intensity alone is not what drives adaptation. You have to be more creative. Stuart McMillan has confronted this issue first hand in working with post-collegiate sprinters at Altis and joins the podcast this week to discuss how he searches for adaptation and his thoughts on many more topics. Read more
Earlier this month Martin wrote about using different training variable like time. Velocity-based training (VBT), i.e. how much time it takes to move a load, is a central part of our training at Notre Dame High School. It’s not just about the load you move, it’s about how you move it. Throughout my years of coaching, a number of different training concepts have come and gone. Some have stayed longer than others. Some I have tried, while others I’ve never believed in enough to implement in the first place. But VBT is one trend that has caught my attention and I believe in. I am not the premier expert in this area, but I hope I can introduce you to the concept of VBT, offer a starting point, and present firsthand four ideas on how I’ve used this concept successfully in both team and individual settings. Read more
Throughout the year we’ve had the pleasure of hosting 34 guests on the HMMR Podcast, including coaches of Olympic champions and world record holders. On this week’s podcast we’ve pulled together some of our favorite moments with athletic development coaches that think different. We cover a wide range of topics such as the art of coaching, individualization, circuit training, transfer of training and more with guests Michael Lepp, Jerome Simian, Boo Schexnayder, Steve Myrland, Dan Noble, JB Morin, and James Marshall.
Read more
This summer I wrote about the specificity of resistance training for sprinting. Specificity of training has multiple elements to it, including biomechanical and metabolic relationships between training exercises and sports performance. The focus of that article was on the movement patterns and range of motion at joints, and it was concluded that typical resistance training exercises performed in the weight room lack specificity for sprinting. These exercises may be very effective for developing intra-muscular neural factors, but cannot optimally develop inter-muscular coordination factors. Read more
