Today’s podcast features Derek Hansen. Derek is a renowned International Sport Performance Consultant with over 35 years of experience working with athletes across all levels and disciplines in speed, strength, and power sports. Derek started in Track and Field and continued in sports performance to work with numerous athletes in the NFL, NBA, MLS, and NHL, along with Olympic medalists. As the former Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Simon Fraser University—NCAA's first non-U.S. member—Derek now specializes in speed development, performance planning, and return-to-competition protocols.

If we zoom out and scan decades of fitness and human performance, we see methods go in, and out of style. In our current realm of athletics, we have put speed and power outputs heavily under the microscope, while energy system development and aerobic training have been played down (along with general physical education and physical competencies in young athletes). In looking at injury rates and longevity of athletes, it’s important to take a look at where we may be pushing too far, and where gaps need to be filled.

On today’s episode, Derek covers the pendulum swing, and the importance of aerobic development, even in speed and power-seeking athletes. He also gets into the modern direction of acceleration training, as team sport training has moved into heavier resisted training protocols, relative to the past. Derek also touches on the artful side of training and coaching, mindfulness, overspeed sprint training, simplicity of programming application, and much more.

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Main Points

7:56- Value of Basic Circulatory Warm-up Routines

10:24- Benefits of Incorporating Aerobic Running in Training

22:24- Jerry Rice's Holistic Endurance Training Approach

26:42- Enhancing Performance Through Mindful Nature Training

34:38- Traditional vs Digital Learning: Note-taking Strategies

44:06- Optimizing Acceleration Training with Sled Work

50:30- Sprint Mechanics for Injury Prevention and Performance

55:00- Optimizing Training Loads for Enhanced Performance

58:38- Enhancing Acceleration: Sleds and Hill Sprints

1:01:37- Optimal Hill Gradient for Athletic Conditioning

1:09:46- Optimal Resistance Levels in Sprint Training

1:15:06- Optimizing Running Speed with Relaxation Techniques

1:23:36- Achilles Injury Rates and Considerations in Modern Sport

1:28:20- Muscle Oxygenation Training for Enhanced Recovery

Quotes

(4:40) “I always try to simplify things. So one of the simplest things when I was working with Charlie Francis was he would have very complicated, complex explanations for things, but sometimes he would say, like, you know, oh, what's this person's problem? Well, they're just tight. You just need to loosen them up. That would be the end of the conversation”

(9:51) "It's kind of like the bro science has kind of taken over basic physiology and I think it's, it's kind of hurt us."

(16:00) “We're pushing speed and specificity but, but at the same time, you know, having a well-rounded, balanced program is really important, particularly for the injury prevention side”

(21:00) “I think of people like Jerry Rice and, you know, was he the fastest guy? No, but he did do a lot of longer runs and runs in the hills and stuff like that”

(32:00) “I have vinyl records because listening to a vinyl record takes more time and patience. To put the needle on the groove and all that.