Link:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/238054/2210546-episode-49-a-practical-approach-to-addressing-multiple-needs-in-a-training-program

*SHOW TIMESTAMPS FEATURED AT THE END*

In this episode Gerry returns solo to the mic to address and important topic in strength and conditioning: How do we determine the need for certain attributes (strength, power, speed etc.) and build them into a well balanced training program?

To start, the conversation discusses the importance of testing and using testing to assess what a particular athlete needs. This is the starting point in determining how much a program should focus on each particular attribute.

From there, Gerry discusses things like length of training cycles and how long you have to train, what the particular athlete is preparing for etc. and using them to determine the importance of each need and how much you should focus on it.

To finish, the episode gives a breakdown of what parts of your program you should track and a lesson on flexibility and following template driven programming.

All that and more on this episode of Muscles and Management!

Show Timestamps:

5:20- Tweet of The Week - In Season Programming
12:06- Addressing Multiple Needs in a Training Program
14:30- Why/When Conjugate Programming Makes Sense
16:25- Assess and Test Routinely
19:15- Attack Deficiencies 
20:24- How Long You Have an Athlete For Affects Strategy
22:10- Mixing Dynamic and Full Effort Days
24:45- How Weight Affects Strength Ratio
25:51- Getting Results? Don’t Change Just To Change
29:00- Determining Priorities/Needs For Each Athlete
34:45- Determining Primary Goals and Using Them to Program
38:49- Accessories and Supplemental Movements
42:42- Adjusting Based on Athlete’s Sport
47:10- Don’t Plan Too Far Ahead, You Have To Adjust (Develop A Skeleton/Template)
54:54- Tracking Primary Movements

Link:
​https://www.buzzsprout.com/238054/2177213-episode-48-building-speed-with-new-york-yankees-base-running-coordinator-matt-talarico

*SHOW TIMESTAMPS FEATURED AT THE END*

In this episode Gerry welcomes on New York Yankee’s Base-running Coordinator Matt Talarico!
To start, Matt and Gerry talk about Matt’s playing career and background and how that sparked his interest in speed, base running and more. A lot has changed in the course of 10-15 years regarding speed and strength training, and Matt takes us through what he did personally to get faster and how his wheels began to turn in terms of moving away from the older school (conditioning, longer sprints etc.) and into the newer school of thought (strength, power, shorter sprints etc.).
From there the two discuss the prominence of acceleration in baseball and how your first ten to fifteen yards in your sprint can make or break you. From stride length, stride angle, body positioning and all things mechanical, Matt and Gerry break down what goes in to true “baseball speed.”
To finish, the discussion turns to the drop step and WHY it is the most effective way to sprint in baseball and how it’s ok to know what the great athletes felt, but also important to know what they actually did. Matt then takes time to explain the premise behind his coaching business “steal bases,” the philosophies and what goes in to making yourself a good base runner regardless of your level of speed.

All that and more on this episode of Muscles and Management!

Timestamps:

6:13- Matt’s Playing Background
9:18- Training Athletes Who Don’t Have Exceptional “Natural Talent”
13:55- Matt’s Lifting Program/Experience as a Player
16:45- Correlation of Strength and Speed
20:30- Mindset During Sprints (Getting 100% From Sprints)
27:40- Acceleration in Baseball and Styles of Sprints During Programing
33:30- Importance of Differentiating Between Acceleration vs. Top End Speed
39:36- Is The 60 Outdated?
51:20- Stride Length is Key
57:45- Using Sleds For Sprints
1:02:30- Drop Step
1:14:35- StealBases.com
1:22:25- Benefits of Having Base Stealers on Your Team
1:25:20- Do You Steal off The Pitcher or Catcher?
1:29:30- Matt’s Ending Thoughts

Link:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/238054/2110206-episode-47-mlb-head-strength-coach-jim-malone-of-the-pittsburgh-pirates

*SHOW TIMESTAMPS FEATURED AT THE END*

In this episode Gerry welcomes on veteran MLB Strength Coach Jim Malone (currently head strength coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates). Jim has a wealth of experience in strength and conditioning having spent over 25 years as a coach at the collegiate, minor league and professional level. 

The conversation starts with Jim discussing some of his earliest influences in strength and conditioning and what shaped his philosophies (also talks about those philosophies and the simplicity of sprinting to get fast, lifting heavy to get strong and promoting proper movement). The two talk about Jim's power lifting background and what training for powerlifting at a young age taught him and what he learned from the older lifters around him.

The discussion then turns to Jim's climb through the ranks as a strength coach. From starting at Division III University of Rochester as a hybrid defensive line and strength coach to working all the way to the MLB (and everything in between including other colleges and minor league baseball), the two take an introspective look at the changing of the times with training and what Jim experienced as a strength coach in the new frontier of strength training for the world of baseball.

To finish, Jim gives his opinion on the marriage of experience and new technology/methods (the more things change the more they stay the same), and gives his advice for any aspiring or young coaches in the industry.

All this and more on this episode of Muscles and Management!

Timestamps

9:00- How Jim Malone Started His Career in Strength and Conditioning
13:10- Jim’s Earliest Training Mindset
18:10- Overtraining
21:21- Training Now vs. 20 Years Ago
24:10- Jim’s Decision to Coach
29:35- Jim’s First Programming Style for His Athletes
34:30- How to Deal with Bigger Groups as the Lone Coach
37:09- Holding Athletes Accountable
39:28- Jim’s Move to Columbia University
41:10- Jim’s Start In Baseball
49:55- Working with a Sport You Aren’t as Familiar with
54:00- Adapting to Different Situations
57:36- Strategies for When Your Athletes Leave for the Offseason
1:01:05- New Age of Relationships With Young Athletes
1:05:00- Dealing with the Moving Parts of an Athlete's Life
1:06:48- The Strength Coaching Industry is a Saturated Field
1:15:33- Helping Athletes Deal with Bad Days
1:18:24- How Tech Has Changed Strength Training
1:21:12- Data Is Powerful, but Has to be Used Correctly
1:29:04- Jim’s Tips to Get Your Foot in the Door as a Young Coach

Link:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/238054/2034705-episode-46-the-power-of-the-mind-in-building-the-body-managing-training-volume-and-recruiting-motor-units-to-make-explosive-athletes-with-conor-harris

*SHOW TIMESTAMPS FEATURED AT THE END*
In this episode Gerry welcomes on strength coach Conor Harris. Conor has a background with both elite athletes (has trained draft picks in all three major sports) and has worked extensively with general population clientele as well. Gerry and Conor go through some of Conor's most recent tweets covering a myriad of important topics deep within the framework of strength training and general physical development.

To begin the conversation, the two discuss the importance of the mind and how powerful it can be in connection with the body. Conor goes over some strategies he uses to get athletes and clients alike to make full use of a positive mental state, and how doing so can help yield benefits in training.

From there, Gerry poses two of Conor's tweets to him (progressing volume properly when it comes to training and the pitfalls of "overloading," with a program and the importance of heavy lifting and recruiting muscle fibers for sprinting. The two discuss recruiting motor units for athletes and some of the most effective ways to do so, all while processing them accordingly so they can handle training.

To finish, the discussion turns to understanding worth as a trainer and the importance of clients understanding that good, quality training comes with an appropriate price tag. Finally, Conor goes over his thoughts on breathing and the two cover all areas that can be affected by the efficiency or inefficiency of your breathing pattern.

All that and more on this episode!

Timestamps:

9:23 - Power of the Mind in Relation to the Body
11:05 - Positive Mindset and Effectiveness of Meditation 
13:15 - Getting Athletes to Believe in What They Are Doing
16:05 - Explaining Training Principles To Clients In Simple Terms
19:10 - Avoiding Training Overloading with Athletes. How to Progress (Stress Bucket)
22:00 - Sensory Changes and Other Alternative Variability Changes 
29:05 - Linear Progress - Keep it Simple. Stick With What Works
31:04 - Different Programs/Exercises Can Result in the Same Adaptation (Grey Area)
33:53 - Don’t Change Programming “Just Because.”
37:08 - Strength in Training vs. Strength in Sport. Eric Bledsoe Couldn't Do 5 Pull-ups
41:15 - Sport Performance Doesn’t Always Correlate to Weight Room Abilities
46:50 - Revisiting Overload and Stress Bucket Issue
51:08 - Raw Force Production and Recruiting Motor Units and the Importance for Building Speed
1:00:38 - Trainers: Know Your Worth and Clients: Understand You Get What You Pay For
1:08:12 - Taking on Too Many Clients and Spreading Yourself Too Thin
1:12:10 - Breathing and PRI (Postural Restoration)
1:16:48 - Chest Breathing and The Issues That Follow
1:20:04 - Lifting Belts and a Quick Breathing Walkthrough
1:26:21 - Breathing Correct Is Almost Addictive
1:27:30 - Conor Harris Ending Thoughts

Link:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/238054/2005084-episode-45-q-a-twitter-grab-bag-proprioception-how-to-program-sprints-proper-jump-training-building-strength-agility-training-and-more

​*SHOW TIMESTAMPS FEATURED AT THE END*
In this episode Gerry welcomes back the Q&A format to answer some of the questions you have sent his way over the past several weeks. Additionally, he looks through his Twitter for some of his most recent, thought provoking tweets to expand on them and turn them into learning points on various topics across training.

This Q&A covers everything from the dealing with the yips in sports, timing of sprints in your training program, where to start when building a program for young, untrained athletes, building proprioception and motor control with movements and much, much more.

From there, Gerry looks through some of his most recent tweets and discusses important things like agility training and what you should look for and consider when it comes to building agility for your sport. To finish up the Twitter "grab bag," covers use of eccentrics and isometrics, the importance of breathing mechanics and a wide variety of subjects important to strength and conditioning.

All that and more on this episode!

​Timestamps:

Q&A Section

7:56 - Strength, Speed, and Baseball Specific Skills for Athletes with Low Training Age
10:24 - Making the Most of Low Volume Training Programs
13:50 - Timing Speed Work in Programs
18:31 - Dealing with the Yips
22:38 - Are Yips Mental or Physical?
27:47 - Revisiting Sprints: A Higher Volume Program
31:06 - Hip/Shoulder Separation and Proprioception
35:00 - Getting Athletes to Unconscious Competence
38:41 - Challenge of Getting Athletes to Buy in & Changing Someone’s Mindset
45:02 - Recommended Coaching Materials/Books You Should Read

Reviewing Tweets

49:30 - Heavy Implications of Shallow Breathing
53:16 - Box Jumps - Stop Caring About Height
56:16 - Getting Caught Up in All or Nothings - Adaptation Should Drive You
59:28- Agility Training: What it is, What You Need to Know, and What to Consider When Training for it
1:05:30- Sport Specific Training: You Get Better at Your Sport While Actually Playing Your Sport 
1:09:08- Using Eccentrics and Isometrics to Progress a New Movement and Build Motor Control

Link:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/238054/1957687-episode-44-achieving-desired-training-adaptations-and-simple-ways-to-transfer-training-to-sport-with-arkansas-baseball-strength-coach-blaine-kinsley

In this episode Gerry welcomes on Arkansas Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coach Blaine Kinsley. Gerry looks through Blaine's Twitter to find some his most impactful tweets on various key topics in the realm of strength and speed training. 

To start, the conversation heads towards a very argued point in strength and conditioning... power cleans. Blaine explains why he likes cleans, but why he may not use the for every player he trains and how he makes that decision. The two then discuss the importance of not getting too caught up in variations (exercises) and more on what works to achieve the adaptation (effect) that you are looking for.

From there, Gerry opens the discussion on some of Blaine's tweets related to motor recruitment for athletes, the importance of it and what exercises push an athlete to recruit more motor units. Additionally, they go over how this can help determine how transferable training is to sport (Verkhoshansky's Principle of Dynamic Correspondence) and how it should guide your programming.

To finish up, the discussion explores areas such as the joint-by-joint model and stable vs. mobile joints, how you can assess or help athletes in these areas and keeping it simple when it comes to building strength, speed, power and endurance.

All that and more on this episode!
​

Link:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/238054/1916324-episode-43-sounding-off-on-some-of-the-hottest-and-most-controversial-topics-in-strength-and-conditioning-with-joe-aratari

​In this episode Gerry welcomes on Rochester, New York based strength and conditioning coach Joe Aratari. Joe works with high school, college and professional athletes, primarily within the sports of hockey, soccer and lacrosse.

Like Gerry, Joe is also a young and upcoming strength coach in the industry and is not afraid to be vocal about his philosophies and beliefs when it comes to training athletes. As a result, this episode makes for an entertaining conversation as both Joe and Gerry look through some of their favorite tweets on various training topics and expand on them and what they mean.

The topics range from overtraining and how much time an athlete actually needs to spend training, coaching and carrying yourself on social media and what it actually takes to be a good coach, sports specific training, recovery, training for speed and power and much, much more!

This episode will give great insight on some of the most important and highly debated topics in training and look deeper into the "why," behind important training philosophies. All that and more on this edition of Muscles and Management!

​

Link:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/238054/1860886-episode-42-studies-vs-coaching-experience-vbt-hypertrophy-and-key-training-principles-for-athletes-with-alan-bishop

In this episode Gerry welcomes on Alan Bishop, Director of Sports Performance for Houston University's Men's Basketball Team.

To begin, Alan and Gerry discuss the topic of minimum effective dose, and what it means for programming and training athletes. Alan voices his concern that too many view this as a way to do less in training, even when that may not be the right choice or necessary for the circumstances. The two talk about the importance of finding what is effective for programming (what works), what is efficient (the best/least taxing way to achieve effect) and how they come together to make training optimal. THAT, is the minimal effective dose.

From there, Gerry leads Alan to a discussion on Velocity Based Training (VBT) and Alan discusses how he uses modalities to train for power as a coach who (as he describes) isn't ideal to talk to in terms of speaking on bar speed, measurements etc. This makes for a very refreshing perspective from a coach who utilizes such training but isn't as technical with the measurements/data of it. Alan explains how he uses it and why it has been so effective with the incredible results his athletes have achieved.

To finish, the episode covers a wide array of important topics from Charles Poliquin and the Poliquin Principles, balancing research/studies and anecdotal experience/discoveries and then hits on some important points of education and career when it comes to being a strength coach.

All that and more on this episode of Muscles and Management!

Link:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/238054/1823737-episode-41-creating-synergy-between-quality-movement-strength-and-speed-with-zach-dechant

In this episode Gerry welcomes on TCU Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning, Zach Dechant to talk all things movement, strength and speed.

To start, Gerry and Zach talk about Zach's series, Movement Over Maxes, and what inspired Zach to begin the series. Zach discusses the importance of building quality movement with the main movement patterns (push, pull, squat, hinge, split squat variations) as well as key sprinting and jumping mechanics. Zach felt that there was a huge area of improvement needed in the foundations of many athletes and that started with addressing the main pillars of human and athletic movement.

From there, Gerry walks Zach through a breakdown of how he builds the main movement patterns and why they are so pivotal in not only general movement, but key to athlete's in building increased strength, speed and athletic ability in their respective sports.

The conversation then turns to arm care and the need to look at taking care of throwing athlete's and their arms from more than just the perspective of isolating the arm and shoulder. Arm care is addressed with a proper and comprehensive program focused on building clean movement patterns and overall strength, and the two also discuss the role of anterior core strength and anti-rotational core work in building resilient rotational athletes.

To finish, Zach and Gerry discuss strength and force in the contact of sport, and how Velocity Based Training can be used as a tool to help athlete's improve the amount of overall force they can produce that is conducive to their sport.

All that and more on this episode!

Link: 
https://www.buzzsprout.com/238054/1801705-episode-40-building-harmony-between-strength-and-speed-and-everything-strength-and-conditioning-with-kevin-poppe

In this episode Gerry talks to strength coach Kevin Poppe of Dynamic Sports Training. Kevin has been in the industry since 2011 and has trained various athletes including professional athletes from the MLB and NFL.

To start, Kevin and Gerry discuss the ever-so-popular topic of being "strong enough," and Kevin explains what it means to him to reach the peak of possible returns when it comes to increasing your overall number on the barbell when lifting. The conversation then turns to the idea of bar speed and moving loads faster, and how it will never be "enough," when it comes to showing force in faster ways. The two then talk about how velocity based training can come into play when looking to improve these characteristics.

From there, both talk all things related to speed. Building force, building the rate in which you can produce it and using plyometrics to build speed. Additionally, Kevin talks about the drop/false step and why it is far more effective than a traditional crossover step when it comes to baseball players running from a traditional baseball start.

To finish up, Gerry comes to the realization that they share similar backgrounds (not attending college to become a strength coach) and the two touch on what they went through/experienced in their journey into the industry and how you can become a coach without a formal education. Lastly, Kevin walks us through some important factors when it comes to in-season training, arm care and team sport conditioning.

All this and more on this episode of Muscles and Management!