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

Joe DeLeo, NSCA-CSCS, FMS, SFG

Strength, endurance, health and injury rehabilitation advice from host Joe DeLeo, NSCA-CSCS, FMS, SFG I . This is your podcast resource for top notch tips, strategies, information and stories from strength & conditioning, rowing, running and other endurance sports as well as expert information on nutrition, health and wellness that can be applied to everyone from elite athletes to exercise enthusiasts. This podcast will feature interviews with elite and amateur athletes, strength and endurance coaches, health & wellness experts, and injury rehabilitation professionals. If you are looking to improve your health, strength, and fitness while simultaneously training smarter this podcast has something for you! Train Smarter. Get Stronger. Move Better. Race Faster. For more information and resources, go to http://leotraining.io/

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In this interview I sit down with Head of Performance Support for Rowing Australia, Dr. Tony Rice to discuss athlete monitoring and training individualization at the elite level.

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s for New Zealand. Competing in 14 events and winning five medals, four in women’s events including Silver in the Women’s 2x, Silver in the W8+, Gold in the W2-, Gold in the W1x, and Gold in the M8+.

However, three years before the Olympics only one female rower was eating enough to fuel their training. Many athletes were underfueling and showing symptoms of RED-S.

I sit down with Caroline MacManus, Head of Athletic Performance for Rowing New Zealand and Christel Dunshea-Mooij  Head of Performance Nutrition at High Performance Sport NZ to discuss LEA, RED-S, and how they work with athletes and coaches within a high performance unit to optimize performance.

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Sizwe Ndlovu stroked the South African Lightweight Men's Four to Olympic Gold at the 2012 London Olympic Games. He is the first black athlete to win a gold medal in the sport of rowing.

He and I discuss his rowing career, how his headmaster Tom Price was instrumental in him taking up and sticking with the sport of rowing, the race in London, and his work as a coach of junior rowers.

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Kris Robertson is the strength and conditioning coach for Rugby Canada and owner of Kris Robertson Training.

In this interview Kris and I discuss the pitfalls of chasing greater and greater levels of strength as it relates to sport performance. He shares how he trains his athletes and what program design elements he focuses on to gain improvements in power and speed. We also touch upon jump training for speed development.

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On August 4th, 2020 a massive explosion erupted in the port of Beirut, Lebanon. The training center for the Lebanese Rowing Federation was completely destroyed from the blast. The facility was completely leveled and all rowing equipment is beyond repair.

Farah Jaroudi and Rodrigue Ibrahim are rowers and coaches from the Lebanese Rowing Federation who share the history of rowing in Lebanon, their personal stories, and the current ReBuildreRow fundraiser taking place in coordination with World Rowing.

On December 21st there will be a rowing marathon hosted by the University of Malta. You can participate in the marathon or make a donation. Details are in the Show Notes.

Part 1 - History of Lebanon Part 2 - Farah and Rodrigue's Rowing Journey Part 3 - reBuildreRow Fundraiser Show Notes: * reBuildreRow Fundraiser * University of Malta Rowing Marathon Sign Up Form

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Kyra Edwards has raced for Great Britain at the junior, U23 and senior levels, and has won junior silver and U23 bronze World Championships medals. She has a degree in statistics from UCLA and is training for the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. In this interview, Kyra and I discuss the similarities and differences between the United States collegiate system and the Great Britain Rowing Team. We also discuss how to improve diversity and inclusivity in the sport of rowing and her experiences as a Black mixed heritage athlete in a sport dominated by whites.

Part 1 - Rowing Culture * Differences in culture and rowing experience in GB and US Collegiate System * Degree in Statistics and what you would like to pursue post rowing career * Science of Rowing

Part 2 - Creating more accessibility and diversity in rowing * Creating more pathways and accessibility to the sport across the world. How do we do it? * We have seen greater awareness and resources (financial, people) put into place to promote more opportunity and diversity. What’s the next step in your opinion?

Show Notes: * World Rowing Profile * UCLA Profile * Instagram * For British rower Kyra Edwards, being a source of representation is ‘an important message’ * Team GB's Only Black Rower: 'I feel like a guest in a white, privileged space' * Why I am Now Talking to White People About Race

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Alex Wolf spent 15 years working for the English Institute of Sport where he held the positions of Head of Strength and Conditioning and more recently Head of Learning. He spent five years working with the GB Rowing team in preparation for the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic games.

We discuss Alex's new book Strength and Conditioning for Rowing as well as leadership, communication, and trunk training.

Enjoy the interview!

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In this podcast interview Dr. Bryan Mann discusses the history, science, and application of pliometrics. Pliometrics or more commonly known as plyometrics was developed by Dr. Yuri. Verkoshansky.

This podcast explains how the name was quite literally, “lost in translation”.

Dr. Mann will also discuss applications and some research studies around pliometrics. I highly recommend viewing the video version of this interview as it includes some slides from Dr. Mann.

Enjoy the show!

Part 1 - History * Shock Method + Includes Shock Method and Depth Jump + Developed in 1960’s by Yuri Verkhoshansky

Part 2 - Science and Application * Pliometric + Termed this in 1930’s due to increased muscle tension + In 1938 Hubbard and Stetson introduced the term “pliometric” due to recognition of three different contractions the muscles underwent: miometric (shorter), isometric (same), and pliometric (longer) * Frog Study in 1968

Show Notes: * Bryan Mann Profile at University of Miami * Instagram * Twitter * Video Version of Interview * Shock Method by Dr. Yuri Verkoshansky

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In this podcast episode I sit down with Dr. Volker Nolte and Dr. Valery Kleshnev to discuss power measurement and biomechanics in the rowing stroke. In Episode 119, I had interviewed Lotte Lintmeijer who presented a new method for power measurement. Dr. Nolte and Dr. Kleshnev wanted to discuss the traditional method of power measurement and share why this is still valid. We also discuss how this integrates into technology and what rowing can do to be more appealing to fans and spectators.

Here is a short bio on both of my guests.

Dr. Valery Kleshnev - a graduate sport scientist and silver Olympic medallist. Since 1986, Valery has been involved in R&D and consultancy in rowing biomechanics and has spent more than 20 years working at sport institutes in Russia, Australia and the UK. You can learn more about Valery at his company's website Biorow.com

Dr. Volker Nolte was the head rowing coach for Western University for 24 years and retired in 2017. Nolte’s work as a coach was recognized several times over his career. He received the Award of Merit from Rowing Canada Aviron in 1996 and the International Rowing Federation (FISA) in 1998, the President’s Award from Rowing Canada in 1998 and was the 3M Coach of the Year in 2001. In 2006 and 2007, he was awarded Coach of the Year from the Canadian University Rowing Association and was the first Western coach after Jack Fairs who received the Jack Fairs Coaching Award of Merit in 2009. In 2010, Nolte was presented with the Coaches’ Recognition Award from Rowing Canada.

Nolte received both a Physical Education Diploma (1976) and a Civil Engineering Diploma (1979) from the University of Saarbrücken (Germany), and a Ph.D. (1984) from the German Sport University in Cologne (Germany) in Biomechanics.

He is an internationally acknowledged expert in biomechanics. Together with his expertise in the coaching field, he frequently presents at scientific and coach education conferences worldwide. His research includes coaching and biomechanics of high performance sport, especially rowing. He is also a distinguished researcher in the field of sport equipment. He co-holds international patents for isokinetic training machines and his developments range from special measurement tools up to new boat designs in rowing. His research has produced many papers in refereed journals, articles in various publications and the popular book “Rowing Faster”, now in its second edition (2011).

Part 1 | Power Measurement * New Method vs. Traditional Method * Nothing new in rowing * Integration with technology by NK Empower Oarlock

Part 2 | Gamification in Rowing, Training Velocity, and Spinal Kinematics * Discussion around making rowing more appealing to audiences and fans by using technology to show athletes outputs, speeds, and watts in reserve. * How to train velocity for rowing; the next frontier in S&C? * Spinal Kinematics and implications with different rowing styles.

Show Notes: * Biorow.com * Kleshnev on Researchgate * Nolte on Researchgate

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In this interview I sit down with Dan Harris, World Class Start Coach for Bath. Dan works on behalf of British Rowing and is responsible for running talent ID testing regularly – to try to identify and recruit more athletes. In addition Dan is instrumental in training his athletes day to day and has been in this role since September 2011.

One of the things that makes Dan’s perspective particularly insightful is handles the coaching on the water and in the strength and conditioning facility. I learned a lot from my conversation with Dan and how during the formative years of athletic development between 14-18 he emphasizes that some of his rowers strength train up to 4x a week to add mass in preparation for the high volume they will need to handle at the senior level.

Part 1 | Talent ID * What physical metrics are you looking for in your athletes (height, weight, athletic background)? * What ergo scores? * Other athletic profile/physiological measurements to identify strong potential rowing candidates. * Anything on the mental/psychological side?

Part 2 | Athletic Development * More gym sessions at a younger age to work on mobility, flexibility, strength, stability, power, - Why is this important? * Athletic development and importance of adding some muscle mass so the athletes can sustain the training volume at U23 and Senior levels. * What is your focus for that 14-18 age group in terms of gym? In terms of rowing? * Notable Olympians who have come through the Bath Start programme? * Skills to do + Pull ups / chin ups + Front and back squat + Seated rows and lat pull down, bent over row vs. bench pull

Rapid Fire * What’s your top technical drill to develop skill for a rower? * What strength and conditioning exercise do you feel has the best carryover to rowing? * If you were in charge of FISA, what would you do to keep lightweight rowing? How would you continue to develop and expand the sport? * What advice would you give yourself 10 years ago? * What’s the one thing junior athletes should be doing more of to compliment their training and health?

Show Notes: * https://www.minervabathrc.org.uk/rowing-news/profile-interview-dan-harris/ * Instagram * https://www.thesubath.com/rowing/world_class_start/ * https://www.teambath.com/sport/rowing/talent-identification/

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Matt Fleekop is a Strength & Conditioning Coach for Princeton University. Matt holds a BS in Exercise Science and a Masters Degree in Applied Health Physiology. He has interned at Purdue University and EXOS and earned his masters degree while a GA at Salisbury University.

Matt provides great insight into what goes into training multiple sports during the academic calendar. In addition, he helps to touch on how his athletes have been effected by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Matt has worked with rowing, Men's Lacrosse, Women's Ice Hockey, Men's Soccer, Men's and Women's Tennis and Football.

Part 1 * 3-sport athlete (hockey, baseball, basketball) * Undergrad – Rowan University, continued playing ice hockey for 2 years * Interned at Purdue University after graduating * After Purdue, came home and started working as a personal trainer and interning at Endeavor Sport’s Performance * Decided I wanted to keep pursuing a position in college; was offered a GA position at Salisbury University. + Earned a masters in Applied Health Physiology, specializing in Strength and Conditioning. * Took another internship at EXOS in Frisco TX | 2015 * I was the head strength coach at Rollins College. 1 assistant + - 1.5 years + Responsible for 14 teams * Relationship with coaches is critical. Listening to their communication and verbs, cues. Leads to building relationship, trust, and the team. + Princeton University | 2017 + Private vs. Collegiate/University - People are paying to work with you vs. being assigned a coach

  • Schedule

    • Private | 4-5 for 8-12 weeks
    • University | 5-6 weeks at a time
    • Maybe 2-3x a week and 1 hour at a time
    • Holiday breaks, midterms and finals, travel
    • How does training or training focus differ?

Part 2 * What physiological qualities and skills do you prioritize for incoming freshmen? * What are the fundamentals/basics every athlete should know and be able to do? * How do you overcome or work with athletes who do not have the S&C experience compared to the rest of their teammates * Challenges of NCAA calendar vs. EXOS environment? * Training In-Season Athletes * Work with Rowing Team; What did you prioritize for them?

Show Notes: * Matt Fleekop Princeton University Athletics * Instagram

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In this interview I sit down with Kellie Wilkie and we discuss a research journal on rib stress injuries during the Rio Olympiad. Kellie has immense experience in the sport of rowing with massive contributions in both physiotherapy and research literature. Let me take a minute to tell you more about her background.

Kellie graduated from the University of South Australia in 1998 with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Physiotherapy (Hons.)

She established her own private sports based practice to be able to offer the best quality physiotherapy service to patients and to be able to structure a workplace that was optimal for her own health and wellbeing.

In 2007 Kellie completed her post graduate clinical Masters degree in Sport Physiotherapy through the La Trobe University in Melbourne and shortly after, gained her Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) title of Sports Physiotherapist.

Kellie is currently a member of the APA, Sports Physiotherapy Australia (SPA), Physiotherapy Business Australia (PBA) and Sports Medicine Australia (SMA). She is a Tasmanian Institute of Sport (TIS) consultant physiotherapist. Kellie provided physiotherapy services for the London 2012 Olympics as part of the Australian Rowing Team and was lead physiotherapist for the Australian Rowing Team for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Kellie has a special interest in the assessment and treatment of:

  • Rowers
  • Shoulders
  • Backs

Part 1 * Starting your own clinical practice and how you came to become physiotherapist for Rowing Australia. * Where did your interest in rowing, shoulders, and backs stem from? * As lead physiotherapist, share with us about the structure and management of the other physiotherapists across Australia who are working with high performance athletes. How does it work? How did you communicate? * Physiotherapy in Australia vs. event/competition * How does the interplay work on the sports medicine continuum….so between doctor, physiotherapist, S&C, and rowing coach? + Rehabilitation and return to sport + Identifying a pathway for the athlete to return + Folding that information into future training programs to mitigate injury risks.

Part 2 * GrowingBodies * Decent Rowing

Part 3 * Journals

    • Mythbusters
    • Rib Stress injuries 2012-2016
    • Update on Low Back Pain Pathway?

Show Notes: * Kellie’s Bio on Bodysystem * Twitter * GrowingBodies * Getting to know the #ART support staff * Mythbusters in rowing medicine and physiotherapy: nine experts tackle five clinical conundrums. * Rib stress injuries in the 2012–2016 (Rio) Olympiad: a cohort study of 151 Australian Rowing Team athletes for 88 773 athlete days

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Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher Giovanni Calabrese has a phenomenal background and story in rowing. He began competing as a lightweight - had great success at that weight class and transitioned to being a heavyweight. His career culminated in world championships in two different weight classes and an bronze medal at the Sydney Olympics. Giovanni continues to coach and develop young rowers.

Enjoy the interview!

Part 1 - Intro/Background * How did you get started with rowing * First success came as a lightweight + How many years did you compete as a lightweight + Won LM2x at World Championships in 1987 in Copenhagen, Denmark * Moved to heavyweight and began competing in M1x and M4x * Seoul Olympics in 1988 + Achieved great result in m1x + Raced in Lucerne in M4x + Went with Agostino Abbagnale in m4x + M1x finished 10th * Won silver in M4x in 1989 * Took off 91 and 92? * 1993 5th in m1x * 1994 4th in m1x * 1995 4th in m1x * 1996 Olympics + 10th in Atlanta + Virus in spring of 1996; no training for 1 month + Recovery took a very long time * Won Worlds in M4x in 1997 * 1998 - Back in m1x; well prepared to train; raced waddell in heat; 4th position in final B * 1999 - Moved to Sicily and began to coach + In September 1999 came to return to rowing and go to olympic games + Giovanni took the mindset to “Train for me and myself” and training like that everyday was the last day! * Culmination in 2000 winning a bronze medal at Sydney in M2x + 1st race in m2x was the heat at sydney + Stay as close to Slovenia as possible + Changed clubs in 2000 and started coaching there

Part 2 - Coaching * Teaching and developing the athletes * National team - about results and winning * 3 months stop because of COVID * "they use the boat like they use the bike” ....Giovanni's philosophy on developing younger rowers and their skill set.

Show Notes: * World Rowing Profile * Wikipedia * Sydney 2000 Race

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Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher Ed McNeely received his Masters Degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Ottawa in 1994 and has been involved in the strength and conditioning industry for 30 years. He has been a consultant to twenty one Canadian national and professional sports teams and is currently the Strength and Conditioning Lead at the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario.

Ed served as a physiology and strength consultant to Rowing Canada for 24 years - through the Rio 2016 Olympics. He is the author of five books: Power Plyometrics, The Resistance Band Workout Book, One Hundred Strength Exercises, Training for Rowing, and Skillful Rowing. He has published over 100 articles on training and athlete conditioning covering topics such as strength training, plyometrics, making weight, assessing fitness, speed and power development, planning and periodization, and aerobic fitness. He is a frequent resource for other writers, acting as an expert for articles in Muscle & Fitness, Outside Magazine, the Georgia Tech Sports Medicine Newsletter, the Rowing News, the Globe and Mail, Ottawa Citizen and the Discovery Channel.

Ed and I discuss rowing at the elite and masters levels. In addition, he shares how he was able to establish benchmarks for rowing high performance athletes and research using isometrics. Enjoy the show!

Part 1 - Ed's background and bio * What’s the backstory of how you came to work with and be the lead for the Canadian Rowing Team? * 24:00 patience * 4-5 exercises for strength

Part 2 - Strength Standards for Rowing * + You were one of the first to research and publish strength and conditioning standards for rowers from the junior through masters levels in both Rowing Faster and Strength and Power Goals for Rowers - How did you go about identifying the strength to bodyweight factors for each age group? Did you test each age group? How did you standardize squat depth, bench pull and deadlift for athletes/age groups of various weights and heights? - Absolute Strength vs. Relative Strength and why relative strength is more important to a rower. - How much strength is too much? Once your athletes hit the standards in the chart outlined in the journal what qualities do you begin to focus on to continue their development? Do you have concerns about mass impeding their ability to row technically or move well? - Would you continue to emphasize the back squat, deadlift, and bench pull or is there another skill/lift you would focus on given your experiences at this point? - When I attended your lecture at Joy of Sculling you mentioned you have athletes deadlift 1x a week, and squat 3x a week. Why do you feel there should be greater emphasis placed on the squat? + Peak Power is the limiting factor of performance - Most rowers are pretty equally trained when it comes to aerobic capacity. Peak power is often a key differentiator in rowing performance. Do you think this applies to all rowers or more mature rowers (college, U23, Elite, Masters) vs. juniors and novices? - When following the protocol for peak power improvement, power output (strokes) must be 90% of greater. Why? - What exercises in S&C do you feel are more transferable to improving power in the rowing stroke? + Plyometrics / Jump Training for Rowers - “Plyometrics is the link between strength and power” - The athlete should be able to squat at least their bodyweight for lower body plyometrics and bench press 0.75 times bodyweight for upper body plyometrics. Why do we need this foundation of strength before we start introducing plyometric work and how were you able to determine this for the rowing population?

  • Into catch position and accelerate out of catch position

  • Masters rowers

    • Benefits of strength training for the aging athlete
      • Osteoporosis, dynapenia, sarcopenia, combat loss of power/strength
      • Why masters rowers may need to place greater emphasis on strength training for age and health related factors?
      • What would you prioritize more for this population vs. college/elite?
      • Why you are not a fan of machines vs. free weights.

Show Notes: * Original Research: Isometric Force Time Characterstics and Test-Retest Reliability of A Rowing Specific Isometric Assessment * Strength Goals for Rowers * How Hard is Hard Enough * Strength Goals for Masters Rowers * Peak Power: The Limiting Factor to Rowing Performance * Jump Training for Rowers Part I * Jump Training for Rowers Part II * Breathing Stronger * Balance and Stability for Rowing * NSCA 2017 S&C Journal Excellence Award

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Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher Theo Pickles is the High Performance Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Netherlands Rowing Team. You may recognize Theo as he was a guest on the podcast way back at the beginning, Episode 30 to be exact.

In this interview, Theo and I catch up after our last interview which was four years ago! We discuss how he has implemented velocity based training for the Netherlands Rowing Team and how this allows him to implement autoregulation with these athletes. In addition, we also discuss educational opportunities for strength and conditioning coaches through the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association and how he has fine tuned the warm up for his athletes.

Enjoy the show!

Part 1 * Updates from 1st Interview + Any solid program has these three lifts! + Power sessions structure: 2 power exercises, 2 strength (1 push, 1 pull); 45 minutes or so + Training in afternoons, rowing in AM. Sync up intensity based on rowing session. + Revisiting the interference effect. Why power/strength training alters motor patterns the following day?

Part 2 * Model for return to sport from injury. * Exercise selection. * VBT - why have you gone to this and how has it helped? + Are you also tracking RPE and RIR? * Fascicle length and pennation angles * Individualization of programs by decreasing structure and having an ongoing conversation with the athlete, * changes in emphasis on coaching cues to come more into line with what the coaches want in the boat. * Men's team's periodization strategy * Bosco strength continuum, force velocity profile, * Gym Aware + DL not a good choice + Integrated over a year + Reactive Strength Index + Athletes must be very proficient in movement; not for novice athlete + Use mean velocity not peak velocity

Show Notes: * Moving the Bar Fast! * Theo's Instagram * Theo's Twitter

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Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher David Young is the strength and conditioning coach for Rowing Australia Women’s Team. David and I sit down to discuss athletic development and how to teach rowing athletes the fundamentals for strength and conditioning who may be brand new to the weight room! We also discuss how he and the Australian team structures their training with three gym sessions and two core sessions per week!

Part 1 | David's Bio and background * How did you come to work with the Women’s Team?

Part 2 | Training and Progressions * Framework for Rowing Australia in regards to S&C is following goals: + Robustness and injury prevention + Improve movement efficiency of the rowing stroke + Athletic development * The Drive Extended: S&C Video on YouTube + Key Message #1) Build Movement Competence Before Load. Technique 1st, Load 2nd! + Junior Rowing Benchmarks + Key Message #2) Balance your resistance training program - Primal Patterns: Squat, Lunge and Step Up, Single Leg Squat, Hip Hinge, Upper Body Pushing, Upper Body Pulling - Explosive Movements: Med Ball Throws and Plyometrics + Key Message #3) Challenge Trunk Musculature - Why it’s important to focus on abdominals, lower back, gluteals, scapular stabilizers - Categorizing Core Movements: Anti-Extension, Anti-Flexion, Anti-Lateral Flexion, Anti-Rotation, and Rotation * 3 Lifting Sessions and 2 Core Sessions Per week + Is this year round or does it fluctuate throughout the year? + What do you emphasize in the core sessions?

Show Notes: * Rowing Australia Strength & Conditioning * Rowing Australia Sports Medicine * The Drive S&C Video

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Episode 122 | Ryan Turfrey - High Performance Individualization Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher Ryan Turfrey is the Senior Strength Specialist at High Performance Sport New Zealand and the lead for Rowing New Zealand. In this interview Ryan and I discuss periodization across the calendar year. We also chat about how to individualize training for athletes at different age and experience levels.

Enjoy the episode!

Part 1 - Ryan's background and bio * High Performance New Zealand + BMX 2010-2014 + Canoe Slalom 2014-2016 + Rowing 2011-Present * PhD work | Structural changes of muscles and tendons during strength based exercise and how they affect performance at the highest level of sport. + Muscle research aims for more Olympic Gold + https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11586317

Part 2 - Rowing S&C * Should we approach strength training differently for U19, U23/Senior, and Masters Rowers? Adaptive? Those with orthopedic issues? * Should rowers max test? If so, how often? Should they use VBT as an alternative or force plates? * Should strength training occur on the same day as intense workouts, or on UT2 days? Should strength training occur before, or after, other workouts? * How long do you keep the S&C sessions, is 45-60’ an optimal time frame or shorter/longer?

Part 3 - HP New Zealand S&C Training * What kind of evaluation or screen do they go through? How does that impact their program? * Overall role of S&C in the athlete’s program. How has it evolved over the years? * Is the athlete’s power profile taken into consideration when developing their program? Communication with sports medicine and physiology staff? * Bond and Murray shared they stopped doing S&C under Dick Tonks and did more rowing training. What's Hamish up to now?

Show Notes: * Ryan Turfrey's Instagram * Ryan Turfrey's Twitter * Muscle research aims for more gold * Postactivation Potentiation * New Plymouth's Cameron Rolling with the Pros

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Episode 121 | John Kiely: Periodization Paradigms and Stress Theory Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher Periodization.

Strength and conditioning coaches and sport coaches use it to help their athletes progress and adapt - to get stronger, faster, and more powerful.

But, what if the foundation of periodization has roots from somewhere else? What if periodization was never intended for sport at all?

If I have tickled your curiosity then you are going to love this podcast with John Kiely.

John is a strength and conditioning coach and currently work at the Institute for Coaching and Performance (ICaP), at the University of Central Lancashire. His current research interests revolve around human performance, and include: The detrimental effects of fatigue on running coordination; the modernizing of Periodization planning paradigms; stress as it relates to performance and health; genetics and sports performance; and the link between fitness, movement, cognition and emotional health.

Enjoy this mind blowing episode!

Part 1 | Periodization Paradigms and Stress Theory * Overview of Periodization Paradigms and Stress Theory + Historical significance from industrial revolution ala Frederick Winslow Taylor and how this came to be applied to other fields. - Principles of scientific management + “Selye once remarked that he never considered the application of his research to sporting domains” - GAS - general adaptation syndrome - Stress Paper; device. + Differences and commonalities between periodization philosophies + Stress response and adaptation

Part 2 | Where do we go from here? * Path dependence

  • Zombie idea

  • How can we help coaches and athletes continue to progress?

    • Inter individual variability (adaption across a group)
    • Coaching and Individualization of athletes’ programs
      • How you educate athlete about plan
      • Degree of self determination
      • Athlete needs to believe in training
    • Self regulation; Autoregulation by PRE, RIR, Load/velocity
    • HRV
    • See Table 1 from Periodization Paradigms

Show Notes: * https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230756715_Periodization_Paradigms_in_the_21st_Century_Evidence-Led_or_Tradition-Driven * https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321386054_Periodization_Theory_Confronting_an_Inconvenient_Truth

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Episode 120 | Erin MCConnell: Injury Rehabilitation in Masters Rowers Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher Masters rowers you are in for a real treat. This interview is for you!

I sit down with physical therapist, Erin McConnell to discuss in depth her work with the rowers she sees in the greater Boston area at Spaulding Outpatient Center in Brighton. You will walk away with some practical advice you can apply to your own training.

Enjoy the show!

Part 1 | Intro/Bio Erin McConnell, PT, DPT Physical Therapist, Advanced Clinician

Education: University of Notre Dame, Bachelor of Science in Science Pre-professional and Psychology; University of Connecticut, Doctor of Physical Therapy

Special Training/Certifications: Advanced Certificate in Rowing Leadership from the Institute for Rowing Leadership

Selective Functional Movement Assessment, The Manual Therapy Institute Certification Program (in progress)

Clinical Interests: Rowing and running injuries, ACL rehabilitation, adolescent athletes, orthopedic overuse injuries,sports injury prevention.

  • Current work with rowers
  • Focusing on a specific demographic presently?

Part 2 | Masters Rowing * Training Benefits for the Masters Athletes + Power, Strength + Prevention of Sarcopenia, lower risk of osteoporosis etc. + Low impact activity * Injury Stats for Masters Rowers + FISA World Masters Regatta 2007 + .48 injuries per rower + Most common site is low back (32.6% injuries) + Masters rowers sustain more upper extremity injuries than younger athletes + Do we have additional data to go off of for masters rowers? One of the largest and fastest growing populations. + Risks/Factors that may not show up in other age groups: - Surgery - Child birth - More orthopedic issues * In your experience what are the most common injuries you see for rowing athletes? * Training Strategies to Mitigate Risk + Target specific tissues in warm up and cool down - What areas need particular focus? - Why is this different for masters athletes? + Walk athletes through a training session and give them some practical takeaways for on the water and S&C sessions. + Movement Variability + Masters Rowers who take up the sport later in life and various sports backgrounds. * Case Studies + Perhaps walk us through some different strategies for males/females with different injuries and how you helped them. (The understanding that these are possible solutions and each individual has to take into context injury/medical/training history.)

Show Notes

  • Twitter
  • Spaulding Rehab
  • Upstream Physios Instagram

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Episode 119 | Lotte Lintemeijer: Power in Rowing Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher In Episode #119 of the LEO Training Podcast, I interview researcher and data scientist Dr. Lotte Lintmeijer.

This entire podcast interview is focused power measurement in a rowing shell and the historical measurement for power and Lotte's research regarding the development of a new, more accurate method.

Interview Topics: Part 1 : Background and Interest in Rowing * How did you come to research rowing? * Defense of PhD * Pop Up Symposium this fall on “Power in Rowing”

Part 2 : Power in Rowing * Why power is a key factor in rowing performance? * Traditional/Standard way of calculating power + On the water there is no constant velocity and boat is not standing still, the rowing shell accelerates and decelerates so equation on water is not accurate. * New method * Differences between the two and what the standard method misses. * How and Why rowers should calculate power? * What is the added value of power output feedback compared to feedback on boat speed? * Are there alternatives to determine power output in practice? * Study you did with rowers + FEEDBACK ON ROWERS’ MECHANICAL POWER OUTPUT IMPROVES COMPLIANCE TO INTENDED ON-WATER TRAINING INTENSITY * Rather obvious that rowers better comply with power output targets when they receive feedback: why is this study important? * How to train and improve it? * What is the next step in your research on power output in rowing?

Show Notes: * Improved determination of mechanical power output in rowing: Experimental results * Mechanical power output in rowing should not be determined from oar forces and oar motion alone * Rowers' on-water power output is commonly underestimated

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Episode 118 | Kate Bertko: From Heavyweight to Lightweight Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher In Episode #118 of the LEO Training Podcast, the 5th and final interview of the lightweight rowing podcast series I interview Stanford Women's Lightweight Coach, Kate Bertko.

In the previous episode we heard from Peter Antonie who went from competing as a lightweight to competing as a heavyweight. Kate will be sharing her rowing career and how she transitioned from a heavyweight to a lightweight and having outstanding success in both weight classes.

Kate took her experience from her athletic career and has immediately translated that to success on the coaching front with the Stanford Women’s Lightweight Rowing program with three consecutive titles at the IRA National Championship at the helm.

Interview Topics: Part 1 - Athletic Career | Heavyweight to Lightweight

  • You graduated from Princeton University in 2006 and started your career on the national team as a heavyweight and later transitioned to a lightweight.
  • You graduated two years out from the Beijing Olympics. What was the transition like going from Princeton University to the US National Team? What was your focus on in those first few years?
  • In 2009, from your results on USRowing and World Rowing you appeared to be competing in sculling and sweep events. What’s the back story behind World Cup III in 2009 at Lucerne, you competed in the W8+ and W4x, getting 2nd in the eight and a later that summer at the World Championships took a Silver Medal in the Women’s 4x?
  • Leading up to the 2012 Olympics you were focusing primarily in the heavyweight sculling boats, both the W4x and W2x.
  • What led you to your decision to move from the openweight category to a lightweight?
  • How did you make the change in terms of training, sleep, diet/nutrition?
    • How much weight did you have to drop in total?
    • How did this effect your performance?
  • In the next quadrennium your focus was solely on competing as a lightweight.
    • You rowed the LW2x with Kristin Hedstrom which resulted in a silver medal at the 2013 World Championships. What was that that year like?
    • In 2014 and 2015 you rowed in the LW1x earning a bronze medal at the World Championships
    • In 2016 competed at Rio Olympic Games in LW2x with Devery Karz

Part 2 - Coaching Career | Stanford, USA W2x

  • Retired after Rio and promptly named head coach of the Cardinal Lightweight Women on Sept 9, 2016.
  • In your first two seasons, you have won the IRA National Championship in the Lightweight Women’s 8+.
  • What are some of the biggest changes and adjustments you had to make going from an athlete to a head coach?
  • What are some of the aspects of the culture you have tried to create at Stanford from your international experience?
  • Would you discuss your work coaching the Women’s 2x of Meghan O’ Leary and Ellen Tomek? You and Sarah Trowbridge are coaching the W2x. How did that come to be and what’s that experience been like in conjunction with your head coaching responsibilities?

Extra | Training Recommendations | To be used

  • What’s your top technical tip/drill for a rower?
  • Favorite session on the erg? Water?
  • 2K PR?
  • Injuries/Medical : Atrial fibrilation, emergency abdominal surgery
  • What type of training session do you recommend an athlete do for continued development?
  • Best advice to make weight?
  • If you were consulting with FISA and the IOC what would be your recommendation to keep lightweight rowing in the sport?
  • How does rowing need to continue to progress and evolve past the 2020 Tokyo Games?

Share your thoughts with me on social media: * Instagram * Twitter * Facebook

Show Notes: * The Road to Rio: Bertko ’06 Prepares for an Olympic Debut 10 Years in the Making * Stanford Profile * Five Straight Titles for Stanford Lightweight Women

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Episode 117 | Peter Antonie: From Lightweight to Heavyweight Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher In Episode #117 of the LEO Training Podcast, I interview Thomas Keller Medal and Olympic Champion in the Men's Double Scull and Lightweight World Champion, Peter Antonie.

First, I want to thank my friend Dan Garbutt for first telling me about Peter Antonie and for Drew Ginn for helping me connect with Peter to make this interview happen.

Peter Antonie’s rowing career spanned 24 years. In that time he won a world championship in the lightweight men’s single in 1986 and in 1992 along with Stephen Hawkins took the Olympic Gold Medal in the Men’s Heavyweight Double at the Barcelona Olympics. A lightweight athlete who won at the highest level in both weight classes in rowing.

Interview Topics: Part 1 - How you go started in rowing and career

  • Earliest result was 1977 in LM4- (Silver at World Championships)
  • 1986 LM1x World Champion
  • 1987 World Championships - Result was 5th but I checked the time stamps and you were in 1st for the first 1500 meters.
  • 1988 Seoul Olympics Heavyweight Men’s 4x
  • 1989 and 1990 | M2x finished 4th and 3rd respectively
  • 1991 in Heavyweight Men’s 1x finished 4th against Thomas Langer of Germany
  • 1992 Barcelona Olympics Gold in the M2x

Part 2 - State of Lightweight Rowing Currently

  • Potentially up for removal
  • Latest FISA News | http://www.worldrowing.com/news/fisa-council-meeting-decisions-february-2019?fbclid=IwAR3I5oWwWAHWP152bmSPrzYypCBnJoLz0voPBWqQCbj1nvm_Bn9lI4uISz4
  • What would you say to FISA and the IOC?
  • What would be your suggestions to keep lightweight rowing as it is but still move the sport forward and help it continue to grow and expand.

Share your thoughts with me on social media: * Instagram * Twitter * Facebook

Show Notes: * Wikipedia * World Rowing Profile * Thomas Keller Medal Write Up * Rowing still holds attraction for Olympic Gold Medallist Peter Antonie * 1986 LM1x Race * Barcelona Olympics 1992 M2x * FISA Council Decisions * Out of his Shell

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In Episode #116 of the LEO Training Podcast, I interview world record holder and entrepreneur Juliane Rasmussen.

The third interview in our lightweight series is with Juliane Rasmussen. Juliane has a long and storied career and has competed in four olympic games beginning in Athens and through to the Rio Olympic Games. She has earned multiple medals at world cups and world championships in the lightweight women’s double and lightweight women’s quad.

Juliane and I discuss her consistent success over so many years while starting a family as well as entrepreneurial endeavors with a company she co-founded, Athletes Own.

Photo Credit: Büro Jantzen Interview Topics: * Started rowing in 1999 * How did you start? * Rowed until 2012 Olympics then 3 year break * How did you manage training around family and work? * Set the Lightweight Women’s 2K Record this past Sunday at Crash B’s on Sunday Feb 17th, 2019 with a 7:05.3 * Culture | A lot of clubs not popular at university/college level. * If you could race another boat class other than the LW2x, what would it be and why? * If you could row with any rowing athletes from any era and in any boat class who would you pick and why? * What solutions would you propose to FISA to keep lightweight rowing beyond the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games? * What is Area 9? * Tell us about the clothing company that you and your wife created and why.

Share your thoughts with me on social media: * Instagram * Twitter * Facebook

Show Notes: * World Rowing Profile * Athletes Own * Area 9

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In Episode #115 of the LEO Training Podcast, I interview my friend Mads Rasmussen, Olympic Champion in the LM2x.

In this interview Mads will share the insights of his career in high performance sport all while going through medical school, getting married, and starting a family. If you are looking for insight into how to excel in both sport and life you will enjoy this episode.

Interview Topics: Part 1 - Becoming a Champion

  • How did your athletic career begin? What sports did you begin your career with?
  • When we were in Avis, this past spring you told me that when you were a young boy knew you wanted to be a world champion. You didn’t necessarily know what sport - yet but knew you wanted to be the best at something. What drove you at such an early age to have this goal?
  • How did you come into the sport of rowing?
  • You began competing in the LM2x at the Junior World Championships in 1998 and continued competing all the way through the Rio Olympic Games. An 18 year career competing at the international level that resulted in 2 Bronze Medals, 1 Silver Medal, and 2 Golds at the World Championships and a Bronze Medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a Gold Medal at the 2012 London Olympics. Please take us through your journey and experiences leading up to each Olympic Games and the years in between.
  • Let’s discuss some of the successes you had between 2004-2008 and what lessons you and the team learned in the lead up to Beijing that effected the training. ( I recall you saying there were some injuries for Rasmus and you were both quite tired with the additional training load.)
  • Not many people know this but you were in medical school while training as an elite level rower. Your doubles partner Rasmus Quist was a full time plumber while he was training. What year did you enter medical school during your international career? How many years were you in medical school while you were training and competing?
  • How many sessions a day did you train? How many during camps? How did you balance training with a professional career, personal life, and family while also being a high performance athlete?

Part 2 - Reflections on sport and current projects

  • If you could race another boat class other than the LM2x, what would it be and why?
  • If you could row with any rowing athletes from any era and in any boat class who would you pick and why?
  • What solutions would you propose to FISA to keep lightweight rowing beyond the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games?
  • Let’s discuss your article deterioration in lung function over time, in former national team rowers” or pre-ischemiac on limbs.
  • What is Area 9?
  • Tell us about the clothing company that you and your wife created and why.

Extra | Training Recommendations | To be used

  • What’s your top technical tip for a rower?
  • What type of training session do you recommend an athlete do for continued development?
  • Best advice to make weight?

Share your thoughts with me on social media: * Instagram * Twitter * Facebook

Show Notes: * + World Rowing Profile + Instagram + Area 9 + Athletes Own

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In Episode #114 of the LEO Training Podcast, I interview triple olympic gold medalist Eskild Ebbessen.

Eskild Ebessen won three olympic gold medals, 2 bronze medals, 6x world champion, and 19 world cup gold medals. In 2013 he was awarded the Thomas Keller Medal by World Rowing and named to the Danish Sports Hall of Fame in January 2017.

This interview will take you through Eskild’s career and how he continued to find speed. Enjoy the show!

Interview Topics: * How you go started in rowing and career + Earliest result was 1990 Junior Worlds. How did you begin rowing? I watched your 2012 interview with World Rowing and you said you rowed at a club for 2 years before you competed and it started off as a social endeavor. Were you just trying to make friends? + You said it was a “natural choice” + Lead up from 1992-1996 Atlanta Olympics. + 97-99 World Champions and in 2000 Sydney Olympics Paulson had a knee injury. + 2004 - Starboard stroked LM4- - Retired after Athens but returns in 2007? + 2008 - Port Stroked LM4- - Returned in 2011

Share your thoughts with me on social media: * Instagram * Twitter * Facebook

Show Notes: * + 1999 World Champions LM4- + 2004 Olympics LM4- + 2008 Olympics LM4- + 2012 Olympics LM4- + 2013 Thomas Keller Award + World Rowing Profile + World Rowing Interview + Danish Sports Hall of Fame + Instagram + Website

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Episode 113: Lindsay Shoop - Mindset Makes Rhythm Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher In Episode #113 of the LEO Training Podcast, I interview world champion and Olympic Gold Medallist Lindsay Shoop.

I sit down with Lindsay Shoop. Lindsay has amassed nearly two decades of coaching and rowing experience through to the Olympic level. She earned her MS Ed in Exercise Physiology and her Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist from the NSCA credential all while coaching full time in order to elevate her technical skills and knowledge through research-based understanding.

​As an athlete, she is an Olympic Gold Medalist, US National Hall of Fame Rower, 3-Time World Champion, 5-Time World Cup Medalist over 8 World Cup Appearances, and has been part of a FISA Female Crew of the Year.

​As a Coach, she has helped athletes find excellence at every level from middle through high school, college, elite, and masters.

Our conversation is split into two distinct parts. Her personal journey from novice to Olympic Champion and then her post rowing career and segueway into coaching.

Enjoy the show!

Interview Topics: * Part 1: Finding Rowing + Your personal story and journey into rowing (Olympic Champion, World Champion and National Rowing Hall of Fame) + How you found the sport + National Team

  • Part 2: The last 9 years...
      • Post National Team Career
    • CSCS and Masters in Physiology
    • Coaching rowing at every level and lessons learned (junior, collegiate, pre-elite, elite, paralympic, and master)
    • Presentation at USRowing doing with Marc Nowak
    • Developing interpersonal relationships with athletes, trust, and buy i

Share your thoughts with me on social media: * Instagram * Twitter * Facebook

Show Notes: * + Lindsay Shoop + World Rowing Profile

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Episode 112| Annie Vernon: Mind Games Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher In Episode #112 of the LEO Training Podcast, I interview world champion and Olympic Silver Medallist Annie Vernon.

Annie is the author of the book, Mind Games: Determination, Doubt and Lucky Socks – the psychology of elite athletes .

The book aims to show how elite athletes train their mental skills in exactly the same way that they train their physical skills. Our chat takes you through some of the key elements from her book as well as her experience as a world class rower.

Enjoy the show!

Interview Topics: Chapter 3 | Coming to Violence over Trivial Pursuit. Competitiveness and Elite Athletes

  • Everyday there is a spreadsheet working for you.
    • Athletes are very used to having a lot of their training tracked such as HR, sleep, sleep quality, flexibility, ergo scores, 1x or 2- racing,
    • Why objective judgement is the critical part of the jigsaw.
    • Intrinsic vs. external competitiveness and why the internal opponent is tougher than the external one.
    • Why competitiveness is dangerous if nothing is ever ‘good enough’. How can or does this spill over from sport to life and why may this be a negative. P 70.

Chapter 4 | Choosing Training Over Cold Turkey. Motivation and Happiness

  • When you were 17 you rowed because you loved it and enjoyed the internal motivation of getting better and having fun. Moving to international competition it switched to extrinsic as the focus and goal became success and winning. Let’s discuss how you and others keep training over years and years and finding the motivation to do evolves as times goes on. Winning is addictive and staying at the top. - Pinsent and Grainger P 86-87
  • Frances Houghton. P 91 Why shifting motivation and freeing oneself from stress can release higher performance.
  • Happiness in elite sport is different from happiness in everyday life. Why is this a critical piece for non athletes to understand and how it can impact friendships, family and relationships?

Chapter 5 | Personality. Every family has an odd member, and if you don’t know who it is, it’s probably you

  • The Three Step Theory of Athlete Personality
      1. Boredom Threshold
      1. Mind control
    • 3.mindfulness and reflection
  • Why mental skills are different for each sport
  • Pain and pain tolerance

Chapter 6 | The Confidence Wand. Sourcing, building, maintaining, and utilising confidence

  • Confidence doesn’t mean not self questioning, but it maybe means not self-criticizing
  • World class work ethic and moderating it
  • Over vs under comfidence and riding the line

Chapter 7 | How to be Tarzan, How to be Jane

  • Anna Watkins. Hyped up vs. anxiety. Finding the right balance to perform
  • Performing med ball slams on race day
  • Training your brain to deliver your routine under any cicumstance
  • Brainwashing and switching off for your best performane
  • What is ‘red mist’ moment?
  • How Pinsent and Redgrave raced on their ‘worst days’ and Why

Chapter 9 | Becoming a Carrot Farmer. Coaching

  • Athlete qualities vs. coaching qualities
  • ‘The line betwen coaching and therapy is tiny.” - Adrian Cassidy
  • All the responsibility but no power over outcome wants competition begins.
  • Telling others what to do and giving athletes ownership of themselves.
  • CD Player story about you from Adrian Cassidy
  • Coaching from the inside out
  • Do you take the right tools out of the toolbox, at the right time? - Stuart Lancaster

Share your thoughts with me on social media: * Instagram * Twitter * Facebook

Show Notes: * + Annie Vernon + World Rowing Profile + Mind Games

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Episode 111: Pat Rufo - DISC Assessment Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher In Episode #111 of the LEO Training Podcast, I interview strength and conditioning and rowing coach, Pat Rufo.

Pat’s company, RUFO OPTIMAL WORKOUTS® was established in 2011 to serve as an athletic consulting company for all types of athletes (especially rowers!) and clients of all ages and abilities.

The goal has been to fill the “gaps” in their training and mindset. Pat has been a strength and conditioning coach and personal trainer since 2007 and has been involved in rowing, sculling, and coaching since 1996!

His passion is to help his athletes, coaches, and clients believe in themselves and their mission. In addition, he assists parents with understanding their child’s strengths and behaviors that work best for them.

One final note: This interview was originally recorded in 2018. Since then Pat has continued to evolve his approach and philosophy focusing more on team dynamics, coach/athlete relationships, performance cues and separating "athlete self" from "real self".

Pat and I will be doing a second interview later this spring to update you all on what he has learned as well as what has changed.

With that let’s roll to the interview. Enjoy the show!

Interview Topics: * Pat's philosophy and approach to training * DISC and Profiling: what is it? How can it help? How does it tie into performance and behavior? How you integrate this into your work with athletes and teams?- * Joe’s DISC profile - Rowing at GW, SFB and, SFG II- * Profiling collegiate, professional and elite athletes

Share your thoughts with me on social media: * Instagram * Twitter * Facebook

Show Notes: * + Rufo Optimal Workouts + Case Study + DISC Assessment

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The Four Year Olympian Episode 110 : Jeremiah Brown The Four Year Olympian Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher In Episode #110 of the LEO Training Podcast, I interview Olympic Silver Medalist Jeremiah Brown

In this podcast interview I sit down with 2012 Olympic Silver Medalist from the Canadian Men's 8+, Jeremiah Brown. Jeremiah was gracious enough to send me a copy of his book, The Four Year Olympian and to discuss his journey from a complete novice to Olympic Silver Medalist in just four years.

This is a fantastic read and isn't your typical rowing tale. Jeremiah writes with a candor and authenticity that really grabs the reader's attention and immediately has them become invested. He also pulls no punches when it comes to sharing the sacrafices that Olympic hopefuls must make physically, mentally, and socially in the pursuit of their goals.

The Four Year Olympian is a raw, unfiltered insight into training at the Olympic level and the lessons learned are applicable to anyone with a desire to improve and getting better.

Interview Topics: Part 1 | Transitioning from Football and Fatherhood to Rowing * What were some of the biggest transformations in going from being a offensive lineman in football to being a rower? For the audience provide your height and weight at end of college and what you ended up rowing at. * What characteristics and lessons from football translated well into rowing? Which did not? * In your book, The Four Year Olympian, you mentioned briefly that you did continue to do some strength training while rowing but it seems you stopped because it made you more muscle bound and slower, less explosive. Please explain. * Why did you only give yourself a 4 year window of becoming an Olympic Medalist?

Part 2 | Training to Become an Olympian * What were some of the key differences between Doug White and Mike Spracklen? Personality wise and training program wise? * One of the key tenets in your training was how focused you had to be during your training. Do you think you could have been as successful in such a compressed time frame had you not been able to be so singularly focused on your goal? Do you have any regrets in how you went about it. * Your book candidly details the process of going from a raw athletic talent (in rowing terms) to becoming a national team athlete to Olympic Silver Medalist. Reflecting back on this, what was the most challenging part of your journey?

Part 3 | Life After Rowing and your role at Canadian Olympic Committee * In 2015, you took on a leadership role with the Canadian Olympic Committee as National Manager of Game Plan. What is “Game Plan and how has it grown and developed since 2015? * More and more athletes appear to be speaking out and becoming more vocal about anxiety and depression and other mental health issues. In your experience as an athlete and in your current role, how large of an issue is mental health for elite athletes

Extra | Training Recommendations | To be used

  • What’s your top technical tip for a rower?
  • Favorite training session on the erg? Water?
  • 2K PR?
  • What type of training session do you recommend an athlete do for continued development?
  • Advice to yourself 10 years ago.

Show Notes: * + The Four Year Olympian (Website) + The Four Year Olympian (Book) + Jeremiah Brown (Facebook) + Jeremiah Brown (Twitter) + Jeremiah Brown (Instagram) + Olympic Final Men's 8+ 2012 London Olympics

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Phil White - Waterman 2.0 Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher In Episode #109 of the LEO Training Podcast, I interview Phil White.

Phil is an emmy-nominated writer and has co-authored the books UnPlugged, Waterman 2.0, and Game Changer with Fergus Connolly. He is also a frequent contributor to The Inertia and SUP the Mag.

Waterman 2.0 gives paddlers, surfers and rowers of all ages and abilities a one-stop guide to understanding:

  • Basic movement baselines for optimal and sustainable performance on and off the water
  • How to identify and fix weakest links, and become faster, stronger and more resilient
  • Mobility techniques to help prevent, assess and address soft tissue, joint and sliding surface issues
  • Common errors that lead to pain and performance limitations
  • Corrective strategies that enhance movement patterns and unlock more speed and endurance
  • Lifestyle adaptations that enable better preparation, training and racing
  • Tactics for more effective recovery, hydration and sleep

Waterman 2.0 also features unique insights and tips from more than 30 of the world's top watermen and women, including Laird Hamilton, Kai Lenny, Emily Jackson-Troutman and Paige Alms.

Interview Topics: * The Standards + How did Kelly come up with these? * Standard 1 | Achieve and Maintain a Stable Spine * Standard 2 | Can You Hinge from the Hips without sacrificing stiffness? * OH Squat * Shoulder
Show Notes: + Phil White + Dr. Kelly Starrett + Waterman 2.0 Book

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Phil White - Unplugged Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher In Episode #107 of the LEO Training Podcast, I interview Phil White.

Phil is an emmy-nominated writer and has co-authored the books UnPlugged, Waterman 2.0, and Game Changer with Fergus Connolly. He is also a frequent contributor to The Inertia and SUP the Mag.

Unplugged will teach the reader the following:

Reading Unplugged will enable you to:

• Understand both the value and the limitations of technology in athletic performance, fitness, health, and lifestyle situations

• Know how and when to utilize physical activity technologies in your everyday life—and when not to

• Avoid the common mistakes that most people make with wearables and tracking apps

• Understand which technologies and tests are most effective and which are a waste of money

And much more!

Interview Topics: * Why is overdependence on fitness a problem? * Importance of self-regulation of training intensity and volume using wearable technology * The cost of "plugging in" * Why it is important to engineer discomfort in your life? * Top negative behaviors from technology * and more!

Show Notes: * Phil White * Brian Mackenzie * Dr. Andy Galpin * Unplugged Book

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Get Connected Workshop | The 3 Pillars of Training Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher In Episode #107 of the LEO Training Podcast, I interview Erin Cafaro Mackenzie and Kylie Tullipan.

I've teamed up with these two amazing coaches to offer an upcoming workshop for youth rowers that will take place in El Segundo, CA July 20-21.

Erin, Kylie, and myself sit down and discuss the idea behind the Get Connected Workshop.

Register Today for the Get Connected Workshop!

Interview Topics: * The 3 Pillars of Training + Performance + Mindset + Skill * What Erin learned from Dr. Kelly Starrett * Why bodyweight movements are a key foundational piece to health and performance * Learning tools that will help you excel in sport and life * Why you should do the one thing that everyone else is not doing.

Show Notes: * Get Connected Workshop

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Liz Fusco - Rowing Nutrition Principles Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher In Episode #106 of the LEO Training Podcast, I interview Liz Fusco MS, RDN, Sports Performance Dietician for USRowing and Wellness Editor for SCAN Nutrition DPG.

Liz received her Bachelors in Dietetics with a minor in Kinesiology at the University of Rhode Island in 2011. While at URI, she assisted with nutrition, exercise, and eating rate research. After a teaching assistantship in her mentor’s sport nutrition course, she was determined to pursue sport dietetics as a career. While pursuing her master’s degrees in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition Science at San Diego State University, Liz began an assistantship at the Chula Vista Olympic Training Center in 2012. She worked primarily with Rugby, field hockey, volleyball, water polo, and canoe-kayak, along with launching the @Nutr4TeamUSA twitter, writing recipes, publishing articles, contributing to protocol papers, and working in the dining hall. At SDSU, she taught food science and conducted sponsored research on carbohydrate metabolism.

After graduating from SDSU in May 2014, she completed her dietetic internship at the Methodist Hospital in Houston, TX. She returned to the Olympic Training Center in April 2014 as a sport nutrition consultant to rowing, track cycling, BMX, triathlon, archery, and rugby. Liz was hired as a full time staff member of USRowing after the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

Liz likes to make all aspects of sport nutrition as practical and approachable as possible. Her goal is to show her athletes that healthy eating can be simple, delicious, and performance enhancing!

Interview Topics: * Part 1 - Education and Experience| * Part 2 - Diet and Nutrition 101 for Rowers + General principles and guidelines all rowers can follow - Best practices for fueling before and after practice - How to approach travel - Effects of airplane travel on hydration - Effects of changing time zones * Part 3 - Getting Light(weight) + General principles and guidelines lightweight rowers can follow - Any differences/recommendations for lightweight rowers on above questions - How to safely and effectively approach cutting weight - How to identify and make sure you are getting the proper macronutrient balance in your diet - Differences for junior, college, elite or master lightweights? Men vs. women? - Any warning signs athletes should be aware of to make sure they are not underfueled/underhydrated? - Any concerns about women/men having kids later in life or adverse health effects? - How do you coach work with the lightweights vs. heavyweights? Are the energy demands different? - Overnight loss and day to day hydration - Strategies and tactics

Show Notes: * Fueling Up for Practice and Racing * Serving Olympic Fuel is Liz Fusco's Dream Job * US Rowing Profile * Instagram * Twitter

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Meghan Musnicki is a two time Olympic Gold Medalist and 5x World Champion with the United States Rowing Team. Meghan shares her journey as a two sport athlete in basketball and soccer in middle school and high school to a walk on at Ithaca College.

Over the course of Meghan's career in rowing she experienced a lot of success and made it to the podium as a key member of the Women's Eight. However, what you will learn most about in this candid interview is the adversity and perseverance of overcoming failure and being cut from the team - more than once.

An excellent interview that provides insight into the challenges we face in sport and life.

Interview Topics: * How did playing basketball and soccer prepare you for rowing? * Racing/Rowing on US Team + Transition from College to US Team and making your first worlds team and being part of a historic run from 2010-2016. + From Riverside to Virginia to US Training Center and experience of being cut and picking yourself up again and again to move forward and propel yourself to success. + Let's Discuss the "shift in momentum" during a race that you describe in your article "What You Don't Know About Rowing" + What it means to "Dream Bigger, Fail Forward, and Live with Intent" * What do you recommend young junior athletes (high school) focus on for athletic development? * Should we specialize in sport early or play multiple sports? * Transition from full time athlete to full time coach and what you are currently doing * Questions from the audience…

Show Notes: * Meghan Musnicki * The Players Tribune “What You Don’t Know About Rowing” * US Rowing Profile * World Rowing Profile * Instagram * Twitter

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LT 104 | Aquil Abdullah - A Midweight's Journey Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher Aquil H. Abdullah won four letters in men’s rowing at GW from 1992-96. Aquil narrowly missed qualifying for the 2000 Summer Olympics at Sydney by .33 of a second. After losing in the 2000 Olympic Trials, Abdullah considered retiring from the sport. Instead, he resumed training, competed again and won the elite Diamond Sculls race at the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta at Henley-on-the Thames in London in 2000. He continued to train in the lead up to the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece and would compete in the Men's Double Scull event with Henry Nuzum. so.and in 2004 became the first African American man on the United States Olympic rowing team.

Abdullah, the second men’s rower elected to the University’s Athletic Hall of Fame, came to GW from nearby Wilson High School in Northwest Washington after starring as a 6-foot-1, 185-pound wide receiver on the Wilson football team. But he had started rowing as a high school senior and in 1992 accepted a rowing scholarship at George Washington where he majored in physics.

Interview Topics: * How Aquil came to the sport of rowing from football * The challenges that Aquil faced during his collegiate and international rowing career * How he transitioned from GW to the US National Team * Why he chose the 1x and sculling over sweep boats. * The importance of being very technically strong as a midweight rower competing against bigger and stronger athletes * The impact the sport of rowing has had on his life

Show Notes: * Aquil Abdullah (Wikipedia) * GW Hall of Fame * World Rowing Profile * US Rowing Athlete Past and Present

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LT 103 | Michael Ranfone - Build Athletes. Make Monsters. Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher Biography Michael Ranfone BS, CSCS, LMT, FRC, ART is the founder and president of Ranfone Training Systems located in Hamden, Connecticut. For the past decade he’s dedicated himself to improving athletes as a performance coach and manual therapist.

Mike graduated Cum Laude from Union College with degrees in Economics and Psychology—earning recognition in the National Honor Society of each discipline. While at Union, Mike excelled on the football field—he was a four-year letter winner, three-year all-league and all-league academic starter. He served as a captain during his senior campaign. His football career culminated in several tryouts for Arena and Canadian Football League teams.

He started his professional career at Yale—serving as the Strength and Conditioning coordinator for more than 500 Division I athletes. In 2005 he returned to school and incorporated Ranfone Training Systems. Since then, he’s coached and treated thousands of athletes—while also consulting with professional and collegiate sports teams.

Mike’s given performance enhancement lectures at private venues and universities across the United States—focusing on strength and movement improvement. He’s a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) as recognized by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, a Licensed Massage Therapist in Connecticut, a Level 2 Functional Movement Specialist, as well as the only Functional Range Conditioning Mobility Specialist and Functional Range Release practitioner in Connecticut and is a certified practitioner in Active Release Therapy (ART) among other specialized techniques.

Interview Topics: * Athletic Development * Strategies to teach and scale to kids in groups/classes of 5-10 * How do you address all the qualities for athleticism in 60 minutes? * "Play is merely exercise in disguise." * Using the appropriate stress dosage to enhance fundamental qualities * How sport and training helps to teach today's youth work ethic, discipline, responsibility, and how to socialize

Show Notes: * Ranfone Training Systems (Website) * Ranfone Training (Instagram) * Ranfone Training (Facebook)

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LT 102 | Brett Bartholomew - The Art of Coaching Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher Biography Brett Bartholomew is a strength and conditioning coach, author, adjunct professor, and Founder of the performance coaching and consulting company, The Bridge Human Performance® as well as the coach education platform ArtOfCoaching.com. His experience includes working with athletes both in the team environment and private sector along with members of the United States Special Forces and members of Fortune 500 companies. Taken together, Brett has coached a diverse range of athletes from across 23 sports world-wide, at levels ranging from youth athletes to Olympians. He’s supported numerous Super Bowl and World Series Champions, along with several professional fighters in both professional boxing as well as the UFC. From a philanthropic standpoint, Brett serves as the Vice President for the non-profit organization Movement2Be, which serves youth in underprivileged communities through helping them learn more about physical activity. His book, Conscious Coaching: The Art and Science of Building Buy-In (Amazon), achieved “Best Seller” status in the categories of “Sport Coaching” (#1), “Business/Money” (#8) ,and was ranked in the “Amazon Top 100 Books Overall” in 2017. It is currently being used by several universities as source material used to help guide future coaches and professionals. Be sure to check out Brett's brand new online course Interview Topics: * P. 88 Why is conflict management and not conflict itself usually the problem and what tools can coaches employ to strengthen this skill set? * P. 96 How did you come up with the idea to group athlete personalities into archetypes and have you personally coached each archetype profile? What’s been the most challenging? The most fun? * P. 220 | 13 Coaching Mistakes to Avoid | Which mistakes do you see young coaches make most often? * 5/1/18, 11:27 PM "Training great athletes does not automatically make you a great coach. Too many undervalue working with novices, youth and those that are challenged in a myriad of other ways. True experience comes from exposure that is multifaceted." - Brett Bartholomew | Twitter * What led you to create the “Art of Coaching” online course? How is this different than what is currently out there and how will it helps coaches become better at their craft? * More on the new course Bought In

Show Notes: * The Art of Coaching * Brett Bartholomew * Art of Coaching Slide Deck * Conscious Coaching (The Book) * Conscious Coaching Field Guide * Bridge Human Performance

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LT 101 | Jim Joy - Finding Flow in Rowing Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher My guest for this episode of the LEO Training Podcast is Jim Joy.

Jim Joy has coached at the University of Western Ontario, M.I.T, Yale University and Wesleyan University, and Hobart and William Smith. Jim also helped start Craftsbury Sculling Camp, the first rowing camp of its kind in North America.

Jim founded and has run the Joy of Sculling coaching conferences, for more than 25 years. This conference has drawn more than 5,000 coaches from youth programs, clubs, schools, colleges and national teams across the country and is focused on education and athletic development in rowing.

Jim is well known for his holistic and technical approach to a cyclical non-fragmented rowing stroke, where there is a strong bond between body, shell and water, creating a state of flow within an integrated whole.

It is this approach to the rowing stroke where our interview will focus its attention toward.

Here are 3 things you will learn:

  • What are the primers for visualization?
  • Why a complete training program should include time for mental training
  • Jim will provide some tools on how you can find flow during your own rowing

Topics: * Jim's roots in rowing and how he got started * Bob Fitzpatrick, Bob Pierce, and Steve Fairbairn * Focus on precision of movement and skill development * The primers of visualization * Different types of simulation exercises * and much more!

Show Notes: * Joy of Sculling * Jim Joy's US Rowing Medal of Honor Acceptance Speech

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LT 100 | Dr. Carlo Varalda - Evaluating Movement & Power in Rowers Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher This week's guest is Dr. Carlo Varalda. Dr. Varalda is the Executive Director of NSCA Italy. He has worked with the Italian Rowing Federation and currently is working with the Italian Short Track Team in preparation for the Winter Olympics. His work focuses on research for the improvement of performance and methods for the assessment of athletes. He evaluates muscle, posture, and function. Dr. Varalda is convinced that there is still a lot to do in the sport and, more generally, in the movement for all age groups.

Interview Topics & Questions: * Carlo's Education and Background (who you have worked with) * Movement Screening for Rowers | What do you evaluate and why? * How does the evaluation effect their cardiovascular training (rowing,erg) and strength training? * Has the data you have gathered from evaluations allowed you to reduce injuries and improve performance?

Show Notes: * Carlo Varalda Website * Functional & Postural Assessment and Prescribed Exercise for Rowers

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LT 099 | Dr. Stuart McGill & Brian Carroll - The Gift of Injury Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher This week's podcast features two return guests: Dr. Stuart McGill and Brian Carroll.

Dr. Stuart M. McGill is a professor emeritus of the University of Waterloo, where he was a professor for 32 years. His laboratory and experimental research clinic investigated issues related to the causal mechanisms of back pain, how to rehabilitate back-pained people and enhance both injury resilience and performance.

Brian Carroll is world class powerlifter with over a decade of elite class lifting under his belt. Coming back from a devastating back injury in 2012 that broke multiple bones and that most experts said he would never recover from, Brian returned to world class form and was able to establish a new world record for the squat at 1185 pounds all after his back injury.

This interview tells the story of Brian’s injury and his journey back to health and elite performance with the help of Dr. McGill.

Here are 3 things you will learn from this interview:

  • The importance of being an athlete 24/7
  • What's one piece of advice you both would give to our youth to better prepare them to strength train?
  • The value of assistance work

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Gift of Injury you can find it on Amazon.com, Powerrackstrength.com and BackFitPro.com and I will also include those links in the show notes.

Interview Topics and Questions: Brian and Dr. McGill

  • Who came up with the title "The Gift of Injury" and what's the meaning for each of you behind this title?
  • What does being an athlete 24/7 mean?
  • What's one piece of advice you both would give to our youth to better prepare them to strength train?
  • Regardless of sport, why is it important to only compete at competitions a few times a year?
  • What do we need to do to change the mindset of chasing reps and adding weight? This is not a mindset that athletes intuitively possess.

Brian * What does it mean to "Practice the way we plan to compete." and to "approach every lift with intent and meaning". * The value and importance of assistance work. What do you look for when coaching an athlete and how to select the appropriate exercise. * Your decision to retire and over the next several years lower your body weight.

Dr. McGill * Why "knee to chest" stretches and rolling around | use of a foam roller are not good for the back or performance? * How the Big Three provides a stiffening, bracing effect for several hours after performing them reduces micro movements. * Bone callousing: quick explanation of theory and how this was a key part of Brian's rehab

Show Notes: * BackFitPro.com * PowerRackStrength.com * Gift of Injury * McGill Pull Up with Maximal Neural Drive * How the Great Ones Hold Onto Their Careers * Thoracic Mobility Drill

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LT 098 | Alex Wolf - Training for the Complete Rower Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher In this week's podcast episode I had the pleasure to sit down with Alex Wolf, Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for English Institute of Sport.

Alex Wolf is the Head of Strength and Conditioning for the English Institute of Sport where he leads a team of 60 plus Strength and Conditioning Coaches working with the majority of Olympic and Paralympic sports for Team GB. Alex spent almost six years working with GB Rowing including the preparation for London 2012 where the GB Rowing Team topped the medal table with their best ever medal haul. Alex has spent over a decade working in elite and high performance sports working across Olympic, Paralympic and Professional sports in the UK and abroad. Alex is currently completing his PhD around neuromuscular physiology and biomechanics out of the Biodynamics Laboratories at Imperial College, London.

In addition, he is the co-author of the book "Training the Complete Rower" along with Coach Paul Thompson. This interview is a fantastic look into the training principles executed by one of the most successful rowing teams in the world. Alex discusses the strategies and principles of the book as well as the key lessons he learned that he feels are invaluable to rowers.

3 Things you will learn: 1. Evidence of strength training improving force development and power 2. What skills/lifts give the best return to the rowing stroke? 3. Technique vs. load - Why going heavier does not always translate to greater force production

Interview Topics: * Training Paradigm of: fundamental skill development, conditioning training, high force and speed training, specific sports performance * Evidence of strength training on force and power development for endurance athletes and balancing this during these types of efforts during the weekly training sessions. * How do you evaluate/assess a brand new athlete? * Why do you want to complete explosive strength training prior to heavy strength training and not the reverse? * Technique vs. Load - Why going heavier does not always translate to increases in force production. * and much more!

Show Notes: * Alex Wolf (Twitter) * 'What it Takes' to Work in High Performance Sport * Training for the Complete Rower

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LT 097 | Dan Garbutt - Technique vs. Style in Rowing Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher This week's podcast guest is my friend and Women's Head Rowing Coach of Old Dominion University, Dan Garbutt. Dan and I are both South Jersey natives so it was a ton of fun for me to sit down and reconnect with him.

Dan Garbutt is a 2001 graduate of Princeton University. He began his collegiate career in 1998, winning the Freshman Award and being named a member of the United States National Team, while the Tigers captured the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Championship. He went on to earn three varsity letters in men's heavyweight crew as Princeton won three Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges (EARC) Championships (1998, 1999, 2001). As a senior in 2001 he received All-Ivy League and All-American honors.

Dan has been the Head Coach of Old Dominion Rowing for the past six years and has led the program to new heights and success. Some of his accomplishments include:

  • In the 2015-16 season, his sixth year at the helm, Garbutt guided the Lady Monarchs to a sixth-place finish at the Big 12 Championship in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The sixth-place finish was a two-spot improvement on the 2015 conference finish. The 2015-16 season also saw the 1V8 earn Big 12 Boat of the Week honors in late March after a dominant performance at the UNC Invite, which marked the first time an ODU boat earned that accolade.
  • In his fifth year as head coach and is in his first season in the Big 12 Conference, the team saw a lot of success, as the Monarchs recorded 19 top-20 finishes, including 13 in the top-5. ODU also started a new tradition by dedicating the Varsity 8 and the Second Varsity 8 boats to President John Broderick and First Lady Kate Broderick.
  • In the 2012-2013 season, the Lady Monarchs received their first ever votes in the CRCA/US Rowing Coaches Top 20 Poll. The seniors from this season, which were part of Garbutt’s first recruiting class, ended their careers at Old Dominion without losing a single home meet.
  • During the fall 2012 season, Old Dominion’s Frosh/Novice Eight boat won the Commodore Cup at the Head of Schuylkill, as well as won gold medals at the Head of the Hooch. The Frosh/Novice Eight boat concluded the fall season with a third place finish at the Rivanna Romp. At the Head of the Schuylkill, ODU’s Open Four boat placed third overall out of 38 total boats. At the Head of the Hooch, the Lady Monarchs Lightweight Four boat placed second.
  • Along with the success on the water, Garbutt also helped open the $2.3 million ODU Rowing Center in the spring of 2011, representing a joint partnership project between the city of Norfolk and the University. A two-story, 13,000 square foot, boathouse facility that houses the Lady Monarchs rowing program just minutes away from ODU on the Lafayette River, is a state-of-the art facility that provides first class accommodations for the program that provides training year round as Garbutt continues to build the highly competitive Lady Monarch program .

3 Key Takeaways you will learn in this interview: * The difference between technique and style in rowing. * Evaluations and assessments you can do with your athletes * The importance of customizing your training program to your athletes needs'

Interview Topics: * Dan's background and roots as an athlete and coach * His thoughts on rowing technique and some key differences of technique vs. style * How he evaluates his rowers movement, mobility, strength and physiological capacity * Lifeguard rowing and racing * Why athletes tend to gravitate towards what they are good at * Keys to athletic development * and much more.

Show Notes: * Dan Garbutt's Profile (Old Dominion Rowing) * Old Dominion University Rowing (Instagram)

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LT 096 | Dr. Craig Marker - The Anti-Fragile Self Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher This week's podcast guest is Dr. Craig Marker. Dr. Craig Marker is an associate professor, Chair and Program Director of Clinical Medical Psychology at Mercer University. He is also the Chief Operating Officer and Team Leader with StrongFirst.

Craig is a fitness enthusiast who has spent his life trying to help people improve their lives. As a professor, he works with students on how best to understand research and place it into context. He has published over fifty articles, chapters, and textbooks on psychology and research methods.

As a researcher, he understands the cutting edge of strength, sports performance, body composition, and nutrition. As a psychologist, he has focused on research and treatment of anxiety disorders, which positions him to understand motivation and the fear of making life changes.

Craig’s upcoming book, the AntiFragile Self, takes on the topic of building a stronger person in the mental and physical domains.

As a certified StrongFirst Kettlebell Instructor, Craig views kettlebells as one tool in the trade of forging a better person. He uses the Functional Movement Screen and multiple corrective movements to make sure his students are performing at their best for the rest of their lives.

Visit his intentional community in Atlanta: Armour Building.

3 Key Takeaways you will learn in this interview: * How physical exercise can be used to treat social anxiety * Overview of the 3 Energy Systems in the Body : Alactic, Glycolysis, and Aerobic * Principles of StrongEndurance

Interview Topics: * Craig's background and research on social anxiety * Overview of the 3 Energy Systems * StrongEndurance - What is it and the principles behind it. * StrongEndurance example protocol * Craig's book 'The Anti-Fragile Self" * The importance of being able to repeat a high intensity effort each day and at anytime - the mindset and situation a military or tactical operative has to take * and much more!

Show Notes: * Craig Marker (Mercer University Profile) * The Anti-Fragile Self * StrongEndurance * A Science Based Plan to Prepare You for the SFG I and SFG II * How to Get the Benefit of Depth Jumps without Jumping

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LT 095 | My SFGII Preparation & Experience - Joe DeLeo Subscribe & Review on : Apple Podcasts | Stitcher In this week's podcast interview my good friend Allan Phillips takes over the reins as guest host of the LEO Training Podcast to interview me.

I share my journey and preparation for the StrongFirst Level II Kettlebell Certification that I attended in King of Prussia, PA on September 23-24, 2017. You will learn what specific training protocols I utilized to prepare for the certification. In addition to my preparation I also recorded a short 15-20 minute recap of my experience with my good friend Dr. Matt Rice. Matt and I attended the SFG II together and provided a breakdown of our thoughts, feelings, and emotions of the weekend with an improptu interview we conducted in the hotel room.

Here are 3 Key Takeaways you will learn:

  • Why I made the choice to lose 30 pounds and go from 211 pounds to 181 pounds. This all started when I met Mark Allen at the Fit Soul-Fit Body Seminar April 29-30, 2017. Note: This has nothing to do with the SFG II Strength Standard and was influenced by several health and training factors.
  • The impact endurance training has on strength training and balancing these 2 energy systems.
  • How much the SFG II Certification enrichs and deepens your knowledge of the kettlebell.

Interview Topics: * SFG II Prep * My background * Why I decided to lose 30 pounds and go from 211 pounds to sub 185 for the SFG II * How I lost the body fat through diet and aerobic training * How moving 1200 miles, changing cities, starting a new job, and training has a massive effect on one's stress levels. * Rapid Fire * SFG II Weekend with Matt Rice + Impact of travel + Thoughts/Feedback on Day 1 + Thoughts/Feedback on Day 2 + How our preparation fared with the demands of the weekend

Show Notes: * LT 084 | Enhancing Athleticism in Rowers - Dr. Stuart McGill * LT 026 | SFG II Prep & Experience - Brent Morehouse

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LT 094 | Kevin Rail - Physical Education Culture Subscribe & Review : iTunes | Stitcher The LEO Training Podcast exists for coaches, athletes, and listeners like you. If you enjoy this content and it provides you with valuable information, please consider giving back to LEO Training. Click the button below to Donate! In Episode 094 I sit down with Kevin Rail, an expert in physical education culture based out of Utah. He specializes in functional training, core training, three-dimensional movement, motivation and Restorative Arts. He has a B.S. in Sport Management/Fitness &Wellness, and is certified through ACSM, NASM and ACE. Kevin is a fitness coach featured in the upcoming documentary film The Motivation Factor by Doug Orchard Films.

Restorative Arts involves the use of classical training tools like Indian clubs, wands, meels and maces. All the movements are based off of circles, spirals and figure-eights. Kevin instructs on how to do these patterns and integrate the tools into your daily practice. Not only are they good for posture, flexibility, and injury correction and prevention, but they also help improve brain function.

Kevin and I cover some very though provoking topics from both a training perspective as well as a historical perspective. Here is what you will learn.

Interview Topics: * Intro/Background * Movement quality before adding volume and intensity * The use of various modalities * The Motivation Factor * Kevin's thoughts on Abdominal work snf nutrition * Barefoot Training * and much more

Show Notes: * Kevin Rail (Website) * Kevin Rail (Instagram) * The Motivation Factor * Act of Nutrition

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LT 093 | Charles Buston & Zar Horton - Training the Tactical Athlete Subscribe & Review : iTunes | Stitcher The LEO Training Podcast exists for coaches, athletes, and listeners like you. If you enjoy this content and it provides you with valuable information, please consider giving back to LEO Training. Click the button below to Donate! My guests for Episode 093 of the LEO Training Podcast are Charles Bustos, SFGII and Master SFG Zar Horton.Charles is a husband, father of 2 boys and a firefighter/paramedic with the Albuquerque Fire Department. Charles served 6 years of active duty service in the Air Force. Zar Horton, the founder of FIREBELLZ, is a 28 year veteran of the Albuquerque Fire Department currently serving as a Battalion Chief. He currently holds position of Master Kettlebell Instructor with STRONGFIRST. He has instructed across the United States and internationally.

Charles and Zar were gracious enough to make time for a dual interview and share their experiences as full time firefighters. Together, they have over 40 years of experience and share their thoughts and expertise on training various law enforcement and tactical operatives.

Interview Topics: * Intro/Background * Origins of Firebellz * Occupational demands of firefighters and how they need to be addressed * Skills/Lifts emphasized for tactical operatives * Zar and Charles thoughts on the Pensacola FireFighter Study * How they set up their ranking system at Firebellz and the culture it's created * and much more!

Show Notes: * Firebellz (website) * Firebellz (facebook) * Firebellz (instagram) * Pensacola Firefighter Study

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LT 092 | Dr. Greg Rose - Evaluating Rotary Athletes Subscribe & Review : iTunes | Stitcher The LEO Training Podcast exists for coaches, athletes, and listeners like you. If you enjoy this content and it provides you with valuable information, please consider giving back to LEO Training. Click the button below to Donate! Dr. Greg Rose is a Co-Founder of the Titleist Performance Institute (MyTPI) and Functional Movement Systems.

Greg is a board certified Doctor of Chiropractic and holds an engineering degree from the University of Maryland. Greg specializes in assessing and treating golfers, 3-dimensional biomechanics, strength and conditioning, manual therapy, rehabilitation, nutritional supplementation and therapeutic exercises.

Combining an engineering background with an expertise on the human body, Greg helped pioneer the field of analyzing 3-dimensional motion capture models of the golf swing. That research has helped golf professionals all over the world gain a better understanding of how the body works during the golf swing.

Through the past 17 years, Greg has helped thousands of golfers of all skill levels reach peak athletic performance. His cutting edge yet research-based form of functional training combined with golf-specific motor learning drills have made Greg one of golf’s top strength and conditioning professionals. Greg also helped develop the Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA), a revolutionary movement assessment that helps identify altered motor control and guides medical practitioners on how to treat patients more efficiently.

Greg frequently appears on the Golf Channel. The TPI certification seminar series has made Greg one of the most requested speakers in golf health and fitness. He has lectured in over 21 countries and has been featured in many golf and news publications.

Interview Topics: * Intro and Dr. Rose's story to becoming a chiropractor * Education in engineering and how it influenced his thinking on movement * 3D Motion Capture Models and what we can learn from them * How MyTPI was born, Dr. Rose's creation of the SFMA * Dr. Roses's lecture "Evaluating Rotary Athletes" at Perform Better Summit in Providence, Rhode Island * Who are Rotational Athletes? * Style vs. Biomechanics/Efficiency * The 4 "Must Haves" for Rotational Athletes * The difference between stability and strength * How to measure power for rotational athletes and train it? * And much more

Show Notes: * Dr. Rose (MyTPI) * Dr. Rose (Functional Movement Systems) * MyTPI (Instagram) * Why You Should Evaluate Movement in Junior Athletes * The E-Myth

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LT 091 | Meghan O' Leary - Novice to Olympian in Six Years Subscribe & Review : iTunes | Stitcher The LEO Training Podcast exists for coaches, athletes, and listeners like you. If you enjoy this content and it provides you with valuable information, please consider giving back to LEO Training. Click the button below to Donate! Meghan O’Leary is a 2016 Olympian and five-time National Team member with the United States Rowing Team. She has just finished competing at the 2017 World Rowing Championships in Sarasota, Florida where she won a silver medal in the W2x. Congratulations Meghan O' Leary and Ellen Tomek! A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, she was a two-sport student athlete (Volleyball, Softball) and Jefferson Scholar at the University of Virginia. After obtaining both her Bachelor’s (CLAS ’07) and Master’s (M.Ed ’08) from UVA, she joined ESPN as a Production Assistant, working primarily on college sports and the ESPNU network. After a year, she transitioned into the Programming and Acquisitions Department, continuing her work in the college sports division. In 2010, Meghan’s career took a dramatic turn after picking up rowing for the first time and falling in love with the sport. After just one year of rowing, she was invited to join the USRowing National Training Center in Princeton, New Jersey. During her time with the National Team, Meghan continued to work part-time with ESPN through the spring of 2013, until deciding to pursue her Olympic rowing career full-time. Meghan is a three-time World Cup medalist, four-time National Selection Regatta Champion, and has competed in four world championships. She most recently represented Team USA at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games, placing sixth with her partner, Ellen Tomek. Outside of rowing, Meghan is a professional speaker and writer. She is the Vice President of Customer Success with InstaViser, serves on the USRowing Board of Directors, and is an Athlete Ambassador for Excelle Sports. Interview Topics: * Meghan's journey from 26 year Old Novice to Olympian in Six Years * Two Sport Athlete at University of Virginia and how these sports shaped her future athletic career * Training experience leading up to Rio * Strength & Conditioning work she and Ellen Tomek incorporate * Sports Psychology & Biofeedback * Breathing exercises * Work with InstaViser * Female Athlete Rep for US Rowing * Make the most of your "One Day" * Rapid Fire * and much more!

Show Notes: * Meghan O' Leary (Website) * Meghan O' Leary (Instagram) * Meghan O' Leary (US Rowing Profile) * Meghan O' Leary (World Rowing) * Instaviser * TED Talk "The Power of One Day"

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LT 090 | Brandon Hetzler - The New Language of Movement Subscribe & Review : iTunes | Stitcher The LEO Training Podcast exists for coaches, athletes, and listeners like you. If you enjoy this content and it provides you with valuable information, please consider giving back to LEO Training. Click the button below to Donate! Brandon Hetzler is a Certified Athletic Trainer who serves as the Manager for Mercy Sports Medicine in Springfield, Missouri, where he oversees the Sports Medicine program as well as the Sports Performance program. He helped to develop the curriculum for and teaches in the Masters of Athletic Training degree at Missouri State University. He is a StrongFirst Senior Instructor, SFG II, SFB, and SFL and holds several additional credentials in multiple training disciplines.

Brandon is the co-creator of Movement Restoration, LLC and the Athletic Development Institute, LLC. He has written a book titled Movement Restoration, which proves anyone with enough free time and persistence can write a book. He teaches several workshops every year and when he is not traveling to teach, he spends his time trying to keep his wife, son, and dog in line and going strong.

Interview Topics: * Introduction/Education * Career as an Athletic Trainer * Working at Colorado Springs and at DartFish * Designing curriculum for ATC with his wife for Missouri State * Neurodevelopmental Sequence and Motor Control skill acquisition * Why you want to begin practice with the basics * Importance of establishing ROM benchmarks * Power Generation and power control * and much more!

Show Notes: * A Long Way to Press * The New Language of Movement Volume 1: The Push/Pull Strategy * The New Language of Movement Volume 2: The Symmetrical Stance Strategies * Sports Medicine and ATC Program at Missouri State

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LT 089 | Brad Kearns - Primal Endurance Subscribe & Review : iTunes | Stitcher My guest this week is Brad Kearns noted speaker, author and coach in the health & fitness world for over two decades. During his nine-year career as a triathlete, he was one of the world's top ranked professionals, amassing 30 wins worldwide on the pro circuit. Career highlights include a remarkable streak of seven victories in a row, a world duathlon series championship, and two national triathlon championships and a #3 world ranking in 1991. Brad is the last American professional male in to place in the top-5 in the ITU World Championships (1992) and still holds the Hawaii Ironman 24&under age division American record at 8:57 (1989).

Brad currently works with health&fitness expert Mark Sisson on a comprehensive lifestyle movement called the Primal Blueprint. He is the President of Primal Blueprint Publishing, helped develop the Primal Health Coach certification program, has delivered nearly 30 Primal lifestyle seminars across the USA, and organized and presented at nine "PrimalCon" health and fitness retreats around the world from 2010-2014. He and Mark authored the 2016 release, Primal Endurance, a comprehensive guidebook on how to escape the carbohydrate-dependent, overly stressful conventional approach to training in favor of a healthier, stress-balanced, fat-adapted primal approach.

Interview Topics: * Intro and Background - From Accountant to Triathlon * Slow down to go faster - emphasize building an aerobic base and avoid chronic exercise patterns * How dietary modification can actually improve your endurance performance, making you more efficient at burning fat * Why the "struggle and suffer" approach to endurance training prevails despite everyone knowing better, and how to fix it * Cultivating a pure motivation for peak performance * Considerations for athletes as they age and transition out of professional sports to a "normal" lifestyle - this may be a good opportunity to discuss your blood work that you shared on your website. * Work with Running School and youth athletics * SpeedGolf

Show Notes: * Brad Kearns * Primal Endurance Mastery Course * Primal Endurance The Book

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LT 088 | Andrea U-Shi Chang - Ground Force Method Subscribe & Review : iTunes | Stitcher The LEO Training Podcast exists for coaches, athletes, and listeners like you. If you enjoy this content and it provides you with valuable information, please consider giving back to LEO Training. Click the button below to Donate! Andrea U-Shi Chang, Master SFG Instructor, FMS Instructor, Ground Force Method Global Instructor, Z-Health Movement Coach, and advisory board member for R2P (Rehab 2 Performance), has specialized in movement training and kettlebell coaching since 2005.

In 2009 Andrea opened the Pacific Northwest’s first kettlebell gym—Kettlebility —her Russian Kettlebell Instruction and Elite Performance Coaching studio in Seattle. A successful high school and college athlete, Andrea had stayed active after college (she thought), playing competitive soccer and tennis and 'working out.' But she weighed in at 195 pounds and 34% body fat. Technically obese, she realized something had to change. After a childhood friend introduced Andrea to kettlebells she was amazed. Not only was kettlebell training fun and challenging, it was melting off the fat and giving her back her fit athlete body. In just five months, Andrea lost more than 45 pounds. Better yet, she went from 34% to 18% body fat and gained lean muscle mass. Hard style kettlebells had literally changed her life.

Andrea has been featured in Oprah Magazine and local broadcast and print media. She has worked as a technical advisor on several training and fitness books and edited and co-authored the Ground Force Movement Instructor manual. In 2016 the Seattle Seahawks hired Andrea to set up their Functional Movement Systems (FMS) screening program for players. An early member of the instructor staff of kettlebell pioneer Pavel Tsatsouline, Andrea became editor of Pavel’s online newsletter and authored several articles in StrongFirst and Dragon Door.On a never-ending quest to follow her passion and learn more about strength and movement, Andrea continues to study to refine her knowledge and become a more effective coach. Andrea travels globally as a certification instructor for StrongFirst, Ground Force Method, and FMS. She holds specialty workshops, instructor certifications and group classes and provides personal training for elite athletes and people from all walks of life at her studio, Kettlebility.

Interview Topics: * Intro/Bio * Andrea's Journey to kettlebells * Training for the TSC * Building a community and how the TSC can help * The devotion to skill and practice * Testing standards and progressions to participate in classes at kettlebility * Ground Force Method * Why GFE is an assessment and how instructors can use this to scale their class to any ability level and age group. * Training recommendations for the half bodyweight press (SFG II Strength Standard) * and much more!

Show Notes: * Kettlebility (Website) * Kettlebility (Facebook) * Kettlebility (Instagram) * Ground Force Method * Andrea U-Shi Chang (Bio/Profile on StrongFirst) * Kettlebells to the Rescue: A Total Transformation (Page 26) * The Halo Exercise for Shoulder and Thoracic Mobility

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LT 087 | Jim Klopman - Balance is Power Subscribe & Review : iTunes | Stitcher The LEO Training Podcast exists for coaches, athletes, and listeners like you. If you enjoy this content and it provides you with valuable information, please consider giving back to LEO Training. Click the button below to Donate! Jim is a lifelong innovator who has always been one of those people who thinks differently. He believes balance training has sharpened his ability to make new neural connections and see the possibilities and pathways that others miss.

Originally Jim was looking for a way to maintain his own athletic performance well into his 90s. But the Slackbow Balance Training System he developed turned out to be a key to whole body and mind fitness that was even more revolutionary than he could have imagined.

He is eager to spread his knowledge, techniques and tools far and wide to help seekers like him tune their brains to perform better in work and sports, sleep better, look younger and live longer.

Interview Topics: * Intro/Jim's background * Studies on the SlackBow * How's training done on the SlackBow * Why improvements in balance are transferable to greater opportunities for high performance * The four causes of balance loss * Statistics on death and injury from falling (loss of balance)

Show Notes: * SlackBow (Website) * SlackBow (Instagram) * SlackBow (Facebook) * Balance is Power Book * Falls are leading cause of injury and death in older Americans * Falls Prevention Awareness Day * Resources on Falls from the National Council of Aging * Falls and Injuries Among Adults > 65 (NIH Study)

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LT 086 | Hector Gutierrez - Hardstyle KBJJ Subscribe & Review : iTunes | Stitcher The LEO Training Podcast exists for listeners and supporters like you. If you enjoy this content and it provides you with valuable information, please consider giving back to LEO Training. Click the button below to Donate! Hector is the owner and head instructor of Hardstyle KBJJ in Corpus Christi, TX.

Hector discovered his passion for strength training and overall conditioning in 2000 at Paragon Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Now Presa BJJ) under mentor Aurelio Gallegos Jr. Advancing through his training, Hector became an assistant instructor in 2003.

While instructing students in a variety of techniques, Hector realized the importance of human movement, proper biomechanics, balance, strength, mobility, stability, and endurance.

Inspired, he pursued education in Hatha Yoga, becoming a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT). In 2009, through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (N.A.S.M), he became a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) and Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES).

Hector then began a search for a training technique/tool that would enable him to evolve athletically. He found his answer after a Jiu-Jitsu seminar with black belt Tyrone Glover at Paragon Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Hector asked Tyrone, "What are you doing for your strength and conditioning? You have the strength of a 200-pounder but only weigh 165 pounds!"

The answer was Kettlebells. Taking up this new discipline, Hector immersed himself in Russian Kettlebell training. Looking to maximize his potential, he turned to the expertise found at the elite level of the Russian Kettlebell Challenge (RKC) now StrongFirst.

After 10 intense (and challenging) years, incorporating the Russian Kettlebell into his Jiu-Jitsu training, Hector earned his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt August 22, 2011 from Ricardo (Franjinha) Miller and Aurelio Gallegos Jr..

In 2011, he established the first and only movement based kettlebell / Jiu-Jitsu school in the world.
Hardstyle (Kettlebells / Jiu Jitsu) KBJJ!

Topics: * Intro/Background * BJJ Training & Kettlebells * Barbell Deadlift * Nuances of the wedge * Offset Double KB Cleans & Their Benfits * and much more!

Show Notes: * Hardstyle Kettlebell (Website) * Hardstyle Kettlebell (YouTube)

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LT 085 | Joel Proskewitz - PerformanceRx Subscribe & Review : iTunes | Stitcher The LEO Training Podcast exists for listeners and supporters like you. If you enjoy this content and it provides you with valuable information, please consider giving back to LEO Training. Click the button below to Donate! Joel Proskewitz is an internationally acclaimed strength coach and health and fitness expert. His unique approach focuses on effective, tailored training and rehabilitation programs that achieve results that really last.

With an excess of 30,000 hours of training, Joel has worked with a wide range of clients including Olympic medalists, business executives, rehabilitation patients and families keen to improve their long-term fitness.

After becoming a national champion in two of the most demanding sports, Karate and Bodybuilding, Joel has spent the last 23 years working as a personal trainer, continuously developing his skills in training and rehabilitation.

Joel works with Professor Stuart McGill (head of spinal biomechanics – University of Waterloo, Canada) in the rehabilitation of lower back pathologies. He also an assistant instructor for Prof. McGill on the McGill clinical courses and a lead instructor for the McGill Trainer courses.

Joel has been a presenter at high profile health and fitness conferences such as the Discovery Fitness Convention and the South African High Performance Institute, giving advice on topics including strength training for women, Olympic lifting for sports performance and practical nutrition for fat loss. He has also featured in leading publications, such as Men’s Fitness and Men’s Health.

Topics: * Joel's background and education * How he came to work on low back rehab * Joel's work with Dr. McGill * Why Joel observes one spinal surgery each month and what he learns * The setup and environment at PerformanceRx * His work with the 2000 Sydney Men's Pair from South Africa

Show Notes: * PerformanceRx (Website) * PerformanceRx (Facebook) * PerformanceRx (Instagram) * Courses * BackFitPro

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LT 084 | Dr. Stuart McGill - Enhancing Athleticism in Rowers Subscribe & Review : iTunes | Stitcher The LEO Training Podcast exists for listeners and supporters like you. If you enjoy this content and it provides you with valuable information, please consider giving back to LEO Training. Click the button below to Donate! We’re back with Episode 084 of the LEO Training Podcast. I am pleased to have Dr. Stuart McGill back on the show as a return guest. His first interview, LT 012 | Dr. Stuart McGill - Spine Hygiene for Rowers. has been one of my most popular episodes to date. Today’s interview will focus on one topic into which Dr. McGill and I will diver very deep into: enhancing athleticism in rowers - simply put what can we do to improve performance.

Dr. Stuart McGill is a retired Professor of Spine Biomechanics at the University of Waterloo. Dr. McGill is the author of over 400 scientific publications and 3 textbooks that address issues such as, lumbar spine function and injury mechanisms, patient assessment, corrective exercise prescription, and performance training. Dr. McGill consults for many medical management groups, governments, corporations, legal firms, and elite sports teams and athletes from around the world and has won numerous awards, including the Volvo Bioengineering Award for Low Back Pain Research. Dr. McGill is one of the few scientists who are regularly referred challenging patients for consult from around the world.

Here’s what you will learn in this episode:

  • How Dr. McGill's work started in the research lab, progressed to the clinic, and made its way into the realm of high performers.
  • Principles for training a rower: What is elastic energy storage? Why is it important to train and how do we do it? How do we tune the rowing stroke to the athletes flexibility and stiffness?
  • Why "hollowing" or activating the TVA does not promote spinal stability and is a poor skill for athletes to learn?
  • How to build stiffness with the Big 3? How the Big 3 helps with short and long term cumulative stiffness in the torso? Once we have established this foundation, what higher level exercises should rowers progress to enhance pulsing, timing, and kime (Turbo ball training, KB swing) ? How do we build injury resilience from this?
  • Injury clusters on teams: How posture impacts injury - "C" spine vs. a more neutral spine. How this impacts a higher incidence of disc bulges. Is it possible to get into a neutral posture in a rowing shell due to the seated position and impact of the foot stretcher and rowing stroke mechanics?
  • Adaptions to training, intensity,and volume. - How to balance the strength and conditioning with the training for the sport to enhance elastic energy storage? Do we really want to emphasize and focus on heavy strength work ala a powerlifter or do we want to promote more elastic, ballistic qualities to enhance injury resilience and sports performance? What lifts should we avoid (Olympic style lifts)?
  • Any special considerations for a elite athlete vs. a masters athlete for the aforementioned topics?
  • Back Mechanic Companion Videos
  • McGill 3 Seminar at Kabuki Strength

Show Notes: www.backfitpro.com

BackFitPro (Facebook)

BackFitPro (Instagram)

University of Waterloo Spine Biomechanics Laboratory

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LT 083 | Valerie Pawlowski - Becoming a World Champion My guest this week for Episode 083 of the LEO Training Podcast is Kettlebell Sport World Champion, Valerie Pawlowski. This is a fantastic interview chronicling her journey between both hardstyle and girevoy sport and her path to eventually becoming a gold medalist on the world's stage.

Valerie Pawlowski earned her B.A. degree in Communications from William Paterson University, Paterson.
Valerie is a NESTA Certified Adventure Boot Camp Instructor. She is certified as a Medical Exercise Specialist by AAHFP, and as a Personal Trainer through ACE and AFAA. Valerie is also a Nutrition Specialist with Lifestyle Management Associates and Certified in Pilates and Flexibility Training.

With more than 18 years of experience and expertise, presently the Owner of The Body Barn, Co Owner of Punch Kettlebell Gym, Far Hills and Art Of Strength Training Center, Warren Valerie is dedicated to inspiring others to pursue and achieve their goals for a more healthy and improved lifestyle.

Additionally, Valerie is personally involved in many diverse activities ranging from Triathlons, Adventure Racing and Mountain Biking to placing first in 1998 in the New Jersey Natural Bodybuilding Championship. These achievements not only satisfy her drive for success but also serve as an example for others to “believe it and achieve it”. Helping others to build confidence in their own abilities, and exceeding their own expectations is her ultimate goal!

Interview Topics: * Intro/Background * Hardstyle and GS - Pavel Tsatsouline and Valery Fedorenko * Anthony DiLugio * The youth movement in kettlebells * Paving a path to kettlebells being in the Olympics * and much more!

Show Notes: * Valerie Pawlowski * NJ Bootcamp

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LT 082 | Tony Cowden - The 666 Challenge Subscribe & Review : iTunes | Stitcher In Episode 082 of the LEO Training Podcast, I sit down with my guest, Tony Cowden to discuss two of my favorite subjects: strength and endurance.

Tony has 21 years in the Special Operations community, serving over 8 years and 26 deployments in Afghanistan, Iraq and other Central Asian and Africa countries. He began training for and competing in triathlons in 1998 and in 2005 in functional fitness competitions. He got his Level 1 CrossFit® Certification in 2006. He affiliated CrossFit Wilmington in 2007. He qualified for the 2012 Games., is a USAW Masters Weightlifting Champion in both the 94kg and the 105kg divisions. He is a successful triathlete, completing more than 50 races, including Iron Distance races.

Tony coached his first athlete to The CrossFit Games in 2009, and has since sent 16 more, including teams and masters athletes. He has sent 28 athletes to The Games Regional competitions, and developed Powerlifters, Strongman Competitors, triathletes, Ultra Endurance athletes and Military personnel.

In recent years, Tony has helped lead the way in developing hybrid endurance and strength athletes, especially within the military. His END|Strength™ Programming develops high levels of endurance and strength simultaneously and has become the go to of the US military special operations personnel as well as athletes looking for new challenges.

Proving his END|Strength methods, he completed the Beach 2 Battleship Half IronMan Triathlon in 6 hours and the following day Squatted 505lbs and Deadlifted 565lbs.

On April 9th, 2016 Tony squatted 600lbs, Deadlifted 600lbs and ran a sub-six minute mile (5:41), making him one of the very few who have completed The 666 Challenge… the only man over 40 years old to.

Tony’s most recent accomplishment is completing the first annual 106º West Triathlon in Dillon, CO. At 10,000 plus ft, the 106 West is the highest elevation half iron distance triathlon in the World. With early morning temps at just over freezing, gusting winds, water temp of 50 degrees, and the steep climbs you would expect of the Colorado Rockies, the 106 is one of the most challenging. Further proving the END|Strength methods, two days after the race, Tony squatted 505lbs and Deadlifted 505lbs for 6 reps.

Interview Topics: * Intro/Background * Work in Special Forces * Brian Carroll and PowerRackStrength * The 666 Challenge * 10/20/Life * and much more!

Show Notes: * Tony Cowden * Tony Cowden (Instagram) * Tony Cowden performing The 666 Challenge * PowerRackStrength * 10/20/Life

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LT 081 | Danny Clark - MovNat Subscribe & Review : iTunes | Stitcher In Episode 081 of the LEO Training Podcast I sit down and interview Danny Clark. Danny has an incredible background as an athlete and coach.

He is a Beast Tamer with StrongFirst and is currently acting as the Performance Director for MovNat. In addition, he also owns a gym, Rebar Fitness, a scientifically based, strength and conditioning personal training practice. He is a world-class athlete, a scholar in evolutionary biology and archaeology, and has extensive knowledge of exercise science and S&C programming. His unique skill set and expertise enables him to develop thorough and highly informed MovNat movement progressions and performance programming standards, as well as class profiles for MovNat Gym and Class Licensees.

Throughout his youth Danny was recognized for his exceptional athletic talents. His training in wrestling and judo earned him a Division 1 scholarship to the University of Virginia. An injury abruptly ended his wrestling career, but fortunately instigated a transition into Brazilian jiu jitsu and MMA training. He would go on to win a bronze medal for Team USA at the UWW World Grappling Championships in Krakow, Poland in 2012. All along Danny has immersed himself in many alternative arts, such as yoga and kettlebell training, in an effort to correct some of the imbalances and wear his body had accumulated from years of heavy physical stress. But nothing had a more profound or long-lasting effect than training first-hand with Erwan Le Corre. He learned that MovNat could heal years of abuse, neglect, and over-specialization.

After he and his wife, Abby, received their Level II Certifications they immediately started implementing the MovNat method into their coaching and classes and saw great results. Natural Movement® provided a solid movement, skill, and physical foundation for everyone while fixing many glaring issues of the fitness industry in the process. Danny went on to complete his level III certification and is now a MovNat Master Instructor.

Danny is grateful to help bring Natural Movement to the masses and affirms with confidence that MovNat “is certain to become the most complete and effective fitness system the world will ever know.”

Interview Topics: * Intro/Background * Education in Evolutionary Biology and Archaeology * Most effective ways to address movement deficiencies * Skill is the most important and why it drives fitness. * How your environment shapes your movement. * Put our attention into our intention * and much more!

Show Notes: * Beast Tamer * MovNat * Rebar Fitness * Danny Clark (Instagram) * MovNat (Facebook)

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LT 080 | Jeff O'Connor - Youth Athletic Development Subscribe & Review : iTunes | Stitcher My guest this week is Jeff O' Connor. Jeff is a former Master RKC, veteran of the United States Navy, and a career firefighter. In addition, he is a two time winner of Oklahoma's Strongest Man and 2001 Winner of the North America's Strongest Man, 275 lb Division (NASS).

Jeff has devoted much of his time to the development of children and adolescents. He places a strong emphasis on movement. Jeff believes that teaching the skills of strength, coordination, mobility, agility, and flexibility at the proper stages of development is the foundation for athletic performance at the highest levels.

This past week Jeff and Senior SFG, Brandon Hetzler released a brand new work "The New Language of Movement Vol 1: The Push/Pull Strategy". It's available for free through iTunes and can be read in iBooks. Be sure to check it out!

Interview Topics: * Intro/Background * Identifying key abilities that need to be developed in an individual * What's the biggest priority? * Injury Prevention & High Performance * Health and Fitness are not separate * Don't chase reps! * Teaching the athlete to process information from multiple stimulus and inputs - verbal, visual, kinesthetic * Motor skill development * Jeff's thoughts on the application and value * and much more!

Show Notes: * Outlaw Strength * "The New Language of Movement Vol 1: The Push/Pull Strategy" * Jeff O'Connor Instructor Profile on DragonDoor * Kettlebells for Power Athletes * Kalosthenos: Kettlebells from the Ground Up Part 2

It’s easy to review the show and it helps the show grow and reach a new audience. If you enjoyed this episode please take a moment and drop a review in iTunes or Stitcher. Thank you!

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LT 079 | Dani Almeyda - Original Strength

My guest for Episode 079 of the LEO Training Podcast is Dani Almeyda, co-owner of Original Strength.

Dani has worked in the health and fitness industry for the last 10 years. Throughout her whole life, health and wellness have had a major influence on Dani. Whether it was from her experience as collegiate athlete, as a Director of Campus Recreation, or as a Fitness Professional, her experiences and formal education have provided her with the tools necessary to be successful.

Dani is a co-owner of a private training studio in North Carolina, OPT Fitness, and has a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion. She brings an abundance of energy, passion, and an incredible drive to help the world regain it’s Original Strength. Almeyda, a mother of two, is also working on a developing a program specifically for mom’s.

Interview Topics: * Intro/Background * Original Strength * Neurodevelopmental patterns * Breathing, Head Control, Rolling, Rocking, Crawling * Women's Movement Collaborative

Show Notes: * Original Strength * Original Strength (Facebook) * Original Strength Institute * Women's Movement Collaborative

It’s easy to review the show and it helps the show grow and reach a new audience. If you enjoyed this episode please take a moment and drop a review in iTunes or Stitcher. Thank you!

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LT 078 | Joe Daniels - Heart Rate Training with Kettlebells Subscribe & Review : iTunes | Stitcher This week my guest is Joe Daniels from Swing This Kettlebell & Strength. Joe was a former bodybuilder who moved into kettlebell sport and not only competes but also owns a facility in Kentucky focusing on competition kettlebell training, improving movement. He also owns a flotation tank that helps to aid in recovery and promote better tissues quality.

This interview is focused on three main topics:

  • Heart Rate and heart rate variability training with kettlebells
  • Mastering the Kettlebell Press by Joe Daniels and Taco Fleur
  • Flotation Tanks

Show Notes: * Swing This Kettlebell & Strength * Joe Daniels (Instagram) * Joe Daniels' Wellness * Why I highly recommend a heart rate monitor * Heart Rate Training Protocol #1: Breathing & Technique Work * Master the Kettlebell Press

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LT 077 | Dr. Emily Splichal - Barefoot Training Subscribe & Review : iTunes | Stitcher In Episode 077 of the LEO Training Podcast I sat down and interviewed Dr Emily Splichal. Dr. Emily Splichal is a Podiatrist and Human Movement Specialist, is the Founder of the Evidence Based Fitness Academy and Creator of the Barefoot Training Specialist®, BarefootRx® and BARE® Workout Certifications for health and wellness professionals. With over 15 years in the fitness industry, Dr Splichal has dedicated her medical career towards studying postural alignment and human movement as it relates to foot function and barefoot training.

Dr Splichal actively sees patients out of her office in Manhattan, NY with a specialty in sports medicine, biomechanics and forefoot surgery.

Dr Splichal is actively involved in barefoot training research and barefoot education as it relates to athletic performance, injury prevention and movement longevity. Dr Splichal has presented her research and barefoot education both nationally and internationally, with her Barefoot Training Specialist® Program in over 28 countries worldwide and translated into 9 languages.

Due to her unique background Dr Splichal is able to serve as a Consultant for some of the top fitness, footwear and orthotic companies including NIKE Innovations, Trigger Point Performance Therapy, Aetrex Worldwide, Crunch Fitness and Sols.

Degrees/Certifications: Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM), Master's Human Movement (MS), NASM-CES, NASM-PES, NSCA-CPT

Here are some of the topics we discuss in this interview:

  • Dr. Emily's education and background and how she became interested in barefoot training
  • Pronation/Supination/Neutral Foot
  • Barefoot Training
  • Common misconceptions and misunderstandings about Janda's short foot
  • Triplanar movement of the foot
  • BareBiomechanics when walking
  • Why impact = vibration
  • Foot to Core and Fascial Integration
  • and much more!

Show Notes: * Dr. Emily Splichal * Barefoot Strong Blog * Barefoot Strong Summit * Evidence Based Fitness Academy * Foot.com

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LT 076 | Dr. Cameron Nichol - RowingWOD Subscribe & Review : iTunes | Stitcher In Episode 076 of the LEO Training Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Cameron Nichol, 2x Silver Medalist at the World Rowing Championships and Olympian and the founder of RowingWOD. He is also a doctor who is on a mission to change the world through health, fitness, and exercise based interventions.

Here is what you will learn in this interview:

  • Dr. Cameron Nichol's background and how he got started rowing
  • Medical Education and Concentration
  • Training around Med School
  • How Great Britain Rowing trains and how it compares to CrossFit
  • Why GB Rowing is successful and what they do better than any other national rowing governing body
  • Rehab from Rib injury
  • and much more!

It’s easy to review the show and it helps the show grow and reach a new audience. If you enjoyed this episode please take a moment and drop a review in iTunes or Stitcher. Thank you!

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Show Notes: * Dr. Cameron Nichol (Wikipedia) * Dr. Cameron Nichol (World Rowing) * Dr. Cameron Nichol (Instagram) * RowingWOD (Website) * RowingWOD (Facebook) * RowingWOD (Instagram) * The right way to add rowing to your training regime * 4 Principles to Master the Rowing Machine * Indoor Rowing into the Crossfit World

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LT 075 | Paul Taras Wolkowinski - Restorative Training: Indian Clubs, Persian Mils & the Gada Mace Subscribe & Review : iTunes | Stitcher This week’s podcast guest is Paul Taras Wolkowinski and we discuss four pieces of equipment centered around restorative training.

Paul founded Indian Clubs Australia. He is an expert club swinger and teacher. After spending years researching, reading and learning from old books and manuals, plus travelling extensively, Paul has become an expert in the four disciplines of club swinging: Indian Clubs, Persian Mil, Indian Jori and Gada Mace.

Here is what you will learn in this interview:

  • Paul's background and education and how he became interested in all the different types of club swinging
  • The History of each tool: Indian Clubs, Persian Mil, Indian Jori, and Gada Mace
  • How to make your own home made gada and why you may want to do this!
  • Steel Mace vs. the Gada - Key differences in equipment and how they effect club swinging
  • How Indian clubs compliment barbell, kettlebell and bodyweight training
  • How club swinging can help you recover from a shoulder injury and improve posture and breathing
  • Dr. Ed Thomas and Gray Cook
  • Sim D. Kehoe
  • and much more!

It’s easy to review the show and it helps the show grow and reach a new audience. If you enjoyed this episode please take a moment and drop a review in iTunes or Stitcher. Thank you!

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Show Notes: * Indian Clubs Australia * Facebook Group: Indian Clubs, Meels, and Club Bell * Paul's YouTube Channel: Indian Clubs & How to Use Them * Club Swinging Essentials

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LT 074 | Sam Loch - The Watt Farm Subscribe & Review : iTunes | Stitcher This week's podcast guest is Sam Loch. Sam is a returning guest and I had him on just over a year ago in Episode 018 - Hybrid Barbarian Training.

Sam has made some incredible progress over the last year in his training - both in the gym and on the Concept 2 Indoor Rower. Sam has deadlifted over 600 pounds and set two world records on the Concept 2. He holds the record for 1 minute and 1000 meters respectively on the Concept 2 Ergometer. He has also launched the Watt Farm, his online coaching business.

In this interview Sam and I catch up over the past year and he opens up about his current goal, the pursuit of the 500 meter world record on the Concept 2 Ergometer.

Here's what you will learn in this interview:

  • Sam's progress and updates over the last year
  • Setting two world records and deadlifting over 600 pounds
  • "How much you can adapt to, not how much you can do"
  • Why Sam prioritizes strength work first and then focuses on his Concept 2 Ergometer training
  • The importance of visualization
  • Why 2 sessions a day cuts recovery time
  • The stimulus the higher drag factor provides
  • Trying to make race pace feel as easy as possible
  • "Technique is the way forward"
  • and much more!

It’s easy to review the show and it helps the show grow and reach a new audience. If you enjoyed this episode please take a moment and drop a review in iTunes or Stitcher. Thank you!

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Show Notes: Sam Loch (World Rowing)

Sam Loch (Instagram)

The Watt Farm

Sam's World Records on Concept 2

Concept 2

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LT 073 | Dr. Carol Addy - Long-term Health and Weight Loss Management This week's guest is Dr. Carol Addy, Chief Medical Officer for HMR Weight Management Services Corporation.

Dr. Addy is a physician executive who has served as a champion of wellness for over 30 years. Her professional experience has permitted her the opportunity to share her passion for lifestyle and to optimize outcomes for individuals and populations using an evidence-based, data-driven approach.

As a former professional cyclist and health and fitness spokesperson, she gained an appreciation of the health benefits of physical activity and proper nutrition, and, as an internist/endocrinologist, she shared this knowledge with her patients as a powerful and cost-effective means of disease prevention and as an adjunct to cardiometabolic disease treatment.

More recently, Dr. Addy accepted the position of Chief Medical Officer at HMR Weight Management Services, Corp., a fully owned subsidiary of Merck. In this role she is responsible for providing medical oversight and subject matter expertise for the delivery of lifestyle-based, behavioral interventions for weight loss and long-term weight management. Given her strong background as a physician/scientist, she maintains a strong interest in research and seek opportunities for collaboration in data analytics and outcomes research. She has considerable experience speaking and presenting at conferences and meetings, as well as interacting with C-suite executives to make the business case for health.

In this interview we discuss:

  • Dr. Addy's background
  • Current role at HMR
  • Background as a pro cyclist and kettlebell sport athlete
  • How she has been known to write prescriptions for exercise vs. drugs.
  • Why weight loss and weight management is about lifestyle and choices
  • Developing good habits and behavior around diet and exercise
  • and much more!

Show Notes: * Dr. Carol Addy * HMR Weight Management Services * HMR Program Named a No. 1 “Best Fast Weight-Loss Diet” by U.S. News & World Report * Comparison of Weight-Loss Diets with Different Compositions of Fat, Protein, and Carbohydrates

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LT 072 | Drew Ginn - Will it make the boat go faster? Subscribe & Review : iTunes | Stitcher This week my guest is Drew Ginn. Drew Ginn is a legend in the sport of rowing and I am absolutely honored to have had the opportunity to sit down and speak with him. Here is what prompted this interview. I had recently read the book "The Kiwi Pair: The Story Behind Our World-Beating Rowers" by Hamish Bond and Eric Murray. In their book they discuss how they came across a video Drew Ginn had posted on his blog, Rudderfish. The title of the video was "Will it make the boat go faster?" and in it Drew shares some of his thoughts on what he had been taught by coaches and what he felt truly translated into greater boat speed. (I highly encourage you to watch the YouTube video to give you some proper background to this podcast interview).

After watching this video I reached out to Drew personally and asked him if he be gracious enough to be a guest on the podcast.

Here are some of the career accomplishments Drew has achieved in the sport of rowing:

OLYMPIC RESULTS

  • 2012 London: Men’s Coxless Fours – Silver
  • 2008 Beijing: Men’s Coxless Pairs – Gold
  • 2004 Athens: Men’s Coxless Pairs – Gold
  • 1996 Atlanta: Men’s Coxless Fours – Gold

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

  • 2011 World Championships Coxless Fours: Bronze
  • 2007 World Championships Coxless Pairs: Gold
  • 2006 World Championships: Gold
  • 2003 World Championships: Gold
  • 2002 World Championships: Fourth
  • 1999 World Championships: Gold
  • 1998 World Championships: Silver
  • 1998 World Championships Coxed Four: Gold
  • 1997 World Championships Men’s Eight: Bronze
  • 1995 World Championships: Eleventh
  • 1995 European Championships: Fourth
  • 1996 European Championships Coxless Fours: Silver
  • 1995 World Championships: Fifth
  • 1995 European Championships: Ninth

HONOURS

  • Thomas Keller Recipient – 2014
  • Crew of the Year – 2003
  • Australian Sports Medal – 2000
  • Order of Australia Medal OAM – 1997

Interview Topics: * Drew's background in sport and what he is currently doing * Why he recorded the video "Will it make the boat go faster?" * Drew's thoughts on rowing technique and how this differs from traditional thoughts on technique * Bungee cord rowing and its value * His back injuries and how he rehabbed them * Drew's thoughts on strength and conditioning and what he did early in his career vs. end of his career and what worked best * Improving movement and skill on land to reinforce good technique and boat speed on the water * and much more!

Show Notes: * Drew Ginn (Personal Website) * Rudderfish * Drew Ginn Athlete Profile (World Rowing) * Drew Ginn 2014 Thomas Keller Award Recipient * "Will it make the boat go faster?" * The Kiwi Pair

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My guest this week is Jon Engum. Jon Engum is a 7th Dan Kukkiwon Certified Taekwondo Grandmaster and holds Master rank in Hapkido and Kumdo.

He is the author of Flexible Steel, Creator and Chief Instructor of the Flexible Steel system, owner of Jon Engum's Extreme Training, Engum's Academy of Taekwondo and a StrongFirst Master Instructor who teaches workshops, courses and certifications worldwide.

Jon and I catch up after I recently attended the Flexible Steel Level I Seminar in New York City.

Interview Topics: * Jon's background in martial arts and roots in kettlebell training * Why he started Flexible Steel * How Flexible Steel is different * The 3 S's * My experience using Flexible Steel post workshop during a training session and my results * Handstand Pushups--> Military Press * Single Arm Clean & Jerk for MMA Fighters * and much more!

Show Notes: * Jon's Engum's Extreme Training * Flexible Steel

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My guest this week is Dr. Evan Johnson, Assistant Professor of Exercise Physiology in the Department of Kinesiology and Health at the University of Wyoming. Dr. Johnson focuses his research interests on the physiological mechanisms and overall health benefits related to optimal hydration, physical activity, and heat exposure. Dr. Johnson earned his B.A. at The George Washington University, his M.A. and Ph.D from the University of Connecticut. In this interview we take a hard look at some of the scientific literature out there around some key topics that have been getting a lot of in the last several years. This is a great opportunity to look beyond some of the marketing that companies and products put forward and have a better grasp on the science. Check out the topics below to see what we discussed.

Interview Topics: * Dr. Johnson's Career and focus for his coursework * What prompted us to have this podcast (my Instagram post on grip strength) * His research on hydration * Wearable technology for weight loss * The altitude mask * and much more

Show Notes: * Dr. Evan Johnson * Muscle strength: clinical and prognostic value of hand-grip dynamometry * Prognostic value of grip strength: findings from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study * Grip strength and mortality: a biomarker of ageing? * Effect of Wearing the Elevation Training Mask on Aerobic Capacity, Lung Function, and Hematological Variables * Wearable Technology and Long-term Weight Loss—Reply

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LT 069 | Kelly Manzone - Movement over Aesthetics Subscribe & Review : iTunes | Stitcher This week my guest is Kelly Manzone. Kelly is a wife and mother who utilizes a variety of different modalities to improve strength, flexibility, and fitness. Above all Kelly integrates all of these different disciplines to live a life of movement. We cover a variety of different topics in this interview and there is something for coaches, trainers, and the layperson to takeaway from this conversation.

Interview Topics: * Kelly's intro/background * Integration of various disciplines such as the mace, kettlebell, stick mobility, original strength * Movement over Aesthetics * GS Planet & Vintage Strength * The fitness industry has forgotten about women over 35 * Kelly's response to dealing with serious health issues include a back injury and GI * GS and Hardstyle * Competing at the Arnold Classic

Show Notes: * Kelly Manzone (Website) * Kelly Manzone (Instagram) * Original Strength * CavemanTraining * Stick Mobility * Arnold Classic

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LT 068 | Greg Hughes - Integrating Technology into Collegiate Rowing Subscribe & Review : iTunes | Stitcher Earlier this year I had the pleasure of catching up with Princeton University Men's Heavyweight Rowing Coach Greg Hughes at the 2016 Joy of Sculling Conference. Greg teamed up with rowing biomechanics expert Connie Draper to give a great presentation on the integration of different types of technology into collegiate rowing. This is a fascinating look at how coaches and athletes can use data from the boat such as force curves, individual data such as heart rate variability and heart rate, and GPS data to become better informed about how to execute during training as well as enhance our ability to recover between training sessions.

Greg has had tremendous success as an athlete and a coach. Here are just some of the highlights of his career.

Greg Hughes begins his eighth season with the Tiger heavyweights in 2017 and has guided Princeton to a 16-2 record over the last two seasons, as well as medals at both Sprints and IRAs both season. Last year, Princeton went 8-1 and won medals in its top four boats at postseason regattas; the varsity boat took silver at Sprints and bronze at IRAs, its best postseason performance in a decade.

Since 2013, Princeton has made every grand final at Sprints and IRAs, and it hasn't finished below fourth in either.

As the heavyweight coach, Hughes has led Princeton to an 48-14 record, including an 29-13 mark in the Ivy League. He has also helped several of his individual rowers to international success, including 2016 captain Martin Barakso, who was a member of the Canadian Team at the 2015 Senior World Championships. Many of his rowers have competed at the U-23 Worlds annually, including eight current or incoming rowers at the 2016 Championships.

Hughes, a former Ivy League and national champion rower with the Princeton men’s lightweights, took over as head coach of the men’s lightweight crew in 2006, following the retirement of his former coach, Joe Murtaugh. In his first year, Hughes turned a team that had gone 2-7 in consecutive seasons into a program that went 5-3 and earned a bronze medal at nationals.

In each of the next three seasons, Princeton’s winning percentage would improve, and the Orange and Black would win at least one medal at either the EARC or IRA championships. In 2008, the Tigers rose to No. 1 in the national rankings, won its first Goldthwait Cup over Harvard and Yale since 1999 and placed second at the Eastern championships.

In 1999, Hughes co-coached the U.S. lightweight men’s 2- and the heavyweight 2+ at the World Championships, with the latter winning the gold. He co-coached the U.S. men’s eight and the men’s pair at the Under-23 World Championships in 2000, where the eight won a bronze medal. The next year, Hughes assisted Murtaugh in coaching the U.S. lightweight eight that won bronze at the World Championships. In 2002, Hughes coached the Under-23 men’s eight to a gold and the pair to a bronze at the World Championships. He also led the U.S. 4+ to a bronze medal at the 2004 World Championships. In 2005, Hughes coached the US men’s 4- which finished 4th at the Under-23 Worlds, and he coached the U.S. men's 4+ to gold at the 2007 World Championships.

Hughes was a four-year lightweight rower under Murtaugh. A 1996 Princeton graduate, Hughes was undefeated in all of his four regular seasons and won two Eastern Sprints titles. He was an All-Ivy League rower on the 1994 and 1996 national championship lightweight crews. He served as team captain in 1996 and won the Gordon G. Sikes Award for the greatest contribution to Princeton lightweight crew. He would go on to be an alternate for both the 1997 and 1998 lightweight U.S. national teams.

Interview Topics: * Intro/Background as an athlete * Greg's path to coaching * Firstbeat * Peach System * Catapult * High Performance Initiative at Princeton University * Accounting for the rigors of an academic schedule with student athletes * Peaking for high performance in college rowing * and much more

Show Notes: * Princeton University Men's Heavyweight Rowing (Website) * Princeton University Men's Heavyweight Rowing (Instagram) * First Beat * Peach System * Catapult Sports

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This podcast interview has a very special meaning for me personally. I got to sit down and interview Dr. Perry Nickelston who is the person who inspired me to start this podcast. He gave me the belief that it was possible and planted the seed in my mind that it was something I could do. I've had the privilege of learning from Dr. Perry twice in person. The first time was at the RockTape FMT 1 & 2 Seminar and the second time was at his workshop, Primal Movement Chains. This is a phenomenal interview and was a ton of fun. We cover a ton of ground and we also discuss Dr. Perry's upcoming book being released later this year.

Dr. Perry Nickelston is a chiropractic physician with nineteen years in the trenches helping people get out of pain. He is the owner of the Pain Laser Center in Waldwick, New Jersey, which specializes in Deep Tissue Laser Therapy for pain relief and healing, and the owner and director of Stop Chasing Pain, an education company dedicated to teaching people how to move better and take back control of their lives from pain. He is an international speaker and teacher on movement, pain, laser therapy, and corrective exercise programs and the creator of the “Primal Movement Chains: Moving Beyond Mobility” courses, which are taught all over the world. He is also a writer and columnist for numerous fitness and health industry publications; a Master Instructor for Rocktape, Neurokinetic Therapy, Functional Movement Screen, and Selective Functional Movement Assessment; and a board member for the AIMLA American Institute for Medical Laser Application.

Here's what you will learn in this interview: * Dr. Nickelston's background and journey as a teacher and clinician * The story behind the 'Stop Chasing Pain' name * Dr. Perry's approach to movement, training, and health * Most common types of pain he sees in his clinic * Why Stability Rules the Movement Road * Training stability by making someone more stable not less * Speed Hides Need! * Why pain is a protective mechanism and recognizing that movement does not lie * Primal Movement Chains Workshop * Stop Chasing Pain - The Book * Amino Health Care * and much more!

Show Notes: * Stop Chasing Pain (Website) * Stop Chasing Pain (Facebook) * Stop Chasing Pain (Instagram) * Stop Chasing Pain (The Book) * RockTape * AminoHealthCare.com

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Mike is the founder and owner of Skill of Strength. In his thirteen plus years as a Personal Trainer and Strength and Conditioning Coach, he has trained clients of all ages and abilities including athletes represented in MLS, NFL, MLB, UFC Bellator MMA, CES MMA and other local mixed martial arts promotions.

In addition to providing performance-based training, Mike specializes in training clients with prior injuries including low back pain, shoulder, hip and knee injuries, and virtually any type of movement dysfunction. He works closely with local chiropractors, physical therapists and muscular therapists to ensure his clients are getting the best care possible.

In addition to running Skill of Strength, Mike works as a consultant to several other gyms where he runs in-house seminars for their staff. He is available to present on strength and conditioning related topics including, but not limited to, kettlebell training, barbell training and functional movement.

Mike also works for Pavel Tsatouline’s company, StrongFirst. He is a StrongFirst Senior Instructor (Kettlebell Instructor) and SFL instructor (Barbell Instructor) for StrongFirst. In this position as Senior Instructor, he leads teams of other instructor candidates during StrongFirst certifications and runs one-day user courses at Skill of Strength and other gyms.

Mike also recently accepted a position as an instructor with Functional Movement Systems (FMS).

Mike’s true passion is working with Mixed Martial Artists. He currently trains over a dozen local fighters including several title holders. He runs a website dedicated to the art of strength and conditioning for fighters, www.mmafightprep.com.

Mike’s credentials include: * National Strength and Conditioning Association – Certified Personal Trainer – (NSCA-CPT) * Strongfirst Senior Instructor * Strongfirst Barbell Lifter- (SFL) * USA Weightlifting Sports Performance Coach- (USA-W) * USA Track and Field Coach (USATF) * Functional movement screen certified specialist (FMS 1+2) * Certified Kettlebell Functional Movement Specialist (CK-FMS) * FMS Assistant Instructor

Here is what you will learn in the interview: * Mike's background * Skill of Strength's Intake Process for New students and clients * Correct vs. Corrective exercise * Training clients coming back from low back injuries * Progressions & why regressions are doing your work twice * MMA programming * Why Movement prep should be skilled based * Efficiency vs fitness * The importance of the weight shift in the pistol * and much more

Show Notes: * Skill of Strength (Website) * Skill of Strength (Facebook) * Skill of Strength (Instagram) * Mike Perry (Instagram) * Pistol Tutorial

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In Episode 065 I had the honor to sit down with Brian Carroll a legend in the sport of powerlifting. Brian and I met this past February at the McGill 2 seminar. After chatting a bit during the weekend I asked him to be a guest on the podcast. I was also lucky enough to receive a copy of Brian's book 10/20/Life.

Brian and I discuss his career, his book and how you can apply these principles to your own training.

Here is a bit more about Brian's background:

A competitive powerlifter since 1999, Brian Carroll is one of the most accomplished lifters in the history of the sport. After suffering a debilitating back injury in 2012—including several broken bones—Brian used his 10/20/Life principles, which incorporate the methods of world-renowned lower back specialist Dr. Stuart McGill, to return to competition with a 2610 pound total winning both the 242 open & the overall at the 2015 Arnold Sports Festival.

Career Highlights: * Holds, or has held, multiple world, national, and state records in the 220, 242, and 275 pound weight classes. * One of few lifters to attain a professional powerlifting total in three different weight classes. * One of even fewer lifters to be ranked in the top ten in three different weight classes at the same time. * Ranked second in the world in the 275 pound class with a total of 2730 and a historic 1185 squat—a then-world-record that, although since broken, most still consider to be the true record due to depth issues.

220 Class: 1030 squat, 633 bench, 755 deadlift
2375 TOTAL (10th best of all time).

242 Class: 1064 squat, 785 bench, 780 deadlift
2610 TOTAL (3rd best of all time).

275 Class: 1185 squat, 825 bench, 800 deadlift
2730 TOTAL (3rd best of all time).

Brian has also totaled more than ten times his bodyweight in three different classes, and both bench pressed and deadlifted over 800 pounds in two different classes. In his career, he’s totaled 2500 over fifteen times. Since 2005, Brian has not slipped out of the top two in the American rankings in both the squat and total, and he’s been ranked number one in both categories at 220, 242, and 275 pounds. With 35 competition squats over 1000, spread over three different weight classes, he’s indisputably one of the best squatters of all time.

Here's what you will learn in this interview:

  • Brian's background and career in powerlifting
  • The reason for writing 10/20/Life
  • Dr. Stuart McGill
  • Why this book is a philosophy and principle based, not a program
  • Balance between training and life
  • Four phases of a warm-up
  • "Availability supercedes ability"
  • Why you must take the mindset that "Every lift is the same, no matter the weight."
  • The Gift of Injury

Show Notes: * Powerrackstrength.com * Powerrackstrength (Facebook) * Brian Carroll (Instagram) * 10/20/Life * Dr. Stuart McGill * Dr. Craig Liebenson * Chris Duffin * Dave Tate

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In Episode 064 of the LEO Training Podcast I had the honor to sit down and interview Dr. Volker Nolte. Volker and I met at the 2016 Joy of Sculling Conference in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Dr. Volker Nolte is the head rowing coach and assistant professor at Western, where he teaches biomechanics and coaching. Since 1993, Nolte’s leadership has led the men’s rowing team to 11 Ontario University Athletics Championships and four Canadian University Rowing Championships. Since 2010, he is also the head coach for the women’s program. In the 2011-12 season, Nolte coached both the men’s and women’s teams to OUA championships. In the 2013-14 season, Western captured both the OUA Men's and Women's titles again. In addition, the men's and women's teams were both 2013 National Champions, winning titles at the Canadian University Rowing Championships. The 2014-15 season saw the women take their second consecutive OUA, and National titles, while the men placed second at Provincials and fourth at Nationals.

Nolte’s work as a coach was recognized several times over his career. He received the Award of Merit from Rowing Canada Aviron in 1996 and the International Rowing Federation (FISA) in 1998, the President’s Award from Rowing Canada in 1998 and was the 3M Coach of the Year in 2001. In 2006 and 2007, he was awarded Coach of the Year from the Canadian University Rowing Association and was the first Western coach after Jack Fairs who received the Jack Fairs Coaching Award of Merit in 2009. In 2010, Nolte was presented with the Coaches’ Recognition Award from Rowing Canada.

Nolte’s expertise is documented many times through invitations that he receives from rowing programs all over the world. The latest acknowledgments came through invitations from New Zealand Rowing (2007), US Rowing (2008) and the German Rowing Association (2010). He has also been invited to guest-coach both famous Boatrace Crews Oxford (2006) and Cambridge (2010) in years when they won their races. In addition, he was the lightweight men’s national team coach with Rowing Canada from 1992 to 2000. His national team crews won an Olympic silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games, two World Championship titles in 1993 and 2000, and several more medals at World Championships.

Nolte received both a Physical Education Diploma (1976) and a Civil Engineering Diploma (1979) from the University of Saarbrücken (Germany), and a Ph.D. (1984) from the German Sport University in Cologne (Germany) in Biomechanics.

He is an internationally acknowledged expert in biomechanics. Together with his expertise in the coaching field, he frequently presents at scientific and coach education conferences worldwide. His research includes coaching and biomechanics of high performance sport, especially rowing. He is also a distinguished researcher in the field of sport equipment. He co-holds international patents for isokinetic training machines and his developments range from special measurement tools up to new boat designs in rowing. His research has produced many papers in refereed journals, articles in various publications and the popular book “Rowing Faster”, now in its second edition (2011).

Nolte is an experienced rower, representing his home country Germany at several World Championships and he is still a keen competitor in the Master’s events.

Here is what we discuss in this interview:

  • Dr. Nolte's background, education, and roots in rowing
  • Overview of block vs. random practice
  • Rowing Faster
  • Why the erg and the boat are different
  • The importance of "play" in finding your own stroke
  • The importance of variety and exposure to younger athletes to help their learning and development
  • Why you cannot learn rowing on the ergometer and how balance is a major factor
  • and much more.

Show Notes: * Dr. Volker Nolte * Western Rowing (Instagram) * Rowing Faster

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Episode 063 of the LEO Training Podcast features personal trainer, Levi Markwardt. Levi has a great story to share. He has worked himself back into health and fitness and lose over 100 pounds utilizing bodyweight and kettlebells. He also is the strength coach for a local high school.

Here is what we cover in this interview:

  • Levi's Background and story
  • His background as a wrestler
  • Working with local high school athletes in football, wrestling
  • Strength Endurance work
  • Why breakdowns occur mentally not physically
  • Beginning strength training with bodyweight then utilizing kettlebells then the barbell
  • Rosstraining.com

Show Notes: * Harder to Kill Training (Website) * Levi Markwardt (Instagram) * Levi Markwardt (Twitter) * Levi Markwardt - How Tragedy Inspired me to lose over 100 lbs

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This week’s guest is Dr. Fiona Wilson. Dr. Fiona Wilson is a chartered physiotherapist with over 25 years of postgraduate experience. She is the former Chief physiotherapist for Rowing Ireland with a particular interest in low back pain and injuries in rowing. She is a regular contributor to WorldRowing.com and has authored a few articles in the past year regarding low back injury mechanisms and rehabilitation.

Here is what you will learn in this interview:

  • Fiona Wilson’s Background
  • Potential Pain triggers and injury mechanisms
  • Cyclical loading of tissues
  • FAI (Femoral Acetabular Impingement Sydrome)
  • Why there is a disconnect with the research and high performance in the sport
  • Understanding fatigue and how this changes posture and results in moving from the low back vs. the hips
  • and much more!

Show Notes: * Dr. Fiona Wilson - Trinity College of Dublin * Dr. Fiona Wilson (Twitter) * Lower Back Pain - Debunking the Myths * Back Pain in Rowing - Update on Current Understanding * Low Back Pain in Rowing - What do the experts say? * Back Pain in Rowing - An Evolution of Understanding

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In this week's podcast episode my guest is Dr. Charlie Weingroff.

Charlie is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, a Certified Athletic Trainer, and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. He is currently a Physical Therapist and Strength & Conditioning Coach at Drive 495 in Manhattan, NY and Fit For Life in Marlboro, NJ. He also is a member of the Nike Executive Performance Council and serves as the Physical Performance Lead and Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Canadian Men’s National Basketball Team. Prior to returning to his home of NJ, he was the Director of Physical Performance and Resiliency and Lead Physical Therapist for the United States Marines Corps Special Operations Command in Camp Lejeune, NC. He graduated from Ursinus College with a degree in Exercise and Sports Science in 1996, and went on to earn an MSPT in 1999 and DPT in 2010 from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

Beginning in 1998, Charlie spent 12 seasons of professional basketball, highlighted by his time as the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach and Assistant Athletic Trainer for the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA. Among the highlights of his tenure in Philadelphia was being part of the medical staff that ranked 1st in the NBA in Player Missed Games in the 2005-06 season.

Through rehabbing patients, he subscribes to a movement-based approach popularized by the works of Gray Cook, Mike Boyle, Val Nsedkin, Dr. Pavel Kolar, and Louie Simmons. In training athletes and clients, he champions the principles of the Functional Movement Screen and sound, evidence-based training principles. Some of the methodologies Charlie is formally trained in include DNS, ART, Dry Needling, Graston, FMS/SFMA, TPI, and StrongFirst.

Aside from working with patients, athletes and clients, he is also under the bar himself. In 2007, he achieved AAPF Elite status in the 220 weight class with a total of 1915 pounds. His best powerlifting competition total is 800 squat, 510 bench press and 605 deadlift.

Currently Charlie is available to treat, train, and consult at Drive495 in Manhattan, NYC and Fit For Life in Marlboro, NJ. Charlie often teaches and speaks internationally and consults regularly with Nike, the Roddick-Grunberg Tennis Academy, Perform Better, and Equinox Fitness Clubs.

Here are some of the topics Charlie and I discuss during our interview:

  • Charlie's background and philosophy
  • Early sports specialization
  • His work with the 76ers and Canadian Men's Basketball
  • Should there be adjustments for a shorter or taller athlete if they are doing the same exercise?
  • HRV and Omegawave System
  • Why evaluation is so paramount and how it is the foundation for your programming.
  • Training = Rehab Model 1,2,3
  • and much more!

Show Notes: * Charlie Weingroff (Website) * Charlie Weingroff (Twitter) * Charlie Weingroff (Facebook) * Charlie Weingroff ( Instagram) * Training = Rehab 1 (On Target Publications) * Training = Rehab 2 (Perform Better) * Hacking the Hinge

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LT 060 | Emily Bearden & Steve Milles - Five Points Academy Subscribe & Review : iTunes | Stitcher Epsiode 060 of the LEO Training Podcast features two coaches from Five Points Academy in NYC. Emily Bearden and Steve Milles are both champion fighters who have had great success rehabbing their bodies through kettlebell training and enhancing performance of their fighters using this modality.

Emily Bearden first became interested in personal training while earning a BFA in Dance and Choreography, a course of study that required mastery of kinesiology, physiology, anatomy and dynamic alignment. Emily is also an internationally ranked competitive thai boxer, holding the professional World Champion belt in muay thai for the WKA, two US Championship Belts and was a member of the US Team to the International Muay Thai Federation Amateur Championships in Bangkok, Thailand. And she loves dogs, too. Emily holds the following certifications: * StrongFirst SFG Level II Kettlebell Instructor * StrongFirst (SFL) Lift Barbell Instructor * AFAA certified Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor * Post Rehab and Conditioning Specialist with the American Academy of Health and Fitness Professionals * TRX Group Suspension Training Course Instructor * Primal Move Coach * Esquerre Fitness Group Advanced Stretching Techniques * Asst. Instructor by the Muay Thai International Association

Steve Milles has competitive and coaching experience in muay Thai spanning more than two decades. As a competitor he won a bronze medal representing the US at the International Amateur Muay Thai Federation World Championships in Bangkok, Thailand. After turning professional Steve captured the World Kickboxing Association and International Sport Kickboxing Association US Champion belts as well as the Intercontinental Champion title for the US Muay Thai Association, battling current and former world champions in North America, Europe and Asia. He retired with a professional record of 20 wins, 8 losses and 2 draws. Steve holds the following credentials in addition to his impressive fighting background.
  • StrongFirst SFG Team Leader
  • Tactical Strength SBS
  • FMS Level 1 Functional Movement Specialist
  • CICS Indian Club Specialist
  • GroundForce Method Level 1 Instructor

Here is what you will learn in this episode:

  • Emily & Steve's background in fighting
  • How the kettlebell helped them rehab from injuries and improve performance
  • How Five Points Academy integrates strength training with their fighters that are competing
  • Before and after effects of utilizing the kettlebell into a fighters program
  • Why is endurance important to a fighter?
  • Vegan diet as a fighter and its benefits
  • and much more!

Show Notes: * Five Points Academy (Website) * Five Points Academy (Facebook) * People's History of the United States * Stuffed & Starved * Your Healthy Journey

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This week's guest is world renowned kettlebell expert, Steve Cotter.

As the Founder and Director of IKFF, Steve Cotter draws from an extensive and diverse background as a champion athlete and cutting-edge trainer to develop some of the most complete and exciting programs in strength and conditioning today.

Throughout his lifelong study, Steve continues to research and implement the most effective training methods in kettlebells, martial arts, qigong, strength and conditioning, athletics and human performance fields. He constantly improves his skills and abilities to benefit, teach and motivate you.

Named to Men’s Health Magazine’s “100 Fittest Men of All-Time”, Cotter shares his years of experience as a martial artist, world-class athlete and fitness coach to design and supervise programs for those who take their training seriously. While each client is unique, a common theme always presents itself in Steve’s training programs; an unyielding focus, unparalleled intensity and precise attention to detail.

Working tirelessly to share his passion for teaching as well as fitness and health, Steve teaches on 6 continents and has developed qualified kettlebell fitness instructors representing over 60 nations and growing.

Here's what you will learn in this episode:

  • Steve's background and education
  • Steve's book and home study course, Kettlebell Training
  • Travelling around the world and how to deal with the effects on your body
  • Attitude and Mindset
  • Different types of kettlebells | cast iron vs. competition bells
  • The history of GS
  • Strength Endurance and Strength-Power Endurance
  • Hardstyle and Girevoy Sport differences
  • 3 Most important things when training with kettlebells
  • Power Output in Athletics
  • and much more

SUBSCRIBE AND REVIEW THE SHOW IN iTUNES

SUBSCRIBE AND REVIEW THE SHOW IN STITCHER

Show Notes: * IKFF * IKFF (Facebook) * Steve Cotter (Instagram) * Jeff Martone * Kettlebell Training Home Study Course * The Art of War

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LT 058 | Bryan Volpenhein - From Walk on to Olympic Champion Episode 058 is sponsored by Finish Line Shell Repair Subscribe & Review : iTunes | Stitcher US Rowing Men's Head Coach and Olympic Gold Medalist is this week's guest on the LEO Training Podcast. Bryan Volpenhein is a three-time Olympian and 2004 gold medalist in the men’s eight. He is responsible for the men’s high performance sweep squad and works to develop, select and prepare the team for international competition.

In this interview Bryan and I discuss rowing from multiple angles - both that of an athlete and a coach. This is a fascinating look into the spectrum of his experience as a collegiate walk on to Olympic Champion.

Here is what you will learn in this episode:

  • How Bryan got started with rowing at The Ohio State University
  • Club Rowing Teams and how they are different
  • Transitioning onto the National Team
  • Discussing the elimination of freshmen rowing and the impact on the sport
  • Individualized Training in a Team Environment
  • Why Communication is one of the most important elements to coaching
  • Having patience and not setting barriers for yourself and how this relates to performance
  • Food!
  • 4 things everyone should know how to do when cooking.
  • and much more!

Show Notes: * How to Cook Everything * Bryan Volpenhein

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LT 057 | Dr. Anders Ericsson & Dr. Robert Pool - Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise Subscribe & Review : iTunes | Stitcher In episode 057 I sit down with authors Dr. Anders Ericsson and Dr. Robert Pool to discuss their book Peak. Let me tell you a little bit more about both of them.

Dr. Anders Ericsson is a Conradi Eminent Scholar and Professor of Psychology at Florida State University who is internationally recognized as the world's reigning expert of expertise. His research focus on the psychological nature of expertise and human performance.

Ericsson has studied expert performance in domains such as medicine, music, chess, and sports, focusing exclusively on extended deliberate practice (e.g., high concentration practice beyond one's comfort zone) as a means of how expert performers acquire their superior performance.

Dr. Robert Pool combined his history, physics, and mathematics degrees with his love of writing to successfully transition from mathematics professor to renowned science, technology, and medical writer. He has taught science writing at Johns Hopkins University and has worked as a writer and editor at the world's two most prestigious science publications -- Science and Nature -- and hundreds of his works have been published in the top publications in a variety of fields, publications that include Discover, New Scientist, Science, Nature, Technology Review, Forbes ASAP, Think Research, The Washington Post, FSU Research in Review, MIT Technology Review, and so on.

This interview is about much more than their book though! We go deep into skill acquisition and how we all have the ability progress through deliberate practice. Here's what you will learn in this interview:

  • Introduction & Background of Dr. Ericsson and Dr. Pool
  • What is practice?
  • What are the 3 types of practice?
  • Why talent and natural ability are not the determining factor for high performance
  • How to achieve a high level of expertise by utilizing deliberate practice
  • Malcolm Gladwell and Outliers
  • Clearing up confusion about the "10,000 hour rule" and what does it really mean?
  • How a coach or layperson can break down a skill into actionable steps to improve their performance
  • Peak - The Book
  • and much more!

Show Notes: * K. Anders Ericsson (Wikipedia Profile) * Peak the Book * Malcolm Gladwell * "Getting the Most out of one's self"

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John Harrison has an amazing story to share and I was thrilled to have him on my podcast. He is a father of four children. By the time John turned 30 years old he was over 300 pounds. At 41 he is now at 200 pounds. John lost well over 60 pounds through unconventional training methods including kettlebell training, mace swinging, sandbags and others.

John is an SFG I through StrongFirst and a licensed massage therapist through the Pennsylvania Institute of Massage Therapy. John shares his road to health and fitness and how he has successfully lost his weight. He also shares his approach to working with his students and clients by incorporating the Functional Movement Screen, soft tissue work, and strength training to really provide a totally integrated approach.

Here is what you will learn in this episode:

  • Intro/background
  • Success with convention methods of weight loss (running, elliptical, etc.)
  • How unconventional training methods of weight loss (kettlebell, mace, sandbag) made the difference.
  • Journey from HKC to SFG and pursuing massage therapy
  • Integrating FMS, massage therapy, and strength training into student's training sessions
  • Rik Brown (Mr. Maceman)
  • Don Giardafino
  • and much more

Show Notes: * Mr. Maceman

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Today's guest is a legend in the strength and conditioning community. Mark Reifkind has been training and coaching for 40 years! He has been an outstanding athlete in multiple sports including gymnastics, powerlifting, bodybuilding, ultra-running and is well known around the world in the kettlebell community.

Mark first started working with kettlebells in 1998 around the same time Pavel Tsatsouline is credited with bringing them to the west. He started the first kettlebell gym in the United States, Girya Strength in 2003. Mark has also rehabbed from some serious injuries including a complete knee replacement and shoulder injury during his gymnastics career.

Here is what you will learn in this exclusive interview:

  • Mark's athletic background across multiple sports as both an athlete and coach
  • His shoulder and knee injuries and how he rehabbed them
  • His presentation on total knee replacement
  • Sarcopenia - muscle mass loss as you age
  • The Lost Art of Training
  • Important bio-markers for strength and health as you age
  • His return to StrongFirst
  • and much more

Show Notes: * Girya Strength * Body Maintenance Digital Product * Lats: The Super Muscles Digital Product * Mastering the Hardstyle Kettlebell Swing * Mark's Presentation on Energy, Mobility, and Strength at the IHMC * Mark's Presentation on a Total Knee Replacement | A Leg to Stand On

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My guest this week is Dr. Bryan Mann. Dr. Bryan Mann is the Assistant Teaching Professor of Physical Therapy and was the Assistant Director of Strength & Conditioning at the University of Missouri from 2004 -2016. Dr. Bryan Mann has been competing in the sport of powerlifting since 1996. He has many powerlifting accolades to his name in raw, single-ply, and multi-ply lifting. He is a researcher and author, having written several research publications dealing with training in Division 1 athletics, specifically football. He has written three books, most notably the Complete Guide to Powerlifting for Human Kinetics with co-author Dan Austin.

Here's what you will learn in this episode:

  • Dr. Bryan Mann's background in strength & conditioning
  • Why stress is a syndrome
  • Social media as a stress
  • How to program for a few hundred athletes
  • Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
  • "Dont confuse highly trained with genetically endowed."
  • Cal Dietz
  • Velocity Training
  • and much more

Show Notes: * Dr. Bryan Mann (University of Missouri) * Bryan Mann articles on Elite FTS * Bryan Mann (Twitter) * Stress and Social Support — How Can You Help Your Athletes? * The Dying Art of Strength & Conditioning * How to Know if you should be using VBT

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My guest for Epsiode 053 of the LEO Training Podcast is Dr. Kenneth Jay. Dr. Kenneth Jay is the author of the Cardio Code. Kenneth is from Denmark, and is the author of several books including the Viking Warrior Conditioning, a scientific approach to forging a heart of elastic steel, and the applications of the theory behind proper VO2max training. He works with athletes of all ages and demographics and teaches his Cardio Code Seminar around the world! Here is what you will learn in this episode:

  • Dr. Kenneth Jay's background in health and fitness
  • His PhD work
  • The Cardio Code
  • Keyboard athletes
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  • Weight training is not cardiovascular training
  • Why having a high heart rate is not cardiovascular training
  • Heart Morphology
  • The energy system does not determine if an activity is cardiovascular it's the activity at hand
  • and much more!

Show Notes: * The Cardio Code (Website) * The Cardio (Book) * The Cardio Code (Facebook) * Dr. Kenneth Jay (Facebook) * Dr. Kenneth Jay (Instagram) * Danish National Dish * A Brief History of Time * The Gift of Fear * Vander's Human Physiology * Stephen Hawking * Tony Blauer * Martin Seliman * Robert Sapolsky * Dr. Frederik Carrick

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In Episode 052 of the LEO Training Podcast I interview Jack Carlson. Jack is an entrepreneur and international coxswain. Jack is a three-time member of the United States rowing team and a World Championships bronze medalist; he has won at Henley Royal Regatta, the Head of the Charles Regatta, and Royal Canadian Henley Regatta. Jack has trained under coaches Henry Bailhache-Webb and Richard Spratley at Oxford Brookes Boat Club, a High Performance Centre for the British team and, along with Leander Club, one of Great Britain's two most successful rowing clubs. In North American competition and U.S. trials, Jack is proud to represent the New York Athletic Club - the spiritual home of elite amateur sport in the United States. In 2014 Jack published the book Rowing Blazers which is now available for sale.

Here is what you will learn in this episode:

  • Jack's athletic background and education
  • Rowing Blazers
  • Row New York
  • Comparison between US Collegiate System and rowing in the UK and US National Team
  • Oxford Brookes
  • The Boat Race
  • Henley Royal Regatta
  • and much more!

Show Notes: * Rowing Blazers (Facebook) * Rowing Blazers (Instagram) * Rowing Blazers (Website) * Rowing Blazers (the book) * Row New York * Jack Carlson (Website) * Jack Carlson (Wikipedia)

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In Episode 051 of the LEO Training Podcast I sit down with Dr. Tim Simansky. Dr. Tim Simansky is an international lecturer, entrepreneur, strength coach, and sports chiropractor. He is most notably known for his involvement in the functional fitness community where he has made a niche in the rehabilitation, injury prevention and performance enhancement of functional fitness athletes.

Dr. Simansky has been a member of the CrossFit Games Athlete Services at both the Regional and Games level since 2012. He has acted as the East Regional co-director of Athlete Services since 2015.

Aside from his physical participation in CrossFit Dr. Simansky maintains a constant virtual presence as the founder of TheWODdoc.com. Through his involvement in WODdoc Dr. Simansky has been honored with the opportunity to lecture both nationally and internationally.

Here are some of the topics we discuss:

  • Dr. Simansky's background and education
  • How did WODDdoc get started?
  • The most common injuries Dr. Simansky sees
  • Common rowing injuries in crossfit
  • Movement Summit & RockTape
  • Pop up clinic in Kuwait
  • The Injury Lottery
  • "The only worthless knowledge, is the knowledge you don't share."
  • Sara Hendershot, Rowficcient and rowing in Crossfit

Show Notes: * WODdoc.com * WODdoc (Facebook) * WODdoc (Instagram) * Rowfficient * Crossfit * RockTape

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This episode's guest is rowing coach Marlene Royle. As a competitor, Marlene has won major titles in sculling and sweep rowing including a US National Championship, a Collegiate National Championship, and a Head of the Charles title. She was awarded the Melissa Hale Spencer Award at the West Side Rowing Club of Buffalo in 1980 and the Beverly Jean Cook Award while on the Boston University Rowing Team in 1982. She also served as Boston University Crew's Varsity Women's Captain in 1985. In 2000, she set two world records on the Concept2 Indoor Rower. She is a registered occupational therapist, in addition to being educated in physiology, massage therapy, and strength training. Royle’s publications include: Tip of the Blade: Notes on Rowing, Skillful Rowing, and Technical Drills for Sculling. Tech Tips is Marlene's column on the Craftsbury Sculling Center website and her column Training appears monthly in the international journal, Rowing News.

Marlene was among the first coaches in the United States dedicated to masters rowing. For 20 years she coached at the Craftsbury Sculling Center and was the center’s associate director from 2004-2006. From 2005-2009, Marlene was the head coach at the Florida Rowing Center. Currently she coaches at the Whistler Rowing Club, Florida Rowing Center, and offers camps and lessons by arrangement. Marlene is married to Russian author, Sasha Sokolov.

Here is what you will learn in this episode:

  • Marlene's background and education and how this formed her foundation for teaching the rowing stroke.
  • Why she has chosen to focus on the masters demographic
  • Student of occupational therapy, massage therapy, physiology, and strength training
  • The importance of posture in the rowing stroke and why is is the foundation toward transmitting power
  • Hip hinge vs. spinal flexion
  • Using the "diamond frame" | shoulder to oarlock and oar to rigger
  • and much more

Show Notes: * Royle Row (website) * Royle Row (Facebook)

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In this podcast interview I speak with strength coach and owner/operator of Empowered Strength, John Odden. John spent the early part of his career working in a cardiac rehabilitation clinic and physical therapy clinic. John also endured some severe shoulder and neck injuries as well as scoliosis. As a result this shaped his approach to training for himself and for his students and clients.

Here is what you will learn in this episode:

  • John's history and background
  • Experience in cardiac rehab and physical therapy clinics
  • What John incorporates into assessments and evaluations to get a more informed picture
  • Ultimate Athleticism & Max Shank
  • Why a breathing issue is a core issue
  • Andrew Read's Beast Tamer
  • Ian King
  • Highland Games
  • Charles Poliquin
  • Loaded crawls are a staple in his training and why

Show Notes: * Empowered Strength (Website) * Empowered Strength (Facebook) * Empowered Strength (Instagram) * Highland Games Portland

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In Episode 048, I had the opportunity to interview Sue Falsone. Sue is a pioneer in the rehabilitation field and we cover some very important ground discussing the shoulder and cervical thoracic junction - two key areas that are either not functionally properly or prone to injury.

Sue Falsone was born in Buffalo, NY. She received her bachelor's degree in physical therapy from Daemen College in Amherst, New York. She continued her education by earning a master's degree in human movement science, with a concentration in sports medicine, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Sue has presented at state, national and international level conferences in areas focusing on pillar strength, integration of physical therapy and performance training, and comprehensive kinetic chain assessment and rehabilitation. She's a Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Sports Physical Therapy (SCS), a certified athletic trainer (ATC), certified orthopedic manual therapist for the spine (COMT) and a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Sue worked at Athletes' Performance for 13 years, last serving as the Vice President of Performance Physical Therapy and Team Sport. She worked with the Los Angeles Dodgers for 6 years, last serving as head athletic trainer and physical therapist. She holds the distinction of being the first female head athletic trainer in any of the four major sports in the United States (MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA).

She served as Head of Athletic Training and Sport Performance with US Soccer's Men's National Team.

She was named a Distinguished Alumni at Daemen College and has been inducted into her high school's Athletic Hall of Fame (Kenmore West).

Her philosophy includes looking at the athlete as a whole person, working with the entire body to create an optimal environment for healing and performance training.

Structure & Function is a consulting and education business for healthcare clinicians, as well as a consulting company for the athlete. Custom courses as well as business advisory are available.Sports medicine department organization is also an area of consult, building a team to be on the same page in the best interest of the organization and the athlete. Physical therapy, movement evaluation and restoration and performance enhancement are also available for the elite and professional athlete, on an individual basis.

Here is what you will learn in this episode:

  • Sue's background and why she was interested in pursuing the rehabilitative field as a career
  • The Shoulder & Cervical Thoracic Junction
  • Structure vs. Function - how they effect one another
  • Sleeping posture and postural education
  • Considerations for program design and looking at offsetting dysfunctional compensations with reps and sets
  • Pavel Kolar - "Old System" vs. "New System" | Flexion vs. Extension
  • Considerations for rowers and baseball players
  • and much more.

Show Notes: * Sue Falsone (Website) * Sue Falsone (Instagram) * Structure & Function (Instagram) * Structure & Function (Facebook) * The Shoulder DVD * The Cervical Thoracic Junction DVD

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Cole Summers is a Senior SFG with StrongFirst. Cole's coaching history includes people from all walks of life and abilities, and he has also been a strength coach for Team Canada Women's National Volleyball Team, National Boxing Team members, Pro boxers, Olympic Hockey Team members, NHL and WHA Pro Team Champions, Manitoba Rugby Union, University of Winnipeg Women's Volleyball Team, University of Manitoba Women's Basketball team, and University of Manitoba track. He is based in Winnipeg, Canada.

Since 2005 Cole has been been guided and supported by world famous Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale. Mauro is a scientific genius, MD, and author. He is a former World Champion, North American, many times Canadian National Champion Powerlifter. I follow and highly recommend Dr. Di Pasquale's books "Metabolic Diet", "Anabolic Solutions", and "Radical Diet". His guidance was and continues to be life changing for me and many champion athletes and ordinary folk.

I am personally very fortunate and grateful to have met Cole in person. He was the Team Leader for my team during my StrongFirst SFG I and he had a tremendous impact on me and how I carry myself as a professional.

Here is what you will learn in this episode:

  • Cole's family lineage and coming from a long line of hockey players
  • Sociological and Cultural changes from the 1970's to present day for men and women
  • Teaching women's self-defense beginning in the 1970's
  • Training high school athletes - what's the starting point for them?
  • Do No Harm
  • The Front Lever - Progressions and Training Recommendations
  • and much more!

Show Notes: * The Gift of Fear by Gavin De Becker * Randy Lahaie’s Blog * Peyton Quinn’s books on Self Defense | Bouncer's Guide to Barroom Brawling and Real Fighting * Marc MacYoung Bibliography * StrongFirst Open Day in Canada with Senior SFG Cole Summers

Addendum: Below are some additional comments and remarks from Cole Summers that he sent me after the interview was recorded and requested they be included for you the reader and listener. Enjoy!

"Many of the StrongFirst Leadership, Masters, Seniors and Team Leaders are highly qualified and internationally respected martial arts instructors. These are people I hold in high esteem. I am honoured to call them my friends and I highly recommend people learn from them.

For example, I spent several summers assisting at John Engum’s martial arts survival camp in Detroit Lakes, MN. StrongFirst Leadership Instructors there included Dr. Ricardo Nieves and Dr. Prentiss Rhodes. I was fortunate to take 2 of Peter Lakatos’ Krav Maga seminars at John Engum’s Academy of Taekwondo in Brainerd, MN.

This past May, I trained in Prague with Pavel Macek of KB5 and Practical Hung Kyun.

I’ve attended StrongFirst Certifications at Steve Milles’ Five Points Academy in New York City. I got to witness great fighters training and coaching there.

I recommend any books from StrongFirst and they can be found here.

My favorite exercises are the overhead press and the front lever. The first time I remember pressing a barbell overhead was in Mahtomedi, MN when I was 13 years old. Over the decades that followed I barbell pressed in my basement, at the lake, and in various gyms. I also enjoyed one arm pressing a 70-100 lb dumbbell overhead while standing on a small cliff overlooking the beautiful lake in NW Ontario where the family cabins are located. I purchased many kettlebells for my school and home after Pavel reintroduced kettlebells to the west in 2001. The overhead kettlebell press quickly became my lift of choice. It is also for many, like myself, the most shoulder friendly of the three. The front lever is meditative for me as I mentioned. However, in my experience, the exercise that gives the most bang for the buck...by far... is the kettlebell swing!

I regularly use it with people of all ages and backgrounds...high school kids,doctors,nurses,athletic therapists, chiropractors, lawyers, engineers, police officers, musicians, singers, martial artists, hockey, basketball, volleyball, football players and more. After a winter (or several years) of training with me, which includes thousands of swings, my rugby players, male and female, are far quicker and they can repeat this quickness again and again. This is noticeable by everyone at the rugby park and especially their opponents!

The other big bang mainstay in my coaching is the get-up. Several of my high school kids including members of our multiple Provincial Champion varsity basketball team(s) could perform get ups with the Beast 48kg kettlebell. I feel this helped them in many ways including easily ripping the ball from their opponent when fighting for it overhead."

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Mark Allen is a 6x Ironman World Champion and was the first person to ever win the ITU Olympic Distance World Champion in 1989 in Avignon France. He is also a 10-Time Undefeated Champion of the Nice International Triathlon to name a few of his historic racing accomplishments. In 2012 he was voted “The Greatest Endurance Athlete of All Time” in a worldwide poll conducted by ESPN.

Mark trained and competed during an era where technology was not as prevalent as it is today. Smartphones did not exist yet and heart rate monitor technology was still in its infancy. Equipment and gear was also very different compared to today's carbon fiber frames used for triathlon bikes as well as the actual gear worn by the athletes.

Mark details two of his greatest races and what he was going through mentally and emotionally during his 1989 race against Dave Scott and in 1995 when he made up 13.5 minutes to win his final Ironman World Championship at the age of 37. We spend a large portion of this interview discussing the importance of the mental side to training and racing.

Here is what you will learn in this interview:

  • Mark's collegiate career as a swimmer and what sparked his interest in triathlon
  • Training in an era where technology was not as widely available as it is today
  • The importance of developing an aerobic foundation and being able to race aerobically
  • Why strength training is critical for endurance athletes
  • Dealing with the noise in your mind when training and racing and how to "quiet your mind"
  • Fit Soul Fit Body
  • Brant Secunda
  • Timothy Noakes
  • Approaching training as a practice
  • The Art of Competition and specific quotes

Show Notes: * Mark Allen Coaching * Mark Allen Coaching (Facebook) * Mark Allen Coaching (Twitter) * Fit Soul-Fit Body * Fit Soul-Fit Body Seminars * The Art of Competition * Timothy Noakes

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In this interview I had the opportunity to sit down with Senior SFG, Pavel Macek. Pavel lives in the Czech Republic and runs a gym called KB5. He has also been a student of martial arts for the majority of his life and continues to practice currently. He began studying Judo initially and then segued into the chinese martial art of Practical Hung Kyun. He also is responsible for running StrongFirst Czech Republic.

Here is what you will learn in this episode:

  • Pavel's background in martial arts and journey to coaching, strength training, and StrongFirst
  • Physical education in school and the impact it had on him as an adult
  • How reading the Naked Warrior changed his perspective on training and tied into martial arts
  • Using Easy Strength as a blueprint for youth students
  • "Untying the chair"
  • Why the first 3 months with a new student are critical and integrating students into group classes
  • "The tool does not matter, the principles behind them are most important."
  • and much more!

It’s easy to review the show and it helps the show grow and reach a new audience. If you enjoyed this episode please take a moment and drop a review in iTunes or Stitcher. Thank you!

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Show Notes: * KB5 Gym * StrongFirst Czech Republic * A Comprehensive 3 Month Plan for Beginner Group Lessons * Easy Strength * Simplex Strength * Practical Hung Kyun

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This is a very special interview with Dean Somerset. Dean and Tony Gentilcore just released a brand new product this week called "The Complete Shoulder and Hip Blueprint". This is a 11+ hour course that is worth 1.1 CEU's through the NSCA. Dean and Tony have put together a phenomenal resource and I've been personally following both their blogs for quite some time. Their experience, insight, and results speak for themselves so I encourage you to check out their new product and their respective websites.

Note: In the interest of transparency it is important to note that I am not receiving anything for mentioning this product. I've followed Tony and Dean's work for a long and it's allowed me to help others and I am paying it forward. Simple as that.

Dean is a personal trainer, author, and international public speaker whose main area of expertise is injury and medical dysfunction management through optimally designed exercise programs. Dean's credentials include:

  • BSc. Kinesiology – University of Alberta
  • Certified Exercise Physiologist - Canadian Society of Exercise Physiologists
  • Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist - National Strength & Conditioning Association
  • Medical Exercise Specialist - American Academy of Health, Rehabilitation & Fitness Professionals

Dean has carved a niche for himself by working with individuals who have exited physical therapy and rehab. These individuals are cleared medically to return to work or sports but still may have some underlying dysfunctions or pain that needs to be addressed. Enter Dean!

Dean has written, spoken, and taught extensively regarding the hip and its structure and function. Here is what you will learn in this interview:

  • Dean's background and journey into the health and fitness industry
  • How his experience as an athlete shaped his career
  • Why the hip is a major driver for the knee and low back
  • Why training the hip and improving its strength and function can be a catch all to total body improvements
  • The transference of the athletic ready stance
  • FAI - Femor0acetabular impingement
  • How FAI effects the hips and foot position
  • What happens when the feet are in a fixed position like in a rowing shell or ergometer
  • The Complete Shoulder and Hip Blueprint - what you will learn and why you should invest in this product!

It’s easy to review the show and it helps the show grow and reach a new audience. If you enjoyed this episode please take a moment and drop a review in iTunes or Stitcher. Thank you!

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Show Notes: * Dean Somerset * Tony Gentilcore * The Complete Shoulder and Hip Blueprint * Eric Cressey * Dr. Stuart McGill * Shoulder Strategies and Hip Helpers Part 1 * 5 Common Hip Training Mistakes

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Andrew Read has been in health & fitness industry for over 15 years. He is the owner and operator of Read Performance Training located in Victoria, Australia. He is a former Master RKC and currently teaches for Functional Movement Systems.

Andrew's facility is like walking into a time machine. It pays homage to the Turner Halls of the late 19th Century. Movement and health is the focus. Every person who trains at Read Performance Training undergoes a Functional Movement Screen.

Andrew has a tremendous amount of experience and some of his accomplishments include:

  • Master RKC (Russian Kettlebell Certified instructor – the only Australian ever promoted to this level).
  • Certified Kettlebell Functional Movement Specialist
  • Certified Indian Club Specialist
  • National Director Primal Move
  • Qualified Olympic and Power Coach through the Australian Weightlifting Federation
  • Ironman Triathlete
  • Author for – Blitz, Ultrafit, Inside MMA, International Kickboxer, Oxygen and Breaking Muscle.
  • Lectured in Australia, USA, China and Korea.

Here is what you will learn in this episode:

  • Andrew's background and training in Australia
  • The approach at RPT
  • Writing the book Beast Tamer
  • The Tabata Study
  • Aerobic vs. Anaerobic training and how this leads to burning fat vs. burning sugar
  • 8-7-4-3-2
  • and much more!

It’s easy to review the show and it helps the show grow and reach a new audience. If you enjoyed this episode please take a moment and drop a review in iTunes or Stitcher. Thank you!

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Show Notes: * ReadPT * Instagram * Facebook * 8-7-4-3-2 * How to lift weights faster for maximum effect * Talking Tabata * 70% x 80/20 * Beast Tamer * Charles Staley * Ian King * Charles Poliquin * Paul Chek * Joel Jamieson

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C. Shante Cofield grew up in Summit, New Jersey, where she was a 4-year varsity athlete, playing soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. During her sophomore year of high school, Shante tore her ACL, MCL, and meniscus, thus introducing her to the world of physical therapy. Shante successfully rehabilitated her knee and went on to play four years of Division I collegiate soccer at Georgetown University where she received her Bachelor of Science in Health Science.

Wishing to combine her passion for movement and health into a career, Shante continued her educational pursuits at New York University, graduating with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) and earning her certification as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). Shante used her time at NYU to focus on sports medicine and orthopedic rehabilitation and further developed her orthopedic skills via numerous continuing education courses, later becoming a certified Functional Movement Screen (FMS) provider and Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) provider. Always thirsty for knowledge, Shante then went on to become a board certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS), demonstrating advanced clinical reasoning, skills, and experience. With a strong clinical foundation, Shante then began looking for ways to better round out her skill set, delving into the world of sports performance. Shante earned her Crossfit Level I Trainer Certification (CF-L1), along with the title of Certified RockDoc after successfully completely both Functional Movement Taping I and II (FMT I, II).

In 2011, Shante expanded her skill set and underwent extensive one-on-one training from private practice owner and pelvic floor specialist, Ann Duffy, MPT. With a desire to be able to treat the entire human body, Shante received training in the treatment of the multitude of female and male pelvic floor pathologies, including but not limited to incontinence, gastrointestinal dysfunction, and pain with intercourse.

A firm believer in the mantra of practicing what one preaches, Shante maintains an active lifestyle as an avid runner and fitness enthusiast. She has completed 2 marathons, is an experienced rock climber, and is a member of CrossFit718.

With her unique skill-set, Shante has experience treating individuals of all ages and levels of functionality, be it the post-partum mother with pelvic floor dysfunction or the elite athlete hoping to set a personal record.

Here's what you will learn in this episode:

  • Shante's background and journey from soccer to PT School
  • Her approach to physical therapy and treatment
  • Who's influenced her
  • RockTape and why it's NOT just a taping seminar, it's a movement seminar!
  • Why the area that hurts is rarely the dysfunctional one
  • Regional Interdependence and Regional Independence
  • FRC, Joint by Joint Approach
  • Passive vs. Active Range of Motion
  • Using tension in a parasympathetic state
  • Ankle and Foot Biomechanics
  • Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
  • Why you must impart stability concurrently with mobility for long term adaptation
  • and much more

Show Notes: * The Movement Maestro (Website) * The Movement Maestro (Instagram) * The Movement Maestro (Facebook) * Pelvic Guru

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Danny Sawaya has been a professional in the Fitness and Nutrition field for 17 years. After earning a B.S. in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Arizona, he conducted research and taught nutritional sciences at the University. He is a StrongFirst Team Leader, as well as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA. Danny underwent all of his Russian kettlebell training with Pavel Tsatsouline the man who brought kettlebell training to the United States. Danny has worked with strength coaching staff of San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks teaching proper kettlebell form and technique. He has also had the privilege of being the strength coach to Canadian Olympic Mountain Biker and Pan Am Gold Medalist Emily Batty. He has also worked with USA Olympic Team Mountain Biker Chloe Woodruff. Danny is the NASA Powerlifting National Record holder for Submasters 181 lbs weight class. He has also broadened his athletic endeavors to the endurance sports and is currently training for the Oceanside 70.3 IronMan in April 2017. Danny is no longer taking on new clientele as he is focusing all of his attention on developing the programs and the team at Evolution Fitness.

Here's what you will learn in this episode:

  • Danny's background and journey to being a trainer and starting Evolution Fitness
  • What is Powerlifting?
  • Transitioning to endurance sports and the changes Danny underwent
  • Core values of a gym
  • Why you want to lift lighter and with speed in mind vs. grinding reps out
  • "It's all easy until it gets heavy"
  • Setting goals and aligning them with clients values
  • and much more!

Show Notes: * Evolution Fitness * Tucson Kettlebell * Evolution Fitness (Facebook) * Tucson Barbell Club (Instagram) * Blog: The Parallels of Strength and Endurance Sports * Blog: CORE Values: Why and Who We Are

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In Episode 040 of the LEO Training Podcast I interview Mitchell Sadowsky. Mitch Sadowsky is the Director of Golf Fitness at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, FL, working with professional and amateur golfers and athletes on functional, strength and speed training. A member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association, Mitch is a Level 3 Fitness certified member of the Titleist Performance Institute, and holds certifications as an SFG Kettlebell Instructor, USA Weightlifting Level 2 Advanced Lifting Coach, Sports Performance Specialist, and holds certificates in Functional Movement Systems and Active Isolated Stretching. Some of Mitch’s clients have included PGA touring professionals Ian Poulter and Graeme McDowell, European Tour players Maarten Lafeber and Gary Boyd, and Canadian Tour player Charlie Bull.

In addition to Mitch’s role as the Director of Golf Fitness at Lake Nona, he is also owner and president of Mitch11 Strength & Performance. As a part of that role, he works directly as the strength coach for Olympia High School Golf, Florida MOJO Volleyball club, and the Eckerd College Indoor and Sand Volleyball programs.

Mitch attended Ball State University receiving his Bachelors of Arts (1998) and Master's of Science (2000) while competing for the Men's Volleyball Team. Serving as Team Captain during his senior campaign, Mitch played in three Final Four championships while competing at Ball State.

Here's what you will learn in this interview:

  • Mitch's background
  • What to assess for and screen in a golfer
  • Considerations for rotational athletes
  • Thoughts on programming and why we don't want to be sport specific!
  • Working with different demographics: highschool vs. mid 20's vs. middle age athlete
  • Charlie Weingroff and Training = Rehab 3
  • PlanStrong
  • Athletic Development vs. fitness/conditioning
  • Training, travel, and competing
  • How many reps are too many?
  • The similarities between volleyball and golf - "the whipping mechanism"
  • Thoughts on TPI Screen, SFMA, and FMS
  • Deceleration = Control and why this is critical for an athlete!
  • and much more!

Show Notes: Mitch 11 Strength (Website)

Mitch Sadowsky (Instagram)

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In Episode 039 of the LEO Training Podcast I interview LIFT CEO Chris Blyth. Chris sits down and takes us through his career as a personal trainer and how he came identified some problems in the health and industry that LIFT is addressing. This is a great look into how the advent of technology is helping trainers reach clients in new and exciting ways but also providing a platform that utilizes current technology to provide a better teaching and learning experience for students and trainers.

Here is what you will learn in this episode:

  • Chris's journey from trainer to entrepreneur
  • Some of the problems that trainers typically face due to clients and fluctuations in business during the seasons
  • What is LIFT?
  • How can LIFT be an alternative source of income for trainers?
  • What makes LIFT different than other platforms out there and how can it help students/clients learn proper and safe lifting technique effectively?
  • How the experience works for trainers and students/clients?
  • and much more!

Show Notes: LIFT Session (Website)

LIFT Session (Facebook)

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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!

Show Notes: Mahoney Performance Training (Website)

Mahoney Performance Training (Instagram)

Mahoney Performance Training (Facebook)

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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!

Show Notes: * BAT Logic (Website) * BAT Logic (Facebook) * BAT Logic (Instagram)