Rethinking Acceleration Training: Joe Pedulla, Pedulla Performance

Darren Hansen sits down with Joe Pedulla to discuss rethinking acceleration training, working with youth athletes, and practical coaching strategies for time-constrained programs. They explore how to identify athlete types, balance strengths vs. weaknesses in training, and prepare for their upcoming webinar.

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction & Triple H (Hardship, Highlight, Hero)

05:09 - Rethinking Acceleration: Joe's general philosophy

07:50 - Teaching young athletes: Gorillas vs. Cheetahs framework (force production vs. speed)

10:16 - Visual cues for coaches to identify athlete movement types

16:02 - Training strengths vs. weaknesses: when to focus on each

17:20 - In-season training: keeping athletes engaged and stimulated

19:21 - Working with limited time (2-3 hours/week with athletes)

23:40 - Sled training loads and programming discussion

32:58 - Why sleds rarely make athletes slower + recovery considerations

34:56 - Lateral movement patterns and "squat accelerators" in sport

39:18 - Program design: subtle changes for different athlete profiles

44:56 - Acceleration vs. deceleration: what separates athletes at game speed

47:27 - Where to follow Joe + closing thoughts