EP 221: How To Implement Agile Periodization, Coaching, and Fitness Business w/ Mladen Jovanovic

Finally got my Balkan brother Mladen Jovanovic on the podcast to talk about agile periodization, constraint based coaching, coaching principles and how to think “bottom up” and not just “top down” when it comes to training clients. We also dive into best approaches to open a gym with a small group training model. 

Mladen Jovanovic is a physical preparation coach from Belgrade, Serbia. He has worked internationally with various clubs and teams and is one of the leading minds in sport training. His knowledge of both science and technology is very impressive, and he really has a great grasp on training theory.

Coach Jovanovic was involved in physical preparation of professional, amateur and recreational athletes of various ages in sports such as basketball, soccer, volleyball, martial arts and tennis.

Mladen’s articles, interviews, articles, products and services can be found on his website at Complementary Training. 

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

=> What is agile periodization and how does it apply to sports performance training with athletes as well as with general population clients.

=> How does a coach build a program that actually gets better or more refined when things go wrong—such as injuries or scheduling conflicts—rather than falling apart?

=> One of Mladen’s principles is being a 'minimalist to be a maximalist'. How can a coach determine the minimum dose of training needed to move the needle without overtaxing an athlete's recovery.

=> Agile Periodization borrows heavily from software development. How do concepts like 'Iterative Planning' and 'Responding to Change over Following a Plan' practically change the way a coach writes a training block.

=> You talk about the tension between long-term goals and daily readiness. How does Agile Periodization allow a coach to maintain a 'North Star' while remaining flexible enough to pivot based on how an athlete feels that morning.

=> Client autonomy and preferences and how much they influence a training sessions and training block, Mladen and Luka discuss examples in the real world to help you become a better coach.

=> Instead of complex algorithms, Mladen often advocates for simple heuristics. What are 2 or 3 'rules of thumb' every gym owner or coach should use to decide if a session should be pushed or pulled back.

=> How a training program is a story we tell client and why is the 'completion ritual' or marking milestones so important for client buy-in and long-term satisfaction.

=> Why the constraint of coaching can many times be space, equipment, and training schedule, which means the program design should be filtered “bottom up” rather than “top down”

=> For gym owners, long-term planning can feel impossible with high member churn. How can they apply 'Agile' principles to their group programming to keep it effective for a wide variety of skill levels - Luka dives into his small group training model.

=> Mladen is opening a gym, Luka gives his insights on the training model for the ability of the gym to make an impact on clients while also being successful and profitable.

LINKS & RESOURCES:

Mladen Jovanovic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/physical_prep/

Mladen Website: https://complementarytraining.com/

Vigor Ground Fitness Gym https://www.vigorgroundfitness.com/

Super Coach Mentorship https://lukahocevar.com/super-coach-mentorship/

Luka Hocevar YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@Luka-Hocevar/videos