Good morning. Nick DiMarco breaks down why dynamic effort training builds explosiveness that max effort alone can't, new research shows HRV tracks behavioral consistency, and mentally healthy people are often delusionally optimistic. Let's get into it...
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⚡️ Dynamic Effort Training: Why Moving Weight Fast Matters
Nick DiMarco argues most programs miss a critical variable: rate of force development. Max effort days build peak strength, but dynamic effort training—sub-maximal loads moved with maximal velocity—teaches athletes to access that strength faster.
Louie Simmons made this a cornerstone at Westside Barbell using 50-60% loads for explosive sets. The key insight: force expression equals rate coding × pattern coding × number coding. Remove one variable, and you cap the equation. DiMarco breaks down accommodating resistance (bands and chains), compensatory acceleration training, and why "just trying" on every rep compounds into a different neuromuscular profile over years. Build the ceiling with max effort. Build the ability to reach it with dynamic effort. Read More
📊 HRV Reflects Lifestyle Consistency
Andy Galpin co-authored new research on HRV coefficient of variation—how much your nightly HRV bounces around week-to-week.
Key findings: you need at least 5 of 7 nights for reliable weekly estimates. Higher HRV-CV was associated with more alcohol, less physical activity, and inconsistent sleep. HRV-CV increased with BMI in both sexes. Males showed increased HRV-CV after age 40; females showed a U-shaped pattern (declining through midlife, rising after 50). This positions sleep-derived HRV-CV as a scalable digital biomarker tracking behavior consistency, not just a single-night snapshot. Read More
🧠 Mentally Healthy People Are Delusionally Optimistic
Nicholas Fabiano, MD shared research showing mentally healthy people are often delusionally optimistic. The paradox: overly positive self-evaluations, exaggerated perceptions of control, and unrealistic optimism are characteristic of normal human thought. These "positive illusions" appear to promote mental health, including the ability to care for others and engage in productive work.
The strategies succeed because social and cognitive mechanisms filter incoming information in a positive direction. Negative information may be isolated and reprocessed to make it less threatening. These illusions may be especially useful when receiving negative feedback or facing threatening circumstances. Read More
🎂 Bake the Cake: Push Capacity in the Off-Season
Dr. Justin Lima argues coaches misuse the "don't burn the cake" analogy. Yes, protect athletes in-season—but in the off-season, you should push max recoverable volume. How much work can players handle, recover from, and show up ready the next day? That's what builds capacity.
Lima references Fergus Connolly and Nick DiMarco on this concept. Push accels, high-speed distance, change of direction, volume on feet—track it with PlayerData units and create 20% reserve capacity. Time every sprint with Dashr gates. Track bar speed with Vitruve encoders. Monitor jump data with Hawkin Dynamics force plates. Adam Archuleta told him Jay Schroeder would say: "Great, you feel tired—but you're still performing. Go to work." Don't burn the cake. But don't leave it unbaked either. Read More
Sports Performance Coach
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