HMMR Podcast

Jordan Geist first made headlines in 2018 when he threw the senior shot put 70 feet as a teenager. This summer, he solidified his status as perhaps the top shot putter in the world. His path to the top, however, spanned eight years of plateaus, pivots into the hammer throw, and even building his own career as a coach before he fully broke through. On this week's podcast, Geist joins us to discuss his career journey, the lessons that shaped him, and a detailed breakdown of his own throwing technique.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2026/10/hmmr-podcast-episode-329-break-on-through-with-jordan-geist/

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More notes:

• This episode is brought to you by HMMR Plus. Become a member for full access to our videos, articles, and podcast archives.
• For more from Geist's coach Ryan Whiting, listen to our interview with him on HMMR Podcast 278.
• We also looked a bit more in detail about the benefits of throwing multiple events with Matt Denny on HMMR Podcast 309, who also achieved world-class results in both the hammer as well as the discus.
• Nick has looked at some of the impacts of the changing NCAA landscape in this article.

It's been a while since our last episode, but the podcast is still alive and kicking. With the season over we take time to look back our the training successs and failures. Plus we throw in a few classic rants and life lessons along the way.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2026/08/hmmr-podcast-episode-328-back-on-track/

» Support the show: join HMMR PLUS to get full access to our coaching resources.

More notes:

• This episode is brought to you by HMMR Plus. Become a member for full access to our videos, articles, and podcast archives.
• We mentioned the release of Vern Gambetta's new book Building the Complete Athlete: A Coach's Guide to Athletic Development. You can order it exclusively on HMMR Media.

If you don't try learn from your mistakes, you'll never improve as acoach. Nick and I often reflect on our coaching to see what went well, what didn't, and what we want to try going forward. No time is better to do this than the start of the year. On this week's episode we look back on 2025 and also look forward to what we'll be trying differently in 2026.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2026/01/hmmr-podcast-episode-327-debriefing-the-year/

» Support the show: join HMMR PLUS to get full access to our coaching resources.

More notes:

• This episode is brought to you by HMMR Plus. Become a member for full access to our videos, articles, and podcast archives.
• We mentioend the upcoming release of Vern Gambetta's new book Building the Complete Athlete: A Coach's Guide to Athletic Development. You can preorder it exclusively on HMMR Media.
• We also referenced the work of the late Anatoliy Bondarchuk. We'll have more about him in the coming weeks, including a free webinar on his training methods. In the meantime you can read a few words about his death here, and learn about his training methods in HMMR Classroom Lesson 1.
• We've done similar season and year debriefs on past episodes such as Episode 205, Episode 117, Episode 110, and Episode 30.

When it comes to strength, Wil Fleming is one of the top coaches in the world with his athletes having set American records and won world medals in weightlifting. But the key to strength isn't just in the muscles, it is also in the mind. On this week episode Fleming joins us to discuss the mental side of training and lessons he has learned on developing a strong mind.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2025/11/hmmr-podcast-episode-326-strong-mind-with-wil-fleming/

» Support the show: join HMMR PLUS to get full access to our coaching resources.

More notes:

• This episode is brought to you by HMMR Plus. Become a member for full access to our videos, articles, and podcast archives.
• Click here for details on the Strong Mind book pre-launch. You can also get a lot of great weightlifting products and programs from 1Kilo. You can also check out his past books Velocity-Based Training for Weightlifting: Current Concepts & Applications and Complete Olympic Lifting Handbook.
• Fleming presented HMMR Classroom Lesson 35 about strategies on rethinking strength and power training. Fleming was also a guest on Episode 299 (muscle snatch) Episode 251 (fixing weightliting technical issues), Episode 236 (velocity based training) and Episode 147 (programming).
• Mental training was the site theme in April 2019. There we featured a special podcast Episode 195 looking at mental preparation with Olympic champions Adam Nelson and Szymon Ziolkowski. We also looked at Ziolkowski's example in a more detailed article.
• We also have plenty more on the topic of mental training in our archives:
  • Podcasts: GAINcast 159 on sports psychology, Episode 14 on mental toughness with Kibwé Johnson, GAINcast 66 and GAINcast 124 on making the champion's choice. Episode 194 on mental skills with Mona Pretorius de Lacey.
  • Articles: the role of training for mental toughness by Chris McCormick, psychological aspects of coaching from a sports science persepctive and coaches perspective, Vern's definition of what mental toughness is and what it isn't.,tips from Kibwé Johnson, and lessons from mountaineering and climbing.

The world championships in track and field kick off this weekend. There is some thrilling action ahead in the throwing events, and University of Georgia coach Don Babbitt joins us on this week's podcast to talk about trends in the throwing events, what we're keep an eye on next week, and the future of American throws development.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2025/09/hmmr-podcast-episode-325-tokyo-2025-throws-previewwith-don-babbitt/

» Support the show: join HMMR PLUS to get full access to our coaching resources.

More notes:

• This episode is brought to you by HMMR Plus. Become a member for full access to our videos, articles, and podcast archives.
• You can read Nick's full article on the silent crises in American throwing.
• Babbitt was also a guest on Episode 319 recapping the Paris Olympics, Episode 318 looking at throwing trends, Episode 305 previewing the 2023 world championships, Episode 256 on throwing trends, Episode 170 on throwing biomechanics, and on Episode 116. And he sat down for a lengthy interview on individualization and other training topics back in 2012.
• For more in depth coaching insights from Babbitt, watch HMMR Classroom Lesson 25, a 3+ hour master class on rotational shot put.
• Several of the throwers mentioned and their coaches have been guests on our podcast including coach Mitch Crouser, Matt Denny and his coach Dale Stevenson, Stahl's former coach Vésteinn Hafsteinsson, Camryn Rogers's coach Mo Saatara, Sarah Mitton's coach Richard Parkinson, Ethan Katzberg's coach Dylan Armstong, and Trip Piperi's coach Dave Dumble.
• For more in depth technical breakdowns from Stevenson and Armstong, they break down Denny and Katzberg's technique in our recent HMMR Classroom Lesson 43.

Canada gets a lot of headlines for their recent dominance in the hammer throw, but there are aren't the only ones making their mark internationaly. Over the last decade, coach Richard Parkinson has been building several world class shot putters out of his group in Toronto. This isn't just by chance; it's by plan. Planning is key to Parkinson. It seems so simple, but is often overlooked. On this episode Parkinson discusses his planning philosophy, as well as technical training.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2025/07/hmmr-podcast-episode-324-it-starts-with-the-plan-with-richard-parkinson/

» Support the show: join HMMR PLUS to get full access to our coaching resources.

More notes:

• This episode is brought to you by HMMR Plus. Become a member for full access to our videos, articles, and podcast archives.
• Planning has been a topic several times on the podcast, including a planning Q&A on Episode 286, fitting S&C into planning on Episode 67, as well as GAINcast Episode 4.
• For more on planning, visit our periodization and planning resource page.

Olympic hammer throw Adam Keenan recently retired after the Paris Olympics. His long career spanned getting to work with Bondarchuk as a teenager to included a late career breakthrough to the top of the sport. On this week's episode he joins us to debrief on his career, including a look at what led to his breakthrough, advice for young throwers, how his training methods evolved, the role of light and heavy implements in training, and a detailed discussion of hammer throw technique.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2025/04/hmmr-podcast-episode-323-career-debrief-with-adam-keenan/

» Support the show: join HMMR PLUS to get full access to our coaching resources.

More notes:

• This episode is brought to you by HMMR Plus. Become a member for full access to our videos, articles, and podcast archives.
• You can follow Keenan on Instagram @adamkeenanthrows. After his retirement he posted a six-part series breaking down his best training throws with various implements including the 10kg, 9kg, 8kg, 7.26kg, 6kg, and 5kg.
• Keenan was also a guest on Episode 245 where six former of Bondarchuk's former atheltes reflected on training with the master.
• For more on Bondarchuk's training methods, we have a simple introduction, as well video lesson detailing his approach, as well as a sample training program. We also interviewed Bondarchuk in 2015, and interviewed his protege Dylan Armstrong in 2023 on Episode 308.

The podcast slowed down last year, but we're back and better than ever. We relaunched last month with a great interview and this month we're sharing our own ideas as well. We look at the role of social media in coaching, off-feet training ideas, articial intelligence, Soviet training myths, and a few rants thrown in as well.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2025/03/hmmr-podcast-episode-322-were-back/

» Support the show: join HMMR PLUS to get full access to our coaching resources.

More notes:

• You can see the recent Instagram post on specific strength we reference and learn more on the topic in the HMMR Classroom has several lessons including Specific strength exercises for throwing, Specific strength framework for throwing (with René Sack), and Advanced specific strength concepts.
• For more medicine ball training ideas, watch Video Lesson 5: Medicine ball routines.
• You can learn more about the new World Shot Put Series format here.
• For a bit on the problem of prediction and how that is oversold in Soviet literature, read our post on perdioziation myths, Vern's take on prediction addiction, and this recent Instagram post from James de Lacey.
• If you want more rants, we've got plenty in our archives. Check out Episode 228, Episode 203, Episode 164, Episode 103, Episode 80, and Episode 60.

Out in California, coach Mohamad Saatara has been slowly putting together one of the top throws training groups in the world, led by athletes such as Olympic champion Camryn Rogers and world record holder Mykolas Alekna. On this week's podcast Saatara joins us to talk about his backround and coaching philosophy, including how to program for transfer and indvidiual strengths.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2025/03/hmmr-podcast-episode-321-mos-pros-with-mo-saatara/

» Support the show: join HMMR PLUS to get full access to our coaching resources.

More notes:

• This episode is brought to you by HMMR Plus. Become a member for full access to our videos, articles, and podcast archives.
• You can read more about Saatara's background in his university profile. You can also follow him on Instagram at @mohamad.saatara.
• We have developed a lot of content about Alekna's world record over the last year in collaboration with biomechanics professor Kristof Kipp. This includes a video lesson on breaking down discus biomechanics with professor Kristof Kipp, as well as a 4-part article series on Alekna's rhythm and release, delivery subphases, phase durations and orbit, and center of mass.
• For more resources on the throwing events, check out our throws topic page. We also discussed the influences of coaches such as Don Babbitt and Anatoliy Bondarchuk on Saatara's training. Both have been featured in video lessons, interviews, and more such as our Bondarchuk training webinar and Don Babbitt's rotational shot put master class.

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 podcast 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/hmmr-podcast-episode-320-training-by-design-roundtable/

» Support the show: join HMMR PLUS to get full access to our coaching resources.

More notes:

• This episode is brought to you by HMMR Plus. Become a member for full access to our videos, articles, and podcast archives.
• 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.