GAINcast with Vern Gambetta

Coaches education is filled with lessons on technique, methods, sport science, and more. What is often missing is how to put it all together. How to design a training session, training cyle, or training year is a key skill that many coaches struggle to learn in the trenches. On this week's GAINcast we bring together an elite roundtable with Nick Garcia, Brian FitzGerald, and Jimmy Radcliffe to discussion their own mistakes in planning, putting together progressions, planning in-season training, defining themes, and much more.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2024/09/gaincast-episode-285-training-by-design-roundtable/

The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic:

• The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more.
• The GAIN Workshop on planning will take in Los Angeles on December 14-15. If you are a GAIN member, renew your membership to get free access.
• FitzGerald was a guest on GAINcast 139 and HMMR Podcast 153. Radcliffe was included on roundtables in GAINcast 163 on progressions and GAINcast 190 on creating adaptable athletes.
• For more on planning in genreal, list to GAINcast 4. We also looked at planning the training session on GAINcast 249.

The Olympic Games wrapped up earlier this month in Paris. We had both personal connections at the Games, as well as a fan interest. On this week's GAINcast we break down our insights from watching the Games.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2024/08/gaincast-episode-284-olympic-debrief/

The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic: 

• The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more.
• The GAIN Workshop on planning will take in Los Angeles on December 14-15. If you are a GAIN member, renew your membership to get free access.
• For more Olympic track and field coverage, check out our latest HMMR Podcast 319 where we look at the throwing events in Paris, as well as our global throwing trend analysis
• Some media resources that we referenced in this episode: The U.S. Wasn’t the Most Successful Country at the Olympics in the New York Times and The Rodchenkov Affair: How I Brought Down Russia’s Secret Doping Empire. More about doping history in Germany from the BBC as well.
• Past GAIN episodes have also look at Olympic performance. Check out our post-Tokyo analysis on Episode 222.
• GAIN Swimming just took place last weekend. More information is available on their webpage. You can also follow them on Instagram (@gain_swimming).

Strength is one of the most important qualities in athletic performance. Athletes need to be able to express force in the context of their sport. But much of what goes on in strength training starts to substantially deviate from this maxim. On this week's GAINcast our friend Chris Webb joins Vern for a discussion on what strength is, moving beyond numbers, the role of the strength coach, transfer, injuries, and much more.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2024/07/gaincast-episode-283-training-strength-with-chris-webb/

The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic: 

• The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more.
• GAIN Swimming will take place at the end of August. More information is available on their webpage. You can also follow them on Instagram (@gain_swimming).
• Past GAINcast episodes diving further into some similar discussions about strength Episode 276 and Episode 57.

A lot has been going on in the sporting world this spring, and in our worlds as well. On this week's GAINcast we discuss a variety of topics including finding and measuring training quality, variability in skill execution, the right role for biomechanics analysis in coaching, and unstructured training.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2024/05/gaincast-episode-282-coaching-quality/

The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic: 

• The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more

Communication is the cornerstone of coaching. Garr Reynold's best-selling book Presentation Zen explains how to reach the audience through simplicity and storytelling. He joins us on this weeks' GAINcast to discuss how these lessons can be helpful for coaches as well, including insights on editing, simplicity, material, and methods.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2024/04/gaincast-episode-281-presentation-zen-with-garr-reynolds/

The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic: 

• The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more.
• You can learn more from Reynolds on his website, including 10 presentation tips. His book Presentation Zen is also highly recommended. You can also follow him on X (@presentationzen).
• Some more insights on communication up on HMMR Media: Lessons in communication from Wade Gilbert, Training talk with Harry Marra on coaching cues, 4 ways to rethink how you give feedback, and GAINcast 191: Teaching better with teacher Doug Lemov. Communication was also our theme in December 2021.

On this week's episode we discuss some recent training trends and current events, including the World Indoor Championships, competition scheduling in an Olympic year, zone 2 training, the NFL combine, and much more.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2024/03/gaincast-episode-280-training-trends-and-current-events/

The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic: 

• The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more.
• Our 2024 schedule for GAIN is online, including several weekend workshops. Sign up and we'll see you there.

What sport you play is different than how you play that sport. In the game of tennis, for example, vastly different styles of play emerge, which require a different approach to preapre for. On this week's GAINcast Jason Hettler of IMG Academy Tennis explains their process of profiling athletes, matching to game style, and individualizing training.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2024/02/gaincast-episode-279-athlete-profiling-with-jason-hettler/

The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic: 

• The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more.
• You can learn more about Hettler on his webpage or follow him on Instagram (@jhettler24).
• Gareth Sandford has also shared some great examples of the athlete profiling for tennis on Instagram here and here.
• To develop the athlete profiling system, Hettler worked together with Johnny Parkes, Joe Eisenmann, and Gareth Sandford. All have been previous guests. Parkes was on GAINcast 171 and HMMR Podcast 227 and also is a contributing writer on this site. Eisenmann was on GAINcast 264. Sandford was on GAINcast 203.
• Hettler's former colleagues at Altis have also been on the HMMR Podcast previously. Stuart McMillan was on HMMR Podcast 202 and Dan Pfaff was on on HMMR Podcast 59 as well as two written interviews here and here.

To kick of 2024 we're putting together a spectacular roundtable featuring guests Dr. Michael Joyner, Grace Golden, and Randy Ballard. We take a look back at trends from 2023, as well as what we see ahead in 2024. In addition we dive into the value of tribes, rethinking monitoring, soft skills, and much more to kick off the year.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2024/01/gaincast-episode-278-the-new-years-roundtable/

The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic: 

• The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more.
• We recorded similar episodes to kick off 2023 (GAINcast 258), 2022 (GAINcast 234), 2021 (GAINcast 206), 2019 (GAINcast 150), 2018 (GAINcast 98), and 2017 (GAINcast 46).
• Montioring was also a topic that came up several times. This was also covered on GAINcast 192 with Aaron Coutts and Franco Impellizzeri.

On this week's GAINcast Vern shares his top 6 books of 2023, key insights after recent travels to Europe and Australia, plus thoughts as we look ahead at preparing for the 2024 Olympics.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2023/12/gaincast-episode-277-books-travels-and-olympic-preparations/

The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic: 

• The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more.
• Book recommendations mentioned in this episode:
  • The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
  • The Core. Better Life, Better Performance by Aki Hintsa and Oskari Saari
  • Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant
  • Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results by Shane Parrish
  • 7 Rules of Power: Surprising--but True--Advice on How to Get Things Done and Advance Your Career by Jeffrey Pfeffer
  • Awaken Your Genius: Escape Conformity, Ignite Creativity, and Become Extraordinary by Ozan Varol
• Vern discussed his top books of 2022 and 2021 on GAINcast 259 and on GAINcast 231. You can also read his book lists from 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019.
• There's more from Adam Gran recently: a good interview with David Epstein and recent opinion piece in the New York Times on teaching.
• Other individuals discussed on this podcast have perviously been guests, including Ellyse Perry on GAINcast 213, Nick Lumley on GAINcast 166 (more from Nick here), and John Pryor on GAINcast 135 and 136.
• Also discussed was the talent identification research of Arne Gullich.

A recent interview on HMMR Media shared some of the weight room numbers of the hammer throw world champion. After hearing them, everyone asked: how can a champion be so weak? Strength is complex. Strength is contextual. On this week’s podcast we share some ideas about the role of strength in athletic performance, transfer of strength, training strength, and much more.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2023/11/gaincast-episode-276-thoughts-on-strength/

The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic: 

• The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more.
• We kicked off the episode by talking about Ethan Katzberg. We recently wrote about his strength levels and interviewed his coach on HMMR Podcast 308. Our world championships recap also summarized the magnitude of his success this summer.
• Vern has also written a lot about strength including a definition, some global considerations on strength, and a multi-part series on the evolution of his thoughts on the topic: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6 and Conclusions.