Athlete Enhancement

Of late, flexing the lumbar spine under load has become a surprisingly controversial topic. What was cannot not 10 years ago has become questionable. While flexing the lumbar spine under load seems like a bad idea, many social medial pundits are out there promoting the message that flexing your lumbar spine under load is totally fine. Again, while flexing the lumbar spine under load (repetitively at that) seems silly, it is actually more complex than a blanket, black and white statement, that one should never allow an athlete to flex their lumbar spine. For this reason, this will be a 2 part podcast. Enjoy! #KnowTheWhy #TrainHardTrainSmart #AthleteEnhancement

Thanks to groups like the Human Health & Performance Foundation (@HHPFoundation) and books like Breath, the benefits of nasal respiration are starting to be uncovered. While most of these have focused on the effects nasal respiration has on aerobic performance and also health, I was curious how it might influence stability in both traditional strength training and also high intensity metabolic intervals with heavier loads. In this episode, Dr. Ulm discusses these benefits, the challenges with using nasal respiration in training and also proper implementation. #KnowTheWhy

While these two phenomena or expressions of function are no doubt related and overlap in many settings, they are separate and distinct from each other. Understanding the difference enables the coach/therapist to better dose the exercise to elicit the desired adaptation (response).

Today's Thoughts On is about the impact the athlete has on the overall efficacy of the program. ~ It was inspired by a great conversation I had with Henry Turaño, a fantastic coach and owner of OPEX San Juan. He is also one of the head coaches for Crafted Coaching, a remote coaching organization. ~ No matter how good the coach, programming is nothing more  than an educated guess. How the athlete interprets and executes the program has a huge impact on the efficacy. ~ @coachtorano  @opexsj  @crafted.coaching 

Mike Boyle has been an influential force in the strength training profession since its inception back in the 1980s. Brandishing a pragmatic sensibility, Mike has remained relevant and effective in an ever-changing profession for 4 decades. He's one of the early adopters of a "functional approach", now widely accepted in the industry. Mike is a busy fellow. He works as a strength coach in the Boston area at Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning (www.bodybyboyle.com). He is the author of a functional training classic, Functional Training for Sports. He has a functional training certification, Certified Functional Strength Coach (CFSC | www.certifiedfsc.com) and he is a regular presenter on the Perform Better Functional Training series (www.performbetter.com/3-day-functional-training-summit). Mike is a fantastic presenter. If you ever get a chance to hear him present, you should definitely take it.

This entire Thoughts On was inspired by listening to a presentation James FitzGerald did on "Core Training for Mixed Modal?" at the Training Trunk Stability course I recently taught in Scottsdale, AZ. ~ Enjoy!

The term stability is typically used quite broadly by both the medical and strength training professions. However, while they are most certainly related, they are not synonymous and understanding the difference between these two concepts is paramount for coaches to properly program and prepare their athletes for whatever task (aka sport) they must perform. In this Podcast, I discuss the differences between these two concepts in hopes of helping coaches better program and prepare their athletes for sport. #KnowTheWhy

In this podcast, I discuss the different types of carries and the utility of each. While carries in general are overlooked and underutilized in the strength training community, we tend to favor one style of carry and that style isn't the best one. Each type of carry has utility and purpose in a program, but one type is vastly superior to the others and does not carry with it (#PunIntended) the deleterious effect associated with the other two. Let us know what you think! #KnowTheWhy

James FitzGerald is a thought leader in the fitness industry and has been for almost a quarter century. His path started back in Calgary in 1999 when he started his former company OPT (Optimal Performance Training), which later became OPEX. This early recognition got him involved in the CrossFit movement where he was heavily influential in the early what we would call “.com days” long before CrossFit became mainstream. He actually won the first ever CrossFit games in 2007 and continues to influence CrossFit coaches and passionate personal trainers and strength coaches to this day. OPEX is an in-depth education platform, school if you will, for personal trainers interested in mastering their craft.  ~ James has a unique mind with a proclivity to always think about the larger picture, which makes for a great conversation. He has unrivaled conviction for his approach, which is both captivating and inspiring. I enjoy any time he and I can chat. I am thankful that we were able to record this one. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.  ~ In this discussion we cover the following: The importance of proper programming so that clients and athletes “express well” in their workouts. We dive in deep into what exactly James means by “expressing well”. The 7 factors that should be considered when writing programs. The importance of knowing one's intentions, which applies to both the coach and the client.  The “Distraction” model that has negatively impacted the fitness industry.  Proper programming and stabilization. Here, we have a nice discussion/debate that ends with disagreement. It was a nice cordial discussion during which we both challenge each other's beliefs, ultimately agreeing to disagree. The “Vitality Model”. This is clearly James' passion, legacy even. It has to do with the deepest sense of “why” we engage in fitness and what James believes is the ultimate purpose for this endeavor.   For more information about James you can listen to one of his podcasts: Big Dawgs Fitness in Philosophy OPEX Fitness also has their own podcast. Back Room Talk  For more information on OPEX, visit: http://www.opexfit.com (www.opexfit.com) OPEX on Instagram at  @OPEXFitness OPEX on YouTube at @Opex Fitness ---------------------------- For more information about Dr. Richard Ulm, visit: On the web: http://www.Athlete-Enhancement.com (www.Athlete-Enhancement.com) On YouTube: @AthleteEnhancement On Instagram: @AthleteEnhacement

Jud Logan (4x Olympian & Head Track & Field Coach at Ashland University) Over the last 4 decades, Jud has been a force in the track and field community. First, he was dominant athlete who broke the American Record in both the hammer throw and the weight throw multiple times and represented the United States in 4 Olympic Games. In the mid 1990's, he transitioned into coaching, where he has now become one of the most respected and decorated coaches in the country. He has coached multiple Olympians (including my wife Jackie), dozens of All-American's & national champions.  In many ways, for me, Jud is where it all started. I was lucky enough to compete for him as at athlete at Ashland University in his early days as a coach and he coached me through college and to my first Olympic Trials. It was at Ashland where I became passionate about human performance (periodization, precise load management, exercise prescription, personalized programming, tempo, biomechanics, lifting technique, etc.). This passion initially drove me into the coaching profession and eventually into the medical profession. Jud has been a huge influence to me on multiple levels, which is why I started this podcast with him.  While Jud was a stand-out talent as an athlete, a quality he possesses that was integral in his success is his incredible ability to focus, maintain a positivity and goal set. I trained with him through 2 full Olympic cycles where I watched him set goals that would not be achieved for 4 years. During the pursuit of these goals I got to see him sustain a positive mind-set through the good times and the bad. I was able to see him express the ability to sustain light focus on a goal for years without wavering and I was able to watch him hyper-focus on a task such as execution of a lift or a throw. For me, his intensity in the weight room is as legendary as his physical talents or his accomplishments.  Perhaps because he was so physically gifted, his incredible mental/psychological ability went unnoticed. Because of the importance of mind-set/goal-setting/metal focus/positivity in performance, and because of Jud's incredible prowess in these attributes of an athlete, the focus of this podcast is here. For this episode, I brought on a surprise guest, my wife Jackie.  Jackie was a 13 time All-American, 5 time National Champion and 2004 Olympian for Jud. I don't think I am putting words in Jud's mouth to say that Jackie is one of his favorite, best, and most important athletes of his career. Like Jud, she was/is a medal giant, which is one of the major reasons she was so successful. I am glad she was able to contribute. In this discussion we cover the following: The importance of mind-set The importance of positivity Long term goal-setting (1 year, 4 years and beyond) Achieving intense focus for short events like executing a lift or a throw Coaching mind-set in athletes And much, much more   For more information on Jud, visit: https://goashlandeagles.com/sports/track-and-field/roster/coaches/jud-logan/100 Jud Logan on Instagram at  @Olympic4x _____ For more information about Dr. Richard Ulm, visit: On the web: http://www.Athlete-Enhancement.com (www.Athlete-Enhancement.com) On YouTube: @AthleteEnhancement On Instagram: @AthleteEnhacement

The art of developing athletes is programming the appropriate Training Load (Volume x intensity / Time). Everyone knows this, but few actually talk about the varying metrics coaches can use to more accurately "dose" (if you will) the athlete. In this episode, Dr. Ulm discusses a variety of both objective and subjective metrics coaches can use to better dose their athletes.

Creating the ideal program is no easy task. Often we fall into the trap of writing "difficult" programs. However, getting an athlete to reach maximum physical potential requires individualized programming...or as I would call it, programming with intent. Check out this episode to hear 7 different factors that every strength coach should be considering when programming for their athletes.

Athlete Enhancement is for anyone who is training for something, seeking to improve their performance, for the passionate individual who wakes up every day to maximize their performance in whatever they do. This could be a traditional "athlete" like a sprinter trying to maximize their ability to run as fast as possible over 100m or it could be a business owner who wants to be the best leader they can be. If you are "training" for something, than this podcast is for you.