Just Fly Performance Podcast

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.

Laurent Meuwly, the Head Coach for sprints in the Netherlands, discusses his innovative training approaches developed from his experiences with world-class athletes. He dives into the importance of individual muscle assessments and tailored strength exercises for sprinters. Unique concepts like 'Flyers vs. Diesels' provide insight into athletic archetypes, while advanced techniques like overspeed training and cluster methodologies enhance speed and performance. Laurent emphasizes creating a relay-based culture and a supportive training environment to build elite sprinters.

In this engaging discussion, Anthony Cockrill, Director of Volleyball Sports Performance at SMU, dives into the intricacies of explosive strength development. He unpacks the importance of eccentric training and discusses various squat techniques like the Zurcher squat. Anthony highlights how individualized programs can maximize athletic performance, touching on the role of shoulder mobility and the integration of plyometrics. His insights are rooted in real-world application, making it a treasure trove for coaches and athletes alike.

Bren Veziroglu, a movement educator known for blending science with personal exploration, discusses transformative training methodologies. He emphasizes the importance of dynamic, movement-rich environments for skill acquisition versus rigid drills. Bren shares insights on integrating traditional strength with innovative mobility approaches and partner-based exercises. He also highlights the value of adapting training to include playful elements, enhancing engagement and fostering more effective athletic performance.

Mike Bruno, Assistant Director of Olympic Sports Performance at Clemson University, dives into the interplay of skeletal dynamics and athletic performance. He explains how athletes' unique structural archetypes influence their speed and power training. With insights from biomechanics, he emphasizes pressure management and personalized training strategies. Innovative techniques like trampolines and water bags are explored, showcasing their effects on jumping and sprinting. Listeners learn the vital connections between strength training, movement strategy, and optimizing athletic capabilities.

In today’s solo episode, I break down 10 essential keys to building a well-rounded athletic performance program. These programming elements are often overlooked or omitted in favor of a more "machine-based" training approach. I’ll cover both the specifics of sets, reps, and training structures, as well as key principles that enhance stimulation, learning, engagement, and focus—crucial components for an athlete's overall experience. By refining both stimulation and the athlete’s attentional "spotlight," we can create training that feels more dynamic, engaging, and effective. The keys to a more complete program, are as follows: Embrace Constraints and Limitations Study Physical Education (Instead of only “Sport Science”) Integrate Rhythm and Music Work Polarities and Waves Use Complexes Embrace Uncertainty Understand the Performer Environment Relationship Test and Use Leaderboards Use Risk Train Yourself Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio and the LILA Exogen Wearable Resistance Training Sleeves. 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 For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage at https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-home/ Timestamps 2:00- Embrace Constraints and Limitations 7:45- Study PE (Movement and learning-driven vs. output and data-driven) 13:30- Incorporate Rhythm and Music into Training 18:00- Work Polarities/Waves (Jay S) 28:00- Use Complexes 39:30- Embrace Uncertainty 44:30- Performer environment relationship 50:00- Test and Use Leaderboards 56:30- Use Risk 1:02:30- Train Yourself 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.

Today's podcast features Steffan Jones. Steffan is a trailblazing fast-bowling coach and ex-pro cricketer, known for his integrative, creative, data-backed training methods. A former Somerset and Kent bowler with over 200 wickets, he’s the last dual-sport pro from English cricket and rugby. With degrees in Sports Science and coaching certifications, Jones founded Pacelab, blending biomechanics and constraint-led training. He’s coached for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL and joined Ludimos in 2024 as Strategic Advisor, pushing fast bowling into the future. Among the various training sub-modalities, isometric work stands out as a low-risk, high-reward method that minimally interferes with an athlete’s high-speed capabilities on the field. In today’s episode, Steffan explores a range of topics related to isometric training and athletic performance, with a special focus on fast-bowling velocity. He discusses both long-duration and overcoming isometrics, offering insights on how to incorporate these techniques into sport-specific training programs. Additionally, Steffan delves into complex training methods, pre-fatigue strategies for elastic output, and collision-based training concepts. This episode emphasizes key principles for blending general strength with elite sport performance. Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio and the LILA Exogen Wearable Resistance Training Sleeves. 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 For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage at https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-home/ Timestamps 5:46- Enhancing Fast Bowling with Isometric Exercises 7:21- Enhancing Performance Through Isometric Exercises 14:09- Balancing Specificity and General Strength Training for Athletes 18:39- Optimizing Recovery with Long Isometric Holds 28:12- Optimizing Performance Through Isometric Training Fundamentals 34:17- Optimizing Performance Through Tailored Bowling Training 40:32- Isometric Training for Enhanced Joint Stiffness 54:30- Integration of Strength and Conditioning in Coaching Quotes (15:36) "The only true specific thing you can do is your skill itself." (18:41) "A lot of people don't understand that the long isos, when you get fit enough, strong enough, resilient enough, they're actually recovery." (23:11) "Anything below 80% intensity, the brain sees as a different skill." (37:34) "But my back foot contact, because that's a long ground contact time, my back foot contact around the ankle is short duration." (39:02) "That's the problem with isometrics. Unless you've got a sort of a dynamometer or a force deck, You have no knowledge of results. So it's pretty boring and the brain switches off as such. But yeah, obviously I use different stuff. I use G Strength and Remaker and all those (to measure force)” (47:30) "And collisions are not going to be improved by doing concentric work. Collisions are going to be improved by doing eccentric and isometric work." (52:35 "If I have a knee-dominant bowler who's who takes a long time to get warm, who's who's fast twitch or their intermediate fibers do most of the work. They never get to their fast twitch fibers. So then a pre fatigue complex would be great for them. And they go really do a, do a set of 10 squats and then expect them to bowl. Yeah, it works. Do us do a 200 meter run and then expect them to do an explosive bowl. But have you tried that? That is such a great feeling." About Steffan Jones Steffan Jones is a globally renowned fast-bowling coach, celebrated for his innovative, science-driven approach to cricket performance. A former professional cricketer, Jones played as a fast-medium bowler for Somerset, Northamptonshire, Derbyshire, and Kent, amassing over 200 first-class wickets and two centuries in an 18-year career that also saw him become English cricket’s last dual-sport professional, having briefly played Premiership rugby. Steffan holds degrees from Loughborough University (Sports Science) and Homerton College, Cambridge, blending academic rigor with on-field experience. After retiring in 2011, Jones transitioned into coaching, leveraging his unique qualifications—UKSCA-accredited strength and conditioning coach, Level 3 technical cricket coach, and the only cricket coach certified to teach with the Lila Movement Exogen suit. As the founder of Pacelab, he’s redefined fast-bowling development, emphasizing biomechanics, motor learning, and individualized training. His methods, rooted in first-principles research, integrate corrective strength, isometrics, and skill-stability paradigms to enhance pace and durability. Jones has served as High-Performance Fast Bowling Coach for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL (2019, 2022-present), consults for elite fast bowlers, javelin throwers, and pitchers worldwide, and was Director of Sport Performance at Wellington School, Somerset. A pioneer in ecological dynamics, he champions adaptable, constraint-led training over traditional drills, making him a sought-after voice in sports science. In 2024, he joined Ludimos as Strategic Advisor, merging his expertise with AI-driven coaching technology to shape the future of fast bowling.

Jeremy Frisch, Director of Athletic Performance at Teamworks Sports Center, dives deep into youth athletic development. He critiques the flawed modern sports system that pushes older training methods onto children too soon. Jeremy emphasizes the importance of playful, creative training to cultivate speed and athleticism while avoiding injury. He shares innovative training techniques, like using rhythm and games, and even reflects on nostalgic 80s training movies that inspire motivation. Tune in for a fresh perspective on empowering young athletes!

Today's podcast features Jon Stea. Jon is a strength and performance coach based in Vancouver with over a decade of experience developing athletes from youth to the professional level. Jon combines coaching practices with an overarching philosophy of sport and movement concepts. As modern society advances, youth sports and adult movement practices are becoming increasingly rigid and specialized. Many athletes struggle to progress in their sport and lose interest once their competitive careers end. Adults engage in community-based fitness but often miss the opportunity to explore their full movement potential and the deeper fulfillment it brings. Understanding why we train and how to empower athletes in their unique process is more crucial than ever. On today’s episode, Jon speaks on building a creative, authentic coaching process that gives athletes room to fail, learn, and grow, expanding their abilities over time. He discusses the importance of connection and environment in sports training, games, and movement challenges, gets into motor learning concepts, and speaks on the overall art of coaching athletes for their long-term success. This is a conversation that our current sports, and sports performance world, demands that we have, to offer athletes room to not only be better in their sport but move and play as their authentic selves, in their chosen practice. Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio and the Just Fly Sports Online Courses. To learn more about the Sprint Acceleration Essentials, Elastic Essentials, or Speed ID courses, go to justflysports.thinkific.com 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 https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-home/ Timestamps 2:00- How having a personal substantial work capacity has shaped Jon’s viewpoints on training 7:00- Capacity and aerobic elements in a total athletic performance program, as well as programs with a focus on explosiveness 10:30- Jon’s beginnings in athletic performance 15:00- The nature of coaching education and sports performance career paths in the modern and technological age 21:30- How Jon’s training process has evolved, based on athlete perception, gameplay, and the total developmental process 38:30- Insights to the creative process of game development 49:00- The use of games for more advanced athletes, to help “re-expand” movement options and facilitate a joyful training environment 55:30- How Jon’s journey shifted over time, to a more games and motor learning-based approach to training 1:00:00- How and why motor learning is at the core of athletic development in a variety of training sectors Quotes 8:00 “When you work your superpower, it sets you up for easy wins” Jon Stea 21:10: “After a while, it’s just about the connection you make with people. Coaching or training, whether it be through sports, strength and conditioning, or working at a gym, is just a vehicle for human connection” 24:10 “You have a lot of contact time with people in a low-stakes environment (personal training, strength and conditioning), where someone is allowed to screw up, and that’s almost the point of a session, I want to see you fail, so I know where we can improve” 24:45 “We want to do a lot of things in here that you fail at, so we can do more of those things” 25:10 “You want to be your authentic self as much as possible so that athletes feel they can be that too” 30:15: “What you do doesn’t matter as much as who you are (to the athletes)” 38:45 “Go over to the wall, pick up 2 pieces of equipment, and we are going to make up a game” 39:45 “I find youth athletes, that’s something I’ve found drilled into them so much, “how do we score points, how do we win”. Rather, how do we create the most beautiful game possible? 53:20 “Most people will go into sports and then stop once they leave high school… maybe if they had more fun they would stick with it” 1:04:30 “The best coaching is not coaching at all, it’s through inception where athletes thought about it on their own” About Jon Stea Jon Stea is a dedicated strength and performance coach based in Vancouver with over a decade of experience working with athletes across various levels and sports. Since 2013, Jon has helped transform athletes from undersized, undrafted youth players into collegiate, professional, and national-level competitors. His summer hockey program currently supports 13+ professional players, and his proven coaching methods have guided dozens of athletes to success in collegiate and professional sports. Education & Certifications Master of Kinesiology (Specialization in Coaching Science) – University of British Columbia Graduating Paper: Physical Preparation for Ice Hockey: A Review of Biomechanics, Physiology, and Epidemiology Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA) Jon’s passion for athletic development, combined with his deep expertise, continues to shape the next generation of athletes and empower individuals to reach their full potential.

Today's podcast features Christian Thibaudeau. Christian is a renowned strength coach with over 25 years of experience. He has worked with athletes from 28 sports, including pros and Olympians, and was Head Strength Coach at the Central Institute for Human Performance. A former national-level weightlifter and bodybuilder, he has authored multiple books and has been a prolific writer for T-Nation. He has developed the Neurotyping and Omni-Rep systems, amongst many other contributions to human performance and athletic development. The majority of training programs, particularly for athletic performance are mostly gas, and very little brakes. They work mostly propulsion while minimizing early stance and reciprocal motion capabilities. They tend to hover on external outputs and bar velocities but do little to cultivate internal awareness of one’s own body. This podcast is all about the value and history of training at both isometric, lower training velocities, along with combined methods (reps + isometrics) for the sake of skilled movement performance and longevity. Christian digs into the history of the martial arts and bodyweight training methods, and goes into a variety of training techniques to round out one’s weak points, maximize body awareness and build more robust athletes. Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio and the Lila Exogen Wearable Resistance Training Sleeves. 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 For a Gym Studio 14-day free trial, head to gymstudio.com View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage. Main Points 5:29 - Antagonist Muscle Engagement in ISO Holds 8:51 - Optimal Movement Performance through Muscle Control 14:49 - Tendon Strengthening for Older Athletes 16:38 - Age-Related Muscle and Tendon Conditioning Exercises 20:27 - Explosiveness Maintenance Through Isometric Training 26:19 - Optimizing Performance with Plyometrics and Strength Integration 27:33 - Optimal Balance: Combining Natural Movements with Isometric Training 41:54 - Enhancing Strength Through Muscle Activation Techniques Quotes (00:23) "When you are truly skilled at an exercise, at a movement, you should be able to do it at any velocity." (09:10) "Maxick. Yes. So that also fits the bill because you are actually, you're trying to contract your muscle by using your own body as resistance. So it's a form of isometric training. And I believe that it is very valuable, especially in the earlier stage of training because I strongly believe that especially when it comes to motor learning and maybe hypertrophy, the better you are at creating tension in the proper muscle, the better results you'll get." (18:35) "I think that again, long-duration isometrics is something that's going to be very, very positive to prevent the decrease in tendon performance with older athletes." (26:40) "I work with one of the top karate athletes in the world. Like super explosive, lightning fast. And we don't lift weights. Let me correct myself. The only exercise where we lift weight is a power clean from the hang. Every form of strength work is done with a flywheel and the rest is plyometric and absorption drills." (38:00) "Don't forget that martial arts, well, especially those of the, the karate, kung fu, and family, judo, it has evolved over two to three thousands of years. And it was not just a system of combat, it was a system of getting into combat shape" (41:20) "Skill is first shown in slow movement." (43:39) "The capacity to contract and. Or relax a muscle while contracting surrounding muscles." (48:52) "I don't honestly see a method that would be more effective for rapid muscle growth than doing let's say a set of say 6 to 10 reps to failure depending on your own personal preferences and then holding for one minute loaded stretch to me I, I don't see how you could make a set more effective than that for muscle growth." Show Notes Controlled movement training in the martial arts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7z-fYalpUk About Christian Thibaudeau Christian Thibaudeau is a highly respected strength and conditioning coach with over 25 years of experience. He has worked with athletes across 28 sports, including professional and Olympic competitors, and served as Head Strength Coach at the Central Institute for Human Performance, training the St. Louis Blues. A former national-level weightlifter and bodybuilder, Christian has also coached football for eight years. His training focuses on developing muscle mass, power, explosiveness, and coordination to enhance performance. He is a prolific author with multiple books, including The Black Book of Training Secrets and The Maximum Muscle Bible. As a senior writer for T-Nation, his articles reach over 400,000 readers weekly. Christian is the developer of the Neurotyping System, which personalizes training based on an individual’s neurological profile to optimize motivation, focus, and performance. His work continues to shape the strength and conditioning field worldwide.