The ASCA High School and Youth Podcast, sponsored by AlphaFit, features an in-depth conversation with Luke Edgell, owner of Edge Performance, Speed Academy, and Assistant Director of Athletic Performance at Shore School, Sydney. With over 12 years of experience in strength and conditioning, Luke shares insights from his career, including coaching Olympians and mentoring trainers. He discusses his transition from personal training at Fitness First to working in high school strength programs, highlighting the importance of communication, athlete development, and long-term training models. The episode delves into speed training, agility, and change of direction strategies, informed by Luke’s apprenticeship at Altis with renowned coaches like Dan Pfaff and Stuart McMillan. Luke also provides practical advice for high school coaches on managing large training groups, collaborating with external clubs, and implementing effective speed and strength programs for youth athletes.

ASCA High School & Youth Podcast 2502 - Pyke & Edgell

Dr. Josh Secomb is a Strength and Conditioning Coach at Queensland Academy of Sport. Previously he was the Lead Physical Preparation Coach at Surfing Australia. In addition, Josh has worked in the AFL (Brisbane Lions) and with athletes in the NRL and the Hockeyroos. His formal qualifications include a PhD in Sport Science (Strength and Conditioning) at Edith Cowan University in collaboration with Surfing Australia and a Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science (Honours) from the University of Newcastle.

Quotes
“The guys were doing 40-80 waves per session in a two hour block” 
“The thicker the muscle in the Vastus Lateralis, the increase in force producing capabilities”
“You can always pick a surfer by seeing them run”
“Anecdotal data can be more useful at times because you can act on it quicker”
 “If I have a message to deliver, its my responsibility if it is understood or not”
“Whatever happens next, make sure you make yourself irreplaceable”

Shownotes
1)	The sort of fatigue, waves surfed and distance covered in a 2 hour surf session 8:47
2)	How greater leg strength helps with turns but maybe not with airs in surfing 13:54
3)	To decrease injury risk in landings look for a 350% BW peak force minimum threshold on the Isometric Mid Thigh Pull 16:47
4)	Differences in lower body muscle architecture in surfing athletes 22:53
5)	Start with hypertrophy for producing more force in athletes 27:17
6)	Why playing other sports was good for junior surfers physical development 33:29
7)	Eccentric-concentric force plate variables Josh is interested in 40:59 
8)	Why some athletes would want more hypertrophy training to be heavier before big wave stops on the world tour 47:48 
9)	Why block periodization might not work with sports that need to peak every 2-6 weeks like surfing 56:55 
10)	The breakdown of how Surfing Australia would train pro surfers including movement prep and gymnastics training 58:30 
11)	Why doing more paddle training might not be the best answer for conditioning surfers and how to use eccentric accentuated training including jumping exercises 1:03:26 
12)	How to train the adductors and why it helps injury prevention for the knee 1:07:50 
13)	The importance of mobility for surfing 1:17:52 
14)	How Josh used video to bridge communication gaps and improve his coaching 1:22:48 
15)	Stu Kennedy’s underdog wild card run at Snapper Pro 2015 and Bede’s comeback from injury 1:39:46

People mentioned (tag surfing Australia HPC)
1)	Ben Dascombe
2)	Rob Lockie @drboblockie
3)	Jeremy Sheppard @sheppardcoach
4)	Dan Baker @danbakerstrength_
5)	Lina Lundgren @locasbotas
6)	Bryan Mann @jbryanmann
7)	Kieran Young @kieran_p_young
8)	Sophia Nimphius @docsoph
9)	Sally Fitzgibbon @sally_fitz
10)	Phil Wagner @drphilwagner
11)	Daniel Cohen @danielcohen1971
12)	Mark Andrews 
13)	Angus Ross @angusrossNZ
14)	Tim Browne @curralley
15)	David Boyle @davidwayneboyle13
16)	Stu Kennedy @stueykennedy
17)	Chippa Wilson @chippawilson
18)	Bede Durbridge @bededurbo

ASCA Podcast #17 - Dr. Josh Secomb

Bob is the Director of Sports Science at Power Lift. He was the Assistant Athletics Director/Director of Strength and Conditioning at North Carolina State University (2011-2017). Prior to that Alejo was the Director of Strength and Conditioning for the Oakland A’s (MLB; 2009-2011 and 1993-2001), Director of Strength and Conditioning at UC Santa Barbara (2005-2008) and held three different strength and conditioning coach titles at UCLA (1984-1993). While there, the Bruins won 25 national championships and produced more than 100 All-Americans. A member of the 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic Team, Bob was the strength coach for the Gold medal-winning men's beach volleyball team of Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser in 2008. After earning his B.A. in physical education from Chico State in 1982, he was the strength and conditioning coach for football at his alma mater. Author and public speaker, Alejo is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS*D) and holds the advanced NSCA Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach Emeritus (RSCC*E)

Quotes
“I think really part of my development… came from the fact I had already cross pollinated my knowldge with so many sports” 
“The key to shoulder health in overhead athletes is scapular positioning and that only comes from strength… not from endurance or 2 pound rotator cuff weights”
“If you’re going slow, it better be heavy or it’s a waste of time”
“It’s not how fast you turn your feet over, it’s how much force you put into the ground for the next step”
“I can’t help believe that the squat is one of the most underrated core exercises we have”
“I’m not a scientist but I use science every day”
“The Moneyball philosophy - how do you compete without the same resources!”
“Intuition, common sense and science combined gets you the best results - not one or the other!”
“I learned the fundamentals work everytime”
“The realisation is this, if they needed more development they wouldn’t be in the league (pros)”
“Heavy loads and low volume don’t get sore which is the last thing you need for anyone swimming or throwing/hitting a ball”

Shownotes
1) 35 years of strength and conditioning from UCLA to Oakland A's twice to NC State 4:30     
2) The collegiate experience and cross-pollination of sports 8:00
3) The shared components of different sports and the Randy Huntington / Keiser Seated Calf story 18:30
4)Training for throwing sports, the crucial role of scapular positioning, push to pull ratios (1:2) and the critical role of decelerators for the shoulders 22:40
5)Sprint & jump training, the role of the hamstrings, how strong is strong and bilateral versus unilateral work 28:40
6)  Planning and periodisation based off testing - taking testing data and designing programs 33:40
7) Sport science and modern issues 41:46
8)  Behind the scenes with Moneyball (Oakland As)- real life versus the movie and the mecurial Billy Beane 51:56
9) The first, second and third decade of coaching characteristics 1:02:16
10)  The difference in philosphy between training pros and college kids and his strength training philosophy with millionaire athletes 1:18:56

People mentioned
Al Vermeil
Mike Powell
Jackie-Joyner Kersey
Bobbie Kersey
John Smith
Art Venegas
Troy Aikman
Reggie Miller
Randy Huntington
Peter Weyand
Billy Beane
Gail Devers
John Godina
Barry Wineberg
Ricky Henderson
Natalie Williams

ASCA Podcast #23 - Bob Alejo

ASCA | Ensuring excellence in strength and conditioning.

ASCA High School & Youth Podcast 2502 - Pyke & Edgell

Australian Strength & Conditioning Association

Related tracks