Feet, Ankles, and the Rhythm of Speed with Ryan Hopkins | Athletic Performance Podcast Ep. 50

What if the real key to speed has nothing to do with the weight room...and everything to do with your feet, ankles, and rhythm?

In this episode, Coach Ryan Patrick sits down with Ryan Hopkins (Soho Strength Lab, NYC) to break down the overlooked foundations of sprinting and athletic speed. We dive into cadence, coordination, and why too many coaches slow athletes down instead of letting them chase outputs.

This conversation is packed with practical takeaways for coaches, athletes, and parents who want to understand what really drives speed on the field.

What You’ll Learn

• Why most athletes are leaking performance through their feet and ankles.
• The critical role of rhythm (4+ steps per second) in top-end speed.
• How to balance technical drills with letting athletes “run wild.”
• The problem with always adding more force in S&C.
• Training strategies that actually transfer to game speed.

Chapters

00:00 – Rhythm and cadence: the heartbeat of speed
01:15 – Ryan Hopkins’ journey: from Equinox to Soho Strength Lab
05:00 – Untapped opportunities in youth development
07:00 – The foot & ankle problem (and how to fix it)
12:00 – Training progress: why it takes 1–2 years, not 4 weeks
16:00 – Drills vs. outputs: what really drives speed
22:00 – Session structure: blending rhythm, ranges, and pushes
29:00 – Common errors: cadence, hip separation, and over-striding
36:00 – Teaching range of motion and coordination
39:00 – What’s overvalued: slowing things down to make athletes “fast”
42:00 – Combine prep: retuning Ferraris, not building them
48:00 – Rethinking resisted sprints & horizontal force
50:00 – Why static starts are overrated
53:00 – Change of direction and deception: sport speed vs straight-line speed

🔗 Resources & Links

Soho Strength Lab

Comprehensive Calf Force Profiling – Dylan Carmody & Andy McDonald

Follow Ryan Hopkins on Instagram → @sslryan

Connect with Ryan Patrick → @coachryanpatrick

Join the Conversation

If you’re a coach, parent, or athlete serious about speed, drop your biggest takeaway in the comments. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share so we can keep bringing you world-class conversations with performance experts.