Just Fly Performance Podcast

Hunter Eisenhower, Associate Head Coach for Sports Performance at Arizona State Men’s Basketball, shares cutting-edge insights on athletic training. He emphasizes the importance of balancing rigidity and compliance in movement for explosive performance. Hunter discusses unique offseason prep methods, the role of blood oxygen monitoring, and how innovative tools can enhance foot training. His approach highlights the need for variability in training, moving beyond traditional strength paradigms to build well-rounded athletes capable of adapting dynamically in sports.

Today’s guest is running and movement coach, Lawrence Van Lingen, a world-renowned movement coach known for helping athletes move better by blending scientific principles, psychology, biomechanics, and intuitive coaching methods. He’s worked with a range of athletes, from Olympians and elite runners, to everyday movers to unlock efficiency, fluidity, and performance. Running and what we would refer to as “functional strength” are closely related. Strength-based movements that train the gait cycle are amongst the most natural and effective versions available. In working the keys that make for better propulsion and effectiveness in locomotion, we can get insight into better strength practices in general. In this episode, Lawrence van Lingen shares how crawling, backward movement, foot training, and resisted walking can strengthen critical elements of the gait cycle. He explores the connection between natural rhythmic movement and running performance, the ways fear can disrupt quality motion, and how play and curiosity drive better movement learning. From syncing strides to music to mobilizing the feet, Lawrence offers a range of practical, creative methods to enhance coordination and speed. Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength. Check out the newest mini-course, Sprint Drills Reloaded on how to maximize sprint drills, their specific strength development, building of major sprint actions, along with better integration of sprint drills into sprinting technique. (https://justflysports.thinkific.com/courses/sprint-drills-reloaded) 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 View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage. (https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-home/) Timestamps 3:30- Barefoot Origins: Impact on Human Movement 9:40- The Impact of Fear on Athletic Performance 20:55- Enhancing Running Performance Through Rhythmic Variation 29:00- Syncing Music Tempo with Physical Movements 37:38- Optimizing Athletic Abilities through Strong Hips 40:08- Enhancing Running Mechanics Through Resisted Walking Exercises 42:19- Enhancing Movement Quality through Central Patterns 45:51- Enhancing Ankle Mechanics Through Foot Mobility 52:35- Enhancing Mobility Through Unique Movement Practices 59:06- Enhancing Muscle Activation and Injury Prevention 1:12:02- Enhancing Running Mechanics Through Foot Mobilization Quotes (12:55) "If you cut a chicken's head off, it still runs around, you know. So those are your central pattern generators…. a lot of running or bipedal movement is just totally ingrained in us and you know, and our heritage from anthropology." - Lawrence van Lingen (14:47) "Trust your movement better...that sort of deep, unshakable trust in your movement patterns that you really want on big occasions, that's what the big athletes have got." - Lawrence van Lingen (19:28) "When I was in South Africa with African runners, these guys, there was no coaching, no drills, and it was very, very organic and it was just amazing. I mean, money can't buy the beauty and, and the elegance and the grace that they moved with." - Lawrence van Lingen (27:37) "You have to relax into competence and let go to express yourself. And when you're forcing and trying too hard, it just doesn't work." - Lawrence van Lingen (32:10) "I like to say curiosity and play and neuroplasticity requires play and curiosity. And you, when you're in a parasympathetic mode, you tend to be curious." - Lawrence van Lingen (42:36) "Solve movement patterns as high upstream as possible because the consequences downstream tend to fall into place." - Lawrence van Lingen (1:17:23) "The line of force production is big toe, VMO, glute, max. And if you've got VMO issues, your first met head's not finding the ground." - Lawrence van Lingen About Lawrence van Lingen Lawrence van Lingen is a globally recognized movement coach known for his unique ability to blend biomechanics, biology, mental states, and intuitive coaching into transformative movement practices. With over two decades of experience working with elite athletes, high performers, and everyday movers, Lawrence helps people move with greater ease, efficiency, and purpose. Drawing on his background in sports science and chiropractic care, Lawrence developed a distinctive approach that focuses on restoring natural movement patterns, improving structural integrity, and enhancing overall body awareness. He is the founder of the Anatomy of Movement series, which breaks down complex concepts into accessible, actionable insights for coaches, therapists, and athletes alike. Lawrence’s work has taken him around the world, collaborating with Olympic teams, professional cyclists, runners, and top-tier fitness organizations. His coaching style is intuitive, precise, and deeply rooted in the belief that how we move reflects how we live.

Today’s guest is Rett Larson, strength coach for the German Women’s Volleyball Team and creator of the "No Zombies" training philosophy. Rett coached Olympic medalists with China and the Netherlands, blending energy, rhythm, and purposeful movement into world-class performance. As sport expands into an increasingly more high-pressure, early specialization event that can easily suck fun and joy away, there grows a need for a "counter-culture" within athletic performance. Not only does a "physical preparation" process for athletes that is joyful and gamified lead to more fun within a training session, but it also develops important athletic qualities, within that umbrella of "fun" that may not be possible in more "traditional" sessions. Rett Larson is spearheading an active, engaging approach to the physical preparation process for athletes with warmups designed for joy, engagement, and a comprehensive stimulation of athletic qualities along the way. On today’s episode, Rett speaks on a variety of engaging tools and gamifications in the warmup process for both thermogenic and neurological preparation. He goes into his take on partner exercises and isometrics, and the process of using a physical challenge to "sneak" strength and skill elements in the program. Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and LILA Wearable Resistance Gear. 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 View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage. (https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-home/) Timestamps 6:12- Enhancing Athlete Performance through Innovative Training 20:06- Rope Flow in the Warmup Process 25:19- Team Bonding through Partner Exercises and Gamification 29:39- Athletic Development through Diverse Warm-Ups 31:24- Engaging Training Games for Athletic Development 38:00- Enhancing Motor Learning Through Novel Activities 48:14- Isometric and "Sneaky Strength" Exercises 54:50- Tennis Balls as a Powerful Warmup Tool 1:05:36- Animal-Inspired Safari Warmup Routine 1:14:35- Dynamic Movement Enhancement with Wearable Resistance Gear Rett Larson Quotes (5:30) "I like this idea of breaking the script of what athletes expect." - Rett Larson (8:59) "Are we not trying to get to a place in team sports, at least where we have vulnerability? Are we not learning that vulnerability and looking like a little bit of an idiot in front of your teammates and, and knowing that everybody gets theirs at some point? And that is, that's, that's also something we should be striving for." - Rett Larson (20:06) "In the thermogenic bucket goes a lot of almost like movement puzzles to steal some Ido Portal: if it's the tennis ball on a string, a stick in their hand." - Rett Larson (21:00) "Similarly, the rope flow stuff fits really nicely in that bucket because it is really challenging to unlock some of these very difficult movements that get your body rotating, certainly get you hot and sweaty, but it also feels like you are leveling up every time you actually conquer it." - Rett Larson (29:45) "The great thing about warmup is you get to be competitive in a, in an extremely low stakes environment; when I'm programming the weight room well, it's not just my twitchy, 23-year-old phenom whose parents both played volleyball that wins every event. There should be enough variety in the weight room that we're getting winners all over the place, that we're manufacturing celebrations from every single person on my team in a given week or a couple of weeks or month." - Rett Larson (31:16) "I'm manufacturing smiles, I'm manufacturing the joy that I think you and I understand can come out of the weight room." - Rett Larson (51:20) "I'm trying to hide grinding strength within either other fun games or, you know, include like having it be a part of the fun as much as possible." - Rett Larson (54:30) "The great thing about tennis balls is that there's, they can be used for all of it is they can be movement puzzles, they can be balance challenges, anything that you need them to be." - Rett Larson (1:00:38) "There's no reason that coaches shouldn't be actually actively trying to find more moments, more memorable things that stick with athletes, that make you a remarkable coach, that not for nothing, like, why not be original?" - Rett Larson (1:13:10) "I don't have five favorite shoulder exercises. I have 50 favorite shoulder exercises. I believe in throwing a bunch of different challenges at the shoulder and making that shoulder adaptable and good at all of them." - Rett Larson About Rett Larson Rett Larson is the strength and performance coach for the German Women’s National Volleyball Team, where he brings his trademark "No Zombies" philosophy—emphasizing purposeful movement, emotional engagement, and dynamic energy to every training session. Before joining Team Germany, Rett spent seven years in China, first as Project Manager for EXOS-China, supporting Olympic teams preparing for the 2012 London Games. He then joined the Chinese National Women’s Volleyball Team, helping guide them to victory at the 2015 World Cup and a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He later served as strength coach for the Netherlands Women’s National Team, contributing to multiple podium finishes. Prior to his international coaching career, Rett spent a decade with Velocity Sports Performance, eventually becoming Director of Coaching at their U.S. headquarters. Known globally for his innovative, rhythm-based warmups and blend of Eastern and Western methods, Rett is also a sought-after speaker and consultant for high-performance teams worldwide.

Today’s podcast guest is Stefan Holm—Olympic gold medalist and one of the most elite high jumpers in history. Standing just 5’11”, he cleared over 140 bars at 2.30m or higher, won the 2004 Athens Olympics, and holds an indoor best of 2.40m (co-owning the “height jumped over head world record). Now a coach for Sweden’s national team, Holm brings deep insight into jumping training and performance at the highest level. On today’s episode, I ask Stefan about his early life as an athlete, and formative sporting experiences, along with the tree of coaching that led to his own training methods. Stefan covers his history with high jump variations, plyometrics, strength training, technique development, and much more on today’s show. As Stefan is now a coach, he also discusses his philosophy based on his time as a world-class competitor. This is not only a great show on training ideas, but also a great opportunity to study one of the best of all time in their given sport discipline. Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and LILA Wearable Resistance Gear. Use the code “LILAJUSTFLY10” for 10% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to Lilateam.com View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage. (https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-home/) Timestamps 4:29- Stefan’s Early Training: Genetics, Childhood Sports, and High Jumping 15:21- Rituals in High Jump Training and Athletic Mastery 26:06- Strength Training and High Jump Performance 40:12- High Jump Training Methods, "Holm Hurdles," and Plyometrics 41:04- Emphasizing the Feeling of Flying in High Jump 52:36- Approach Dynamics in High Jump 1:01:17- Strength Training and Range of Motion Concepts 1:03:32- Gradual Plyometric Progression for High Jumpers Stefan Holm Quotes (2:50) "My dream was to be a professional soccer player." - Stefan Holm (3:00) "We played tennis, we played ice hockey, we tried track and field, we played football. Of course, we just played outside, trying to do everything." - Stefan Holm (6:50) "I think you can handle a lot, all of you, but I think you have to build it up year by year. I mean, doing these sort of plyometrics that I did at the age of 28, 30, I didn't start there." - Stefan Holm (9:23) "I started jumping for fun together with my best friend in his backyard when we were like six or seven years old. And we had to do the scissor kick because we had didn't have a mat to land on. We had to land on our feet." - Stefan Holm (24:45) "But then I starting lifting in the fall of 1995 when I was 19, one and a half years later, I jumped 230 for the first time. So I think that I, when I get used to it, the first six, seven months, that was rough because I, I got muscles that I couldn't control. I got so much stronger and slower and just felt heavy and everything. But after, I mean, six, seven, eight months, but I could get control of everything then. I really think that it, it helped me to jump higher and also to get stable on higher heights. I could do them more often." - Stefan Holm (27:01) "If I really, really, really wanted to jump a certain height, I jumped until I cleared it. For good and for bad." - Stefan Holm (37:20) "Whatever everybody sees is these viral clips, me jumping over like 170 hurdles or 150 hurdles or whatever there are. But I mean I. I started off on the usual lower hurdles. That's 107 their tops. And I was doing plenty of jumps as a kid and as a youth jumper as a junior. I didn't buy these high hurdles until I was 24." - Stefan Holm (41:10) "I had a session when I was jumping over hurdles, different kind of exercises, around 200 jumps in a session. I also did some, some bounding 60 meters. 24 times 16, 24 12. Left, right, left, right, left, right. And yeah, and then six times on your left leg, six times on your right leg. That was a very, very fun morning actually." - Stefan Holm (57:00) "Quiz games is actually my second best sport. But besides that, I would say long jump." - Stefan Holm (1:01:17) "For me I think the deep squat was a very good exercise. I could handle it technically I could do it well strength wise as well. So I think it was a very, very good for, for building up a good sort of ground strength to work from in the other exercises. So I did, during my ground training part of the year, I did 6x6 deep squats. I did 6 by 6 half squats as well, 5 by 5 when it came to snatch and cleats and stuff like that." - Stefan Holm (1:04:21) "It's all about reversing the speed to a vertical, vertical speed. I mean that's all what it comes down to in the end." - Stefan Holm (1:07:20) "Trying out new things all the time, I'm definitely the wrong coach for you because I'm going to give you like four weightlifting exercises, I'm going to give you five plyometrics and that's it. And then we're going to do this over and over and over again." - Stefan Holm Show Notes Dragan Tancic: West German High Jump Training https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIc4nfGeVu8&t=2029s About Stefan Holm Stefan Holm is one of the most accomplished high jumpers in history. Known for his exceptional consistency and textbook form, Holm rose to prominence in the early 2000s, dominating indoor and outdoor competitions with a career marked by over 140 clearances of 2.30 meters or higher. Despite standing at just 1.81 meters (5'11"), Holm consistently outjumped taller competitors through elite reactive ability and technical execution. He won the 2004 Athens Olympics, gold medal with a jump of 2.36 meters. Holm also captured four World Indoor Championship titles (2001, 2003, 2004, and 2008), and his indoor personal best of 2.40 meters remains one of the best in history. He is the co-owner of the “height jumped over head” record of 59cm alongside Franklin Jacobs. After retiring from competition in 2008, Holm transitioned into coaching and athletics leadership. He has served as a high jump coach for the Swedish national team, mentoring athletes such as Sofie Skoog, who reached the Olympic final in 2016. In addition to coaching, Holm has been involved in sports commentary and athletics administration in Sweden, and has also appeared on Sweden’s “Celebrity Jeopardy”. Holm’s career stands as a testament to the power of consistency, technical mastery, and mental discipline in elite sport.

Ty Terrell, Director of Strength and Conditioning for Oklahoma Men’s Basketball, shares insights from his extensive experience with NBA teams. He emphasizes the significance of optimizing unloading and reversal phases in athletic movements, often overlooked in training. Ty discusses innovative techniques like unweighting and oscillatory isometrics to enhance performance and biomechanics. He also reflects on the evolution of strength training, the balance between movement quality and output, and the importance of personalized training methods for athlete longevity.

In this discussion, Tony Holler, a veteran high school track coach known for his innovative 'Feed the Cats' philosophy, shares insights from over 40 years in coaching. He highlights his dynamic X-Factor training workouts designed to enhance speed and explosiveness while incorporating varied plyometric and isometric exercises. Holler discusses gamifying training to boost athlete engagement, the effectiveness of wicket variations for sprinting, and how his coaching approach combines discipline with creativity for optimal performance.

Mike Robertson, co-owner of IFAST and host of the Physical Preparation Podcast, dives into the balance of braking and propulsion vital for athletic performance. With over 20 years of coaching experience, he shares insights on optimizing movement patterns, particularly for off-season athletes. The discussion covers the evolution of training philosophies, blending strength with functional mobility, and practical strategies for enhancing recovery. Mike also reflects on the joy of coaching youth sports and the lessons learned from nurturing young talent.

Today's podcast features Matt Aldred. Matt is the head strength and conditioning coach for basketball at the University of Michigan. He has international expertise and a diverse background in sports he has worked with through his previous stops in NCAA strength and conditioning. In addition to his strength and conditioning experience, he is certified in fascial abrasion technique and Frederick stretch therapy, in addition to a sports massage background. Matt has also co-authored the Fascial Mechanics for Sport course alongside Danny Foley. In building a performance program, it must ultimately be centered around the needs of the athlete. Athletes need to be as ready as possible on game day. Some athletes need more mass and physical strength. Others need more conditioning and body composition management. Others need more fluid and adaptive movement capabilities. Many athletes enjoy and benefit from providing their input into the program. These facets of performance make athletic development more dynamic than just “get them strong and I did my job”. On today’s podcast, Matt talks about many aspects of building an athlete-centered program, highlighting training the spectrum of muscular strength and tissue quality, over to dynamic, high-velocity training with a priority on athletic qualities. He also speaks on training variability (such as “every rep different”), multi-planar training, basketball game demands, athlete autonomy, wearable resistance training, and much more. This show puts many pieces into place of a comprehensive approach to athletic development, encompassing so many facets of improvement in the field. Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s GymStudio. For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com Use the code “LILAJUSTFLY10” for 10% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to: Lilateam.com View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage. (https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-home/) Main Points 3:41- Functional Training for Athletic Performance Enhancement 7:34- Peak Performance Training for Athletes 12:49- Position-Based Athletic Programming for Optimal Performance 18:14- Enhancing Athletic Performance Through Varied Training 22:39- Position-Specific Basketball Training Programs 25:04- Game-Specific Training for Peak Performance 27:25- Dynamic Training Approaches for Athletic Performance 37:11- Strategic Micro-Dosing for Athlete Performance Optimization 46:00- Sticking to Basic Exercises for Effective Training 47:46- Enhancing Athletes' Adaptability Through Varied Workouts 49:33- Tailored Training Zones for Athletes in Weight Room 51:13- Optimizing Player Performance Through Varied Training 55:28- Amorpho Gear Enhancing Basketball Performance Sessions 1:08:25- Functional Movement Training with Light Weights 1:14:54- Functional Movement Training for Athletic Performance Quotes (00:07:34) "The game is so intense and it's so movement-based. We have to replicate that in the weight room. We can't just be weight and warriors because we've all had that athlete that's super strong and looks amazing. And I'm looking at the opposition team in a warm up going, who is that!? And then they don't play." - Matt Aldred (00:13:50) "The longer I've done this, the more I really lean into an athlete's intuition." - Matt Aldred (00:20:40) "There are certain exercises like a chin-up we're probably going to want to go full range of motion. I want you to hold at the top with Tempo down. But if we're doing a horizontal row, man, I can be elbow wide. I can be really quick reps. I can hold at the top. I can do a split stance with an anchor on a Kaiser pull-down. We can make that horizontal roll whatever we want to do." - Matt Aldred (00:24:29) "I don't think that we put the athlete in the box like no man, like whatever you are, I'll program towards that." - Matt Aldred (00:31:40) "I don't need you to turn into a cross country athlete because essentially if we don't lift and you just practice, you're going to get skinny and weak. You need to do the higher load stuff." - Matt Aldred (00:37:01) "Just keep them healthy, put them in the best situation you can, and then let them go. Let them just express themselves on the court." - Matt Aldred (00:46:00) "Simple does work when the season is chaotic." - Matt Aldred (00:59:27) "Especially if it's a lot. If it's a shooting workout, probably less so. If it's a, if it's a skill workout on the court. Dude, put that (wearable resistance) on. Yeah, that's that to me it's a no-brainer." - Matt Aldred (01:12:55) "For every rep different. No, it's about how they look doing it, how they feel. Can they be quicker doing it? Yes, perfect. Like and because that's a fine motor skill that's a fine motor skill trap bar deadlift is fine motor skill. Like don't merge the two would be my advice." - Matt Aldred About Matt Aldred ​Matt Aldred is the head strength and conditioning coach for basketball at the University of Michigan. Originally from the United Kingdom, he brings international expertise and a diverse background in competitive sports, including a playing career in soccer (football). Before joining Michigan, Matt held strength and conditioning roles across multiple NCAA programs, working with a variety of sports. He is certified in Fascial Abrasion Technique (FIT Institute) and Frederick Stretch Therapy Level I, with a foundation in sports massage. Matt is also the co-author of the Fascial Mechanics for Sport course, developed in collaboration with performance coach Danny Foley.

In a captivating discussion, Bob Thurnhoffer, the Assistant Track & Field Coach at the University of Louisville, shares his wealth of knowledge accumulated over nearly two decades of coaching. He reveals innovative training methods for speed and power, including plyometric concepts and the significance of general strength. Bob recounts his creative adaptations during resource limitations and emphasizes individualized approaches for young athletes. This insightful conversation sheds light on the evolution of strength training while exploring the balance between intensity and recovery.

Austin Einhorn, a renowned movement specialist and founder of APIros Performance, dives into innovative athlete training and injury prevention techniques. He discusses crucial topics such as hip extension and its muscle complexities, optimizing shoulder mechanics for performance, and the importance of variability in strength training. Austin highlights the significance of clear mental focus in athletic training and challenges conventional approaches, advocating for unique movement patterns and coordination strategies that build resilient athletes capable of high performance.