Neal HendersonEvery podcast appearance, updated as new ones drop

Join host Anu Arora as she dives into the world of coaching supervision with expert Neal Henderson . Neal, a former Navy and Marine Corps leader turned team coach and accredited coach supervisor , brings a wealth of experience to the table. He shares his insights on: Why coaching supervision matters for leaders: Discover how supervision can enhance your leadership skills , improve self-awareness , and boost your resilience . Unlocking your potential as a coach: Learn how supervision can help you refine your skills , gain valuable insights , and become a more effective coach . Taking advantage of supervision : Neal shares practical tips on finding a qualified supervisor and getting the most out of the experience . Whether you're a seasoned leader or just starting your journey, this episode will provide valuable insights into how coaching supervision can empower you to thrive . you can learn more about Neal and contact him for his services at: 1) Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/ njhenderson 2) Front Row Performance Coaching: www.frontrowresults.com

Your training is done. It’s only a few days to your big event. This is when many athletes unravel months of training with a few bad choices. Top coach Neal Henderson discusses with us how to avoid the pitfalls and get the most out of those final days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve ever been a runner, swimmer, or rower, you might be familiar with the concept of two-a-days—individual workouts separated by hours within a single day, most typically one in the morning and another in the afternoon. In cycling, two-a-days have not had as much traction. However, that’s starting to change. The science is new, but many coaches, including our guest Neal Henderson, director of sport science at Wahoo Fitness, have been putting two-a-days into practice for years, with a lot of success. It brings up two big questions: Are two-a-days as effective as one single long ride at generating adaptations? That is, can they serve as a substitute? The other, in some ways more interesting question, is whether two-a-days have benefits that you can’t get any other way—for example, through glycogen depletion. Again, the science is rapidly evolving, and today we’ll refer to new research that opens the door to a new line of thinking. And we’ll also talk extensively with Henderson and a host of others about the practical ramifications of two-a-days. Our other guests include WorldTour rider Petr Vakoc, racer and coach Jen Sharp, gravel racer Ted King, physiologist Jared Berg, and pro mountain biker Payson McElveen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’ve heard us talk about so-called “big gear” training on the program before. Many of you probably incorporate it into your riding, and for a variety of reasons. What’s surprising is how little research has been done on this low-cadence, high-torque riding. Even the definition of what constitutes “low-cadence” remains hazy. And there are as many ways of incorporating this into your workouts as there are coaches. Threshold, sub-threshold, five minutes, or 20 minutes. There are many possibilities, and as many philosophies. Today we take a closer look at big gear work. What does the research literature say about performance gains and adaptations? What have elite coaches discovered through practice? Are coaches employing something their gut tells them works, and the research has simply yet to catch up? Our guest today is Neal Henderson, head of sport science at Wahoo, and, in his spare time, an elite coach to several WorldTour riders. Neal is one of those coaches who routinely uses big gear work with most of his athletes—from track riders to time trialists, including world champion Rohan Dennis. We also hear from Sebastian Weber of INSCYD and Jim Miller at USA Cycling, two other highly experienced coaches who utilize big gear workouts with their athletes to great success. Finally, we hear how pro Petr Vakoc incorporates big gear work into his training. Alright, put it in the 53x11. Let's make you fast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode, we start by asking our expert guests that simple question: Do we need a coach? Next, we’ll talk about the relationship athletes have with their coaches — what makes a good relationship and what makes a bad one. After we’ve defined that relationship, we’ll ask our panel what to look for in a good coach. And, conversely, how to identify a bad coach. Finally, we’ll talk briefly about how much coaching is worth, and whether an athlete should stick with the same coach or change from time to time. Our panel today includes coach Neal Henderson, owner of Apex Coaching and current coach of time trial world champion Rohan Dennis, among other elite athletes. Neal has joined us before, on one of our most popular episodes, in fact, Episode 33: Is FTP Dead? Our other main guest today is the renowned endurance athlete Rebecca Rusch, formerly an adventure racer, now a decorated cyclist of mountain bike, gravel, and bike-packing events around the world. Rebecca currently works with CTS coach Dean Golich; for many years she went without a coach. She has a great depth of experience as an athlete and brings a wealth of knowledge to the conversation. In addition to our panel, we have several experts weigh in throughout this episode: Ciaran O’Grady, a coach and sports scientist with Team Dimension Data, talks with us about the pros and cons of self-coaching versus the accountability that comes from working with a coach. LottoNL-Jumbo’s Sepp Kuss, winner of this year’s Tour of Utah, reached the WorldTour by being self-coached. We talk about why he did that, and what it’s like now working with the team’s trainers. We check in with Dean Golich, head performance physiologist at CTS. Dean has worked with an incredible number of top athletes and shares some of his thoughts on how he approaches coaching them. The legendary Ned Overend continues to crush Cat. 1 riders into his 60s. Despite all of his success, Ned has never had a coach. He explains why. Finally we talk with Armando Mastracci, who has developed a highly sophisticated training AI system that can help athletes plan their workouts. Armando discusses what parts of coaching a good AI system can replace and what it can’t.

Do you need a coach? Today we’ll talk about the relationship athletes have with their coaches — what makes a good relationship and what makes a bad one. After we’ve defined that relationship, we’ll ask our panel what to look for in a good coach. And, conversely, how to identify a bad coach. Finally, we’ll talk briefly about how much coaching is worth & whether an athlete should stick with the same coach or change occasionally. Our panelists include coach Neal Henderson & endurance athlete Rebecca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices