GAINcast with Vern Gambetta

GAINcast with Vern Gambetta episodes:

• 03.11.2024

  280: Training trends and current events

  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...

  
• 02.05.2024

  279: Athlete profiling (with Jason Hettler)

  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...

  
• 01.08.2024

  278: The New Year's roundtable

  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...

  
• 12.04.2023

  277: Books, travels, and Olympic preparations

  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...

  
• 11.06.2023

  276: Thoughts on strength

  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...

  
• 10.01.2023

  275: Championship behaviors (with Hugh McCutcheon)

  Championship results require championship behaviors from both athletes and coaches. Having guided multiple men's and women's teams at the highest levels, volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon knows a thing or two about what championships behaviors are. On this week's GAINcast...

  
• 08.14.2023

  274: Lessons learned

  We take a look at some current events and current happenings in our own training to reflect on some lessons learned on this week's GAINcast. To start with we debrief the USWNT's disappointing performance at the World Cup, before...

  
• 07.31.2023

  273: The ACL

  The start of the recent women's World Cup in soccer has turned focus to the rash of ACL injuries in the sport, and the particular impact it has had on female players. On this week's GAINcast Vern looks at...

  
• 07.10.2023

  272: Beyond dichotomies (with Kevin Becker)

  We live in the age of polarization. We get into long debates about whether things are black or white, but when it comes to topics like training and motor learning, the reality is often a shade of grey. Professor...

  
• 06.26.2023

  271: Lessons from GAIN

  This year's GAIN has come and gone and what an experience it was. On this week's GAINcast Vern and Martin share the biggest learnings at this year's GAIN. Plus they discuss in detail the key characteristics of a training...

  
• 06.12.2023

  270: Competition skills

  Just like other parts of sport, competing is a skill that can be trained. On this week's GAINcast we explore what makes up the skill of competing and how to best train it. In addition we discuss the winning difference,...

  
• 05.29.2023

  269: Force and sprinting (with Dan Cleather and Jon Goodwin)

  Why are some athletes faster than others? And how do we make athletes faster? In their new book Dan Cleather and Jon Goodwin argue that the answer begins and ends with a consideration of force production. Both of them join...

  
• 05.15.2023

  268: Implements and injuries

  Another baseball season is underway and, once again, the injuries are piling up. On this week’s GAINcast we speculate about what might be causing the injuries, how training is related to injuries, and where using heavy and light implements can...

  
• 05.01.2023

  267: From east to west (with Bogdan Poprawski)

  The 1980s were a time of global awakening in track and field. As coaches experimented with new training methods, ideas started spreading all over the blog. Coach Bogdan Poprawski was at the center of that process, moving as a young...

  
• 04.17.2023

  266: Training camp (with Chris Webb)

  The training camp is an integral part of the training process in many sports. But how can you get the most out of it? On this week's GAINcast we share ideas around planning training camps to get the most out...

  
• 04.03.2023

  265: Creating better movers (with Rene Wormhoudt)

  Being a better mover solves a lot of problems: it makes it easier to pick up skills and adapt to new situations, which also helps reduce the risk of injury and increase the level of performance. Rather than focusing on...

  
• 03.20.2023

  264: Redefining LTAD (with Joe Eisenmann)

  Long-term athlete development models are often packaged with convincing narratives and buzzwords. But they're also full of a few myths as well. Dr. Joe Eisenmann's career has combined his academic interests in pediatric physiology with his practical experiences in youth...

  
• 03.06.2023

  263: Odds and ends

  Competition season is starting up again in many sports. We start this week's GAINcast off by looking at how to best structure training in the days before a competition and how to learn what works best for your individual athletes....

  
• 02.20.2023

  262: The sprint lab (with Emily McClelland)

  The SMU Locomotor Performance Lab is at the cutting edge of researching practical questions on sprinting and jumping. On this week's GAINcast Emily McClelland joins us to discuss her latest research on vertical jumping and sex differences in short sprints....

  
• 02.06.2023

  261: Building and rebuilding the amateur athlete (with Donie Fox)

  We often talk about developing elite athletes, but the amateur sporting world is even bigger and more demanding in many ways. On this week's GAINcast coach and physiotherapist Donie Fox joins us to discuss how his team have implemented athletic...

  
• 01.23.2023

  260: The network

  GAIN stands for the Gambetta Athletic Improvement Network. Most people think it is all about Gambetta, but the Network is the most important word in GAIN. On this week's GAINcast, three original GAIN members join us to discuss the power...

  
• 01.09.2023

  259: Top books of 2022

  Vern is a notorious reader on a wide range of topics. On this week's GAIN cast he looks back at his top books of 2022, breaking down more than 20 titles for listeners. For more information on this topic, read...

  
• 12.26.2022

  258: State of the sport (with Nick Garcia)

  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...

  
• 12.12.2022

  257: Rethinking agility (with Bill Knowles)

  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...

  
• 11.28.2022

  256: Live Q&A

  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...

  
• 11.14.2022

  255: On testing

  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...

  
• 10.31.2022

  254: In the water (with Kira Toussaint and Drew Kibler)

  We often talk about training methods and culture with coaches, but the athlete's perspective is just as important. World class swimmers Kira Toussaint and Drew Kibler join this week's GAINcast to share their point of view. Both athletes utilize the...

  
• 10.17.2022

  253: Journaling (with Paul Kilgannon)

  The lost art of journaling is a great practice for any sportsperson, of any age. Coach and consultant Paul Kilgannon draws on his teaching background to help athletes develop good journaling habits to improve their performance. On this week's podcast...

  
• 10.03.2022

  252: On training

  On this week's episode we jump into the trenches and look at some recent training trends, misconceptions, and ideas on planning. We also share some examples of good training we've seen first hand this summer. For more information on this...

  
• 09.19.2022

  251: Swim time (with Chris Webb)

  Earlier this month the annual GAIN Swimming event took place. Over the past decade, GAIN has become the leading name when it comes to dry land training. On this week's podcast Chris Webb and Vern discuss what GAIN Swimming is...

  
• 09.05.2022

  250: LTAD

  LTAD has almost become a cliché. Everyone has an LTAD program and they all look the same. How can that be? Because the models assume a linear march to the top of the athletic achievement pyramid. In reality it is...

  
• 08.22.2022

  249: The training session

  The individual session is the core element of training. It is how coaches deliver their programs, build athletes, and connect with people. On this week's GAINcast we look in detail about how we can rethink and improve upon training session...

  
• 08.08.2022

  248: The championships

  The World Championships in track and field recently finished, with some amazing performances and storylines. On this week's GAINcast Vern and Martin break down some of the action, including the planning challenges of multiple championships in one season, hurdling technique,...

  
• 07.25.2022

  247: The process

  Coaches love to talk about the value of process, but what exactly is that? Process is often shrouded in vague explanations and misleading concepts. On this week's GAINcast we dive into process, what it is, what it isn't, and why...

  
• 07.11.2022

  246: Preparing for load (with Chris Chase)

  Load management is a hot topic with evolving viewpoints in many sports, especially basketball. A few years ago coaches seemed to think of loads as a poison to be avoided, but many coaches are advocating a new paradigm instead: loads...

  
• 06.27.2022

  245: It depends . . .

  Perhaps the two most important words in programming are: it depends. We often focus on the exercise or structure, forgetting about the context. But the context is what makes or breaks training. On this week's GAINcast we look at finding...

  
• 06.13.2022

  244: Coloring outside the lines

  GAIN 2022 starts tomorrow and our theme this year is coloring outside the lines. On this week's GAINcast we share some ideas on coaching, what the lines are, and when to know when to color outside the lines. For more...

  
• 05.30.2022

  243: Keep it simple (with Dr. Michael Joyner)

  Looking back on successful people, coaches, training programs, and processes, one thing keeps showing up over and over: simplicity. Dr. Michael Joyner has wide-ranging experience at the forefront of medicine, research, public health, elite performance, and coaching. Across these domains...

  
• 05.16.2022

  242: The jump man (with Jeremy Fischer)

  When it comes to the jumps in track and field, it is hard to beat the track record of coach Jeremy Fischer. Over the last two decades, Fischer has guided numerous world champions and Olympic medalists across the long jump,...

  
• 05.02.2022

  241: Jump assessment (with Warren Young)

  Over the last several decades Professor Warren Young has been at the forefront of redefining how coaches test jumping ability, reactive strength, and agility. The tools he developed, such as the reactive strength index, have helped coaches better measure and...

  
• 04.11.2022

  240: The sports sciences

  When we used to think about sports science we would think about the sports sciences: fields like biomechanics and exercise physiology. Now, more often than note, the term sports science is shorthand for data collection and analysis. On this week's...

  
• 03.25.2022

  239: On learning

  Becoming the best is about getting the most out of yourself as a coach and as a person. It's about learning. On this week's GAINcast we explore the nuances of learning and some overlooked methods to learn and improve. For...

  
• 03.14.2022

  238: Athletic development paradigm

  Where do you start when training athletic development for a new sport or athlete? Vern Gambetta's athletic development paradigm gives coaches a 4-pronged analytic tool to make sure you develop a plan that fits the sport, position, and athlete. On...

  
• 02.28.2022

  237: Coach the person (with Debbie Strange)

  All throwing events are different. But more importantly all athletes are different. When we devise training we have to remember we're coaching people, not machines. This is central to the philosophy of throws coach Debbie Strange. On this week's GAINcast...

  
• 02.14.2022

  236: Learning to move (with Rob Gray)

  The world of motor learning is often populated by complex jargon and impenetrable concepts. But at its root it is about something simple: learning to move. Professor Rob Gray is one of the world's best in translating these concepts into...

  
• 01.24.2022

  235: It's GAIN time!

  It's been almost 3 years since GAIN last took place in person. But in 2022 that will change. GAIN is back! On this episode of the GAINcast we're happy to formally announce the full details of GAIN 2022 and open...

  
• 01.17.2022

  234: New Year’s special

  We’re kicking off the year with our annual combined episode of the GAINcast and HMMR Podcast to discuss the state of training for sports. A lot has changed over the past year, so we sit down to discuss some of...

  
• 12.25.2021

  233: Top books of 2021

  Vern is a notorious reader and he's only gaining steam with age. This year he had 151 books on this week's podcast he shares some key takeaways from his 17 favorite books of the year. For more information on this...

  
• 12.20.2021

  232: Science at the track (with Esa Peltola)

  The best sports scientists bridge the gap between theory and practice. They bring coaching experience to the table and help help solve the real problems athletes are facing. This describes Esa Peltola. His diverse experiences in coaching, physiology, talent identification,...

  
• 12.06.2021

  231: Training talk

  As we enter the final month in the year, it's a good time to look back and share some of our recent thoughts about training and coaching. On this week's GAINcast we cover a wide variety of topics including coaching...