Just Fly Performance Podcast

Wolfgang Schöllhorn discusses the origins and applications of Differential Learning, challenging conventional ideas of repetition, technique, and motor skill development.

On today's show, Jake Dyson of Emerge Performance joins us to discuss the power of play, games, and variability in athletic development.

Jake shares his journey from chiropractic to strength coaching and how he blends traditional strength training with creative, game-based methods.

We explore the pitfalls of overstructured youth sports, the value of long-term athletic development, and often-overlooked athletic qualities like patience, conditioning, reactivity, and balance.

Jake also shares practical examples of competitive games that build athleticism while keeping training fun.

Allan Wells shares his unconventional approach to sprint training, including extensive speedball work, bodyweight circuits, plyometrics, and training through Scotland’s harsh winters.

He discusses the importance of rhythm, coordination, competitive training environments, and the influence of his wife and coach, Margot.

Throughout, Allan emphasizes the power of discipline, mentality, and a supportive training environment in achieving elite performance.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and Lila Exogen.

Vern and James dive into the development of agility and game speed, challenging conventional approaches to change of direction training. They discuss the limitations of speed ladders and isolated drills, the importance of rhythm and tempo, and the role of small-sided games in building adaptable athletes. Topics include movement variability, reactive decision-making, and creative training environments, along with how coaches can better integrate physical preparation with sport skills to develop more instinctive, capable athletes.

Bob Thurnhoffer returns to discuss the balance between specialization and athletic versatility and the role of variability in high-level speed and power development.

Bob shares his approach to coordination-based strength training, balancing linear progression with movement exploration, and creating both competitive and learning-focused practice environments.

He also discusses practical applications of velocity-based training, Olympic lifting, and sprint technology, including how variable resistance can help athletes bridge the gap between acceleration and maximal velocity.

In this show, Frank Forencich explores rhythm, adaptability, and what it means to train the “human animal” in a modern world.

We discuss dance and percussion, specialization versus exploration, the costs of screen-heavy living, social movement games, heckling and partner interaction, and the idea of the “long body.”

Frank also shares thoughts on effortless action, balancing discipline with freedom, and using environments, objects, and human connection to build richer, more adaptable movement.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and the Vert Trainer

Cody discusses how his sprint training has evolved toward a simpler, more dynamic, and intuitive approach.

He explores the role of tempo running as both aerobic work and a high-volume elastic stimulus, building lower-leg capacity and preparing the body for faster sprinting.

Cody also shares thoughts on flexible warm-ups, training around real-life constraints, general-to-specific strength development, resisted and loaded sprinting, and why experimentation and self-awareness can be powerful tools for long-term speed development.

This episode is sponsored by Hammer Strength and LILA Exogen Wearable Resistance

Joel Hansson joins to discuss youth athletic development, movement variability, and the role of play in building adaptable athletes.

We explore how physical preparation can be integrated directly into the sporting environment, why young athletes benefit from broad movement experiences, and how coaches can develop speed, coordination, and agility without over-structuring the process.

Joel also shares his perspective on long-term development and creating training environments that encourage exploration and problem-solving.

In this episode, Andrew Iselin joins me to discuss athlete development, sprint coaching, and the value of exploration over rigid technical models.

We get into developing Lachlan Kennedy (9.85s 100m dash and Oceanic Record), coaching asymmetry, relaxation and sprint mechanics, game-based speed work, movement literacy, resisted sprinting, tempo training, and why coaches may need to “shut up” more often and give athletes space to self-organize.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and the Just Fly Sports Online Courses

Jamie Smith joins me to discuss his transition from gym ownership into full-time education and coach mentorship.

We dive into client-led exploration, simplifying movement assessment, avoiding nocebo language, and helping athletes discover better movement solutions without overcoaching.

Jamie also shares his thoughts on breathing drills, ribcage mechanics, strength technique, sensory versus motor learning, and why good coaching often comes down to creating better environments for athletes to feel, explore, and learn.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and the Just Fly Sports Online Courses

In this episode, Ted Kroeten joins me to explore free play, underloading, and the idea of movement as a language. We discuss why great athletes often emerge from less-structured environments, how excessive coaching can interfere with creativity and fluency, and why doing less can sometimes produce better performance. Ted also shares lessons from Joy of the People, Brazilian soccer culture, ecological dynamics, late development, and the ideas behind his book, The Talent Thief.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and Lila Exogen.

In this show, Kristina Centenari explores the connection between breathing, nervous-system literacy, and athletic performance.

We discuss her journey from Division I tennis to endurance sport, managing pressure and frustration, building awareness of physiological stress, and using breath training to improve composure.

Kristina also breaks down breathing “gears” for runners, the relationship between relaxation and high performance, and why learning when to release tension may be just as important as learning to produce it.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength

In this episode, Clifton Harski discusses athleticism through the lens of movement variety, adaptability, and lifelong physical practice.

He explores his background in jumping and multi-sport play, developing athletic kids without premature specialization, and why training should create opportunities to express athleticism.

Clifton also dives into kettlebell training for rhythm, relaxation, explosiveness, multi-directional strength and deceleration, along with programming ideas that bridge traditional strength work, movement skill, and real-world athletic performance.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and the Athletic Fusion Cohort
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In this episode, Daniel Back gets into the role of variety, play, and subconscious learning in developing speed and athleticism.

He discusses resisted sprinting, why he avoids over-coaching acceleration mechanics, lessons from the dunk community, and the value of broad movement experience.

Dan also explores extensive tempo, longer sprints, training volume, and why specialization and constant measurement can sometimes limit long-term athletic development.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and the Vert Trainer

In this episode, Josh Bray discusses how endurance training shaped his coaching perspective, the role of games and hidden intention in athletic development, and how roughhousing and free play build adaptable movers.

He also explores bucketing athletes as elastic, muscular, or hybrid, using force-plate data without overcomplicating the process, balancing readiness with meaningful training stress, and employing open-ended prescriptions that let athletes self-regulate volume while preserving intent, quality, and engagement.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength.

Joel Smith shares 20 coaching ideas that permanently reshaped how he trains athletes and himself. Drawing from influential books, mentors, training systems, personal experiments, and hard-earned mistakes, Joel explores intensity and recovery, potentiation, individualized strength, motor learning, games, rhythm, biomechanics, group dynamics, ritual, and athlete profiling. More than a list of methods, the episode traces his evolution from conventional programming toward a more adaptive, embodied, and human approach to performance.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and the Just Fly Sports Online Courses
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Ryan Paul talks about blending sprint training with high-intent isometrics, plyometrics, and force-absorption work to build faster, more resilient athletes. He discusses the influence of Jay Schroeder’s system, using readiness data to adjust training, and creating environments that deepen athlete buy-in and intent. Ryan also explores “New Athlete shape,” the value of training through controlled failure, and why speed development requires more than simply running harder or adding traditional strength.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength.

Kevin Mulcahy talks about using constraints to develop more complete athletes, helping gifted players move beyond their natural strengths, and designing practices that build decision-making, speed, and adaptability.

He shares practical ideas for manipulating time, space, and rules to shape behavior, discusses balancing coordination work with game-based learning, and explains how individual athlete profiles, including explosive versus endurance-oriented players, should influence speed development, conditioning, and long-term injury prevention.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and Lila Exogen.

In this episode, Jake explores the principles that underpin resilient tendons and long-term athletic durability. The conversation covers key differences between Achilles and patellar tendon rehabilitation, how loading strategies should be adapted to each, and why avoiding dramatic peaks and valleys in training is essential for keeping tendons healthy.

Jake also discusses the often-overlooked role of bone health and bone loading in performance, along with practical concepts coaches and athletes can use to build more robust, resilient lower limbs.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and the Vert Trainer

Scott Leech explores how constraints, games, and technology can enhance athletic development without sacrificing high-performance outcomes. Scott discusses adapting summer training around limited facilities, balancing speed and conditioning with GPS data, and using game-based drills to teach movement while maintaining athlete engagement. The conversation also dives into the psychology of coaching, variability in training, jump testing, vision work, and practical ways coaches can begin leveraging AI as a research assistant and organizational tool while preserving their own coaching philosophy and intuition.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and the Vert Trainer.

Today’s podcast guest is Joe Pedulla. Joe is a strength coach at the University of Oklahoma, where he oversees performance training for softball and women’s golf. Prior to Oklahoma, he coached in professional baseball with the Kansas City Royals organization and worked extensively in private-sector performance, helping athletes develop strength, speed, power, and resilience.

This episode with Joe Pedulla explores how coaches can better identify what athletes truly need in speed, strength, and power development. Joe shares his path from small-college baseball player to SEC strength coach, including lessons from self-directed training, throwing development, and impe...

In this episode, Julien explores resilience, energy allocation, and the deeper forces that shape athletic performance. He explains the phylogenetic hierarchy of the nervous system, how prior experiences influence behavior, and why emotions are better understood as questions rather than answers. The conversation also dives into competition, training environments, attention, and the role of meaningful challenge in athletic development. Throughout the discussion, Julien offers a unique perspective on performance that extends far beyond traditional strength and conditioning.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength

In this episode, Liz Gleadle shares insights about rhythm, throwing, emotional training, and the deeper human elements of performance. She discusses how hanging, rings, dance, breath, sound, and object-based play shaped her understanding of movement, coordination, and javelin technique. They also explore strength training, elasticity, gratitude, coaching energy, cultural rhythm, and how athletes can learn to move with more joy, confidence, reverence, and authentic physical expression.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and the Just Fly Sports Online Courses

In this episode, Dan shares insights from decades of coaching athletes, throwers, and everyday lifters through a practical, minimalist lens. The conversation explores sustainable strength training, the value of simplicity in program design, kettlebell training, athletic longevity, and how coaches can avoid overcomplicating performance. Dan also discusses lessons from his own competitive career, the importance of movement quality and consistency, and why the best training systems are often the ones athletes can successfully repeat for years.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and the Vert Trainer

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Today’s podcast guest is Chris Korfist. Chris is a veteran speed coach and founder of Slow Guy Speed School, known for blending sprint biomechanics, neurology, and innovative training methods to help athletes improve acceleration, speed, and movement efficiency.

In this episode, sprint coach, Chris Korfist dives into the intersection of speed development, neurology, biomechanics, and athletic performance. Chris shares insights from decades of coaching experience, discussing acceleration mechanics, movement efficiency, reflexive training, and the evolving role of technology in speed development. The conversation also explores how rhythm, coordination, and nervous system function influence elite performance, along wi...

On today’s episode, Gary Gray goes into a deep dive on movement literacy, biomechanics, and the power of variability in athletic development. Gary shares lessons from decades of coaching and rehabilitation, covering everything from locomotor patterns and rhythm to adductor function, sprint mechanics, and why authentic movement should “feel like a dance.” The conversation explores how coaches can better understand human movement through context, three-dimensionality, and the body’s natural problem-solving abilities.

Today’s podcast guest is Chris Chase. Chris is a strength coach and performance specialist with extensive NBA experience, known for integrating biomechanics, movement quality, and strength training into practical systems for basketball athletes, with an emphasis on durability, adaptable movement, and long-term athletic development.

Chris Chase returns to discuss the evolution of modern sports performance training, from force outputs and plyometrics to deceleration mechanics, movement constraints, and load management in the NBA. Chris and Joel dive into the balance between “functional” and traditional strength work, the risks and rewards of plyometric training, resisted acceleration/deceleration methods, and wh...

Today’s podcast guest is Ryan Banta. Ryan is a leading sprint coach at Parkway Central High School, known for blending sport science with practical training. He has guided athletes to multiple state championships and national-level success, and is the author of The Sprinter’s Compendium.

In this episode, Ryan shares his unconventional path from politics to coaching, and how early success, and failure, shaped his evolution. He reflects on moving from ego-driven outcomes to athlete-centered development, emphasizing joy, community, and long-term retention. Banta dives into the growth of his “critical mass” system, blending speed, rest, and adaptabi...

Strength coach Dario Saisan joins to discuss how AI and research are evolving the field. We dive into biomechanics, skill acquisition, and why the next generation is moving toward adaptive systems that sharpen human intuition.

Today’s podcast guest is Håkan Andersson. Håkan is a veteran Swedish sprint coach with over 40 years of experience developing elite sprinters, jumpers, and team-sport athletes. Based in Sundsvall, Sweden, he has coached national record holders and Olympic finalists, and has played a key role in the evolution of Scandinavian sprint training. For today’s podcast I join Håkan to explore the evolution of speed training, from early interval-based systems to modern high-velocity methods. We discuss the role of resisted and assisted sprinting, mechanized training tools, and how different athlete “types” respond to various workloads. Håkan shares insig...

Today’s podcast guest is Mike Guadango. Mike is a performance coach and founder of Freak Strength, known for developing athletes from youth to the professional level across sports like baseball and football. A former All-American collegiate baseball player, Guadango blends strength, speed, and movement quality into a systems-based approach focused on long-term development, resilience, and high-level performance. In this episode, Mike breaks down his evolving approach to athletic development, emphasizing general preparation as the foundation for long-term performance. He discusses building capacity through high-volume med ball throws, tempo work, and progressive strength layers, alongside the role of isometrics and el...

Today’s podcast guest is Daniel Coyle. Daniel is a bestselling author and journalist known for his work on talent development and team culture. He is the author of The Talent Code and The Culture Code, and has written extensively on performance for The New York Times and Sports Illustrated. In this episode, Daniel Coyle joins the show to discuss why elite performance is rooted in relationships and shared environments. Using stories from Alaska to professional sports organizations, he explains the power of "connective pauses" and the importance of athlete ownership. The conversation bridges talent, coaching, and culture, constraint-led learning, an...

Danny Lum is a Singaporean strength coach and sport scientist specializing in applied performance research. His work explores strength diagnostics, isometrics, and power development, and he is widely published and recognized for connecting sport science with practical coaching. In this episode, Danny explores the intersection of sport science and real-world performance. Danny shares insights from his research on isometric training, PNF stretching, and velocity-based training, emphasizing how different methods complement rather than replace one another. The conversation dives into squat depth, unilateral vs. bilateral training, and the role of variability in power development. Throughout, Danny highlights a key theme: effective...

Sarah Miller is a strength and conditioning coach at Georgia Tech Athletics, blending a background in dance, theater, and stunt performance with collegiate S&C. Her work emphasizes coordination, rhythm, and adaptable movement alongside traditional strength and power development. In this episode, Sarah Miller shares her unconventional path from dance, theater, and stunt performance into collegiate strength and conditioning, and how those roots shape her coaching philosophy. She explores how movement is deeply tied to psychology, emotion, and rhythm, challenging traditional, overly mechanical approaches to training. The conversation dives into habit, inhibition, and awareness, emphasizing the importance of freeing athletes...

Richard Burnett is a sports performance coach with experience working across high-level athletic environments, including NFL Combine preparation, where he specializes in speed and power assessment, plyometric development, and preparing athletes for elite testing and competition. In this episode, Rich Burnett digs into reactive strength testing, jump feedback, and what really matters when evaluating plyometric ability in athletes. Rich explains the differences between tools like the Just Jump mat, force plates, and Plyomat, emphasizing that context and consistency matter more than chasing perfect numbers. The conversation then moves into single-leg RSI, asymmetries, NFL Combine prep, and how reactivity profiles can...

In this solo episode, Joel Smith explores the principles of programming for speed and power training. Drawing from his own evolution as an athlete and coach, he discusses early influences like high-volume jump programs, Soviet-inspired plyometrics, and classic periodization models. Joel outlines five key programming systems: high-low structure, potentiation sequencing, weekly changeovers, factorization, and autoregulation, while highlighting common mistakes such as excessive volume, overemphasis on one training variable, and over-programming. He emphasizes balancing speed, strength, and capacity, keeping systems simple, and using tools like AI as a thinking partner rather than a replacement for coaching intuition. Today’s episode is br...

Tyler Franklin is a strength and conditioning coach and physical education instructor based in Murray, Kentucky. He works with athletes to develop strength, speed, and resilient movement through practical training methods. Tyler is also the founder of Feed the Dogs, a platform dedicated to sharing ideas on athletic development and performance. On today’s episode, Tyler discusses building speed, intent, and athleticism through creative training environments. He shares how chase games, partner drills, and simple tools can drive higher effort and engagement than traditional drills alone. The conversation also explores balancing “fun and boring” training elements, teaching discipline through conditioning, and th...

Today’s guest is Vern Gambetta. Vern is a world-renowned sports performance coach with over 50 years of experience across Olympic, professional, and collegiate sport. A pioneer in modern athletic development, he’s known for blending movement skill, strength, and long-term athlete development into a practical, coach-driven system. The more coaching and training leans into data points, KPI’s, rigid standards and an overly specialized model, the more true athleticism, movement and skill development gets choked out. By understanding all aspects of the athletic movement equation, we can give athletes a better total experience in their sport and movement practices. In this e...

Today’s guest is Dan Cleather. Dan Cleather is a sport scientist, author, and lecturer specializing in biomechanics and strength training. He has worked across elite sport and higher education, helping coaches apply research to real-world performance. Dan is the author of The Little Black Book of Training Wisdom and The Little Blue Book of Training Wisdom, known for challenging conventional ideas and promoting evidence-informed coaching. If you search the internet for training methods and advice, you’ll invariably get a “do this, not that” mentality woven in your brain. The mark of true progress over time, and reaching athletic potentia...

Today’s guest is Zac Cupples, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, a physical therapist and strength coach known for bridging rehabilitation and performance. He’s the founder of ZacCupples.com and is respected for translating complex concepts around respiration and movement mechanics into practical tools coaches and clinicians can immediately apply to improve efficiency, reduce pain, and enhance performance. The bridge between sports performance rehab is an important one. In the midst of movement mechanics that drive good rehab, and high intensity lifting, lies the knowledge that can help athletes make continual gains while staying robust and healthy for their sport. On t...