The Sam Portland Podcast

Sam Portland
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The Sam Portland Podcast is all about educating, entertaining and bringing the coach to the centre of the conversation. Covering all aspects of the Coach Clarity Method and OF COURSE...SPEED TRAINING.

  1. 2D AGO

    How to Progress Speed Exercises Without Breaking Athletes

    Most coaches use the same lifts, the same drills, and the same sprint work… yet their athletes still fail to develop real, transferable speed. The problem isn’t effort. It’s a lack of exercise classification for sprinting. In this Sports Speed Insider session, Sam breaks down why most speed programs stall, how adaptive reserve dictates what athletes can tolerate, and why learning to sprint must come before training to sprint. You’ll see how to classify exercises by specificity, motor unit recruitment, and transfer — not just “hip dominant vs knee dominant.” If you coach speed, acceleration, or team sport performance and want clarity on what to use, when to use it, and what to remove, this session will change how you structure training forever. ⸻ TIMESTAMPS 0:05 Introduction – Why Speed Training Needs Better Classification 1:05 The Biggest Gap in Modern Speed Training 1:42 Why Gym Exercises Don’t Transfer to Sprint Speed 2:29 Adaptive Reserve Explained (Why Athletes Get Sore) 3:26 Why Sprinting Breaks Athletes Early On 3:48 Learning to Sprint vs Training to Sprint 4:08 Charlie Francis, EMG Data & Speed Exercise Selection 4:49 Motor Unit Recruitment Explained Simply 5:41 How to Classify Speed Exercises Correctly 6:10 Wall Drills: Low Intensity, High Skill Transfer 6:47 Exercise Order That Actually Improves Acceleration 7:36 Extensive vs Intensive Speed Training (When to Use Each) 8:30 When Speed Training Becomes Truly High Intensity 9:13 Replacing Gym Work With High-Transfer Speed Exercises 9:48 Final Takeaways + What’s Coming Next LINKS Sports Speed System Book https://www.speedbysportland.com/sportsspeedsystembook Field Speed Toolkit https://www.speedbysportland.com/field-speed-toolkit Legacy Mastermind https://www.speedbysportland.com/legacy-mastermind-home

    10 min

  2. 2D AGO

    The ACL Prevention Lie Coaches Keep Pushing with Erica Mulholland

    Most coaches want to help female athletes… but a lot of the advice being pushed right now is fear-based, trendy, and honestly… backwards. In this episode, I sit down with Erica (Fit Soccer Queen) to talk about what actually matters in female athlete development: high performance first, real strength & plyometric progressions, smarter youth training, and why “training around the menstrual cycle” has become one of the most confusing topics in the industry. We cover: • Why parents are getting wrecked by misinformation (and why 30-second reels don’t help) • The truth about ACL prevention: it’s not mini bands and clamshells • How to build powerful, resilient female athletes through real S&C • Youth training, fun, play, and why some parents are accidentally killing development • Erica’s conference story: the “menstrual cycle training scam” talk that triggered the room (and why it landed) • How to set expectations with parents, keep athletes consistent, and run a high-quality youth program If you coach youth athletes, train female athletes, or work with sports parents… this one is a must. Connect with Erica: Instagram Fit Soccer Queen (link in her bio has everything) 0:00 – Why coaches ask to “come on your podcast” with zero relationship 1:40 – Sam’s podcast format + why social media is a misinformation cesspit 3:20 – Why Erica started her podcast (COVID, education, and better conversations) 5:00 – Parents are overwhelmed by misinformation (and why they program-hop) 7:10 – “Body of work” + why books still matter 7:40 – Writing a book: flow state vs editing hell 8:40 – Female athlete training: growth spurt years + injury resilience 10:20 – Menstrual cycle misinformation + fear-based coaching 11:20 – The real issue: treating girls like they’re fragile 12:10 – “High performance first, resiliency follows” 14:00 – The speed camp refund story (because it was “too fun”) 18:20 – Erica’s coaching journey: leaving college S&C, choosing youth 21:20 – Consistency and commitment: why drop-in coaching kills results 24:20 – Scarcity culture in S&C + toxic environments 25:40 – Conference story: “Training around the menstrual cycle is a scam” 29:20 – Why cutting back 2 weeks per month makes no sense 33:10 – Evidence + 14 years of real-world coaching anecdotes 34:10 – History lesson: are we repeating 1900s thinking? 39:00 – Paula Radcliffe example + “you don’t need to make it a thing” 43:30 – Coaching parents: assessments, expectations, honesty 47:00 – In-person training is making a comeback 50:00 – Building a home gym model (and why small can be better) 57:50 – Play, games, and why climbing walls are elite development 🔗 Links (Placeholders You Can Swap) • Erica’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fitsoccerqueen/?hl=en • Erica’s books: https://a.co/d/01nEXDCE • Sam’s Sports Speed System book: https://www.speedbysportland.com/sportsspeedsystembook • Legacy Mastermind: https://www.speedbysportland.com/legacy-mastermind-new-page

    1h 1m
  3. Why 90% of Coaches Are Trapped Trading Time for Money

    FEB 13

    Why 90% of Coaches Are Trapped Trading Time for Money

    Most coaches don’t fail because they lack knowledge. They fail because they’re stuck trading time for money. In this episode of the Sam Portland Podcast, I break down why so many coaches stay overworked, underpaid, and burned out — even when they’re great at their job — and how to build systems that scale without working more hours. I share: • The exact mistakes coaches make with time, systems, and income • Why “working harder” is the worst possible strategy • How templates, automation, and assets create leverage • The real reason pro sport coaches are already planning their exit • How to move from 1-to-1 coaching into scalable income streams • A simple ascension model you can replicate in your own business I also share personal stories from: • Earning £18k a year while working 60-hour weeks • Getting bullied for posting YouTube content early on • Building systems that now save hundreds of hours per year • Why becoming a father forced me to master leverage fast If you’re a coach who wants: ✔ More income ✔ More freedom ✔ More respect ✔ Less burnout This episode is required listening. ⸻ Chapters 0:00 – Why most coaches are trapped trading time for money 0:45 – My reality check: 60-hour weeks for £18k 1:45 – Why hard work doesn’t create leverage 2:35 – Why I built the £9 Legacy Mastermind 3:30 – Getting bullied for posting content (and why it mattered) 4:30 – The time audit that changed everything 5:20 – Stop selling hours, start building assets 6:15 – Templates are the fastest path to leverage 7:10 – Why “everything must be personalised” is killing you 8:05 – Automate admin or stay broke 9:05 – The business ecosystem most coaches ignore 10:15 – Calendars, payments, and recurring income systems 11:20 – The 21-day cycle that saves hours of programming 12:10 – Building an ascension ladder for your business 13:30 – Why pro sport salaries aren’t what you think 14:40 – Final message: freedom, respect, and ownership 🚀 Join the £9 Legacy Mastermind A low-friction community for coaches who want to: • Build scalable systems • Escape time-for-money coaching • Develop leadership & business skills • Stop feeling isolated 👉 https://www.speedbysportland.com/legacy-mastermind-new-page ⸻ 🔗 Useful Links 📘 The Sports Speed System Book https://www.speedbysportland.com/sportsspeedsystembook 📊 The Transfer Index (Speed Decision Engine) https://www.speedbysportland.com/transfer-index-8162 📩 Free Coaching Business Resources (coming soon)

    15 min
  4. How to Use Overspeed Training Without Breaking Your Athletes

    FEB 6

    How to Use Overspeed Training Without Breaking Your Athletes

    Most coaches have been told that overspeed training is dangerous, advanced, or something you should avoid at all costs. That belief is wrong. In this episode, Sam Portland breaks down overspeed training from first principles and shows you how to use it safely, progressively, and effectively inside a real team sport speed system. You’ll learn: • Why overspeed sprinting has been misunderstood for years • How overspeed fits into the Sports Speed System • When athletes are actually ready for overspeed exposure • How to use overspeed without equipment • How to dose overspeed across a training cycle • Why overspeed is about learning to move faster, not just moving fast This lesson shows how overspeed fits into conjugate sequencing, drill stacking, and exercise classification, so you can stop guessing and start programming with intent. If you coach speed and want it to show up on game day — not just in testing — this episode will change how you think about speed training. ⸻ 🎁 FREE RESOURCE – Field Speed Toolkit If you want speed that actually transfers to sport, grab the Field Speed Toolkit, including: • 3 Transfer-Ready Game-Specific Warm-Ups • Speed Drill Audit Sheet (cut non-transfer drills) • Plug-and-Play Training Week Structure • Speed Transfer Principles Cheatsheet 👉 https://www.speedbysportland.com/field-speed-toolkit ⸻ ⏱️ YouTube Chapters (Optimised) 0:00 – Why overspeed training is misunderstood 0:28 – Why overspeed isn’t dangerous when used correctly 1:10 – When and why to use overspeed training 1:31 – Running as load inside the Sports Speed System 1:51 – Ground contact time as an overload mechanism 2:05 – Who overspeed training is actually for 2:36 – Training history required for overspeed sprinting 2:54 – Overspeed inside conjugate sequencing 3:21 – Why athletes already experience overspeed in games 3:49 – Common overspeed sprint methods explained 4:09 – What overspeed does to the body 4:20 – Drill stacking: segment, pattern, skill 4:39 – Fixing poor hip extension in team sport athletes 5:01 – Learning to move faster vs just moving fast 5:18 – Overspeed wall drills for acceleration 5:48 – Banded wall drills explained 6:30 – Simple overspeed exercises coaches can use now 7:01 – How often to dose overspeed training 7:25 – Where overspeed fits in a training cycle 7:47 – Overspeed via movement patterns 8:00 – Force pairing explained simply 8:23 – Accelerating centre of mass with overspeed 8:36 – Overspeed without equipment: downhill running 9:17 – Managing volume and injury risk 9:32 – Overspeed for max velocity development 9:45 – Light bungee towing for acceleration 10:10 – Overspeed drills for rhythm and coordination 10:31 – Using towed buildups to peak speed 10:58 – How to plan a 4–5 week overspeed cycle 11:17 – Why overspeed must be cycled 11:22 – Final coaching takeaway ⸻ 🔗 Links 📘 The Sports Speed System Book https://www.speedbysportland.com/sportsspeedsystembook 👥 Join the £9 Legacy Coaching Group https://www.speedbysportland.com/legacy-mastermind-home

    11 min
  5. Why Great Coaches Leave Pro Sport (And Don’t Look Back) with Andy McKenzie

    JAN 23

    Why Great Coaches Leave Pro Sport (And Don’t Look Back) with Andy McKenzie

    Strength and conditioning coaching in high-performance sport isn’t what most people think. In this episode, we break down coaching careers, burnout, player welfare, and what it really takes to survive in professional sport. This conversation is for coaches who feel stuck, frustrated, or conflicted inside the system — and want a better way forward. We cover: • The reality of strength and conditioning careers in pro sport • Why many great coaches leave professional environments • Military rehab lessons that actually transfer to sport • Burnout, identity, and long-term coaching sustainability • Why systems matter more than exercises • How to build a coaching career without compromising values This is a coach-to-coach conversation about truth, longevity, and doing work that actually matters. ⸻ Timestamps 00:00 – Old-school rugby culture & growing up in sport 03:30 – Dental health, sleep, caffeine, and performance 07:45 – Military background and early physical training 12:00 – Becoming a physical training instructor 16:30 – Rehab, overtraining, and broken systems 20:30 – Alcohol culture in sport & coaching identity 24:45 – Why toughness is misunderstood in training 29:00 – UKSCA, assessments, and real-world coaching 33:00 – Why many coaches leave pro sport 38:30 – Systems, frameworks, and thinking under pressure 44:00 – Identity, leadership, and being “the one” 49:30 – Building a parallel income as a coach 53:30 – What high performance really means 57:00 – Advice for younger coaches 58:40 – Where to connect with Andy ⸻ Links Field Speed Toolkit https://speedbysportland.com/tool-kit-page The Sports Speed System Book https://www.speedbysportland.com/sportsspeedsystembook Legacy Mastermind https://www.speedbysportland.com/legacy-mastermind-new 7-Day Free Trial – Sports Speed App https://sbs.programs.app/ Main Website https://www.speedbysportland.com

    59 min
  6. Why Pro Footballers Hire Coaches Outside the Club (And What They’re Not Getting In-House)

    JAN 16

    Why Pro Footballers Hire Coaches Outside the Club (And What They’re Not Getting In-House)

    Why do pro footballers work with coaches outside their club… and what are they actually paying for? In this episode, we unpack how remote performance coaching works in the real world: trust, individualisation, load management, and the data that actually drives decisions. If you’ve ever wondered how coaches support players across different clubs, countries, and fixture schedules, this is the behind-the-scenes conversation. In this episode, we cover: • Sam Peyps’ path from business degree to Crystal Palace (and the realities inside a club) • Why players seek support outside the club environment • The difference between a “programme” and a proper “offering” • How remote coaches use GPS, sleep, HRV, and screening data to guide decisions • Why congested fixtures change everything (and why “hero off-seasons” backfire) • The biggest mistake clubs make: generic work that ignores individual needs This is a real conversation about the modern performance landscape: pro football, remote coaching, data, trust, and what it takes to keep players progressing without breaking. ⸻ Timestamps 00:00 Quick intro and why we’re diving straight in 00:25 Sam Peeps’ background: business degree to S&C 01:16 Early PT work and first connections with pro football 02:06 How he got into Crystal Palace (2016) 02:59 Leadership styles inside a pro club: Pulis vs Allardyce 05:14 Why he left the club environment and moved toward agency work 06:25 The foresight problem: building a career that actually works long-term 07:52 The “pro athlete dream” and why many coaches enter performance sport 11:23 The outside support question: why football is different 12:16 How the remote coaching network actually grows 14:17 Why players work with you outside the club 15:01 The real reason: individualisation, flexibility, and decision-making 15:31 A practical example: why generic sessions fail players 16:30 What coaches need to hear about negligence and load management 18:50 What platform are you using and how do you monitor players? 19:10 Using wearables: Whoop, sleep, HRV, GPS integration 20:05 Introducing the Lumen platform (and why it matters) 20:35 The truth about wellness reporting and athlete honesty 21:16 Monitoring fails without trust: hydration and compliance stories 23:13 The trust layer: why wearables change the game 24:13 Working internationally and building a team around the offering 26:18 The off-season reality in football: timeframes, minutes, and expectations 29:20 Why “hero off-seasons” don’t work 31:11 The real goal: preparing players to tolerate pre-season demands 33:14 Rugby vs football: physical toll and training culture 36:19 What Sam Peeps is spotting across clubs (working with multiple environments) 38:11 Post-game screening and how decisions are made remotely 39:01 Workflow and touchpoints with players 41:44 Where the business is going: scaling, team growth, and a new app idea 42:26 Automating schedules around fixtures (the biggest scalability problem) 43:29 How to connect with Sam Peeps + closing thoughts ⸻ Links Field Speed Toolkit https://speedbysportland.com/tool-kit-page The Sports Speed System Book https://www.speedbysportland.com/sportsspeedsystembook The Best Coach Education Platform There Is https://www.speedbysportland.com/legacy-mastermind-new 7 Day Free Trial – Sports Speed App https://sbs.programs.app/ Main Website https://www.speedbysportland.com

    44 min
  7. The Soviet Method Still Winning in Speed Training (Conjugate Sequencing)

    12/17/2025

    The Soviet Method Still Winning in Speed Training (Conjugate Sequencing)

    Welcome back to the Sam Portland Podcast, where we go beyond surface-level programming and break down how speed is actually developed. In this episode, we build on last week’s discussion around adaptation and intensity and introduce a critical (and often misunderstood) concept: Conjugate Sequencing. Most coaches struggle with one core problem: 👉 How do you progress intensity without destroying athletes or stalling adaptation? This episode explains how to structure extensive and intensive training methods, layer different loading strategies, and apply former Soviet concepts (Verkhoshansky) to modern speed training. You’ll learn: • Why most training stays stuck in the “general” zone • How conjugate sequencing solves the intensity problem • Extensive vs intensive speed methods (clearly explained) • How to progress acceleration without killing max velocity • Why heavy resisted work must replace—not add to—earlier methods • How to structure 6–9 week speed blocks using the law of accommodation • Why speed itself is the metric that defines intensity If you coach speed for team sports and want clarity, structure, and real transfer, this session will change how you plan training. ⸻ ⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 – Intro & lesson overview 0:10 – Why intensity progression confuses most coaches 0:32 – The danger of living in “general” training 1:16 – Introducing conjugate sequencing 1:33 – Soviet training origins and Verkhoshansky’s influence 2:11 – Why gradual intensity steps are hard to create 2:26 – Senior vs youth athlete intensity strategies 3:03 – Extensive vs intensive training explained 3:49 – Speed examples: tempo vs maximal work 4:27 – Applying conjugate sequencing to acceleration 4:53 – Learn, Load, Execute in practice 5:13 – Law of accommodation and block sequencing 5:36 – A simple 9-week speed progression example 6:12 – Why heavy resisted work doesn’t equal max velocity 6:39 – Extensive wall drills and early acceleration work 7:02 – When to remove extensive work 7:19 – Heavy resisted vs light resisted acceleration 7:43 – Why speed defines intensity 8:08 – Practical weekly programming task 8:40 – Measuring progress through first-step explosiveness 8:49 – What’s coming next week ⸻ 🔗 Links 📘 The Sports Speed System https://www.speedbysportland.com/sportsspeedsystembook ⚡ Join the £9 Legacy Mastermind https://www.speedbysportland.com/legacy-mastermind-home

    9 min
  8. The Most Misunderstood Principle in Speed Training (Specificity vs General Work)

    12/11/2025

    The Most Misunderstood Principle in Speed Training (Specificity vs General Work)

    Welcome back to another solo podcast where we strip away the noise and get to the truth about adaptation, intensity, and real speed development. In today’s episode, we unpack one of the BIGGEST reasons athletes fail to get faster: 👉 Trying to engineer specific outcomes with non-specific training. Coaches everywhere fall into the trap of: Over-analysing general strength work Over-emphasising exercises that don’t transfer Ignoring the Law of Accommodation Forgetting the principle of specificity And chasing “strength → power → speed” instead of “speed → power → strength” This session will change how you program forever. You’ll learn: 🔥 Why the upstream effect from strength → speed is massively overestimated 🔥 Why SPEED drives power and strength (not the other way around) 🔥 How to use the 21-day adaptation rule properly 🔥 Why soreness destroys continuity and speed development 🔥 How to apply specific strength for acceleration using band-loaded mechanics 🔥 The Learn → Load → Execute model for guaranteed progress 🔥 How to engineer positive adaptations without hamstring carnage If you’re serious about developing speed in field sport athletes… this is essential viewing. ⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 – Intro 0:01 – Why coaches obsess over the wrong things 0:35 – The SNC industry’s biggest mistake 1:10 – The cost of non-specific training 1:48 – General vs specific speed 2:11 – Why upstream strength → speed adaptation is a myth 2:55 – The REAL order: Speed → Power → Strength 3:33 – How to ask better programming questions 4:00 – The Law of Accommodation (21-day rule) 4:46 – The truth about soreness and early adaptations 5:16 – Why general lifts rarely transfer 5:54 – Using specificity to create real speed adaptations 6:30 – Avoiding negative adaptation in team sports 7:05 – Why chasing strength PRs ruins in-season performance 7:43 – The importance of continuity 8:00 – How to adjust training every 14–21 days 8:40 – Applying this to acceleration (specific strength example) 9:12 – The power of the Learn → Load → Execute model 9:49 – How to load banded single-leg patterns correctly 10:30 – Why specific strength increases base strength anyway 10:57 – What’s coming in future masterclasses 🔗 Useful Links 📘 Get The Sports Speed System Book https://www.speedbysportland.com/the-sports-speed-system ⚡ Join the Legacy Mastermind (£9/month) https://www.speedbysportland.com/legacy-mastermind-home 🔗 Useful Links

    11 min
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About

The Sam Portland Podcast is all about educating, entertaining and bringing the coach to the centre of the conversation. Covering all aspects of the Coach Clarity Method and OF COURSE...SPEED TRAINING.

Information

  • Creator
    Sam Portland
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    123
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Sam Portland
  • Show Website
    The Sam Portland Podcast