As always make sure you stream this on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and right in the video above!
Episode Overview
Episode 4 of The Fast Lane serves as a deep recap of the 2025 Track & Football Consortium (TFC), blending reflection, humor and high-level applied coaching discussion. Rather than simply re-hashing presentations, this episode expands on coach-submitted questions, hallway conversations and key themes that surfaced throughout the weekend.
At its core, the episode reinforces what makes TFC different from most conferences: Teachers teaching teachers, grounded in decades of real-world coaching, not trends or social-media optics.
The discussion moves fluidly between:
- Speed & acceleration mechanics
- Vision and vestibular training
- Isometrics, force handling, and fatigue resistance
- Upper-body contributions to sprinting
- How elite coaches decide what to keep, what to remove, and what actually matters
All while reminding listeners that clarity of intent beats complexity every time
Key Themes & Takeaways
1. Why TFC Is Different
TFC isn’t about novelty—it’s about better teaching.
- Most presenters are career teachers first, coaches second
- Emphasis is placed on how ideas are communicated, not just what the ideas are
- Few exercises are truly new—but better explanations change outcomes
“There’s not a lot of new exercises out there. What matters is how you explain them and when you use them.”
This mindset frames the rest of the episode.
2. Integrating Vision Training into Performance Work
One of the most discussed questions from TFC centered on how to practically integrate vision training—without turning warm-ups into chaos.
Vestibular-Ocular Reflex (VOR) as the Entry Point
- Head moves, eyes stay fixed on a target
- “Yes-yes” and “no-no” head motions
- Integrated early in warm-ups, not as a standalone station
Why it matters:
- Movement degrades vision
- Vision degrades movement
- Training them together restores the loop
Progressions discussed:
- Marching → split stance → single-leg → isometric sport positions
- Add vision before adding load or complexity
Vision training isn’t a separate system—it’s a constraint layered onto movement.
3. How Much “Traditional” Lifting Is Actually Needed?
A major Q&A topic focused on barbell work vs. isometrics, eccentrics, and reactive loading.
Core Principles
- The concentric phase is often just a byproduct of what happens eccentrically
- Isometrics create position, intent, and predictability
- Reactive eccentrics create coordination and force handling
Rather than chasing reps:
- Coaches prioritize position, timing, and intent
- Heavier isn’t better if it removes reactivity
“What you do going down matters more than coming up.”
4. Muscle Gain vs Performance (High School Reality Check)
When asked whether this style of training still builds muscle:
- Hypertrophy is often a secondary adaptation
- Nervous system efficiency dictates body composition changes
- Two athletes can do the same training and adapt differently
Key point:
- Muscle growth is driven more by nutrition and timing than rep schemes
- Training should solve performance problems first
5. Acceleration Is the Separator (Track vs Team Sport)
A central discussion thread revolved around Tony Villani’s “Kill Zone” and why acceleration decides outcomes.
Acceleration Truths
- Acceleration is essentially controlled falling
- The first 2–4 steps dictate the entire sprint
- Top speed means nothing if you’re already behind
For jumpers and sprinters:
- Acceleration training still applies
- They may never reach max velocity in competition
- Controlled velocity > absolute velocity
“If you don’t set it up early, you’re not running anyone down.”
6. Feet, Tendons, and Handling Force
The episode dives deep into force management, not force production.
Key Concepts
- Sprinting = ~8× bodyweight forces
- The weight room cannot replicate sprint forces directly
- Athletes must learn to absorb, redirect, and repel force
Tools & strategies discussed:
- Drop-and-catch drills
- Altitude drops
- Reactive landings with visual constraints
- Toe flexor strength as a potential aging and readiness marker
“How fast can you be strong?”
7. Upper Body Training: The Missing Link
One of the biggest evolutions discussed was upper-body involvement in sprinting.
Key insights:
- Scapular and oblique fatigue alters foot stiffness
- Upper body controls rib-pelvis alignment
- Loss of upper-body control = loss of elastic return
Grip considerations:
- Thick, neutral, vertical grips reduce biceps dominance
- Grip limitation may actually protect movement integrity
“Maybe that’s as strong as you are in that position—and that’s okay.”
8. The “Sniff Test”: How Elite Coaches Decide What Matters
Perhaps the most valuable segment of the episode.
The Sniff Test Questions
- Does this solve a real problem?
- Does it move the athlete closer to the line faster?
- Can I explain why I’m using it?
- What do I need to remove to make room?
Chris Korfist’s philosophy:
- Strip systems down, don’t add endlessly
- Prioritize transfer over entertainment
- Individualize based on movement profile, not ideology
“If you keep adding stuff, you’re really just back at the beginning.”
9. Core Training Reframed
The group ultimately reframes “core” as:
Hip & Rib Alignment Under Fatigue
Key ideas:
- Postural muscles respond to long-duration, low-threshold work
- Sprint breakdown late in races is often alignment failure
- Two minutes of quality control beats endless variation
“Stop saying core. Start saying hip and rib alignment.”
Final Takeaways for Coaches
- Speed is neural, not mechanical
- Teaching clarity matters more than novelty
- Acceleration is organized falling
- Upper body dictates lower-body expression
- Force must be handled before it can be produced
- Simplicity is earned—not assumed
The post The Fast Lane Episode 4 – TFC Recap + Q&A appeared first on SimpliFaster.
