488: Sam Elsner on Rewiring Athletic Performance and Movement Learning

Today’s guest is Sam Elsner. Sam is a former NCAA Division III national champion thrower turned motor learning writer and educator. He’s the author of The Play Advantage and creator of the Substack CALIBRATE, where he explores how humans learn movement through play, perception, and environment design. Sam brings a rare blend of elite athletic experience and deep skill-acquisition insight to help coaches and athletes move beyond drills toward true adaptability and creativity in sport. As athletic performance is largely driven by weight-lifting. It digs into maximal strength and force-related outcomes in such excess that all other elements of athleticism are negated. Skill learning and high velocity movement are the wellspring of sporting success. As such, having a balanced understanding of the training equation is critical for the long-term interest of the athlete. On today’s podcast, Sam and I dive into how athletes truly learn to move. Sam traces his journey from WIAC throws circles to Cal Dietz’s weight room, why a rigid “triphasic for everyone” phase backfired with a soccer team, and how ecological dynamics and a constraints-led lens reshaped his coaching. Together we unpack the strength–skill interplay, 1×20 “slow-cook” gains versus block periodization, the value of autonomous, creative training application. We touch on youth development, culture, and team ecology, plus where pros are experimenting with these ideas. This episode is loaded with both philosophy of training and skill learning, along with practical takeaways in program design. Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength. Use the code “justfly20” for 20% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to Lilateam.com Use code “justfly10” for 10% off the Vert Trainer View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage. (https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-home/) Timestamps 1:18 - Early training experiences and triphasic background 5:44 - Implementing triphasic as a young coach 11:22 - The failure of rigid block periodization 17:49 - Vertical integration and maintaining all qualities 24:58 - Discovery of the ecological dynamics lens 29:57 - Why skill learning changed his view of strength 35:43 - 1x20 as a slow cooking strength framework 43:15 - Autonomy and stance/position freedom in the weight room 52:38 - Culture, environment, and how athletes learn 1:00:43 - Highlight play examples and perception-action 1:14:23 - Constraint-led models in team sport settings 1:20:55 - Where to find Sam’s work Actionable Takeaways 5:44 - Learning from early programming mistakes Rigid triphasic blocks without speed and skill work led to slower, less adaptable athletes. Keep speed, power, and reactive work present year-round in some capacity. Avoid assuming what works for one context transfers straight across to another. 17:49 - Vertical integration instead of siloed periodization Train multiple physical qualities year-round with shifting emphasis rather than isolating one block at a time. This prevents athletes from losing speed while developing strength, or vice versa. Small doses across the year keep qualities alive and connected. 24:58 - Skill learning must reflect the chaos of sport Sport is unpredictable, not robotic. Training should reflect that uncertainty. Use varied environments, movement options, and constraints instead of perfect reps. Skill emerges from exploration, not memorization. 35:43 - 1x20 for strength that supports skill 1x20 builds strength while leaving room for sprinting, jumping, and skill work. The last few reps in a 1x20 set still hit high effort without excessive nervous system cost. Use stance and tempo variations to match individual structure. 43:15 - Autonomy inside the weight room Allow athletes to choose stance width, bar position, and grip style within a lift. This respects anatomical differences and promotes ownership. Autonomy increases buy-in and self-organization. 52:38 - Culture shapes movement outcomes The environment athletes train in determines how they move and learn. If culture only rewards load and intensity, adaptability is lost. Design environments that reward exploration and awareness, not just output. 1:00:43 - Highlight plays reflect attunement, not force Elite athletic feats arise from pattern recognition and perception-action coupling. You cannot coach highlight movement through force metrics alone. Create rich movement histories rather than perfecting single patterns. Quotes "Sport is chaotic and uncertain. If your training isn’t reflecting that, you’re training for something else." "Strength is only useful if you can actually express it in the environment that matters." "1x20 gave me room to train speed and jumping instead of spending all my adaptation on heavy lifting." "We lose athleticism when we isolate qualities instead of integrating them." "Autonomy in the weight room lets athletes organize movement in ways that fit their structure." "Block periodization made my athletes slower because they lost access to the other physical qualities." "Those highlight plays happen because the athlete is attuned to the information in the moment, not because they calculated force." "Environment determines behavior. The culture you’re in shapes how you train and how you move." "Skill is shaped by varied experiences, not perfect repetitions." "The goal is to keep qualities alive, not build one at the expense of another." About Sam Elsner Sam Elsner is a former NCAA Division III national champion thrower from the University of Wisconsin-Stout who has transitioned into a leading voice in motor learning and skill acquisition. A six-time All-American and 2018 discus champion, Sam brings a deep, first-hand understanding of performance and training into his current work, exploring how athletes truly learn movement rather than just repeat drills. Now writing the popular Substack CALIBRATE and authoring The Play Advantage, Sam bridges neuroscience, ecological dynamics, and lived athletic experience to help coaches and performers unlock adaptability, creativity, and “feel” in sport. His work reframes coaching from rote technique toward curiosity, environment design, and the art of human learning in motion.