GAINcast with Vern Gambetta

Vern is known as one of the most well read people in sport. In 2020 he ready 137 books. On this week's GAINcast he shares his favorite books of the year, as well as some insights on the process of reading.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: http://www.hmmrmedia.com/2021/01/gaincast-episode-207-good-reads/

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

• Our monthly GAIN Master Class Series features speakers from all aspects of performance. The series continues in January. Sign up now to get access to all past and future events in the series.
• The GAINcast is also sponsored by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more. You can find an overview of the top HMMR content from 2020 here. Nick and Martin host the HMMR Podcast which you can subscribe to here.
• Find a complete list of Vern's top books from 2020 in this article. For more book recommendations check out Craig Pickering’s top books of 2020, as well as Vern’s list from 2019.
• Here are links to the top five books discussed on this episode:
  1. Physical Intelligence: The Science of How the Body and the Mind Guide Each Other Through Life by Scott Grafton
  2. Apollo’s Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on The Way We Live by Nicholas A. Christakis
  3. Science Fictions – How Fraud, Bias, Negligence and Hype Undermine the Search for Truth By Stuart Ritchie
  4. Uncharted: How to Navigate the Future by Margaret Heffernan
  5. The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcom X by Les Payne and Tamara Payne

We're bringing back our annual tradition to start off the year with a 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 the biggest issues facing sports, how things looks going forward, and what we're looking forward to in 2021.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: http://www.hmmrmedia.com/2021/01/gaincast-episode-206-the-state-of-sport/

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

• Our monthly GAIN Master Class Series features speakers from all aspects of performance. The series continues in January. Sign up now to get access to all past and future events in the series.
• The GAINcast is also sponsored by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more. You can find an overview of the top HMMR content from 2020 here. Nick and Martin host the HMMR Podcast which you can subscribe to here.
• We recorded similar episodes to kick off 2019 (GAINcast 150), 2018 (GAINcast 98), and 2017 (GAINcast 46).
• Adapting to COVID and lockdowns has been covered from several angles this year including our Episode 219 roundtable and Episode 225 about post-lockdown training.
• Monitoring has been a recurring theme over the last few months, with some input on the topic from Lachlan Penfold and Dan di Pasqua on Episode 238, Eddie Jones on GAINcast 204 and GAINcast 192 with Aaron Coutts and Franco Impellizzeri.
• Nick shard more about his passion for BBQ and brisket on Episode 228 and Episode 13.

4The fields of nutrition and anti-aging are rife with misinformation and hucksters. Professor Stuart Phillips, on other hand, is the one in the background finding the real answers and doing the research. He joins this week's GAINcast to lay out what the research tells us on a variety of topics like proteins, aging, vitamins, hormonal response, and more.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: http://www.hmmrmedia.com/2020/12/gaincast-episode-205-nutrition-science-with-stuart-phillips/

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

• Our monthly GAIN Master Class Series features speakers from all aspects of performance. The series continues in January. Sign up now to get access to all past and future events in the series.
• The GAINcast is also sponsored 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 Phillips background on his McMaster University faculty profile. You can also follow him on Twitter (@mackinprof) and read his research on ResearchGate.
• On this episode we also referenced the work of Keith Baar, who was a guest on the November GAIN Master Class as well GAINcast 177.

Training is about preparing for the game. It's a simple concept, but we often lose sight of that when we dive too deep into tactics, strength training, or other facets of training. English Rugby coach Eddie Jones tries to bring this concept to the forefront in his training. Everything they do comes back to the game. The structure of practice, the mental preparation, and fitness training all are designed with the game demands as the central focus. He joins this week's GAINcast to walk us through is approach to preparing athletes.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: http://www.hmmrmedia.com/2020/12/gaincast-episode-204-prepare-for-the-game-with-eddie-jones/

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

• The GAIN Master Class Series continues in December with our next speaker this week: Angus Ross on rethinking sprint training based on lessons from other sports. The monthly interactive series features speakers from all aspects of performance. Sign up now to subscribe to hear these events and others in the series.
• The GAINcast is also sponsored by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more.
• Learn a bit more about the structure of England Rugby's training in this article we published after a visit to their 2018 summer training camp.
• Our friends John Pryor and Dean Benton have both work under Jones. They've frequently been guests on this show. Pryor was a guest with Frans Bosch on GAINcast 135 and GAINcast 136. You can find all of our interviews and articles with him in the motor learning section, including our interview where he broke down his successful tenure with Jones in Japan. Benton was a guest on GAINcast 186. We've also done interviews with him on tactical periodization, technology, and recovery.
• Also referenced on this episode was Gonzaga University basketball and their head strength coach Travis Knight, who was a guest on HMMR Podcast 223. German soccer coach Ralf Rangnick was also recently profiled in the New York Times. We also discussed contact conditioning, a topic covered before on this site in our wrestling video with Andy Stone, as well as by James de Lacey and Nick Hill.

Middle-distance running requires a unique interplay of aerobic and anaerobic energetics. Historically, however, research on the events has centered on the aerobic side. Physiologist Gareth Sandford has sought to correct that imbalance by looking in detail at anaerobic speed reserve. He joins this week's GAINcast to discuss his work and look at how to profile athletes and develop individualized training for complex events.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: http://www.hmmrmedia.com/2020/11/gaincast-episode-203-speed-reserve-with-gareth-sandford/

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

• The GAIN Master Class Series continues in December with our next speaker: Angus Ross, our guest on GAINcast 83. The monthly interactive series features speakers from all aspects of performance. Sign up now to subscribe to hear these events and others in the series.
• The GAINcast is also sponsored by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more. This month's theme is sports technology, so check back for more on the topic.
• You can reach out to Sandford and learn more from him on Twitter (@Gareth_Sandford).
• Sandford's entire dissertation is available here. You can also find more of his papers and research up on Research Gate.
• The work of Peter Weyand was also reference in this episode and Sandford's dissertation. You can learn more from him on GAINcast 89 and in the article "Sprint Exercise Performance: Does Metabolic Power Matter?"

Technology has changed the world and sport over the last few decades. It has helped sport make substantial progress in some areas, but also failed to live up to the hype in others. On this week's episode we talk about how technology can best support coaching, and share examples of how to evaluate technology, best practices in using it, and more.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: http://www.hmmrmedia.com/2020/11/gaincast-episode-202-technology-in-sport/

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

• The GAIN Master Class Series continues this week with our next speaker: Keith Baar, our guest on GAINcast 177. The monthly interactive series features speakers from all aspects of performance. Sign up now to subscribe to hear these events and others in the series. GAIN Alumni can also get access to all events by renewing their membership.
• The GAINcast is also sponsored by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more. This month's theme is sports technology, so check back for more on the topic.
• A few related episodes mentioned this week: Steve Ingham on GAINcast 200, Lachlan Penfold on GAINcast 184, as well as PJ Vazel on HMMR Media Podcast Episode 234. The HMMR Podcast also covered the topic at the start of last week's Episode 235 as well as a more detailed look on Episode 33.

The GAIN Master Class Series has been going strong the last six months and we want to give you a taste of what it's about. Our latest event last week looked at reconsidering periodization, including a top panel discussion with leading practitioners. On this week's episode of the GAINcast, we share highlights from the panel discussion, as well as an interview with Professor Keith Baar, our next Master Class presenter.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: http://www.hmmrmedia.com/2020/11/gaincast-episode-201-the-master-class/

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

• GAIN 2020 has shifted online, with a monthly interactive master class series. Sign up now to subscribe to hear these events and others in the series. GAIN Alumni can also get access to all events by renewing their membership.
• The GAINcast is also sponsored by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more.
• The panel discussion came from our 2-hour Master Class event last week. Subscribers can watch the whole replay here. If you haven't signed up you can pay here for individual event access or subscribe to the whole series.
• October panelist Nick Lumley was a guest on GAINcast 166 on team sport training, HMMR Podcast 96 on simple planning solutions, and HMMR Podcast 134 on recovery and conditioning. He is also frequent contributor to HMMR Media. You can find him on Twitter (@lumley_nick) and Instagram (@nick_lumley).
• Panelist Dan Noble was a guest on HMMR Podcast 165 on circuits and Episode 111 on his background and influences. He recently opened the new Grit Athletics training facility in Toronto. You can find him on both Instagram (@coachnoble45) and Twitter (@coachnoble45).
• The discussion with Keith Baar was take from GAINcast 177. Check out the entire episode for more, and he'll also be giving a detailed presentation on minimizing injury and maximizing performance at the next Master Class event on November 19.

What are the hurdles we face in sports performance? What hurdles do we face in getting a job, in supporting athletes, and in moving profession forward? Steve Ingham has looked closely at all of these questions as both a sports physiologist and consultant. On this week's episode he joins us to share how he approaches these issues, as well as his new book and online community.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: http://www.hmmrmedia.com/2020/10/gaincast-episode-200-the-first-hurdle-with-steve-ingham/

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

• GAIN 2020 has shifted online, with a monthly interactive master class series. Sign up now to subscribe to hear these events and others in the series. GAIN Alumni can also get access to all events by renewing their membership.
• The GAINcast is also sponsored by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more.
• Ingham was previously a guest on GAINcast 63. You can also learn more from him on Twitter (@ingham_steve).
• We discussed both of Ingham's books on this episode: The First Hurdle: A guide to searching, applying and interviewing for jobs in sports performance and How to Support a Champion: The art of applying science to the elite athlete.
• Ingham also has frequent blogs and podcasts on his website. His new membership site allows has a vast amount of resources available. You can use this affiliate link to learn more and sign up here.

What are the hurdles we face in sports performance? What hurdles do we face in getting a job, in supporting athletes, and in moving profession forward? Steve Ingham has looked closely at all of these questions as both a sports physiologist and consultant. On this week's episode he joins us to share how he approaches these issues, as well as his new book and online community.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: http://www.hmmrmedia.com/2020/10/gaincast-episode-200-the-first-hurdle-with-steve-ingham/

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

• GAIN 2020 has shifted online, with a monthly interactive master class series. Sign up now to subscribe to hear these events and others in the series. GAIN Alumni can also get access to all events by renewing their membership.
• The GAINcast is also sponsored by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more.
• Ingham was previously a guest on GAINcast 63. You can also learn more from him on Twitter (@ingham_steve).
• We discussed both of Ingham's books on this episode: The First Hurdle: A guide to searching, applying and interviewing for jobs in sports performance and How to Support a Champion: The art of applying science to the elite athlete.
• Ingham also has frequent blogs and podcasts on his website. His new membership site allows has a vast amount of resources available. You can use this affiliate link to learn more and sign up here.

The best teams in the world aren't just teams, they are systems. A system lends order and structure to enable the coach and athlete to focus on the process. It provides a framework to build on. On this week's GAINcast we look at the power of systems, what makes a good system, and how systems fall apart.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: http://www.hmmrmedia.com/2020/10/gaincast-episode-199-systems-thinking/

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

• GAIN 2020 has shifted online, with a monthly interactive master class series. The October event will look more at systems and periodization. Sign up now to subscribe to hear these events and others in the series. GAIN Alumni can also get access to all events by renewing their membership.
• The GAINcast is also sponsored by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more.
• Vern wrote about this topic recently in a post about systemic sport development.
• Some related GAINcasts: on GAINcast 50 we looked common traits of serial winning coaches with Sergio Lara-Bercial. Last week's GAINcast 198 looked at the related topic of periodization.