Fast Talk Laboratories from the creators of the Fast Talk podcast

Fast Talk Labs’ Strength Training Series: Warm-Up & Activation Routine

We kick off our new six-week strength training program with this simple warm-up and activation routine that’s designed to get you ready to move and lift.

Ryan Kohler

Fast Talk Labs’ Strength Training Series: Week 1

In Week 1 of our Strength Training Series, we guide you through a routine that includes deadlifts, back squats, rows, and side planks.

Ryan Kohler

Fast Talk Labs’ Strength Training Series: Week 2

In Week 2 of our Strength Training Series, we progress the program with exercises that will help develop your strength and durability.

Ryan Kohler

Fast Talk Labs’ Strength Training Series: Week 3

We increase the volume and the core work in Week 3 of our Strength Training Series.

Ryan Kohler

Planning Your Week From A Polarized Training Perspective

So you want to give the polarized training approach a go? Here’s how to map out your week using the 80/20 training model.

Trevor Connor

Workout of the Week: T-20 Swim Test

If you’re trying to figure out where your swim fitness is, there’s one easy way to do it with this baseline test.

Emma-Kate Lidbury

The Fast Talk Podcast is Now on Patreon!

Patreon is a social platform that allows us to keep creating the Fast Talk podcasts you have come to love. As a Fast Talk supporter, you can help us remain independent.

Endurance sports are our pride and purpose. Since we launched the Fast Talk podcast, we’ve been able to do what we love—provide our listeners with valuable informative content. If you enjoy our podcasts as much as we do, check out Patreon and see how you can help us keep addressing your favorite sport science topics.

We couldn’t do this without all of you.

Thank you for your support, and thanks for listening.

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How to Build a Better Athlete

Strength and conditioning coach Erin Carson shares her insights and expertise on building durable, happy, successful athletes—and it’s about more than just lifting weights in the gym.

Erin Carson

Continuous Glucose Monitors: Should They Be Allowed in Races?

They’re becoming incredibly popular, but where do CGMs fit into racing? Two elite coaches debate the merits and pitfalls of using wearable glucose monitors in competition.

Gale Bernhardt

How to Bulletproof Your Legs As You Increase Run Volume

Looking to increase your run mileage and stay injury-free? The work starts in the gym—and we’ve got all you need to know to do it.

Carol Passarelli

The Craft of Coaching

Module 10: Coaching Junior Athletes

Young athletes need coaches to know more than just skill and execution of sport. Top coaches share what they’ve learned about developing juniors.

How to Coach Parents of Young Athletes

It’s the job no one wants, but coaching parents can help young athletes be more successful and committed to the sport.

Developing Young Talent in the Pro Peloton with Dr. Iñigo San Millán

At age 18 Spanish cyclist Juan Ayuso signed with World Tour team UAE Team Emirates. In this podcast special, Dr. San Millán discusses Ayuso’s successful move to the pro peloton and the obstacles facing American cyclists.

Dr. Iñigo San Millán

How to Develop Younger Athletes

As head coach of one of the nation’s largest junior cycling teams, Pete Webber shifted his program from selection to athlete development.

Pete Webber

USA Cycling Coaches Save 50% for a Limited Time

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Introducing the Fast Talk Femmes Podcast—with Julie Young and Dede Barry

Learn more about what female endurance athletes need to thrive with our new podcast, hosted by two former pro cyclists.

Deirdre “Dede” Barry and Julie Young

Fast Talk Femmes Podcast: Training During Pregnancy—with Catherine Cram

There’s an abundance of myths about training while pregnant and returning to activity postpartum. Our guest on this show is an expert in the field who helps separate fact from fiction with the latest research and knowledge.

Deirdre “Dede” Barry and Julie Young

Fast Talk Femmes Podcast: Developing the Next Generation—with Julia Violich

How do you attract, nurture, and retain talented young riders? We find out in the latest Fast Talk Femmes podcast.

Deirdre “Dede” Barry and Julie Young

Polarized Training Pathway

The 8 Golden Rules of Polarized Training

Sticking to 80/20 and training by heart rate are just two of the key polarized training rules you’ll want to follow.

Trevor Connor

5 Things to Know About How Polarized Training Changes Over a Season

Get the right mix of intensity at the right time and polarized training pays off. Take a disciplined approach for best results.

Emma-Kate Lidbury

External Load vs. Internal Response

Load, stress, strain—they’re terms we hear a lot in sports science, but what do they mean? Dr. Stephen Seiler explores how your internal response to external load will change as you become fitter and more durable.

Dr. Stephen Seiler

Workouts of the Week

Workout of the Week: The Overload Block

This week’s Workout of the Week isn’t just one workout, but several. Are you ready?

Chris Case

Workout of the Week: Variable Workload VO2max Intervals

Get the most out of your hardest efforts with this VO2max intervals bike set.

Rob Pickels

Workout of the Week: Slow Frequency Bike Reps

Build bike-specific strength—and improve your pedaling technique—with this big-gear workout.

Julie Young

Workout of the Week: The Big Stupid Ride

This week’s Workout of the Week is a different one—it’s big, it’s stupid. The adventurers among you will love it.

Chris Case

Q&As with Coach Joe Friel

The Craft of Coaching, Live Q&A: How to Grow Your Coaching Business

How many athletes should a coach take on? Many new coaches try to build their client list quickly, but it’s easy to trade effectiveness in the rush for scale.

Joe Friel

The Craft of Coaching, Live Q&A: How to Build Trust with Athletes

What’s the best way to handle an athlete who has a plan of their own? Joe Friel talks about the coach-athlete dynamic and how you can use doubt to strengthen the relationship.

Joe Friel

The Craft of Coaching, Live Q&A: How to Avoid Coaching for Free

Good intentions can lead many coaches to give away their time for free. It’s a costly mistake that will hurt your coaching business.

Joe Friel

The Craft of Coaching, Live Q&A: Managing CTL

Coaches want to see CTL, or fitness, on the rise. But there are times in the season when CTL will go down. Joe Friel explains why this is critical.

Joe Friel

The Craft of Coaching, Live Q&A: How to Calculate TSS for Strength

Should strength sessions be factored into an athlete’s Training Stress Score? Joe Friel explains when and how to score cross-training.

Joe Friel

The Craft of Coaching, Live Q&A: How to Expand Your Coaching Services

Most coaches have additional expertise to offer their athletes as services, but there’s more than one way to grow your coaching business.

Joe Friel

Latest Fast Talk Podcast Episodes

Sports Nutrition

Will Giving Up Alcohol Make You a Better Athlete?

Dry January seems to gain in popularity every year. But just what kind of an impact can abstaining from alcohol have on athletic performance? We find out.

Chris Case

Performance Gains and Adaptations from Fasted Training, with Dr. Brian Carson  

We try to decipher if there are any advantages or disadvantages to occasionally exercising in a fasted state.

Chris Case, Jim Miller, Trevor Connor

Is Weight Management as Simple As Calories In, Calories Out? With Dr. Timothy Noakes

For decades, weight management has relied on an assumption: that manipulating calorie intake will predict weight gain or loss. But does it actually work?

Chris Case and Trevor Connor

Sport Psychology

Q&A on Annual Training Plans, Race Stress, and Body Image, with Julie Young

We’re joined by coach and athlete Julie Young who helps us field questions on how to build an annual training plan, coping with race stress, and overcoming body image issues.

Chris Case, Julie Young, Trevor Connor

An Exploration of “Social Training Tools”

We explore whether Strava and other new training apps can make you faster, and how to effectively fit them into a structured training plan.

Trevor Connor

Bonus Q&A on Fasted Training, Goal Setting, and the Polarized Approach

We take on questions about training while fasted, goal–setting analysis, and have a discussion on the polarized training approach.

Chris Case and Trevor Connor

Endurance Athlete & Coach Education

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