Just Fly Performance Podcast

• 487: Ben Simons on Speed Training and the Art of Explosive Longevity

  Today’s guest is Ben Simons. Ben is a British performance coach and two-time Olympic bobsledder with a background in sprinting and sports science. A former World Cup gold medallist, he’s now focused on helping athletes develop speed, power, and coordination through evidence-based, real-world training methods. Ben blends biomechanics, motor learning, and nervous-system training to build explosive, adaptable athletes. Many speed training topics and conversations focus exclusively on the most stimulating possible methods; fewer get into individual factors, athlete adaptability, and how that speed and power training evolves with the needs of the athlete. On today’s show, Ben and I discuss asymmetry, rhythm, and “aliveness” in sprint and power development. We explore when to let unique mechanics—like Byanda Wlaza’s galloping stride—run their course versus coaching toward a technical model. Ben gets into the general speed training lessons he gained from bobsled, and shares why he now favors yielding isometrics, unilateral strength, and med ball throws over heavy lifts, emphasizing longevity, reflexive strength, and movement variability. We finish with how curvilinear sprints, pool work, and playful, multidirectional movement help athletes stay reactive, adaptable, and pain-free. Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and LILA Exogen wearable resistance. 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 – Asymmetry, gallop running, and what to do with extremes 12:25 – Air-time vs ground work: why the stuff in the air transfers to sprinting 16:08 – From long jump and 4x100 to bobsled trials and the push track 19:57 – Retirement, coming back, and the management needed for longevity 24:04 – Achilles management, playing sport, and the power of movement variety 31:09 – Practical coaching advice: get people back into the sport they love 41:31 – Curvilinear sprints, feeling safe, and bringing play into rehab 45:53 – How bobsled pushing changed Ben’s acceleration and posterior chain 52:28 – Hamstring training, velocity, and the limits of eccentric volume 59:46 – Practical tools: tank sleds, prowlers, glute-ham machines, and Zurcher split squats 1:08:19 – Why Ben minimized compound max lifts and what he uses now 1:24:46 – Programming for mature athletes: living off the strength bank and using yield isometrics Actionable Takeaways 0:00 – Asymmetry, gallop running, and what to do with extremes Ben discusses the gallop-style sprint and whether to coach it out or keep it in the bandwidth. Use a technical benchmark as your reference, then assess the athlete’s bandwidth before changing form. If an athlete still performs well, test before adjusting — not every asymmetry needs fixing. Sled pushing can exaggerate patterns, so train sled and unweighted sprints separately for balance. 12:25 – Air-time vs ground work: why the stuff in the air transfers to sprinting Ben highlights the value of airborne drills and how isolating sides changes learning. Mix air-time drills (A-skips, dribbles) with reflexive work that reinforces limb exchange. Use isolating drills to refine control, then transition back to dynamic, reciprocal actions. Treat drills as tools to build feel, not techniques to be perfected. 16:08 – From long jump and 4x100 to bobsled trials and the push track Ben explains how testing funneled him into bobsled and what carried over from track. Identify transferable metrics (sprint speed, jumps) when guiding athletes into new sports. Plan gradual body composition changes to meet the new sport’s demands. Treat push-track practice as a specific development tool,

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• 486: Cody Hughes on Principles of Athlete Centered Power Development

  Today’s guest is Cody Hughes. Cody is a strength and performance coach at Farm & Forge in Nashville, blending over a decade of collegiate and private-sector experience into a practical, athlete-centered approach. His work bridges foundational movement with modern tools like VBT and GPS tracking, always anchored by the belief that health drives performance. With the rising influence of technology in training, it can become more difficult to look clearly at the core facets of athletic force production, as well as how to optimally use technology to fill gaps, inform decisions, and even motivate groups. On today’s episode, Cody traces his shift from heavy-loading bias to a performance lens built on force management, eccentric RFD, and training that actually reflects sport. We unpack depth drops vs. “snapdowns,” why rigid “landing mechanics” miss the mark, and how movement literacy, variability, and velocity drive speed and durability. On the tech side, we get into velocity-based training (VBT) as a feedback and motivation tool, using it to gamify effort and auto-regulate load, and knowing when to remove the numbers to protect recovery and intent. Leaderboards, incentives, and smart stimulus design all matter, but Cody keeps it clear that data supports the human element that produces real power. Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and LILA Exogen wearable resistance. 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 – Early lifting story and the hip replacement turning point 5:31 – Coaching development, biases, and error-driven learning 19:29 – The snapdown debate: context, progressions, and purpose 25:44 – What eccentric RFD tells us about athletic durability 30:42 – Strength as expression: assessments and force-plate logic 42:31 – Movement literacy and using competitive, decision-rich drills 49:30 – VBT explained: feedback, governors, and gamification 56:50 – When to hide feedback: elite athletes and psychological load 1:01:35 – Where VBT shines: youth and early training ages 1:25:28 – Wrap up and where to find Cody Actionable Takeaways 0:00 – Early lifting story and the hip replacement turning point. Cody’s early heavy-loading bias led to a total hip replacement and changed his training philosophy toward stability and movement quality. Reassess program priorities after a major injury: shift emphasis from maximal compressive loading to single-leg work, mobility, and stability. Use your injury story as a guardrail: design training that preserves life-long movement and allows play with family. Teach athletes the why: heavy strength is useful, but it must be paired with tissue resilience and mobility to avoid long-term breakdown. 5:31 – Coaching development, biases, and error-driven learning. Cody stresses that coaching wisdom grows from coaching people, making mistakes, and combining mentorship with hands-on experience. Get "skin in the game": coach real athletes and collect mistakes that refine your practice, not just textbook theory. Seek mentorship and internships to accelerate learning while still accepting the value of self-discovery. Avoid premature certainty: test provocative ideas and be ready to change your mind when evidence or outcomes demand it. 19:29 – The snapdown debate: context, progressions, and purpose. Snapdowns can be either a motor-learning tool for hinge/positioning or a low-value, non-stimulating ritual depending on context. Use snapdowns as a micro-dose progression: for young athletes, combine unweighting, pelvic control, and velocity to teach hinge and pretension. Do not use snapdowns as a one-size-fits-all landing mechanic; i...

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• 485: James de Lacey on Rhythm, Reactivity, and the Art of Athletic Power

  Today’s guest is James de Lacey. James is a professional strength and conditioning coach and the founder of Sweet Science of Fighting, a leading platform for combat sports performance. He has coached in professional rugby leagues across New Zealand, Europe, and the United States, and has trained athletes in MMA, boxing, Muay Thai, and BJJ. Through Sweet Science of Fighting, he delivers evidence-based programs and education for fighters and coaches worldwide. Strength training for athleticism typically focuses on sets, reps, and general forces, but rarely gets into aliveness and skill management of the resistance itself. The former is great for building basic physical competencies, but in integrating the latter, we can breathe more life into a performance program. On today’s show, we dive into James' approach to building athletic strength and power across multiple mediums. We explore how Olympic lifting, especially pull variations, connects to real sport actions, and how striking and collision sports highlight the importance of timing, rigidity, and effective mass. We also break down resistance methods like oscillatory work, flywheels, and accentuated eccentrics, focusing on their alive, reactive qualities rather than just load. These principles carry into speed and power training, including plyometrics and sprinting, with rhythm and movement quality as a central theme. The episode makes strong connections between field sports and combat sports, showing how momentum, relaxation, and rigidity at impact shape performance. Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and LILA Exogen wearable resistance. 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 0:56 - Olympic Lifting Philosophy and Sport-Specific Implementation 4:26 - The Role of Bar Flex and Slack in Block Pulls vs. Rack Pulls 7:03 - High Block Work for Impulse and Technical Refinement 12:22 - Oscillatory Training and the Limits of Maximal Strength 24:49 - Upper/Lower Body Dissociation for Fluid Movement and Game Speed 52:25 - Controlled Eccentric Overload using Flywheel Technology Actionable Takeaways 0:56 - Olympic Lifting Philosophy and Sport-Specific Implementation Prioritize Pull Variations: Use variations like the high pull, especially in combat sports (grapplers), to strengthen the upper back and facilitate violent, vertical hip extension. This is useful for actions like a mat return. Select Snatch over Clean: Choose snatch variations (e.g., power snatch from the hip/hang) over the clean for general athletes because the front rack position is often too difficult, making the snatch easier to learn. Match Lift to Resource/Context: Recognize that the implementation of Olympic lifts in a team setting is often constrained by equipment (e.g., only two barbells for a team) and the athlete's level. 4:26 - The Role of Bar Flex and Slack in Block Pulls vs. Rack Pulls Understand Sensory Differences: Recognize that pulling from blocks feels different than pulling from a power rack. Blocks hold the plates, allowing for "slack" and "flex" in the bar, similar to a deadlift bar. Avoid Dead Weight: Pulling from a rack holds the bar and removes the flex, creating a "dead weight" stimulus, which makes the lift harder and limits the use of bar properties to set positions. 7:03 - High Block Work for Impulse and Technical Refinement Train for Time Constraints: Utilize high block work to force athletes to generate high impulse in very short time frames, mirroring the time constraints often encountered in sport. Force Pull-Under Technique: High blocks are a beneficial constraint that forces the athlete to actively "pull themselves under" the bar,...

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• 484: Manuel Buitrago on Olympic Lifting, Pressure Mechanics and Explosive Athleticism

  Today’s guest is Manuel Buitrago. Manuel is a PhD, along with being the founder and director of MaStrength, a global education brand dedicated to authentic Chinese weightlifting. Since launching MaStrength in 2014, he’s taught 100+ seminars worldwide, authored Chinese Weightlifting: A Visual Guide to Technique and Chinese Weightlifting: Technical Mastery & Training There are many misconceptions in the world of strength training, especially as the lens of a skeletal pressure-based view is not included in modern training systems. When skeletal pressure dynamics are understood, it allows us to see why athletes prefer particular variations of lifts, how and why they fail lifts, and what aspects of the lifts themselves lead to better athletic outcomes. On today’s episode, Manuel speaks on the practicalities of weightlifting and how it carries over to sport. He compares powerlifting and Olympic lifting from a technique and transfer standpoint, and gets into how body shapes, breathing, and set-ups affect a lift. Manuel also touches on connective tissue and why it matters for performance and durability. From this episode, you’ll learn concepts about the Olympic and powerlifts that can not only improve lifting performance but also facilitate a better transfer to athleticism and movement ability. Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength. Use code “justfly10” for 10% off the Vert Trainer at thedunkcamp.com Use code “justfly20” for 20% off of LILA Exogen Wearable resistance gear at www.lilateam.com View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage. (https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-home/) Timestamps 0:00 - From gymnastics and powerlifting to Chinese weightlifting 3:34 - First Olympic lifting exposure via IronMind footage and Pyrs Dimas 5:40 - The Chinese team’s systematic approach that sparked the study abroad 9:30 - Breathing, shapes, and the funnel concept for lifting 26:15 - Bottom-up squats: why weightlifting squats differ from powerlifting squats 30:45 - Training near the hip and block work to bias upward, explosive shapes 41:08 - Squat jerk versus split jerk - body shape, femur length, and selection 54:34 - Box squats, touch-and-go versus deloading - individualize by athlete shape 58:29 - Practical breathing cues to create and switch the funnel shape 1:07:24 - Applying shapes to sport - who benefits from which strategies Actionable Takeaways 0:00 - From gymnastics and powerlifting to Chinese weightlifting Manuel’s early background (gymnastics then powerlifting) led him to seek a more athletic, attainable physique via Olympic lifting. Use cross-sport curiosity: explore other lifting cultures to discover training cues that fit your athlete. Test new lifts with low ego loads to learn the feeling before programming heavy progressions. When an approach resonates (Manuel saw this in video footage), lean into learning it systematically rather than chasing trends. 3:34 - First Olympic lifting exposure via IronMind footage and Pyrs Dimas Seeing training hall footage made manual learning possible; video can reveal consistent patterns across a team. Use curated training footage to spot systematic cues you can trial in the gym. Compare multiple athletes in the same system to find the shared principles, not the outlier quirks. Trial small protocol elements from footage (timing, shapes, sequencing) on yourself or a pilot athlete before scaling. 5:40 - The Chinese team’s systematic approach that sparked the study abroad Manuel noticed consistent shapes and timing in the Chinese footage that contrasted with other teams’ variety. When observing multiple athletes, note common positions and tempo as signals of a system you can emulate. If a system looks consistent and repeatable, consider immersive study (courses, short placements) to learn its language. Use language and cultural learning to communicate directly with athletes and coaches when stud...

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• 483: Jack Barry on Confidence and the Art of Instinctive Athleticism

  Today’s guest is Jack Barry. Jack is the founder of JB Performance and a former ABCA DIII All-American (York College, 2021) who played at Salisbury University. After college, he worked at Tread Athletics, then built a remote+in-person coaching model. Jack has coached athletes from high school to pro levels, appeared on Baseball America’s 90th Percentile, and hosts the “Just Rippin’” podcast. On today’s episode, Jack speaks on athletic potential as a function of work capacity with quality, deliberate practice. We unpack the mental side of training, how visualization, targeted self-talk, and timely pattern breaks calm performance anxiety and restore confidence. He also touches on how athletes thrive when they develop a unique identity, balance effort with recovery, and treat mindset and mechanics as equal partners. This is a dynamic episode, at the intersection of pitching skill and global human performance concepts. 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 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 0:20 – From college ball to new competitive outlets4:10 – Work capacity, family influences, and cross-training7:10 – Adapting training: speed, volume, and specificity10:01 – Aerobic contributions in racket and throwing sports15:46 – Provoking reactivity: stumble drills and innate responses23:16 – Pattern breaks, the yips, and the "be sexy" mentality27:44 – Reactive throwing drills to clean the arm action31:15 – Pre-movement cues and subtle distractions to speed action43:21 – Visualization with highlight reels to build confidence52:25 – Essentialism in training: less and better59:50 – Start with less, progress intelligently1:00:25 – Barefoot training and simplifying the lower half Actionable takeaways 0:20 – From college ball to new competitive outlets Jack traces his path from Division III Salisbury baseball into jiu-jitsu, tennis, and a renewed love for training after leaving team sport. Treat post-playing transitions as a chance to experiment with new sports that satisfy the competitive impulse. Use cross-training to keep motivation high while developing complementary athletic qualities. When exploring a new sport, accept the beginner phase and enjoy the novelty rather than forcing immediate mastery. 4:10 – Work capacity, family influences, and cross-training Jack reflects on family genetics and finding his own work-capacity strengths through varied activities. If you enjoy sustained effort, program both volume and varied intensity (easy long efforts plus specific speed sessions). Use cross-training (racket sports, running, court games) to get game-like cardiovascular stimulus without burnout. Be deliberate: split session types by purpose (speed sessions, volume sessions, tempo work) instead of lumping everything together. 7:10 – Adapting training: speed, volume, and specificity Jack describes learning to periodize his running and mix speed with volume to actually get faster. Structure sessions by purpose: separate longer aerobic efforts from targeted speed work. Progress volume conservatively (small weekly increases) and add specific speed work for real improvements in pace. Treat running like any other modality: apply progressive overload principles and discipline. 10:01 – Aerobic contributions in racket and throwing sports Jack compares racket sports and throwing, noting the reactive and aerobic demands of court play. Use court-based conditioning to develop reactive stamina and contextual decision-making. Choose cross-training that mirrors sport constraints when possible (racket sports for reactive throws).

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