Athletic Performance Podcast

Coach Ryan Patrick is back with a new episode, joined by biomechanics and movement expert Zac Cupples. Together, they explore how coaches can bridge the gap between athlete assessments and high-speed actions like sprinting. They discuss the real-world applications of biomechanics, practical assessment methods, and why simple, foundational principles are key in coaching athletes for high performance.

What to Expect in This Episode:

• Insights into Zac’s Human Matrix course and its approach to making complex movement principles accessible to coaches and clinicians.
• How movement limitations and compensations impact performance, and ways coaches can better identify and address these issues.
• A discussion on prioritizing bottlenecks in athletic development and Zac’s views on how physical limitations manifest as movement compensations.

Key Takeaways:

• Why understanding biomechanics is essential to progressing athletes in their high-speed and high-intensity activities.
• The importance of applying foundational skills before complex strategies to ensure athletes perform effectively and safely.
• Zac’s actionable methods to help coaches refine their assessment skills and improve their athletes' movement competencies.

Connect with Zac Cupples:
Website: zaccupples.com
Social Media: Instagram & YouTube: 

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Alan Murdoch, a Speed & Agility Expert and the founder of Elevate Speed & Rehab. Alan is also the creator of the Fast to Fit method—a groundbreaking approach to lower body injury rehab that emphasizes high-intensity movements earlier in the recovery process, helping athletes return to the field faster and more confidently.

I’ve personally taken multiple courses with Alan, including his renowned 360 Speed Mentorship. His deep knowledge of sprint mechanics and his expert coaching eye make him one of the top coaches in the industry. Having him on the show is a real privilege, and I know you’ll get a ton of value from our conversation.

In this episode, we explore:

• Alan’s non-negotiables in rehabilitation.
• The Fast to Fit framework and its success in speeding up recovery times.
• How Alan bridges the gap between performance coaches and rehab practitioners using data to drive decisions.
• The often-overlooked concept of stiffness and why it’s crucial to speed development.

This episode is packed with actionable insights, so grab a notebook!

If you enjoy this episode, please take a moment to rate and review the podcast with 5 stars. Your support helps us reach more coaches eager to learn from the best in the sports performance world, and it helps our incredible guests like Alan share their groundbreaking work.

Follow Alan on Instagram at: @elevate_speed_rehab

To join my Speed Simplified workshop, save your sat using this link.

Today's podcast with Dean Guedo covers a range of topics including:

✅ Performance Anxiety & Mental Prep for Competition
✅ His High Flux Nutrition Approach to Body Comp
✅ Balancing Mobility, Strength, Technique, and Conditioning for Optimal BJJ Performance
✅ Keep Training Simple

And much more.

Don't forget to follow him on Instagram @walk.more.king.

Like, share, and subscribe -- your efforts, however small, make a big impact on us disseminating our podcast to coaches and athletes who might benefit.

Follow us on IG @coachryanpatrick

Kris Freeman is a staff coach at Barbell Logic Online Coaching or BLOC and personal trainer in Versailles, Kentucky. But I know Kris from my early days as a up and coming strength coach. I watched this evolution from Crossfit, into Kettlebells, and now into his more holistic approach to health and fitness which serves many of the clients he works with.

If you are curious about hte practical implementation of recovery modalities -- Im talking cold exposure, hot exposure, red spectrum light, and even grounding -- Kris gives a crash course in today’s podcast. This will give you an idea of how to practically implement any or all of these therapies into your life. 

We also talk his training philosophy and some of the influences he’s has over recent years including his implementation of the the often controversial ATG method. Kris is a down to earth guy and one of the more competent strength coaches I’ve worked alongside and it was a great conversation to catch up nad learn more about what he’s doing these days.

I know you’re going to enjoy this conversation and dig into how other strength coaches are constantly living, learning, and leading a high performance lifestyle.

You can find out more about Kris on his Barbell Logic Coaching Profile here

Please subscribe and review our podcast with 5 ⭐️ only and follow me on IG @coachryanpatrick 

Jim Laird is a strength and conditioning coach at Stillman Wellness, but he’s also one of my early mentors in the strength game. Today’s podcast is a throwback as we reminisce on the hotbed of coaching talent that has come out of Lexington KY in the early 2000’s. 

We dive into a subject I have heard Jim talk about long before is was popular -- the erosion of physical literacy in youth athletes. Jim’s simple approach has always reminded me to keep things simple and be the best beginner coach possible.

We go even further and talk about his simple approach with high level professional athletes.

We diveinto his work with Dr. Stillman and how they are integrating groupch coaching into medical priactice

And finally we talk about his progression from collegiate athlete to elite powerlifter to holistic coach.

Jim is a legend in the game and is one of the most unconsciously competent coaches I’ve ever worked with. If you aspire to have a career in this field, Jim is definitely someone who want to listen to.

You can findout more about Jim's work with Dr. Stillman at www.stillmanwellness.com or Jim's IG account @gymlaird

Dr. Shaun Astorga is a board-certified physical therapist who has overcome his own chronic pain and injury from a brain and neck injury after being written off by other medical professionals. His first hand experience managing his own chronic pain gives him a unique sense of empathy and compassion to his patients, which is exemplified through the quality of treatment he provides.

Today's podcast starts with an in depth conversation about Shaun's own personal journey -- from financial guy to doctor of physical therapy to overcoming his own issues with chronic pain. Shaun is an incredible intelligent  guy I look up to when it comes to his understanding and application of contemporary movement models -- and his journey took a few interesting twists and turns along the way. 

Next, we talk about the echo chamber of social media and how the gap is growing between theory and practice for many. 

So if you're a young coach or clinician looking to build bridges of understanding, Shaun is a guy you definitely want to follow and/or reach out to. I'll be joining his AMP Performance Blueprint very soon and in the meantime, I'm excited to share this episode with you.

You can follow Shaun on instagram at @dr.shaun.astorga.

Don't forget to follow me @coachryanpatrick and rate us 5 ⭐️

#athleticperformancepodcast #athleticperformance #athlete #sportsperformance #athleticdevelopment #physicalpreparation #strengthandconditioning #speedpowerstrength #ryanpatrick #sportsperformancecoach #baseball #assessment  #basketball #football #soccer #hockey #running #sprinting #sprinttraining #speedtraining #peakfast #peakfitnessandsportstraining

Welcome Rich Thaw to the Athletic Performance Podcast. He is the owner of Empower Fitness and Sports Training in Montreal, Quebec. Rich has an impressive track record working with athletes at every level, from youth to professional, including the NHL's Montreal Canadiens.

In this episode, Rich shares his pragmatic approach to developing speed, power, and strength in hockey athletes. We take a deep dive into the nuances of speed, exploring the differences in sprinting progression on ice versus ground.  Rich breaks down the force and velocity characteristics that define elite speed and discusses the unique nature of the hockey stride.

We also tackle the injury challenges specific to hockey, like groin pulls, and how Rich is proactively vaccinating his athletes against these common issues.

Plus, we get into the unique conditioning demands of hockey and how Rich prepares  his athletes to perform at their peak on the ice.

This conversation was incredibly insightful, helping me appreciate both the similarities and differences in hockey athletes.

🎙️ Next, please subscribe and review this podcast with 5 ⭐️

It may not seem like much, but it helps us spread this information to other coaches who might benefit.

You can follow Rich on instagram at @coach_richthaw.

Follow us at @coachryanpatrick for updates and more speed training insights.

JP Guerrero is a performance coach at The Strength House in Harvard, MA.

Here's a quick overview of our show:
✅ His journey from injured athlete to performance coach
✅ How he blends his baseball career with performance training for maximal results
✅ Managing stress imposed on athletes from various coaches
✅ Blending "Big Data" with smart movement
✅ Keep training simple for his athletes
✅ ..and much, much more


To follow JP on the socials, please visit his instagram @jp_guerrero_tsh

Please follow us on instagram @coachryanpatrick for more content and solutions to this podcast.

#athleticperformancepodcast #athleticperformance #athlete #sportsperformance #athleticdevelopment #physicalpreparation #strengthandconditioning #speedpowerstrength #ryanpatrick #sportsperformancecoach #baseball #assessment  #basketball #football #soccer #hockey #running #sprinting #sprinttraining #speedtraining #peakfast #peakfitnessandsportstraining #baseballtraining 

Dr. Greg Chaplin, DPT helps active adults with alignment, posture, and movement related problems.

Here's a quick overview of our show:
✅ His journey from chronic pain as a professional musician to DPT
✅ How conventional treatment models fell short
✅ Taking clients from pain to performance
✅ Managing work load as part of the overall prescriptoin
✅ High vs low energy states in treatment efficacy
✅ ..and much, much more


To follow Greg on the socials, please visit his instagram @chaplinperformance

Please follow us on instagram @athleticperformancepod for more content and solutions to this podcast.

#athleticperformancepodcast #athleticperformance #athlete #sportsperformance #athleticdevelopment #physicalpreparation #strengthandconditioning #speedpowerstrength #ryanpatrick #sportsperformancecoach #baseball #assessment  #basketball #football #soccer #hockey #running #sprinting #sprinttraining #speedtraining #peakfast #peakfitnessandsportstraining #pain #posture #alignment #chronicpain

Jason Feairheller is the Co-Owner and Strength Coach at Function and
Strength in Bridgeport, Pennsylvania. When Jason began his training
career, he had an interest in speed training, and over the past decade,
that interest has turned into a passion. Jason has developed the course
“Improving Game Speed Through Multidirectional Plyometrics,” which can
be found at multidirectionalpower.com. He is also co-host of the Game
Speed Podcast.

Here's a quick overview of our show:
✅ Why his athletes not getting faster led to him investigating GAME SPEED
✅ Shin angles for Change of Direction tasks
✅ Building a speed training program
✅ Assessing the game speed ability of his athletes
✅ Ideal footwear for Change of Direction training
✅ ..and much, much more


To follow Ryan on the socials, please visit his instagram @jasonfeairheller.

Visit @coachryanpatrick for more updates on this podcast and human performance.