This week’s guest is Derek Evely, Canadian track and field coach, and renowned expert on training organization. Derek has coached all of the track and field events, but is particularly experienced in the throws. Our talk today centers around the Bondarchuk training method, and its implications for other track events, such as sprints and jumps, as well as physical preparation concepts.

Talk about the Bondarchuk system (responsible for an absurd number of Olympic Gold medalists in the throws) is very popular these days, even amongst non-track and field coaches, such as those coaches involved in the physical preparation of team sport athletes. The thing with Bondarchuk style training, is that it is so different than every other training style, and applying even its principles to team sport situations can be difficult, due to the chaotic workloads of field/court sport practice and play.

Even for those of us in track and field, using a non-waveloading, do the same workout (or 2, maybe 3 workouts) every time you hit the track, seems like a difficult proposition to dive in on. In order to get the most out of this system’s ideals, as well as the direction it is headed, I can’t think of too many people better to talk to than Derek Evely. Nick Garcia, our guest for Episode #6 (it seems so long ago) is also a coach who has great experience with Bondarchuk and traditional methods.

Today, Derek shares with us knowledge of the Bondarchuk system, and a myriad of applicable ideas on long term development, short and long term improvement, individualization and athlete reactions, differences between throwers and sprinters in context of the Bondarchuk system, velocity based training applications, and much more.

Today’s episode is brought to you by SimpliFaster, supplier of high-end athletic development tools, such as the Freelap timing system, kBox, Sprint 1080, and more.