How We Use Athlete Monitoring to Train Smarter w/ Doug Larson, Dr. Mike Lane and Coach Travis Mash #849

In this episode, Doug Larson, Dr. Mike Lane, and Coach Travis Mash break down athlete monitoring, readiness testing, and how coaches can use simple data to make better training decisions. Travis explains how his master's thesis used daily depth jumps, subjective questionnaires, and warm-up performance to track fatigue and readiness in weightlifters. The big lesson: testing only works when you minimize variables, collect enough data to understand normal fluctuations, and know the athlete behind the numbers. The team discusses why reactive strength index, vertical jumps, drop jumps, and counter movement jumps can reveal useful trends in central nervous system readiness, but only when paired with honest communication and smart coaching judgment.

The conversation expands into how to adjust training when performance drops, why a 10% decrease may mean it is time to send an athlete home, and why volume is often the first lever to pull before reducing intensity. They also explore broader performance monitoring for everyday athletes, including deadlift strength, pull-ups, mile or mile-and-a-half run times, mobility screens, DEXA scans, VO2 max testing, bloodwork, blood pressure, wearables, and input tracking. Whether you are a coach, lifter, athlete, or performance-minded adult trying to stay strong and healthy over decades, this episode gives you a practical framework for measuring what matters, spotting problems early, and using data to guide better decisions without losing the human side of coaching.

Links:

Doug Larson on Instagram
Coach Travis Mash on Instagram