6. Joel Smith - PAC 12 Track & Strength Coach, Author & Founder of Just Fly Sports Performance

Joel Smith, MS, CSCS is a NCAA Division I Strength Coach working in the PAC 12 conference at the University of California, Berkeley. A former collegiate track athlete himself, today he coaches and trains members of the track and field team and swimming teams at the university. He has over 11 years of experience coaching sprints, jumps, hurdles, and pole vault and has coached multiple All Americans, national champions and supported 5 athletes who went on to earn Olympic berths in the 2016 games where they earned 9 medals including a world record performance. Joel also is the founder of Just Fly Sports Performance, an online company where he and his team bring relevant training information to the everyday coach and athlete. He’s authored multiple book, programs and is the host of the Just Fly Sports Podcast. Today, Joel talks about his rise through the college coaching caste system. The role of biomechanics and why it’s important that athletes tap into their own movement patterns vs. trying to fit a stereotypical mold. The role of fascia and tension lines and how an overemphasis on building muscle may actually slow some sprinters down. The concept of the “wired” athlete, and how an athlete’s Central Nervous System very well may dictate their threshold for speed and explosiveness. He provides an introduction to the concept of fast twitch vs. slow twitch muscle fibers and whether athletes can do anything to change the cards they were dealt. Joel break’s down at a high level how an athlete should begin to structure a goal oriented workout plan and finishes with a preliminary introduction into the cutting edge concept of neurotyping. Mentioned In The Show: The Space Bar Speed Test Follow Joel Smith: Website: https://www.just-fly-sports.com/ Instagram: @justflysports Twitter: @justflysports Podcast: Just Fly Performance Podcast   Follow The Professional Athlete Podcast with Ken Gunter: Instagram: @the_professionalathlete Website: Kengunter.com   Produced By: Justin Gunter, Ken Gunter Music By: Justin Gunter, Ken Gunter