GAINcast with Vern Gambetta

Over three decades of coaching at the University of Washington, coach Ken Shannon quietly developed one of the most successful and diverse stable of field event athletes in the country and was a key influence on Vern's own approach to training and weight lifting. On this week's episode coach Shannon joins us to discuss his own development as a coach, throwing technique, and advice for young coaches. For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2021/11/gaincast-episode-230-the-dawgfather-with-ken-shannon/ The following links were referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic: Our monthly GAIN Master Class Series features speakers from all aspects of performance. Sign up and learn more here. The GAINcast is also sponsored by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more. You can read a bit more about Shannon's background on the UW webpage. The Seattle Times also wrote about his retirement back in 2000. Two of Shannon's former athletes have been guests on the HMMR Podcast: Episode 105 with Justin St. Claire and Episode 166 with Aretha (Hill) Thurmond. There are also some great videos of his throwers on YouTube such as this one of Rod Ewaliko. You can learn more from Shannon in his classic book Track: The Field Events.

Alex Hutchinson is well known for his writing on sport science, but his new books goes in a different direction by taking a detailed look at exploration: why humans explore, how much we should explore, and methods of exploration. The topic might not be directly about sports, but it is directly relevant to coaches. Coaches are often weighing the question of when to try something new, and when to keep with the old ways. Hutchinson joins us on this week's podcast to look at how some of the concepts in his book can apply to the world of coaching and high performance. For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2025/07/gaincast-episode-292-explore-and-exploit-with-alex-hutchinson/ The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic:  The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more. Hutchinson was previously a guest on GAINcast 118, where we discssed research on how the mind and body control human performance. We recently reviewed his new book and wrote an article about our key takeaways on exploration. If you haven’t already, pick up his newest bookThe Explorer's Gene: Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map or his previous book Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance. You can also follow Hutchinson on Instagram @sweat_science. He also writes frequently for Outside Magazine and puts out a great newsletter which helps you follow all his latest writings.

According to coach Dale Stevenson, technique is overrated. Technique is a tool, just like strength is a tool. We need tools, but we can't forget that tools are there to help us accomplish a task. On this week's podcast Stevenson joins us to look at his approach to technique in training, how that translates into session design, and much more. For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at:  https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2025/06/gaincast-episode-291-tools-vs-tasks-with-dale-stevenson/ The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic:  The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more. HMMR Media members can hear Stevenson discuss technical development and technical models in the new Video Lesson 43. You can read our notes on the above presentations here. Coach Stevenson also presented Video Lesson 37 in the HMMR Classroom where he draws parallels in 3 key areas: orbit, rhythm, and posture. Stevenson was also a guest previously on HMMR Podcast Episode 66 and Episode 121. Matt Denny’s technique was also discussed with the thrower himself on HMMR Podcast Episode 309 and we broke down his technique in more detail in this article.

What are the demands of modern high school coaching? John Larralde calculated that he has just 43 training days to prepare his track athletes this year. Add to that a small student population, multi-event athletes, a young coaching staff, and little connection to the daily campus life. Some might see these as problems, but for Larralde that's no big deal as he describes himself as a problem solver. On this episode of the GAINcast Larralde talks about how he approaches high school track coaching. For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2025/05/gaincast-episode-290-high-school-coaching-with-john-larralde/ The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic: The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more For more from Larralde, listen to our interview with him about endurance training on GAINcast 95. Larralde shared examples of how he has used different methods with different athletes from different athletes can produce top results. For another perspective on high school coaching, check out GAINcast 69 with high school coach and athletic director Patrick McHugh. Some discussion points in this episode included The Russell Cup and training by design (covered on GAINcast 285).

Lachlan Penfold has worked with some of the world's most successful clubs across numerous sports from rugby to the NBA to water polo. While he is an innovative physical performance coach, one theme keeps emerging to him: the most successful clubs are built more on the strength of connection as the strength the body. On this episode of the GAINcast he looks at how to build a culture starting with a foundation of joy, monitoring athletes through personal interactions, and more lessons from some of the world's best coaches. For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2025/04/gaincast-episode-289-coaching-and-connections-with-lachlan-penfold/ The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic: The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more Penfold has won a title with the Melbourne Storm, but years ago he also led the Sydney Roosters to championships. He broke down his approach with Sydney in GAIN Video 4: Lessons from the Sydney Roosters available for HMMR Plus members to stream. Penfold was also a guest on GAINcast 184, GAINcast 131 and HMMR Podcast 62. We’ve also done a written interview with his colleague at the Storm, Dean Benton, as well as had him on GAINcast 227 and GAINcast 186. Monitoring was also a topic covered on GAINcast 192 with Aaron Coutts and Franco Impellizzeri. It is also a topic covered frequently in our Sports Science Quarterly research reviews.

Last month we hosted the GAIN Coaching by Design Workshop. A recurring theme in the workshop was process. Coaching by design requires process. On this episode of the GAINcast, Vern Gambetta dives into his process which starts with defining what he calls the six abilities: trainability, adaptability, recoverability, durability, availability, and coachability. For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2025/01/gaincast-episode-288-the-six-abilities/ The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic: The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more. For regular updates from us, you can sign up for the GAIN Newsletter and HMMR Newsletter.

The GAINcast is back. To kick off the New Year, Vern Gambetta shares some lessons and reflections on the current state of training. On this episode he covers topics like the erosion of fundamentals, load management, strengths and weaknesses, innovation, and searching for questions. For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2025/01/gaincast-episode-287-new-years-lessons-and-reflections/ The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic: The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more. For regular updates from us, you can sign up for the GAIN Newsletter and HMMR Newsletter. We recorded similar episodes to kick off 2024 (GAINcast 278), 2023 (GAINcast 258), 2022 (GAINcast 234), 2021 (GAINcast 206), 2019 (GAINcast 150), 2018 (GAINcast 98), and 2017 (GAINcast 46).

Tradition makes baseball a great game, but tradition also holds it back. If you read or follow baseball, the sport often seems like it is in a constant civil war between the data analysts and the old school coaches. Coach Paul Davis pulling together and balancing both sides of the spectrum, helping move the sport forward while respecting and learning from its past. He joins us on this week's GAINcast to talk about creating a learning organization, finding usable data, the evolution of the game, rethinking the demands of pitching and athletic development for pitchers, and a look at velocity and pitcher health. For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2024/11/gaincast-episode-286-developing-pitchers-with-paul-davis/ The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic: The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more. The GAIN Workshop on planning will take in Los Angeles on December 14-15. If you are a GAIN member, renew your membership to get free access. Davis was also a guest back on GAINcast 35 where he discussed balancing traditions in baseball with the modern analytics movement. We also discussed some of his presentations at GAIN in HMMR Podcast 276. Baseball was also a topic on GAINcast 169 with Ron Wolforth of the Baseball Ranch, HMMR Podcast 69 with Driveline Baseball founder Kyle Boddy, as well as a chat with motor learning specialist Rob Gray.

Coaches education is filled with lessons on technique, methods, sport science, and more. What is often missing is how to put it all together. How to design a training session, training cyle, or training year is a key skill that many coaches struggle to learn in the trenches. On this week's GAINcast we bring together an elite roundtable with Nick Garcia, Brian FitzGerald, and Jimmy Radcliffe to discussion their own mistakes in planning, putting together progressions, planning in-season training, defining themes, and much more. For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2024/09/gaincast-episode-285-training-by-design-roundtable/ The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic: The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more. The GAIN Workshop on planning will take in Los Angeles on December 14-15. If you are a GAIN member, renew your membership to get free access. FitzGerald was a guest on GAINcast 139 and HMMR Podcast 153. Radcliffe was included on roundtables in GAINcast 163 on progressions and GAINcast 190 on creating adaptable athletes. For more on planning in genreal, list to GAINcast 4. We also looked at planning the training session on GAINcast 249.

The Olympic Games wrapped up earlier this month in Paris. We had both personal connections at the Games, as well as a fan interest. On this week's GAINcast we break down our insights from watching the Games. For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2024/08/gaincast-episode-284-olympic-debrief/ The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic:  The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more. The GAIN Workshop on planning will take in Los Angeles on December 14-15. If you are a GAIN member, renew your membership to get free access. For more Olympic track and field coverage, check out our latest HMMR Podcast 319 where we look at the throwing events in Paris, as well as our global throwing trend analysis Some media resources that we referenced in this episode: The U.S. Wasn’t the Most Successful Country at the Olympics in the New York Times and The Rodchenkov Affair: How I Brought Down Russia’s Secret Doping Empire. More about doping history in Germany from the BBC as well. Past GAIN episodes have also look at Olympic performance. Check out our post-Tokyo analysis on Episode 222. GAIN Swimming just took place last weekend. More information is available on their webpage. You can also follow them on Instagram (@gain_swimming).

Strength is one of the most important qualities in athletic performance. Athletes need to be able to express force in the context of their sport. But much of what goes on in strength training starts to substantially deviate from this maxim. On this week's GAINcast our friend Chris Webb joins Vern for a discussion on what strength is, moving beyond numbers, the role of the strength coach, transfer, injuries, and much more. For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2024/07/gaincast-episode-283-training-strength-with-chris-webb/ The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic:  The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more. GAIN Swimming will take place at the end of August. More information is available on their webpage. You can also follow them on Instagram (@gain_swimming). Past GAINcast episodes diving further into some similar discussions about strength Episode 276 and Episode 57.

A lot has been going on in the sporting world this spring, and in our worlds as well. On this week's GAINcast we discuss a variety of topics including finding and measuring training quality, variability in skill execution, the right role for biomechanics analysis in coaching, and unstructured training. For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2024/05/gaincast-episode-282-coaching-quality/ The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic:  The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more

Communication is the cornerstone of coaching. Garr Reynold's best-selling book Presentation Zen explains how to reach the audience through simplicity and storytelling. He joins us on this weeks' GAINcast to discuss how these lessons can be helpful for coaches as well, including insights on editing, simplicity, material, and methods. For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2024/04/gaincast-episode-281-presentation-zen-with-garr-reynolds/ The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic:  The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more. You can learn more from Reynolds on his website, including 10 presentation tips. His book Presentation Zen is also highly recommended. You can also follow him on X (@presentationzen). Some more insights on communication up on HMMR Media: Lessons in communication from Wade Gilbert, Training talk with Harry Marra on coaching cues, 4 ways to rethink how you give feedback, and GAINcast 191: Teaching better with teacher Doug Lemov. Communication was also our theme in December 2021.

On this week's episode we discuss some recent training trends and current events, including the World Indoor Championships, competition scheduling in an Olympic year, zone 2 training, the NFL combine, and much more. For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2024/03/gaincast-episode-280-training-trends-and-current-events/ The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic:  The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more. Our 2024 schedule for GAIN is online, including several weekend workshops. Sign up and we'll see you there.

What sport you play is different than how you play that sport. In the game of tennis, for example, vastly different styles of play emerge, which require a different approach to preapre for. On this week's GAINcast Jason Hettler of IMG Academy Tennis explains their process of profiling athletes, matching to game style, and individualizing training. For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2024/02/gaincast-episode-279-athlete-profiling-with-jason-hettler/ The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic:  The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more. You can learn more about Hettler on his webpage or follow him on Instagram (@jhettler24). Gareth Sandford has also shared some great examples of the athlete profiling for tennis on Instagram here and here. To develop the athlete profiling system, Hettler worked together with Johnny Parkes, Joe Eisenmann, and Gareth Sandford. All have been previous guests. Parkes was on GAINcast 171 and HMMR Podcast 227 and also is a contributing writer on this site. Eisenmann was on GAINcast 264. Sandford was on GAINcast 203. Hettler's former colleagues at Altis have also been on the HMMR Podcast previously. Stuart McMillan was on HMMR Podcast 202 and Dan Pfaff was on on HMMR Podcast 59 as well as two written interviews here and here.

To kick of 2024 we're putting together a spectacular roundtable featuring guests Dr. Michael Joyner, Grace Golden, and Randy Ballard. We take a look back at trends from 2023, as well as what we see ahead in 2024. In addition we dive into the value of tribes, rethinking monitoring, soft skills, and much more to kick off the year. For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2024/01/gaincast-episode-278-the-new-years-roundtable/ The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic:  The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more. We recorded similar episodes to kick off 2023 (GAINcast 258), 2022 (GAINcast 234), 2021 (GAINcast 206), 2019 (GAINcast 150), 2018 (GAINcast 98), and 2017 (GAINcast 46). Montioring was also a topic that came up several times. This was also covered on GAINcast 192 with Aaron Coutts and Franco Impellizzeri.

On this week's GAINcast Vern shares his top 6 books of 2023, key insights after recent travels to Europe and Australia, plus thoughts as we look ahead at preparing for the 2024 Olympics. For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2023/12/gaincast-episode-277-books-travels-and-olympic-preparations/ The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic:  The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more. Book recommendations mentioned in this episode: The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin The Core. Better Life, Better Performance by Aki Hintsa and Oskari Saari Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results by Shane Parrish 7 Rules of Power: Surprising--but True--Advice on How to Get Things Done and Advance Your Career by Jeffrey Pfeffer Awaken Your Genius: Escape Conformity, Ignite Creativity, and Become Extraordinary by Ozan Varol Vern discussed his top books of 2022 and 2021 on GAINcast 259 and on GAINcast 231. You can also read his book lists from 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019. There's more from Adam Gran recently: a good interview with David Epstein and recent opinion piece in the New York Times on teaching. Other individuals discussed on this podcast have perviously been guests, including Ellyse Perry on GAINcast 213, Nick Lumley on GAINcast 166 (more from Nick here), and John Pryor on GAINcast 135 and 136. Also discussed was the talent identification research of Arne Gullich.

A recent interview on HMMR Media shared some of the weight room numbers of the hammer throw world champion. After hearing them, everyone asked: how can a champion be so weak? Strength is complex. Strength is contextual. On this week’s podcast we share some ideas about the role of strength in athletic performance, transfer of strength, training strength, and much more. For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2023/11/gaincast-episode-276-thoughts-on-strength/ The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic:  The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more. We kicked off the episode by talking about Ethan Katzberg. We recently wrote about his strength levels and interviewed his coach on HMMR Podcast 308. Our world championships recap also summarized the magnitude of his success this summer. Vern has also written a lot about strength including a definition, some global considerations on strength, and a multi-part series on the evolution of his thoughts on the topic: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6 and Conclusions.

Championship results require championship behaviors from both athletes and coaches. Having guided multiple men's and women's teams at the highest levels, volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon knows a thing or two about what championships behaviors are. On this week's GAINcast he joins us to share his input on finding intention, putting skill acquisition into practice, coaching, and more. For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2023/10/gaincast-episode-275-championship-behaviors-with-hugh-mccutcheon/ The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic: The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more. You can learn more about McCutcheon's background in his University of Minnesota biography. If you like this podcast, we highly recommend his recent book Championship Behaviors: A Model for Competitive Excellence in Sports. Coach Clay Erro has talked more in detail about the role of rules in coaching. Our HMMR Classroom GAIN Video 3 has a detailed presentation from him on the topic. Erro was also a guest on GAINcast 90, where he discussed similar topics. Wade Gilbert was mentioned as another top expert on championship behaviors. He presented in HMMR Classroom GAIN Video 15 (highlights here), as well as discussions on GAINcast 7 and GAINcast 121. We mentioned a couple of New York Times essays over the years on flow and focus. Most recently climber and philosopher Francis Sanzaro wrote about "When I Stopped Trying to Self-Optimize, I Got Better" and philosopher and former dancer Barabara Montero's "The Myth of Just Do It." We also wrote some comments on Montero's work here

We take a look at some current events and current happenings in our own training to reflect on some lessons learned on this week's GAINcast. To start with we debrief the USWNT's disappointing performance at the World Cup, before sharing lessons on how to best draw parallels from past experiences to working with new sports, including some examples from new sports we've been introduced to in the last year. For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2023/08/gaincast-episode-274-lessons-learned/ The following links were also referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic: The GAINcast is sponsored by GAIN and by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more. GAIN Swimming will also take place from September 15 to 17. You can learn more here. On the last episode, we discussed another topic relating to the women's World Cup: ACL injuries. View our resource hub on field sports for more about preparing and coaching sports like soccer, rugby, and more.