Just Fly Performance Podcast

Kevin Mulcahy, a seasoned sports and strength coach, dives into the intricate world of game speed development. He emphasizes the importance of integrating speed training with tactical understanding rather than just improving basic athletic metrics. Kevin explores unique play-based training methods that enhance agility and competitiveness in athletes, particularly in team sports like Gaelic football. He also discusses the mental aspects of training, community engagement in coaching, and innovative practices shaping modern athletic performance.

Jake Tuura, a performance coach and tendon specialist, shares his expertise on the evolving science of tendons and athletic performance. He discusses how tendon properties like stiffness and compliance affect vertical jumping and age-related changes. Delving into the importance of training techniques, he highlights the impact of isometrics and plyometrics on tendon adaptation. Jake also compares human tendon mechanics to animals, emphasizing natural movement’s role in tendon health and the connection between aerobic fitness and tendon rehabilitation.

In a captivating conversation with Scott Salwasser, a sports performance specialist at EXOS, the focus is on the evolution of speed and movement assessments in athletic training. Scott shares insights into balancing advanced technology with practical coaching techniques. He emphasizes the significance of foundational strength in speed development and discusses the transformative impact of understanding an athlete's purpose. Additionally, he highlights the importance of early movement patterns and personalized training for optimizing performance and injury prevention.

Eamonn Flanagan, Lead Strength & Conditioning Consultant at the Sport Ireland Institute and expert in plyometrics, dives into the nuances of jump training. He discusses how different surfaces affect performance, the role of the Reactive Strength Index in assessments, and the importance of tailored training regimens. Flanagan also highlights the significance of foundational movement patterns, innovative warm-up techniques, and the balance between intensity and technique in optimizing athletic development. A treasure trove of insights for coaches and athletes alike!

Cal Dietz, co-author of Triphasic Training and strength coach at the University of Minnesota, teams up with Mike T Nelson, an expert in exercise physiology and neurological training. They delve into optimizing athletic performance through revolutionary training concepts, including the origins of the GOAT drill and the importance of oscillatory reps. The duo discusses integrating sensory input in training, engaging cognitive challenges, and the relationship between fearlessness and performance. Their insights on coordination, heart rate variability, and creating a holistic training system offer invaluable strategies for athletes.

Today’s podcast is a Q&A episode with Joel Smith. Topics include the role of roughhousing games for individual sport athletes, sandbag training, and rhythm-cadence in movement. Joel explores youth sports trends, breaking jump plateaus, and the benefits of flywheel loading. He also covers infrasternal angle training, rotating speed and plyometric days, and integrating team play with weekly speed work. This, plus, a discussion on the value of band resistance in sports training rounds out this comprehensive conversation on optimizing athletic performance. Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio. 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 For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage. Main Points 00:14- Roughhousing games for non-team sport athletes 08:42- Training Changes Over the Year 33:23- Observations on Youth Sports 36:44- The Role of Fun in Training 40:37- Jump Imbalances and Breaking Jump Plateaus 44:53- Flywheel Loading 46:37- Infrasternal Angle Concepts and Training over Time 53:36- Sprint and Jump Training Programming 59:14- Utilizing Exergeny in Training 1:00:43- Games as Speed Training 1:05:37- Basketball vs. Plyometrics 1:08:24- Band Resistance in Sport Training About Joel Smith Joel Smith is the founder of Just Fly Sports and is a sports performance and track coach in Cincinnati, Ohio. Joel hosts the Just Fly Performance Podcast and has authored several books and coaches in both the high school and private sectors. Joel was a strength coach for 8 years at UC Berkeley, working with the Swim teams and post-graduate professional swimmers, as well as tennis, water polo, and track and field. A track coach of 17 years, Joel coached for the Diablo Valley Track and Field Club for 7 years and also has 6 years of experience coaching on the collegiate level, working at Wilmington College, and the University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse. He is currently coaching high jump at Milford High School. Joel has coached 4 national champions, multiple All-Americans, and NCAA record holders in track and field. In the realm of strength and conditioning, his programs have assisted 5 athletes to Olympic berths that produced 9 medals and a world record performance at Rio in 2016.

Bill Hartman, a forward-thinking physical therapist and educator, teams up with Chris Wicus, a seasoned health and performance coach with martial arts expertise. Together, they delve into intriguing topics like the biomechanics of athletic propulsion, focusing on cutting mechanics that impact speed and agility. They explore the energy dynamics involved in sprinting and jumping, highlighting how these principles enhance performance and prevent injuries. Their insights on training cycles and movement mechanics offer valuable strategies for athletes at all levels.

David Grey, founder of David Grey Rehab, specializes in gait cycle assessment and rehabilitation. He discusses effective foot training, emphasizing practical exercises that aid rehabilitation without extreme movements. David also shares insights on overcoming isometric adaptations and the significance of loading intensity. He highlights the vital link between training intensity and recovery, particularly for injuries like tendinopathy, while emphasizing personalized strategies that boost athletic performance. His expansive thinking blends rehabilitation with athletic development seamlessly.

Katie St. Clair, a seasoned strength coach and founder of Empowered Performance, dives into the intricate connections between feet and hips in movement. She discusses the role of connective tissue in optimizing performance and highlights the importance of integrating dynamic training and playful exploration. With insights on athletic movements like pickleball, Katie emphasizes creative, individualized approaches to fitness. Additionally, she explores foot mechanics and their influence on glute activation, advocating for a balance between muscle training and movement efficiency.

Today’s podcast features Eric Guthrie, Director of Strength and Conditioning at George Washington University. Eric has over a decade of experience in sports performance, working with a wide range of sports. He currently works directly with lacrosse and gymnastics. A graduate of the University of Iowa with a degree in Health & Human Physiology, Eric was a standout punter for the Hawkeyes, where he served as a permanent team captain and even earned an opportunity with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Play-based training is on the rise in athletic development, and for good reason. It is a primal and effective way to deliver, not only a high level of stimulation and salience (attention) to the session but also to create memorable and joyful experiences for the individual. The key with any tool is to understand how to use it in context, achieving a balanced and effective use. On today’s episode, Eric digs into his keys in building movement challenges for athletes, using play for conditioning and movement qualities, and facilitating a program that continually scales into an athlete’s growing needs. He goes in-depth on how he chooses the degree of play and variability in a program, and how to build training with all parties in mind, sport coach, strength coach, and athlete. We also dig into some awesome mind, body, and environmental factors in training, conditioning, and performance. This was a practical and insightful podcast on one of the most powerful existing tools in athletic performance, the power of play. Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio and Athletic Development Games. 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 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 5:26- Athlete-led Movement Challenges for Engaging Training 13:16- Enhancing Athlete Engagement Through Play-Based Training 17:39- Novelty-Driven Movement Engagement for Athletes 23:07- Enhancing Athletes' Performance Through Movement Competency 30:33- Athlete-Led Movement Challenges Enhance Training Experience 34:24- Enhancing Athlete Development Through Playful Training 37:39- Enhancing Team Cohesion with Contact Integration 40:55- Agile Conditioning through Game-Based Fitness 49:13- Fun Fitness Games Enhancing Athletic Performance 1:04:13- Motivation Through Competitive Status Systems in Training 1:09:29- Confidence Building through Weight Room Progression Quotes (14:40) “That's the sneaky part of it. How can you fit that in without them really realizing it? They're probably expecting a certain thing when they come in. We're gonna lift weights, we're gonna run. Toes on the line, this certain level of discipline. Quote, unquote discipline, which I think is sometimes overdone, but sometimes you need to have that starting out. And then can you build towards the more open and free” (17:32) "If you love it, then you'll want to come. You'll become obsessed with it and you'll come back and you'll give great effort and then the results will follow." (36:33) "We've had those discussions as a staff too. It's like what? What is our role? Is it this one to five years of performance drive that as high as you can or is it like lifelong lessons or skills." (39:20) “Wheelbarrow walk. You're getting way better than just holding a plank for two minutes. Getting the engagement and dynamic, you know, repetition without repetition” (44:00) “(For a more play-based conditioning approach) We had a more veteran team so I think they had a bigger base of play, sport practice, and sport play under them. So a younger team might need more of that base building for lack of a better term. I think so it's kind of again knowing your context, your team, and where they want to go (48:10) “In the weight room. I like dosing in that repetition without repetition or variability. Especially for the athletes that are, you know, quote-unquote, strong enough that can benefit, have enough experience” About Eric Guthrie Eric Guthrie is the director of strength and conditioning at George Washington University. He works directly with Gymnastics and Lacrosse and has been at George Washington since 2021. Guthrie came to GW from the University of Illinois at Chicago where he worked as an Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach since 2013.A graduate of the University of Iowa with a degree in Health & Human Physiology, Guthrie was a punter for the Hawkeyes from 2007-2011, finishing as permanent team captain and earning an opportunity with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the preseason of 2012. Guthrie holds NSCA and CSCCA certifications.