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  • Today’s podcast features movement-focused strength coach Julien Pineau, founder of Strongfit. With a background in sports ranging from competitive swimming to MMA and strongman, Julien started coaching in 1993 and opened his strongman-focused gym in 2008. Known for his integration of all systems of the body, along with his eye for human movement, he’s worked with athletes across various disciplines, pursuing growth both inward and outward.

    It's easy to get overly accustomed to the typical training tools we are provided with. What is now the standard of physical training on the level of barbells, dumbells, machines, and heavy linear conditioning, however, is quite different than the physical demands on a human in our native environment. In so many ways, training with a sandbag is a great equalizer, as it brings online, so many of our instinctive human systems, and reminds us of our innate function.

    In today’s episode, Julien explores human instinct and body intelligence in training, covering sensory aspects (myotomes) of hands and feet, the role of anxiety/frustration, isometrics, the nervous system, the heart's intelligence, bone loading, grip strength, and more. This insightful discussion touches on essential training and performance concepts.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio, Athletic Development Games, 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

    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
    2:00- The story of what led Julien to sandbag training
    8:00- The role of frustration in training, and its role with awkward objects and difficult situations
    13:00- The role of myotomes in using one’s hand in manual labor, squeezing, and sandbag training
    17:00- Anxiety found in chronic training practice, and the role of using prolonged rest and frustration to force greater focus on the given sessions
    22:30- What martial arts give a generalist from a training and psychological perspective
    33:40- The value of sustained movements, such as a long isometric hold, and withholding value
    38:30- Defining the somatic system of the body, along with the strength of the heart
    43:00- The role of the heart’s strength and function in PTSD
    49:00- Dynamics of loaded carries, isometrics, sandbags, and holistic function of the body (along with myotome function)
    59:00- Isolation versus compound movements on the level of myotome function
    1:01:45- Grip strength, pulling and deadlifting dynamics
    1:04:00- Embodied aspects of training and the body, related to the intelligence of the heart
    1:07:00- The relationship of the gut biome to one’s conscious thought
    1:12:00- Bone Crushing Strength: Myotomes, foot training, grip, and overall body strength
    1:21:45- Managing balance in the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the nervous system



    Quotes
    7:10 "All the strong men back there were wrestlers; back then it was seen as the best way to get strong. It was less 1-rep max, more being able to move with stuff”

    8:50 “I think anxiety is a chronic version of frustration”

    12:55 “Frustration is created by your environment; you can change your envionrment or you can deal with it”

    13:30: “A 200lb sandbag and a 200lb barbell are not the same thing”

    17:25 “A lot of time is just ego lifting, they turn anything that is acute into a chronic state; you will notice those people that train 6 times a week, they are on the anxious side because they are turning everything into a chronic state”

    18:20 “Anxious people go to Crossift more”

    27:45 “If we take frustration and try to lower it,

  • Today’s podcast features coach and educator, Jamie Smith.  Jamie is the owner of Melbourne Strength Culture and has over a decade working in high-performance training. He has a variety of experiences in high-level strength and conditioning in both Australia and the United States and is heavily involved in the development and education for strength coaches. Jamie has a deep understanding of current biomechanical models and training frameworks, along with integration of “Bio Psycho Social” concepts for a complete training experience.

    Most methods focus on frameworks, technical models, sets, reps, and percentages. However, there’s little emphasis on the athlete’s subjective experience, which influences their results, learning, and enjoyment.

    In this episode, Jamie discusses building awareness and encouraging movement exploration to enhance athleticism. He emphasizes giving athletes ownership of their bodies and expands on the “bottom-up” training concepts from his last appearance, including the key “dials” of athlete experience. The show wraps up with his critique of conventional ideas of stability in athletic movement. This episode offers deep insights into 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
    10:37- Awareness Development for Clients and Athletes
    19:13- Individualized Approach to Training Progression and Optimization
    24:58- Enhancing Athlete Experience through Self-Awareness Training
    32:05- Key “Dials” of Training That Modulate Athlete Experience
    51:11- Load Management for Injury Prevention and Performance
    54:35- Enhancing Training Through Movement Exploration and Sensory Engagement
    1:15:30- Reevaluating The Concept of “Stability” in Strength Training and Human Performance
    1:32:24- Evolution of Movement Strategies through Tensegrity



    Quotes
    "There is no optimized weight selection, rep range, set prescription, total amount of jumps. Like any of these objective things are just ways that we as coaches have tried to create a structure that we feel confident that we're doing the right job in and moving in the right direction." Jamie Smith

    "Everybody argues about the external load, everybody argues about how much volume, everybody argues about proximity to failure... However, once you actually deal with an athlete, it's the individual response to the training that actually matters and you have to be reactive to the individual response which is the psychological impact as well." - Jamie Smith

    “Just get them with the bar, put the bar on their chest and just move. Feel their scaps. Feel. All right, well, hang on. Maybe tuck the elbow, Change your head position, change your rib cage position."

    “All of a sudden they'll find a position. It's like, oh, I feel strong there. And that thing's gone. All right, let's do some reps there. Can you hold that shape? Can you feel that shape? Yeah, I can do it. And then all of a sudden it just becomes like a better painting of how they're moving rather than the coach coming in and just being like, your shoulder hurts because of X, Y and Z and you're missing this” - Jamie Smith

    “So, like, those explorations are huge. Go to the position you want to explore and just play around with stuff. Play around with foot pressure, shin position, hip position, pelvis, rib cage, whatever the exercise is.” - Jamie Smith

    “You start very isolated, you start quite a little slower, maybe on the ground and feeling certain things and then start to build them up and add speed,

  • Today’s podcast features Chris Kelly, the owner of Fitness Rehab and The Musical Athlete. He has extensive education in biomechanics and human performance systems. Chris balances health and performance while teaching clients to understand their bodies and manage movement efficiently. As a teacher, he has trained hundreds of professionals in topics like breathing mechanics, movement assessment, and exercise application.

    Many training conversations relate to what happens from the ground upwards, but not often do we discuss what occurs from the head, downwards in athletic movement. What happens at the level of the head, is also a mirror for what is happening in the chest, and hips, so knowing this area helps paint a greater picture of the total athlete.

    On today’s podcast, Chris covers aspects of airway, head, and neck as they pertain to sprinting and human movement, along with compensatory strategies that can power movement under conditions of fatigue. He also talks about the nature of reciprocal movement in force absorption, oscillatory training principles, and air-pressure-based principles of movement and performance. This show offers a unique and helpful lens by which to greater understand the big picture of athleticism and training methodology.

    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
    2:40- Quincy Hall Movement Profile En Route to 400m Gold
    17:37- Facial Tension's Influence on Movement Optimization
    19:35- The Nature of Reciprocal Motions and “Delay Strategies” in Athletic Movement
    31:24- Enhancing Athlete Performance through Motor Control Training
    44:24- Interconnectedness of Fatigue and Top-Down Effects on Performance Outcomes
    46:42- Facial Tension's Influence on Athletic Performance
    51:16- Enhancing Performance Through Airway Control and Vocal Techniques
    1:17:43- Rhythmic Training Techniques
    1:22:44- Exploration of Air Pressure and Tonality for Athletic Movements



    Quotes
    (11:18) “So pelvis is going to start to face the ground. Thorax is going to start to face the ground. And in the case of a narrow, like a Quincy Hall or something like that, you also see maybe a suboccipital strategy where the head goes forward and you start to get a cranium that actually starts to face the ground as well”

    (19:25) “When we have a calcaneus that hits the ground and begins to evert before the whole foot dumps in, that creates a slight delay that allows for the propagation of energy through a distribution of energy through more, you know, through more joint systems”

    (21:03) "When I talk about delay strategies, I want to see that I can delay the absorption of energy. So, number one, I can do it at all and I can control what's happening to me. And number two, I can then utilize that energy in a way that is going to be purposeful and a skilled task as opposed to just having to refrigerator turn my whole body." - Chris Kelly

    (22:00) “(Messi) has very good control and It's very easy for him to, you know, to move in that way and maintain relative motions, whereas, like, you know, somebody that's a force producer like me or, you know, heavy weightlifter or something… I'm a fullback. Like, I'm going to knock you over. I'm going to outrun you”

    (37:00) “We were talking about things that were more expansive in nature, like finding a heel or reaching, this is training more yielding properties of the connective tissue versus your Weck deadlift or your, you know, your activities where maybe your heel is off the ground or something.

  • Today’s podcast features Seth Lintz. Seth (“Pitching Doctor”) is a pitching and athletic performance coach.  He was a second-round pick in the 2008 MLB draft, carrying a maximal fastball speed of 104mph.  Seth has trained over a dozen individuals to break the 100mph barrier, using a progressive training system that prioritizes neuro-muscular efficiency, human psychology/brain-science, and intuitive motor learning concepts.

    To understand the fullness of our potential in any athletic discipline, we need to know not only our primary skill but also similar movements that can teach us more about that skill (outward) and the inner layers of our body and mind that dictate our movement quality and potential (inward). Seth fuses both of these in his approach.

    On today’s podcast, Seth covers his recent work with sprinting, locomotion, and postural balance, and how it fits in with training pitching velocity. We also get into a variety of special strength-oriented movements for sprinting and related throwing aspects, and cover layers of both environmental and internal factors that drive athletic movement to its highest potential.

    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
    5:37- Links Between Sprint Speed and Throwing Velocity
    8:34- Efficient Movement Patterns in Athletic Development
    14:07- The Role of Intramuscular Coordination in Movement
    21:27- Explosive Sprint Training with Squat March Lunge
    31:23- Optimizing Sprint Mechanics Through a 45-Degree Start
    41:50- Emotional and Physical Integration for Optimal Performance
    44:35- Brain Coherence Through Meditative Breathing Technique
    54:03- Work Capacity Development for Enhanced Performance



    Quotes
    (6:26) “I noticed that as individuals, gait improved, and really, first through myself, as gait improved, and I learned how with a sedentary posture, really, and one where individuals lack the ability to integrate their non dominant side fully, those postural tendencies that result are the same things that I started to see individuals really struggling with when it came to correcting things mechanically within the throw”

    (8:45) “It's really the intramuscular coordination aspect of it all, that the right parts of the body are working and communicating with other parts of the body in an efficient manner, and that you're not getting a bunch of interference whenever you're trying to throw the ball or walk or sprint or whatever”

    (14:50) “We can reconstruct that just simply by giving the athletes taking something away and then adding it back in and allowing them to feel the sensation of more power. Because when we experience less resistance and we experience less friction or interference or inefficiency within a movement, we immediately are going to gravitate toward it, because it does feel better for things to be more powerful and for us to put more intent into that movement”

    (19:20) "If you're doing altitude, drops, and lunge from any kind of height, the amount of force that you're absorbing upon landing far exceeds the amount of force that you're absorbing whenever you're taking a stride”- Seth Lintz

    (34:17) "It's all rhythms. It's just increasingly complex rhythms, the same way you would experience in music or anything else and dance." - Joel Smith

    (37:25) “And a five minute isometric lunge. Yeah. You got all your motor units turned on, trust me”

    (41:55) “Ordinarily the stimulus should create an emotion that recruits an adrenal response and the neurotransmitters necessary wit...

  • Today’s podcast features Brady Volmering. Brady is the owner of DAC Performance and Health. He is continually evolving and refining core concepts of athletic development and walks the talk in his personal body transformation and practice. Brady leverages bio-psycho-social principles and intentions in his process of helping athletes become the best they can be. He has been a multi-time guest on this podcast.

    Exercise and physical training are usually discussed from the perspective of physiological changes. Rarely are the mental/emotional and learning aspects brought into the equation. On today’s podcast, Brady discusses a variety of speed and strength training means, and how he looks to program them, not only on a level of physiological adaptation but on a level of intention and total stimulation to the athlete.

    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

    To learn more about the Sprint Acceleration Essentials or Elastic Essentials courses, head to justflysports.thinkific.com



    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Main Points
    2:43- Origins and Benefits of Brady’s Impulse Training Methods
    7:52- Creativity and Intensity Through Minimal Equipment Utilization
    12:39- Shortened Time Windows and Training Intention
    15:00- Descriptions and Intentions for Programming Athletic Movements and Exercises
    26:18- Holistic Training Approach for Optimal Athletic Growth
    32:54- Training Approach for Athletes Based on Superpowers
    38:44- Jumping Games vs. Conventional Plyometrics
    48:06- Simplifying Training to Limit Decision-Making and Focus Adaptation
    52:55- Adductor Holds for a Comprehensive Isometric Training Approach
    1:00:34- Moving Beyond “Canned” Arm Care Prescriptions
    1:05:15- Advice Brady Would Give to His Younger Self



    Quotes
    17:00 “If you have something, set something up that you can tackle it, right? You tackle it. You immediately get up into like a ten to 20 yard sprint. If you don't have something that you can tackle, like dive on the ground aggressively, just kind of work with what you have within your environment. But the overall goal is that we want you to feel, feel like you can aggressively tackle, hit something, get up and take that into the sprint, right? And so I'll use those words to describe this is what we're trying to get out of it. Like, you want to feel aggressive hitting something and then getting up and taking off into a sprint” - Brady Volmering

    21:40 “I want to be able to stimulate someone maximally, like, for them to be able to take and direct every single ounce of their being into something without worrying about anything other than doing that. And with the weight, sometimes you have to worry about failing an impulse. You don't” - Brady Volmering

    22:20 “What do you want your body to feel like? What do you want to get out of this? And so it helps them to. It helps them to start to fully invest, because when I talk about full investment, it's like, there it is” - Brady Volmering

    26:08 “And full disclosure, like, I enjoy three sets of ten sometimes” - Brady Volmering

    27:10 "Every new thing now that I come across, I'm just looking at, as, like, I myself need to take this thing to its absolute and extreme level, right, whatever that means, so that I know the impact and the benefit that I can get from it." - Brady Volmering

    27:50 “Three by ten tool that I can use with other people. Setting up 20 minutes for someone to go explore. It's a tool that I can use. Impulses still fail tool that I can use. Impulses for three sets of 100. Tool that I can.

  • Today’s podcast features Flynn Disney. Flynn is a parkour athlete and human performance coach known for integrating mind, body, and environment in movement training. Flynn combines his history as an athlete with an intensive study of human psychology and experience training animals to provide a unique and insightful perspective on training.

    All too often, training is thought of on the level of machine-like qualities. Sets, reps, drills, and coaching cues. Rarely do we consider those processes by which children and animals learn, or how the consideration of the total human can change the process by which we coach. Much of this also involves looking at what makes animals and humans both similar and unique, in their movement strength, and abilities.

    On today’s show, Flynn digs into the key differences between animals and humans from a perspective of reflexes and internal wiring, the role of reflexes in training, and examples in plyometric, running, and dynamic “spinal-engine” activities (and the value of “the worm” breakdance move, from an athletic perspective). He talks about the role of attentional networks, and training implications, the impact of risk on our reflex loops in training, and 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
    9:00- Key differences between human and animal movement, particularly on the level of reflexes

    18:00- Attentional aspects of the brain and training implications

    24:00- The power of subconscious processes and the relaxation/reflex action in humans

    30:00- Playing with varying frequencies in running and sprinting situations

    35:00- “The Hero’s Journey” of Coaching

    50:00- The role and interplace of “Fixed” versus “Exploratory” aspects of training

    59:00- Visual tracking and athletic human movements

    1:10:00- Risk and reflex arcs in training



    Quotes

    “Animal movement is much more constrained by reflexes than human movement; if you take a rabbit and extend their back legs, their front leg will reflexively flex”
    “We (humans) have many more movement options (than animals)”
    “Taking small moments of rest (between main sets) is so profound that is so easy to implement; it seems to integrate learning at a deeper level, this cooling down process allowing new neural connections to form”
    “If you run with a more frequent step, instead of bounds or strides, it’s such a different quality”
    “We’re generally less happy when we are in (Default Mode Network) that state, we are more happy when we are task oriented, or sensory oriented”
    “When a reflex is terminated, it’s very satisfying; when you move away from it, it feels dis-satisfying”
    “If I experience something that is possible, but not completely unimaginable, I will get a surge of energy”




    About Flynn Disney
    Flynn Disney is a professional parkour athlete and coach, known for his innovative approach to movement and skill development. Based in London, his mastery of parkour fundamentals, coupled with a deep understanding of biomechanics, has made him a sought-after coach in the movement training community.

    As a coach, Flynn emphasizes an approach the integrates mind and body, helping athletes of all levels break through physical and psychological barriers. Flynn also contributes to the sport through workshops and content that promote parkour as a tool for developing adaptable and well-rounded athletes.

  • Today’s podcast features Bill Hartman and Chris Wicus. Bill Hartman is a physical therapist and in-demand educator with his modern approach to human mechanics and training. Bill has been an influential figure to many guests on this podcast, as well as my own views on 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.

    So often in physical training, athletes are told to master the basics of “Squat, Hinge, Push, Pull, Etc.”, but unfortunately, within this framework, there is little to no consideration of how various body types have the capacity to carry out those lifts, and what impact intensifying those movements will have on indivdiuals.

    On today’s show, Bill and Chris speak to the nature of the big lifts (squat, bench, deadlift), and how both “Narrow” and “Wide” ISA athletes (elastic and muscular) will be able to process those movements. We talk about the helical nature of our human design, and how it impacts movement preferences. We also discuss specific strength strategies for athletes who are more narrow and wide, and how to better tailor one’s overall strength program to one’s athletic needs.

    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
    6:49- Optimizing Fitness Training for Personal Strengths
    13:20- Structural Archetypes: Impact on Athletic Performance
    20:32- Helical Influence on Exercise Selection
    21:17- Helical Design Influence on Exercise Selection
    23:32- Optimal Deadlifting Structure for Performance Success
    27:06- Optimizing Performance Through Helical Angles
    30:30- Optimizing Force Production for Athletic Performance
    31:42- Enhanced Performance Through Strong Grip Training
    48:52- Structural Bias Optimization for Deadlift Stance
    1:07:54- Optimizing Squat Training for Structural Archetypes
    1:12:42- Optimizing Squat Variations for Body Structure
    1:18:28- Tailoring Exercises to Individual Constraints for Performance
    1:20:14- Archetype-Based Training Support Network and Resources



    Quotes
    "The more I lifted in the gym, the worse I felt. So then I start just running more. And by the end of my athletic career was just mostly sprinting and running and not so much of, like, the slow grindy stuff." – Chris Wicus

    "You look at the difference between 100 meters sprinter, an 800 meters runner, and then a 5K runner, and you're going to see this progressive difference in body type – Bill Hartman

    “At all measures of scale in a human, all levels of scale. So down to your DNA. So DNA is structured helically. A collagen fiber is structured helically. All of your joints move on helical pathways. So we are helically designed” - Bill Hartman

    “And so it's not, that narrows can't do deadlifts, but we're going to make modifications that are going to make it more ideal” - Bill Hartman

    "Too much force production because of the way that we produce force takes away something else that I needed." - Bill Hartman

    “The best, the most athletic I ever got, I had, like, a 38 inch vertical at one point,

  • Today’s podcast highlights coach, author, and educator Dan John. A best-selling author in strength training and fitness, including works such as “Never Let Go”, “Mass Made Simple”, and “Easy Strength Omni-Book.” Dan excels at transforming complex concepts into practical insights and has been a frequent guest on the show. He is one of my most significant influences in how I approach coaching and training. As I move forward in my coaching and training journey, I increasingly appreciate Dan’s methods and wisdom in deeper and more impactful ways.

    If you want to excel at athletics, then you can never, ever, get too far from the actual day-to-day and week-to-week process of training that unfolds over time.

    On today’s episode, Dan talks about navigating the peaks and valleys of performance along with managing daily training and competitive expectations. He also touched on the importance of athlete autonomy, and “figuring it out”, and trends in sports training. Ultimately, Dan speaks to the heart of that consistent, long-haul process by which champions are made, which is the core message of today’s episode. Dan is a legend, and it’s always fantastic to have him on the show.

    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
    4:09- Exploring Diverse Fitness Trends
    11:42- Efficient Power Curl: Simple Strength Training Boost
    18:50- Enhancing Grip Strength with Sandbag Cleans
    23:41- Navigating Progress Peaks in Strength Training
    25:45- Unexpected Strength Breakthroughs in Weightlifting Journey
    30:21- Five Sets of Five
    33:47- Navigating Peaks and Valleys in Training
    40:28- Navigating Ups and Downs in Training Journeys
    43:24- Transition from Functional Movements to Bodybuilding
    47:54- Foundational Principles for Enhanced Athletic Performance
    51:03- Evolution of Training Methods in Athlete Development



    Quotes
    (00:16:47) "I think the overhead squat and the power curl are probably two of the best discus throwing exercises there are. Power curl, I can teach you in seconds." - Dan John

    (00:20:34) "One of the problems, at least in my world, is that we often think that, you know, if a leads to b and b leads to c, then, well, let's drop b and just go a to c. And it doesn't always happen. Sometimes when you're trying to accomplish something, you still have to stick with all the steps in the system." - Dan John

    (00:27:46) "George Sheehan in his run, in one of his books, Doctor Sheehan on Running, I think it is. You know, he talks about how athletes live in the pure present. We have no past, we have no future. They're like. And he equates poets, artists, children and the elderly. They all live in the pure present. There is no, there's no yesterday, there's no tomorrow." - Dan John

    (00:32:57) "Those workouts that are the, you just get in, you do your sets and reps, you walk out the door, you salute yourself for that effort. I actually think those are the ones that make champions." - Dan John

    01:00:45 “One of the things a lot of athletes start to do is they turn off. Because if I give you everything, then I'm your wizard, I'm your Gandalf, your Merlin, I'm your Moses, I'm your prophet, I'm the answer to all your questions. But what makes an athlete great is when they go, what made Dick Fosberry great in the high jump? What made him great? Well, he thought for himself to the point that his coach at Oregon State, Frank Morris, did everything he could to stop Fosbury from drinking, from jumping that way. And then later, of course,

  • Today’s episode features Lee Taft, a leading expert in sport speed development. Lee has accumulated wisdom, not just in sports performance, but also in physical education, and sport coaching.  Lee has been a multi-time guest on the podcast and is a regular consultant and mentor to many professionals in the field.

    We regularly consider building speed and athletic movement on the individual level, but there is often a gap when it comes to determining how to use that speed in context of other players, decision-making capabilities, and in the game itself. Lee is not only a leader in building individual speed components, but he also zooms out to engage athletes on those levels of basketball skill through his sport coaching expertise.

    In today’s episode, Lee emphasizes the importance of speed and movement for team coordination, focusing on burst training, fast breaks, and press situations. He gets into partner competitions and multiplane movement drills while honing decision-making exercises to improve overall performance. He also discusses creating environments that encourage aggressive play and empowering athletes to take risks with the removal of external judgment. Finally, we cover practical tools like sprint workouts, partner drills, and resistance bands to help build athletic skills and confidence.

    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
    1:45- "Enhancing Basketball Team Coordination through Speed"
    15:27- Game Simulation Speed Conditioning for Basketball Players
    21:35- Conceptual Training Method for Effective Coaching
    23:58- Dynamic Speed Training Through Competitive Drills
    26:10- Competitive Backpedaling and Shuffling Drills Strategy
    32:59- Dynamic Sports Training: Speed and Decision Skills
    39:03- Embracing Risk-Taking Mindset in Sports
    43:36- Fostering Athlete Development Through Judgment-Free Practice
    48:15- Enhancing Sports Performance Through Resistance Bands
    50:03- Enhancing Agility Skills with Band Variation
    1:00:28- Band-based Skill Development for Athletes
    Quotes
    (00:04:17) "We got to play as, kind of one brain, and it's the idea of, can we see something together? Do we see what's going on together? And now, once we start moving, can we move on a string, and we all move together?" - Taft"

    (24:30) “The partner closest to the basket does a hip turn and sprints past the person at the foul line. The person at the foul line immediately starts backpedaling as fast as they can, as far as they can, until they get past. So we compete players against players, and the goal is to see who can get the furthest backpedal. And I try to partner them up with even speeds or as close as I can, and then we'll do the same thing with a shuffle” -Lee Taft

    (00:29:58) "You get two minutes to figure it out in a game. You'll know who you're guarding. Can you dominate them physically or is it even, or are they going to physically dominate you? Either way, you got to make a decision to make your adjustment." -Lee Taft"

    (34:34) “We have all these words for speed, right? In track and field, we eliminate a lot of those words because the goal is to reach your maximal speed for that event and try to finish first or the best time you can get. But in basketball, soccer, these other sports, now, the words like change of pace, directional speed, or angular speed starts to enter into the conversation” -Lee Taft

    (00:40:15) “when you're holding back and just getting rid of the ball because you don't want to make a mistake, now,

  • This week’s podcast features Dr. Pat Davidson, an independent trainer and educator based in NYC. Pat is the creator of the "Rethinking the Big Patterns" lecture series, a former college professor, and one of the most insightful coaches in fitness and human performance. With a diverse athletic background that includes strongman competitions, mixed martial arts, and various forms of weightlifting, Pat brings a wealth of experience to the table. He has been a guest on several previous episodes of this series.

    We live in a world of total information overload. We are continually given “10 drills” and “3 tips” but without a greater framework of understanding the complex system of the human body. Training in the modern age can be seen, in a way, as a swamp of methods, as well as lots of noise with various attention-grabbing headlines and social media posts. Having the principles and framework for what is important and how it fits into one’s worldview or training model is a shining light through that swamp, and it is one we must develop as we grow in our coaching and movement journeys.

    Today’s podcast with Pat digs into the story of training and motivation. We discuss the hero’s journey in training and cover decision-making, learning, and mastery in coaching. We then discuss the model by which Pat has evolved to understand the complexity of the body in motion. This episode finishes with a great continuing discussion on the principle of “ground” in athletic movement at development at the end of the episode. Pat is a deep thinker, and you always walk away with concepts to help you evolve your own process on a more profound level.

    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.



    Timestamps and Main Points
    6:03- Dopamine's Role in Motivating Physical Activity
    9:30- The Integration of Knowledge for Personal Growth
    11:51- Mastering the Hero's Journey in Storytelling
    14:50- Narrative Influence in Coaching Dynamics
    22:35- Ego's Influence on Coaching Effectiveness
    31:22- Movement Enhancement Through Strategic Coaching Adjustments
    41:05- Muscle and Skeletal Characteristics in Exercise Selection
    45:18- Optimizing Movement Efficiency Through Individual Constraints
    59:55- Adaptation of Athletes to Environmental Constraints
    1:12:00- Ground Continuum Categorization for Optimal Performance
    1:17:05- Pendulum Squat for Muscle Imbalances
    1:23:49- Graceful Resilience: Lessons from Martial Arts
    1:29:27- Emphasizing Perseverance and Composure for Success



    Quotes
    “I think that Rocky four was my first exposure to, like, a training movie, like anything, actually. The karate kid when I was five was the first one. And I love that. I was obsessed, and that movie got me into karate, and I did that for years. And all I'm saying is, like, the stories from that period probably are the reason that I got into this in the first place and, like, created this drive that keeps me going”

    "The story always comes first. That's always the first and most important piece of it all." - Joel Smith

    “Having kids is actually pretty helpful on that because you're like, why is this so boring and taking so long? And I'm like, okay, like, thank you actually for that feedback. Now I know I was just talking and it was just me blowing hot air at a certain point”

    "When you finally work with the person that is actually truly knowledgeable in an area, boom. They have the simple right fix that quickly captures the idea and lets you do it in a much better way… They'll go in,

  • This week’s podcast is with Ken Clark and Cory Walts. Dr. Ken Clark is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at West Chester University, specializing in the mechanical factors of athletic performance and injury prevention. With over a decade of hands-on coaching experience across various levels, Ken also teaches Biomechanics, Kinetic Anatomy, and Motor Learning. Cory Walts is the Director of Strength & Conditioning at the University of Pennsylvania, where he has led successful sports performance programs since 2019. A finalist for the NSCA College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year Award, he is highly certified and experienced in the field.

    Speed training, for team sports in particular, is an evolving method, specifically in how athletes are profiled and bucketed into training needs. There are more and less complex ways to do this. With the increased emergence and leaning into technology-assisted models, starting with a basic understanding of speed development principles across groups is essential.

    On today’s podcast, Cory and Ken discuss speed training for team sports in light of "low-tech" solutions and simple bucketing systems. We discuss critical differences between team sports and track and field athletes and the appropriate expectations for technical models. Ken and Cory discuss various speed training methods, including mini-hurdles, resisted sprint variations, stride frequency variations, environmental training considerations, and more. This was a great, practical show on developing methods in sprint development.

    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

    To learn more about the Sprint Acceleration Essentials or Elastic Essentials courses, head to justflysports.thinkific.com



    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Main Points
    11:32- Optimizing Speed Training for Team Sport Athletes
    17:40- Gamified Speed Training for Athletic Motivation
    22:05- Tailored Training through Sprint Profiling Analysis
    24:02- Optimizing Performance through Lumbo Pelvic Control
    35:37- Dynamic Resistance Training with Bullet Belts
    53:37- Enhancing Athletic Performance with Wearable Resistance
    54:37- Angular Velocity Enhancement Through Flex Leg Training
    56:41- Movement Variation for Optimal Running Mechanics
    1:01:00- Balancing Intervention for Effective Coaching Results



    Quotes
    (12:00) “So the slow track and field athletes were still kind of like, you know, pretty front side, pretty short contact times and contact lengths, etcetera. But the team sport guys were not. They had longer contact times, longer contact lengths, like less, you know, more backside thigh, less frontside thigh mechanics. And so kind of the really cool thing that emerged from this data set was like, hey, our fast team sport guys can hit really fast top speeds as fast as some of the slower track guys, but with a different strategy. And frankly, a strategy that makes sense from a team sport standpoint” Ken Clark

    22:25: “We just looked at relative to the others, the first zero to ten versus the 30 to 40, and then we bucketed them, and we had an acceleration group that needed to work on acceleration. We had a top speed that needed to work on that, and we had a balanced. So if you just think of a bell curve, majority of the team was in this balanced, and then the certain amount was in the other two” Cory Walts

    40:00: “We're not going to be able to set up like individualized sled loads, which I think is great, but, you know, just was not, and I've done it with other teams, Corey and I both have,

  • This week’s podcast is with David Durand. David is a coach and author of "B.E.T. On It: A Psychological Approach to Coaching Gen Z and Beyond." He combines his expertise in coaching, strength and conditioning, and psychology to help athletes achieve their full potential. Through his company, Real Development LLC, he provides insights that address athletes' physical, mental, and personal growth, mainly focusing on the challenges faced by Gen Z. David advocates for a holistic approach that emphasizes the nervous system's role in enhancing performance and mental well-being.

    As technology and social media have facilitated a drastic change in the world, along with the prevalence of mental health issues, coaching athletes in Generation Z (currently ages 11-26, or under age 27 for current coaches in most situations) demands that we understand how stress impacts the training process.

    On today’s podcast, David speaks on aspects of the nervous system in light of modern life and technology and how we can use ideas based on Polyvagal Theory to help athletes have a training experience that gives them maximal benefit in their athletic journey. David’s concepts are a must-understand for those who work with young athletes, but the same concepts resonate with humans of all ages. In this show, David specifically covers how breathing, vision, and touch can drive beneficial responses from the body to the brain, providing mental and emotional benefits to the athlete.

    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
    1:47- Holistic Approach to Athletic Performance Enhancement
    5:58- The Impact of Social Media on Generation Z's Mental Health
    10:02- Optimal Performance through Autonomic Nervous System Balancing
    14:41- Behavioral Indicators of Athlete's Action Mode
    17:07- Athlete Well-Being: Social Media Stress Impact
    21:45- Nurturing Growth Mindsets Through Positive Training
    25:57- Nurturing Intrinsic Motivation in Sports Coaching
    32:58- Impact of Everyday Gamification on Generations
    36:47- Balancing Data Insights with Present-Moment Engagement
    46:02- Enhancing Performance Through the Bet Method
    1:01:43- Enhancing Sports Performance Through Vision Engagement
    1:13:38- Enhancing Team Performance Through Physical Interactions
    1:16:14- Team Bonding Through Physical Gestures in Sports



    Quotes
    (15:17) "In action mode, I typically look for an athlete. You know, if it's before a competition, it's pretty easy to see it sometimes. Maybe their eyes are kind of darting around all over. Maybe they're looking into the stands a lot. They're kind of feeling a little tense or jittery"

    (25:57) "Sometimes, however, when that becomes like your tactic day in and day out where you're trying to motivate by yelling or fear-based tactics, It's like putting gasoline on a fire. You may get a big blow up, which is probably why coaches do, but again and again because they feel like it gets a rise out of players and helps. But at the end of the day, it's not sustainable and that fire is going to burn out."

    (33:35) “When I talk about gamification, I'm not talking about games like basketball and football and not talking about competitions and track and field more. So just like how our modern culture with social media and just media in general has really latched on to gamification because, you know, humans are the product.”

    (47:15) "If you extend your exhale longer than your inhale, you're engaging the brake, you're accessing the parasympathetic,

  • This week’s guest is Rick Franzblau, Assistant AD for Olympic Sports Performance at Clemson University. Rick has a tremendous understanding of athletic movement, both from the technology and biomechanical aspects of the human movement equation. He has worked with a wide variety of sports and athletic movement patterns and has a unique understanding of the specific demands sport requires.

    Sport performance has been anchored in strength training via barbells or dumbells since its inception. The addition of needed muscle mass, power production, and slow-speed injury resiliency is a key aspect of improved performance. At the same time, each added modality to the sport movement equation has a trade-off to it. Where heavy squats, presses, and deadlifts improve one’s general force production capabilities, they have the trade-off of various skeletal restrictions and compensations that may not be in an athlete’s best interest at some point.

    On the show today, Rick speaks on biomechanical concepts, such as skeletal compression, orientation, reciprocal motion, and pressure dynamics, and how they relate to what he sees in their on-field performance. He then goes into training concepts related to squatting, Olympic lifting, waterbag training, and more, and how strength means can become an ideal fit for an athlete’s structure and needs in their sport movement mechanics.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio and Athletic Development Games.

    Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off of 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
    4:35- Sport-Specific Structural Attributes in Athletes
    11:03- Tailoring Sprint Variations for Optimal Performance
    20:16- Enhancing Athletic Performance through Internal Rotation
    24:39- Optimizing Athletic Performance through Body Mechanics
    38:05- Enhancing Athlete Performance with Water Resistance
    48:44- Enhancing Performance Through Relative Motion Training
    57:47- Anterior Pelvic Orientation Impact on Athletes
    1:03:16- Pelvic Pressure and Box Squat Performance
    1:06:54- Late Bias Development in Single Leg Position
    1:13:57- Targeting Weaknesses for Effective Strength Training
    1:16:18- Pelvic Pressurization for Enhanced Weightlifting Performance
    1:17:26- Seated Squat Jump for Targeted Strength



    Quotes
    (8:50) "There are no solutions. There are only trade offs."(Bill Hartman) - Rick Franzblau

    (19:31) "It's just understanding, like, there can be more low-hanging fruit in terms of trying to achieve a shape that will help you either with power production or distributing load a little bit more evenly." - Rick Franzblau

    (33:56) "That is something to be careful of, too. Is like, oftentimes people look at the example of the best in the world and the adaptations that they developed, but the other million people that try to do it that way, they broke along the way in the process." - Rick Franzblau

    (38:24) "Player development is not matching the hardware with the software." - Rick Franzblau

    (52:38) "Everything is just kind of dumping forward because of the shapes that they've created." - Rick Franzblau

    (1:00:39) “So because they're not going to have the ability to descend that anterior (pelvic) outlet. So you work foam, rolling techniques, stuff like that, to reduce some of the areas of the muscle, the muscles that are holding the anterior orientation. If it's bow legged representation, you may have to, you know, be very specific of that in terms of undoing some of the muscle tensions and all that. But then eventually you may be working to like a. A really high box squat at first.

  • This week’s guest is Adarian Barr. Adarian is a former college track coach, inventor, educator, and international speaker on human movement. He co-authored “Let Me Introduce You” with Jenn Pilotti. Adarian has been a primary mentor of mine in athletic movement and has made various appearances on this podcast.

    Where much of athletic performance and track world focus on enhancing movement through generalized cues or techniques, Adarian works in the world of joints and levers to understand the nuances of movement. Through these nuances, we can better understand training theory, cueing, and exercise application.

    On today’s podcast, Adarian discusses recent Olympic races, the role of the feet, shins, and arms in movement, hamstrings, isometrics, and much more. This was a deep dive into important nuances of the total movement equation, and discussions with Adarian are always a tremendous learning experience.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio and Athletic Development Games.

    Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off of 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
    1:01- Sprinting Mechanics and Strategy in 100m Final
    9:49- Strategic Foot Placement and Leaning in Sprints
    16:32- Optimizing Performance Through Efficient Joint Interactions
    18:20- Athletic Success Through Dynamic Joint Mechanics
    26:50- Joint Stopping Importance for Running Efficiency
    28:49- Optimizing Movement Efficiency Through Space Awareness
    39:38- Enhancing Force Output Through Lever Systems
    44:30- Downhill Sprinting for Enhanced Athletic Performance
    56:51- Joint Control for Optimal Exercise Performance
    59:06- Pressure Detection Influence on Movement Coordination
    1:02:43- Hamstring's Compression Role in Targeted Training
    1:06:52- Dynamic Resistance with Chain Training
    1:09:24- Joint-Specific Compression in Isometric Training
    1:15:14- Asymmetric Roles of Sprinting Legs



    Quotes
    "All we're doing really when we move about is figuring out how to make space to move into space. What space am I trying to move into and what's in the way of that?" - Adarian Barr

    “If you really want to guard somebody, get into a shin space and watch how they have to go in a whole different direction because the body's not going to let them” -Adarian Barr

    "People talk about, like, Fergus Connelly's work and, well, what is offense? It's creating space. What is defense? It's taking away space. And that could happen with all the players on the field or even in a one on one situation. It's, you know, wherever it is, that concept is universal." - Joel Smith

    “And we see it in hurdles where in this ipsilateral pattern where what's happening? My lead leg trail arm, which is on the same side, you know, or side by side. And what am I going to do? I'm going to move my trend arm forward to force my lead leg down. That's ipsi lateral pattern…. the ipsilateral patterns are faster than the contralateral pattern. I want to affect the same side, that's all it is” -Adarian Barr

    "The arms just add a little bit to this at that point in time; because you have this collision going on and the body's doing what? Slowing itself down. Now, at that point in time, all you have is what body weight? It's a little bit more now. So the arms itself is going to have just a little bit more input to get an output. That's how levers work. Levers are so cool because if you got a seesaw and there's no input, what does seesaw do? Nothing."  -Adarian Barr

    “That's the whole thing about it. Levers are designed to make things easier. No matter how you look at it, they're designed to make things easier”

    “(In bridging movements) So when I lay on the ground, I just made another joint between my back and the ground… the whole body on a global and local system is different based on the fact you added two joints and t...

  • This week's guest is Joel Reinhardt. Joel is an Assistant Athletic Performance Coach and Sports Science Coordinator for San Jose State Football. He has extensive experience from his previous roles at Stanford, UMass, and Nicholls State, where he was involved in sports performance and sports science. Joel has been a previous guest on this podcast and has an intuitive and data-based approach to preparing athletes for the specific demands of sport.

    As the integration of training with on-field practice becomes more prevalent, the dynamics of physical preparation are undergoing a significant shift. The weekly layout of a team sport preparation is now mirroring the systematic approach of a track and field cycle, addressing key qualities throughout the week based on specific areas of emphasis. This evolution is a key aspect of today's discussion with Joel Reinhardt.

    Joel has built brilliant training systems based on sports science and the integration of key athletic qualities. In today's episode, Joel covers many aspects of physical preparation in football, emphasizing key attributes that lead to improved robustness and game speed. Joel also discusses the nuances of multilateral speed and deceleration, weekly training layouts, overcoming fear and downregulation, and much more.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio, Plyomat, and Athletic Development Games.



    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Main Points
    9:03- Tailored Training for Optimal Player Performance
    17:28- Optimizing Athlete Performance in Summer Camps
    19:05- Optimizing Athlete Performance through Training Adjustments
    29:04- Strategic Directional Variation in Athletic Training
    30:12- Game-Like Speed Development Drills for Athletes
    44:47- Organic Deceleration Training for Athletes
    52:09- Optimizing Football Performance Through Game Speed Training
    54:12- Game-Specific Drills for Speed and Agility
    59:19- "Fearlessness for Enhanced Athletic Speed Performance"
    1:05:16- Preseason Training for Football Performance Success
    1:13:06- Maximizing Performance with Reduced Collision Exposure



    Quotes
    "I like thinking of how. I mean, to me, the variability of play and sport, it's. It's like magic. It's just the way it ignites an athlete." - Joel Smith

    “And we intentionally would script that to be much more open field. You know, receivers getting downfield more, that sort of work. And then the Tuesday Thursday, they still have football work. So they're, you know, it's different than summer one that was truly extensive on the Tuesday Thursday, like, hey, summer two, Tuesday Thursday, I'm gonna, you're gonna have moments where you need to run full speed”

    “And it can be scary sometimes because if you don't do a controlled burnt, I, you know, fall camp ends up being a true forest fire that, you know, burns down houses and whatnot, and then everybody's injured. Or you can do the opposite and go a little too crazy during fall camp or during summer, too. And then guys don't make it to the starting line, but it's that happy medium of, like, really pushing it. But then it's still a little intimidating as a performance coach because you still have to light stuff on fire to do a controlled burn”

    “So it's like, how fast can we accelerate on Mondays? What's our top, top speed on Wednesdays? And then what's our highest deceleration capabilities on Fridays? Because then we were able to compare”

    “I think he used it specifically talking about the increased chance of falling, which that goes into not looking forward, but it's like your body is going to regulate you down a certain amount if he thinks you're going to get hit or you're going to fall to the ground. And so how can we desensitize you to those things and then also give you physical qualities to help you in those scenarios?”

    "The more you can be aware of, the faster you can perceive it. And the less you can be afraid,

  • This week’s guest is Piotr Maruszewski. Piotr is the Short Sprints and Hurdles Coach at the UMCS University of Lublin, Poland, and has held the position of Polish Athletics National Team Coach, where he prepared athletes for major events at the international stage, as well as being a current speed climbing national team coach. Piotr is a strength and conditioning Coach with solid track and field roots, specializing in multi-sport speed development. Piotr has studied from many of the greatest coaching minds in the world and has helped athletes to incredible results.

    Although traditional strength training and sprint constraints can be effective, it’s important to question whether there are not more specific methods available. Of the many tools in the training toolkit, some of the most powerful include the family of fast eccentric and oscillatory isometric training.

    On today’s podcast, Piotr discusses the nature of rhythm in hurdling, an angular approach to sprinting, and takeaways from his learning with Adarian Barr. He also discusses bodyweight isometric holds and special strength training methods for his athletes, centering around how he works the fast eccentric and isometric overloads for the elastic and muscular archetypes. Piotr has learned from many of the greatest minds in the world of training and has gotten tremendous results from his brilliant integration.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio, and the Plyomat

    Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off of any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer head to: Lilateam.com

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





    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Main Points
    2:00- Instinctual Approach and Rhythm in Hurdling
    7:01- Galloping Technique for Efficient Hurdling Success
    12:31- Dance Skills Enhancing Athletic Performance in Sports
    27:56- Angular Momentum in Sprinting Technique
    35:08- Timing and Adaptation in Sprinting Techniques
    46:05- Oscillatory Isometrics for High-Level Sprint Training
    49:41- Kaiser Hits for Strength Development in Athletes
    55:58- Enhancing Athlete Performance through Oscillatory Movements
    1:01:24- Speed-Focused Progression in Kaiser Training
    1:06:58- Cultural Variations in Athletic Training Intensity
    1:10:14- Run-Specific Isometric Training for Healthy Tendons
    1:20:04- Efficient Running with Angular Momentum and Leverage



    Piotr Maruszewski Quotes
    "When you find the rhythm of the play, they enjoy their bodies and mind, just appreciate the state they are in due to maintaining some rhythm or managing the rhythm."

    "If I can provide a value to whoever is going to listen to our conversation, explore levers and their role in human body's motion."

    “The fastest soccer players are absolutely squatted runners”

    “So I'm finding those, those very short oscillatory motions and being on the under, you know, Kaiser squat, you know, the, the compressed air. It's. It's absolutely like, like a cornerstone of my strength training programming to, through whatever population I'm working with soccer players, handball hand, female handball players, speed climbers, and, of course, my sprinters and hurdlers”

    “I’m not interested in supramaximal eccentric training, I’m interested in super fast eccentric training”

    “We are the combination of muscles that pull, and strings that transfer the forces; but the only forces that the muscles create is pulling from the inside, and even when you push something, your muscles are pulling”

    “I apply a light sled to the squatted run, because then the sense of pulling is increased”

    “Various types of ISO are the pinnacle of my strength training”



    Show Notes
    Oscillating squats with a national level sprinter

    https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8fwEYqd47d8

  • Rob Assise is a jumps coach and mathematics teacher at Homewood Flossmoor High School (2023 Illinois State Track Champions). He is also a writer, a regular “Track Football Consortium” speaker, and a multi-time guest on this podcast. In addition to high school sports, he owns the private training business Re-Evolution Athletics.

    Having good reactivity in the feet carries nuance with it. Some athletes can use their feet exceptionally well for sprinting or straight-ahead pursuits. Others have foot dynamics that allow them a better conversion of horizontal energy to vertical. Ultimately, the goal is to understand why athletes use their strategies and find areas of improvement specific to the individual.

    On today’s podcast, Rob covers ideas on intersections of sprint and jumps training in track and field, athletic asymmetry, plyometric coaching, speed and power complexes, and a nuanced discussion on the nature of foot placement in sprinting and plyometrics, on the level of both performance and injury prevention. Rob is a humble and experienced coach, and I’ve always loved having a chance to sit down and talk training with him.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio, and the Plyomat

    Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off of any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer head to: Lilateam.com

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



    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Main Points
    1:00- Using Sprint Float Sprint Methods in Track Jumpers
    10:00- Understanding Sprinting Better by Being a Jumps Coach
    21:03- Enhancing Sprint Performance through Training Variety
    27:00- Impact of Sports Tools on Running Mechanics
    30:17- Utilizing Asymmetry for Optimal Athletic Performance
    31:55- Addressing Athlete Asymmetry for Optimal Performance
    42:31- RSI Scores and Foot-Ground Interaction Patterns
    48:24- PVC Pipe Balancing for Foot Strength
    55:54- Enhancing Athletic Performance Through Varied Plyometrics
    57:54- Enhancing Sprinting Performance Through Plyometrics
    1:02:01- Dynamic Foot Contact Options for Performance Optimization
    1:02:01- Dynamic Foot Placements Enhance Plyometric Training
    1:03:06- Enhancing Plyometric Performance Through Midfoot Engagement



    Quotes
    (7:43) "The best thing that happened to me as a sprint coach was focusing on the jumps. It just allowed me to kind of see things from a little bit of different perspective because on the Runway you're really not at maximum speed."

    (15:49) "When you do things that the brain finds interesting, your brain doesn't give a damn about volume."

    (32:20) “In general, when we're looking at asymmetry with a 1080 or something, like bounding, hopping, whatever, I usually just use, like, a 10% marker. So, like, if that asymmetry is greater than 10% or maybe approaching 10%, maybe we're going to tease in some things to try to get a little bit more of a balance”

    (42:31) “I've had sprinters who have had crazy good RSi scores. And they come over to the jumps and I'll have them, like, bound or hop, and they're going to have a contact that's more flat or rolling and they just can't do it. It looks like incredibly labored. It's like they just don't want to. They almost refuse to contact that rear part of their foot”

    (44:30) "Those athletes who struggle accessing that rear part of their foot, they were more prone to hamstring injuries."

    (48:52) “Very few people are going to hit a forefoot contact gallop”



    About Rob Assise
    Rob Assise has 20+ years of experience teaching mathematics and coaching track and field at Homewood-Flossmoor High School. He also has coached football and cross country, and is also the owner of the private training business, Re-evolution athletics. Additional writing of his can be found at Simplifaster,

  • Andrew Paul is the Director of Performance and Rehabilitation for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He is both a sports performance coach and a physical therapist.  Andrew has learned from a variety of performance and biomechanics experts and has a deep knowledge of individual factors in athletic movement, training, and performance.

    Individual factors in athletic movement and understanding the nuance of training in the athletic equation are where the future of training and performance is heading. At high levels of sport, this understanding becomes increasingly important to maximize players' health and vitality while catering to their primary performance drivers.

    Last time on the show, Andrew talked about the difference between propulsive and absorbing actions, as seen on court and in training. For this episode, we dig into Andrew's take on movement screens and how particular types of athletes tend to be biased to excel in those tests. We also deeply discuss forefoot and rearfoot-oriented elastic athletes and mid-foot dominant athletes and how these aspects play out in court movement and training. This was another fantastic discussion with a brilliant performance mind.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio, and the Plyomat

    Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off of any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer head to: Lilateam.com

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



    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Timestamps

    2:50- Joint-specific Movement Analysis for Enhanced Functionality

    5:19- Triple Extension and Force Absorption in Movement

    9:29- Forefoot Elastic Athlete Performance Monitoring Techniques

    13:00- Acceleration Strategies Based on Foot Elasticity

    17:35- Hip Internal Rotation in Rearfoot Elastic Athletes

    19:32- Foot Type-Tailored Training Strategies for Athletes

    29:31- Tailoring Foot Loading Strategies for Athlete Performance

    34:08- Optimizing Performance Through Tailored Foot Exercises

    36:15- Enhancing Balance with Specialized Discs Training

    48:10- Tailoring Warm-Up Routines for Athletic Types

    58:53- Jump Performance Insights: Movement Strategies Unveiled

    1:06:59- Versatile Athletes with Multiple Movement Styles



    Quotes
    (2:27) "And I think the evidence on that's pretty clear. I did go through a phase in my career where I was using (FMS) pretty heavily, particularly when I was in college, because I think the functional movement screen is meant to be used at scale. And in my current environment, we only deal with 18 players and so we don't really need anything that's utilized at scale." - Andrew Paul

    (3:40) Propulsive movers tend to rely on deep ranges of motion. And the reason why they rely on those things is because they're using a long concentric pushing action to create momentum, they tend to have more access to range of motion. They tend, and something like the FM's score higher than, than someone who's very fascial or elastic in nature. - Andrew Paul

    (14:42) "Rear foot elastics really use their tripod well when they go from horizontal to vertical." - Andrew Paul

    (22:40) “The fore-foot elastic to me is built for the long jump. Yes, it's like these are the guys that jogged on the court and dunk from the free throw line, but they're also the guys that don't have, like, a power dunking ability. Like they need a lot of runway to get their way up there. And then the rear foot elastic is a lot what you're talking about there. They, they kind of have to move in a spiral”

    (27:28) "I define the midfoot as when a majority of your weight is on the back side ball of your foot." - Andrew Paul

    (29:47) “And we, in jumping drills, we'll go barefoot and we will define. If you land on your toes and you rock back to your midfoot,

  • Chris Korfist and Dan Fichter are this week’s guests. Between the two of them, they have decades of successful coaching in the world of track and athletic performance training. They have each had a substantial journey in their study of human performance, and have made a substantial impact on the field in the process.

    Many years ago, Chris and Dan were on the podcast talking about the “DB Hammer” system, and how it impacted aspects of their speed and power training, particularly the individualizing aspect of auto-regulation and “drop-offs”.

    For today’s podcast, Chris and Dan get into details of their evolving approach to speed training, particularly on the level of complexes, and the methods they use to break limiting barriers of their athlete’s full potential.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio, and the Plyomat

    Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off of any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer head to: Lilateam.com

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

    TeamBuildr is an online software for coaches and trainers.  Use the code “JUSTFLY” for a free 30 day trial of the TeamBuildr software.





    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Main Points
    9:03- Coaching's Transition to Information Abundance Era
    12:48- Training Philosophies for Enhanced Coaching Performance
    21:38- Neurological Tailored Training for Enhanced Performance
    29:48- Fly Tens for Maximal Speed Development Training
    32:12- Real-Time Feedback Enhancing Athlete Performance
    37:21- Enhancing Performance Through Diverse Sensory Inputs
    41:03- Enhancing Athletic Performance Through Neurological Challenges
    48:51- Enhancing Athletic Performance Through Reflex Integration
    53:47- Real-time Performance Monitoring for Athletes
    1:02:30- Enhancing Coordination Through Water Bag Training
    1:08:52- Competitive Station-Based Training for Athletic Performance



    Quotes
    (00:10:50) "People just accumulate knowledge, or not so much knowledge, but information. They read it once and they store it somewhere. But back in the day, you didn't. Things took time, and so you had time to actually work through things because you may only get one article a month or something like that, and that's all you're getting. And so go ahead, work through that and try things and experiment. But today you can just go download 20 podcasts, look at three Instagram posts, you know, YouTube, and think you're an expert all of a sudden. And there's been no time to. To let things stew, to let things grow inside your own head and to take your own look at things and create your own system." - Chris Korfist

    (00:13:17) "You need to understand this stuff from the inside out." – Dan Fichter

    (00:32:37) "And then when you see it, then you start to be able to feel it. And when you can feel it, then you can change it." – Dan Fichter

    (34:50) I think oscillating isometrics may be one of the most profound training techniques out there. I really do in terms of teaching what movement really is and how. – Dan Fichter

    (38:36) I kind of do the same thing with overspeed. Again, there's a fear factor there that you're going to go faster than you thought - Chris Korfist

    (53:47) You know, we were putting our 1080 numbers up on a. A projector so everyone could see. We put our. We tied our timer up to a projector. - Chris Korfist

    (01:06:25) "The first thing is how good of timing does this athlete have?" - Joel Smith

    (01:14:23) "Getting strong is easy. Now, getting him fast, that's a challenge." – Dan Fichter



    Show Notes:
    How to Get Fast: Vol 1

    korfist.sellfy.store/p/ymrl/



    About Dan Fichter
    Dan Fichter owns and operates WannaGetFast Power/Speed Training, a sports performance training business in Rochester, NY that offers training to elite athletes.

  • Today's podcast features a Q&A with Joel Smith. Questions this round revolve around facets of sprint complexes, jump training, reactive strength, youth sports, and much more.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio, and the Plyomat

    Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off of any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer head to: Lilateam.com

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

    TeamBuildr is an online software for coaches and trainers.  Use the code “JUSTFLY” for a free 30 day trial of the TeamBuildr software.





    View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.



    Timestamps
    1:48- Optimal Squatting Form for Athletic Performance

    8:13- Enhancing Sprint Acceleration with Shin Angles

    13:38- Progressive Volume Approach in French Contrast Training

    22:02- Enhancing Athlete Recovery Through Energetic Practices

    30:29- Creative Development Through Imaginative Play in Youth Sports

    40:17- Efficient Torque Transition with Power Cleans

    47:14- Enhancing Speed and Recovery with Varied Movements

    52:02- Optimizing Sprinting Technique Through Varied Drills

    55:19- Enhancing Distance Running Efficiency with Elasticity

    59:05- Enhancing Athlete Performance through Hurdles Training

    1:03:45- Dynamic Athlete Engagement in Marinovich's Training



    Quotes
    (2:26) "My point for this, or the place of balance that I would lean towards is simply trying to help athletes have good general squatting mechanics and not so much squatting mechanics that force the ankle mobility or force the knees forward, but more a total body squat that helps the whole body to have this nice sequence of external to internal to external rotation that can line and stack the joints up well and then works with that."

    (18:13) "Take a step back and see what one set can do for you."

    (45:49) "The art of question asking, I think, is a really huge piece in finding understanding. It's been absolutely essential in my own development."

    (56:12) "Distance running, the more efficient every step, is ultimately less energy in each step. That's going to mean every. Every step. You're going to have less fatigue, you're going to have more energy at the end of the race, and it's a big deal."

    (1:02:59) "Ultimately, that true passion, that reason you got into this thing and the thing that you enjoy doing yourself, you love doing that movement, that style of training yourself, and you can intake that and run it through, you can embody it. That also helps your learning."



    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.