Episode #234 Building Speed, Absorbing Force, and Contextual Coaching with Jorge Carvajal
Explicit content warning
04/09/25 • 70 min
Send us your questions, or thoughts on today's episode!
In this episode of Muscles and Management, Gerry welcomes speed and performance specialist Jorge Carvajal for a deep dive into building real-world speed, athlete resilience, and cutting through the noise in the world of performance training.
Jorge shares insights from over 30 years in the field, including experiences working with NFL athletes, tactical athletes, and elite performers across multiple sports. The conversation starts with Jorge’s early mentorship under Tony Villani and how it completely shifted his understanding of speed development—taking him from a strength-only coach to a true performance coach.
They unpack:
- The evolution from "strength coach" to "performance coach"
- Why sprinting must be in your program (and why it’s non-negotiable for speed)
- Understanding load management, especially for high school athletes
- The balance between “less is more” and doing enough to move the needle
- Force absorption and the overlooked importance of deceleration training
- Using testing data to know when to push strength and when to back off
- Why context is king in coaching decisions (especially with parents and over-programmed athletes)
Jorge also shares practical wisdom on athlete recovery, how to manage central nervous system fatigue, and why smart, simple programming beats trendy overcomplication every time.
This is an absolute masterclass for coaches and athletes looking to train smarter, avoid injuries, and get faster—without falling into the trap of chasing numbers for the sake of it.
Timestamps:
0:00 – Introduction to the Episode and Guest, Jorge Carvajal
2:24 – Jorge’s Start and Early Mentorship from Tony Villani
7:39 – Rethinking Ladder Drills and Purpose-Driven Application
12:10 – Humbling Lessons on Speed: "I Realized I Knew Nothing"
16:00 – Jorge’s Evolution: From Strength Coach to Performance Coach
19:54 – Contextual Coaching: What Do Your Athletes Really Need?
23:08 – Sprinting and Strength: Knowing When Enough is Enough
29:04 – Avoiding Excessive Mass Gains That Slow Athletes Down
33:35 – Chasing Numbers vs. Chasing Results: Keep the Context
37:11 – Load Management: Avoiding Overload, Especially in Young Athletes
42:12 – Why High School Strength Coaches Deserve Huge Respect
44:58 – Less is More: Structuring Sprint Workouts for Recovery
48:15 – Monitoring Athlete Readiness and Recovery Daily
53:08 – When Strength Stops Translating to Performance
57:48 – Deceleration Training: Building Better, Safer Athletes
1:02:10 – Film Study and Sport-Specific Application of Deceleration
1:05:11 – Final Thoughts: Stay Humble, Stay Curious, and Keep Learning
Get A 7 Day FREE TRIAL On Onlystrength! - https://www.onlystrength.training/podcastoffer
Send us your questions, or thoughts on today's episode!
In this episode of Muscles and Management, Gerry welcomes speed and performance specialist Jorge Carvajal for a deep dive into building real-world speed, athlete resilience, and cutting through the noise in the world of performance training.
Jorge shares insights from over 30 years in the field, including experiences working with NFL athletes, tactical athletes, and elite performers across multiple sports. The conversation starts with Jorge’s early mentorship under Tony Villani and how it completely shifted his understanding of speed development—taking him from a strength-only coach to a true performance coach.
They unpack:
- The evolution from "strength coach" to "performance coach"
- Why sprinting must be in your program (and why it’s non-negotiable for speed)
- Understanding load management, especially for high school athletes
- The balance between “less is more” and doing enough to move the needle
- Force absorption and the overlooked importance of deceleration training
- Using testing data to know when to push strength and when to back off
- Why context is king in coaching decisions (especially with parents and over-programmed athletes)
Jorge also shares practical wisdom on athlete recovery, how to manage central nervous system fatigue, and why smart, simple programming beats trendy overcomplication every time.
This is an absolute masterclass for coaches and athletes looking to train smarter, avoid injuries, and get faster—without falling into the trap of chasing numbers for the sake of it.
Timestamps:
0:00 – Introduction to the Episode and Guest, Jorge Carvajal
2:24 – Jorge’s Start and Early Mentorship from Tony Villani
7:39 – Rethinking Ladder Drills and Purpose-Driven Application
12:10 – Humbling Lessons on Speed: "I Realized I Knew Nothing"
16:00 – Jorge’s Evolution: From Strength Coach to Performance Coach
19:54 – Contextual Coaching: What Do Your Athletes Really Need?
23:08 – Sprinting and Strength: Knowing When Enough is Enough
29:04 – Avoiding Excessive Mass Gains That Slow Athletes Down
33:35 – Chasing Numbers vs. Chasing Results: Keep the Context
37:11 – Load Management: Avoiding Overload, Especially in Young Athletes
42:12 – Why High School Strength Coaches Deserve Huge Respect
44:58 – Less is More: Structuring Sprint Workouts for Recovery
48:15 – Monitoring Athlete Readiness and Recovery Daily
53:08 – When Strength Stops Translating to Performance
57:48 – Deceleration Training: Building Better, Safer Athletes
1:02:10 – Film Study and Sport-Specific Application of Deceleration
1:05:11 – Final Thoughts: Stay Humble, Stay Curious, and Keep Learning
Get A 7 Day FREE TRIAL On Onlystrength! - https://www.onlystrength.training/podcastoffer
Previous Episode
Episode #233 Breaking Plateaus, Training Smart, and Calling Out Gimmicks with William Wayland
Send us your questions, or thoughts on today's episode!
In this episode of Muscles and Management, Gerry sits down with elite strength coach and performance consultant William Wayland to dig deep into what truly drives long-term athlete development—and what doesn’t.
They waste no time diving into the overuse of unstable surface training, especially in rotational sports like golf and baseball, and why chasing “core stability” often misses the point. William explains how performance has been overtaken by gimmicks and fear-driven training methods and provides clear, practical alternatives rooted in real-world results.
They also discuss:
- Hand-supported squats and RDLs as tools to break through strength plateaus
- Training adaptations in-season vs. off-season
- The importance of context and communication when working with athletes
- Neck training and its underappreciated role in performance and injury prevention
- AI in coaching, and why great coaches offer more than spreadsheets and rep schemes
From tackling social media misinformation to offering real solutions for building resilient, high-performing athletes, this episode is a masterclass in modern coaching.
All that and more on this episode of Muscles and Management!
Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro to the Episode and Guest, William Wayland
3:12 – The Problem with Unstable Surface Training in Sport
7:39 – Social Media Influence and Why Gimmicks Go Viral
10:25 – Fear of Loading and the Rise of “Safe but Useless” Training
16:00 – Real Force Production vs. Balance Drills
18:42 – Breaking Strength Plateaus with Hand-Supported Variations
25:00 – In-Season vs. Off-Season Programming Adjustments
29:36 – Novelty, Monotony, and When to Change Training Stimuli
34:00 – The Role of Communication and Subjective Feedback
37:47 – Coaching in Chaos: Travel, Sleep, and Agile Programming
42:00 – AI and the Future of Strength Coaching
48:22 – Neck Training: Benefits, Myths, and Practical Programming
55:32 – When and How to Program Neck Work
58:23 – Evidence vs. Experience: Finding the Balance
1:01:18 – Final Thoughts on Craftsmanship in Coaching
Get A 7 Day FREE TRIAL On Onlystrength! - https://www.onlystrength.training/podcastoffer
Next Episode
Episode #235 Sprint Mechanics, Positional Speed Work, and High/Low Programming with Matt Gebert
Send us your questions, or thoughts on today's episode!
In this episode of Muscles and Management, Gerry is joined by Matt Gebert, newly appointed strength and conditioning coach for Auburn Football, previously at Arizona. Matt brings a deep dive into real-world speed development for football players, with a focus on position-specific programming, sprint mechanics, and how to effectively use the high/low model for both performance and injury prevention.
They break down:
- The SMAS sprint mechanics scoring system: a free and objective way to evaluate and improve sprinting posture and efficiency
- Sprint training for linemen vs. skill positions: why all positions need sprint exposure—but not in the same way
- The “butt-kick epidemic” in football and how to correct poor front-side mechanics
- Blending acceleration and max velocity days, and how to match plyometric and strength work to ground contact demands
- High/low training structure in the off-season vs. in-season, and how to individualize workloads based on playing time
- Speed testing and leaderboards to increase athlete engagement and competitive drive
Matt also shares how to handle athlete autonomy on game day, how to create buy-in without micromanaging, and yes—how one NFL athlete used tomatoes in a bizarre pre-game routine.
This one is packed with practical strategies for organizing large football rosters, individualizing training based on need and position, and pushing athletic performance while keeping guys healthy.
Timestamps:
- 0:00 – Intro to the Episode and Guest, Matt Gebert
- 3:17 – Foundational Training and Social Media Gimmicks
- 6:33 – Influence of Joe DeFranco and Cam Josse on Matt’s Approach
- 9:46 – Sprint Mechanics Assessment (SMAS): Objective Speed Analysis
- 14:25 – Addressing Positional Differences: Linemen vs. Skill Players
- 20:00 – Butt-Kicking Epidemic and Front/Back Side Mechanics
- 23:37 – Using Cues vs. Addressing Physical Limitations
- 27:16 – Sprint Training Design for Linemen: 2 Accel Days + Adjusted MaxV
- 30:08 – Ground Contact Matching in Plyometrics and Lifts
- 32:49 – High/Low Programming Model in the Off-Season
- 34:54 – In-Season Adjustments and Stress Regulation with Practice
- 39:46 – Lifting Structure Based on Player Participation
- 40:34 – Game Day Warm-Up Structure and Athlete Autonomy
- 44:38 – Craziest Game Day Routine: The Tomato Knees
- 45:50 – Weekly Speed Days, Testing Setups, and Competition Culture
- 51:35 – Extracting Peak Output: Why Competition Drives Performance
- 52:32 – Final Thoughts and Coaching Philosophy
Get A 7 Day FREE TRIAL On Onlystrength! - https://www.onlystrength.training/podcastoffer
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