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#238: The Savant of Speed -- Ryan Flaherty


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May 07 2017 99 mins   604
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“Don’t buy complexity. The simpler you make your training, the better the results become.”

– Ryan Flaherty

Ryan Flaherty (@ryanflaherty1) is the Senior Director of Performance at Nike. Prior to holding that position, Ryan was the Founder and President of Prolific Athletes LLC, a sports performance facility in San Diego, California, where he trained some of the world’s best athletes. His clients include Serena Williams, Russell Wilson, the Arizona Cardinals, Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston, and hundreds of other professional athletes.

While he is well known for dramatically improving his athletes’ speed, more and more athletes (and coaches) seek Ryan out for his training and guidance on injury prevention. Many of Ryan’s clients have made remarkable recoveries from injuries, and several NFL teams and European soccer clubs have sought his methodology to implement into their training programming.

Ryan developed an algorithm called “Force Number” that is based on the hex (or trap) bar deadlift and body weight to predict speed such as the forty-yard dash.

In this discussion, we talk about exercises for reducing injury potential, how Ryan uses the Force Number, what his workouts look like from warmup to finish, how he helped Meb Keflezighi train for his Boston Marathon victory, how to go from sprinting to long distance running, and lots more.

Whether you’re trying to become a better athlete or just less injured from your workouts in any type of training, you’ll want to check out this conversation with Ryan Flaherty, the Savant of Speed!

#238: The Savant of Speed -- Ryan Flaherty

Want to hear an episode with Peter Attia (who introduced me to Ryan Flaherty)? — Listen to his first appearance on the podcast. In this episode, we discuss optimizing blood testing, training for ultra-endurance sports, consuming synthetic ketones, using metabolic chambers, extending longevity by avoiding certain types of exercise, and much more (stream below or right-click here to download):

Ep 50: Dr. Peter Attia on Ultra-Endurance, Drinking Jet Fuel, Human Foie Gras, and More

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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

  • Connect with Ryan Flaherty:

Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Show Notes

  • Is speed innate or teachable? [08:37]
  • Experiments at USA Track that helped Ryan coach speed. [11:19]
  • How much attention does Ryan pay to the foot’s impact point when trying to increase the efficiency of a runner’s stride? [14:22]
  • Ryan focuses his research on exercises that produce maximum results within a limited timeframe. [17:14]
  • Ryan explains the purpose of a Force Number and how he happened upon it as a metric for improvement. [18:08]
  • What protocol would Ryan recommend for a former competitive athlete trying to improve strength output? [20:40]
  • How much of his or her own body weight should a healthy adult expect to pull? [23:23]
  • What’s a reasonable lifting goal for someone to achieve over the course of a year? [24:38]
  • After building a hypertrophic base, how many times a week would Ryan have someone do a hex (trap) bar deadlift workout? [25:27]
  • From warmup to end, what would such a workout look like for an elite level athlete? [26:59]
  • In addition to seven-way hips, what glute med exercises are good to mix into a weekly routine? [37:25]
  • Neglecting these areas will likely lead an athlete to injury. [39:46]
  • Improving internal rotation to the femur and ankle flexion. [44:11]
  • How did Ryan suspect that Robert Griffin III (AKA RG3) wouldn’t last long in the NFL? [45:57]
  • How many inches off the floor should the grips of a hex (trap) bar be, and where should hands be in relation to the feet? [48:43]
  • Dropping bar weight vs. lowering quickly. [53:45]
  • After sustaining a knee injury on a recent hike, what rehab work might I do for Ryan to clear me for an upcoming ski trip? [55:47]
  • The injury-producing machine Ryan would remove from gyms and exercises he would recommend against. [1:00:38]
  • Aside from the hex (trap) bar deadlift, the one exercise or stretch Ryan thinks everyone should do. [1:04:29]
  • How Ryan used his sprinting to help Meb Keflezighi win the Boston Marathon. [1:05:50]
  • How does training a sprinter differ from training a marathon runner? [1:06:53]
  • Ryan’s current project at Nike. [1:09:21]
  • What does Ryan hate to see at the gym? [1:10:58]
  • Simplicity is good. Rhabdomyolysis is bad. [1:14:44]
  • Why Ryan hopes The Force Method “is obsolete in two years.” [1:18:24]
  • Trainers and performance coaches who had an influence on Ryan. [1:19:38]
  • What has Ryan borrowed or adapted from Louie Simmons, in particular? [1:22:25]
  • Incorporating weight loss — or gain — into training. [1:24:56]
  • What books has Ryan gifted most to others? [1:28:56]
  • What advice would Ryan give his younger self? [1:32:25]

People Mentioned

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