GAINcast with Vern Gambetta

Developing faster athletes for team sports doesn't just mean training them like sprinters. Both sports require fast athletes, but in completely different contexts. Like anything, developing speed in a new context comes down to how you train and Dean Benton has spent his career trying to unlock the methods that can make his teams play faster. On this week's GAINcast he joins us to share to discuss the significance of speed, how he defines the key elements of team speed, and his approach to developing game speed.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2021/10/gaincast-episode-227-game-speed-with-dean-benton/

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. This month we are looking at monitoring training. Sign up and learn more here.
• 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 follow Benton on Twitter (@Atletico_Dev).
• For more from Benton, read our two-part written interview from 2017 where we looked at sleep and travel strategies. We've also interviewed him about tactical periodization and using technology to integrate testing, training, and teaching.
• Benton was also a guest on GAINcast 186. GAINcast 164 shared Vern's thoughts on team speed. On GAINcast 184 Lachlan Pefold, Benton's successor at the Melbourne Storm, discussed integrating physical and tactical training.
• Benton’s mentor and former Professor Warren Young has contributed regularly to HMMR Media. Some of his agility and speed methods are influenced by John Pryor and Frans Bosch.

The Olympics were not only action in Tokyo this summer. Last month the Paralympics took place there several GAIN community members made the trip. On this week's GAINcast we look back at the most recent Paralympics with coaches Adam Bleakney and Troy Engle to get their impressions on preparing for the most recent games, as well as general considerations when training wheelchair athletes.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2021/10/gaincast-episode-226-paralympic-prep-with-adam-bleakney/

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. This month we are looking at using games for developing skills, performance, and fun in training. Sign up and learn more here.
• 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.
• To learn more from Troy Engle, listen to our interview with him on GAINcast 143.

The best programs have a process to keep getting better. This starts with quality debriefing, but it continues with more in-depth training audits. The audit aims to use an outside perspective to thoroughly evaluate a program so you can make objective changes and modifications if necessary. On this week's GAINcast we explain the various forms training audits can take, along with practical examples of audits in action.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2021/09/gaincast-episode-225-training-audit/

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. This month we are looking at using games for developing skills, performance, and fun in training. Sign up and learn more here.
• 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 related topics on GAINcast 133: Getting better feedback and GAINcast 51: The debrief. Vern also wrote some recent thoughts on end of season review/debrief.

Coaches now devote more time to recovery and injury prevention than ever before. At the same time, injury rates have climbed to historic levels in many sports. How can it be that we're working harder to prevent injuries, but athletes continue to get hurt at increasing rates? On this week's GAINcast we look at how the modern approach to injury prevention might actually be making things worse, and propose some new ideas for reducing injury rates.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2021/09/gaincast-episode-224-injury-explosion/

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. This month we are looking at using games for developing skills, performance, and fun in training. Sign up and learn more here.
• 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 read some of Vern's memories of Sam Cunningham here, as well as this profile of the Cunningham brothers from earlier this year.
• This episode was inspired by Vern's article on the topic from July.
• Return to performance and rehabilitation was our HMMR site theme in September 2020, with contributions from many authors. The performance model for rehabilitation was looked at on GAINcast 49 with Bill Knowles and HMMR Podcast 231 with Donie Fox.
• We also covered injury prevention on GAINcast 6. Hamstring injuries has also been a recurring theme. Here are two articles on hamstring injuries and hamstring solutions. The new research on injury prevention discussed in this episode was summarized by Craig Pickering in our most recent Sports Science Monthly.
• HRV and data was another topics discussed on this episode, and we looked at it in more detail on GAINcast 221 with Dr. Michael Joyner.

What is keeping us from going faster? Ironically, a lot of times it is what we are doing rather than what we aren't doing. What we other think is helping our speed can be counterproductive. On this week's GAINcast we discuss some concepts that might be limiting your speed training, as well as methods and planning tips for getting faster.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2021/08/gaincast-episode-223-limitations-on-speed/

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. Speed is a recurring topic in the series, with presentations by ern Gambetta, Brian FitzGerald, Jimmy Radcliffe, and more last season. We recently started up the second season and it is not too late to sign up. You can learn more here.
• 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. Here is an overview of some of the speed resources available to members.
• Several past GAINcast episodes have looked at speed including: GAINcast 16 on speed, details an initial speed session on GAINcast 39, shares best practices getting faster GAINcast 115, team speed on GAINcast 164, and speed to the max on GAINcast 212. In addition, Brian FitzGerald was a guest on GAINcast 139 and HMMR Podcast 153.
• One book recommended on this episode:  Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam Grant.

The Olympic Games just wrapped up last week. Along with some amazing performances comes some great lessons on performance, coaching, sport, and life. On this week's GAINcast we sit down to share some of our insights after reflecting on the Tokyo Olympics.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2021/08/gaincast-episode-222-olympic-insights/

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. We recently started up the second season and it is not too late to sign up. You can learn more here.
• 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.
• Some of the latest research on heat adaptation is summarized in this recent article from Alex Hutchinson.
• Damien Warner's support team went the extra mile in Olympic preparations, including organizing training at a hockey rink during the lockdown.
• For a bit more on the condition of the javelin runway, check out this post from Polish javelin thrower Marcin Krukowski.
• A few prior episodes referenced in this episode: GAINcast 162 with USA Weightlifting CEO Phil Andrews and GAINcast 219 with sports scientist Dave Martin.

High performance comes in many forms: winning a gold medal, fighting a pandemic, or simply managing people. Dr. Michael Joyner has experience across all of these areas as a research on the limits of human performance, and the lead research on breakthrough COVID therapies. He joins this week's podcast to share some insights on the principles of high performance.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2021/08/gaincast-episode-221-the-principles-of-performance-with-dr-michael-joyner/

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. We just announced the lineup for next season starting in this month and opened up registration. You can learn more here. Dr. Joyner was on the panel for last month's class and will present his own session later in the year.
• 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 Joyner from his Mayo Clinic faculty biography. You can also follow him on Twitter (@DrMJoyner).
• Joyner was also a guest on GAINcast 120 and GAINcast 59.

Great coaches have one thing in common that we don't talk about much: they demonstrate love in their coaching. You hear about passion, you hear about drive, and you hear about communication, but we often avoid talking about love. Dr. Jerry Lynch has spent his career working at the intersection of sports psychology, leadership, and philosophy. This is where you find many of the hidden topics like love that can be the biggest drivers of performance. On this week's GAINcast Lynch joins us to share some of his reflections on coaching, self-improvement, and Buddha.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2021/07/gaincast-episode-220-love-and-coaching-with-jerry-lynch/

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. We just announced the lineup for next season starting this month and opened up registration. You can learn more here.
• 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 Lynch on his website Way of Champions, including details about the upcoming WOC Conference and the WOC podcast.
• Lynch is the author of several books. His most recent book is The Competitive Buddha: How to Up Your Game in Sports, Leadership and Life. His past books include Thinking Body, Dancing Mind: Taosports for Extraordinary Performance in Athletics, Business, and Life and Way of the Champion: Lessons from Sun Tzu's the Art of War and Other Tao Wisdom for Sports & Life.
• A few recent episode were referred to in this episode including GAINcast 218: The fundamentals with Ron Adams and GAINcast 215: Peanut with Kristen Gambetta Anderson.
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Sports science has changed a lot in the last few decades. In some regards it has grown, but it has also become watered down in many ways. On this week's GAINcast David Martin joins us to discuss how teams can perfect the performance equation, get the most out of sports science, and lessons from the NBA, cycling, and even Jane Goodall.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2021/07/gaincast-episode-219-performance-teams-with-david-martin/

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. We just announced the lineup for next season starting in July 2021 and opened up registration. You can learn more here.
• 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 follow Martin on Twitter (@davidtmartin). His published research is also up on ResearchGate.
• The topic of coordinating a performance team and the role of sports science was discussed on GAINcast 63 and GAINcast 200 with Steve Ingham, GAINcast 196 with Dave Reddin, and GAINcast 134 with Tony Strudwick. Vern also shared his own thoughts on GAINcast 27.

The NBA game has changed drastically over the last few decades. At age 73, Ron Adams is the old guard in the new world trying to adapt classic fundamentals to the evolving game. On this week's GAINcast he joins us to talk about fundamentals, coaching, NBA trends, and more.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2021/06/gaincast-episode-218-the-fundamentals-with-ron-adams/

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. We just announced the lineup for next season starting in July 2021 and opened up registration. You can learn more here.
• 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.
• We've had a few episodes of the HMMR Podcast about basketball, including Episode 223 with Gonzaga basketball strength coach Travis Knight, Episode 131 with former Golden State Warriors strength coach Lachlan Penfold, and Episode 184 with Joe Abunassar of Impact Basketball.