Episodes
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Today's podcast features Mike Bruno. Mike is the Assistant Director of Olympic Sports Performance at Clemson University. Mike has both a sports performance and massage therapy background, with an approach influenced heavily by Bill Hartman’s biomechanical model. He has worked with a wide variety of sports, including track and field, and currently oversees golf and tennis at Clemson.
Human movement is composed of more than just muscle and neural signals. It is also heavily influenced by athletes’ strategies to move pressure through their unique skeletal structures. By understanding the role of structure on speed and movement abilities, we can also better understand ideal training modalities and progressions for each athlete.
On today’s episode, Mike speaks on speed and power training through the lens of pressure management and skeletal structure. He talks about different structural archetypes and their needs in the weightroom, as well as how these archetypes lend to various performance outputs on the field of play (focusing on track speed and performance). With many anecdotes from the world of track and field, this episode draws numerous links between strength, speed and individual training factors.
Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio and Lila Exogen Wearable Resistance Gear.
For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com
Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to: Lilateam.com
View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage. (https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-home/)
Timestamps
2:01- Optimizing Athletic Performance through Biomechanics
8:19- Optimizing Speed Through Internal Body Dynamics
11:33- Dynamic Insights from Athlete Force Plate Analysis
16:48- Optimizing Jumping Performance with Pressure Techniques
25:34- Optimizing Athletic Performance Through Heavy Bilateral Squatting
27:47- Structural Analysis for Tailored Athletic Training Programs
30:09- Track and Field Performance Based on Pelvic Adaptations
39:21- Infrastructural Angles Influence Athletic Training Specialization
40:53- Structural Archetypes: Tailoring Training for Performance
48:18- Individual Structure Influence on Training Optimization
1:01:33- Enhanced Athletic Performance through Triphasic Training
1:09:03- Long-Term Physical Qualities Enhancement in Athletes
1:21:26- Managing Pressures and Gravity in Track Training
Quotes
(12:19) "(In a vertical jump) The faster they drop, the quicker it would pop up." - Mike Bruno"
(14:04) "If you take it like five singles, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop is going to be different on the pelvic floor and give you a different output than a banded oscillatory squat." - Mike Bruno"
(19:20) “The higher your VO2 max, the thinner your diaphragm, which I thought was a very interesting thing, but it lends on the like. Wrestlers are the highest. All they're doing is pressurizing and they're playing like hand fighting. That's all they're doing is being. Judo was the second one. Sprinters were the third one” - Mike Bruno
(31:34) "Your structure dictates quite literally everything." - Mike Bruno
(37:06) "The fluid hit the top and it suspended them. So if you ever watch someone jump and they jump unbelievable, it looks like they just kind of get suspended up there. It's like, oh, that's the fluid hitting the top." - Mike Bruno (00:37:19)"
(46:33) "One of the best things, you know, is if you don't do complexes, especially with an indicator or something where you're seeing the result, you miss the opportunity to get a lot of connections." - Joel Smith
(1:00:40) “A lot of times in my setting, I have athletes that come in, they have their, their connective tissues too stiff and it doesn't store at all. And so you're like, you're really powerful, but we can't get into good positions on the track or we can't... -
In today’s solo episode, I break down 10 essential keys to building a well-rounded athletic performance program. These programming elements are often overlooked or omitted in favor of a more "machine-based" training approach. I’ll cover both the specifics of sets, reps, and training structures, as well as key principles that enhance stimulation, learning, engagement, and focus—crucial components for an athlete's overall experience. By refining both stimulation and the athlete’s attentional "spotlight," we can create training that feels more dynamic, engaging, and effective. The keys to a more complete program, are as follows:
Embrace Constraints and Limitations
Study Physical Education (Instead of only “Sport Science”)
Integrate Rhythm and Music
Work Polarities and Waves
Use Complexes
Embrace Uncertainty
Understand the Performer Environment Relationship
Test and Use Leaderboards
Use Risk
Train Yourself
Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio and the LILA Exogen Wearable Resistance Training Sleeves.
Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to: Lilateam.com
For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com
View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage at https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-home/
Timestamps
2:00- Embrace Constraints and Limitations
7:45- Study PE (Movement and learning-driven vs. output and data-driven)
13:30- Incorporate Rhythm and Music into Training
18:00- Work Polarities/Waves (Jay S)
28:00- Use Complexes
39:30- Embrace Uncertainty
44:30- Performer environment relationship
50:00- Test and Use Leaderboards
56:30- Use Risk
1:02:30- Train Yourself
About Joel Smith
Joel Smith is the founder of Just Fly Sports and is a sports performance and track coach in Cincinnati, Ohio. Joel hosts the Just Fly Performance Podcast and has authored several books and coaches in both the high school and private sectors.
Joel was a strength coach for 8 years at UC Berkeley, working with the Swim teams and post-graduate professional swimmers, as well as tennis, water polo, and track and field. A track coach of 17 years, Joel coached for the Diablo Valley Track and Field Club for 7 years and also has 6 years of experience coaching on the collegiate level, working at Wilmington College, and the University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse. He is currently coaching high jump at Milford High School.
Joel has coached 4 national champions, multiple All-Americans, and NCAA record holders in track and field. In the realm of strength and conditioning, his programs have assisted 5 athletes to Olympic berths that produced 9 medals and a world record performance at Rio in 2016. -
Episodes manquant?
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Today's podcast features Steffan Jones. Steffan is a trailblazing fast-bowling coach and ex-pro cricketer, known for his integrative, creative, data-backed training methods. A former Somerset and Kent bowler with over 200 wickets, he’s the last dual-sport pro from English cricket and rugby. With degrees in Sports Science and coaching certifications, Jones founded Pacelab, blending biomechanics and constraint-led training. He’s coached for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL and joined Ludimos in 2024 as Strategic Advisor, pushing fast bowling into the future.
Among the various training sub-modalities, isometric work stands out as a low-risk, high-reward method that minimally interferes with an athlete’s high-speed capabilities on the field.
In today’s episode, Steffan explores a range of topics related to isometric training and athletic performance, with a special focus on fast-bowling velocity. He discusses both long-duration and overcoming isometrics, offering insights on how to incorporate these techniques into sport-specific training programs. Additionally, Steffan delves into complex training methods, pre-fatigue strategies for elastic output, and collision-based training concepts.
This episode emphasizes key principles for blending general strength with elite sport performance.
Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio and the LILA Exogen Wearable Resistance Training Sleeves.
Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to: Lilateam.com
For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com
View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage at https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-home/
Timestamps
5:46- Enhancing Fast Bowling with Isometric Exercises
7:21- Enhancing Performance Through Isometric Exercises
14:09- Balancing Specificity and General Strength Training for Athletes
18:39- Optimizing Recovery with Long Isometric Holds
28:12- Optimizing Performance Through Isometric Training Fundamentals
34:17- Optimizing Performance Through Tailored Bowling Training
40:32- Isometric Training for Enhanced Joint Stiffness
54:30- Integration of Strength and Conditioning in Coaching
Quotes
(15:36) "The only true specific thing you can do is your skill itself."
(18:41) "A lot of people don't understand that the long isos, when you get fit enough, strong enough, resilient enough, they're actually recovery."
(23:11) "Anything below 80% intensity, the brain sees as a different skill."
(37:34) "But my back foot contact, because that's a long ground contact time, my back foot contact around the ankle is short duration."
(39:02) "That's the problem with isometrics. Unless you've got a sort of a dynamometer or a force deck, You have no knowledge of results. So it's pretty boring and the brain switches off as such. But yeah, obviously I use different stuff. I use G Strength and Remaker and all those (to measure force)”
(47:30) "And collisions are not going to be improved by doing concentric work. Collisions are going to be improved by doing eccentric and isometric work."
(52:35 "If I have a knee-dominant bowler who's who takes a long time to get warm, who's who's fast twitch or their intermediate fibers do most of the work. They never get to their fast twitch fibers. So then a pre fatigue complex would be great for them. And they go really do a, do a set of 10 squats and then expect them to bowl. Yeah, it works. Do us do a 200 meter run and then expect them to do an explosive bowl. But have you tried that? That is such a great feeling."
About Steffan Jones
Steffan Jones is a globally renowned fast-bowling coach, celebrated for his innovative, science-driven approach to cricket performance. A former professional cricketer, Jones played as a fast-medium bowler for Somerset, Northamptonshire, Derbyshire, and Kent, -
Today's podcast features Jeremy Frisch. Jeremy is the Director of Athletic Performance at Teamworks Sports Center in Acton, Massachusetts, specializing in youth athletic development. The former owner of Achieve Performance Training, Jeremy is a field leader in youth movement, physical literacy, and long-term athletic development. Jeremy has been a frequent podcast guest and is a source of constant inspiration for training not only younger athletes but those of all ages.
We live within a broken modern sports system (in most countries). Much of sports performance, and athletic development follows suit. Formalized speed training designed for older athletes tends to get pushed down on children far too early. Athletes are continually denied the chance to be athletes, to be autonomous movers, decision makers, and experience the full joy of sport. Not only this, but in that deprivation, we cut ourselves off from the fullness of what we could consider speed training, for any athlete.
On today’s episode, Jeremy speaks on key principles to driving intent and multi-lateral ability in speed training for young athletes, and as they progress through their careers along with the pitfalls of early intensification and “speed training” kids like adults. He also covers many elements of athletic development, such as rhythm, crawling, rolling, strength training, and the development of aerial ability. All this, along with a discussion on the motivation factors of 80’s training movies, was an enjoyable conversation with Jeremy Frisch that is fundamental to the long-term development of athletes.
Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio.
For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com
Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to: Lilateam.com
View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage. (https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-home/)
Timestamps
1:59- Enhancing Athletic Performance with Powerball Game
7:01- Engaging Youth in Interactive Speed Training Exercises
9:33- Developmental Progression Through Play and Training
14:53- Innovative Solutions Through 80s Constraints
17:00- Fundamental Elements for Speed in Children
28:46- Fundamental Movement Activities for Youth Athletes
39:29- Joyful Motivation: Igniting Passion in Youth Sports
46:59- Engaging Athletic Training with Interactive Games
49:32- Engaging Activities Enhance Training Intent
54:04- Adapting Techniques in Enhanced Relay Races
56:58- Foundation Building Through Early Clean Technique Practice
1:05:24- Foundational Movements for Effective Athlete Development
1:10:20- Enhancing Athletic Skills Through Varied Drills
1:21:12- Intrinsic Satisfaction in Physical Training Journeys
1:25:10- Enhancing Athletic Performance Through Rhythmic Coordination
1:31:27- Interactive Body-Scanning Dance Game for Xbox
Quotes
(12:37) "Expand their movement bandwidth. And the only way you can expand their movement bandwidth is by immersing them in as much movements as possible in as many ways as possible."
(29:00) "If you look in like the Russia, like everyone thinks like the Russians had this like big secret, but if you look at like, you know those eastern block training, you see all the videos of black and white, like those guys are doing gymnastics and wrestling and climbing on things and doing pull ups and like just all like out in the, out in the mountains running over like jumping over rocks and stuff. It's like that's just GPP."
(29:55) "If you really want to develop an athlete, it's gotta be age-appropriate and you gotta get them excited for what they're doing."
(49:50) "Like everyone's, everyone's involved (in speed development) Everyone. It's just not one kid alone running on a treadmill, right? Everyone's activated, everyone's excited, everyone's laughing, -
Today's podcast features Jon Stea. Jon is a strength and performance coach based in Vancouver with over a decade of experience developing athletes from youth to the professional level. Jon combines coaching practices with an overarching philosophy of sport and movement concepts.
As modern society advances, youth sports and adult movement practices are becoming increasingly rigid and specialized. Many athletes struggle to progress in their sport and lose interest once their competitive careers end. Adults engage in community-based fitness but often miss the opportunity to explore their full movement potential and the deeper fulfillment it brings. Understanding why we train and how to empower athletes in their unique process is more crucial than ever.
On today’s episode, Jon speaks on building a creative, authentic coaching process that gives athletes room to fail, learn, and grow, expanding their abilities over time. He discusses the importance of connection and environment in sports training, games, and movement challenges, gets into motor learning concepts, and speaks on the overall art of coaching athletes for their long-term success. This is a conversation that our current sports, and sports performance world, demands that we have, to offer athletes room to not only be better in their sport but move and play as their authentic selves, in their chosen practice.
Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio and the Just Fly Sports Online Courses.
To learn more about the Sprint Acceleration Essentials, Elastic Essentials, or Speed ID courses, go to justflysports.thinkific.com
Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to Lilateam.com
View more podcast episodes at https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-home/
Timestamps
2:00- How having a personal substantial work capacity has shaped Jon’s viewpoints on training
7:00- Capacity and aerobic elements in a total athletic performance program, as well as programs with a focus on explosiveness
10:30- Jon’s beginnings in athletic performance
15:00- The nature of coaching education and sports performance career paths in the modern and technological age
21:30- How Jon’s training process has evolved, based on athlete perception, gameplay, and the total developmental process
38:30- Insights to the creative process of game development
49:00- The use of games for more advanced athletes, to help “re-expand” movement options and facilitate a joyful training environment
55:30- How Jon’s journey shifted over time, to a more games and motor learning-based approach to training
1:00:00- How and why motor learning is at the core of athletic development in a variety of training sectors
Quotes
8:00 “When you work your superpower, it sets you up for easy wins” Jon Stea
21:10: “After a while, it’s just about the connection you make with people. Coaching or training, whether it be through sports, strength and conditioning, or working at a gym, is just a vehicle for human connection”
24:10 “You have a lot of contact time with people in a low-stakes environment (personal training, strength and conditioning), where someone is allowed to screw up, and that’s almost the point of a session, I want to see you fail, so I know where we can improve”
24:45 “We want to do a lot of things in here that you fail at, so we can do more of those things”
25:10 “You want to be your authentic self as much as possible so that athletes feel they can be that too”
30:15: “What you do doesn’t matter as much as who you are (to the athletes)”
38:45 “Go over to the wall, pick up 2 pieces of equipment, and we are going to make up a game”
39:45 “I find youth athletes, that’s something I’ve found drilled into them so much, “how do we score points, how do we win”. Rather, how do we create the most beautiful game possible? -
Today's podcast features Christian Thibaudeau. Christian is a renowned strength coach with over 25 years of experience. He has worked with athletes from 28 sports, including pros and Olympians, and was Head Strength Coach at the Central Institute for Human Performance. A former national-level weightlifter and bodybuilder, he has authored multiple books and has been a prolific writer for T-Nation. He has developed the Neurotyping and Omni-Rep systems, amongst many other contributions to human performance and athletic development.
The majority of training programs, particularly for athletic performance are mostly gas, and very little brakes. They work mostly propulsion while minimizing early stance and reciprocal motion capabilities. They tend to hover on external outputs and bar velocities but do little to cultivate internal awareness of one’s own body.
This podcast is all about the value and history of training at both isometric, lower training velocities, along with combined methods (reps + isometrics) for the sake of skilled movement performance and longevity. Christian digs into the history of the martial arts and bodyweight training methods, and goes into a variety of training techniques to round out one’s weak points, maximize body awareness and build more robust athletes.
Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio and the Lila Exogen Wearable Resistance Training Sleeves.
Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to: Lilateam.com
For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com
View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.
Main Points
5:29 - Antagonist Muscle Engagement in ISO Holds
8:51 - Optimal Movement Performance through Muscle Control
14:49 - Tendon Strengthening for Older Athletes
16:38 - Age-Related Muscle and Tendon Conditioning Exercises
20:27 - Explosiveness Maintenance Through Isometric Training
26:19 - Optimizing Performance with Plyometrics and Strength Integration
27:33 - Optimal Balance: Combining Natural Movements with Isometric Training
41:54 - Enhancing Strength Through Muscle Activation Techniques
Quotes
(00:23) "When you are truly skilled at an exercise, at a movement, you should be able to do it at any velocity."
(09:10) "Maxick. Yes. So that also fits the bill because you are actually, you're trying to contract your muscle by using your own body as resistance. So it's a form of isometric training. And I believe that it is very valuable, especially in the earlier stage of training because I strongly believe that especially when it comes to motor learning and maybe hypertrophy, the better you are at creating tension in the proper muscle, the better results you'll get."
(18:35) "I think that again, long-duration isometrics is something that's going to be very, very positive to prevent the decrease in tendon performance with older athletes."
(26:40) "I work with one of the top karate athletes in the world. Like super explosive, lightning fast. And we don't lift weights. Let me correct myself. The only exercise where we lift weight is a power clean from the hang. Every form of strength work is done with a flywheel and the rest is plyometric and absorption drills."
(38:00) "Don't forget that martial arts, well, especially those of the, the karate, kung fu, and family, judo, it has evolved over two to three thousands of years. And it was not just a system of combat, it was a system of getting into combat shape"
(41:20) "Skill is first shown in slow movement."
(43:39) "The capacity to contract and. Or relax a muscle while contracting surrounding muscles."
(48:52) "I don't honestly see a method that would be more effective for rapid muscle growth than doing let's say a set of say 6 to 10 reps to failure depending on your own personal preferences and then holding for one minute loaded stretch... -
Today's podcast features James Wild, a Research & Development and Speed Consultant with Harlequins Rugby Club and a Lecturer in Sport & Exercise Science at the University of Surrey. With expertise in biomechanics, skill acquisition, and motor learning, James has worked with athletes of all levels, including medal-winning teams at major competitions. He is also an author and holds a PhD in biomechanics and motor control of sprint acceleration.
While many approaches exist for speed training, less attention is given to individual movement strategies. Athletes accelerate differently based on sport, movement background, and physical attributes.
James discusses his quadrant system, which categorizes acceleration strategies based on flight/ground time and stride frequency vs. step length. He also covers injury trends, plyometrics, sprint technique, resisted sprints, motor learning, and more. It was great having James back—this episode is essential for anyone interested in speed training and individualized performance.
Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio and the Lila Exogen Wearable Resistance Training Sleeves.
Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to: Lilateam.com
For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com
View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.
Main Points
3:00- Personalized Approach to Enhancing Speed Through Strength
7:25- Distinct Athletic Techniques Across Animal-Inspired Strategies
19:17- Ankle-Dominant Movement and Injury Risk Factors
26:03- Enhancing Performance Through Diverse Sports Integration
36:31- Reactive Strength Optimization for Acceleration Performance
40:24- Technique-Focused Interventions for Acceleration Enhancement
45:03- Enhancing Performance Through Technical Acceleration Cues
51:54- Enhancing Hip Muscle Strength Through Leg Swings
56:29- Tailored Loaded Resistance for Sprint Optimization
1:03:32- Personalized Training Approaches Enhancing Athlete Performance
Quotes
(23:29) "The importance of adaptability: In particular for team sports in what you're doing, that your footwork patterns and the conditions under which you accelerate are going to change, you know, every single time you do it."
(25:00) “The field hockey players tend to adopt a bit more of a spinner type strategy where the step rate's higher, flight times lower and then with the lacrosse players it's a bit more of a, towards more of a bounder type strategy in, in comparison.”
(29:15) "I think it's always useful to know their acceleration strategy. But, but that information alone doesn't mean that you intervene automatically in a specific way."
(32:24) “If it was a bounder picking up repeated calf injuries during those, excuse me, during those warm up sprint efforts that they get week after week or even in the speed sessions, then we might try and get them to focus on a slightly higher step rate.”
(38:30) “What I have fairly consistently found though is that when meaningful changes to those reactive strength stiffness like qualities have been made, typically through a combination of pliers and isometric work, although more along the lines of plyos, contact times typically become a bit shorter. And as a result, what you see therefore is that those player acceleration strategies often move slightly more towards bouncer or bounder strategies where contact times are short relative to their flight times.”
(41:11) "Sometimes it is about trying to identify what might be relatively simple deficits from a strength perspective in an individual and going after those to change their technique as opposed to directly cuing them to do something."
(57:00): “If I was gonna use sleds as a means to try and increase step rate frequency, I might generally load up heavier and there and have them sprint in a way where they're havi... -
Today’s podcast features Kevin Mulcahy. Kevin is an experienced sports and S&C coach and owner-operator of the Design the Game Project. He has worked with various sports teams, athletes, professionals, and clubs across three continents, for over 30 years. Kevin takes a multi-lateral focus on human movement, skill development, and S&C, led by a deep interest in ecological dynamics and the constraints-led approach to coaching and motor learning.
Extremely common to have conversations on speed training. It is rare to have conversations on the practical integration of speed training into actual sport tactics. It’s easy to hit the status quo of improving maximal lifts or running athletes through timing gates and seeing better times. It’s more complex to seek an integrated model that fits speed into the constraints of the game itself, but also a more integrated, creative, and ultimately rewarding process.
Today's episode explores Kevin’s approach to game speed training, skill acquisition, and tactical advantages through constraints. He also discusses using games and sport variations to enhance athleticism and tactical ability. Additionally, we get into ideas on acceleration, deceleration, aerobic capacity, and sport-specific tactical demands. This episode ties together key concepts to deepen our understanding of physical preparation and athletic movement.
Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio.
Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to Lilateam.com
Kevin’s Blog and Coaching Cohort
Coaching Cohort
Substack Blog
View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.
Main Points
4:20- Enhancing Skill Development Through Constraints in Sports
10:02- Tactical Advantage through Speed Variation in Sports
17:11- Enhancing Athletic Performance Through Game Speed
21:41- Gaelic Football Speed Training Techniques
27:17- Enhancing Tactical Awareness through Dynamic Game Scenarios
31:46- Strategic Gaelic Football Running Drills for Performance
36:05- Individualized Basketball Training for Skill Development
52:18- Uncontrolled VO2 Running for Enhanced Fitness
56:13- Engaging Games Enhance Tactical Learning Methods
1:04:57- Instinctive Game-Reading for Enhanced Sports Performance
1:11:30- Advanced Vertical Jump Training Techniques
1:18:16- Enhancing Anaerobic Capacity in Team Athletes
Quotes
(5:00) “I have a few core games, like I use Olympic handball a lot, use tag rugby, we play NFL, what we call NFL, which is kind of a tag American football and all sorts of things in between”
(15:40) “I mean every sport, basketball has, has really deeply worked on that over a many number of years to where I think a lot of sports steal those kind of movements from basketball”
(22:17) “Acceleration is absolutely worth training. But then the constraints of the game mean that that's only going to bring you so far”
(24:57) “But then I can start constraining. Does this look like the game? Are these the distances we're going to transition? How do I motivate players and incentivize players to actually go all out? How do I incentivize the defenders to. To be aggressive and try to stop the. Their, their teammates at training? So that's where I've gone the last number of years”
(43:33) "Man to man for me only works if you're more athletic than the opposition. And if you're not, you have to have better tactics."
(50:08) "If your intention is to get fitter, you have probably got a better chance of doing that if they enjoy it."
(55:08) "If we get them turning up again motivated, we're winning."
About Kevin Mulcahy
Kevin is an experienced sports and S&C coach who has worked with various sports teams, athletes, professionals, and clubs across three continents for over 30 years. He is the owner-operator coach of the Design the Game Project, -
This episode features performance coach and tendon specialist Jake Tuura. Jake is an experienced coach and educator focusing on athlete hypertrophy, vertical jump improvement, and patellar tendinopathy rehabilitation. He spent seven years as a collegiate strength and conditioning coach as well as time in the private training sector.
Connective tissue is critical in athletic movement and performance, but its relationship to both performance and the rehab process is still evolving. New research is continually coming out that is molding our understanding of what is really happening “under the hood” in training, and how to optimize processes to maximize tendon health and performance.
On today’s podcast, Jake explores tendon science alongside athletic performance concepts. He covers ideas on animal tendon properties, age-related tendon changes, tendon stiffness vs. compliance, and the collagen matrix. On the performance end, Jake talks about the impacts of various training means on tendon adaptation, particularly various forms of isometric training, heavy strength training, plyometrics, and more. This was an awesome show connecting the latest tendon science with practical training solutions for healthier tendons and better athletic movement.
Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio and the Just Fly Sports Online Courses.
To learn more about the Sprint Acceleration Essentials, Elastic Essentials, or Speed ID courses, go to justflysports.thinkific.com
Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to Lilateam.com
View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.
Main Points
6:42- Achilles Tendon Length Disparity: Humans vs. Deer.
9:33- Tendon Regeneration Discrepancy in Wild vs. Racehorses
21:55- Golgi Tendon Organ and Training Optimization
24:39- Age-Related Changes in Tendon Properties
26:44- Collagen Production Influencing Tendon Stiffness Adaptation
28:47- Tendon Compliance Impact on Athletic Performance
40:41- Preserving Tendon Elasticity for Athletic Longevity
45:38- Reframing Tendon Pain as a Healing Signal
53:14- Optimizing Joint Rotation for Enhanced Performance
1:04:41- Tendon Health and Aerobic Fitness Relationship
1:08:01- Tendon Health Benefits of Isometrics and Lifting
1:11:17- Tendon Strain Variability in Plyometric Training
1:16:24- Enhancing Performance Through Muscle-Tendon Synchronization in Plyometrics
1:21:54- Tendon-Focused Training Periodization Strategy
Quotes
(7:38) "It's crazy to see how long that (deer Achilles tendon) is and how little blood flow it gets and they're able to do what they do." - Jake Tuura
(12:50) “I went hunting for three months. So I didn't, I didn't jump at all. It was winter, it was icy out. And then I go back to dunking and (the patellar tendon) blows up again. So it's like the man-made tendon issues are when you change things suddenly.” - Jake Tuura
(21:49) "The worst thing you can do is completely take it away and then try to hop back in. I think it's going to blow up or maybe it's going to have a serious injury." - Jake Tuura
(28:10) “The tendon gets pulled on and then the tendon has a, the cells have a response to get stiffer. So like if you pull on the tendon, let's say 10% of its resting length, which is a pretty big pull on a tendon. The tendon has this, this adaptation where the cells kick out more collagen. It lays down the collagen, the tendon to get stiffer.” - Jake Tuura
(37:00) “Collagen fascicles don't really extend a whole lot. Yeah, like, their strain is very minimal. And the collagen fascicles have this helical rotation, which then is again, more extendability. The helical angle decreases as you get older because the gel is drying up and it becomes more linear.” - Jake Tuura
(47:00) “You have to respect the many months process where it's going to reorient t... -
Today’s podcast is with Scott Salwasser. Scott is a sports performance specialist at EXOS, and previously served as the Head of Athletic Performance for Bishop Lynch High School, along with stops at numerous NCAA DI institutions, as well as work in the private sector. Scott is a field leader in assessment protocols and training methodology for physical preparation, speed, and combine development.
As technology continues to push forward, and the data that comes with it, it’s crucial to have practical methods to apply technology to training in a meaningful way. Scott has a strong background in technology/assessment protocols, but is deeply practical and puts coaching and applied techniques at the forefront of his system.
On the podcast today, Scott speaks on his experiences and transition away from sports performance in the NCAA, and talks on athlete assessments for speed and movement abilities, asymmetries, and meeting the evolving needs of an athlete over time. Scott has a great sense of what it takes to distill technology and advanced concepts into the needs of athletes in a performance setting, and it was great to catch up with him for this episode.
Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio and the LILA Exogen Wearable Resistance Training Sleeves.
Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to: Lilateam.com
For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com
View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.
Main Points
7:28- Athletic Development Through High School Coaching
12:51- Transformative Spirit: The Key to Discipline
14:12- Data-Driven Athletic Assessment for Training Programs
27:15- Personalized Athlete Training Plans Through Data
31:43- Unlocking the Final 5-10% in Sprint Training
33:48- Mental Focus and Environmental Influence in Sprinting
46:25- Quantifying Movement Asymmetries for Enhanced Interventions
52:49- Enhancing Athletic Speed Beyond Isolated Tests
59:59- Tailored Athletic Programs for Individual Performance Gains
1:06:03- Customized Assessment for Enhanced Athletic Performance
1:07:48- Optimizing Performance Through Individualized Asymmetry Analysis
Quotes
"If you have a strength coach standing behind you, hollering at you to get deeper, you're gonna find a way to get deeper however you can, right?" - Scott Salwasser
“I actually did force-velocity profiling, I think it was my second year (of high school coaching). I'm like, okay, I'm gonna just really be over the top here and we're gonna get it. And to oversimplify it, basically told me that we were bad at everything. - Scott Salwasser
“Even at the high school level, is you have a kid run a sprint, that's laser time, he's going to run harder. You have a kid, you're working on explosive strength or speed strength or any avenue in the weight room, you get a VBT feedback on that, the bar is going to move faster” - Scott Salwasser
“Within a healthy scope, and everybody's got to define their own “healthy scope” of variability, But within that, you're going to be better at one thing slightly worse than another. But at what point does it red flag” - Scott Salwasser
"Force and strength with a barbell on your back or in your hands are not the exact same thing." - Scott Salwasser
“Asymmetrical. But it's 5% difference. So we'll keep it in mind. But we're not going to go crazy over it. Oh, it's 30%. All right. Maybe he's not gonna do these exercises. He's gonna get extra, you know, PT and we're gonna take these lifts out and replace them with these” - Scott Salwasser
About Scott Salwasser
Coach Salwasser is a sports performance specialist at EXOS in the Dallas area. He has previously served as the Head of Athletic Performance for Bishop Lynch High School, Director of Speed & Power at Texas Tech, the Director of Strength & Conditioning at Texas S... -
Today’s podcast is with Eamonn Flanagan. Eamonn Flanagan is the Lead Strength & Conditioning Consultant at the Sport Ireland Institute, where he oversees strength and conditioning support for Ireland’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes. He holds a Ph.D. in Sports Biomechanics and spent over a decade in professional rugby, working with the Scottish Rugby Union, Edinburgh Rugby, and the Irish Rugby Football Union. Eamonn appeared on episode #250 and has just created a new course on plyometrics in conjunction with Sportsmith
Training methods such as extensive plyometrics and reactive strength testing have become more common in training team sports. At the same time, it’s easy to lose sight of the whole in athlete development when chasing plyometric variables too far.
On today’s show, Eamonn explores the application of plyometric training, including the impact of surface type on performance, the Reactive Strength Index's role in assessment, and strategies for optimizing reactive strength. We also cover plyometric intensity, using extensive plyometric methods, and tailoring programs to individual needs, concluding with balanced approaches to training and performance.
Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio.
Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to: Lilateam.com
For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com
View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.
Main Points
17:05- Impact of Surface Type on Plyometric Training
22:53- Reactive Strength Index Influence on Plyometric Assessment
25:57- Reciprocal vs. Unilateral Movement Tension Analysis
28:25- Optimizing Performance Through Reactive Strength Training
31:28- Jumping Exercise Progression for Athletes
35:01- Dynamic Acceleration Plyometrics
36:05- Performance Enhancement Through Contrast Training Methods
39:51- Balancing Intensity Levels for Athletic Adaptations
48:34- Enhancing Athletic Performance Through Extensive Plyometrics
49:44- Tailoring Plyometric Training to Individual Needs
1:01:20- Tailoring Plyometric Training for Enhanced Performance
Quotes
(8:42) "I think as an athlete and as a coach, there's always a bit of a balancing act between. Around ego, you know, what do I want to do versus what do I need to do?" - Eamonn Flanigan
(12:30 “An athlete might be on field multiple times a week, but if it's on a soft, you know, very, very compliant surface, I'm not sure how relevant that is to, let's say, what we might expect from adaptation from extensive plyometrics” - Eamonn Flanigan
(13:40 “Let's say in the last Olympic cycle, working with a taekwondo athlete who is, you know, indoors on mats in bare feet. And so the difference in kind of foot, ankle, calf integrity between the two, you know, the taekwondo athletes spending a lot of time in single leg stance, you know, there's an athlete that I'm probably bypassing extensive work pretty quickly” - Eamonn Flanigan
(30:00) “Very often like plyometric ability or that basic quality or reactive strength, it's, it's very neglected. I think sometimes it's not something that is often included. And as a result, I think there's, there's always some, I think there's often some easy wins there” - Eamonn Flanigan
(37:00) “If you're doing repeat hurdle jumps or you're doing, you know, a set of pogo jumps or some bounding. There's also a point at which, you know, if you hit a bad replacement, you just end up like it gets worse and worse and worse. You know, I think, you know, again, varying within a set both up and down allows you to come back down again and build it back up again” - Eamonn Flanigan
(41:10) “I am a little skeptical as to how much, you know, what might be less than 50 reps of an exercise in a week can have on, you know, the, the, the, the running gate of an athlete who's sprinting x number of strides ... -
Today’s podcast is with Cal Dietz and Mike T Nelson, authors of Triphasic Training II. Today's podcast features Cal Dietz, of the University of Minnesota and co-author of Triphasic Training, and Dr. Mike T. Nelson, a leading expert in exercise physiology, neurological training concepts, and metabolic flexibility.
Sports performance is like a tree in many respects. It starts with standard strength training methods, then branches out and integrates varying aspects of total human performance. From the period between the original Triphasic Training to Triphasic Training II, Cal has worked through many aspects of athletic performance, interconnecting physiology and neurology. Mike’s work spans many interconnected aspects of human performance, and compliments Cal’s work with physiological underpinnings.
On today’s podcast, Cal and Mike share insights from their new book, Triphasic Training II, focusing on optimizing human performance for athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike. Primary topics in this episode will be practical neurological training concepts, the origin and evolution of the GOAT drill, evolving warmups and training integrations, athletic capacity building, oscillatory training, and much more.
Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio and Lila Exogen.
Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to: Lilateam.com
For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com
View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.
Main Points
3:55- Embracing Curiosity and Experimentation in Coaching
9:20- Optimizing Strength Training with Triphasic Concepts
15:12- Neurotransmitter-Stimulating Go Drill for Performance Optimization
17:34- Enhancing Performance Through Brain-Stimulating Drills
24:54- Enhancing Performance through Integrated Brain Training
28:32- Enhancing Physical Performance Through Vestibular Training
45:05- Optimizing Nervous System Coordination Through Dosage
48:34- Optimizing Athlete Performance through Targeted Challenges
51:59- Enhancing Coaching Through Experimentation and Data Collection
1:00:13- Aerobic System Development Through Heart Rate Variability
1:02:39- Cognitive Decision-Making in Athletic Performance Optimization
1:11:53- Optimizing Athletic Performance Through Physiological Integration
1:14:44- Utilizing Metrics for Individualized Athletic Recovery
1:21:31- Systemic Movement for Enhanced Athletic Performance
Quotes
(27:50) “If you see kids who do not move athletically, there's something off with them now, you know, modern-day that could be maybe just too much exposure to video games or they could be, they have like I have some severe eye issues, vestibular issues, etc.” Mike T Nelson
(32:45) “That frustration is a key factor. If you're frustrated, you're pushing yourself on all these different levels with all these” Cal Dietz
(34:40) “When we work out, it's basically, we come, we do one GOAT drill, and then we do our 1080 sprint protocol, one rep, and then we come back, and while the resting, they do the GOAT drill again. And so we end up doing four to six go or four to five go drills before the workout” Cal Dietz
(35:50) “I've gotten emails from coaches, high school football coaches. Like, a kid could never catch over his left shoulder for whatever reason, so they all had him on. Well, now he's catching over the left shoulder. When they started integrating that drill in their passing drills” Cal Dietz
(53:55) "The higher level coaches I watch, they all appear to talk less." Mike T Nelson
(59:54) "The biggest thing with oscillatories is that we feel that our ability to stay injury-free has been increased because of the high speed, because that's how the muscle is getting hurt and that's how it's supposed to function on the field." Cal Dietz
(1:17:05) "In general, the more developed your aerobic system is, -
Today’s podcast is a Q&A episode with Joel Smith. Topics include the role of roughhousing games for individual sport athletes, sandbag training, and rhythm-cadence in movement. Joel explores youth sports trends, breaking jump plateaus, and the benefits of flywheel loading. He also covers infrasternal angle training, rotating speed and plyometric days, and integrating team play with weekly speed work. This, plus, a discussion on the value of band resistance in sports training rounds out this comprehensive conversation on optimizing athletic performance.
Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio.
Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to: Lilateam.com
For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com
View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.
Main Points
00:14- Roughhousing games for non-team sport athletes
08:42- Training Changes Over the Year
33:23- Observations on Youth Sports
36:44- The Role of Fun in Training
40:37- Jump Imbalances and Breaking Jump Plateaus
44:53- Flywheel Loading
46:37- Infrasternal Angle Concepts and Training over Time
53:36- Sprint and Jump Training Programming
59:14- Utilizing Exergeny in Training
1:00:43- Games as Speed Training
1:05:37- Basketball vs. Plyometrics
1:08:24- Band Resistance in Sport Training
About Joel Smith
Joel Smith is the founder of Just Fly Sports and is a sports performance and track coach in Cincinnati, Ohio. Joel hosts the Just Fly Performance Podcast and has authored several books and coaches in both the high school and private sectors.
Joel was a strength coach for 8 years at UC Berkeley, working with the Swim teams and post-graduate professional swimmers, as well as tennis, water polo, and track and field. A track coach of 17 years, Joel coached for the Diablo Valley Track and Field Club for 7 years and also has 6 years of experience coaching on the collegiate level, working at Wilmington College, and the University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse. He is currently coaching high jump at Milford High School.
Joel has coached 4 national champions, multiple All-Americans, and NCAA record holders in track and field. In the realm of strength and conditioning, his programs have assisted 5 athletes to Olympic berths that produced 9 medals and a world record performance at Rio in 2016. -
Today’s podcast features Bill Hartman and Chris Wicus. Bill Hartman. Bill Hartman is a physical therapist and in-demand educator with his modern approach to human mechanics and training. Chris Wicus is a health and performance professional with 15 years of experience, a former professional ultimate frisbee player, and a 2nd-degree black belt in karate. He has coached a wide variety of athletes across 17 sports and has been mentored by many top experts in the field.
Bill and Chris host the “Reconsider” podcast together and speak on various cutting-edge approaches to human movement in a way that prompts thinking on existing processes in the field, and how to move forward with current understandings of training and biomechanics.
One key link between on-field performance and weight room training is the dynamics of propulsion through the gait cycle. Bill and Chris often use the example of cutting mechanics—going into and out of a cut—which applies to sprinting, jumping, throwing, strength training, and directional changes, highlighting human movement as a series of turns, rotations, and gait phases.
Today's podcast dives into the dynamics of propulsion and the gait cycle, linking field performance with weight room training. Bill and Chris explore "into and out of the cut" mechanics as they apply to sprinting, jumping, throwing, strength training, and directional changes. They compare change of direction to acceleration and top-end speed while discussing propulsion's impact on breathing, reciprocal motion, orientation, performance, and injury prevention. This was a truly illuminating episode and one that garners numerous notes and insights.
Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio.
Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to: Lilateam.com
For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com
View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.
Main Points
00:55- Propulsion Phases Influence Cut Maneuvers in Motion
8:23- Agility, Relative Motions Training, and Links Between COD and Acceleration Ability
24:28- Late Stance Propulsion for Enhanced Velocity Performance
27:35- Optimizing Performance Through Relative Motion Training
43:42- Proper Breathing in Optimal Performance Training
56:05- Enhancing Control Through Relative Motions in Split Squat
1:04:31- Pelvic Pressure Dynamics and Squatting Depth
1:15:30- Oscillatory Impulse Split Squat Training for Athletes
1:19:03- Explore Bill's Model on UHP Platform
Quotes
(2:15) “Propulsion is moving forward through space in contact with the medium” - Bill Hartman
(9:32) “For you to move what you perceive to be straight sideways, that is actually a turn away from the ground contact” - Bill Hartman
(10:50) “Everything is a turn. And that's why one of the dirty words would be a sagittal plane. Because when we're talking about dynamic movement, we're moving on helices” - Bill Hartman
(13:50) “There's lots of time accumulated with these IR demands with like a 5 10, 5 pro agility, whatever. So that's going to prime you. My assumption would be I would see better starts and accelerations and I would see better shorter sprint performance. But like you had even mentioned intuitively, 200m maybe wouldn't be as good as I need to display ER, I need to be off the ground. That lives in the opposite place from like an agility drill” - Bill Hartman
(16:40) “The sharper the cut, the, the, the, the greater your capacity to have to slow down so you can actually, actually change directions. And so this is an acquisition of relative motion in internal rotation which could have a beneficial effect… if we were just doing say a flying 20, that's a whole different story because the amount of relative movement that you would, that would be required in that circumstance is actually less” - Bill Hartman -
Today’s podcast features David Grey. David is the founder of David Grey Rehab, where he works with clients from all walks of life. David’s specialty is assessing his clients' gait cycle in depth to develop a plan to help restore the movement or movements they struggle to perform. David has learned under many great mentors in the world of human movement, athletic development, gymnastics, Chinese martial arts, and biomechanics, and is an expansive thinker, blending many elements of human movement together in a down-to-earth way we can all resonate with.
Although there are some differences between rehabilitation and performance strength and power training for athletes, there are also a lot of similarities and connections. The more we can understand good training from both worlds, the more effective our programming and outcomes can be.
On today’s episode, David speaks on various aspects of foot training, along with both targeted and overcoming isometric adaptations. He also gets into concepts of loading and intensity in the rehab space, and what tends to be missing from many rehab programs. David covers this and much more in this practical and informative episode.
Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio.
Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to: Lilateam.com
TeamBuildr is an online software for coaches and trainers. Use the code “JUSTFLY” for a free 30-day trial of the TeamBuildr software. For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com
View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.
Main Points
4:17- Sustainable Solutions for Foot Issues Through Orthotics
8:17- Gradual Conditioning for Injury Prevention
11:25- Achilles Tendinopathy Treatment Strategies and Outcomes
12:15- Consistent Methods for Sustainable Fitness Progress
24:19- Intermuscular Coordination in Rehabilitation Exercises
26:17- Optimizing Muscle Function through Inhibition Techniques
27:42- Isometric Exercises Enhancing Nervous System Coordination
29:14- Tendon Health and Safe Training Positions
38:49- Competition-Driven Intensity for Optimal Rehabilitation
50:42- Heavy Loading for Achilles Strength
59:13- Movement Improvement Through Rehab-Inspired Training Approach
Quotes
(5:59) "You need to separate out: This is for analgesic effect before my session and this is separate to that. I am doing these exercises to get stronger or to improve whatever other qualities I need." - David Grey
(7:03) "I will work a lot with how their foot moves. Not because a Pronated foot or a supinated foot is a better foot. Just because I would like, if you have joints, I would like them to be able to move and they don't have to be able to move a lot, but just to be able to move a little bit at least" - David Grey
(7:20) "Not all, but some of the best world-class sprinters that I've been lucky enough to work with have the most mushed-up feet." -David Grey
(29:14) "When you see the shake, you know something is happening." - David Grey
(38:15) "I think it's actually especially in my world, in the rehab world, people will not give you their all. They're holding back either because they're purposefully holding back or they're subconsciously holding back, but they really will not give you their all" - David Grey
(43:58) "It's intensity and competition both missing in rehab hugely. And it's a huge problem. Humongous problem." - David Grey
(44:49) "The stimulus to heal needs to be greater than whatever hurts you."
(59:39) "I just think this is good training, to be honest." - David Grey
About David Grey
David Grey is the founder of David Grey Rehab, a renowned movement and rehabilitation specialist dedicated to helping athletes and individuals overcome chronic pain, prevent injuries, and optimize performance. David has gained international recognition for h... -
Today’s podcast features Katie St. Clair. Katie St. Clair is a seasoned strength coach, educator, and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in the fitness industry. She is the founder of Empowered Performance, a program and academy designed to elevate the standards of coaching through an in-depth understanding of biomechanics, anatomy, respiration, and creative thinking. Katie's work focuses on empowering other coaches and movement professionals to create transformative experiences for their clients by fostering a love of movement.
The human body is a highly intricate system, with countless ways to approach its training—whether focusing on mechanics, mental aspects, muscles, or connective tissues. Every part is interconnected, with systems and joints working harmoniously to create movement.
In today’s episode, Katie delves into training patterns centered around the feet and hips, as well as the exploratory process she uses to deepen her understanding of movement and training strategies. She highlights the significance of understanding connective tissue behavior and its foundational role in performance programs. Additionally, Katie discusses the importance of incorporating ballistic and athletic movements into programming for all types of individuals, alongside other key principles of human performance.
Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio and Athletic Development Games.
Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to: Lilateam.com
TeamBuildr is an online software for coaches and trainers. Use the code “JUSTFLY” for a free 30-day trial of the TeamBuildr software. For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com
View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.
Main Points
3:31- A Connective Tissue-Centered Dynamic Exercise Training Approach
13:40- Optimizing Performance Through Corrective Movement Integration
22:42- The Nature of Repetitive Movements in Performance Training
27:26- Single-Leg Hinging Progression for Movement Optimization
31:13- Optimizing Glute Activation Through Hinging Techniques
44:10- Enhancing Range of Motion Through Ballistic Exercises
46:31- Reconnect with Joy Through Dynamic Movements
1:01:52- Optimizing Glute Activation with Foot Pronation
1:05:08- Enhancing Exercise Performance through Foot Coordination
1:14:53- Optimal Foot Mechanics for Exercise Performance
Quotes
(8:40) “What am I trying to do with the joint? How is that impacting the connective tissue? So what's my speed and tempo looking like when I'm doing this? How stiff is it making someone or how compliant?”
(17:40) “Today I did a squat and a bench press six sets of five reps. I mean I was done with that pretty quickly, so then the rest of the hour I can spend playing around with accessory work where I'm just exploring different concepts. I just like to have fun with my body.”
(24:00) “It's actually being creative, which is the one thing that is missing from learning, in my opinion, and that's on all scales, like children.”
(35:35) “You're not feeling your posterior chain and you're not feeling your glutes, and you're feeling your back or your SI joint. Something's going on. Yeah, you need some sort of constraint. You could be hiking your hip or arching too much through the low back, you could be too far back on your heels. Maybe you need to push into your forefoot to get things to really kick on, depending on how your center of mass is organized. So I always love getting in somebody into a hinge position that struggled with it for a long time.”
(45:11) "The ability to allow people to self organize and have that dynamic propulsive experience and yielding experience. And that's what creates a lot of change."
(1:05:31) “Sometimes if have somebody in a hinge, I might put a wedge under their first met head just to allow basically to decrease... -
Today’s podcast features Eric Guthrie, Director of Strength and Conditioning at George Washington University. Eric has over a decade of experience in sports performance, working with a wide range of sports. He currently works directly with lacrosse and gymnastics. A graduate of the University of Iowa with a degree in Health & Human Physiology, Eric was a standout punter for the Hawkeyes, where he served as a permanent team captain and even earned an opportunity with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Play-based training is on the rise in athletic development, and for good reason. It is a primal and effective way to deliver, not only a high level of stimulation and salience (attention) to the session but also to create memorable and joyful experiences for the individual. The key with any tool is to understand how to use it in context, achieving a balanced and effective use.
On today’s episode, Eric digs into his keys in building movement challenges for athletes, using play for conditioning and movement qualities, and facilitating a program that continually scales into an athlete’s growing needs. He goes in-depth on how he chooses the degree of play and variability in a program, and how to build training with all parties in mind, sport coach, strength coach, and athlete. We also dig into some awesome mind, body, and environmental factors in training, conditioning, and performance. This was a practical and insightful podcast on one of the most powerful existing tools in athletic performance, the power of play.
Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio and Athletic Development Games.
Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to: Lilateam.com
TeamBuildr is an online software for coaches and trainers. Use the code “JUSTFLY” for a free 30-day trial of the TeamBuildr software. For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com
View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.
Main Points
5:26- Athlete-led Movement Challenges for Engaging Training
13:16- Enhancing Athlete Engagement Through Play-Based Training
17:39- Novelty-Driven Movement Engagement for Athletes
23:07- Enhancing Athletes' Performance Through Movement Competency
30:33- Athlete-Led Movement Challenges Enhance Training Experience
34:24- Enhancing Athlete Development Through Playful Training
37:39- Enhancing Team Cohesion with Contact Integration
40:55- Agile Conditioning through Game-Based Fitness
49:13- Fun Fitness Games Enhancing Athletic Performance
1:04:13- Motivation Through Competitive Status Systems in Training
1:09:29- Confidence Building through Weight Room Progression
Quotes
(14:40) “That's the sneaky part of it. How can you fit that in without them really realizing it? They're probably expecting a certain thing when they come in. We're gonna lift weights, we're gonna run. Toes on the line, this certain level of discipline. Quote, unquote discipline, which I think is sometimes overdone, but sometimes you need to have that starting out. And then can you build towards the more open and free”
(17:32) "If you love it, then you'll want to come. You'll become obsessed with it and you'll come back and you'll give great effort and then the results will follow."
(36:33) "We've had those discussions as a staff too. It's like what? What is our role? Is it this one to five years of performance drive that as high as you can or is it like lifelong lessons or skills."
(39:20) “Wheelbarrow walk. You're getting way better than just holding a plank for two minutes. Getting the engagement and dynamic, you know, repetition without repetition”
(44:00) “(For a more play-based conditioning approach) We had a more veteran team so I think they had a bigger base of play, sport practice, and sport play under them. So a younger team might need more of that base building for lack of a better term... -
Today’s podcast features Derek Hansen. Derek is a renowned International Sport Performance Consultant with over 35 years of experience working with athletes across all levels and disciplines in speed, strength, and power sports. Derek started in Track and Field and continued in sports performance to work with numerous athletes in the NFL, NBA, MLS, and NHL, along with Olympic medalists. As the former Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Simon Fraser University—NCAA's first non-U.S. member—Derek now specializes in speed development, performance planning, and return-to-competition protocols.
If we zoom out and scan decades of fitness and human performance, we see methods go in, and out of style. In our current realm of athletics, we have put speed and power outputs heavily under the microscope, while energy system development and aerobic training have been played down (along with general physical education and physical competencies in young athletes). In looking at injury rates and longevity of athletes, it’s important to take a look at where we may be pushing too far, and where gaps need to be filled.
On today’s episode, Derek covers the pendulum swing, and the importance of aerobic development, even in speed and power-seeking athletes. He also gets into the modern direction of acceleration training, as team sport training has moved into heavier resisted training protocols, relative to the past. Derek also touches on the artful side of training and coaching, mindfulness, overspeed sprint training, simplicity of programming application, and much more.
Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio and Athletic Development Games.
Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to: Lilateam.com
TeamBuildr is an online software for coaches and trainers. Use the code “JUSTFLY” for a free 30-day trial of the TeamBuildr software. For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com
View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.
Main Points
7:56- Value of Basic Circulatory Warm-up Routines
10:24- Benefits of Incorporating Aerobic Running in Training
22:24- Jerry Rice's Holistic Endurance Training Approach
26:42- Enhancing Performance Through Mindful Nature Training
34:38- Traditional vs Digital Learning: Note-taking Strategies
44:06- Optimizing Acceleration Training with Sled Work
50:30- Sprint Mechanics for Injury Prevention and Performance
55:00- Optimizing Training Loads for Enhanced Performance
58:38- Enhancing Acceleration: Sleds and Hill Sprints
1:01:37- Optimal Hill Gradient for Athletic Conditioning
1:09:46- Optimal Resistance Levels in Sprint Training
1:15:06- Optimizing Running Speed with Relaxation Techniques
1:23:36- Achilles Injury Rates and Considerations in Modern Sport
1:28:20- Muscle Oxygenation Training for Enhanced Recovery
Quotes
(4:40) “I always try to simplify things. So one of the simplest things when I was working with Charlie Francis was he would have very complicated, complex explanations for things, but sometimes he would say, like, you know, oh, what's this person's problem? Well, they're just tight. You just need to loosen them up. That would be the end of the conversation”
(9:51) "It's kind of like the bro science has kind of taken over basic physiology and I think it's, it's kind of hurt us."
(16:00) “We're pushing speed and specificity but, but at the same time, you know, having a well-rounded, balanced program is really important, particularly for the injury prevention side”
(21:00) “I think of people like Jerry Rice and, you know, was he the fastest guy? No, but he did do a lot of longer runs and runs in the hills and stuff like that”
(32:00) “I have vinyl records because listening to a vinyl record takes more time and patience. To put the needle on the groove and all that. -
Today’s podcast features sports performance coach, Vern Gambetta, owner of Gambetta Training Systems. Vern is a globally respected leader in sports performance training, with over five decades of experience in coaching and consulting across multiple sports. Gambetta has profoundly influenced the field of athletic development, and his innovative approaches to functional movement, strength training, and sport-specific conditioning have shaped the practices of coaches, trainers, and athletes worldwide.
It's interesting to think of the idea of “nothing new under the sun”, in physical training. Vern has been through half a century of training means and methods, using methods both popular and forgotten. So often in our own training and coaching journies, we look back and think “That was a great training series, I should do that again”!
In this episode, Vern speaks on complex training (although as he mentions, he just calls it training), getting into spectrum training, and the evolution of his leg circuits. He talks about his history with isometric training, along with PNF concepts that are highly effective, but forgotten by many performance coaches. He also gets into priming and potentiation, rhythmic aspects in training, looking at training transfer through the lens of track and field, and much more in today’s episode.
Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio and Athletic Development Games.
Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to: Lilateam.com
TeamBuildr is an online software for coaches and trainers. Use the code “JUSTFLY” for a free 30-day trial of the TeamBuildr software. For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com
View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.
Main Points
11:19- Tailored Training for Optimal Athletic Performance
16:04- Track and Field Coaching and Sports Performance Concepts
25:33- Optimal Movement Patterns for Youth Athletes
37:41- Female Athlete Success Through Multilateral Training
39:16- “Spectrum Training” for Optimal Athletic Performance
42:33- Triphasic Muscle Nature of PNF Rehabilitation and PNF Techniques
49:04- Athletic Priming with Varied Lift Combinations
53:53- Enhancing Training Circuits with Added Resistance
58:09- Rhythm-Based Velocity Training for Athletic Performance
1:00:18- Progressive Coaching: From Slow to Explosive
Quotes
"I don't call it complex training, I call it training." - Vern Gambetta"
“I just so thankful for the background in track and field, and also having competed in the decathlon at a very low level to understand how things fit together because as a coach, if I did too much in the weight room, strength training wise, I was going to compromise something else” – Vern Gambetta
"The rule of never sacrificing range of motion for resistance." - Vern Gambetta
“What I want them to be able to do is be able to make optimum shapes relative to what they have to do in their sport and strengthen the connections and that they're able to make better shapes. And that what that does is that develops a more robust athlete. And a healthy athlete” - Vern Gambetta
“I've been doing isometric using isometrics and training since I first started strength training in 1963, and it's never not been part of my programs” - Vern Gambetta
“And then there was a guy, Dr. Pat O'Shea at Oregon State, who wrote a lot about it, where basically you'd set your pins in a rack and you say if your max squat was 400 pounds, you'd put 500 pounds. And you drive it up for maybe four or five inches against the top pin, and then you'd hold it for six counts. And I did that. And, man, the lifts went sky high” - Vern Gambetta
“I do these, I call them spectrum workouts where you go from isometric to fast eccentric to eccentric, fast eccentric. There's concentric work to regular tempo to total ball... -
Today’s podcast features speed coach, Cody Bidlow. Cody is a track sprints coach, athlete, and founder of Athlete X and SprintingWorkouts.com. He has been a head track & field coach at Arcadia High School in Phoenix, AZ, and a coach at EliteU working with NFL combine prep athletes. An all-conference sprinter for Grand Canyon University, Cody has been a personal coach for professional MLB athletes, track athletes, and consults for coaches around the world.
To sprint fast takes an immense amount of effort and focus. To sprint one’s fastest in their early 30s takes a deep understanding of the training process and individual factors that account for top performance.
On today’s episode, Cody speaks on speed training in regards to his current sprinting personal bests at age 32, and how he has dialed his training in this recent year. We speak on many aspects of training on the level of intensity, essentialism, workout regulation, resisted sprinting, complex training, and much more.
Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio and Athletic Development Games.
Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to: Lilateam.com
TeamBuildr is an online software for coaches and trainers. Use the code “JUSTFLY” for a free 30-day trial of the TeamBuildr software. For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com
View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.
Main Points
2:37- Cody’s Recent Training Gains, Along with His New Role as a Father
10:00- Using Strategic Breaks for Enhanced Performance
12:33- High-Intensity Athlete Training for Performance Improvement
19:05- Natural Approach to Sprinting Techniques
23:13- Optimizing Training Intensity on a Busy Schedule
29:53- Maximizing Intensity for Effective Workouts
32:41- Performance Optimization through Autoregulation in Training
41:18- Enhancing Performance Through Auto-Regulation Communication
55:11- Enhancing Sprint Performance Through Resisted Load Variation
1:00:29- Concurrent and Complex Training Paradigms for Sprinting Success
1:05:14- Optimal Training Methods for Narrow vs. Wide ISA Types
Quotes
(26:34) I'd rather walk away from the session knowing that I ended on my best note. I can, you know, ride the dopamine high of seeing that, you know, nice time and having a fun time out at the track and let that be the stimulus for the day rather than, oh, well, the book over here says that I need to do, you know, 350 meters and I only did 240. - Cody Bidlow
(34:10) I would say that my training is very autoregulated, but it's not to the point where I'm looking at, oh, velocity dropped by 2.5%, so that's why I'm going to shut it down, It's more, I can tell within myself that I'm getting to a point where I'm starting to get fatigued from this workout – Cody Bidlow
(38:24) Are you really going to run faster on this next one? Yes. Okay, do it. Are you going to be safe? Are you or are you going to get hurt? No, I'm not going to get hurt. Okay. Yeah, do it. - Cody Bidlow
(44:43) If you just simply ask them, like, how do you feel? They're gonna say good. Bad. You know, they're just gonna say some kind of basic thing because they may not really grasp what I mean by that question. - Cody Bidlow
(45:03) So I would try to ask questions in a way where we're getting a little bit deeper. Like, I'd maybe be specific about how do your hamstrings feel? Do you feel like you're going to be able to run as well on the next one? Or what did you feel on that rep? - Cody Bidlow
(46:32) The athletes who really want to be good, they're always going to say, yes, I'll always take another rep. The athletes who are lazier, they don't care as much, or, you know, whatever their mental mechanism is, they always. It's almost like, yeah, I'm good. Yeah, I'm done. It's not even necessarily that I want to get better. - Montre plus
