SNR #100: Ciaran O’ Regan – Working With Athletes, Operating by Principles & The Learning Process

Episode 100: To mark the 100 episode milestone, I chat with my good friend Ciaran O’ Regan. Ciaran is a sports scientist, strength & conditioning coach and a heavyweight amateur boxer.

Ciaran O’ Regan

Ciaran is a strength & conditioning coach with an undergraduate degree in Sports & Exercise Science from the University of Limerick. He has worked with elite athletes in various sports such as swimming and rugby, including spending time coaching at Connacht Rugby.

Ciaran’s real passion is combat sports, having won provincial championships in amateur boxing. He is a native of Limerick, Ireland but more recently has been based in Boston, MA.

In this episode we discuss:

Principles vs. Methods
The learning process: Focusing on the process vs. focusing on outcomes
Confirmation bias and self-selection of viewpoints
Focusing on the minutia of nutrition – missing the forest for the trees
Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands (SAID)
What makes a great coach? – Lessons from Greg Jackson, John Kavanagh & Mark Dellagrotte
Musashi’s Book of 5 Rings as an operating system for life
Using different training modalities with athletes
The importance of not speaking in absolutes in fitness and sports science
Personality differences & personality profiling in coaching practice