More show notes at https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-474/

Joel Smith speaks on 12 reasons why athletes and coaches may hit a plateau in their performance programs. These include:

1. Lack of stimulation in the training environment
2. Too much stimulation in the training environment
3. Not enough creativity or novelty
4. Lack of a clear plan
5. Too much weightlifting
6. Not enough weightlifting
7. Monotony from failing to wave training loads
8. A lack of representative play and exploration
9. Deficits in skill learning
10. Programs that feel too constricting
11. Athletes not feeling truly seen or heard
12.  Gaps in belief and motivation

In this episode, we’ll unpack these elements one by one, while also exploring practical methods coaches and athletes can use to break through these plateaus and unlock new levels of performance.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength.

More show notes at https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-473/

Today’s guest is Michael Zweifel. Michael is the Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Backs Coach at UW–La Crosse, now in his fourth season with the program. He previously founded Building Better Athletes (BBA Performance) in Dubuque, Iowa, training athletes from youth to pro levels. Michael also coached at Clarke College and the University of Dubuque. A former record-setting wide receiver, he won the 2011 Gagliardi Trophy and still holds the NCAA all-divisions career receptions record (463).

In athletic development, the “5 S’s of performance”: Strength, Speed, Stamina, Suppleness and Skill” are often brought up. What tends to be the case is those 5 elements are weighted in that order, with skill mentioned, but rarely or ever studied in how to improve it.

On today’s show, Michael discusses his own creative approach to skill development in American football players with an emphasis on building artistry and adaptability in his players. He speaks on the nature of constraint-based coaching that helps athletes improve their arsenal of movements on the field, as well as their decision making skills in the midst of chaos. We also touch on the crossover between basketball and football, and ultimately the art of long-term development of skill in one’s sport and as an athlete in general.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength.

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

More show notes at https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-472

Today’s guest is Will “Hoss” Ratelle — former All-Big Sky linebacker turned strength and conditioning coach, with experience at the University of North Dakota, the NFL, and the CFL. Known for his intense, results-driven training style, Hoss blends his pro football background with evidence-based methods to build size, speed, and resilience in athletes. He’s also the creator of popular programs like “Hoss Concurrent” and a respected voice in the online performance space.

Most fitness and training education tends to be rigid, centered around fixed sets, reps, heart rate zones, and prescribed loads and timing. While this structure has value, athletes eventually need to move beyond it and enter a more adaptive, natural rhythm of training. Sets and reps can serve as a starting point, but great coaching gives training a feel, one that fosters ownership, problem-solving, and deeper athlete engagement.

On today’s episode, Will Ratelle shares practical strategies for building training protocols that allow for flexibility and athlete autonomy. He discusses how to keep athletes dialed in during strength and power work, while also diving into topics like hamstring rehab, velocity-based training, and more.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength.

More show notes at https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-471/

Today’s guests are Cameron Josse and Joel Reinhardt. Cameron Josse is an Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach with the Detroit Lions. He’s previously led training at DeFranco’s and worked in college football at UNC Charlotte and Indiana, training athletes across the NFL, NHL, UFC, and WWE. Joel Reinhardt is the Director of Football Performance at Lafayette College. He’s coached at San José State, Stanford, UMass, and Nicholls State.

Both Cameron and Joel are field leaders in applied performance, data-driven programming, and athletic movement for physical preparation in American Football. Details in athletic preparation change from the level of high school to college to professional.

On today’s episode, Cameron and Joel speak on the nature of contact and collision preparation in their athlete populations, with a specific emphasis on the use of the ground and rolling patterns. They discuss the specific game demands of football, especially on the college and pro level, and how to prepare athletes for 25,000+ weekly yards of total on-field movement. They break down their approaches to speed, direction change, and capacity building work, with these ideas in mind. This was a show with lots of wisdom on helping players fully meet the needs of their sport.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and LILA Exogen wearable resistance.

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

More show notes and actionable takeaways at https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-470

Today’s guest is Jay DeMayo, Jay is the longtime strength coach for men’s basketball at the University of Richmond and the founder of CVASPS—the Central Virginia Sport Performance Seminar. He’s known for connecting top minds in sport science and coaching, and for his practical, athlete-first approach to physical preparation.

Where the emphasis of an athletic performance program can easily be centered from a narrow perspective, Jay considers a wide variety of inputs, from an athlete’s underlying structure and positional abilities to their perception of workout adjustments, to specialized exercises and technical training elements.

In this episode, Jay digs into the principles he uses to prepare athletes for the demands of the game. From a foundational perspective, he discusses building work capacity and progressing split squats. On the power side, he shares his take on Olympic lifts and French Contrast training, while also addressing the role of autonomy and individualization in his approach. Throughout the show, Jay unpacks practical tools and coaching strategies that drive long-term athletic development.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength.

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

More show notes and key actionable takeaways at https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-469/

Today’s guest is Hunter Eisenhower, Associate Head Coach for Sports Performance at Arizona State Men’s Basketball. With experience in the NBA and NCAA, Hunter blends force production qualities, data analysis, and variability-driven human training methods to build explosive, adaptable athletes. He’s the creator of the “Force System” and a thought leader in modern athletic performance concepts.

Most athletic performance training is centered around outputs. Movement abilities and qualities are discussed, but there isn’t much quantification process that goes towards an athlete’s raw abilities, such as variable jump strategies alongside stiffness and compliance competencies.

On today’s episode, Hunter shares his approach to offseason prep using general physical means that build that “human strength”—developing capacity alongside movement variability. Hunter also breaks down how he quantifies an athlete’s movement capacities and library, their ability to, balance rigidity and compliance in line with force plate data. We wrap with ideas on foot training and using variable surfaces to meet the demands of dynamic sport. This is a great look at training beyond just big lifts—into the true movement needs of the game.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and the Just Fly Sports Online Courses.

Check out the newest mini-course, Sprint Drills Reloaded on how to maximize sprint drills, their specific strength development, building of major sprint actions, along with better integration of sprint drills into sprinting technique. The special intro sale ends July 1st. (https://justflysports.thinkific.com/courses/sprint-drills-reloaded)

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

More show notes at https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-468/

Today’s guest is running and movement coach, Lawrence Van Lingen, a world-renowned movement coach known for helping athletes move better by blending scientific principles, psychology, biomechanics, and intuitive coaching methods. He’s worked with a range of athletes, from Olympians and elite runners, to everyday movers to unlock efficiency, fluidity, and performance.

Running and what we would refer to as “functional strength” are closely related. Strength-based movements that train the gait cycle are amongst the most natural and effective versions available. In working the keys that make for better propulsion and effectiveness in locomotion, we can get insight into better strength practices in general.

In this episode, Lawrence van Lingen shares how crawling, backward movement, foot training, and resisted walking can strengthen critical elements of the gait cycle. He explores the connection between natural rhythmic movement and running performance, the ways fear can disrupt quality motion, and how play and curiosity drive better movement learning. From syncing strides to music to mobilizing the feet, Lawrence offers a range of practical, creative methods to enhance coordination and speed.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and LILA Wearable Resistance Gear.

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

Check out the newest mini-course, Sprint Drills Reloaded on how to maximize sprint drills, their specific strength development, building of major sprint actions, along with better integration of sprint drills into sprinting technique. The special intro sale ends July 1st. (https://justflysports.thinkific.com/courses/sprint-drills-reloaded)

More show notes at https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-467/

Today’s guest is Rett Larson, strength coach for the German Women’s Volleyball Team and creator of the "No Zombies" training philosophy. Rett coached Olympic medalists with China and the Netherlands, blending energy, rhythm, and purposeful movement into world-class performance.

As sport expands into an increasingly more high-pressure, early specialization event that can easily suck fun and joy away, there grows a need for a “counter-culture” within athletic performance. Not only does a “physical preparation” process for athletes that is joyful and gamified lead to more fun within a training session, but it also develops important athletic qualities, within that umbrella of “fun” that may not be possible in more “traditional” sessions.

Rett Larson is spearheading an active, engaging approach to the physical preparation process for athletes with warmups designed for joy, engagement, and a comprehensive stimulation of athletic qualities along the way. On today’s episode, Rett speaks on a variety of engaging tools and gamifications in the warmup process for both thermogenic and neurological preparation. He goes into his take on partner exercises and isometrics, and the process of using a physical challenge to “sneak” strength and skill elements in the program.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and LILA Wearable Resistance Gear.

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

More show notes at https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-466/

Today’s podcast guest is Stefan Holm—Olympic gold medalist and one of the most elite high jumpers in history. Standing just 5’11”, he cleared over 140 bars at 2.30m or higher, won the 2004 Athens Olympics, and holds an indoor best of 2.40m (co-owning the “height jumped over head world record). Now a coach for Sweden’s national team, Holm brings deep insight into jumping training and performance at the highest level.

On today’s episode, I ask Stefan about his early life as an athlete, and formative sporting experiences, along with the tree of coaching that led to his own training methods. Stefan covers his history with high jump variations, plyometrics, strength training, technique development, and much more on today’s show. As Stefan is now a coach, he also discusses his philosophy based on his time as a world-class competitor. This is not only a great show on training ideas, but also a great opportunity to study one of the best of all time in their given sport discipline.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and LILA Wearable Resistance Gear.

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

More show notes athttps://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-465/

Today's podcast features Ty Terrell, Director of Strength and Conditioning for Oklahoma Men’s Basketball. Ty brings deep experience from the NBA, having led performance programs for the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks. He specializes in athlete development, performance testing, and biomechanics-driven return-to-play protocols. Ty has been mentored by Lee Taft and Bill Hartman, and has a unique fusion of abilities and methods in human performance.

Typically, the goal of athletic performance training is based on increasing outputs, muscle size, and aerobic capacities. Less emphasis is given to athletic movement qualities, how the body creates space for motion, and the process of loading and releasing energy. In understanding both outputs and movement dynamics, a more comprehensive training experience can be provided.

On today’s podcast, Ty speaks on optimizing the phases of athletic movement, particularly the “unloading” and reversal phases of squat and jump patterns that are often missed in training. He discusses the balance and interplay of movement-oriented training with strength and output capabilities. From a practical perspective, Ty gets into the nuts and bolts of unweighting methods, opening space in squat and hinge patterns, working absorption and propulsion with cables, step-up dynamics, and much more.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength.

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

Today's podcast features Tony Holler. Tony Holler is a veteran high school track and field coach, renowned for his "Feed the Cats" sprint training philosophy. With over 40 years of coaching experience in both track and football, Holler has become a leading voice in athlete-centered speed development. He is the head track coach at Plainfield North High School in Illinois, where his teams have consistently produced elite sprinters and state champions. He is also the co-founder of the Track Football Consortium, a popular coaching event that bridges the gap between sprint and team sport development.

In a day where the methods are many, Tony Holler has created a training system where he keeps the simple things simple, but off-sets that simplicity with a variety filled “X-Factor” training day that runs like a power-oriented basketball practice in many ways.

On today’s podcast, Tony speaks on his formative experiences as an athlete, young coach, and teacher that have led him to his current positions in coaching. Tony speaks extensively on his X-Factor workouts, inspiration from his dad’s basketball practices, and the keys to the variability in both plyometrics and wicket variations that define the training day. He also speaks on X-Factor paving the way for a simpler, competitive speed workout on the following day. Tony also touches on how the “feed the cats” methods have influenced the successful distance program at Plainfield North, along with many other nuggets of wisdom.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength.

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

More show notes at https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-463/

Today's podcast features Mike Robertson. Mike Robertson is the co-owner of IFAST in Indianapolis and host of the Physical Preparation Podcast. With over 20 years of experience training athletes from the NBA to everyday clients, Mike is known for blending biomechanics, strength, and smart programming to get real-world results. He’s a respected educator and a leader in the performance training space.

The more advanced we get in the world of functional training, human movement, and biomechanics, the more difficult it can be to manage our programming. Having a set of basic principles and foundations for movement coaching helps us to serve a wide variety of athletes throughout their seasons and careers.

On today’s episode, Mike speaks on the nature of his programming, and how he treats the primary squat, deadlift, bench, and split squat movement patterns with the needs of an athlete in mind (with particular emphasis on off-season pro athletes). Mike goes into concepts on braking and propulsion and how to use the weightroom to impact this balance of forces, hinge mechanics, lessons from coaching youth sports, and much more.

Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio (gymstudio.com).

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

More show notes at https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-462/

Today's podcast features Matt Aldred. Matt is the head strength and conditioning coach for basketball at the University of Michigan. He has international expertise and a diverse background in sports he has worked with through his previous stops in NCAA strength and conditioning. In addition to his strength and conditioning experience, he is certified in fascial abrasion technique and Frederick stretch therapy, in addition to a sports massage background. Matt has also co-authored the Fascial Mechanics for Sport course alongside Danny Foley.

In building a performance program, it must ultimately be centered around the needs of the athlete. Athletes need to be as ready as possible on game day. Some athletes need more mass and physical strength. Others need more conditioning and body composition management. Others need more fluid and adaptive movement capabilities. Many athletes enjoy and benefit from providing their input into the program. These facets of performance make athletic development more dynamic than just “get them strong and I did my job”.

On today’s podcast, Matt talks about many aspects of building an athlete-centered program, highlighting training the spectrum of muscular strength and tissue quality, over to dynamic, high-velocity training with a priority on athletic qualities. He also speaks on training variability (such as “every rep different”), multi-planar training, basketball game demands, athlete autonomy, wearable resistance training, and much more. This show puts many pieces into place of a comprehensive approach to athletic development, encompassing so many facets of improvement in the field.

Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s GymStudio.

For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com

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

More show notes at https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-461/

Today's podcast features Bob Thurnhoffer, Assistant Track & Field Coach at the University of Louisville. Bob brings nearly two decades of NCAA Division I coaching experience, with past stops at New Mexico, Loyola Chicago, and UIC. His athletes have earned multiple All-American honors, NCAA qualifications, and school records. Bob is also known for his deep knowledge in training for jumps and is a respected voice in the track and field coaching community.

On today’s episode, Bob speaks on the formative experience of his past work training speed and power at an NCAA DI school in the confines of a hallway. He also goes into plyometric training concepts, and acceleration development, as well as some of his key complex training methods in the weightroom. Bob also digs into the importance of general strength in his program, along with the nuts and bolts of his weekly training setups for sprint and jump athletes in this fantastic resource on speed and power development.

Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s GymStudio and the Just Fly Sports Online Courses.

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

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

More show notes at https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-460

Today's podcast features Austin Einhorn. Austin is a movement specialist recognized for his pioneering work in athlete development and injury prevention. As the founder of APIros Performance, Austin's coaching philosophy emphasizes biomechanics, human function + evolution, and adaptability to build resilient athletes who can withstand the demands of high performance. He has worked with athletes across major sports leagues, including the NFL, MLB, NBA, and Olympic programs, and is continually pushing the boundaries of athletic performance and injury prevention systems for athletes.

There are a wide variety of systems and available philosophies on athletic performance and injury prevention. With so much information available, assembling a human-centered viewpoint of how we innately move and adapt is a critical step in forming a better lens of coaching and training.

On today’s episode, Austin discusses his first principles when it comes to athlete assessment and training intervention. He digs into aspects of athletic hip extension, pushup and overhead patterning, and foot motions, along with the variability concepts in training and performance. This was a thought-provoking podcast with one of the brightest minds in the industry and is a must-listen for anyone looking to build more robust, adaptive athletes for any discipline.

Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s GymStudio.

For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com

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

More show notes at https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-459/

Today's podcast features Laurent Meuwley. Laurent is the Head Coach for sprints, hurdles, and relays for the Netherlands. A former Swiss national coach and European Athletics Coach of the Year, he’s known for guiding world-class athletes like Femke Bol and Dutch relay teams, pioneering the “Flyers vs. Diesels” sprint-type analogy and his comprehensive approach to training.

Often in sprinting and speed training education, we get a small piece of the equation based on our social media algorithms or our immediate training culture. To fully understand speed training, we must look at both speed and environmental coaching concepts that span cultures.

On today’s podcast, Laurent discusses speed building on the level of the weight room, overspeed, speed endurance, and individual training factors. Laurent also talks about building a relay-based culture and a powerful training environment, along with many more nuances of building elite sprinters.

Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s GymStudio.

For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com

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

Today's podcast features Anthony Cockrill. Anthony is the Director of Volleyball Sports Performance and Assistant Director of Olympic Sports Performance at SMU. Previously at the University of Houston, he’s coached athletes across multiple sports and has a strong focus on explosive strength development, getting notable vertical jump training results with volleyball athletes.

There are different layers to the strength equation, and not all types of lifting will offer equal adaptation for athletes. In understanding key differences between full and partial ranges, as well as a focus on the concentric, isometric, and eccentric adaptations to the lift, we can better design a program that allows athletes a maximal bandwidth to adapt to the demands (and chaos) of their sport.

On today’s podcast, Anthony discusses the nuts and bolts of his training program, with a specific focus on squatting methods, range of motion concepts, and building strength, particularly through the eccentric phases of a lift. He also covers yearly planning, plyometrics, gymnastics, in-season training, and the physiology concepts behind his methods. This was an informative, and incredibly practical podcast on all things vertical jump and explosive strength development for athletes.

Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s GymStudio.

For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com

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

More show notes at https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-home/

Today's podcast features Bren Veziroglu. Bren is a movement educator, blending scientific principles with personal exploration in his teaching. He has studied globally with top instructors across disciplines, emphasizing scalability, engagement, and physicality in his approach. Bren is an outspoken proponent of the constraint-led approach to sport, particularly in the martial arts.

In many sports and strength training programs, skill development is often reduced to rigid drills and dry repetition. While foundational qualities like strength and endurance can be trained straightforwardly, complex skills require a richer, more dynamic approach—one that embraces the full range of movement our bodies are capable of. Research consistently supports a learner-centered, constraint-led method as being more effective for long-term learning and performance.

In this episode, Bren dives into the integration of traditional strength and mobility work with dynamic movement and motor learning concepts. He shares practical insights on skill acquisition, mobility, jump training, and the role of partner-based work in foundational strength exercises—offering a fresh perspective on how we can build more effective and engaging training environments.

Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s GymStudio.

For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com

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

More show notes at https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-456/

Today's podcast features Mike Bruno. Mike is the Assistant Director of Olympic Sports Performance at Clemson University. Mike has both a sports performance and massage therapy background, with an approach influenced heavily by Bill Hartman’s biomechanical model. He has worked with a wide variety of sports, including track and field, and currently oversees golf and tennis at Clemson.

Human movement is composed of more than just muscle and neural signals. It is also heavily influenced by athletes’ strategies to move pressure through their unique skeletal structures. By understanding the role of structure on speed and movement abilities, we can also better understand ideal training modalities and progressions for each athlete.

On today’s episode, Mike speaks on speed and power training through the lens of pressure management and skeletal structure. He talks about different structural archetypes and their needs in the weightroom, as well as how these archetypes lend to various performance outputs on the field of play (focusing on track speed and performance). With many anecdotes from the world of track and field, this episode draws numerous links between strength, speed and individual training factors.

Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio and Lila Exogen Wearable Resistance Gear.

For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com

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

More show notes at https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-455/

In today’s solo episode, I break down 10 essential keys to building a well-rounded athletic performance program. These programming elements are often overlooked or omitted in favor of a more "machine-based" training approach. I’ll cover both the specifics of sets, reps, and training structures, as well as key principles that enhance stimulation, learning, engagement, and focus—crucial components for an athlete's overall experience. By refining both stimulation and the athlete’s attentional "spotlight," we can create training that feels more dynamic, engaging, and effective. The keys to a more complete program, are as follows:

Embrace Constraints and Limitations
Study Physical Education (Instead of only “Sport Science”)
Integrate Rhythm and Music
Work Polarities and Waves
Use Complexes
Embrace Uncertainty
Understand the Performer Environment Relationship
Test and Use Leaderboards
Use Risk
Train Yourself

Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio and the LILA Exogen Wearable Resistance Training Sleeves.

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

For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com