Functional Path Training

Win The Workout

A cornerstone of my system is winning the workout. Winning the workout consists of high-quality work done with intent and purpose. Remember that quality is a measure of perfect. The goal is always high-quality work coupled with perfect effort looking toward preparation for competition. We always aim to own the finish. This morning Emma Weyant of the Sarasota Sharks definitely won the workout. Five minutes of circuit work with one minute between circuits. 40 seconds on and 20 seconds off aiming for maximum reps on each exercise. This is the “own the finish” workout. (After a two and a half hours swimming workout) This is how you get to be the best. This young lady has a champions mindset and work ethic, that is why she is number one in the world in 400 IM for 18-year old’s and top ten at all age groups. She makes champions choices every day. Thanks to Coach Brent Arckey for having me work with the Sharks.

Announcing GAIN Master Class Series

GAIN is a community of professionals eager to learn and willing to share ideas and information. This year was to be the thirteenth edition of GAIN at Rice University in June but the Covid 19 pandemic has forced a change in plans. We know we can’t recreate the unique live GAIN experience, instead we have created a whole new learning experience that takes advantage of the connectivity of the internet. I have always believed that adversity is opportunity in disguise. This is an opportunity to get out of our comfort zone and present a unique educational experience in an interactive format – the GAIN Master Class. This will not be another webinar with someone talking over PowerPoint. Instead we will have an interactive format with a featured presenter along with a panel of experts. The goal of each Master Class is to provide the highest quality actionable information, information you can use and apply now. There will be one class a month for twelve months. The topic areas will address the four areas of athletic development - Physical Education, Strength & Conditioning, Athletic Medicine & Sport Science​ - featuring experts who can connect disciplines and ideas across domains.

If you are hungry to learn, to be challenged and be comfortable with being uncomfortable, the GAIN Master Class is for you. As we proceed, we will seek your input, we will adapt, we will change to make it better for you, the learner. We promise we will not have someone reading slides to you for an hour. Each Master Class will have a plenary presentation, an expert panel, discussion groups, and exercise /training demonstrations. GAIN has never been about more exercises, sets, reps and training methods. It is about passionate people who pursue excellence with honesty, integrity and respect to make a difference in the lives of the people we coach and teach.

There will be sixteen master classes. The first class is free, open to all. The cost for a season pass is $499.99 or $55.00 for an individual session. In addition, each moth the attendees will receive a digital packet of information pertaining to that months Master Class. Contact us at [email protected] for group or institutional rates. To learn more about GAIN Master Class go to https://thegainnetwork.com/events/gain2020/ or call 941-378-178. Enroll Now! Don't miss out on this career changing experience.

 

My Learning Milestones

I have been thinking lately on who and what shaped and influenced my ideas over the years. It has been a process of searching for knowledge to get better at getting better. These reflections make me realize how fortunate I have been in my life to be in the right place at the right time. The foundations for this journey was laid by my parents and the education I received in parochial elementary and high school where we were taught to think. It goes without saying that the athletes and colleagues I have been able to work with were also a constant source of learning for me.

Theory of Track & Field class at Fresno State senior year spring of 1968 taught by Red Estes, who was assistant track coach at Fresno State. We had to show proficiency in each event and develop a training program for each event. The textbook was Modern Track & Field by Ken Doherty. Red lent me all the back issues Track Technique and Run/Run/Run by Fred Wilt which set me on the right path.

Fresno State Track & Field Clinic, January 1968 with Bill Bowerman, University of Oregon and Ken Shannon, assistant coach at UCLA. What a way to start a career. After hearing these two coaches for two days there was no doubt in my mind that I would be a track coach. Fifty plus year later I can close my eyes and hear Bowerman’s words and see Shannon film of pole vault training.

Theory of Basketball class at Fresno State senior year spring of 1968 taught by head coach, Ed Gregory. Coach Gregory went on the scout for many years with the Warriors. We had to scout and prepare a scouting report on a high school game and college game. I chose Fresno city college versus Pasadena City College coached by Jerry Tarkanian. After that game my head was spinning watching the speed that Pasadena played and their tenacious 1:2:2 zone defense. A preview of thing to come at UNLV years later. We also had to develop our own training system and playbook.

Foundations of Conditioning fall 1968 at UCSB. The class was taught by Sherm Button. Our class project was a year long training program for your sport. It really forced me analyze and think why I was doing what I was doing. I still have it.  Sherm was a great teacher and a mentor for me.

MTSAC Track & Field Clinic February 1970. This was an annual clinic attended by over 300 coaches. This was the first time I heard Tom Tellez speak; I became a disciple. He recommended two books that really opened my eyes – Mechanics of Athletics by Geoff Dyson and Science of Swimming by Doc Councilman. Arne Nytro, from Norway coach of Terje Pedersen, first man to throw 300’ in Javelin, he also spoke on distance training also presented. He was a generalist, which left a huge impression on me and forged my philosophy of specializing in being generalist.

1972 Olympic Trials and Clinic. During the Olympic Trials each morning there was a clinic on all the events presented by top coaches. A chance to network and meet other coaches and share ideas.

July 1972 AAU Learn by Doing Clinic in Sacramento. Organized by Fred Wilt. It lasted six days beginning at 8:00 in the morning going until 9:00 at night. The days were devoted to learning by doing at stations taught by top coaches. Evenings consisted of lectures, the first two nights were by Tom Ecker on biomechanics and last three nights by Tadeusz Starzynski, coach of Joseph Schmidt two-time gold medal winner in triple jump. His lectures were two hours with simultaneous translation from polish. They were amazing, extensive use of 16mm film of training exercises. No heavy weights, a lot of what a we today call coordination. Really opened my eyes. In addition, the interaction with the coaches who attended was tremendous. It was a who’s who of anybody and everybody who did anything in coaching for the next forty years.

Track & Field Omnibook by Ken Doherty – First Edition. This was an update on his previous books all assembled under one cover. I still go back through this book once a year. It is so rich in information that is timeless.

Grad School at Stanford 1973-74 was in many ways a dream come true. Just to be at Stanford and the people that was able to access was amazing. There was also a dance master’s program and having classes with them opened my eyes to new vistas in movement, all of sudden rhythm and tempo became part of my coaching repertoire. In addition, I coached the jumps and decathlon. I don’t know if it was an aha ha or aha shit moment before the first meet when I realized that a year before I was coaching La Cumbre Junior high school and now I was coaching in the Pac Eight.

UC Berkeley Exercise Physiology seminar in January 1974. The speakers were a who’s who of anybody who had done anything of significance in exercise physiology to the that time. The headline presenter was Per Olaf Astrand, a true iconic figure in the field. Needless to say, it was eye opening, educational and challenging. There were over three hundred people there, only a handful of whom were coaches. I felt it gave me an edge in training my athletes because I had learned cutting edge information from the best.

1976 Olympic Games – I was able to attend the Montreal games. I got there a few days before the start of track and field. I would go to the practice/warm-up track, arrive at 7:30 am and leave at 7:00 pm. I did not want to miss anything. It was an education. Seeing Juantorena go through a session. Seeing the East Germans for the first time. Trying to hear what the coaches were saying. It was an unforgettable and formative experience for me. You can learn so much by watching.

1978 Commonwealth Games Scientific Congress in Edmonton. First time hearing Frank Dick present. There were many good opportunities to interact with speakers and delegates. Certainly, another good learning experience.

1978 I became editor of Track Technique, at the time the premier technical journal in track and field. This gave me access to a worldwide network of coaches, athletes and scientists. The information that I received was priceless. Some was published in Track Technique, but much was material I used in my coaching and is still in my library. I was able to get TAC to make Track Technique the National Governing body technical journal. I was removed for the editorship because of my outspoken stance of the drug abuse in track & field.

Shriners Hospital in San Francisco biomechanics lab with John Hagy. From 1977 to 81 I got exposed to film analysis, EMG and use of force platform. Was able to do research on my athletes as they were used as “normal” subjects in some landmark gait studies.

Visit with Tom Tellez at University of Houston in January 1982. After a conversation at a convention in December Tom invited to spend three days in Houston. During those three days he took me through his technical model for every event. We studied film of each event. He went through cues for each event. We probably spent twelve hours a day going over every detail. I watched workouts with Carl Lewis and Tom talked me through what they were doing. It was an education. It got me back on a simpler path, I was making things too complicated and confusing my athletes. My athletes saw immediate progress from the lessons I learned. As a team we finished second at nationals and had two individual national champions. I still apply the lessons I learned then.

Project Gold leading into 1984 Olympic Games. Worked with Anne “Betty” Attwater and Ralph Mann on biomechanical analysis of sprints and hurdles. During this project getting to know Mel Rosen, Coach at Auburn and Ed Temple coach of the famous Tigerbelles and listen them talk about sprinting and training was a priceless experience. They weren’t the loudest voices in the room, but when they spoke you listened. They may not have been scientific, but they were oh so wise.

Meeting Dr. Lois Klatt head of performance lab Concordia University in River Forest Illinois. A lady way ahead of here time. Lois made me understand three planes of motion and importance of training movements not muscles and multi joint actions. The work with her was a seminal moment in my career. I now looked at movement, training and rehab with new eyes.

ASMI Pitching research with Dr Chuck Dillman and later with Glen Fleisig. I had known Chuck from when he was with USOC. It was very special experience to be on the ground floor of this research. Chuck came and met with our pitching coaches (White Sox) and asked them what they needed to know. That was why he was such a special sport scientist, His approach spoiled me. We are able to have the majority of our pitchers from 1987 to 1996 filmed and analyzed during my time with the White Sox. It helped me to clearly define what we needed to do in training. We had significant reduction in injuries as a result.

Starting Building & Rebuilding the Athlete seminar in 1992. Putting everything together in a systematic manner that I could teach in a sixteen-hour seminar. I taught this periodically until spring of 2005

First visit to Australia 1996 and the AIS in its heyday and John Pryor and Mark Andrews at Sydney academy of sport. Subsequently I have been to Australia thirteen more times and each trip has been an amazing learning experience working with great coaches and applied sport scientists.

Starting GAIN in 2007. GAIN is a community of professionals for professional development. At this stage of my career this now become my focus. It is an incredible learning community that inspires me every day and challenges me to keep learning and leading. If you have a passion for leaning, please join us https://thegainnetwork.com/

These represent the highlights. Every day for me the process of learning continues.

Shapes

Looking at shapes will give you a different perspective on viewing, analyzing and effecting change in movement. Look closely at the shapes your athlete must make in the course of performing in their sport. Then look at the shapes they can make. Then look at what they have to do to reconcile the shapes they have to make with the shapes they can make. How quickly and efficiently can they change shapes? What is limiting their ability to make the required shapes – it is strength, flexibility, lack of body awareness or something else? With the young developing athletes making shapes has become an emphasis. I make it playful and set up tasks that require them to make as many shapes as possible and the challenge each other to change shapes almost like a big improvisational dance. It is very FUNdamental. For the mature senior athletes, I am now structuring a three to five-minute session of “shapes’ where they have to challenge themselves much like the junior athletes. I find myself increasingly speaking the language of shapes – big, little, tall, small, round, wide – It has given me a better perspective on reconciling coordination with sport skill. No more robots, just a dance of connected shapes!

My Trip to OZ, January & February 2020

This was my fourteenth visit to Australia with my first visit in 1996. I love Australia and Australians, so much so that I have been labeled by my Aussie friends as “Aussie Vern.” I spend three weeks there with a break of one week in New Zealand to visit my good friend, Gord Stewart. I met Gord in 1970 during my first decathlon. He lived with us for a time in Santa Barbara when he was training for 1976. I would stay with him in Victoria B.C when I was lecturing at National Coaching Institute. It was great to catch with he and his wife and reminisce about past good times. They live in a beautiful small town, Matamata, where Lord of the Rings was filmed. I could live there in a heartbeat.

My first week in OZ was at New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS). Phil Moreland who heads up S&C brought me in to do a talk on coaching and to do professional development with his staff. That consisted of one on one meeting with each of the staff and observation of training. I also got to catch with Kenneth Graham, one of the best sport scientists I know. He will be leaving NSIS which is a huge loss for the organization. I got to work Phil when he was at Scottish Institute of sport where he changed the culture and delivery of S&C. He is working to do the same at NSWIS. I am grateful to Phil for bringing me in.

Jimmy Radcliffe was in town for a presentation on Saturday, so we got him do a one-hour presentation to the NSWIS staff Friday. Saturday evening John Pryor and his family and I caught up with Jimmy for dinner next to the iconic Sydney Opera house. We also snuck in a little talk on training. John Pryor AKA JP and I go back to 24 years to my first visit down under. JP is a real innovator and forward thinker. Always great to catch up with him, great spending the weekend with him and the family

The second week I spent the first three days with the Melbourne Storm Rugby League team. Lachlan Penfold, Director of Performance is the Director of Performance. This was a real eye opener as to what can be done when everyone is on the same page and singing from the same songbook. Lachlan and the head coach Craig Bellamy plan practices, Lachlan administers them in terms of organization and time structure. The physical preparation/athletic development sessions are seamlessly blended and integrated in the skill, technical and tactical work. It reminded me of what I saw at University of Oregon when Chip Kelley was there with Jimmy Radcliffe. Fitness comes from the composition of practice and the tempo of training. Virtually no additional “fitness’ work is done. The Storm want to play fast, so they practice fast. Speed is a common theme. The weight room sessions were very structured and well organized with individual needs taken into consideration. American football at all levels could learn a lot from what Lachlan is doing with the Storm. I had lunch with Craig Bellamy, the head coach, to get his perspective. He admitted that when Dean Benton was there and started with this approach, he was worried the players would not be fit for the game. He said he was quickly won over.

During my time in Melbourne I was able to visit with Grant Duthie, professor at Australian Catholic University. Grant is a brilliant practitioner who has coached and is doing research. Grant is my go-to resource when I want straight information on training load or research design.

I was also able to catch with Warren Young for coffee. Warren is a super humble guy who has been a great source of information for me over the years. He challenged on my stance regarding Nordic Hamstring Curls, did not change my mind but got me thinking. Looking forward to more dialogue with him on this.

My last week I spend with Australian Rugby. Dean Benton, National Head of Athletic Performance for Australian Rugby facilitated this. Dean and I go way back. Dean has initiated an innovative approach to upgrade the standard of training for rugby in Australia. They have been close, but close is not good enough in international sport. The men’s and women’s sevens team were there in training. The women are defending Olympic gold medal winners. Their focus and intensity reminded very much of the US women’s ice hockey in preparation for 2018 Olympics. The week started out with a testing session of the women’s sevens. Dean has initiated a nationwide testing program to track power, speed and fitness. Much of my time was spent observing all aspects of the seven’s training and meeting with the performance coaches, physios and sport coaches. On Thursday I presented to the all the performance coaches from the various franchise teams and the staff at Australian rugby on the following:

Put Your Best Team on the Field

1. Return to competitions strategies after injury
2. Not a race to get back, a progression  to get better
3. No protocols, instead criteria-based progressions
4. How to use injury as an opportunity
5. Rehab the injury and train the athlete
6. Keeping them in the game once they get back

How to Coach - Getting Better at Getting Better

1. How to coach better to optimize your time and resources
2. How to change your practice to change how you play.
3. Key steps to improving practice
4. Proper progression prevents poor performance
5. Developing competence to improve competence
6. Learn to distort the game in  practice to make it easier
7. Some lessons on learning from skateboarders

The goal was to stimulate thought to encourage and challenge the status quo.

The top three floors of Australian rugby house some classrooms and labs of the University of Technology, Sydney. I was able to have coffee with Aaron Coutts and Franco Impellizzeri both professors at the university. It was a stimulating discussion by two sport scientists who are not following the flock, especially on acute versus chronic training load ratios. I only regret I was not able to spend more time with them. My week with Australian rugby went by too fast. It great to see the energy and the expertise dedicated toward getting Australian rugby back to the top.

I miss Australia already. I miss the professionalism of the coaches, physio’s, sport scientists and sport coaches. I was able to interact with. They have their problems just like we do, but the can-do attitude was refreshing. My only regret was not getting to see an AFL training session, perhaps next time. Special thanks to Phil Moreland, Lachlan Penfold and Dean Benton for making all this happen. I hope I will be invited back soon. All the best - Aussie Vern

Learn about GAIN

Don’t miss out on GAIN 2020 June 16 to June 20 at Rice University in Houston Texas. GAIN is open to Strength & Conditioning/Athletic Development coaches, Sport Coaches, Physical Therapists, ATC’s, Chiropractors, Doctors and Physical Education teachers. Those who attend are professionals seeking career advancement & renewal through a networking experience and who are interested in getting out of their comfort zone. https://thegainnetwork.com/  Application open January 15. To learn more about GAIN take some time to watch my opening State of GAIN presentation for 2019. https://thegainnetwork.com/video/state-of-gain-2019-gambetta/

GAIN 2020 - Join US

GAIN 2020 will be held June 16 to 20 at Rice University in Houston Texas. This is the thirteenth year of GAIN; it started 2007 with twelve attendees and four instructors and has grown to ninety attendees from all over the world and eighteen faculty. GAIN is a community of professional’s eager to learn and willing to share ideas and information.

GAIN is not about more exercises, sets, reps and training methods it is about passionate people who pursue excellence with honesty, integrity and respect to make a difference in the lives of the people we coach and teach. To learn more about GAIN go to https://thegainnetwork.com/ or call 941-378-178. Applications will open on January 15, 2020. Don't miss out on this career changing experience.

GAIN is open to Strength & Conditioning/Athletic Development coaches, Sport Coaches, Physical Therapists, ATC’s, Chiropractors, Doctors and Physical Education teachers. Those who attend are professionals seeking career advancement & renewal through a networking experience and who are interested in getting out of their comfort zone.

Trapped

Developing weight room strength for the sake of developing strength is a trap. Too often there is no thought to transfer and application. Numbers go up in the weight room without any commensurate improvement in performance. Stop and think – What are you getting strong for? Strength you can use is the goal and it is coordination with appropriate resistance that allows the athlete to make better shapes appropriate for thier sport. It is a straightforward proposition, get maximum return on your investment. Escape the chasing number trap.

Where did all this come from?

I was inspired by two events to write this post 1) Preparing a presentation on the evolution of the Gambetta Method- GAIN System. 2) Watching the Ken Burn documentary series on Country Music https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/country-music/ that over eight episodes spanning sixteen hours attempted to define the genre of country music. Well, just like country music which defies boundaries and crosses a myriad of genres so does the GAIN system. Country music draws from mountain music, blue grass, folk, gospel, R&B, rock, rockabilly, and jazz – mixing, matching, blending rhythms and tempos, and phrasing into a genre all its own. A genre that defies boundaries, pushes the envelope and ends up with unique sounds that continue to evolve.

Like country music the GAIN system is an eclectic mix that crosses disciples and mixes methods. It goes outside of sport for inspiration and concepts. It many ways it defies convenient labels. I have always chosen to cast a wide net in the search for knowledge. I have learned that the best ideas come at the boundaries where various disciplines and schools of thought converge. I have drawn from weightlifting, power lifting body building, gymnastics and wresting to better understand how to develop applied strength. I have explored and adapted a range of concepts and methods from rehab including stroke rehab and classical PNF. I have looked at many disciplines of dance - ballet, modern dance, jazz dance, and hip hop to better understand rhythm, tempo, body control and spatial awareness. I have looked at martial arts and combat sports to understand the dimensions of the body. I have looked at speed in all forms of human locomotion, on land, in the water and on the bike. I have looked at endurance from the extremes of human survival to the formal systems of Bowerman, Councilman, Igloi, and Stampfl. To better understand how to get better and make more effective application of practice and training I have studied performance psychology, cognitive neuroscience, motor control and skill acquisition.

The result is a dynamic progressive system whose primary goal is to develop robust, resilient athletes who can thrive in the competitive arena. The system is based on foundational principles derived from my studies and research, grounded in pedagogy, informed by science and proven and tested in the competitive arena. It is still evolving after fifty years as I continue to accrue experiences, broaden my research into other fields, make mistakes and learn from them. I will leave no stone unturned in the search for ideas and methodologies that help refine and the system and improve my teaching. That like country music that defies definition and resists labels the Gambetta Method – GAIN system will continue to push the envelope of performance and continue to evolve to address the ever changing reality of sport performance.

Training is Cumulative

Think Long-Term - Training is cumulative, it takes time to adapt & proper timing of the training stimulus

Athletically, you must earn the right to progress to the next step Systematic Sequential Progressive

Often, what you do not do is as important as what you actually do

Always remember that one workout cannot make an athlete, but one workout can break an athlete - Less is More!