Process First: Art, Adaptation, and Athlete Ownership

Today’s guest is Paul Cater. Paul is a veteran strength and conditioning coach with over 25 years of experience spanning professional baseball, collegiate athletics, and high-performance team environments. Paul is known for blending traditional strength training with rhythm, timing, gravity, and a deeply relational, art-driven approach to coaching. His work challenges purely formulaic or data-driven models and puts the live training session back at the center of athlete development. In an era where training is increasingly automated, optimized, and reduced to dashboards and numbers, it’s easy to lose the human element that actually drives performance. This conversation explores how rhythm, feel, load, and coaching presence shape not just outputs, but adaptability, resilience, and long-term athletic growth. If you’ve ever felt that “something is missing” in modern training environments, this episode speaks directly to that gap. In this episode, Paul and I explore training as a live performance rather than a static program. We discuss using early isometric and axial loading as a readiness anchor, how downbeat rhythm and eccentric timing drive better outputs, and why chasing numbers too aggressively can undermine real performance. We dive into music, movement, art, and coaching intuition, and how creating alive, rhythmic sessions builds stronger athletes, and better coaches, without relying solely on rigid protocols or excessive monitoring. Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and Lila Exogen. Use the code “justfly20” for 20% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to Lilateam.com Use code “justfly10” for 10% off the Vert Trainer View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage. (https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-home/) Timestamps 0:00 – Mountain Training Inspirations 6:00 – The Role of Community in Training 12:15 – Performance and the Observer Effect 23:27 – Shifting Training Protocols 32:32 – Balancing Data and Intuition 42:14 – Efficacy of Isometric Training 47:23 – Five-Minute Wonders 53:28 – The Art of Adaptation 57:44 – Embracing the Subconscious 1:28:06 – A Playlist for Performance Actionable Takeaways 0:07 – Mountain training inspirations Training in demanding natural environments reshapes how you view effort, pacing, and resilience. Use uneven terrain and elevation to naturally regulate intensity instead of forcing outputs. Let the environment create variability rather than programming it artificially. Periodically remove mirrors, clocks, and screens to reconnect athletes with internal feedback. 6:00 – The role of community in training Training outcomes improve when athletes feel socially anchored. Design sessions where athletes work together rather than in isolation. Use shared challenges to build collective buy-in and accountability. View community as a performance multiplier, not a soft add-on. 12:15 – Performance and the observer effect Athletes change behavior when they know they are being measured. Use testing sparingly to avoid distorting natural movement. Train without constant feedback to preserve authentic effort. Recognize when measurement helps clarity and when it creates tension. 23:27 – Shifting training protocols Protocols should evolve with the athlete, not remain fixed. Regularly reassess whether a method still serves the athlete’s needs. Avoid loyalty to systems that no longer produce adaptation. Let context, stress, and readiness guide training decisions. 32:32 – Balancing data and intuition Numbers inform decisions, but intuition completes them. Use data as a reference point, not the final authority. Trust experienced pattern recognition when data feels incomplete. Teach younger coaches how to observe, not just measure. 42:14 – Efficacy of isometric training Isometrics offer clarity, control, and nervous system regulation. Use isometrics to teach position awareness and intent. Apply them during deloads or recovery periods. Emphasize quality of tension rather than maximal force. 47:23 – Five-minute wonders Short, focused training can still drive adaptation. Use brief sessions to maintain rhythm during busy schedules. Prioritize intent and execution over duration. Stack small doses consistently rather than chasing long sessions. 53:28 – The art of adaptation Adaptation is individual, nonlinear, and context dependent. Avoid expecting identical outcomes from identical programs. Adjust based on response, not expectation. Respect that progress can look quiet before it looks obvious. 57:44 – Embracing the subconscious Much of performance operates below conscious control. Reduce over-cueing to allow automatic movement to emerge. Trust repetition and environment to shape behavior. Coach less, observe more. 1:28:06 – A playlist for performance Music influences emotional and physical rhythm. Use music intentionally to shape session tone. Match tempo to desired movement qualities. Allow athletes some ownership over the training atmosphere. Quotes from Paul Cater “Training is as much about remembering what we are as it is about building what we want to become.” “The moment measurement changes behavior, you have to question what you are actually training.” “Community is not separate from performance. It is performance.” “Coaching is an art because people are not repeatable systems.” “Isometrics give you honesty. There’s nowhere to hide.” “Data can guide you, but it cannot feel the athlete.” “Adaptation does not care about your program, only your response.” “Sometimes the best thing you can do as a coach is stop talking.” About Paul Cater Paul Cater is a veteran strength and conditioning coach with over 25 years of experience working across professional baseball, collegiate athletics, tactical populations, and high-performance team sport environments. He has served in leadership and performance roles with organizations including Major League Baseball, NCAA programs, and private high-performance facilities, and is known for his ability to blend high-intensity strength training with rhythm, coordination, and ecological skill development. Paul’s coaching philosophy emphasizes gravity, timing, and rhythm as foundational drivers of athletic performance. Rather than relying solely on rigid programming or isolated testing, his sessions are built around early exposure to meaningful load, isometric and inertial work, and rhythmic constraints that reveal readiness, alignment, and intent in real time. His work integrates elements of sprint mechanics, change of direction, elastic strength, and movement artistry to create training environments that are both physically effective and psychologically engaging. Currently working in a collegiate performance setting, Paul is deeply interested in coaching as a live, relational craft; treating each session as a performance that develops not just outputs, but awareness, adaptability, and ownership in athletes. His approach bridges traditional strength training with concepts from sport, art, music, and survival movement, offering a perspective that challenges purely automated or data-driven models of performance.