Episode 21 – Eccentric Loading, Sprint Mechanics & Building Athletes That Last | ft. Colby Wortman

Guest host Darren Hansen sits down with Colby Wartman, Speed Lab Director and owner of Origin Performance in Dickinson, ND. Colby shares his personal journey through addiction and sobriety, the mentorship that shaped his coaching philosophy, and how eccentric loading has become the foundation of his athlete development system. From the TreadMetrics leg press to resisted runs and depth jumps, Colby breaks down the tools and methods behind his results — plus a candid conversation on youth athlete burnout and what college coaches are really looking for today.

Timestamps

• 0:00 – Intro & Hero/Hardship/Highlight
• 3:07 – Colby's background & new facility build
• 5:40 – Eccentric loading philosophy & Coach Pete Leno
• 11:55 – TreadMetrics eccentric leg press deep dive
• 19:47 – Recovery, programming frequency & in-season management
• 22:05 – Youth athlete overload & burnout
• 29:23 – Sprint mechanics: negative foot speed & ground attack cues
• 36:35 – Colby's core training toolkit
• 38:27 – Simplifying speed development for coaches
• 41:13 – Shifting to a speed-first program
• 43:40 – What college coaches actually want from athletes
• 44:53 – Where to find Colby & wrap up

If you are interested in getting connected with Colby, Darren, and 200+ private facilities in the country - see if your facility is a fit for the Speed Lab Partnership: https://universalspeedrating.com/learn-more-partner-with-universal-speed-rating-speed-lab-podcast