In a debate that has persisted for decades, the battle rages on! From well-intentioned student-athletes wanting to make sure they are getting the most out of their training to coaches who wish to sell their program and garner buy-in, the question remains

How do we talk about sports-specific training? How do we address the social media age of sport movement mimicry? What is the best to go about addressing the demands of the sport? 

We break it down on today's episode of Chalk Talk! 

Athletes are itching to get back into the weight room, and coaches are ready to do just about anything to make it happen! 

Adam Hughes shares the steps he has taken to get his student-athletes back to training in the weight room. As he fosters a safe and efficient environment, he continues to expand on his successes in this strange return to the weight room during Covid. 

We break down the distinctions between a full and partial range of motion squat. Coach Bres starts by defining the two types of squatting and then dives into the high-level benefits of each variation. We then wrap it up by putting the whole conversation into context and understanding what population of athletes you are working with. 

On today's episode of Chalk Talk, we will be pulling from two conversations we had with our nutrition expert Rebecca Toutant. These mini conversations come from our Nutrition EDU program we provide to students, and our focus today is on hydration. 

In part 1, we will break down the basics of hydration, and then part 2 talk a little more about sweat science and sports drinks. You may hear some references to assignments and questions throughout these two parts, which come as part of the more extensive program inside PLT4M. But have no fear, this podcast is a great listen for all our teachers and coaches out there because hydration and sports drinks often stir up a lot of questions from our students and athletes.

Free weights and machines are the staples of many fitness centers, weight rooms, and training centers across the country. For Physical Education, the equipment available often dictates an entire workout or lesson for students. 

We break down the pros and cons of free weights and machines and consider the practical implications of both. Are certain types of students better suited for one or the other? How do you manage a busy class with what you have in your space? 

Check out our 100th episode of Chalk Talk! 

PE teacher Molly Collins has taken the lessons and best practices from remote learning and brought them into her hybrid teaching. Molly talks about the challenges and struggles remote PE presented and how she is getting creative with her students this school year. 

Bodybuilders have long used 'lightweight, high reps sets' before a competition. So how has the toning and bulking myth spiraled into the discussion it is today?   

I want to bulk up! I want to be toned! Everyone wants something when it comes to their training, but we all need to look at the science behind what it means to both tone or bulk.

Inhale. Exhale. Most of us go the whole day without even thinking about our breathing. 

Coach Lulu Emmons (PLT4M Yoga Instructor) helps us break down the basics behind breathing. Lulu then defines open and closed mouth breathing. We finish up the episode by talking about some basic breathing exercises anyone can give a try! 

Open Mouth Breathing: For your open mouth breathing, the goal is to inhale through the nose, and open mouth exhale using your belly to push the air out. The goal is to feel all the air come out as you exhale. (This is often to release heat and energy from your body during yoga.)  

Closed Mouth Breathing: For closed mouth breathing - inhale through your nose, keeping your lips sealed, constrict muscles in the back of your throat and then exhale back out through your nose. You are going to hear an almost oceanic sound as you exhale through your nose. (This is often done during warm up to build heat in your body).   With both open and closed mouth breathing, we want to match the inhale and exhale duration. Meaning if we inhale for a count of 3 seconds, our goal should be to exhale for 3 seconds. 3 Seconds is typically a good start, especially for beginners!

A bilateral exercise is one that uses two limbs to drive a movement. A unilateral exercise is one that uses one limb to drive an exercise. Past the definitions, Coach Bres and Doug discuss the pros and cons of bilateral vs. unilateral training and help make sense of the ever-growing debate. 

While our episodes have typically been about an hour-long, we are shortening things up! Over the next series of episodes, we will take a closer look at more specific topics and shoot for about 20-minute snippets! Let us know if there is anything you want to hear us discuss! 

In case you missed it, PLT4M is very excited to announce the launch of our new yoga program! Yog101: Intro To Yoga is a 12 lesson introductory style program that breaks down movements and poses that can be found in any basic yoga program. 

Whether you have taught yoga for years or unsure where to start, check out this conversation with Coach Lulu Emmons! Coach Lulu Emmons is the author and instructor behind the excellent new PLT4M yoga program. 

PLT4M originally aired this podcast on our webinar series and are now resharing it! This will be our last episode before we take a Chalk Talk break for the holidays, so we wish you all a great and happy holiday season!