Today’s guest is Ben Simons. Ben is a British performance coach and two-time Olympic bobsledder with a background in sprinting and sports science. A former World Cup gold medallist, he’s now focused on helping athletes develop speed, power, and coordination through evidence-based, real-world training methods. Ben blends biomechanics, motor learning, and nervous-system training to build explosive, adaptable athletes.

Many speed training topics and conversations focus exclusively on the most stimulating possible methods; fewer get into individual factors, athlete adaptability, and how that speed and power training evolves with the needs of the athlete.

On today’s show, Ben and I discuss asymmetry, rhythm, and “aliveness” in sprint and power development. We explore when to let unique mechanics—like Byanda Wlaza’s galloping stride—run their course versus coaching toward a technical model. Ben gets into the general speed training lessons he gained from bobsled, and shares why he now favors yielding isometrics, unilateral strength, and med ball throws over heavy lifts, emphasizing longevity, reflexive strength, and movement variability. We finish with how curvilinear sprints, pool work, and playful, multidirectional movement help athletes stay reactive, adaptable, and pain-free.

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Timestamps
0:00 – Asymmetry, gallop running, and what to do with extremes
12:25 – Air-time vs ground work: why the stuff in the air transfers to sprinting
16:08 – From long jump and 4x100 to bobsled trials and the push track
19:57 – Retirement, coming back, and the management needed for longevity
24:04 – Achilles management, playing sport, and the power of movement variety
31:09 – Practical coaching advice: get people back into the sport they love
41:31 – Curvilinear sprints, feeling safe, and bringing play into rehab
45:53 – How bobsled pushing changed Ben’s acceleration and posterior chain
52:28 – Hamstring training, velocity, and the limits of eccentric volume
59:46 – Practical tools: tank sleds, prowlers, glute-ham machines, and Zurcher split squats
1:08:19 – Why Ben minimized compound max lifts and what he uses now
1:24:46 – Programming for mature athletes: living off the strength bank and using yield isometrics
Actionable Takeaways
0:00 – Asymmetry, gallop running, and what to do with extremes
Ben discusses the gallop-style sprint and whether to coach it out or keep it in the bandwidth.

Use a technical benchmark as your reference, then assess the athlete’s bandwidth before changing form.
If an athlete still performs well, test before adjusting — not every asymmetry needs fixing.
Sled pushing can exaggerate patterns, so train sled and unweighted sprints separately for balance.

12:25 – Air-time vs ground work: why the stuff in the air transfers to sprinting
Ben highlights the value of airborne drills and how isolating sides changes learning.

Mix air-time drills (A-skips, dribbles) with reflexive work that reinforces limb exchange.
Use isolating drills to refine control, then transition back to dynamic, reciprocal actions.
Treat drills as tools to build feel, not techniques to be perfected.

16:08 – From long jump and 4x100 to bobsled trials and the push track
Ben explains how testing funneled him into bobsled and what carried over from track.

Identify transferable metrics (sprint speed, jumps) when guiding athletes into new sports.
Plan gradual body composition changes to meet the new sport’s demands.
Treat push-track practice as a specific development tool,