[BONUS] Guest: George Whitehead, Movement Specialist - Discussing the Pros and Cons of Load Management

RECORDED MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2023 | Timestamps to come...

In this episode, Lethal talks to movement specialist George Whitehead about load management for professional athletes. They also discuss cumulative injury cycles and the mental and emotional well-being of elite athletes.

George is a strength coach, movement specialist, and course instructor at DBC Fitness in Miami, FL. Follow him on Instagram: @george_dbcfit

TIMESTAMPS

(1:22) - Introducing George Whitehead and the topic of load management

(9:30) - The current conversation surrounding load management, especially in the NBA.

(12:50) - George explains the "old school" perspective on load management vs pushing to one's limits.

(13:20) - George discusses Charles Barkley's post-career injuries

(15:00) - "You are getting a used car..." --- Today's athletes have more wear and tear on their bodies by the time they go pro than athletes of the past.

(18:30) - Youth athletes could benefit from more experienced and well-informed trainers.

(26:31) - A lot of college and pro athletes have been taught improper movement patterns.

(30:45) - Why a player might want to or be told to take a game off.

(35:45) - Devin Booker's string of injuries.

(37:47) - Ezekiel Elliott's career and the impact of injuries.

(43:00) - Wear and tear on basketball players vs football players

(45:00) - Basketball is basically plyometrics with a ball.

(47:16) - Some trainers do things with athletes that are not what those athletes actually need.

(48:43) - Some athletes are hiring trainers that are ill-informed and/or lack experience.

(51:10) - Can a good trainer cancel out the impact of a bad trainer?

(54:42) - Sometimes, we can see injuries coming based on what we've seen of an athlete's training program

(55:17) - Why even the most experienced athletes lack knowledge of injury prevention, proper training, and recovery modalities.

(59:30) - Some athletes have been improving their methods for their entire careers

(1:01:40) - What commentators should absolutely keep in mind when discussing load management.

(1:01:40) - "Old school" athletes should understand that everything they did wasn't necessarily better. They could have had longer careers with a bit a of load management.

(1:07:20) - The physical decline of Byron Johnson

(1:09:36) - Helping an athlete decide if they should take time off

(1:14:45) - A correlation between an athlete's production and their tendency to play through injuries.

(1:20:25) - Pain sends us a signal about our bodies. It's up to athletes to pay attention to those signals.

(1:21:26) - Is it even worth it for professional athletes to play with an injury? Is it better to take time off to completely heal?

(1:27:00) - What fans should think about when I player sits out, takes time off, or retires.

(1:28:06) - The humanity of athletes is taken out of the conversation way too often.

(1:32:14) - Recommendations for athletes to stay healthy and prolong their careers.

(1:35:48) - Professional athletes and mental health (Ja Morant)

(1:37:40) - The mentality of high performers