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

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