Just Fly Performance Podcast Podcast By Joel Smith Just-Fly-Sports.com cover art

Just Fly Performance Podcast

Just Fly Performance Podcast

By: Joel Smith Just-Fly-Sports.com
Listen for free

Get 3 months for $0.99 a month
The Just Fly Performance Podcast is dedicated to all aspects of athletic performance training, with an emphasis on speed and power development. Featured on the show are coaches and experts in the spectrum of sport performance, ranging from strength and conditioning, to track and field, to sport psychology. Hosted by Joel Smith, the Just Fly Performance Podcast brings you some of the best information on modern athletic performance available.Just Fly Sports LLC Exercise & Fitness Fitness, Diet & Nutrition Hygiene & Healthy Living Science
Episodes
  • 491: Reinis Krēgers on Play-Based Athleticism and Elastic Power Development

    491: Reinis Krēgers on Play-Based Athleticism and Elastic Power Development
    Nov 27 2025
    Today’s guest is Reinis Krēgers, a former champion decathlete turned track and physical education coach. Reinis is dedicated to building complete movers: fast, coordinated, confident athletes who understand their bodies. His training blends classical sprint development with exploratory tasks, helping athletes develop physical literacy and long-term adaptability. In sports performance, we often fixate on exercises, cues, and optimizing micro-qualities in the moment. What we discuss far less, yet what often separates the elite, is the role of play, creativity, and culture. By looking closely at events like the pole vault and hurdles, we can see how a developmental, curiosity-driven approach benefits athletes of every sport. In this episode, Reinis shares the remarkable story of losing a finger, training exclusively with his non-dominant hand, and still setting a shot put PR. This opens the door to a rich discussion on cross-education, novelty, and how the brain actually learns movement. We explore play-based coaching, pole vault as a developmental super-tool, contrasts between Eastern and American coaching philosophies, youth sport creativity, and sustainable tendon development. It’s a conversation full of insight, storytelling, and reminders of what truly anchors a lifelong athletic journey: curiosity, joy, and the art of falling in love with movement. 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/) 0:00 – Early upbringing in Latvia and falling in love with movement 6:18 – Play, curiosity, and environment driven athlete development 14:50 – Injuries, setbacks, and choosing to continue competing 23:40 – Czech training experience and constraints based coaching 33:05 – European versus American development and long term athlete philosophy 45:10 – Games, novelty, and bringing play back into training 59:47 – Specialization mistakes and the importance of multi sport development 1:11:48 – Plyometrics, bounding, and gradual tissue adaptation 1:22:40 – Injury lessons, tendon health, and the value of long term gradual loading Actionable Takeaways 6:18 – Play, curiosity, and environment driven development Reinis explains that his athletic foundation came from unstructured exploration, not early specialization. Let athletes solve problems rather than repeat fixed patterns. Encourage outdoor play and varied surfaces to build natural coordination. Curiosity creates better movers than rigid instruction. 14:50 – Navigating injuries and staying in the sport Reinis shares how setbacks led him to rethink training instead of quitting. Use injuries as a signal to adjust training rather than push through blindly. Keep a competitive outlet during rehab to maintain identity and motivation. Return with smarter progression instead of trying to reclaim old numbers immediately. 23:40 – Constraints based learning from Czech training Reinis describes how training environments shaped movement without heavy cueing. Change the environment before changing the athlete. Use simple tasks and small boundaries to create automatic technical improvements. Let athletes feel solutions instead of chasing perfect positions. 33:05 – European versus American development Reinis contrasts long term models focused on movement quality rather than short term output. Early years should build durability, not just speed and strength metrics. Avoid rushing physical qualities before coordination and play are established. Development is a process of layering, not skipping steps. 45:10 – Bringing games and novelty back into training Reinis highlights how playful constraints improve responsiveness and decision making. Add game based movement to keep athletes adaptive under changing conditions. Use novelty sparingly to reawaken coordination and intent. Reduce scripted drills when athletes stop learning from them. 59:47 – Multi sport value and avoiding early specialization Reinis explains why single sport paths can limit long term performance. Multiple sports expand movement bandwidth and reduce overuse. Delay specialization until athletes have broad coordination skills. Early success does not guarantee long term development. 1:11:48 – Plyometrics and gradual tissue progression Reinis stresses that bounding and plyos require patience and slow tissue adaptation. Progress volume and intensity over seasons, not weeks. Start with low amplitude contacts before higher velocity work. Tendons adapt slower than muscles, so loading must reflect that timeline. 1:22:40 – Tendon health and long term loading approach Reinis shares what he learned from repeated injury cycles. Small, ...
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 35 mins
  • 490: Austin Jochum on Engineering an Elite Training Stimulus

    490: Austin Jochum on Engineering an Elite Training Stimulus
    Nov 20 2025
    Today’s guest is Austin Jochum. Austin Jochum is the founder of Jochum Strength, a former All-Conference safety turned performance coach known for playful, movement-rich training. He blends strength, speed, and adaptability to help athletes build real-world capability and enjoy the process. So often, coaches inadvertently play by the formal “rules” of coaching, through substantial instruction, within smaller boxes of training. Gameplay and sport itself are the ultimate example of task-based stimulation, chaos, and problem-solving, and the more we learn from it, the more effective our training can become. In this episode, Austin Jochum and I explore how coaching transforms when you trade rigid cues for play, stimulus, and athlete-driven learning. We dig into why intent and novelty matter, how to “win the day” without chasing constant PRs, and the power of environments that let athletes self-organize. Austin speaks on his recent dive into improving his Olympic lifting, and subsequent improvement in explosive athletic power, along with the masculine and feminine nature of the snatch and clean and jerk, respectively. Finally, Austin also breaks down the JST Olympics—his team-based approach that’s exploding motivation, competition, and performance in the gym. 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/) 0:00 – Austin’s background, wrestling influence, and early training lens 8:12 – How wrestling shaped his coaching, problem-solving, and creativity 14:30 – Working with movement constraints, unpredictability, and the “maze” idea 22:40 – Why he prioritizes exploration over instruction 31:18 – Building athletic bandwidth through games and environmental design 38:01 – Touch on wrestling in training and contact-oriented movement 45:10 – Heavy rope training, rhythm, and full-body sequencing 52:46 – Hiring coaches and building culture inside his gym 1:01:37 – Athlete intuitiveness, imitation, and imitation-driven learning 1:10:55 – Recovery methods, cold exposure, and principles behind them 1:18:42 – Breathing mechanics, sensory awareness, and relaxation 1:24:52 – Tempo, rhythm, and “feel” in athletic movement 1:30:48 – Coaching philosophy and where Austin is heading next Actionable Takeaways 8:12 – Use problem-solving sports to shape athletic intelligence Wrestling taught Austin to read bodies, adapt instantly, and explore solutions without external cues. Add low-level grappling or tagging games to build instinctive reaction. Favor tasks where athletes solve problems on their own rather than through constant cueing. Let athletes “feel” leverage, pressure, and timing instead of explaining it. 14:30 – Build constraints that shape behavior instead of commanding technique Austin’s “maze” concept uses environment and rules to funnel athletes into better movement patterns. Use boundaries, footwork boxes, or timing rules to nudge athletes into desired solutions. Ask “what would make the athlete naturally move better?” instead of “how do I cue it?” Encourage unpredictable tasks that force athletes to explore and adapt. 22:40 – Exploration outperforms instruction for long-term development Austin finds that athletes learn faster when they discover solutions. Give them space to experiment before layering instruction. Adjust one variable at a time and let athletes reorganize around it. Use questions (“What did you feel? What would you try next?”) to guide reflection. 31:18 – Games expand movement bandwidth Austin uses play-based drills to build coordination, elasticity, and adaptability. Rotate games: tag, dodgeball variations, reactive pursuit, to challenge perception-action loops. Use small-sided tasks to increase decision density without overthinking. Keep the focus on fun: fun increases intent and frees up movement quality. 38:01 – Use wrestling-inspired drills for strength without rigidity Wrestling movements gave Austin strong connective tissue without bulky lifting. Use partner-resistance tasks for whole-body strength and tension awareness. Build isometrics out of wrestling positions for joint integrity. Allow controlled chaos; body contact builds stabilizing capacity. 45:10 – Heavy rope work for rhythm, sequencing, and tissue tolerance Austin relies on heavy rope patterns for global coordination. Use ropes to sync hands, feet, hips, and breath. Program flowing, continuous patterns to teach timing and smooth force transfer. Start with simple rhythms, then build patterns that cross midline. 52:46 – Culture and community determine training success Austin emphasizes hiring ...
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 15 mins
  • 489: Bill Smart on Isometrics, Flywheels, and Elastic Power Development

    489: Bill Smart on Isometrics, Flywheels, and Elastic Power Development
    Nov 13 2025
    Today’s guest is Bill Smart. Bill is a sport scientist and physical preparation coach specializing in elite fight-sports performance. As the founder of Smarter Performance and the Strength & Conditioning lead for the CORE MMA team, Bill integrates cutting-edge evidence with real-world high-performance systems to enable combat athletes to show up on fight day in optimal physiological condition. Much of the conversation in sports performance hinges on speed and power development, or conditioning, as a stand-alone conversation. Sport itself is dynamic and combines elements of speed, strength, and endurance in a dynamic space. Training should follow the same considerations to be truly alive and effective. In the episode, Bill shares his journey from cycling and rowing to combat sports. He discusses how long isometric holds develop both physical and mental resilience, and their implementation in his programming. The conversation dives into muscle-oxygen dynamics, integrating ISOs with conditioning, and how testing shapes his approach. Bill also explores flywheel eccentrics, fascicle-length development, and why sprinting is a key element for maintaining elastic power in elite fighters. Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and the Just Fly Sports Online Courses 30-50% off all courses until December 1, 2025. (https://justflysports.thinkific.com) Use code “justfly10” for 10% off the Vert Trainer 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 – Bill’s coaching journey and early mentors 6:04 – The importance of movement observation and intuition 11:35 – Why athletes plateau and how to identify limiting factors 20:42 – Strength training principles that actually transfer 30:01 – Using movement variability and play in training 40:36 – Coaching communication and creating connection 52:09 – The role of curiosity and creativity in coaching longevity 1:00:55 – Key lessons from years of coaching experience Actionable Takeaways 6:04 – Movement observation and intuition Bill emphasizes that the best coaches develop a trained eye for movement by observing, not just testing. Watch athletes move in multiple contexts before prescribing anything. Look for how they transition between patterns, not only the end positions. Use video less for judgment and more for curiosity. What is the athlete trying to do? 11:35 – Identifying limiting factors Athletes plateau when coaches overemphasize one metric or capacity while ignoring the real constraint. Look beyond the weight room; technical or psychological factors often drive plateaus. Use minimal testing data to narrow focus rather than justify complexity. Sometimes the limiting factor is overcoaching. Let athletes fail and self-correct. 20:42 – Strength that transfers Transfer happens when strength work complements, not competes with, the sport’s rhythm and intent. Prioritize strength that preserves elasticity and timing rather than just force output. Rotate exercises often enough to keep athletes adaptive, but not so often that they lose rhythm. Load movement patterns, not just muscles. Treat every lift as coordination under resistance. 30:01 – Variability and play in training Bill describes play as a teaching tool that restores creativity and problem-solving in athletes. Use small games, uneven surfaces, or timing constraints to build adaptable movers. Variability should be purposeful. Expand coordination bandwidth without losing technical intent. Schedule “uncoached” time in sessions where athletes explore movement freely. 40:36 – Coaching communication and connection Great coaching depends on trust and empathy before information transfer. Deliver feedback as collaboration, not correction; frame cues as shared problem-solving. Match your communication tone to the athlete's readiness and personality. Be consistent and calm under pressure; emotional stability is contagious. 52:09 – Curiosity and creativity for coaching longevity Curiosity keeps coaching sustainable; creativity prevents burnout. Study outside your lane: music, design, or art can refine pattern recognition. Avoid rigid “systems” that turn coaching into mechanical input-output. Revisit old training ideas with a new lens instead of constantly chasing novelty. 1:00:55 – Key lessons and philosophy Bill’s long-term perspective is about developing people, not just performers. Build a coaching environment where learning continues on both sides. Focus on long-term process rather than short-term validation. Great coaching is about alignment between words, actions, and values. Quotes from Bill Smart “Observation is the beginning of understanding movement. You can’t coach what you don’t actually see.” “If you only measure outputs, you’ll miss what’s driving them.” “Strength is ...
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 3 mins
No reviews yet