470: Jay DeMayo on Oxidative Split Squats and Building Power in Position

Today’s guest is Jay DeMayo, Jay is the longtime strength coach for men’s basketball at the University of Richmond and the founder of CVASPS—the Central Virginia Sport Performance Seminar. He’s known for connecting top minds in sport science and coaching, and for his practical, athlete-first approach to physical preparation. Where the emphasis of an athletic performance program can easily be centered from a narrow perspective, Jay considers a wide variety of inputs, from an athlete’s underlying structure and positional abilities to their perception of workout adjustments, to specialized exercises and technical training elements. In this episode, Jay digs into the principles he uses to prepare athletes for the demands of the game. From a foundational perspective, he discusses building work capacity and progressing split squats. On the power side, he shares his take on Olympic lifts and French Contrast training, while also addressing the role of autonomy and individualization in his approach. Throughout the show, Jay unpacks practical tools and coaching strategies that drive long-term athletic development. Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength. 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 8:21- Tailoring Training Methods for Athlete Engagement 11:01- Unveiling Louis Simmons' Strength Training Insights 14:24- Enhancing Basketball Players' Performance Through Tailored Training 21:37- Personalized Exercise Selection for Enhanced Performance 27:55- Engaging Exercise Progressions for Effective Training 30:22- Mastery of Bottom Position for Exercise Gains 34:49- Empowering Athletes through Autonomy and Structure 40:02- Enhancing Lift Performance through Positioning Techniques 49:28- Maximal Expression Circuit Training with Olympic Lifts 59:19- Hormone Spikes in Squat Training 1:14:38- Tailored Stimuli for Optimal Physiological Response 1:17:31- Strength-Speed Emphasis in Athletic Training Program Actionable Takeaways Tailoring Training Methods for Athlete Engagement [8:21] Let’s stop clinging to strict, textbook methods. Jay reflects on how older training styles—like Westside—can still have value when creatively repurposed. It’s not about mimicking those programs but about borrowing what drives athlete engagement and technical mastery today. What to try: Use methods like box squats to teach depth and posture before progressing to more dynamic movements. Connect the dots for athletes: show how learning positions now sets them up for more “fun” or explosive lifts later. Reinforce that mastering basic postures unlocks more advanced training, not just better numbers. Unveiling Louis Simmons' Strength Training Insights [11:01] Jay highlights lessons from studying Louie Simmons—not for copying his powerlifting templates, but to appreciate mastery and intention. Athletes need to understand why they’re training a certain way, not just how. What to try: Share stories or videos of experts from outside your sport to spark discussions about mastery and approach. Ask athletes to reflect on what "winning" a lift means to them—focus, technique, or load? Create reflective moments for athletes to assess their own intent during sessions. Enhancing Basketball Players’ Performance Through Tailored Training [14:24] Forget rigid metrics for the sake of numbers. Jay focuses on using basic force plate data (jump height + contraction time) to guide individual exercise choices—not to chase numbers, but to fit each athlete’s needs. What to try: Test vertical jump and contraction time; use results to bucket athletes into fast/slow jumpers. Prescribe exercises accordingly:

Today’s guest is Hunter Eisenhower, Associate Head Coach for Sports Performance at Arizona State Men’s Basketball. With experience in the NBA and NCAA, Hunter blends force production qualities, data analysis, and variability-driven human training methods to build explosive, adaptable athletes. He’s the creator of the “Force System” and a thought leader in modern athletic performance concepts. Most athletic performance training is centered around outputs. Movement abilities and qualities are discussed, but there isn’t much quantification process that goes towards an athlete’s raw abilities, such as variable jump strategies alongside stiffness and compliance competencies. On today’s episode, Hunter shares his approach to offseason prep using general physical means that build that “human strength”—developing capacity alongside movement variability. Hunter also breaks down how he quantifies an athlete’s movement capacities and library, their ability to, balance rigidity and compliance in line with force plate data. We wrap with ideas on foot training and using variable surfaces to meet the demands of dynamic sport. This is a great look at training beyond just big lifts—into the true movement needs of the game. Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and the Just Fly Sports Online Courses 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. The special intro sale ends July 1st. (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/) Main Points and Key Takeaways 2:00- Sandbags, Suffering, and the Mental Edge 6:00- Let Hard and Fun Coexist in Your Program 10:19- The Importance of Variability in Program Design 12:53- Early Off-Season Program Design 19:27- Rewild Your Program: Crawl, Climb, Wrestle, Hang 23:28- Rethink GPP: Don’t Just Prep to Lift—Prep to Move 30:20- Break Barbell Monotony with Sandbags 34:49- Sleds Are a Movement Tool—Not Just a Finisher 41:03- Measure Movement Options—Not Just Output 48:39- Don’t Confuse Explosive with Efficient 54:31- Train Variability by Changing the Rules 58:05- Cue for Change: Let the Jump Reveal the Strategy 59:50- Start with the Foot—It Tells the Whole Story 1:05:07- Polish Boxes, Stall Bars, and DIY Creativity Sandbags, Suffering, and the Mental Edge (2:00) Simple tasks like sandbag holds or dead hangs can reveal a lot about an athlete’s mental state and fatigue tolerance. Sometimes mental state—not just strength—dictates how long you’ll last under tension. What to try: Program weekly “grit sets”: sandbag holds, wall sits, or dead hangs. Try them first thing in the session—before the brain can talk itself out of effort. Pair them with journaling or a quick “mind state” score: how’d it feel today? Let Hard and Fun Coexist in Your Program (6:00) Every session can’t be a competition. But not everyone should be brutal either. Hunter encourages toggling between “suck” and “play.” One makes you tougher, the other keeps you coming back. What to try: Alternate between gamified partner drills and long isometric work during your week. Use athlete feedback: which days feel “engaging”? Which feel like “grinding”? Both matter. Build polarity into the week—not just into the periodization model. The Importance of Variability in Program Design (10:19) Sticking to one type of stimulus flattens the athlete’s capacity. Instead, training should live across a spectrum—fun to miserable, slow to fast, light to heavy.

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. The special intro sale ends July 1st. (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 Key Takeaways [3:30] – Barefoot Origins: Impact on Human Movement Lawrence digs into why humans move so differently compared to animals. His take? Our lifestyle has pulled us far from our natural roots. Kids growing up barefoot, outdoors, and constantly playing tend to move better—more fluid, intuitive, and efficient. But if you’ve spent your life in shoes, cars, and classrooms, you’ve likely lost some of that. Takeaway:Reclaiming efficient movement may mean “unlearning” modern habits and returning to play, curiosity, and organic exploration—just like barefoot kids who never saw a car before age ten. Drills can help, but you won’t drill your way back to instinctual movement if your foundation is disconnected. [9:40] – The Impact of Fear on Athletic Performance Fear, even subtle, can hijack movement. Lawrence emphasizes that emotional blocks—doubt, hesitation, trying too hard—are often the root of poor performance. Confidence doesn’t just show up on the scoreboard, it’s embedded in your nervous system and your patterns. Takeaway:Fear shows up in the body before it shows up in results. Addressing performance isn't just about skill—it’s about safety and trust in your movement. Don’t just train mechanics—train confidence in your central patterns. You can’t out-coach fear with drills alone. [20:55] – Enhancing Running Performance Through Rhythmic Variation

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 Key Takeaways 1️⃣ Rethinking Training Norms: Breaking the Script Let’s be honest—starting the season with FMS testing or default punishments like push-ups feels like a missed opportunity. Rett challenges that default. Why not flip the script? Start with something that actually taps into the nervous excitement athletes bring into day one. Instead of draining that spark, use it to build buy-in. What to try: • Kick things off with a creative team challenge instead of movement screens. • Replace punishments with something silly but memorable (e.g., team serenade or worm dance). • Avoid singling people out—no solo singing for introverts. The goal is laughter, not dread. 2️⃣ Rope Flow: Movement Puzzles that Stick If you’ve ever tried rope flow, you know it’s strangely addicting. Rett uses it as a warm-up tool that hits thermogenic, rotational, and coordination qualities all in one. It’s essentially a moving puzzle—and that makes it ideal for getting athletes out of zombie mode. What to try: • Add rope flow sequences early in warm-ups to raise body temp and spark engagement. • Mix in new patterns over time so it stays fresh. • Think of it as "motor learning meets party trick"—athletes love that feeling of leveling up. 3️⃣ Partner Work and Social Pressure: The Good Kind Warm-ups don’t have to be solo grinds. In fact, the social element is part of the magic. Whether it’s balloon volleys in a split squat or partner wall sits, Rett uses simple tools to inject teamwork, laughter, and just the right amount of peer pressure. What to try: • Design partner or trio-based warm-up drills to naturally boost effort and engagement. • Add tasks or games that distract from the burn (like volleying a balloon while holding a lunge).

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 “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 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

Today's podcast features Ty Terrell, Director of Strength and Conditioning for Oklahoma Men’s Basketball. Ty brings deep experience from the NBA, having led performance programs for the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks. He specializes in athlete development, performance testing, and biomechanics-driven return-to-play protocols. Ty has been mentored by Lee Taft and Bill Hartman, and has a unique fusion of abilities and methods in human performance. Typically, the goal of athletic performance training is based on increasing outputs, muscle size, and aerobic capacities. Less emphasis is given to athletic movement qualities, how the body creates space for motion, and the process of loading and releasing energy. In understanding both outputs and movement dynamics, a more comprehensive training experience can be provided. On today’s podcast, Ty speaks on optimizing the phases of athletic movement, particularly the “unloading” and reversal phases of squat and jump patterns that are often missed in training. He discusses the balance and interplay of movement-oriented training with strength and output capabilities. From a practical perspective, Ty gets into the nuts and bolts of unweighting methods, opening space in squat and hinge patterns, working absorption and propulsion with cables, step-up dynamics, and much more. Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength. 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 2:45- Holistic Athlete Development in College Sports 11:06- Organic Skill Development Through Free Play 19:04- Optimizing Movement Patterns for Athletic Success 20:06- Biomechanical Efficiency in Training Practices 29:52- Optimal Force Production for Athletic Enhancement 38:04- Optimizing The Phases of Athletic Movement for Vertical Jump Outcomes 47:44- Band-Assisted Unweighting for Muscle Recovery 53:54- Optimizing Movement Quality with Training Modifications 55:27- Optimizing Movement Quality Through Unweighting Methods 1:01:43- Efficient Transition Phases in Vertical Jumping 1:09:30- Cable Unweighting for Enhanced Movement Patterns 1:13:31- Cable Lifts and Step-Up Techniques Quotes (18:21) "I keep things very simple. I don't get far away from like, just the traditional movements. You have to be able to squat well enough." - Ty Terrell (22:40) "The unweighting phase creates the potential for the braking phase. The braking phase slingshots us into the propulsive or concentric phase." - Ty Terrell (23:15) "You need output, you need to be able to produce that quickly. But there are aspects of movement quality that will negatively impact your propulsive output. So you have to have both. And I think the biggest thing is to find is to define what is good enough in your situation." - Ty Terrell (40:12) "I think you're trying to get the most with the least. And the priority is to make them feel like they can go out and play. So it's more restorative." - Ty Terrell (44:48) "I kind of want that inflammatory process to occur in the off-season. So, you know, the adaptations and responses that come with that as opposed to the season, it's like we're trying to dampen those inflammatory responses so we can do something the next day." - Ty Terrell (49:00) "A big thing we do either at the beginning of the workout to learn movement or to learn how to move in a Low threshold way we do a kind of sandwich. Maybe we had a sprint day, maybe at an encore workout, then we're going to sandwich the day with, hey, like another like 10 minutes of low threshold work and unweighting, you know, so like front foot elevated split squats." - Ty Terrell (50:31) "You have to find a way to come back into that space a little bit or else you won't be able to acces...

Today's podcast features Tony Holler. Tony Holler is a veteran high school track and field coach, renowned for his "Feed the Cats" sprint training philosophy. With over 40 years of coaching experience in both track and football, Holler has become a leading voice in athlete-centered speed development. He is the head track coach at Plainfield North High School in Illinois, where his teams have consistently produced elite sprinters and state champions. He is also the co-founder of the Track Football Consortium, a popular coaching event that bridges the gap between sprint and team sport development. In a day where the methods are many, Tony Holler has created a training system where he keeps the simple things simple, but off-sets that simplicity with a variety filled “X-Factor” training day that runs like a power-oriented basketball practice in many ways. On today’s podcast, Tony speaks on his formative experiences as an athlete, young coach, and teacher that have led him to his current positions in coaching. Tony speaks extensively on his X-Factor workouts, inspiration from his dad’s basketball practices, and the keys to the variability in both plyometrics and wicket variations that define the training day. He also speaks on X-Factor paving the way for a simpler, competitive speed workout on the following day. Tony also touches on how the “feed the cats” methods have influenced the successful distance program at Plainfield North, along with many other nuggets of wisdom. Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength. 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 8:37- Competitive Coaching Styles in Track and Field 16:59- Fostering Passionate Learning Environments for Success 22:06- Sports Engagement and Flow for Long-term Passion 32:04- Color-Coded X Factor Athletic Training Program 43:54- X Factor Workouts for Recovery and Performance 50:29- Transitioning from Survival to Performance Mindset 59:49- Optimizing Sprint Performance Through Varied Techniques 1:02:08-Enhancing Speed with Varied Wickets in Training 1:08:16- Focused Timed Sprints for Effective Performance 1:12:30- Optimizing Coaching Practices for Large Groups 1:15:01- Intentional Training for Optimal Athletic Performance 1:22:07- Optimizing Cross Country Runs for Peak Performance Quotes: (4:45) “Baseball is not a hard sport, but they made baseball hard for us” - Tony Holler (5:50) “I grew up with this weird mix of Neil Young and General Patton” - Tony Holler (13:00) “There is no defense in track… it’s not a zero-sum game, which I love” - Tony Holler (20:30) “I think like and love come before excellence” - Tony Holler (32:10) “In basketball, my father would start practice with stations, and stations were things like we jump back and forth over a balance beam, and then we go forward, back and forth. And then the next station was jump rope, and the next station was lateral slides back and forth, touching the lane lines. And we do that kind of thing in X Factor because what I have found is that basketball players seem to be the healthiest, most durable track athletes.” - Tony Holler (35:30) “Our favorites are the extreme ISO lunge that we do not do for five minutes. We do it for more like a minute. You know, maybe we're not cooking the steak long enough. But this is very important. Always err on the side of less.” - Tony Holler (00:44:15) “I color code our speed workouts and our X factor workouts as yellow, which to me means caution. And that caution is don't let today ruin tomorrow. Almost always the day after an X factor workout is a sprint workout for us” - Tony Holler (47:40) “Speed is repetitive. X factor is very much flex” - Tony Holler

Today's podcast features Mike Robertson. Mike Robertson is the co-owner of IFAST in Indianapolis and host of the Physical Preparation Podcast. With over 20 years of experience training athletes from the NBA to everyday clients, Mike is known for blending biomechanics, strength, and smart programming to get real-world results. He’s a respected educator and a leader in the performance training space. The more advanced we get in the world of functional training, human movement, and biomechanics, the more difficult it can be to manage our programming. Having a set of basic principles and foundations for movement coaching helps us to serve a wide variety of athletes throughout their seasons and careers. On today’s episode, Mike speaks on the nature of his programming, and how he treats the primary squat, deadlift, bench, and split squat movement patterns with the needs of an athlete in mind (with particular emphasis on off-season pro athletes). Mike goes into concepts on braking and propulsion and how to use the weightroom to impact this balance of forces, hinge mechanics, lessons from coaching youth sports, and much more. Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio. 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 4:32- "Evolution from Powerlifting to Athletic Movement Training" 17:32- Foot Support and Motion Control in Strength Training 23:37- Flywheel Training Advancements in Professional Basketball Conditioning 33:23- Center of Mass Restoration for Explosive Athletes 33:51- Optimizing Performance Through Propulsion and Braking 42:14- Enhancing Athletic Performance Through Hinge Variations 50:00- Bilateral Offset Stance Benefits in Exercises 52:46- Internal Rotation Stance for Hip Mobility 1:00:41- Maximizing Athletic Potential through Tailored Training 1:10:05- Enhancing Coaching Skills Through Immersive Soccer Experience 1:17:49- Evolving Coaching Techniques in Basketball Training 1:19:44- Innovative Techniques for Creative Thought Management Quotes (14:18) "I've gone away from like really like chasing outputs or trying to push outputs up to, hey, Man, I just want to restore outputs, right? Like, can we just get you back somewhere near your top end in the off-season? So we know you still got it, but we're just touching it, right? So I talk about touching intensity." - Mike Robertson (14:34) "Some of my biggest go-to's, I still love anterior loaded squat variations. for benching variations. Very little barbell stuff. I'm talking more on like, the aging athlete side. I really love alternating work. I love floor-pressing variations. Anything where we're one is up, one is down, so we can maintain some motion through their thorax. And then as far as deadlifts go, if I'm going to deadlift somebody, I still really like Like a high-handle trap bar deadlift." - Mike Robertson (20:21) "Depending on your situation, your environment, context, like you can make an argument for just about anything." - Mike Robertson (22:25) "Especially as we age, I just think of three buckets. There's the mobility and movement quality bucket. There's the neurological outputs bucket so you can speed, power, strength, and then there's like the, the metabolic capacity buckets." - Mike Robertson (26:49) "In, this is the thing that I always come back to. Right. Like, Bill and I have had this discussion so many times, like, in passing in the gym. It's like, oh, my gosh, like, just how easy was it to train in your 20s?" - Mike Robertson (38:37) "I used to always joke around with athletes and I was kind of right. But I used to always say like weightlifting and like strength training is the only sport where it benefits being on your heels. Right.

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 “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/) 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

Today's podcast features Bob Thurnhoffer, Assistant Track & Field Coach at the University of Louisville. Bob brings nearly two decades of NCAA Division I coaching experience, with past stops at New Mexico, Loyola Chicago, and UIC. His athletes have earned multiple All-American honors, NCAA qualifications, and school records. Bob is also known for his deep knowledge in training for jumps and is a respected voice in the track and field coaching community. On today’s episode, Bob speaks on the formative experience of his past work training speed and power at an NCAA DI school in the confines of a hallway. He also goes into plyometric training concepts, and acceleration development, as well as some of his key complex training methods in the weightroom. Bob also digs into the importance of general strength in his program, along with the nuts and bolts of his weekly training setups for sprint and jump athletes in this fantastic resource on speed and power development. 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 the podcast homepage. (https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-home/) Timestamps 6:02- Bob’s Early Experiences as an Athlete and His Early Mentors 18:55- Innovative Training Solutions for Limited Spaces 29:38- Enhancing Athletic Performance Through General Strength Training 34:55- Individualized Workouts for Optimal Athletic Development 39:14- Foundational Elements in Athletic Performance Training 41:41- Peak Velocity Training for Jumpers 56:44- Intensive Cycle Variation for Optimal Performance 58:51- Force Plate Metrics for Athlete Performance Tracking 1:05:43- Mentorship Impact on Athlete Training Mindset Quotes (17:21) "I do think it's like limitations breed creativity more than freedom of possibilities. Unlimited situations don't create creativity as much as limitations do." - Bob Thurnhoffer (18:05) “(Training in a Hallway) I can do acceleration, I could do plyometrics. I can get very strong in the weight room. And try to learn how to be truly great at these things that I can do. Because I knew that the things I could do I had to be better than everyone else at” - Bob Thurnhoffer (29:38) “I still work general training a very, very large degree. Probably more than most coaches even. Yeah, I remember Brooke, the pole vault coach at Louisville. She said to me at the start of the year how she really liked how much general strength I do. She's like, yeah, I don't know. Coaches never do that anymore” - Bob Thurnhoffer (41:00) “Interestingly enough, I actually, at New Mexico I almost entirely went to Monday, Tuesday neural, Wednesday, Thursday general, Friday neural. The whole two years I was there for everyone. And it worked great” - Bob Thurnhoffer (47:30) “I almost always finish a neural lift with med ball throws; to restore proprioception after heavy lifting” - Bob Thurnhoffer (49:13) "I think like long jump you gotta, it's all about displacement, smoothness, being a passenger, letting the natural inherent reactivity that you've developed in training and it's inherent in the human body do the jumping for you." - Bob Thurnhoffer (1:02:01) "It's the quick ground contact time with the vertical displacement. That's what I'm looking for." - Bob Thurnhoffer About Bob Thurnhoffer ​Bob Thurnhoffer is an accomplished track and field coach specializing in jumps, currently serving as the Assistant Coach for Jumps at the University of Louisville. He joined the Cardinals' coaching staff on July 31, 2023, bringing with him over 18 years of Division I coaching experience across multiple institu...