478: Michael Schofield on Tendons, Fascia and Elastic Recoil in Athletic Movement

Today’s guest is Dr. Michael Schofield. Mike is a New Zealand sports scientist and track and field coach with a PhD in biomechanics and strength and conditioning. He has coached athletes to Olympic, World Championship, and Commonwealth Games finals in the throws, while also developing national-level sprinters and weightlifters. His strength and conditioning work spans multiple sports, from golf to stand-up paddleboarding. Mike has done substantial research in, and is a subject matter expert in the role of connective tissues in athletic movement and force production. This podcast explores the crucial functions of connective tissue in athletic performance. We examine how tendons, ligaments, and fascia support movement, prevent injuries, and contribute to force production. Mike also disperses exactly what fascia and connective tissue does, and does not do in animal (and human) movement profiles. Through the podcast, Mike reveals the mechanisms of connective tissue and how understanding it can improve training outcomes. Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength. View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage. (https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-home/) Timestamps 2:10 – The Role of Connective Tissue 5:27 – Exploring Elasticity in Motion 7:25 – Muscle vs. Fascia: A Complex Debate 16:14 – Understanding Strength and Sequencing 23:49 – The Importance of Movement Literacy 36:13 – Fascial Lines and Their Impact 44:31 – Training the Fascial System 49:14 – Functional Training Insights 54:31 – The Role of Balance in Performance 57:26 – Understanding Tendon Stiffness 1:14:04 – Compliance vs. Stiffness in Athleticism 1:18:55 – Training Strategies for Different Athletes Actionable Takeaways 2:10 – The Role of Connective Tissue Key Idea: Connective tissue is more than just passive support—it plays an active role in how force is transferred and movements are sequenced. Actionable Takeaways: Treat connective tissue as a system that adapts to training, not just something that “holds things together.” Prioritize training methods that build elasticity and responsiveness, not just muscle strength. Recognize that resilience often depends on connective tissue health more than raw muscular output. 5:27 – Exploring Elasticity in Motion Key Idea: Elasticity allows athletes to move with efficiency and rhythm, reducing the need for constant muscular effort. Actionable Takeaways: Integrate bouncing, skipping, and plyometric variations to sharpen elastic return. Train for rhythm and timing, not just force—elastic qualities emerge from how energy is recycled. Monitor whether athletes rely too much on muscle and not enough on elastic recoil. 7:25 – Muscle vs. Fascia: A Complex Debate Key Idea: Muscles and fascia work together, but fascia often dictates how well force is transmitted through the body. Actionable Takeaways: Don’t train muscle in isolation—consider the connective tissue pathways that carry the load. Include multi-planar, whole-chain exercises that respect how fascia links segments. Shift perspective: strength is more than hypertrophy; it’s about integration across systems. 16:14 – Understanding Strength and Sequencing Key Idea: True strength is about sequencing—how joints, tissues, and muscles fire in the right order. Heavy lifting too soon can actually disrupt this process. Actionable Takeaways: Build foundational movement skill before layering on maximal loads. Use exercises that emphasize timing and rhythm, not just raw output. Ask: is this athlete strong because they’re sequenced, or are they muscling through inefficiency? 23:49 – The Importance of Movement Literacy Key Idea: Movement literacy—the ability to explore, coordinate, and adapt—is a prerequisite for higher-level strength. Actionable Takeaways: Encourage athletes to explore different movement tasks, not just rehearsed drills. Use games, variability, and problem-solving to expand an athlete’s “movement vocabulary.” Recognize that strength built on poor literacy is fragile and prone to breakdown. 36:13 – Fascial Lines and Their Impact Key Idea: Fascial lines are not rigid “chains” but adaptable pathways that influence force and coordination. Actionable Takeaways: Train movements that cross the body and involve contralateral actions. Avoid treating fascial lines as static anatomy—focus on how they behave in motion. Design exercises that integrate torso, hips, and limbs instead of segmenting them. 44:31 – Training the Fascial System Key Idea: The fascial system thrives on variability, rhythm, and spring-like loading rather than heavy, repetitive strain. Actionable Takeaways: Use oscillatory, rhythmic, and elastic drills (like hops or swings). Keep movements fluid—avoid over-structuring everything into rigid sets and reps. Think “spring training,” not just strength training. 49:14 – Functional Training Insights Key Idea: “Functional” isn’t about mimicking sport—it’s about improving the qualities that transfer. Actionable Takeaways: Measure functional training by its ability to carry over into better sequencing, rhythm, and resilience. Avoid gimmicks—if the exercise doesn’t enhance movement quality, it isn’t functional. Remember that specificity comes from principles, not from copying sport skills. 54:31 – The Role of Balance in Performance Key Idea: Balance and stability are crucial to wiring efficient patterns and force transfer. Machines can provide stability that lets athletes push higher rates of force. Actionable Takeaways: Use balance as both a skill and a constraint—challenge it sometimes, support it at others. Consider when machines may help isolate force production by removing unnecessary wobble. Build balance progressively—overloading instability too early just builds poor habits. 57:26 – Understanding Tendon Stiffness Key Idea: Tendon stiffness is about how efficiently tendons store and release energy—it’s not just about being “tight” or “loose.” Actionable Takeaways: Train stiffness with fast, elastic contacts (e.g., hops, bounds). Recognize that stiffness is context-specific: too much or too little can limit performance. Focus on gradual progression—tendons adapt more slowly than muscles. 1:14:04 – Compliance vs. Stiffness in Athleticism Key Idea: Different sports and tasks demand different balances between compliance (give) and stiffness (rigidity). Actionable Takeaways: Train athletes to tune their compliance/stiffness depending on surface, task, or sport. Sprinters may need more stiffness; change-of-direction athletes may need more compliance. Avoid “one-size-fits-all” loading—adapt strategies to context. 1:18:55 – Training Strategies for Different Athletes Key Idea: No two athletes need the same mix of loading, sequencing, and elastic training. Individual profiles matter. Actionable Takeaways: Assess whether an athlete needs more stiffness, compliance, sequencing, or raw strength. Adjust programming so athletes train to their weaknesses, not just repeat their strengths. Embrace individuality: the best “program” is one tailored to the athlete in front of you. Michael Schofield Quotes “Connective tissue is not just scaffolding—it’s an active part of how force is transferred and how movement is sequenced.” “Elasticity is rhythm. It’s the ability to recycle energy instead of relying on constant muscular effort.” “When we talk about strength, we’re really talking about sequencing. If you load too heavy too soon, you can actually break the sequence.” “Movement literacy comes before strength. If an athlete can’t explore movement, then the strength they build is fragile.” “Fascial lines are not rigid anatomy—they’re adaptable patterns. They change depending on how you move.” “The fascial system responds to rhythm, variability, and oscillation. It’s a spring system, not a muscle system.” “Functional training is not about copying sport skills. It’s about training qualities that transfer.” “Balance is contextual. Sometimes you challenge it, sometimes you support it. Machines can actually help you wire high rates of force by providing stability.” “Tendon stiffness isn’t about being tight—it’s about efficiency. It’s how well you can store and release energy.” “Every athlete needs a different recipe of compliance, stiffness, sequencing, and raw strength. There’s no one-size-fits-all.” About Michael Schofield Dr. Michael Schofield is a sports scientist and track and field coach from New Zealand, specializing in biomechanics and strength and conditioning. He holds a PhD focused on track and field throws and a Master’s degree in strength and conditioning with an emphasis on golf performance. Over his coaching career, Dr. Schofield has guided athletes to Olympic, World Championship, and Commonwealth Games finals in shot put, discus, and hammer, while also developing national-level sprinters and weightlifters. His expertise as a strength and conditioning coach spans a diverse range of sports, from stand-up paddleboarding to golf, applying a scientific yet practical approach to improving athletic performance. Driven by a passion for both research and applied coaching, Dr. Schofield continues to bridge the gap between cutting-edge sports science and the daily realities of high-performance sport.