Chalk Talk

Conditioning can be a valuable tool in developing an athlete's overall work capacity. And moving past just long slow distances, there are intentional ways that coaches can train conditioning for their athletes. 

First, we do a quick review of our energy systems and discuss aerobic and anaerobic capacity. Next, we define and break down tempo running in the form of extensive and intensive tempo runs. Finally, we talk about putting it into the application with high school athletes. 

This is the last episode of Chalk Talk before our summer break! Go catch up on previous episodes from the year on our blog, or however you get your podcasts! We thank everyone for their continued support and encourage you to reach out with topics you want to hear in the upcoming season when we head back to school in the fall! Happy Summer! 

• Conditioning - Waste Of Time vs. Work Capacity Developing Athletes (1:30)  
• Defining Conditioning: Work Capacity (4:20)  
• Getting Ready For An Upcoming Season vs. Bigger Work Capacity Umbrella (7:20)  
• Reviewing Energy Systems (9:00) 
• Aerobic Capacity - More Than Long Slow Distance (10:00)  
• Anaerobic Capacity (15:00) 
• Training - Tempo Running (19:00)
• Extensive Tempo Runs (21:00)  
• Intensive Tempo Runs (26:00)  
• Frequency of Training (28:40)  
• How Does Long Slow Distance Play In? (31:00)  
• Fitting Into YOUR Program (34:50) 
• Maximizing Use Case (38:00)

Speed is more than just sprinting as fast as you can! Speed, especially within the context of athletics, is a multifaceted skill that needs to be developed and practiced.   

We first break down the benefits of a comprehensive strength and conditioning program to speed development and then look at the things we can be doing on the field to help develop our speed training.  

From there, we break down and define 5 key elements to speed training: 1) Technique 2) Acceleration & Power 3) Deceleration 4) Max Velocity 5) Change Of Direction. Check out this excellent discussion that comes at the same time as we approach summer workouts and PLT4M's newly released speed training program.   

• Speed - What Is It? (1:00)  
• Past Just Max Velocity - Other Elements (3:00)  
• Athletic Speed Vs. Linear Speed (5:00)  
• Acceleration & Deceleration (6:00)  
• Change Of Direction (8:00)  Speed Endurance (10:30)  
• Mechanics & Technique (12:00) 
• Changing YOUR Speed - Improving The Individual (15:15)  
• The Big Picture - What About The Weight Room? (18:00)  
• When Do You Actually Do It? (20:00)  
• Field Work - 20-30 Minutes (24:00)  
• Five Elements of Speed Training (24:00)  
• Technique (24:30)  Acceleration & Power (25:30) 
• Deceleration (28:00)  
• Max Velocity (32:00) 
• Change Of Direction (35:00)  
• Training Speed - Divorced From Conditioning (39:00)  
• Hit The Buckets (41:00)

Ricky Igbani was a three-sport high school athlete who competed on the football, track, and baseball teams. Taking his talents to college, he successfully played baseball and track throughout his career. As his education wrapped up, a lightbulb went off about the opportunities he could have working with students and athletes himself. 

From this original thought in his college dorm room, Ricky got started and has never looked back. Ricky is an accomplished teacher, coach, and mentor for students and athletes all across the greater Boston area. From his time as a PE teacher to creating new opportunities for high-achieving athletes, Ricky has always made a difference on and off the field. 

Now Ricky has created his own company called IJE and is working with PLT4M to make the very best educational speed & agility content. Ricky seems to always be on the move! 

On this episode of Chalk Talk, we talk about Ricky's journey and get into the weeds of speed and agility. Check out the full blog for more of the content that we reference throughout the show. 

• Meet Ricky Igbani (1:00) 
• Where Did It All Start (2:45) 
• The PE Teacher - Functional Fitness (4:30)  
• UAP - Urban Athlete Project (6:00) 
• IJE - Formed From Covid (8:00)  
• Speed & Agility - Starting With Technique (9:30)  
• The Butt Kicker Examples (10:30)  
• Speaking Speed & Agility - Terminology (12:00)  
• Stop & Reset - Get Aligned (13:30) 
• The Total Athlete - For All Athletes (15:00)  
• The Mind Body Connection (16:30)  
• What Comes Next (18:00)

Data, assessment, and testing have always been a part of strength and conditioning. In this two-part series, Coach Bres and Doug navigate the what, why, when, and how of assessment.  

In part 1, we first define and outline the key differences between assessment and tests. Next, we break down the why and how of assessment in high school strength and conditioning. In part 2, we talk about assessing and using Coach Bres’s assessment battery as an example.  

Time Stamps: 

• Fitting Your Personal Goals & Situation (2:00)  
• What Are You Assessing - The Different Buckets (3:45)  
• Personal Data - Body Weight and Other Considerations (8:00)  
• Completion Rate - Participation (10:00)  
• Assessing Quality (13:00)  Strength Assessments (13:45) 
• Power (20:24) Capacity & Control (24:30) 
• What About Mobility (28:00)  
• Things We Left Out? (30:00)  
• What is this all worth? (31:00)

Data, assessment, and testing have always been a part of strength and conditioning. In this two-part series, Coach Bres and Doug navigate the what, why, when, and how of assessment.  

In part 1, we first define and outline the key differences between assessment and tests. Next, we break down the why and how of assessment in high school strength and conditioning. In part 2, we talk about assessing and using Coach Bres's assessment battery as an example.  

• Time Stamps:  Data in S&C (1:00)  
• Assessment vs Testing (4:00) 
• Assessment over time - collecting data along the way (6:00) 
• Pass/Fail - Or Measuring Ability In Different Areas (8:30)  
• Moving Away from wanting a 'good score' (10:00) 
• Know Your Why - Well thought and Intentional Plans (11:30)  
• Don't Waste Time - Ask What The Data Matters? (13:30) 
• Putting Assessment Into Context For Kids (15:30)  
• Putting Data Into Context For Coaches and Teachers (19:00)  
• How To Assess (22:30)  
• Control The Basic Variables, Make The Data Valid (25:00)

We can all picture different rotational aspects of athletics. Whether we have athletes swinging, throwing, even sprinting, they are rotating. So do we need to train rotation specifically, and if so, how?

Matt June, CSCS, has spent a good amount of his career coaching baseball, golf, and softball athletes. Matt defines the kinematic sequence, highlights rotational elements of sports, and then breaks down the practical application of training rotation in high school athletes.

Matt June's Credentials & Experience:

Credentials

M.S. Exercise Science SUNY Cortland

B.S. Kinesiology - Fitness Development SUNY Cortland

CSCS - Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist

CES - Corrective Exercise Specialist

TPI Level 1 Coach

Experience

Strength and Conditioning Coach - Premier Golf and Fitness

Program Director / Head Performance Coach - Athletes Warehouse

Strength and Conditioning Coach - College of Saint Rose

Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coach - Hudson Valley Community College

Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach - SUNY Cortland

Assistant Baseball Coach - SUNY Cortland

The deadlift has many variations that are used and developed in fitness and strength and conditioning programs. Today, we focus on the similarities and differences between the trap bar and conventional barbell deadlift. 

Coach Bres and Doug discuss the history behind the deadlift, why coaches like one or the other deadlift, and how high school programs can apply this knowledge! 

We often hear PE teachers say that they strive to set students up with the skills to be fit for life. But many PE teachers only get their students for a semester or two throughout their entire educational career. Brandon Siegel, the sole PE teacher across his entire small district, has a unique opportunity to impact his students' 'fit for life' journey from grades k-12.   

Brandon joins the podcast to discuss how he has integrated PLT4M into their 7-12 curriculum at Fullerton Public Schools. Because he is a one-person team, he has a lot of choice and autonomy when structuring his semesters and school years.   

Brandon has shaped his middle school PE to fully introduce the basic concepts of fitness and strength and conditioning. With a strong foundation set in middle school, his high schoolers can then explore their personal interests via the wide variety of advanced PLT4M programming.  

While Brandon has autonomy in many ways, he works with his principal and superintendent closely to show the data and results that students are seeing via the PLT4M and data tracking app. We wrap up the episode talking about how data has shaped his classroom.

How long will it take me to get into shape? How long will it take me to see results?   Students and athletes want to know 'how long' it takes for their bodies to start changing as they train. 

And while the lack of immediate tangible results can sometimes lead to frustration, it is important to help students understand the timeline in which change happens! For each individual circumstance, the actual adaptation time will vary, but we are often talking about weeks and months, not hours and days! 

Check out this podcast to better understand the guiding principles around training adaptations! 

Alexa Cavallo loved dance from an early age. Music and dance always brought the biggest smiles out of her. 

After college, when her dance career looked to be over, Alexa took to instructing at a local studio and coaching the dance team at a nearby high school. 

With this love for teaching, Alexa joins the PLT4M team to create an engaging and fun dance fitness program designed for students of all backgrounds and experiences!

Alexa joins the Chalk Talk to introduce herself, share her insights on teaching dance to beginners, and promote the upcoming release of PLT4M's Dance Fitness program. 

In a debate that has persisted for decades, the battle rages on! From well-intentioned student-athletes wanting to make sure they are getting the most out of their training to coaches who wish to sell their program and garner buy-in, the question remains

How do we talk about sports-specific training? How do we address the social media age of sport movement mimicry? What is the best to go about addressing the demands of the sport? 

We break it down on today's episode of Chalk Talk! 

Athletes are itching to get back into the weight room, and coaches are ready to do just about anything to make it happen! 

Adam Hughes shares the steps he has taken to get his student-athletes back to training in the weight room. As he fosters a safe and efficient environment, he continues to expand on his successes in this strange return to the weight room during Covid. 

We break down the distinctions between a full and partial range of motion squat. Coach Bres starts by defining the two types of squatting and then dives into the high-level benefits of each variation. We then wrap it up by putting the whole conversation into context and understanding what population of athletes you are working with. 

On today's episode of Chalk Talk, we will be pulling from two conversations we had with our nutrition expert Rebecca Toutant. These mini conversations come from our Nutrition EDU program we provide to students, and our focus today is on hydration. 

In part 1, we will break down the basics of hydration, and then part 2 talk a little more about sweat science and sports drinks. You may hear some references to assignments and questions throughout these two parts, which come as part of the more extensive program inside PLT4M. But have no fear, this podcast is a great listen for all our teachers and coaches out there because hydration and sports drinks often stir up a lot of questions from our students and athletes.

Free weights and machines are the staples of many fitness centers, weight rooms, and training centers across the country. For Physical Education, the equipment available often dictates an entire workout or lesson for students. 

We break down the pros and cons of free weights and machines and consider the practical implications of both. Are certain types of students better suited for one or the other? How do you manage a busy class with what you have in your space? 

Check out our 100th episode of Chalk Talk! 

PE teacher Molly Collins has taken the lessons and best practices from remote learning and brought them into her hybrid teaching. Molly talks about the challenges and struggles remote PE presented and how she is getting creative with her students this school year. 

Bodybuilders have long used 'lightweight, high reps sets' before a competition. So how has the toning and bulking myth spiraled into the discussion it is today?   

I want to bulk up! I want to be toned! Everyone wants something when it comes to their training, but we all need to look at the science behind what it means to both tone or bulk.

Inhale. Exhale. Most of us go the whole day without even thinking about our breathing. 

Coach Lulu Emmons (PLT4M Yoga Instructor) helps us break down the basics behind breathing. Lulu then defines open and closed mouth breathing. We finish up the episode by talking about some basic breathing exercises anyone can give a try! 

Open Mouth Breathing: For your open mouth breathing, the goal is to inhale through the nose, and open mouth exhale using your belly to push the air out. The goal is to feel all the air come out as you exhale. (This is often to release heat and energy from your body during yoga.)  

Closed Mouth Breathing: For closed mouth breathing - inhale through your nose, keeping your lips sealed, constrict muscles in the back of your throat and then exhale back out through your nose. You are going to hear an almost oceanic sound as you exhale through your nose. (This is often done during warm up to build heat in your body).   With both open and closed mouth breathing, we want to match the inhale and exhale duration. Meaning if we inhale for a count of 3 seconds, our goal should be to exhale for 3 seconds. 3 Seconds is typically a good start, especially for beginners!

A bilateral exercise is one that uses two limbs to drive a movement. A unilateral exercise is one that uses one limb to drive an exercise. Past the definitions, Coach Bres and Doug discuss the pros and cons of bilateral vs. unilateral training and help make sense of the ever-growing debate. 

While our episodes have typically been about an hour-long, we are shortening things up! Over the next series of episodes, we will take a closer look at more specific topics and shoot for about 20-minute snippets! Let us know if there is anything you want to hear us discuss! 

In case you missed it, PLT4M is very excited to announce the launch of our new yoga program! Yog101: Intro To Yoga is a 12 lesson introductory style program that breaks down movements and poses that can be found in any basic yoga program. 

Whether you have taught yoga for years or unsure where to start, check out this conversation with Coach Lulu Emmons! Coach Lulu Emmons is the author and instructor behind the excellent new PLT4M yoga program. 

PLT4M originally aired this podcast on our webinar series and are now resharing it! This will be our last episode before we take a Chalk Talk break for the holidays, so we wish you all a great and happy holiday season! 

Mobility is best defined as the ability to voluntarily move a limb or joint through its entire functional range of motion with complete control.   

Coach Bres and Doug talk about the different components that make up the definition of mobility. They then dive into the problems around an absence or lack of mobility. And then finish with how mobility is wrapped into many types of training.

Glenwood Middle School set out to keep their core values for Physical Education alive with a hybrid model of education! As a department, the team had to juggle students and classes in school and at home.   

Check out this podcast to explore and learn about the different units and instruction styles available within Physical Education this unique school year.   

Roxanne Bush and Justine Miller join the podcast to talk about the various ways they are instructing in-person and remote learning. They break down how, with the help of PLT4M, they have been able to keep things fresh, engaging, and impactful for their students wherever they are.

Recovery takes on many different meanings in the lives of students. Some look at what they can do directly after a workout to be less sore or feel better throughout the day. Others look at recovery as a lens through which they consider how to eat or sleep.     

And because recovery has a variety of context and definitions, we break it all down! What is passive recovery? What is active recovery? What can recovery actually do for any student, not just athletes in competition?

When Covid first hit, Quimby Oak Middle School PE looked for a quick fix. Once they realized that virtual and remote learning was going to be a long term reality, they sought out PLT4M to provide curriculum and resources to support their students.  

 Hear how the teachers and students are tapping into the online curriculum. Sam Spengler and Kerry Ferrari join Chalk Talk to discuss!

1/3 of our life is spent sleeping! So why do most of us make it an afterthought? 

Quality sleep has countless benefits! To get quality sleep, we have to go past just 'being in bed' for 8 hours or more, and instead take steps to making sure we have a good night's sleep. 

Coach Bres and Doug discuss the why, what, and how of sleep! 

Rachel Ryden and Stephanie Fornander have built such a successful strength and conditioning program within Boise High School PE & Athletics there is a waitlist! The two teachers and coaches join Chalk Talk to break down what their program was like before, during, and looking forward through Covid.

We have talked a lot about the power of fitness for everyone, and many instinctively agree....except when it comes to 'weight' training. With quite a few misconceptions when it comes to strength and weight training, we discuss who it is for...EVERYONE!

In many hybrid models, teachers are tasked to teach students in-person and virtually at the exact same time. Adam Hughes at Canton High School (MA) is currently taking on hybrid learning and has a great system to keep both students at home and in school hard at work. Check out the full episode for details on the different programs and resources Adam is taking advantage of for students at home, as well as how he is keeping everyone safe while they are in school and working out.

Heart rate data has become a metric that has a lot of people interested and asking questions! We decided to break down some of the guiding concepts and ideas behind heart rate zones and wearables that have become the prevailing discussion within Physical Education and Athletics.   

Lots of data, lots to talk about! As always, please feel free to let us know what you think! Have more questions? Want Coach Bres and Doug to talk about something in particular? Let us know!

Monte Vista High School in California has gone remote like many schools across the country. PE teachers Natalie Miloslavich and Chris Lum join the podcast to discuss what their program looked like before Covid, and how they have shifted to continue fostering lifelong fitness for their students at home. In part 1 we talk to Natalie Miloslavich and in part 2 we talk to Chris Lum. Thank you to both for joining and sharing their message about Physical Education.

In episode 82 we talked about the WHY behind exercising, and next, we dive into the high level what and how of exercise. Coach Bres breaks down the foundational human movement patterns of the squat, hinge, lunge, push, pull, & walk/run/carry. Check out the full episode to understand the movement patterns that shape our entire life!

PE teacher Jeff Drake joins the podcast to talk about Physical Education via Remote Learning. From navigating the online classroom experience for different types of students to appropriately checking in and providing feedback, Jeff has some great insights for any teacher who is currently remote. 

Check out the full episode for lots more! 

Over the last few decades, humans have become more sedentary than ever before. Now with Covid, inactive lifestyles are even more prominent. In our first episode of season 2 of Chalk Talk, we focus in on the short and long term benefits of creating or maintaining an active lifestyle.   

Coach Bres and Doug discuss all the benefits that come with active lifestyles and give a variety of insights that any student, teacher, or coach can find motivation in to carve out some time in their day to getting up and moving! Check out the full episode!

PLT4M team members Doug Curtin and Drew Sawyer sit down and begin to have a conversation around race and athletics. Drew provides insights and life experiences and offers words of encouragement for any coach out there that is not quite sure where to start when it comes to supporting their black athletes.   

This episode is a small part of PLT4M's ongoing effort to address the systemic racism that exists in our country, and find ways to best add value to our world of high school athletics and coaching. If you want to join in on this important conversation please do not hesitate to reach out to us!

Thank you to all those who have made this first year of podcasting so special! We are going to be taking a 'summer break' from posting new episodes, but we will be back in the fall! 

One year and 80 episodes later, a big shout out and thank you to our coaches and teachers across the country who listened, watched, and even came on to the podcast to contribute from time to time. If one thing is for certain, we serve a unique and special audience, that deserves relevant and informative content. We hope that you enjoyed listening along the way, and we will see you back in the fall! 

As we approach returning to the weight room or training with our athletes in general there is a lot of uncertainty. How should we approach adjusting athletes weights? How should we make sure people are safely lifting with or without spotters? 

  There is so much to unpack, which is why Coach Bres does his best to give insights and a bit of guidance to the physical and technical sides of returning to the weight room.

We often start students on a robust fitness education once they arrive to high school. Michael Graham joins the podcast to talk about how his district is exploring and moving to get the foundation of fitness built with students at the middle school level. We talk over everything from the benefits to logistics with Michael!

We often use the weight room to build and grow the culture of our teams. With many of us unable to get into the weight room, we now must find new and creative ways to foster team unity and cohesion. For teams with a good foundation this might come easily, but what about the teams who are still on their first steps of 'building' a program rich with culture and tradition?

At a school of about 500 students, Southmont Athletics has many of it's athletes participating in multiple sports. Athletic Director, Aaron Charles, wanted to find a way that all of his teams, coaches, and athletes were working together in their training off the field. Aaron joins the podcast to talk about how Southmont is utilizing PLT4M for remote training and the future of the program.

Where is the program that is going to make my vertical better? Where is your program designed for athletes who are jumping a lot?   

Coaches and athletes want the program that makes the most sense for their sport....Coach Bres explains why we need not look further than a well rounded strength and conditioning program. The jump in basketball or volleyball is important, but what about all that surrounds that one specific movement in the sport.

Remote schooling has always been an option, but never the dominant one. Now, every school across the country is navigating remote and distance learning at a large scale. 

Michael Horn has dedicated his life talking, researching, and working through disruptive education strategies and joins the podcast to discuss what schools going remote does, can, and should look like. 

Everyone at home has a chance to 'dial it in' for their bodyweight movement patterns. This episode discusses not only the basics of bodyweight training, but how scaling and variety exist in bodyweight exercises much like any other barbell or dumbbell movement.  

 Looking for inspiration on why your bodyweight training program is going to be beneficial? Look no further! Go check out lots more at PLT4M!

Feel the burn! Flush it out! These are all things coaches have used when talking about 'lactic acid.' Coach Bres helps to separate the differences between lactic acid and lactate and how they do or do not relate to our training.  

If you think you know lactic acid, this is a good one!