Evolving Performance Podcast (Ep10): Structural Biases in Speed & Strength Development with Bill Hartman

In this episode of the Evolving Performance Podcast, I’m joined by Bill Hartman, a world-renowned physical therapist and co-owner of Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training (IFAST). Bill is the creator of the Unified Health and Performance Continuum Model, a principles-based framework that examines how the entire human system works together to manage forces and create movement.

In this episode, we explore how structural biases—an athlete’s natural body type—fundamentally shape their potential to develop speed versus strength. Bill explains why certain structures gravitate toward specific sports, the trade-offs of training athletes without accounting for their build, and how to tailor exercise selection to individual biomechanics. The conversation also covers evaluating movement in pain-free athletes, using internal versus external coaching cues, and why “belly breathing” misrepresents proper diaphragm function.

This episode offers essential insights for coaches looking to individualize training and better understand the relationship between structure, movement, and performance.

Topics Include:

Structural biases that favor speed versus strength development
Why elite athletes in the same sport share similar body types
How structure determines pressure distribution and force production capacity
The “funnel” vs. “pillar” configurations and their performance implications
Training trade-offs when working against an athlete’s natural structure
Exercise selection strategies for different structural archetypes
Evaluating movement in athletes without pain or dysfunction
When to use internal versus external focus in coaching
Direct assessment of diaphragm function and breathing mechanics
Why “belly breathing” constrains the thorax and limits movement quality
Using strategic loading to magnify movement patterns and evolve motor control
The role of sensory awareness in recapturing relative motion

📲 Connect with Bill Hartman:
Instagram: @bill_hartman_pt
Websites:
➡️ billhartmanpt.com
➡️ UHPC Model
➡️ RECON

🔥 If you enjoy the episode, please leave a 5-star rating and share it with friends, teammates, colleagues, etc.

Supporting High Performance

Special thanks to this podcast’s sponsor Metabolic Elite. Metabolic Elite’s entire product line is designed to specifically support the health, performance, and recovery of high performers. Each product is formulated using research-supported ingredients and dosages using the highest quality ingredients, so you can be confident that every product you take will deliver the maximal benefit and effect.

Check out why Metabolic Elite’s Liposomal Tablet delivery system is a game-changer: LPT White Paper

Save 15% using the code ‘neeld15’ at checkout here: Metabolic Elite

A few of my personal go-to’s:

To improve focus, decision making, and coordination: Synapsin
To improve circulation, exercise output and recovery: EndurO2
To improve inflammation and recovery: Tetra Cur
To support the immune system and weight management: Viraxall

Hockey Hips, Early Specialization, and Work Capacity

After having Eric Cressey as a guest on the Evolving Performance Podcast, he invited me to do a “home and home” and be a guest on his Elite Baseball Development Podcast.

Check out the episode here: Hockey Hips, Early Specialization and Work Capacity

In the episode, we talk through a lot of hockey-related topics and their parallels to baseball, including:

Challenges of a lengthy, competitive NHL hockey season
Practical strategies for managing stiff hips
The skill-specific nature of work capacity
How teams are evaluating and developing hockey players

Check out the episode here: Hockey Hips, Early Specialization and Work Capacity

To your success,

Kevin Neeld

P.S. One of the questions I get most frequently from hockey players (and their parents and coaches) is “how can I get faster?”. I wrote a book on this exact topic that includes age-specific training programs. Get your copy here: Speed Training for Hockey

Data in Sports Podcast: Performance Evolution

I was recently a guest on a new podcast exploring the impact of data on athlete and team performance called the Data in Sports Podcast.

Listen to the full episode here: Performance Evolution: Insights from the Ice

In the episode, Mike and I discuss:

My journey and career in sports performance
The evolving role of data in athlete training
The importance of understanding athlete needs
How data can enhance performance while emphasizing the significance of foundational training methods
How athletes engage with data
The challenges faced by data professionals in sports
The future of performance optimization
Bonus: **The best pizza spot in the greater Boston area

If you’re a performance coach integrating more data collection into your work flow, a sport or data scientist with aspirations of working in professional sport, or simply curious about how data is being used to help support player performance at the professional level, this is a great episode to check out.

Listen to the full episode here: Performance Evolution: Insights from the Ice

If you found this helpful, please share/re-post it so others can benefit.

To your success,

Kevin Neeld

P.S. If you’re interested in learning more about sport science and data analysis and presentation in sport, check out Optimizing Adaptation & Performance.

Evolving Performance Podcast (Ep9): Foundational Truths in Athlete Development with Mike Boyle

Mike Boyle is one of the foremost experts in the fields of Strength and Conditioning, Functional Training and general fitness. In 1996 he co-founded Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning, one of the first for-profit strength and conditioning companies in the world, training athletes from junior high school students to All Stars in almost every major professional sport.

Prior to Co- founding Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning, Coach Boyle served as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Boston University for 15 years, and as the Strength and Conditioning Coach for Men’s Ice Hockey at Boston University for 25 years. He also served as the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Boston Bruins for 8 years, the Boston Red Sox during their world series winning campaign in 2013, and for the US Women’s Olympic Ice hockey team during 2 Olympic cycles, helping the team win Gold in 1998 in Nagano and Silver in 2014 in Sochi. He also served as a consultant in the development of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Mike has been a featured speaker at numerous strength and conditioning and athletic training clinics across the world, has produced 20 instructional videos in the area of strength and conditioning available through Perform Better, and published his book Functional Training for Sports for Human Kinetics.

In the episode, we discuss:

✅ The “big rocks” of training that outlast fads and technologies
✅ What separates athletes who make it from those who fall short
✅ The right age to start formal strength and conditioning
✅ Key physical and psychological readiness signs in young athletes
✅ Misconceptions about youth training and growth stunting
✅ Advice for parents on year-round sports and specialization
✅ Why most youth athletes don’t need to “play up” to get better
✅ Signs of overuse and burnout in young athletes
✅ How to identify appropriate coaching and training environments
✅ The importance of consistency and long-term planning in development
✅ Why early success doesn’t always lead to long-term achievement

📲 Connect with Mike: StrengthCoach.com | Instagram: @michael_boyle1959

🔥 If you enjoy the episode, please leave a 5-star rating and share it with friends, teammates, colleagues, etc.

Supporting High Performance

Check out why Metabolic Elite’s Liposomal Tablet delivery system is a game-changer: LPT White Paper

Save 15% using the code ‘neeld15’ at checkout here: Metabolic Elite

A few of my personal go-to’s:

To improve focus, decision making, and coordination: Synapsin
To improve circulation, exercise output and recovery: EndurO2
To improve inflammation and recovery: Tetra Cur
To support the immune system and weight management: Viraxall

Evolving Performance Podcast (Ep8): Developing Maximum Strength for Athletes with Eric Cressey

In this episode of the Evolving Performance Podcast, Kevin is joined by Eric Cressey, Director of Player Health and Performance for the New York Yankees and President and co-founder of Cressey Sports Performance. They delve into the importance of developing maximum strength for athletes and key characteristics of effective strength training methods. Eric discusses how to recognize when an athlete is strong enough and ready to pursue other primary training goals, acknowledging the evolution of athletic strength and the role of technology in assessing performance.

They explore whether strength training can lead to reduced mobility and strategies to minimize potential loss in athleticism, particularly for rotational athletes. The conversation further addresses how strength training should evolve from off-season to in-season programs to account for competing demands, emphasizing maintaining strength with minimal volume during the competitive season. Finally, they cover critical aspects like the impact of athlete lifestyle habits (including sleep), managing injury history, and the importance of mentorship for young coaches in the evolving landscape of sports performance. This episode provides actionable insights for coaches and athletes looking to optimize training adaptation and career longevity.

In the episode, we delve into the importance of developing maximum strength for athletes, including:

✅ Recognizing when an athlete is strong enough to shift training focus.
✅ How strength training can impact mobility and athleticism.
✅ Training considerations for rotational athletes.
✅ Evolving strength training from off-season to in-season programs.
✅ The role of technology in assessing and guiding strength development.
✅ Strategies for maintaining strength with low volume in-season.
✅ The critical role of sleep in athlete performance and recovery.
✅ Balancing physical stressors with broader life stressors for athletes.
✅ The value of mentorship for aspiring strength and conditioning coaches.

📲 Connect with Eric: EricCressey.com | Instagram: @ericcressey

🔥 If you enjoy the episode, please leave a 5-star rating and share it with friends, teammates, colleagues, etc.

Supporting High Performance

Check out why Metabolic Elite’s Liposomal Tablet delivery system is a game-changer: LPT White Paper

Save 15% using the code ‘neeld15’ at checkout here: Metabolic Elite

A few of my personal go-to’s:

To improve focus, decision making, and coordination: Synapsin
To improve inflammation and recovery: Tetra Cur
To support the immune system and weight management: Viraxall
To improve digestive health: Max 12 Probiotic