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/

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More notes:

• his 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/

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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.
• 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/

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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/

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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.
• 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/

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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.
• 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 throwing events at this month's Olympic Games brought plenty of excitement. Paris had it all, from dominating performances in the hammer to drama in the shot put and Olympic records in the discus and javelin and drama. On this week's podcast our friend Don Babbitt joins us again to break down the Olympic action, trends, and storylines that stood out the most to us.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2024/08/hmmr-podcast-episode-319-throwing-insights-with-don-babbitt/

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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.
• You can learn more about Babbitt’s background from the University of Georgia webpage.
• The national trends for the throws discussed in this episode are discussed in more detail in this article. You can also see the stats from 2023, as well as listen to our World Championships debrief last year with Rene Sack on Episode 307.
• HMMR Plus Members can watch Babbitt break down rotational shot put styles, technical development, and training methods in this 3.5 hour video lesson.
• Babbitt was also a guest on Episode 318 previewing the 2024 Olympic Trials, Episode 305 previewing last year's 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.
• We recently published a 4-part biomechanical analysis of Mykolas Alekna's world record which Babbitt contributed to: Part 1: Rhythm and release, Part 2: Delivery subphases, Part 3: Phase duration and orbit, and Part 4: center of mass.

It's been a hell of a year so far in the world of throwing: a world recrod, historic marks, and much more just in the spring. Coach Don Babbitt joins us on this week's podcast as we look ahead to the US Olympic Trials and then the Paris Olympics. We take a look at insights that can be gained from the biomechanics of Mykolos Alekna, the development of Ethan Katzberg, the comeback of Kara Winger, and much more.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2024/06/hmmr-podcast-episode-318-throwing-insights-with-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 learn more about Babbitt’s background from the University of Georgia webpage.
• HMMR Plus Members can watch Babbitt break down rotational shot put styles, technical development, and training methods in this 3.5 hour video lesson.
• Babbitt was also a guest on Episode 305 previewing last year's 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.
• Many of the other throwers mentioned on this episode have been past guests where they discussed their technique and training: Episode 309 with Matt Denny, Episode 283 with Kara Winger, Episode 308 about Ethan Katzberg with coach Dylan Armstrong, Episode 266 with Lance Deal, and Episode 195 with Adam Nelson.

On this week's episode we dig back into to the listener mailbag. Some of the topics we cover: overcoming competition anxiety, the truth behind range throwing, fixing technique, maintaining physical qualities, our favorite presenters, and even a special story about coaching Jeremy Allen White.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2024/05/hmmr-podcast-episode-317-qampa/

»  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.
• For more on range throwing read Jud Logan's original article, and our perspective on the reality of range throwing.
• Don Babbitt was listed as one of our favorite throws presenters in this episode. He presented Lesson 25: Rotational shot put master class (with Don Babbitt) in the HMMR Classroom and has been a guest on Episode 305, Episode 256, Episode 170, and Episode 116.
• Strength and transfer was also looked at in detail on GAINcast 276.
• You can hear us answer more questions on Episode 286, Episode 272, Episode 257, Episode 247, Episode 246, Episode 241, Episode 213, Episode 199, Episode 176, Episode 174, Episode 143, Episode 126 and Episode 89.

A lot of coaches like to talk about building individualized training plans, but more often that not their athlete's programs start looking all the same. Paul Solberg is a bit different. He's coaching some of the world's top throwers, and they take very different approaches to reach the same goal. He joins us on this week's podcast to share his process for understanding athletes, tailoring training plan, training intensities, building training blocks, and much more.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2024/04/hmmr-podcast-episode-316-individualizing-training-with-paul-solberg/

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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.
• Solberg's former coach Asmund Martinsen was our guest on HMMR Podcast 268. Solberg is of course highly influenced by his background in the javelin throw and we've looked at the javlin throw in more detail on GAINcast 156 with Steve Backley and GAINcast 175 with javelin coach Mike Barber.
• More classical approaches to block periodization were discussed on Episode 28 with Tony Ciarelli. In the HMMR Classroom we've also touched on Bondarchuk's training philosophy in Video Lesson 1, periodization and planning trends in Video Lesson 3, specific strength for throwing in Video Lesson 9, and many other topics covered in this episode.

We often talk on the show about how coaches train their athletes. On this week's podcast we turn the tables and look at how coaches train themselves. Finding time to squeeze a workout in is not always easy, and neither is balancing age, family, and many other factors. Our friends Carissa Sain, David Maris, and Donie Fox join us to share their tips.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2024/03/hmmr-podcast-episode-315-how-the-coaches-train/

»  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 Fox on Instagram (@doniefox) and learn more about RTP Physio. He also contributes to HMMR Media. You can find his articles here. He was previously a guest on HMMR Podcast Episode 231 and GAINcast 261 and presented Video Lesson 34 in the HMMR Classroom on returning to plyometrics after injury.
• Carissa SAIN was a member of the roundtable on GAINcast 260. You can also find her on Instagram (@carissasain).
• You can follow Maris on Instagram (@david.maris.958). His Maris Sprint Podcast is a great listen on all things sprint. He is also a frequent contributor of articles to SimpliFaster.
• Several of the training ideas mentioned in this episode are discussed in more detail on the site, such as leg circuits in Video Lesson 13 and med ball routines on Video Lesson 5. Steve Myrland and Tracy Fober were both referenced and are site contributors and past guests on Episode 149, Episode 281, and Episode 125. Myrland has also contributed to HMMR Classroom GAIN Video 1, Video Lesson 12, Video Lesson 18, and Video Lesson 21.