LEO Training: Strength & Conditioning | Endurance | Health | Performance | Injury Prevention | Joe DeLeo

In Episode 038 of the LEO Training Podcast I interview my good friend Dan Mahoney. Dan was a former professional baseball player who has transitioned from being an athlete to a trainer. Dan shares his story of being a pitcher and experiencing the Tommy John Injury and Surgery. Dan is also an RKC II, NASM-CPT, and Amazing 12 Coach. This is a fantastic episode for high school and college athletes as well as trainers and parents! Here's what you will learn:

• Dan's background as a baseball player
• Being drafted at UConn
• Examining pitching mechanics
• Listening to the warning signs
• Suffering a career ending injury (Tommy John)
• Becoming a trainer and finding kettlebells
• The importance of playing more than one sport
• Thoughts on training rotation for rotational athletes
• and much more!

Mahoney Performance Training (Website)

Mahoney Performance Training (Instagram)

Mahoney Performance Training (Facebook)

In Episode 037 of the LEO Training Podcast I interview Dr. Ed Wittich. Dr. Ed Wittich is a doctor of Osteopathy with a Masters in lower limb biomechanics and a passion for what makes people perform at their best, injury free. Ed is  BAT Logic's in-house expert on Sports Medicine, Athlete analysis and Product Innovation. He has worked with numerous Olympic teams as well as top colleges and schools internationally, he is also a contributor to international rowing publications and conferences and consults with teams and athletes around the world.

Here is what you will learn in this episode:

• Dr. Ed Wittich's background and education in Osteopathy and lower limb biomechanics.
• Overview of rowing equipment and how it's changed
• Special considerations for different demographics of rowers
• How BAT Logic helps athletes to stabilize and prevent injury
• Where does rowing stand in currently understanding causes and injury rehab?
• and much more!

• BAT Logic (Website)
• BAT Logic (Facebook)
• BAT Logic (Instagram)

In Episode 036 of the LEO Training Podcast I interview Luis Ahrens-Teixeira the President of the Portugese Rowing Federation. Luis is also the co-founder of the Avizaqcua Training Center and a former national team member for Portugal.

In this interview you will learn:

• Luis background as an athlete and transition to an entrepreneur.
• The Avizaqcua Team Center
• Herdade da Cortesia
• Luis roots in rowing (beginning in 1988)
• Began rowing as a junior in 1992 and kept going until 2004
• Bronze medal in 1994 in Indianapolis
• Selling his car to start his company
• The history of the Avizaqcua Team Center
• Why this is the place that athletes and rowing teams come to train and hold their camps
• and much more...

• The Avizaqcua Team Center (Website)
• Herdade da Cortesia (Website)
• Herdade da Cortesia (Facebook)
• Herdade da Cortesia (Instagram)

In Episode 035 of the LEO Training Podcast I interview Dr. Jane Thornton. Jane Thornton, MD, PhD is an Olympic rower and World Champion. She earned a PhD in sports and exercise medicine and then completed her MD to put her research into action and rethink healthcare delivery. Focusing on physical activity as both prevention and treatment of chronic disease, Jane has developed educational resources and medical curricula in Switzerland, Luxembourg, the U.K., and Canada. She is also passionate about rowing injuries research and lectures on both topics extensively.

In this interview we focus on rib injuries in rowing, here is what you will learn:

• Dr. Thornton's background in medicine and career as a rower
• Movement as medicine and how physical activity can be prevention
• More rib stress fractures in the 1990's | Change in blade design "the big blade"
• The 3 Big Theories surrounding Rib Injuries
• Dr. Anders Vinther
• Diaphragmatic Breathing
• Strengthening Imbalances
• Chronic vs. Acute Injuries
• EMG Studies on firing patterns of muscles surrounding ribs and shoulder girdle

Make Your Day Harder (Website)

Dr. Jane Thornton (Twitter)

Management of Rib Pain in Rowers: Emerging Issues

Rowing Injuries : An Updated Review (PDF available for purchase only)

In Episode 034 of the LEO Training Podcast I interview Brett Jones.

Brett Jones is StrongFirst’s Chief SFG Instructor and is an FMS Advisory Board Member. He is also a Certified Athletic Trainer and Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA. He is based out of Pittsburgh, PA. Brett holds a Bachelor of Science in Sports Medicine from High Point University, and a Master of Science in Rehabilitative Sciences from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.

We cover just about everything in this podcast interview that is just under two hours!

Here's what you will learn:

• Brett's roots as an athletic trainer and transitioning into the strength and conditioning field.
• How kettlebells helped Brett rehab from a low back injury
• Brett hit all of his personal records after his back injury
• The Brettzel
• Anatomical and Biomechanical breathing
• Why speed hides and it's good to move slow!
• Kettlebells from the Ground Up 1 & 2
• Dynami
• The Four Knots
• Why Strength symmetry is important?
• What are pitfalls of the SFG I and SFG II that people run into during training?
• Indian Club Swinging and how it can be a great compliment to hardstyle training
• The Return of the CK-FMS
• and more!

Applied Strength (Website)

Brett Jones (Twitter)

Applied Strength (Facebook)

Kettlebells from the Ground Up 1

Kettlebells from the Ground Up 2

Dynami

Club Swinging Essentials

Indian Clubs Online Course

SFG Level I Prep Guide

SFG Level II Prep Guide

The 3 Pillars: How to Build Skill While Being Real

In Episode 033 of the LEO Training Podcast I interview StrongFirst Team Leader, Martine Kerr. Martine holds a variety of certifications and has been in the industry for over 20 years. Her background is in marketing and she also holds an MBA! Martine has an incredible gift as a technical coach as well as utilizing social media to help communicate and teach the world about safe and proper kettlebell instruction.

Martine holds certifications from the following organizations StrongFirst Team Leader (SFG TL), StrongFirst Bodyweight Instructor (SFB), CK-FMS, Yoga Tune Up ® Instructor, Flexible Steel Specialist Instructor, Ground Force Method National Instructor, RKC, WCO Levels 1 & 2, CrossFIT Level 1 + Mobility + Kettlebell Trainer, TPI Certified Golf Fitness Professional, TRX, TRX Sports Medicine, Vinyasa Yoga, ACE Group Fitness, REPS, MBA.

Here is what you will learn in this episode:

• Martine's background in marketing/business and transitioning into health/fitness
• Being involved in ice hockey, dance, and gymnastics as a youth and how that shaped her
• What it's like being a native of Canada and living/working in Dubai
• Why you DO Not Need a Gym!
• Her work with hockey players
• How the video angle really effects the presentation of a technique/skill/lift on social media
• Why it is so important to know your brand and your audience.
• The content strategy Martine employs: 70% value/20% personality / 10% promotion
• Why "Nobody Owns Fitness"
• Martine's current project she is working on!
• and much more!

Kult Fitness (website)

Kult Fitness ( Facebook)

Kult Fitness (Instagram)

In Episode 032 of the LEO Training Podcast I interview Louka Kurcer, SFG II, SFB, FMS and Flexible Steel Instructor.

Louka and I discuss the difference between flexibility and mobility. We also explain why it is important to incorporate both mobility and flexibility into your strength training. Louka explains the value of striking the balance between being flexible and strong.

Here's what you will learn in this episode:

• Louka's journey to strength
• Why it's important to include flexibility work into your training
• Mobility vs. flexibility
• Plan Strong
• How Power to the People Changed Louka's life
• Louka owns a school, not a gym! (Hardstyle Kettlebell)
• Why it's important to balance strength and flexibility
• and much more!!

• Hardstyle Kettlebell Montreal (Website)
• Hardstyle Kettlebell Montreal (Facebook)
• Louka Kurcer (Instagram)

In Episode 031 of the LEO Training Podcast I interview physical therapist, 3x US Olympian and 4x World Champion, Bob Kaehler. Bob and I discuss a ton of topics focused around rowing as well as his experiences on the national team training under three different coaches.

Bob has also invented a piece of training equipment called the Body Band-It. This tool helps teach individuals spine control and how to develop strength and power.

Here is what you will learn in this episode:

• Bob's entry point into athletics at 9 years old
• Rowing in college at Rutgers and pursuing physical therapy
• His work in a hospital and a physical therapy clinic
• His thoughts on weight training and the results it provided
• Bob's success training under 3 different national team coaches: Igor Grinko, Mike Spracklen, and Mike Teti
• Why control of the trunk system is so important
• The Body Band-It system and how it mimics what your spine does
• and much more!

• Coach Kaehler (Website)
• Coach Kaehler (Facebook)
• Body Band-It (Instagram)

In Episode 030 of the LEO Training Podcast I am joined by High Performance Strength and Conditioning Coach for the NOC*NSF, Theo Pickles.

Theo is a high performance strength and conditioning coach focused on elite development athletes. While development athletes are his primary area of focus he also works with established athletes.

These sports include - Rowing (Senior Dutch National Team) - Swimming (development and senior Dutch National Team), - Equestrian (senior Dutch National Team), - Ice Hockey (CTO) Eindhoven High Tecs, development Youth Team), - Gymnastics (Senior Dutch Team) and - Trampoline (Senior Dutch Team).

Theo's specialties include: Strength and Conditioning Coaching, Olympic lifts, power development, speed development, youth development, rugby and collision sports.

Here's what you will learn in this episode:

• Theo's background
• Prescribing training load throughout the year
• Development of strength in an endurance environment
• Use of RSI
• Recommendations for club/recreational rowers vs. high performance athletes
• Paying attention to soreness and stiffness from training sessions
• Boat speed after strength sessions
• Why it's important to do the same type of sessions in your sport and the gym on the same day
• Do not prescribe specific weights.
• Being a generalist
• and much more!

Theo Pickles (Twitter)

In Episode 029 of the LEO Training Podcast I sat down with Sarah Black, lead athletic therapist for Rowing Canada. Sarah works with the Men's National Team in Canada and works with the athletes on injury prevention and rehabilitation. The training center has a really unique environment in that she is afforded the ability to observe the athletes in the rowing shell, on the ergometer, in the gym and in a clinical setting. This environment is unique and provides the team constant feedback into the health and state of the athletes.

Here is what you will learn in this episode:

• Sarah's background into athletics
• The sports and athletes she works with
• How a centralized location and training center provides continuity and consistency
• What is FRC (Functional Range Conditioning)?
• Most common injuries she sees on the rowing team
  • Prevention strategies
  • Rehab strategies
• Special considerations for junior rowers vs. elite vs. masters
• Why people must have pre-requisites of movement first before they focus on whole movement patterns
• and much more.

Sarah Black (Twitter)

Rowing Canada

Functional Range Conditioning