Just Fly Performance Podcast

Today’s podcast features sports performance coach, Vern Gambetta, owner of Gambetta Training Systems. Vern is a globally respected leader in sports performance training, with over five decades of experience in coaching and consulting across multiple sports. Gambetta has profoundly influenced the field of athletic development, and his innovative approaches to functional movement, strength training, and sport-specific conditioning have shaped the practices of coaches, trainers, and athletes worldwide.

It's interesting to think of the idea of “nothing new under the sun”, in physical training. Vern has been through half a century of training means and methods, using methods both popular and forgotten. So often in our own training and coaching journies, we look back and think “That was a great training series, I should do that again”!

In this episode, Vern speaks on complex training (although as he mentions, he just calls it training), getting into spectrum training, and the evolution of his leg circuits. He talks about his history with isometric training, along with PNF concepts that are highly effective, but forgotten by many performance coaches. He also gets into priming and potentiation, rhythmic aspects in training, looking at training transfer through the lens of track and field, and much more in today’s episode.

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

11:19- Tailored Training for Optimal Athletic Performance

16:04- Track and Field Coaching and Sports Performance Concepts

25:33- Optimal Movement Patterns for Youth Athletes

37:41- Female Athlete Success Through Multilateral Training

39:16- “Spectrum Training” for Optimal Athletic Performance

42:33- Triphasic Muscle Nature of PNF Rehabilitation and PNF Techniques

49:04- Athletic Priming with Varied Lift Combinations

53:53- Enhancing Training Circuits with Added Resistance

58:09- Rhythm-Based Velocity Training for Athletic Performance

1:00:18- Progressive Coaching: From Slow to Explosive

Quotes

"I don't call it complex training, I call it training." - Vern Gambetta"

“I just so thankful for the background in track and field, and also having competed in the decathlon at a very low level to understand how things fit together because as a coach, if I did too much in the weight room, strength training wise, I was going to compromise something else” – Vern Gambetta

"The rule of never sacrificing range of motion for resistance." - Vern Gambetta

“What I want them to be able to do is be able to make optimum shapes relative to what they have to do in their sport and strengthen the connections and that they're able to make better shapes. And that what that does is that develops a more robust athlete. And a healthy athlete” - Vern Gambetta

“I've been doing isometric using isometrics and training since I first started strength training in 1963, and it's never not been part of my programs” - Vern Gambetta

“And then there was a guy, Dr. Pat O'Shea at Oregon State, who wrote a lot about it, where basically you'd set your pins in a rack and you say if your max squat was 400 pounds, you'd put 500 pounds. And you drive it up for maybe four or five inches against the top pin, and then you'd hold it for six counts. And I did that. And, man, the lifts went sky high” - Vern Gambetta

“I do these, I call them spectrum workouts where you go from isometric to fast eccentric to eccentric, fast eccentric. There's concentric work to regular tempo to total ball...

Today’s podcast features speed coach, Cody Bidlow. Cody is a track sprints coach, athlete, and founder of Athlete X and SprintingWorkouts.com. He has been a head track & field coach at Arcadia High School in Phoenix, AZ, and a coach at EliteU working with NFL combine prep athletes. An all-conference sprinter for Grand Canyon University, Cody has been a personal coach for professional MLB athletes, track athletes, and consults for coaches around the world.

To sprint fast takes an immense amount of effort and focus. To sprint one’s fastest in their early 30s takes a deep understanding of the training process and individual factors that account for top performance.

On today’s episode, Cody speaks on speed training in regards to his current sprinting personal bests at age 32, and how he has dialed his training in this recent year. We speak on many aspects of training on the level of intensity, essentialism, workout regulation, resisted sprinting, complex training, and much 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

2:37- Cody’s Recent Training Gains, Along with His New Role as a Father

10:00- Using Strategic Breaks for Enhanced Performance

12:33- High-Intensity Athlete Training for Performance Improvement

19:05- Natural Approach to Sprinting Techniques

23:13- Optimizing Training Intensity on a Busy Schedule

29:53- Maximizing Intensity for Effective Workouts

32:41- Performance Optimization through Autoregulation in Training

41:18- Enhancing Performance Through Auto-Regulation Communication

55:11- Enhancing Sprint Performance Through Resisted Load Variation

1:00:29- Concurrent and Complex Training Paradigms for Sprinting Success

1:05:14- Optimal Training Methods for Narrow vs. Wide ISA Types

Quotes

(26:34) I'd rather walk away from the session knowing that I ended on my best note. I can, you know, ride the dopamine high of seeing that, you know, nice time and having a fun time out at the track and let that be the stimulus for the day rather than, oh, well, the book over here says that I need to do, you know, 350 meters and I only did 240. - Cody Bidlow

(34:10) I would say that my training is very autoregulated, but it's not to the point where I'm looking at, oh, velocity dropped by 2.5%, so that's why I'm going to shut it down, It's more, I can tell within myself that I'm getting to a point where I'm starting to get fatigued from this workout – Cody Bidlow

(38:24) Are you really going to run faster on this next one? Yes. Okay, do it. Are you going to be safe? Are you or are you going to get hurt? No, I'm not going to get hurt. Okay. Yeah, do it. - Cody Bidlow

(44:43) If you just simply ask them, like, how do you feel? They're gonna say good. Bad. You know, they're just gonna say some kind of basic thing because they may not really grasp what I mean by that question. - Cody Bidlow

(45:03) So I would try to ask questions in a way where we're getting a little bit deeper. Like, I'd maybe be specific about how do your hamstrings feel? Do you feel like you're going to be able to run as well on the next one? Or what did you feel on that rep? - Cody Bidlow

(46:32) The athletes who really want to be good, they're always going to say, yes, I'll always take another rep. The athletes who are lazier, they don't care as much, or, you know, whatever their mental mechanism is, they always. It's almost like, yeah, I'm good. Yeah, I'm done. It's not even necessarily that I want to get better.

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,