466: Stefan Holm on Training Methods of a High Jump Legend

Today’s podcast guest is Stefan Holm—Olympic gold medalist and one of the most elite high jumpers in history. Standing just 5’11”, he cleared over 140 bars at 2.30m or higher, won the 2004 Athens Olympics, and holds an indoor best of 2.40m (co-owning the “height jumped over head world record). Now a coach for Sweden’s national team, Holm brings deep insight into jumping training and performance at the highest level. On today’s episode, I ask Stefan about his early life as an athlete, and formative sporting experiences, along with the tree of coaching that led to his own training methods. Stefan covers his history with high jump variations, plyometrics, strength training, technique development, and much more on today’s show. As Stefan is now a coach, he also discusses his philosophy based on his time as a world-class competitor. This is not only a great show on training ideas, but also a great opportunity to study one of the best of all time in their given sport discipline. Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and LILA Wearable Resistance Gear. View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage. (https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podca...) Timestamps 4:29– Stefan’s Early Training: Genetics, Childhood Sports, and High Jumping 15:21– Rituals in High Jump Training and Athletic Mastery 26:06– Strength Training and High Jump Performance 40:12– High Jump Training Methods, “Holm Hurdles,” and Plyometrics 41:04– Emphasizing the Feeling of Flying in High Jump 52:36– Approach Dynamics in High Jump 1:01:17– Strength Training and Range of Motion Concepts 1:03:32– Gradual Plyometric Progression for High Jumpers