Episode #47 MLB Head Strength Coach Jim Malone of The Pittsburgh Pirates

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