Avsnitt

  • Today’s podcast features Nicolai Morris. Nicolai is the Head of Performance for AFLW at Collingwood AFL club. She is also the strength and conditioning coach for World Champion and Olympic medalist high jumper Nicola Olyslagers (formerly McDermott).
    Previously, she worked as the Head of Physical Preparation of the Australian Women’s Hockey Team, NSWIS, and HPSNZ, working with NZ Rowing and leading NZ women’s hockey. She is an elite level 3 ASCA coach with a master’s in strength and conditioning and over 17 years of experience.

    Strength is far more expansive than what is gained from lifting barbells. It encapsulates a large number of qualities and abilities. When it comes to helping high-level athletes break through a performance barrier, what is needed is not simply “more barbell strength” but improving one’s total strength and movement package. Many forms of movement and strength can be employed to do this.

    This week’s podcast guest, Nicolai Morris, uses many strength and movement methods in her training. One of Nicolai’s athletes, Nicola Olyslagers, recently set the Oceanic high jump record at 2.03 meters (6’8”), and in today’s episode, Nicolai goes through the various strength and movement methods that helped set Olyslagers up for success on the high jump apron. Our discussion also deals with pole vault, swimming, and athlete autonomy. This episode was an expansive discussion on the role of strength and coordination in high jump training and beyond.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by Lost Empire Herbs and the Plyomat

    For 15% off your Lost Empire Herbs order, head to lostempireherbs.com/justfly.

    To try Pine Pollen for free (just pay for shipping), head to: justflypinepollen.com.

    The Plyomat is a functional, intuitive, and affordable contact mat for jump and plyometric training and testing.  Check out the Plyomat at www.plyomat.net





    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Main Points
    1:27- Personalized Cues for High Jump and Pole Vaulting
    17:39- Enhancing Coaching through Diverse Skill Training
    25:52- Surface Variety for Enhanced Athletic Performance
    35:48- Cushioned Surfaces for Plyometric Training
    38:06- Enhanced Foot Strength Through Sand Training
    42:19- Dynamic Training Strategies for Athlete Development
    44:40- Optimizing Performance: Balancing Creativity and Structure
    55:45- Athletic Success through Joyful Training Mindset
    59:07- Targeted Training for Optimal Athletic Performance
    1:04:34- Optimizing Movement Quality Through Single Leg Training



    Quotes
    “I have to relax. And even in drilling, I do better when I relax rather than tensing up and trying so hard. So it's a really fascinating one. And yeah, in swimming, when you try hard, it destroys you in an event in a 200”

    “But we've been doing a lot of work on her weaknesses. For her, that's often single leg strength, stability and hinging, hip extension type work and cross chain work are kind of key elements that have come across the whole way through that”

    “So we added in a bit of an obstacle course where she'd land on different soft, hard, interesting, big surfaces. And I told her to be creative, and she's a creative person, and went, all right, just chuck a bunch of things down on the ground. Make it fun, make it challenging, but make sure you are landing on different surfaces, hard and soft”

    “But our traditional model will help. We don't really have access to a gymnastics facility over the next four, five weeks. Coming into world indoors, let's go backwards. And we went back to our traditional way of doing things and you could see the position wasn't there. And immediately after the competition, it was. Yet we're going back to gymnastics”

    “She's got a beach right near her and her initial training, no matter when she comes back, will always start on sand and grass rather than going straight on track, which isn't uncommon. But the sand, she's always done blocks of sand her entire life.

  • Today's podcast features Ryan Jackson. Ryan has been the Associate Director of Human Performance/Nutrition with TCU Football since December 2021. His duties include team nutrition education, counseling, and menu planning. As a performance coach, he works directly with quarterbacks, mids, and advanced athletes. Jackson has been involved in sports performance and nutrition on the NCAA DI level for over 15 years.

    Tendons and connective tissue are an important aspect of human movement. Yet, compared to muscle, there is relatively little objective data or research on their adaptive processes or key performance metrics. Skeletal structure considerations, such as infrasternal angle, also play a vital role in an athlete's movement strategy and muscle mass dynamics and are also something we are just beginning to learn and integrate into the training equation. In creating a total performance program, it is essential to understand not just the dynamics of muscle but also of bone and tendon.

    On today's show, Ryan will discuss the correlations found at TCU between the Achilles tendon thickness, Nordboard metrics, fat-free muscle mass, and training season. He will also discuss the differences in Achilles thickness between football positions and the implications for training well-roundedness. Finally, Ryan will discuss the infrasternal angle measurements and how these correlate to an athlete's lean muscle mass and potential for maximal functional muscle gain in the gym. This episode was an awesome deep dive into cutting-edge information about connective tissue and performance.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by Lost Empire Herbs and the Plyomat

    For 15% off your Lost Empire Herbs order, head to lostempireherbs.com/justfly.

    To try Pine Pollen for free (just pay for shipping), head to: justflypinepollen.com.

    The Plyomat is a functional, intuitive, and affordable contact mat for jump and plyometric training and testing.  Check out the Plyomat at www.plyomat.net



    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Main Points
    6:34- Tendon Adaptation in Response to Muscle Forces
    7:51- Tendon Thickness Impact on Athletic Performance
    16:54- Achilles Tendon Thickness and Athletic Performance
    17:26- Achilles Tendon Thickness and Force Production
    19:04- Achilles Tendon Stiffness at Malleolis Measurement
    36:59- Calf Muscle Stiffness in Elite Athletes
    52:56- Optimizing Athletes' Performance Through Body Composition Analysis
    59:07- Achilles Tendon Thickness and Athletic Jump Strategies
    1:00:19- Hip Dip Strategies Impact Jumping Performance
    1:20:06- Enhancing Tendon Healing with Isometric Training
    1:21:19- Enhancing Athletic Performance with Collagen and Tendon Training
    1:31:42- Structural Differences Impacting Athletic Performance in Bounding



    Quotes
    “Defensive backs, on average had bigger Achilles tendons. Interesting. We have a guy the second biggest, and I think it's a product of their movement and their position, where if I'm backpedaling, moving backwards more, it's more eccentric loading. Right?”

    “So you get the knee bent to a 30 degree angle, and then you push as hard as you can, push your heel up into the strap as hard as you can, and it's like an ISO for like three to 5 seconds, overcoming ISO for like three to 5 seconds. There is an inverse relationship between Infra-sternal angle. So what I mean by that is the more narrow, the more force produced in that test”

    “But what we saw with that is that, yes, it was very strongly correlated with Isa. With higher. The greater the angle, the higher their fat-free-mass-index is, which in theory makes sense, and that typically that person is going to be wider. So they have the ability to handle more muscle mass on their frame”

    “So you would think that a big would have the widest ISA on the team. That was not the case. We had a running back, actually had the biggest 205 pound running back, had the biggest ISA in that upper 25% quartile.

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  • This week’s podcast guest is Angus Ross. Angus is a former Winter Olympian employed by High Performance Sport New Zealand. He works with track and field and several other Olympic sports, including sprint cycling, skeleton, squash, rowing, tennis, and more. Angus has a PhD in exercise physiology from the University of Queensland and has been a multi-time guest on the podcast. He is an absolute wealth of knowledge on all things speed, power, and human performance.

    There is a lot that the world of sport can learn from track and field, but perhaps the most valuable lessons can be gained by studying the decathlon and heptathlon events. Most sports performance programs will jump, sprint, and throw, but the focused, competitive aspects of those events bring out the highest level of expression for pure outputs, along with the speed-endurance aspects.

    In today’s podcast, Angus discusses the relationship between the multi-events and the needs of team sports, including the dynamics of creating scoring tables in a performance program and the connective tissue development multi-event training brings about. He discusses the relationship between speedbag training and sprinting. He also gets into isometrics and elasticity, as well as plenty of case studies and examples of putting these principles into action. I always have fantastic conversations with Angus; this talk was no exception.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by Lost Empire Herbs, TeamBuildr and the Plyomat.

    TeamBuildr is an online software for coaches and trainers. Use the code “JUSTFLY” for a free 30 day trial of the TeamBuildr software at https://teambuildr.com.

    For 15% off your Lost Empire Herbs order, head to lostempireherbs.com/justfly.

    To try Pine Pollen for free (just pay for shipping), head to: justflypinepollen.com.

    The Plyomat is a functional, intuitive, and affordable contact mat for jump and plyometric training and testing.  Check out the Plyomat at www.plyomat.net





    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Angus Ross Main Points
    3:00- Comparing “Rotational” and “Linear” Events in Track and Field
    11:20- Loaded Mobility for Athletic Performance Enhancement
    18:24- Enhancing Connective Tissue Quality Through Loaded Stretching
    31:45- Heptathlon Training Impact on High Jump Success
    35:28- Rotational Movements in Multiplanar Athletic Training
    43:03- Elasticity's Role in Athletic Performance
    46:26- The Role of Elasticity in Athletic Performance
    54:53- Enhanced Athletic Performance through Speedball Training
    58:19- Spinal Engine's Role in Speed Enhancement
    1:06:03- Enhanced Performance Through Muscle Control Adaptations
    1:09:23- The Role of Long Isometrics and the Nervous System
    1:11:49- Enhancing Physical Strength Through Structured Workouts



    Angus Ross Quotes
    "I just think it's interesting how these different qualities degrade at different rates. And in terms of trying to maintain your athleticism, probably that elasticity, ability to bounce is probably something that we should be thinking about." - Angus Ross"

    “I talked at a high jump mini conference we had in New Zealand a little while ago. Made the analogy that it's really interesting, too, that the high jump + heptathlon is a really good combination. There's a lot of world class heptathlon athletes (who are really good at high jump).

    "With the decathlon. I kind of have this idea in my head, like the decathlon principle, in the sense of what could be applied for any event. Like almost this catalog of same but different skills to be good at if you want to be good at one thing." - Joel Smith"

    “But in contrast, volume of work probably is really good for your connective tissue and your fascial stuff and your tendons. And so perhaps the multi event is. And this is one of the things I was writing a couple of notes when you had some of those ideas to talk about. It's fascinating to me that we have now, we've got decathletes on the scene that can run 10...

  • Today's podcast features Paul Cater, a seasoned strength coach with extensive experience in both professional and private realms. Beginning his journey in collegiate football at UC Davis, Paul later ventured into international professional rugby with the London Wasps for seven years. Following his rugby career, he spent a decade innovating strength and conditioning systems in professional baseball with the Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Angels. With a research focus on performance and injury reduction in Seville, Spain, Paul now optimizes training methods for the tactical community and is designing "The Lab Monterey," a premier 'smart gym' in the USA.

    While training is often regarded as both an art and a science, the majority of time and resources are allocated to the scientific aspects, leaving the artistic elements overlooked. The art of training extends beyond communication with athletes, delving into the intuitive process of session unfolding and the natural processes of learning, movement, and community engagement.

    In today's podcast, Paul explores the alignment of performance with natural learning, emphasizing challenge and mimicry over verbal statements and rote recital of patterns. He details how to create an environment that breathes life into training sessions, fostering engagement, enhanced learning, and improved results. The discussion also covers the role of science in the context of "smart gyms" and how technology can liberate coach resources for more creative investments. In a rapidly evolving world, this podcast is a landmark exploration of understanding athletes and fostering a meaningful coaching process.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by Lost Empire Herbs, TeamBuildr and the Plyomat.

    TeamBuildr is an online software for coaches and trainers. Use the code “JUSTFLY” for a free 30 day trial of the TeamBuildr software at https://teambuildr.com.

    For 15% off your Lost Empire Herbs order, head to lostempireherbs.com/justfly.

    To try Pine Pollen for free (just pay for shipping), head to: justflypinepollen.com.

    The Plyomat is a functional, intuitive, and affordable contact mat for jump and plyometric training and testing.  Check out the Plyomat at www.plyomat.net



    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Main Points
    2:30- How athletic dance movements fit with culture, and how it works into Paul’s training ideas

    12:30- Priming the environment of the athlete for better results, with the influence of music selection

    19:00- Key exercises and “attractors” to help drive flow states and learning via mimicry in training

    27:00- How to manage structure and basic coaching guidelines, along with creating space for freedom of movement and exploration

    37:00- The nature of how children play, and their background, and implications for training and performance

    43:00- Paul’s process of teaching, and education for mentors and assistants

    53:00- How upbeats, and downbeats fit with rhythmic movement flow and athleticism

    1:07:00- What the ideal world is in training and coaching, in regards to the balance of technology and sports performance



    Paul Cater Quotes
    “To really understand a culture, you have to understand their dancing culture and their music integration”

    “I believe right now in America, we are establishing a culture that is devoid of identify and basic movement patterns”

    “Dancing is ingrained in battle, and in sport you are mirroring movements, mimicking movements”

    “I want to have young athletes be more readily available to accept challenges, versus seeing things as threats”

    “Music, and the opening salvo of exercises can (engage an athlete) on both levels (of challenge and innate movement patterning)”

    “Birds mimic the sound, and then they vary it”

    “Choosing a song, mimicing beats and rhythms, within a drill, with peers”

    “I think if we teach young athletes to memorize drills, or plays, we take away that creative inhibition”

  • Today’s podcast is with Alex Kanellis. Alex is the founder of Landmine University. He is a former state champion wrestler, Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year (Football), and University of Iowa football player. He has been a scholastic strength coach, wrestling and football coach, as well as having spent time as a performance coach for Weck Method. Currently, Alex’s focus is on training youth wrestlers, as well as his work with Landmine University.

    Strength training for athletes is fundamentally basic. The powerlift variations, as well as Olympic lifts recruit a large amount of muscle mass and are fundamentally stimulating. At the same time, with the potential to be over-used, “functional” training has emerged, offering light-weight movements with high demands for balance and coordination. Landmine oriented training movements offer a happy medium in a high potential for force application, a rotational and arc-like orientation, as well as short learning curves (unlike the longer learning curve of the Olympic lifts).

    On today’s podcast Alex goes into his experiences that brought him into landmine training, and how he uses the method with athletes. He also gets into the advantages and unique aspects of the method, and touches on the transfer points to a number of athletic movements and practices. Alex touches on isometric landmine variations, as well as gets into GPP methods for young athletes in general, and what we can learn from the athleticism of wrestling and combat sports.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by Lost Empire Herbs, TeamBuildr and the Plyomat.

    TeamBuildr is an online software for coaches and trainers. Use the code “JUSTFLY” for a free 30 day trial of the TeamBuildr software at https://teambuildr.com.

    For 15% off your Lost Empire Herbs order, head to lostempireherbs.com/justfly.

    To try Pine Pollen for free (just pay for shipping), head to: justflypinepollen.com.

    The Plyomat is a functional, intuitive, and affordable contact mat for jump and plyometric training and testing.  Check out the Plyomat at www.plyomat.net



    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Timestamps and Main Points
    4:39- Enhancing Athletic Performance Through Rotational Core Movements
    10:12- Rotational Landmine Training for Athletic Performance Gains
    17:50- Rotational Landmine Exercises for Explosive Athletes
    21:23- Spinal Engine Theory for Athletic Performance
    32:00- The Role of Fat Grips and Unilateral Landmine Lifts
    43:50- Rotational Resistance Training with Landmine Exercises
    49:41- Building Athleticism Through Wrestling Movements
    55:57- Focused Training for Elite Performance in Gymnastics
    57:49- Enhancing Athlete Skills Through Wrestling and Free Play



    Alex Kanellis Quotes
    "Landmine lifts too is you really do feel the load go from one glute to the other glute and you can feel, and that's something that is really powerful and also just safe because they're just limited in a way that I like." - Alex Kanellis"

    "Your spine is the primary engine for locomotion, as opposed to bracing your spine to neutral and powering locomotion with your hips and legs." - Alex Kanellis

    "What if it's not an argument? What if you just started with more stuff like landmine cleans, or it's a lower bar to jump over, it's more athletic then maybe in high school or later (bring in Olympic Lifts)." - Joel Smith

    "If we are going to spend those skill points as a coach who's not their sport coach, it does feel really satisfying when just at least a couple of those skill points overlap with what they're working on in their sport." - Alex Kanellis"

    "Yeah, but it makes you play differently, and it gives you something. And so much. I think a lot of times we almost find things by accident that are because of these constraints." – Joel Smith

    “And you could ask Donnie Thompson or any of the guys that are into the fat grip stuff. But for me, I remember with even bench press, but deadlift,

  • Today’s podcast is with Mark McLaughlin. Mark is the founder of Performance Training Center, and currently works as a physical preparation/strength coach in the Lake Oswego school district. Mark has had a diverse sporting history as a youth, and has been active in the field of physical preparation since 1997. Mark has trained over 700 athletes at all competitive levels, from Olympic to grade school athletes, and has worked with organizations such as the NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA universities, high schools, and youth sports.

    On the last podcast (#358), Mark spoke on his creative and wide-ranging approach to athletic performance, with an emphasis on movement training and athlete learning, as well as technology and the importance of the aerobic system in athletes.

    For today’s show, we center on a case study of one of Mark’s high school athletes who put 2 feet on his standing long jump and 11 inches on his vertical jump in just over 2 years time. Within this framework, we get into Mark’s ideas on athlete autonomy and feedback, jump training, progression and pacing of work, hill sprints, capacity, and more.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by Lost Empire Herbs, TeamBuildr and the Plyomat.

    TeamBuildr is an online software for coaches and trainers. Use the code “JUSTFLY” for a free 30 day trial of the TeamBuildr software at https://teambuildr.com.

    For 15% off your Lost Empire Herbs order, head to lostempireherbs.com/justfly.

    To try Pine Pollen for free (just pay for shipping), head to: justflypinepollen.com.

    The Plyomat is a functional, intuitive, and affordable contact mat for jump and plyometric training and testing.  Check out the Plyomat at www.plyomat.net





    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Timestamps and Main Points
    6:25- The Role of Autonomy in Athletic Development
    10:37- Gradual Increase in Plyometric Training Intensity
    15:58- Optimizing Performance Through Reduced Training Volume
    25:30- The Benefits of Diversifying Training Methods
    35:33- Strength Training Concepts for Well Rounded Development
    43:19- Optimizing Performance through Feedback and Monitoring
    55:26- The Impact of Intent and Constraints
    1:00:26- Jump Testing Device with Reactive Strength Measurements
    1:02:59- Plyometric and Jump Training
    1:09:16- Hunter's Varied and Intense Training Regimen
    1:20:22- Hill Sprinting, Speed and Work Capacity



    Mark McLaughlin Quotes
    “So we just basically cut the volume almost by two thirds. And within the first month, his vertical increased like five inches”

    “Well, as a coach, sometimes I'm kind of constraint led as well. And so, kind of some of the things that I did to facilitate fun and progress was I started a gymnastics program, per se, within the athletic development model that I have there, and all the kids love it. So, number one, and that's part of the warm up. So that's one to get them there, the other thing that we do prior to training is game based. So they could play team handball, they could play ultimate football, ultimate Frisbee. We have a rugby ball, soccer.”

    “And again, when you ask kids, I think this is part of coaching in this country that is just bad to me, is we're never asking the athletes what they like. How do you feel about the training? Do you like what we're doing? No, I don't. Okay, then let's figure out what you do like. To keep you coming back. I do a questionnaire with every team twice a year to find out through my program what they like, what they don't like, my coaching style. So I can then refine this thing year to year to make it truly athlete centered”

    “This past year, I bought an adjustable hoop for the weight room, so we were doing different dunks and different jumping activities”

    “Yeah. I grew up with three younger brothers. We had a dunk hoop that would raise from, like, eight and a half to nine and a half feet, and you would watch Julius Irving dunk on somebody. Then you're trying to go out and dunk on your brot...

  • Today’s episode is a Q&A podcast with Joel Smith. Questions on this episode revolve around swim training, sprint training, plyometrics, and specific training means for athletic development. Much of my philosophy has gone towards motor learning and how athletes can intuitively learn explosive sport skills, that not only gets results, but is also sustainable over time.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by Lost Empire Herbs, TeamBuildr and the Plyomat.

    TeamBuildr is an online software for coaches and trainers. Use the code “JUSTFLY” for a free 30 day trial of the TeamBuildr software at https://teambuildr.com.

    For 15% off your Lost Empire Herbs order, head to lostempireherbs.com/justfly.

    To try Pine Pollen for free (just pay for shipping), head to: justflypinepollen.com.

    The Plyomat is a functional, intuitive, and affordable contact mat for jump and plyometric training and testing.  Check out the Plyomat at www.plyomat.net



    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Timestamps and Main Points
    2:11- Explosive Athletic Training with Plyometrics

    7:25- Retracting the Thorax for Effective Swimming

    17:56- Enhancing Energy Recovery through Breathwork Techniques

    24:07- Adjusting High Intensity Training for Sustainability

    32:23- Exploring Foot Positions and Pressures for Single Leg Jumping

    37:24- Constraints-led Approach in High Jump Training

    39:50- Explosive Skills and Athletic Movement Enhancement

    44:20- Optimizing Performance through Body-Mind Activation

    56:39- Avoiding Impingement with Alternative Squat and Deadlift Variations

    59:27- Optimizing Sports Performance through Specific Joint Angles

    1:07:21- Enhancing Weightlifting Performance through Neural Activity



    Questions
    Best plyometrics to prepare for training them again after a long layoff?
    What's your approach in terms of S&C for swimming?
    Besides endurance, are there elements of swimming that translate to running mechanics?
    Top 5 best training modalities on recovery days?
    Training wisdom for training vertical jump after 40?
    Has your training changed since turning 40?
    Best way to organize a workout for a quad dominant athlete vs hip dominant?
    How do you improve an athlete who can't bring in speed into there 1 foot dunk?
    Top 3 tips to get better at high jump?
    What's the one thing you would program to progress with a track athlete from 7th-12th grade?
    Top 5 isometrics to do pre-court session?
    Thoughts on an open palm vs closed for sprinting?
    How to peak for 100m as a muscular driven sprinter in track sprint work?
    Does maintaining a strength for a sprinter in season matter?



    Show Notes
    Marv Marinovich Water Training
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUb1V7hBUMY
    Transcript
    



    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, has authored several books and coaches in both the high school and private sector.

    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 is with Graeme Morris. Graeme is an athletic development coach and leads the rehab program at Wests Tigers. He is the former head of strength and conditioning at AFL Field umpires, Western Suburbs Magpies and the Newtown Jets. Graeme has consulted for a variety of field based and combat athletes including world and Australian champions in Muay Thai. Graeme has experience designing and implementing strength and power in the gym, as well as speed, agility and conditioning on the field.

    In athletic performance, it’s easy to get trapped in one viewpoint of improved athleticism, when there are many aspects of good movement and decision making. Graeme has both a wide-ranging understanding of sport and physical training, as well as an ability to understand the role of each coach and specialist in the overall training process.

    On today’s podcast, Graeme speaks about his time training in the martial arts, and how that impacted his thought process in his recent return to traditional sports performance training. He also gets into thoughts on lateral and curvilinear sprint development, ideas on how to “micro-dose” athleticism in team sport athletes, ideas on staggered stance lifting, and more.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by Lost Empire Herbs, TeamBuildr and the Plyomat.

    TeamBuildr is an online software for coaches and trainers. Use the code “JUSTFLY” for a free 30 day trial of the TeamBuildr software at https://teambuildr.com.

    For 15% off your Lost Empire Herbs order, head to lostempireherbs.com/justfly.

    To try Pine Pollen for free (just pay for shipping), head to: justflypinepollen.com.

    The Plyomat is a functional, intuitive, and affordable contact mat for jump and plyometric training and testing.  Check out the Plyomat at www.plyomat.net



    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Timestamps
    4:43- The Impact of Training Environment on Performance
    13:24- The Importance of Fitness Tests in Sports
    20:55- The Importance of "Grapple Strength" in Wrestling
    30:43- Building a Resilient Foundation for Athletes
    41:04- The Importance of Curvilinear Running in Athletics
    46:20- Layered Progression for Athletic Performance Enhancement
    53:02- Enhancing Athletic Performance through Variable Training
    59:48- Staggered Stance Squatting for Back Relief
    1:02:20- Flywheel Training in Athletic Performance



    Graeme Morris Quotes
    "But then I believe that in a soccer game that they analyzed, and I'm not saying this is necessarily true in rugby league or what the sports I work in, but 85% of sprints were curvilinear nature. Okay? So all of a sudden we know, okay, this is also preparing guys for game demands." - Graeme Morris

    "Are you getting taught the correct things? Are you getting taught the correct tactics? Do you have good training partners? If you get training partners is so and so important. The people around you, are they challenging you? Are they pushing you? Are they assisting you? Becoming better every single day? So when I come back to sport, I always think, are we having a training environment that can lead to success? You want to produce a culture there, but that's not only really demanding and you're upholding standards, but it's still enjoyable to come to every single day." - Graeme Morris

    "But every single player knows what a good time is and what not a good time is. And when they return to training or when they come back, they know what the standards are, whether they're fit enough or they're not fit enough." - Graeme Morris

    "But you also got to also understand with some of these types of methods when you're in a team scenario as well. It's got to fit in with the holistic nature of what all the other coaches want as well. So you don't always get exactly what you want, whereas if you're doing something individually or when you're just a private coach, you can explore a bit more of these things. You might have this intuitive nature that you think this works...

  • Today’s podcast is with Romain Tourillon. Roman is a physiotherapist, researcher and educator carrying an emphasis on the foot-ankle complex in rehab and performance. He is engaged in a PhD thesis on the foot muscles role in sports performance, supervised by sprint research expert, JB Morin. Romain works as a clinician at the Swiss Olympic Medical Center at La Tour Hospital, and has presented at various congresses on aspects of foot and ankle performance.

    The foot is a massively important, and under-studied aspect of athletic performance, and considering the way the foot is trained and integrated makes an impact in the training program.
    For today’s show, Romain discusses the roles of the mid-foot and fore-foot in human movement, and gives training applications to optimize each foot section. He gets into the role of the toes in training, sensory input, intrinsic foot strength, and much more.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by Lost Empire Herbs, TeamBuildr and the Plyomat.

    TeamBuildr is an online software for coaches and trainers. Use the code “JUSTFLY” for a free 30 day trial of the TeamBuildr software at https://teambuildr.com.

    For 15% off your Lost Empire Herbs order, head to lostempireherbs.com/justfly.

    To try Pine Pollen for free (just pay for shipping), head to: justflypinepollen.com.

    The Plyomat is a functional, intuitive, and affordable contact mat for jump and plyometric training and testing.  Check out the Plyomat at www.plyomat.net







    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Timestamps and Main Points
    7:41- The Interconnectedness of Lower Limb Function
    11:48- The Impact of Forefoot Strength on Athletic Performance
    16:43- Evolutionary differences in foot and hand function
    19:16- Improving proprioception and foot function through barefoot training
    28:02- Effective Foot Activation Exercises with Dorsiflexion
    38:08- Enhancing Foot and Calf Strength and Performance
    45:18- Calf Muscles: Force Absorption and Propulsion
    52:23- Muscle Groups for Foot Propulsion
    1:05:03- Midfoot Strengthening with Tibialis Raises



    Romain Tourillon Quotes
    "The lower limb has to absorb and produce force. You say it's not just the foot does that, not just the hip. And so that's why you have to have this holistic push and this link between both (the foot) and every joint here." - Romain Tourillon

    "I find for proprioception or like balance based exercises, it's a good sign when people are feeling that in the intrinsic foot muscle. I find people who do balance exercises and don't feel it in their foot. They feel like they're calf. Usually those are people with issues. There's a strong link there." - Joel Smith

    "When you increase the (toe) dorsi-flexion, for example, during the heel raises, you increase the mid-foot moment and mid-foot force production." - Romain Tourillon

    "But it's pretty good exercise in order to work on this production on the first ray on the big toe, that it's much more economic. You can produce greatest force production and it's better for everything to have this. What I say, good propulsion. I would say good propulsion picture or good propulsion function. Pushing on the first toe." - Romain Tourillon

    "The first thing is to say, okay, the absorbing foot is this muscle Tibialis Anterior, Tibialis Posterior. So the two biggest. And after, if you look at the calf, it's the Soleus, which are, I would say the greatest absorber in the chunk." - Romain Tourillon

    "With the long toes, you have an increase of the lever arm within the foot, between the ankle joint rotation and the tooth. So allowing you to have, if you have the, I would say, calf capacity to have a greatest lever arm to produce force on the ground." - Romain Tourillon



    Show Notes
    Ziani Step (Toe Dorsiflexion Strength)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbS541xZLdA

    Romain Tourillon: First Ray Calf Raise

    https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jKyUeMorsLs

  • Today’s podcast is with Ian Markow. Ian is a personal trainer and movement educator based in Delray Beach, Florida, and founder of Markow Training Systems. Ian utilizes methods and philosophies from Functional Range Conditioning, the Postural Restoration Institute, and more as he works with clients from the general population to professional athletes. Ian is an internationally recognized expert in fitness, mobility, and human performance and has a number of educational programs, courses, and workshops.

    With the vast amount of information on corrective exercise, movement, and mobility training, knowing where to start and how to view the human moment equation can be challenging. As helpful as movement training can be, it can also easily create a training narrative that an athlete is dysfunctional, and promote a “nocebo” effect of movement limitations, as well as create an environment of high pressure on the part of the trainer to elicit particular movement and range of motion outcomes.

    On today’s podcast, Ian discusses taking a practical perspective that centers on what an athlete can do rather than what they cannot and the simple gateways he manages to engage with the individual's breathing, mobility, and alignment. He also gets into ideas on managing more superficial movement abilities versus more deep-seated structural elements, gives his take on assessments, and much more.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by Lost Empire Herbs, TeamBuildr and the Plyomat.

    For 15% off your Lost Empire Herbs order, head to lostempireherbs.com/justfly.

    To try Pine Pollen for free (just pay for shipping), head to: justflypinepollen.com.

    The Plyomat is a functional, intuitive, and affordable contact mat for jump and plyometric training and testing.  Check out the Plyomat at www.plyomat.net

    TeamBuildr is an online software for coaches and trainers.  I’ve continued to hear great things about the Teambuildr platform, and whether you are looking for an in-house training portal or an online training hub, be sure to check out Teambuildr training software.





    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Timestamps and Main Points
    6:17- Empowering Mobility Training with Individualized Care
    14:33- Dynamic Shoulder Mobility Through Break Dancing
    18:10- Breath Work and Alternative Strength Movements
    27:41- Engaging and Effective Dynamic Warm-ups
    33:44- Prioritizing Simple Solutions for Tangible Improvements
    42:17- Enhancing Performance Through Stride-Based Breathing
    47:15- Balancing Intensity and Mobility for Overweight Clients
    57:18- Wall-Based Assessments
    1:01:20- The Impact of Rib Cage Structure
    1:17:47- Yielding and Expanding for Optimal Breathing
    1:23:39- Isometric Training with Horse Stance
    1:28:42- Ian Markow's Training Methods and Workshops



    Ian Markow Quotes
    "But there's corners and things that you're hitting in your CARs that will maintain that joint over time, that simply, I just haven't found anything that gets there." - Ian Markow

    "I think you can generally get stronger. So let's strength train and keep you fit while we work around some of your limitations, but also specifically for your elbow. When you go to play tennis or paddle, why don't you go ahead and do these elbow CARs? Let's do a few more of these every day and just keep the thing moving." - Ian Markow

    "I could care less what her hip rotation is because we're obviously crushing it. She feels great. She's more confident. You know what I mean? So those are the outcomes that matter, and it all comes down to the goal." - Ian Markow

    "In another way of putting it, I'm kind of thinking about stumbling, thinking about what the right phrase is, but just keeping the training vibe. It's keeping the training vibe and is the main thing feeling better and not getting bogged down with other little minutiae." - Joel Smith

    "I think most people are so crushed in their lower back ribs that when I teach them how to round them an...

  • Today’s podcast is with Christian Thibaudeau. Christian is a Canadian strength coach with over two decades experience, is a prolific writer, and has worked with athletes from nearly 30 sports. He is the originator of training systems such as the NeuroTyping system and Omni-contraction training. Christian is a wealth of training knowledge, and in addition to his extensive experience, he walks the talk in his training, competing in weightlifting and bodybuilding.

    I always enjoy having Christian on the show, as he is an absolute wealth of knowledge in multiple areas of human performance. I’ve had a significant number of revelations across my time speaking with Christian that have had a profound impact on my approach to programming and training.

    On the episode today, Christian talks about aspects of the nervous system and training stress, both in shorter-term cycles and waves of work, as well as year-to-year recovery concepts to restore the body and mind. Christian also covers ideas on training to failure, pre-fatigue and muscle activation work in relation to athletic skill development, loaded stretching for strength, and more. This was an awesome show, and it’s always great to have Christian on the podcast.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by Lost Empire Herbs, TeamBuildr and the Plyomat.

    For 15% off your Lost Empire Herbs order, head to lostempireherbs.com/justfly.

    To try Pine Pollen for free (just pay for shipping), head to: justflypinepollen.com.

    The Plyomat is a functional, intuitive, and affordable contact mat for jump and plyometric training and testing.  Check out the Plyomat at www.plyomat.net

    TeamBuildr is an online software for coaches and trainers.  I’ve continued to hear great things about the Teambuildr platform, and whether you are looking for an in-house training portal or an online training hub, be sure to check out Teambuildr training software.





    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Timestamps and Main Points:
    6:58- Optimizing Neurological Training for Maximum Gains

    8:22- The Importance of Structural Abilities in Training

    13:29- Neurological Factors and Performance Fatigue

    24:23- The Impact of Skill Mastery on Performance

    25:58- Enhancing Performance through Systemic Stress Management

    31:51- The Importance of Rest and Recovery

    35:20- The Impact of Mental State on Training Performance

    39:22- Optimal Muscle Growth through Post-Failure Technique

    45:00- Targeted Muscle Growth through Low Volume Training

    53:20- Maintaining Bar Proximity for Olympic Lifts

    1:02:44- Enhancing Performance with Iced Calves

    1:10:07- Optimizing Health with Magnesium Supplementation



    Christian Thibaudeau Quotes
    "The reality is that when we are talking about training methods that are focused on neurological changes, which would be pretty much all power training methods, reactive training, plyometrics, pros, even the Olympic lifts, and even strength training, as far as in the very low ranges or isometric stuff like that, they all have a very short duration of what effective training can be." - Christian Thibaudeau

    "But if your body is not ready, what happens is you're creating lots of low grade systemic inflammation. You are causing stress on those tissues, and you don't always feel the pain, but it's still there, and it still sends signal to your brain, which will create inhibition, preventing you from performance, from performing at your best." - Christian Thibaudeau

    "But I'm telling you, if you do a four to six weeks period where you devote as much focus and thinking into designing a recovery program than you do programming your performance program, dude, when you come back from that, you're going to be a freaking machine." - Christian Thibaudeau

    "I think it's a mistake to try to do everything with the same tool. Each tool has its purpose. Don't try to nail a nail with a saw. That just doesn't work well." - Christian Thibaudeau

  • Today’s podcast is with Dr. Keith Baar, professor at UC Davis and renowned tendon training researcher and expert. Professor Keith Baar received his PhD from the University of Illinois, and over the last 20 years, Keith has worked with elite athletes, as the scientific advisor to Chelsea Football Club, USA Track and Field, Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, British Cycling, The English Institute of Sport, Leicester Tigers Rugby, and the Denver Broncos. He also spent time as an assistant strength coach with the University of Michigan football team where he was an undergraduate. Keith first guest appearance on this podcast, was on the role of various exercise velocities and tendon health, and was an extremely popular episode.

    Tendon training is crucial for overall health and performance, as tendons rely on loading for adaptation. Isometrics, a potent tool, are key to a robust training program. In this episode, Keith Baar explores tendon tissue adaptation trends and how different forms of isometrics and training methods optimize tendon health and high-tension capabilities. He delves into the impact of both low-speed and high-speed loading movements, emphasizing the compounding effects achieved by combining them for enhanced performance. Dr. Baar discusses essential concepts like tendon remodeling, the body's protective mechanisms, and the optimal sequence for training to realign and remodel tendon tissue. Drawing from examples in swimming, running, and rock climbing, he highlights the integral role tendons play in shaping training and performance outcomes.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by Lost Empire Herbs, TeamBuildr and the Plyomat.

    For 15% off your Lost Empire Herbs order, head to lostempireherbs.com/justfly.

    To try Pine Pollen for free (just pay for shipping), head to: justflypinepollen.com.

    The Plyomat is a functional, intuitive, and affordable contact mat for jump and plyometric training and testing.  Check out the Plyomat at www.plyomat.net

    TeamBuildr is an online software for coaches and trainers.  I’ve continued to hear great things about the Teambuildr platform, and whether you are looking for an in-house training portal or an online training hub, be sure to check out Teambuildr training software.





    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Timestamps and Main Points
    5:02- Benefits of Collagen Supplementation for Knee Osteoarthritis
    10:03- Determining Collagen Synthesis through Exercise and Supplementation
    15:47- The Power of Belief in Pain Relief
    21:56- The Complexity of Pain and Tissue Healing
    29:45- Optimizing Training Through Body Adaptability
    31:46- Effects of Running Surfaces on Tendon Health
    43:40- Tendon Health and Performance in Rock Climbing
    52:27- Isometric Exercises for Scar Tissue Regeneration
    59:54- Movement-Based Strategies for Inflammation and Recovery
    1:09:38- Dynamic Adaptation of Muscle and Tendon Tissues
    1:23:00- Optimizing Performance and Health through Tailored Training
    1:23:47- The Impact of Loading Techniques on Injury Prevention and Performance Enhancement
    1:24:12- Estrogen's Impact on Injury Risk and Prevention



    Dr. Keith Baar Quotes
    "These peptides, these magical elixirs. They don't really do anything at all."

    "The hardest part, a lot of times, is having the expert to come in and say, this is what the real underlying problem is. And if you fix this, all the other stuff goes away."

    "In thinking about human beings as being incredibly adaptable, it's interesting to think about how we can use that adaptability to shift out of, hey, if you mentioned even the tendon with the know, use that adaptability, like, hey, let me get away from the donut part and shift into the strong tissue."

    "Your movement has to be much, much faster. And that movement through being faster means that the tendons are going to be stiffer and that means that the whole system is going to work very differently."

  • Today’s podcast is with Vern Gambetta. Vern is currently is the Director of Gambetta Sports Training Systems, and a seasoned coach in athletics, coaching techniques and physical preparation methods, with a career spanning over 50 years.  Vern is recognized internationally as an expert in training and conditioning for sport having worked with world class athletes and teams in a wide variety of sports. He is a popular speaker and writer on conditioning topics having lectured and conducted clinics in Canada, Japan, Australia and Europe.

    There are two side of the coin in coaching, and while the maximal strength and data-based side is heavily emphasized, the more creative, adaptable and “functional” side of human performance is far less built out in programming. That base of knowledge and core process is certainly important, but it can choke out problem solving, fostering adaptability, while developing a creative, dynamic process.

    In this episode, Vern delves into the fundamental elements of training athletes for optimal performance. He explores the intricacies of his training system, drawing on historical references and influences. Vern articulates his perspective on maximal strength training and emphasizes the significance of rhythm, tempo, and flow in the training process as well as cultivation of movement quality and long-term athlete longevity. Additionally, Vern highlights the crucial role of creativity in coaching, underscoring the continuous refinement of coaching systems and observational skills over time.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by Lost Empire Herbs, TeamBuildr and the Plyomat.

    For 15% off your Lost Empire Herbs order, head to lostempireherbs.com/justfly.

    To try Pine Pollen for free (just pay for shipping), head to: justflypinepollen.com.

    The Plyomat is a functional, intuitive, and affordable contact mat for jump and plyometric training and testing.  Check out the Plyomat at www.plyomat.net

    TeamBuildr is an online software for coaches and trainers.  I’ve continued to hear great things about the Teambuildr platform, and whether you are looking for an in-house training portal or an online training hub, be sure to check out Teambuildr training software.





    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Timestamps and Main Points
    9:27- The Influence of passionate and eclectic coaches

    20:47- The rhythmic evolution of coaching through music

    21:54- The artistic expression of swimming technique

    24:49- The eclectic approach to coaching athletes

    33:57- Developing athletes' cue systems and body connection

    35:29- Building upon progress for long-term success

    39:03- The impact of throwing ability on athletic performance

    44:47- Real-life movement-based training for athletic performance

    53:54- Training for long-term athletic success

    1:03:12- Enhancing performance with split work

    1:13:29- The relationship between flexibility and performance



    Vern Gambetta Quotes
    "But I'm really curious how in high school I didn't even start until I was a senior in football. But I don't know why I wanted to be a college football player. My brother was a great athlete, and he was a really good football player, that never everything came easy. I was the opposite." - Vern Gambetta

    "Coaching is managing complexity and harnessing chaos." - Vern Gambetta

    "Strength training is coordination training with appropriate resistance." - Vern Gambetta

    "I always just kind of weigh the Olympic lifts against a good backward shot put, or even like a good depth jump to a med ball overhead type thing, something like that." - Joel Smith

    "It's about curiosity. It's about deep investment in a process, creating a system, you know, your own system. And the core of that system, once you coach a few years, never really changes. But on the outside, you're constantly fine-tuning." - Vern Gambetta

    "Creativity, first of all, is not getting weird.

  • Today’s podcast is with Logan Christopher, strongman, author, owner of Legendary Strength, and CEO of Lost Empire Herbs. He has been a prior podcast guest speaking on mental training and giving an expansive view of the components of strength in the human being. Logan has written several books, including “Mental Muscle” and “Powered by Nature,” which I have found to be impactful, alongside numerous other manuals on human movement, performance, and mental abilities. Logan is an expert in using the natural machinery of the body in connection with our environment to help us reach our highest potential as humans. Logan’s work has had a substantial impact on my own training experience, especially on the mental and herbalism ends of the equation, areas that I wouldn’t have spent much time engaging with otherwise. 

    One of the low-hanging fruits in both athletic performance and general well-being in daily life is an awareness and understanding of one’s breathing patterns. As Logan has said in previous podcasts, “You are always mental training” whether you are aware of it or not, you are also training your breath, whether you are aware of it or not. 

    The question then becomes, how aware of the breathing patterns that you carry are you or your athletes? In today’s episode, Logan discusses his approach to breath training for human performance and vitality. He also talks about the inspiration he has drawn from Joseph Greenstein, also known as the Mighty Atom, on the level of breath training, and the Atom’s mastery of the mental, inner game in his strongman pursuits. Within this, we discuss the regulation aspects of the body, as it pertains to feats of strength, and the process of working with those regulators in exhibiting feats of strength. We finish the show discussing integrating one’s mental and emotional states into physical training means, such as sprinting. 

    Today’s episode is brought to you by Lost Empire Herbs, TeamBuildr and the Plyomat.

    For 15% off your Lost Empire Herbs order, head to lostempireherbs.com/justfly.

    To try Pine Pollen for free (just pay for shipping), head to: justflypinepollen.com.

    The Plyomat is a functional, intuitive, and affordable contact mat for jump and plyometric training and testing.  Check out the Plyomat at www.plyomat.net

    TeamBuildr is an online software for coaches and trainers.  I’ve continued to hear great things about the Teambuildr platform, and whether you are looking for an in-house training portal or an online training hub, be sure to check out Teambuildr training software.





    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Timestamps and Main Points
    1:18- Introduction to Logan Christopher and his training challenges

    4:53- The Inspirational Journey of The Mighty Atom

    7:16- The Transformative Power of Breath Work

    14:26- Transformative Breathwork with Visualization

    20:02- The Power of Breath in Exercise

    24:11- Diaphragm-activated vacuum massage for organ health

    28:33- Breath Control Demonstrations of Lung Expansion

    35:29- Pressurized Exhale for Enhanced Strength Performance

    40:18- Harnessing the Power of the Mind for Peak Performance

    55:20- Balancing Easy and Challenging Training Methods

    1:02:03- Harnessing Anger for Positive Transformation



    Logan Christopher Quotes
    “The breath is the link between the conscious and unconscious”

    “A good place to start is lung capacity, how long can you hold your breath?”

    “Breathing through the nose will support nitric oxide, which is important for endurance, while mouth breathing will not do that”

    “One of the exercises that I really love is box breathing. This is to do an inhale, hold, exhale, hold of the same length of time. Typically you start with a four count. So inhaling to a four count, holding for a four count, exhaling for a four count, then exhale, holding for a four count. Then from this, this is a starting point. Most people just take that and they end there.

  • Today’s podcast is with David Kerin. Dave is the USATF chair of men’s development, and also chair for men’s and women’s high jump.  Dave’s coaching career began with 14 years at the HS level followed by 14 years of collegiate coaching where an athlete set a still-standing NCAA DIII championship record in women’s high jump.  A requested speaker and published author, he is perhaps best known for his work: “What is the most direct means to achieve strength gains specific to the demands of jumping events”, as well as the popular article: “Fixing the Right Problem”.  David appeared originally back on episode #58 of the podcast in its “classic” days.

    Curvilinear sprinting is a critical aspect of sport movement, and is also becoming more popular in training, and for good reason.  Lateral and rotational aspects of movement are not only critical for sport, but also engage a greater fullness of the body in a training environment.

    On today’s podcast, David goes into the defining elements of curvilinear sprinting, and what this means, not only for track and field high jump, but athletic movements in general.  He also gets into the importance of observing and coaching athletic movement from a 3D perspective, and gives ideas on how to do so, as well as the evolution that technology is making in that direction.  Today’s podcast gives us a wonderful perspective on a more complete picture of athletic movement and performance.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by Lost Empire Herbs, TeamBuildr and the Plyomat.

    For 15% off your Lost Empire Herbs order, head to lostempireherbs.com/justfly.

    To try Pine Pollen for free (just pay for shipping), head to: justflypinepollen.com.

    The Plyomat is a functional, intuitive, and affordable contact mat for jump and plyometric training and testing.  Check out the Plyomat at www.plyomat.net

    TeamBuildr is an online software for coaches and trainers.  I’ve continued to hear great things about the Teambuildr platform, and whether you are looking for an in-house training portal or an online training hub, be sure to check out Teambuildr training software.





    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Timestamps and Main Points
    2:51- High jump as a transition point for analyzing curvilinear running
    8:03- Transitioning from linear to curvilinear running mechanics
    10:35- The challenges of turning in sports
    13:06- Unique demands of running a high jump curve
    18:13- The importance of running the curve correctly
    22:53- Benefits of three-dimensional movement in sports
    26:29- The role of coaches in developing athletes' skills
    29:09- Changing perspective for better coaching results
    34:10- Overreacting to foot alignment and rotation
    36:52- Mechanical gestures in high jumping vs other sports
    42:24- Different ways to train 3D
    47:50- Common mistakes in initiating a curve
    54:45- Biomechanics lab and motion analysis



    Dave Kerin Quotes
    (00:00:15) "I describe the pelvis as a bowl of Jello. And you know how Jello tends to jiggle, how calmly non vibrational, how steady state can I bring that bowl of Jello to the moment?" - Dave Kerin

    (00:07:44) "The analogy would be the figure skater at the big finish when they start spinning and they've extend their arms and as they draw into the center line or the long axis of the body, they accelerate. So it's not linear acceleration in the traditional sense, yet you are increasing velocity of the plant by leaning on angular momentum." - Dave Kerin

    (00:18:15) "If you tell the average kid or the average coach, they say you got to speed up in the curve. Well, the kid stands upright and goes to linear sprint mechanics to accelerate. But then they've lost lean, they've lost centripetal, they've lost the benefits of running the curve. So if you run the curve correctly, that's where you get that last 10% while bringing the requisite rotations from backward lean to forward lean, lateral lean to vertical,

  • Today’s podcast is with Devin Hayes.  Devin is the Pitching Performance Coordinator with the Detroit Tigers.  He has worked in both baseball coach and physical preparation roles at Middlebury College, and has worked in the private sector, training athletes from high school to major league All-Star level.  Devin currently plays for the Irish National Baseball Team and has included javelin throwing in his athletic repertoire.

    When we learn skills in one area of human performance, we can become more understanding of them all.  A key area of development in human performance is found in the realm of overhand throwing.  By understanding the rotational and linear aspects of the throwing pattern, we can not only achieve better throwing results, but we also gain awareness of an important element of athletic function in general.

    On today’s episode, Devin shares his experiences transitioning from baseball pitching to javelin throwing.  He gives the lessons learned from various forms and constraints of overhead throwing, and digs into the elastic and rotational aspects of pitching.  A main point of discussion is that of letting athletes find their path versus when and how to intervene in coaching, and finally Devin chats about relaxation techniques, and shaking movements to enhance throwing performance.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by Lost Empire Herbs, TeamBuildr and the Plyomat.

    For 15% off your Lost Empire Herbs order, head to lostempireherbs.com/justfly.

    To try Pine Pollen for free (just pay for shipping), head to: justflypinepollen.com.

    The Plyomat is a functional, intuitive, and affordable contact mat for jump and plyometric training and testing.  Check out the Plyomat at www.plyomat.net

    TeamBuildr is an online software for coaches and trainers.  I’ve continued to hear great things about the Teambuildr platform, and whether you are looking for an in-house training portal or an online training hub, be sure to check out Teambuildr training software.





    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Timestamps and Main Points



    3:20
    Transition from Baseball Pitching to Javelin Throwing and the Initial Challenges Faced


    8:38
    Differences between the Motion and Arm Positioning in Baseball and Javelin Throwing, and the Influence of Natural Feel and Rotation


    11:39
    Exploring the Concepts of Movement Transferability from Pitching to Other Sports and the Role of Track and Field Training


    17:01
    Application of Motor Learning Principles in Pitching and the Impact of Sprinting on Musculature


    20:06
    Experimentation with Linear and Rotational Movements in Training and the Progression from Coil to Clear Drills in Pitching


    22:05
    Exploration of Movement Transferability from Other Track and Field Events to Pitching and the Complexity of Transition Skills


    29:13
    Self-organization and the Role of Spine in Throwing Motion, as well as the Influence of Side Bending in Throwing Athletes


    33:37
    Exploration of Arm Slots and Movement Solutions in Throwing, and the Value of Trying New Approaches in Baseball Throwing


    41:38
    The Impact of Lever Length on Throwing Velocity and the Importance of Coaching Stages and Approaches in Athletic Development


    54:12
    Importance of Building a Relationship and Adapting Coaching Style, Effective Communication in Coaching, and the Use of Entertainment in Learning


    59:16
    Creating Levels and Containers for Learning and Development and the Expectation of Instruction in Private Sector Settings


    1:02:10
    Discussion on Different Types of Athletes and the Importance of Reputation and Proof in Self-Organization


    1:06:08
    The Ability to Switch Between Competition Mode and Normal Mode, Withholding Energy, and the Importance of Staying Low in Athletic Movements


    1:08:56
    Exploration of Turn and Burn in Dunk Takeoffs, and the Role of Momentum and Side Bending in Athletic Motions


    1:12:10

  • Today’s podcast is with Chris Bramah and JB Morin. Chris is a consultant Physiotherapist and Researcher at the Manchester Institute of Health & Performance, specializing in biomechanics for injury prevention, especially in running-related concerns like hamstring strains. With over a decade in elite sports and a Ph.D. in biomechanics, he collaborates with World and Olympic Medallists, providing consultancy services focused on sprint running mechanics and their connection to hamstring strain injuries for clients.

    JB Morin, a full professor and head of sports science at the University of Saint-Etienne, brings over 15 years of research experience. Having published 50 peer-reviewed journals since 2004, he is a world-leading researcher in sprint-related topics, collaborating with top sprinters like Christophe Lemaitre. As a two-time previous podcast guest, JB shares valuable insights applicable to team sports, including his expertise in force-velocity profiling and heavy sled training.

    Sprinting and sports injuries are complex. Hamstring injuries are common, yet there is not one “unicorn” of a risk factor that determines whether or not an athlete will sustain one. As the roadmap of injury risk is continually unfolding, understanding what is happening from the coaching practices and observations, sports science, and research lenses can all work together to improve our global understanding of building fast and robust athletes.

    On the episode today, Chris and JB go into various running factors that play into robust sport running performance. These range from force-velocity profiling elements to kinematics and sprint technique, and rotational-based factors. This was a podcast that really digs into the sprint injury equation on a detailed and informative level.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by Lost Empire Herbs, TeamBuildr and the Plyomat.

    For 15% off your Lost Empire Herbs order, head to lostempireherbs.com/justfly.

    To try Pine Pollen for free (just pay for shipping), head to: justflypinepollen.com.

    The Plyomat is a functional, intuitive, and affordable contact mat for jump and plyometric training and testing.  Check out the Plyomat at www.plyomat.net

    TeamBuildr is an online software for coaches and trainers.  I’ve continued to hear great things about the Teambuildr platform, and whether you are looking for an in-house training portal or an online training hub, be sure to check out Teambuildr training software.





    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Timestamps and Main Points
    2:00 – Recent research updates from Chris and JB on mechanics and running

    5:30 – Primary aspects of connecting running mechanics with on-field injury

    29:55 – The importance of fatigue state in the role of injury mechanisms and running

    43:45 – Nuances of force-velocity profiling and potential injury risks in athletes

    52:19 – What JB and Chris are seeing and studying from a “3D” perspective in terms of running injury and performance

    59:20 – Foot strength, and it’s importance in athletic performance and ability

    1:04:40 – Trunk rotation as it pertains to sprinting and injury risk



    Chris Bramah and JB Morin Quotes
    “All things equal, if you have the same capacity to play your sport, and move with less mechanical strain, then maybe you are tilting the balance (in favor of reduced injury risk)”

    “We define that as macroscopic strain (GPS, playing hours, etc.).  I could have the same 200 meters, and have a different microscopic strain, because my body and my lever arms, put a different level of microscopic strain on my tissues, and especially my hamstrings”

    “Sometimes you get injuries where the macroscopic load is managed, and there is still an issue”

    “Because methods are more complex to assess, and to contextualize this as part of a whole system approach, people look at just big microscopic things, and I think sometimes we shy away from them”

  • Today’s podcast is with Sam Wuest.  Sam is a licensed acupuncturist, jumps coach and teacher of internal martial arts residing in San Jose, Costa Rica.  Sam combines modern strength & conditioning with Traditional Chinese Medicine/movement arts in his movement practice, and is the creator of the “Meridians Move” system.  He is a former Division I athlete and coach of NCAA national champions and national medalists in track & field.  I first met Sam at a “Be Activated” seminar, and he has been a two time guest on the podcast in the time afterwards.

    In the world of movement and athletic performance, we spend a lot of time learning about muscle tension, force production and how to maximize outputs.  At the same time, we spend very little time learning about the opposite end of the spectrum, how to relax muscles, optimize resting tension, breathe and recover.  Even if we spend a smaller portion of our training time on the recovery aspect, it still is critical to understand the “soft side” of movement.  If we don’t spend time on it, we will move more poorly, take longer to recover, and impede our movement longevity.

    We occasionally see those athletes who are able to compete at a high level of movement skill, and even power output into their late 30’s and early 40’s, but we don’t spend much time considering the factors behind their performance.  On today’s podcast, Sam goes into the ideas of movement quality, elasticity, stress, breathing, therapy, and more that can help us achieve better movement capabilities, later into life.  This podcast is also a lens by which to observe the entire process of training, but seeing both ends of the tensioning and relaxation spectrum.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by Lost Empire Herbs, TeamBuildr and the Plyomat.

    For 15% off your Lost Empire Herbs order, head to lostempireherbs.com/justfly.

    To try Pine Pollen for free (just pay for shipping), head to: justflypinepollen.com.

    The Plyomat is a functional, intuitive, and affordable contact mat for jump and plyometric training and testing.  Check out the Plyomat at www.plyomat.net

    TeamBuildr is an online software for coaches and trainers.  I’ve continued to hear great things about the Teambuildr platform, and whether you are looking for an in-house training portal or an online training hub, be sure to check out Teambuildr training software.





    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Timestamps and Main Points
    3:00 – Details of Sam’s move to Costa Rica

    7:30 – Factors that contribute to athletic longevity

    16:30 – Using an approach to training that offers more expansion, relative to heavy compression

    22:00 – Balance and proprioception in the scope of both athletic ability, and longevity

    28:45 – Teaching movement based on reflexes versus cognitive control

    34:00 – Community and its role in longevity

    38:00 – Movement practices to keep up good tissue quality over time

    52:00 – QiGong practice that can easily be integrated into athlete populations for the sake of recovery

    1:08:00 – Sam’s take on long isometric holds, and how to use them in the scope of the longevity process



    Sam Wuest Quotes
    “The things that you did to make you super athletic are not the same things that you need to keep doing (to maintain longevity across a sporting career)”

    “I don’t see the return of heavy Olympic lifts being the same for me, at a different stage of life”

    “The person who is perpetually injured, they have a different muscle tone, or certain adhesions in certain areas”

    “You find that people will restore qualities, when they can turn tissue off, instead of turning everything on all of the time, which is what our training leads us towards”

    “Fascial responds best to steady, slow, calm, gentle, and expanding movements”

    “I think sometimes in the West we focus on one thing and producing a lot of force in it, and we don’t realize that by finding a lot of things that are very similar to...

  • Today’s podcast is with Alex Lee.  Alex is the owner of Circadian Chiropractic & Sport in Sarasota, Florida. He grew up outside Boston and entered the health realm after recovering from several long-standing injuries through a combination of chiropractic care and neurologically-based physical training. Alex played and coached baseball in Europe and Australia for four seasons and ran two private facilities for 3 years following a D1 college baseball career. When he is not doing 5-minute hangs or helping clients achieve a higher quality of life and movement he is intently observing his cats, golfing, or bronzing at Florida Gulf beaches with his wife.

    If we really break it down, we have two “ends” of the human (and therefore athlete) performance spectrum.  On one, we have the ability to generate high tension and forces, and on the other, we have the ability to sustain those forces over longer periods of time.  We can liken this to short and maximal isometric holds on one end, and then long, sustained holds on the other.

    Where central nervous system drive and aggression fuel the former, the ability to relax the body and reach a more “flow” state of being drives the latter.  In general, we tend to spend a lot more time considering methods to improve short holds without a balancing element on the sustained side of things.  Ultimately, we need to understand both to reach our highest athletic and physical potential.

    On the podcast today, Alex goes into aspects of long isometric holds on a physical and mental level, and how he incorporates them in his training programs.  Alex details the factors and benefits of being able to sustain longer holds, and what that means for athletic and human populations in general.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by Lost Empire Herbs, TeamBuildr and the Plyomat.

    For 15% off your Lost Empire Herbs order, head to lostempireherbs.com/justfly.

    To try Pine Pollen for free (just pay for shipping), head to: justflypinepollen.com.

    The Plyomat is a functional, intuitive, and affordable contact mat for jump and plyometric training and testing.  Check out the Plyomat at www.plyomat.net

    TeamBuildr is an online software for coaches and trainers.  I’ve continued to hear great things about the Teambuildr platform, and whether you are looking for an in-house training portal or an online training hub, be sure to check out Teambuildr training software.





    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Timestamps and Main Points
    3:10 – Nuts and bolts of hanging from a bar for time, mindset, and breathing patterns

    12:35 – Breathing strategies in isometrics and performance training

    19:21 – The importance of the “Strength, Feel, Play” teaching points in Alex’s system

    23:34 – The relationship between maximal strength, and maximal hold duration in movement

    34:07 – The “non-doing” and withholding aspect of long isometric holds

    47:56 – Neurological inhibition, electrical current and the impacts of neurologically focused training

    55:37 – Influence of electrical resistance on the local level, and subsequent speed and athletic performance markers

    59:37 – The value of being able to take the body to a high level in a “mundane” activity, like isometric holds, relative to one’s sport

    1:09:03 – Alex’s take on isometric hold duration for younger athletes

    1:12:20 – Basic isometric hold standards for the general population, and then athletes



    Alex Lee Quotes
    “What I like with hangs in having sensory information from the environment when the sun is going down”

    “It’s one thing to meditate, and it’s another to step into what is going to be a simulated, sketchy experience”

    “I came up with this equation, and it was (neuromuscular efficiency = coordination x time),  From a neuromuscular standpoint, how efficient can you possibly be, and that is how long you can stay in a position, while keeping that position perfect”

  • Today’s podcast is with athletic performance coaches Hunter Eisenhower and Mike Sullivan. Hunter Eisenhower is the head of men’s basketball performance at Arizona State University, previously spent time with the Sacramento Kings, and has worked in several NCAA S&C departments. Hunter played college basketball for four seasons at Seattle Pacific University.

    Mike Sullivan is a speed and performance coach at TCBoost Sports Performance in Chicago, IL. At TCBoost, Mike works with a wide variety of athletes, from youth to professional, and transitioned to the private sector after time in collegiate strength and conditioning. Most recently, Mike was at UC Davis and spent time at Illinois State, Notre Dame, and Texas.

    For a long time in sports performance, weight room strength has been considered the top priority and method of measuring strength and power outputs. At the same time, bodies in motion produce incredibly high forces in jumping, sprinting, and landing (eccentric and reactive forces). Understanding the nature of elasticity and reactivity, and how to measure and train it in greater detail is a must-know for anyone looking to improve athletic abilities.

    If you were to list three of my favorite sports and human performance topics, they would be: Play, Jumping, and Sprint Development. Today’s show will be getting into these topics, primarily digging into key markers that highlight usable athletic force production, centering around altitude drops onto force plates. We’ll also cover aspects of sprint training from a standpoint of observation and technique, relative to technology readouts, as well as overspeed methods. Finally, we’ll get into Hunter and Mike’s use of play, games, and “aliveness” in their warmups. This was a fun and practical episode from which a wide range of coaches and athletes can find new and valuable ideas.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by Lost Empire Herbs, TeamBuildr and the Plyomat.

    For 15% off your Lost Empire Herbs order, head to lostempireherbs.com/justfly.

    To try Pine Pollen for free (just pay for shipping), head to: justflypinepollen.com.

    The Plyomat is a functional, intuitive, and affordable contact mat for jump and plyometric training and testing.  Check out the Plyomat at www.plyomat.net

    TeamBuildr is an online software for coaches and trainers.  I’ve continued to hear great things about the Teambuildr platform, and whether you are looking for an in-house training portal or an online training hub, be sure to check out Teambuildr training software.





    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Timestamps and Main Points
    2:31 – Discussing the UC Davis “Strength and Conditioning Decathlon”

    6:37 – Maximal elasticity and reactivity as a function of team sport play, versus training without the athleticism that comes from well-rounded play and elastic activities

    9:48 – Discussing scoring systems for power and reactivity

    16:14 – Key elasticity metrics for athletes, and key reactivity and elastic metrics based on force plate rate of force development readings

    29:52 – Measuring force production through the realm of single leg reactive strength values, as well as thoughts on single leg hops for speed

    39:42 – Programing implications based on muscular or elastic abilities

    45:49 – Overlaying sprint kinetics via technology (such as a 1080 sprint) relative to observation, and athlete feeling of the effort

    53:27 – Overspeed work, and giving sprinting a sense of “ease”

    1:00:41 – How Hunter and Mike have put “aliveness” and play in their programming

    1:07:37 – Risk/Reward assessment in terms of using a more alive, play based warmup or training approach with a group of athletes



    Hunter Eisenhower and Mike Sullivan Quotes
    “Just that little framework of me creating a 50 (centimeter CMJ jump) club drives intent so much more.  On a small scale it works, and if you can create it on a bigger scale.. the difference it makes is huge”