Episode 21 – Eccentric Loading, Sprint Mechanics & Building Athletes That Last | ft. Colby Wortman Guest host Darren Hansen sits down with Colby Wartman, Speed Lab Director and owner of Origin Performance in Dickinson, ND. Colby shares his personal journey through addiction and sobriety, the mentorship that shaped his coaching philosophy, and how eccentric loading has become the foundation of his athlete development system. From the TreadMetrics leg press to resisted runs and depth jumps, Colby breaks down the tools and methods behind his results — plus a candid conversation on youth athlete burnout and what college coaches are really looking for today. Timestamps * 0:00 – Intro & Hero/Hardship/Highlight * 3:07 – Colby's background & new facility build * 5:40 – Eccentric loading philosophy & Coach Pete Leno * 11:55 – TreadMetrics eccentric leg press deep dive * 19:47 – Recovery, programming frequency & in-season management * 22:05 – Youth athlete overload & burnout * 29:23 – Sprint mechanics: negative foot speed & ground attack cues * 36:35 – Colby's core training toolkit * 38:27 – Simplifying speed development for coaches * 41:13 – Shifting to a speed-first program * 43:40 – What college coaches actually want from athletes * 44:53 – Where to find Colby & wrap up If you are interested in getting connected with Colby, Darren, and 200+ private facilities in the country - see if your facility is a fit for the Speed Lab Partnership: https://universalspeedrating.com/learn-more-partner-with-universal-speed-rating-speed-lab-podcast
Guest host Darren Hansen sits down with Erica Mulholland to talk about coaching young female soccer players the right way: balancing skill work with strength, reducing overuse injuries, and why load management + recovery matter way more than most athletes realize. Erica shares how a meniscus tear changed her approach, what she's seeing with ACL injuries in young girls, and the big rocks coaches should focus on if they want athletes to stay healthy and keep improving long-term. Timestamps (Key Moments) * 0:29 – Erica's early inspiration: discipline, hard work, and chasing big goals * 1:11 – Meniscus tear → wake-up call on load management + recovery * 4:09 – Why "skills-only" training fails young girls (and drives overuse injuries) * 4:29 – ACL injuries becoming more common in young girls (and what pushed Erica deeper into S&C) * 15:59 – Calling out bad coaching trends you see on Instagram (and why it matters) * 48:33 – Where to find Erica / socials Get Connected:Learn more about how becoming a Speed Lab helps you build faster athletes and a more sustainable sports performance business: https://universalspeedrating.com/learn-more-partner-with-universal-speed-rating-speed-lab-podcast
In this episode of The Speed Lab Podcast, guest host Darren Hansen sits down with coach and mentor Matt Erdman for a powerful conversation on the art of coaching. Matt Erdman Owns Veritas Athletic Performance and is a Universal Speed Rating Speed Lab Director. They dive deep into building trust with athletes, the power of positive communication, adapting coaching style to the individual, and why relationships—not just programming—drive long-term results. This episode is packed with practical insights for coaches, gym owners, and anyone looking to create a stronger training culture that actually lasts. Timestamps 00:00 – Intro & why Matt Erdman stands out as a coach 03:30 – Opening a facility: lessons learned & early mistakes 06:20 – Systems, organization, and why clarity matters 07:20 – Transition into The Power of Positive Selection 11:10 – Coaching delivery, trust, and athlete relationships 14:15 – Universal Speed Rating milestone & impact 15:25 – Individualizing coaching styles (men vs women, personalities) 18:05 – Building culture & uniting rival athletes 21:10 – Being approachable without lowering standards 24:10 – Consistency, clarity, and losing athlete trust 27:20 – Coaching less, saying more with fewer words 29:15 – Meeting athletes where they are mentally & physically 33:10 – Creating "wins" even on bad training days 35:05 – Communicating progress to parents 37:20 – Building resilient athletes beyond speed & strength 39:15 – Final thoughts & closing remarks If you'd like to learn more about how to working with Universal Speed Rating in your facility, schedule a call: https://universalspeedrating.com/learn-more-partner-with-universal-speed-rating-speed-lab-podcast
Darren Hansen sits down with Joe Pedulla to discuss rethinking acceleration training, working with youth athletes, and practical coaching strategies for time-constrained programs. They explore how to identify athlete types, balance strengths vs. weaknesses in training, and prepare for their upcoming webinar. Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction & Triple H (Hardship, Highlight, Hero) 05:09 - Rethinking Acceleration: Joe's general philosophy 07:50 - Teaching young athletes: Gorillas vs. Cheetahs framework (force production vs. speed) 10:16 - Visual cues for coaches to identify athlete movement types 16:02 - Training strengths vs. weaknesses: when to focus on each 17:20 - In-season training: keeping athletes engaged and stimulated 19:21 - Working with limited time (2-3 hours/week with athletes) 23:40 - Sled training loads and programming discussion 32:58 - Why sleds rarely make athletes slower + recovery considerations 34:56 - Lateral movement patterns and "squat accelerators" in sport 39:18 - Program design: subtle changes for different athlete profiles 44:56 - Acceleration vs. deceleration: what separates athletes at game speed 47:27 - Where to follow Joe + closing thoughts
The Speed Lab Podcast - Episode 17 Substitute host Darren Hansen of HansenAthletics sits down with Ryan Paul, owner of New Athlete and veteran performance coach with over two decades of experience training athletes. With more than 12,000 athletes trained since 2001, Ryan shares his evolution from conjugate periodization to an eccentric-focused training philosophy centered on force reduction and deceleration. The conversation dives deep into why athletes often return from college slower despite being stronger, the critical importance of teaching athletes to absorb force before producing it, and how long-duration isometrics (up to 300 seconds) are transforming athlete durability and performance. Ryan also breaks down his unique assessment methods using lunge positions to identify sprinting tendencies and explains why training volume in the weight room should better reflect the demands athletes face on the field. Timestamps * 0:00 - Introduction with Darren Hansen * 0:44 - Ryan Paul's background and 23+ years of athlete development * 2:41 - Evolution from conjugate training and its limitations * 3:54 - Why athletes get hurt decelerating, not accelerating * 5:08 - Common deficiencies: athletes can produce force but can't absorb it * 7:29 - Why college athletes return slower but stronger * 9:39 - Programming ratios: ~80% eccentric/deceleration work * 11:08 - Long-duration isometrics explained (5–300 seconds) * 16:01 - Cueing isometric lunges and assessing sprint type * 20:49 - Using USR technology to validate training observations * 22:29 - Redefining "recovery" and reducing systemic inflammation * 26:21 - Personal results from eccentric training * 27:01 - Favorite movements: Bulgarian split squats and toddler patterns * 29:34 - Crawling, coordination, and cortex development * 31:00 - Daily integration of eccentric training * 31:45 - Results: healthier athletes, better repeatability, reduced injury severity * 33:26 - Advice for coaches: match training volume to game demands * 36:21 - Closing remarks