In this episode of The Speed Lab Podcast, host Les Spellman sits down with Matt Hank to challenge conventional speed training.

They dive deep into acceleration and max velocity mechanics, why most coaching cues get lost in translation, and how elite speed is actually developed. 

The Universal Speed Rating is looking to work with more elite training businesses through our Speed Lab partnership. If you are interested in systemizing your speed training and growing your business, click the link below to schedule a intro call with our team. 

https://universalspeedrating.com/learn-more-partner-with-universal-speed-rating-speed-lab-podcast

00:00 – Matt’s background & entry into speed training

03:50 – Why respectful disagreement moves the industry forward

05:00 – Building athletes from the ground up

08:50 – USR milestone & why testing matters

09:32 – Horizontal force vs coaching language

14:00 – Organizing acceleration in a weekly plan

19:00 – Key components of an acceleration model

21:00 – Assessing athletes & teaching coaches what to see

25:15 – Principles of max velocity

27:00 – Do sprint drills actually matter?

32:40 – Strength, coordination, and late swing mechanics

36:50 – Forward foot speed explained

38:09 – Why flexion-based drills fall short

42:17 – Why getting better at drills ≠ getting faster

44:18 – What “works” vs what actually improves speed

48:00 – Extension, reflexive movement, and elite sprint models

52:20 – Reactive vs non-reactive athletes

55:00 – Physical qualities vs coaching cues

58:00 – Advice for athletes right now

59:00 – Individual differences in sprinting

01:01:00 – Closing thoughts on open dialogue & growth

In this episode, Les Spellman sits down with Scott Salwasser, Head NFL Combine Coach at EXOS, to break down what goes into preparing elite athletes for the NFL Combine.

From managing 50+ athletes at once, to profiling speed safely, to using force plates, and the 1080 Sprint to drive real performance.

Scott walks through EXOS’s intake process, how data impacts programming and how low-volume, high-intensity speed work wins in the long run. 

The Universal Speed Rating is seeking to partner with more elite training businesses nationwide through our Speed Lab initiative. If you are interested in systemizing your speed training and growing your business, click the link below to schedule a call with our team. 

https://universalspeedrating.com/learn-more-partner-with-universal-speed-rating-speed-lab-podcast

Episode Timestamps

00:00 – 02:30: Reconnecting, Sparta roots, and why the old-school stuff still matters

02:30 – 05:30: Scott’s path to EXOS and stepping into a leadership role

05:30 – 08:30: How EXOS manages 50+ combine athletes without chaos

08:30 – 12:15: Weekly speed structure: acceleration, max velocity, resisted sprinting

12:15 – 16:45: Intake process: PT evals, force plates, LVP testing, and profiling safely

16:45 – 20:30: How data actually changes training (and when it should)

20:30 – 24:30: Force plate insights, asymmetries, RSI, and individualizing plyos

24:30 – 28:30: Strength profiling, OPR, and why some athletes need to train fast — and others heavy

28:30 – 31:00: Kaiser squats, barbell work, and combine-specific realities

31:00 – End: 225 bench pacing, combine lessons learned, and coaching takeaways

In this different type of episode, Les shares the messy, unpolished origin story: from building the first “Speed Lab” in a school closet, to testing elite athletes before the system even existed, to struggling financially while trying to scale something no one had ever built before. He breaks down how analytics, education, business systems, and community became the pillars that carried the company past 200 Speed Labs worldwide.

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Speed Lab, schedule a time with our team at the link below. 

https://universalspeedrating.com/learn-more-partner-with-universal-speed-rating-speed-lab-podcast

Episode Timestamps

00:00 – 01:02: Why this episode is personal + hitting 200 Speed Labs

01:02 – 03:40: How COVID, fatherhood, and a school basement led to the first Speed Lab

03:40 – 07:15: The first athletes tested & discovering what a “Speed Lab” really was

07:15 – 12:10: Standardizing speed, early testing chaos, and building the MPH database

12:10 – 17:17: Building software, courses, systems — and why community became the backbone

17:17 – 20:35: Burnout, overexposure, money struggles, and NFL players stepping up to invest

20:35 – 24:57: Finding his role, rediscovering the excitement, and blending family + business life

24:57 – 27:28: Lessons learned: Start before you’re ready & simplify everything you build

In this episode, Les Spellman sits down with Kyle Bolton, Oregon Football Director of Speed & Performance, to break down how a top program actually builds, measures, and keeps speed all year long. They get into Oregon’s offseason blueprint, GPS and testing, how they balance Big Ten size with real game speed, and what NIL + the transfer portal mean for today’s strength/speed coaches. Kyle also shares what separates college speed work from combine prep and what athletes should be doing now if they want a shot at the league later.

The Universal Speed Rating is looking to partner with more elite training businesses around the country with their Speed Lab partnership. If you are interested in systemizing your speed training and growing your business, click here to schedule a call with our team. 

Episode Timestamps

• 00:00 – Intro & Kyle’s path to Oregon
• 02:30 – Building Oregon’s offseason speed plan
• 07:15 – Testing, GPS, and making data actually useful
• 12:00 – Getting bigger for the Big Ten without losing speed
• 21:30 – In-season speed, “go” drills, and game-speed standards
• 35:15 – Fastest dudes on the team & what they’re hitting
• 42:25 – NIL, coaching future, and where the job is headed
• 55:25 – Combine prep vs college speed & advice to athletes

In this episode, Les Spellman sits down with legendary quarterback developer Jordan Palmer for a deep dive into what it really takes to build elite quarterbacks. Jordan has trained some of the NFL's biggest names - Josh Allen, Sam Darnold, Joe Burrow - and in this episode, he pulls back the curtain on his evaluation process, the mental and physical traits that separate good from great, and why quarterback development is about movement first, mechanics second.

Jordan shares never-before-told stories about Josh Allen's breakthrough during the COVID offseason, what Sam Darnold learned from watching Brock Purdy in San Francisco, and why the quarterback coaching industry is 20 years behind golf. 

Episode Timestamps

0:00 – Intro: How Jordan would develop Les into a quarterback

3:21 – The mental and emotional filter: What Jordan looks for before anything physical

7:41 – How Jordan assesses learning ability and football IQ

9:39 – Breaking down film evaluation: Anticipation, accuracy, and spatial awareness

13:43 – The Josh Allen question: What changed year over year?

19:41 – Sam Darnold's secret weapon: Resilience and routine

20:00 – Quarterbacks who've been "counted out" and came back (Baker, Geno, Sam)

22:24 – Why Sam's year in San Francisco was more valuable than anyone realizes

26:24 – The LPGA swing coach revelation: "Is everyone doing this wrong?"

29:22 – The philosophy: Quarterback is about movement, not just mechanics

39:57 – Physical development before technique: The missing piece in youth QB training

43:11 – The nutrition gap: Parents invest in training but miss the fundamentals

53:28 – How youth sports schedules have changed—and why delivery systems must adapt

57:38 – Changing the conversation at the kitchen table

58:55 – The lowest hanging fruit for elite performance: Nutrition and sleep

1:02:12 – Where to find Jordan Palmer and QB Summit services

In this episode, Les and Danny sit down with Brian Buck to dive deep into force plate profiling, injury risk patterns, amortization mechanics, and how elite athletes can monitor and improve movement efficiency across the stretch-shortening cycle.

Brian breaks down practical training application, in-season vs off-season decision-making, and how technology, bloodwork, movement data, and performance therapy all fit together to support long-term athlete durability.

The Universal Speed Rating is looking to partner with more elite training businesses around the country. If you are interested in systemizing your speed training and growing your business, click here to schedule a call with our team. 

In this episode, Les and Danny are joined by Ken Vick, owner of Velocity Sports Performance, to break down the balance between precision and health in athlete development. They explore how overload, youth specialization, and modern training models impact injury trends across sports. From youth stress fractures to the NBA’s rising injury rates, they dive into how coaches can build capacity without breaking athletes down.

The Universal Speed Rating is looking for more sports performance businesses to partner with to systemize your speed training and help grow your business. If you are interested in learning more, click here to schedule an introduction call with our team. 

Episode Timestamps

• 00:00–02:00 – Intro and overview
• 09:00 – Balance vs. Precision in performance and health
• 14:00 – Chronic injuries in youth athletes
• 18:00 – Can we “out-train” bad workload strategies?
• 20:00 – Injury spikes in NBA, MLB, and youth sports
• 22:00 – Early specialization and long-term effects
• 26:00 – Training frameworks and proactive approaches
• 56:00 – Data-driven decision making for coaches
• 1:11:30 – Correcting the NBA injury stat & closing thoughts

Hunter Eisenhower, Associate Head Coach, Sports Performance, for Arizona State men's basketball, breaks down his "Force System" training methodology and introduces his Archetype Quadrants. 

See how Hunter challenges traditional strength training by focusing on four pillars: High Force (deceleration), Fast Force (speed/elasticity), Slow Force (tendon health), and Human Force (fundamental movement). Learn practical strategies for profiling athletes and designing programs that optimize performance—with or without force plates.

Interested in learning more about the Universal Speed Rating? Click here to schedule a short call with our team.

Episode Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction & Hunter's background

01:06 - Creating the Four System

02:15 - Fast Force: Speed & elasticity

02:42 - Slow Force: Tissue health & injury prevention

03:14 - Human Force: Fundamental movement patterns

03:38 - Archetype Quadrants explained

05:24 - Four System exercise examples

1:10:20 - Case study: Patellar tendinopathy

1:12:33 - Building normative data

1:13:21 - Simplifying force plate metrics

1:13:59 - The simplicity principle in coaching

1:15:14 - Practitioners adopting the system

1:16:40 - Closing thoughts & future episodes

In this episode of The Speed Lab Podcast, Les and Cici dive deep into what it really takes to make an NFL 53-man roster — from the grind of training camp to the politics behind roster cuts. They discuss how performance, personality, and availability often outweigh raw talent, and share firsthand stories from elite athletes like T-Mac and others who’ve fought their way through the system.

The conversation expands into profiling athletes, tendon efficiency, data tracking, and how different physical and mental traits shape player development from high school to the pros. 

Interested in learning more about the Universal Speed Rating? Click here to schedule a quick call with our team.

Episode Timestamps

00:00 – 05:30 • Opening banter & introduction

05:30 – 10:30 • The brutal reality of making a 53-man NFL roster

10:30 – 15:30 • What rookies face between college and the draft

15:30 – 20:30 • Balancing health, opportunity, and the grind

20:30 – 25:00 • Inside T-Mac’s training structure and workload

25:00 – 30:00 • Force profiling, tendon efficiency, and athletic resilience

30:00 – 35:00 • Speed mechanics, reactive strength, and acceleration profiles

35:00 – 40:00 • Eccentric strength, propulsion, and elite-receiver analysis

40:00 – 45:00 • Collaboration between coaches, data, and athlete management

45:00 – 50:00 • Leadership, confidence, and women in sports performance

50:00 – 55:00 • GPS tech, game-speed tracking, and practice data

55:00 – 01:00:00 • Coaching creativity from NFL pros to high school athletes

01:00:00 – 01:04:30 • Work-life balance, family priorities, and future goals

In this episode of The Speed Lab Podcast, Les and Danny dive into the rising problem of youth sports injuries, the balance between health and performance, and why early specialization is hurting athletes more than helping them. They break down how the NFL Combine creates short-term athletes instead of long-term pros, the responsibility shared by coaches, parents, and agents, and why true longevity comes from smarter planning, recovery, and communication. 

Interested in learning more about the Universal Speed Rating? Click here to schedule a quick call with our team.

Timestamps

• 00:00 – 02:22 – Opening banter and setting the stage
• 02:22 – 06:12 – Rise in youth injuries since 2000; early specialization issues
• 06:12 – 10:10 – Balancing performance vs. health; smarter stress management
• 12:01 – 13:32 – S&C’s growth and risks of over-relying on data
• 15:31 – 17:18 – NFL Combine critique; Dr. Marcus Elliott insights
• 23:03 – 25:56 – Longevity and dynamic athlete profiles
• 35:37 – 41:27 – ACLs, UCLs, and stress fractures in youth sports
• 46:52 – 49:52 – Advice for parents: breaks, oversight, and avoiding early specialization
• 53:26 – 57:44 – NFL rookies’ transition struggles and workload spikes
• 60:15 – 63:16 – Coaching accountability and communication
• 67:02 – 70:42 – NFL as a starting point, not the end; athlete ownership
• 73:28 – 76:03 – Evolution of strength coaches and embracing variability
• 76:21 – End – “Strong enough is strong enough”; closing thoughts