477: Boo Schexnayder on General Strength and the Art of Comprehensive Athletic Development

Today’s guest is Boo Schexnayder. Irving “Boo” Schexnayder is a world-class coach and consultant with over 44 years of experience in track and field. Renowned for producing 26 NCAA Champions and 8 Olympic/World Championship medalists, he co-founded Schexnayder Athletic Consulting and founded the Track and Field Academy. A former LSU coach and USA Track and Field leader, Boo’s expertise in biomechanics and training design extends to multiple sports, making him a sought-after mentor worldwide. It's common to think that, as time moves forward in any discipline, that discipline becomes better. What seems to define much of athletic performance and sport itself is that outputs become the priority while movement quality and literacy become watered down. On today’s podcast, Boo gives wisdom into the process of comprehensive athletic development by leaning into general strength and movement training. He goes over his movement batteries, scramble circuits, training diversity, and tempo sprints. Boo also gives his take on the use of supramaximal eccentrics, covers hamstring injury prevention strategies, and discusses his sprint-float-sprint protocols, alongside a sea of further training wisdom. Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and LILA Exogen wearable resistance. 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 1:25 – The evolution of general strength since the 90s 23:12 – General strength across track and team sports 28:47 – Adding multi-directional work for linear athletes 37:18 – Managing tempo volume for higher intensity 42:50 – Polarized training over middle-ground tempo 44:14 – Using tempo for restoration, not breakdown 47:24 – Short sprints on low days to cap tissue load 48:50 – Eccentric overload within a balanced profile 57:08 – Sprinting and mobility for hamstring resilience 1:12:02 – Setting fly-float-fly zones by max velocity 1:12:52 – Coaching lessons that shaped training design Actionable Takeaways 1:25 – The evolution of general strength since the 90s Boo explains that early “general strength” meant broad, circuit-based work (med balls, hurdle mobility, bodyweight drills), and over time, coaches either overcomplicated it or lost sight of its role. What to try: Keep general strength simple—circuits that are easy to teach, scalable, and repeatable. Don’t let weight room complexity replace basic movement skill. Revisit older methods (hurdle mobility, med ball throws) that build coordination without heavy stress. 28:47 – Adding multi-directional work for linear athletes Even linear sprinters benefit from “scramble” circuits and agility-oriented elements. Boo stresses that multi-directional tasks improve coordination, robustness, and adaptability. What to try: Sprinkle in agility, shuffles, and lateral bounds for athletes who train mostly linear. Build circuits that force athletes to problem-solve movement, not just run straight lines. Think “movement quality first”—variety pays off long term. 37:18 – Managing tempo volume for higher intensity Boo highlights that loading too much tempo work flattens intensity. Athletes need tempo in the right amount—enough for conditioning, not so much that it dulls speed. What to try: Keep tempo volumes moderate so athletes can still sprint fast on quality days. Use tempo as restoration or rhythm training, not just mileage. Remember: more work doesn’t equal better adaptation—protect intensity. 47:24 – Short sprints on low days to cap tissue load Boo explains that short 10m sprints can safely live on “low” days—they maintain speed exposure without frying the system. What to try: Program 2–3 sets of short accelerations on low CNS days.