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It’s one thing to select a movement; it’s another to understand the exact biomechanical mechanisms being trained and precisely where that transfer of force takes place on the track or field.

In today’s video, we pull back the curtain on a core biomechanical principle that separates real speed development from superficial drills.

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To watch this complete breakdown, access Part 1, and unlock the entire Speed System vault, upgrade your subscription below.

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When you load a traditional strength movement, what are you actually transferring to the field or court?

Most coaches assume that heavy, sagittal-plane movements automatically make athletes faster and more explosive. But true dynamic correspondence depends far less on the name of the lift and far more on the intention of the input. Change the intent, and you completely alter how—or even if—that movement carries over to real-world athletic performance.

In this breakdown, we’re taking a traditional strength staple and analyzing it through a mechanism-first lens. Specifically, we’re zooming in on a crucial, often-overlooked driver of force transmission: the rotational capabilities of the leg.

If you want to understand how foot-ground interaction and lower-extremity rotation dictate force application in high-speed athletic skills, hit the video below.

🔒 Ready to go deeper into mechanism-based training?

Upgrade to a paid subscription to get:

• 🎬 The full Part 1 video breakdown on lower-leg rotational mechanics.

• ⚡ Part 2 (Coming Soon): A hyper-focused continuation specifically applied to sprinting speed.

• 🛠️ Full Access to the Speed System: The exact speed, force, and movement framework utilized with athletic teams at Santa Monica College.

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But true speed isn’t just about raw horsepower—it’s about timing and sequence.

When your muscular firing sequence is tuned down to the millisecond, force output happens naturally. One of the most overlooked neurological mechanisms behind this elite timing is the cross-extensor reflex—the body’s built-in system for alternating ground contact and explosive hip drive.

In today’s video, we break down one essential timing drill that athletes can seamlessly plug into their current speed work to instantly improve ground contact efficiency.

This drill directly connects to the foundational concepts we cover in the early modules of The Speed System.

🔓 What’s Inside Today’s Video Breakdown:

• The Neuro Mechanics: How to tap into the cross-extensor reflex for faster limb exchange.

• The Timing Drill: A simple, high-yield drill you can implement in your next session.

• System Integration: How this groundwork sets up everything we build on in The Speed System modules.

Upgrade to a paid subscription below to unlock the full video breakdown and access the entire Speed System archive.

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In today’s video, I break down the specific instruction framework we use within the Speed System to get maximum transfer on the field. Specifically, we dive into:

• Stance vs. Swing Leg Cues: Why confusing these two creates energy leaks—and how to cue them distinctly for immediate results.

• Real-World Application: A breakdown of how I recently applied this exact framework with a high school football athlete to fix his acceleration posture and output.

This ties directly into “The Language of Coaching” presentation available in the subscriber library.

If you’re a paid subscriber, you already have full access to both the complete Speed System vault and “The Language of Coaching” presentation.

Check out the breakdown in the video below:

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Movement screens are everywhere, but are they actually worth your time?

In this episode, we break down why relying on rigid, linear, sagittal-plane movements to predict athletic outcomes falls flat in real-world performance. We also dive into the obsession with “fixing” asymmetries—and why trying to make an athlete perfectly symmetrical might actually be holding them back from producing elite results.

Stop wasting training time on low-yield screens. Let’s talk about what actually matters.

🎧 Listen now on Audio Notes.

It sounds good in theory, but it’s completely misunderstood—and it’s killing your athletes’ game-day speed.

In Module #8 of The Speed System, we are breaking down why a rigid torso actually acts as a brake on performance. On the field and on the court, torso rotation is the actual key to unlocking fluid, efficient, and elite multidirectional movement. True torso integration isn’t about freezing the spine; it’s about mastering dynamic rotation and counter-rotation to project force where it matters.

This module dives deep into the underlying biomechanical mechanisms of the trunk, moving past static snapshots to show you how to unlock true, game-specific speed.

Unlock the Full Module

Ready to upgrade your speed toolbox? Upgrade to a paid subscription to get instant access to the full Module 8 presentation, plus:

• The Entire Blueprint: Full access to the previous 7 modules of The System.

• Proven Results: The exact, first-principles speed development framework I use daily with all the athletic teams here at Santa Monica College.

• Audio Notes: Exclusive audio breakdowns and deep dives delivered straight to your inbox.

[ Upgrade to Paid & Watch Module #8 ]

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But recently, I’ve been revisiting a specific constrained sprint variation—and seeing it in an entirely new light.

This particular variation uses a simple spatial constraint, allowing athletes to open up at various speeds while locked into a specific posture. While it has always been a staple for targeting torso alignment, my recent focus has shifted higher up the chain.

The new addition to my lens? The shoulder complex and hand position.

By tightening our focus on how the shoulder guides the arm action under this constraint, we’re seeing a massive breakthrough in how the torso stabilizes during high-velocity running.

Unlock the Video Demonstration

In the video breakdown below, I detail the exact setup of the drill, the visual cues I use, and the precise shoulder/hand adjustments we are making right now to optimize this movement.

Paid Subscriber Exclusive: To unlock the full video demonstration—and get complete access to The System (the exact speed and development framework I run with our athletes here at Santa Monica College)—upgrade your subscription below.

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When you have a highly compressed window to prepare athletes for the demands of a rigorous season, you cannot afford to waste time on decorative programming. You have to eliminate the fluff. Every single minute on the floor or the pitch must directly move the needle on the physical qualities that actually decide outcomes in soccer: explosive speed, raw power, contextual agility, and robust structural strength.

What We Cover in This Episode:

• The Filter of Direct Application: Why we stripped away traditional, low-return “conditioning” fluff to isolate high-velocity mechanics and foundational force production. If a movement doesn’t directly translate to a faster drop-step, a more violent acceleration, or injury resilience, it got cut.

• The JuCo Reality & Schedule Architecture: A deep dive into the unique structural constraints of the junior college weekly calendar. Managing a JuCo program requires a highly context-specific blueprint—what works in a fully funded four-year university or a high school setting may completely fail here. We break down how we maximize our limited contact hours.

• Tactical Periodization: How we balance microdoses of high-output speed work with the compounding structural loads needed to survive a condensed fall schedule.

Listen to the full episode below to hear exactly how we reverse-engineer the physical profile of an elite soccer player under strict time constraints.

Enjoy the episode, and if you haven’t already, hit that subscribe button so you never miss an update from The System.

🔓 Unlock Elite Performance Mechanics

Want to take your coaching library a step further? Paid subscribers get exclusive access to premium modules, including the complete, step-by-step Speed System—breaking down advanced sprint mechanics, force application, and true speed development. Upgrade your subscription today to unlock it.

In today’s video, we are breaking down how elite upper-body mechanics actually dictate what your lower body can do. If you want to unlock your true top-end speed, you have to look at the shoulders and the traps.

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Here is a quick breakdown of what we cover in the video:

1. The Myth of Pure Flexion & Extension

Most track-and-field coaching tells athletes to move their arms strictly forward and backward—like a perfect pendulum. The fastest sprinters on earth don’t actually do this.

Pure sagittal (front-to-back) pumping creates rigid, robotic movement. Elite sprinters allow for a natural, subtle rotational counterpart in the upper body to counterbalance the massive rotational forces generated by the hips. If you force strict flexion and extension, you fight your own anatomy.

2. Shoulder Range of Motion = Stride Length

Your upper body and lower body are explicitly linked via X-shaped neurological and fascial pathways (like the posterior oblique sling).

• The Rule: Limit your shoulder extension behind your body, and you automatically cut off your hip extension.

• To get maximum power out of your backside mechanics in a sprint, your shoulders must have the dynamic mobility to open up and drive backward.

3. The Real Role of the Traps

People often view shrugging or trap engagement during running as “wasted tension.” While you don’t want excessive stiffness in the neck/shoulders, the lower and mid-traps play a massive role in stabilizing the scapula. This stability gives the shoulder a rock-solid anchor point to generate violent, powerful arm drives. It’s not about being tense; it’s about creating a stable base for force transfer. Additionally, the upper traps play a key role - but sometimes we athletes using their upper body purely through their upper traps.

Watch the full video below

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The ultimate goal of field and track athleticism is the efficient projection of mass. Our industry teaches to produce massive amounts of horizontal force and direct it precisely into the ground. While the traditional barbell is king for absolute vertical strength, mastering the transition from rotation to translation requires a different toolset.

That is where lever arms—specifically, our Sorinex Jammer Arms—come into play.

At Santa Monica College, these lever arm movements are not a gimmick or an occasional accessory; they are an absolute staple of our offseason strength and conditioning program. If you train athletes who need to accelerate, change direction, and run at elite speeds, understanding how to leverage this tool is a game-changer.

Here is a look at why we use them, the specific mechanics they target, and how you can get access to our complete, step-by-step movement resource.

The Key Training Variable: Rotation to Translation

When an athlete accelerates or sprints, they aren’t just moving in a straight, sterile line. The human body produces force through rotational mechanisms—the hips, the torso, and the shoulders—and must seamlessly convert that rotational torque into linear, horizontal translation down the track or field.

Standard weight room exercises often miss this connection. A heavy squat or deadlift trains vertical force, but it doesn’t replicate the angular, unilateral force application required to drive out of a static start or transition through the acceleration phase.

With the Jammer Arms, we can anchor the movement axis. This allows the athlete to aggressively rotate their hips and torso against heavy resistance, forcing the kinetic chain to convert that rotation into true, horizontal explosiveness.

Get the Full Resource: Progressions, Movements, and Programming

To help coaches and athletes implement this effectively, I have compiled our entire library of lever arm protocols into a comprehensive digital resource.

This isn’t just a list of random exercises. It is a structured system featuring a wide variety of movements and strict progressions designed to take an athlete from foundational coordination to elite, chaotic power outputs.

Inside this resource, you’ll find:

• Foundational Progressions: How to teach athletes to establish a solid base, find their angles, and manage the unique arc of the lever.

• Unilateral & Rotational Variations: Specific movements that isolate single-leg drive and rotational hip power.

• Velocity-Based Progressions: Ballistic and plyometric-style jammer movements designed for peak rate of force development (RFD).

• Coaching Cues & Visuals: The exact first-principle coaching cues we use on the floor at SMC to correct common flaws instantly.

Access the Full Guide

This resource was originally built as an internal blueprint, but I am now making it available exclusively to our paid Substack subscribers.

If you train athletes, teach movement mechanics, or are an athlete looking to unlock a new gear of horizontal explosiveness, you will find immense value in this breakdown. Upgrade your subscription today to unlock the full movement library, video progressions, and programming logic.

Upgrade to Paid & Access the Lever Arm Resource

**Originally published in 2025**

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In Module 7, we examine how the torso connects to and influences the lower body during sprinting. You’ll learn why the torso must lead movement and rotation throughout the sprint cycle, while still preserving the lower-body positions that create efficient force transfer and speed.

Understanding this relationship is critical for developing a complete sprinting system—not just isolated mechanics.

Become a paid subscriber to access Module 7 and the six previous modules in The Speed System series.

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A Different Lens on Development

Anytime a specific muscle group is hyper-developed across an entire population of elite athletes, it’s a massive sign that we need to look closer. But to understand why the glutes are so prominent on world-class sprinters, we have to look past traditional coaching paradigms.

The standard textbook answer is simple: the glutes are hip extenders during sprinting. But I spent a lot of time asking myself if that is truly their primary function when sprinting at high velocities.

In Part 3, we are challenging that traditional view. Instead of looking at them purely through the lens of sagittal plane hip extension, we are breaking down a thought-provoking concept regarding what the glute complex is actually doing to stabilize and propel the center of mass when the foot strikes the field.

🔓 Unlock the Final Module

This video breakdown concludes our 3-part deep dive into posterior chain biomechanics.

Ready to challenge traditional training myths? Upgrade to a paid subscription today to watch the full video breakdown above and get instant access to the entire “The System” archive.

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Every track coach has a go-to arsenal of sprint drills. We watch the tape, read the literature, and quote the experts to justify why we do them. But are those drills actually doing what you think they’re doing?

In this episode, we dive deep into the validity and utility of common sprint drills. While many athletes absolutely “benefit” from standard progressions, too many coaches copy-paste methods without understanding the actual biomechanical mechanisms at play.

We’re breaking down how to move past blind adherence to the textbook and start using first-principle thinking to dissect sprint movement into its raw, foundational pieces.

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What We Cover:

• The “Hidden” Benefits: Why some drills work—but often for reasons completely different than what the “experts” claim.

• Mechanism vs. Motion: How to identify the exact physiological or technical mechanism inside a movement pattern, rather than just chasing a look.

• The Coach’s Audit: Why you need to objectively evaluate your own program and ruthlessly question the utility of every single drill you prescribe.

Listen now to learn how to break down sprinting into its smallest pieces and truly understand the why behind the run.

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Flipping the Script on Hamstring Mechanics

If you look at most speed clinics or coaching tutorials, the focus is almost entirely on the swing leg. Coaches love to break down the rapid stretch-shortening cycle that occurs when the foot is in front-side recovery, snapping back down toward the turf.

But that is only half the story.

In Part 2 of this series, we are shifting our focus entirely to the opposite side—the stance leg.

The Anchor of Propulsion

While the swing leg gets all the attention for its flashy, high-velocity movement, the stance leg hamstring is quietly doing the heavy lifting. We are diving deep into how this group functions under maximal load while the foot is planted, driving your center of mass forward. If you only train the hamstring for its air-borne recovery role, you are leaving massive amounts of ground force on the table.

🔓 Unlock Part 2 Now

This video breakdown and the upcoming third module are exclusive to paid Substack subscribers.

Ready for the full blueprint? Upgrade to a paid subscription today to unlock the video above, access the archive, and ensure you don’t miss Part 3.

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We explore how to integrate perception-action coupling, ensuring athletes aren’t just moving through space, but are actually solving movement problems in real-time. By structuring drills that provide the right “inputs,” we allow the mechanisms to refine themselves naturally within the flow of the session.

[Listen to the latest episode to uncover the secrets behind the programming and how to scale technical mastery across an entire roster.]

Welcome to Part 1 of our exclusive three-part series: The Posterior Chain’s Impact on Sprint Performance.

While many athletes focus on the “show muscles” of the quads, elite speed is built from behind. This series deconstructs how the posterior chain functions as the primary engine for human locomotion.

Beyond the “Toe Push”

Most amateur runners view the calves as simple levers for pushing off the ground. In reality, at elite speeds, the calf muscles (the gastrocnemius and soleus) act more like anchors and stiff springs than pistons. Their true function is force transmission—holding the ankle rigid so the massive power generated above can be transferred directly into the track/field/court without energy leaks.

The “Elite” Look: Why Pro Sprinters Have Massive Calves

Ever notice the hyper-defined lower legs of Olympic finalists? It isn’t just for aesthetics.

• Rapid Force Production: High-velocity sprinting requires the calf complex to control the body in less than 0.1 seconds.

• The Stretch-Shortening Cycle: Development in this area indicates a highly efficient system capable of storing elastic energy.

• Stability: Upon ground contact, set the sequence above.

The Power of the Chain

Sprinting is a symphony of the posterior chain. When these muscles fire in a coordinated sequence, they create a “whip” effect that drives the center of mass forward with minimal ground contact time.

🔓 Unlock the Full Series

This is a preview of a 3-part deep dive into biomechanics.

Ready to level up your speed? Upgrade to a paid subscription to access the full video, Part 2 (The Hamstring), and Part 3 (Glutes).

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