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/

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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 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.

At first glance, throwers and jumpers might seem like they live on opposite ends of the athletic spectrum, but they have more in common than you might think. Both even groups require athletes to produce immense amount of power in short bursts, focus on highly technical and specific training, and be patient over years of development. On this week's podcast world-class jumps coach Jeremy Fischer looks at some of the parallels between the event groups and their training.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2024/02/hmmr-podcast-episode-314-jump-around-with-jeremy-fischer/

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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.
• Fischer was also a guest on HMMR Podcast 130 where he discussed about individualization in planning and GAINcast 242 where we looked in detail about programming.
• You can find Fischer on Instagram (@JeremyFHJ). He also has a lot of great training resources available for free on his webpage, Maximum Velocity Athletics. You can also learn more about the MVA Foundation.
• You can learn more about jumping on our jumping and sprinting on our topic page.

Success in the throws often comes down to being smarter. Smart enough to master the fundamentals of technique. Smart enough to understand and communicate with athletes. And smart enough to put everything together. On this week's podcast Colorado State coach Brian Bedard shares his approach to coaching smarter, including his lessons on leadership, communication, and technique.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2024/01/hmmr-podcast-episode-313-throwing-smarter-with-brian-bedard/

»  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.
• To learn more about throwing, visit our throwing resources page.
• For more about Bedard's background, you can read his profile from the Colorado State webpage.
• You can learn more from Bedard on Instagram (@throwing_smarter) and YouTube. In addition, he has put together a discus course with Casey Malone and Russ Winger.
• Some other throws coaches and influences were mentioned on the podcast, including Dave Wollman (guest on Episode 44) and Justin St. Clair (guest on Episode 105).

Cory Martin is best known as one of the best combo throwers of all time: 22 meters in the shot put and 75 meters in the hammer throw. He's also put together one of the best combo training programs around: combining the influences of his two coaches and mentors Jerry Clayton and John Smith. On this week's episode we take a look at both of those topics by exploring parallels between different throwing events, how to cross-train them, and how he's integrated difference influences into his own program.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2023/12/hmmr-podcast-episode-312-the-double-threat-with-cory-martin/

»  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.
• On December 29 and 30 we are hosting the 2023 HMMR Forum: 5 presentations, 6 coaches, and all free for HMMR Plus members.
• You can learn more about Cory Martin from the University of Louisville and follow him on Instagram at @cmart726.
• Our recent Episode 309 with Matty Denny explored similar topics of parallels between the discus and hammer throw.
• Cory Martin's 2 big mentors have both been on our podcasts: Jerry Clayton was on GAINcast 86 and John Smith was on Episode 285 and Episode 287.
• Take a look at Cory Martin's 22 meter throw from the front and back as well as him throwing 74 meters at the NCAA championships in the hammer.

On our last episode coach Rett Larson explained his approach to warming up, both the theory and practice. This week, we're sharing a bonus episode where we discuss our own approach to the warm up. As with the rest of our training program, the warmup is constantly evolving. We go in detail into the what and why we do now and how that has evolved over the last few years.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2023/12/hmmr-podcast-episode-311-the-warm-up-bonus-episode/

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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.
• This bonus episode was inspired by our last Episode 310 on warming up with Rett Larson, as well has his article on the topic.
• For more on warm up strategies, visit the HMMR Classroom and watch Vern Gambetta’s Warm Up DVD and HMMR Classroom Lesson 2: Warming up. Warming up has also been a podcast topic on HMMR Podcast 58 and GAINcast 147.
• More warm up ideas are included in Video Lesson 12: Mini-band exercises, as well as our member hangouts from July 2016 and December 2018.
• Additional articles on the site about warming up: The science of warming up by James de Lacey, Warm up to play, don’t play to warm up by Steve Myrland, Warming up in a chaotic environment by Michael Bingaman, and A good warm up never gets old by Martin Bingisser.

For many strength coaches, the warmup is the best weapon they have. It's a dedicated time each day to work with athletes, whether they make it in the weight room or not. But to really get the most out of it, you have to have a plan to allow you to use the time effectively, build athlete buy in, and gain the confidence of the coaching staff. On this week's episode Rett Larson joins us to share his plan and philosophy of warming up based on his experience in the Olympic volleyball world.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2023/11/hmmr-podcast-episode-310-weaponizing-warmup-with-rett-larson/

»  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 Larson on Instagram @Rettasaurus. We also referenced his Sportsmith article "Weaponizing your athlete's warm up: Make it work for you, your athletes and the head coach."
• For more on volleyball, listen to our recent GAINcast 275 with former US Olympic volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon.
• For more on warm up strategies, visit the HMMR Classroom and watch Vern Gambetta’s Warm Up DVD and HMMR Classroom Lesson 2: Warming up. Warming up has also been a podcast topic on HMMR Podcast 58 and GAINcast 147.
• More warm up ideas are included in Video Lesson 12: Mini-band exercises, as well as our member hangouts from July 2016 and December 2018.
• Additional articles on the site about warming up: The science of warming up by James de Lacey, Warm up to play, don’t play to warm up by Steve Myrland, Warming up in a chaotic environment by Michael Bingaman, and A good warm up never gets old by Martin Bingisser.

Diamond League discus champion Matthew Denny is one of the best all-around throwers in the world, having won Commonwealth medals in both the discus and the hammer throw. He's also on of the best big time performers, having thrown personal bests at the Olympics, World Championships, Commonwealth Games, and Diamond League finals in recent years. He credits both his all-around success and peaking ability to his ability to feel the throw, a skill he developed over countless reps of trial and error. On this week's episode he talks about how to develop feeling, what he feels in his throw, his current technical focus, and some surprising parallels between the discus and the hammer.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2023/10/hmmr-podcast-episode-309-feeling-the-throw-with-matthew-denny/

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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 Denny on Instagram @MattyDenny.
• Denny has been working with coach Dale Stevenson this season. Stevenson was previously a guest on Episode 66 and Episode 121. We also have had former Australia discus record holder Benn Harradine as a guest on Episode 26.
• More content about the discus: check out our interviews with coach Vésteinn Hafsteinsson and former Olympic champion Mac Wilkins.

When Ethan Katzberg won the world championship title in the hammer throw last month, he surprised a lot of people. But for his coach Dylan Armstrong, it was what they had been training four years for. On this week's podcast Armstrong breaks down how they used those years to develop Katzberg from a multi-sport high school athlete into the youngest world champion in the event's history.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2023/09/hmmr-podcast-episode-308-developing-the-champ-with-dylan-armstrong/

»  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 Dylan's Kamloops throws group on Instagram at @KamloopsThrows.
• We also put up some recent analysis of the first half and second half of the throwing events at this year's world championships.
• Our archive has a comprehensive introduction to 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 him in 2015.
• Former world record holder Jüri Tamm also shed some insights on talent, development, and Soviet training in two multi-part interviews that we did with him over the years. You can read the first interview and second interview.
• Some of our coverage of the recent World Championships include a debrief on Episode 307 with René Sack, analysis of the first half and second half of the throwing events, regional/national trends, and our preview to kick things off on Episode 305 with Don Babbitt.

The world championships finished last weekend and there was plenty to talk about in the throwing events: surprise champions, new records, and a changing of the guard in some events. On this week's podcast German national coach René Sack joins us to break down the action, discuss our favorite moments, and identify the trends we saw emerge in Budapest.

For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2023/09/hmmr-podcast-episode-307-world-champs-review-with-rene-sack/

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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.
• Some recent throws previews and reviews of major championships: Episode 305 previewing the 2023 World Championships with Don Babbitt. The 2022 world championship previews with Shaun Pickering on Episode 277. Tokyo Olympics review with him on Episode 255, and Episode 300 remembering Pickering's legacy.
• We also put up some recent analysis of the first half and second half of the throwing events at this year's world championships.
• For a look at country trends in throwing, we have posted about that over the years with some analysis post Tokyo Olympics, in 2017, 2016, and 2015.
• To learn more from Sack, listen to our interviews with him on Episode 79, Episode 136, and Episode 211. Vern and I also discussed his recent presentations on GAINcast 94. You can also find him on Twitter (@ReneSack) and Instagram (@renesack76). Sack has contributed articles to HMMR Media which you can find them here. He also presented Video Lesson 16, where he shares his framework for developing specific strength in the throwing events.