Ascent Kinetics

Treeline Endurance LLC.
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Fitness

This show is brought to you by Treeline Endurance LLC. Ascent Kinetics is your weekly quick-hit of the new science of exercise for health and performance. We dive into the developing bridge between exercise for health and exercise for athletic performance. We explore the emerging relationships between exercise and human physiology. Our listeners are athletes and aspiring athletes. Whether committing to an exercise routine for the first time, or planning for an ultramarathon next month, we cover insights relevant to you. You can support our work here: https://buy.stripe.com/6oUaEPdJVbtj1K66mOf3a00

Episodes

  1. 6d ago

    Matt Farina, CSCS - Pillars of Strength Training

    Our guest for this episode is Matt Farina, CSCS, who began his career in the Armed Forces as an artillery Marine, serving deployments to Afghanistan and Japan. Today he's the founder of Farm League Strength and Conditioning, as well as a rugby and ROTC coach for Texas A&M University. In this conversation with Matt, we dive deep into the practices that he's regularly using as part of Farm League Strength. We discuss unilateral versus bilateral strength training, and how he recommends we use smartwatches in managing training. We also give time to why he chose to become a strength coach, and discuss what sport has done for him personally. Chapters 01:01 Welcome & Guest Introduction 03:57 From Montana to Texas A&M 06:25 How Coaching Started: High School & CrossFit 10:05 Coach Dan & the Weight-Loss Journey 11:35 Joining the Marine Corps 14:46 Life as an Artilleryman 17:38 Why Bozeman & Montana State 19:17 Discovering Research 23:22 What Made Dan's Coaching Work 24:51 Certifications: OPEX, CSCS & TSAC-F 27:38 Starting Farm League Strength 30:27 Coaching Philosophy: Start With the Individual 38:17 Case Study: Strength for a Trail Runner 46:33 Training Foundations Across Sports 52:29 Unilateral vs. Bilateral Strength 59:49 Optimization vs. Letting the Dog Out 01:04:48 Wearables, Gut Instinct & Hard Efforts 01:09:04 Planning When to Push 01:13:15 Confidence & the Mental Side of Training 01:19:20 Measuring Progress Beyond the Numbers 01:24:12 Communicating With Clients 01:28:20 Matt's Role at Texas A&M 01:30:31 Wrap-Up & Where to Find Matt Instagram accounts: @farmleaguestrength @matt_farina

  2. Oct 19

    The Psychology of Consistency

    This podcast episode delves into the psychological and social factors that influence adherence to exercise routines, exploring key themes such as motivation, self-efficacy, and the importance of social support. The discussion highlights the 5 pillars that can improve exercise consistency and overall health outcomes. Chapters 00:00 Understanding Exercise Referral Schemes08:26 Psychosocial Factors Influencing Exercise Adherence16:03 The Role of Motivation in Exercise23:13 Self-Efficacy and Its Impact on Exercise30:03 Psychological Need Satisfaction and Exercise35:56 Setting Realistic Expectations for Success39:21 The Importance of Social Support42:06 Transforming Athletic Identity Through Exercise

  3. Oct 12

    Ask Me Anything: Episode 1

    In this episode, we answer listener questions from the past few weeks. How to fuel before, after, and during training sessions. Also, choosing shoes, energetic cost versus oxygen cost, and coaching methodology. Subscribe on Youtube, Spotify, or Apple. Sign up for our newsletter at TreelineEndurance.com. Timestamps 00:00 Pre-workout fueling 07:01 Post-exercise protein for recovery 12:02 Fueling long endurance sessions 15:53 Bicarb: when, how, and why to use it 23:18 Prepping for high altitude at low altitude 26:37 Finding the right running shoe 32:36 Shoes, Injury, and Performance 34:45 Fitness plateaus 38:21 Coaching and scientific evidence 41:53 Energetic cost vs. oxygen cost

  4. Oct 5

    Why One Shoe Doesn't Fit All Strides

    We all know super shoes make runners faster, but why do some athletes see a massive 5% boost in running economy while others barely gain a 1% edge? The answer lies in a biomechanical blind spot: high-tech footwear isn't just returning energy, it's rewriting your running form in real-time. In this episode, we unpack new research revealing how stack heights and space-age foams interact with your unique stride. Tune in to find out if the future of the sport means retraining your gait just to unlock the true speed hiding in your shoes. Further reading: Connick, M. J., & Lichtwark, G. A. (2025). Individualization of Footwear for Optimizing Running Economy: A Theoretical Framework. Journal of Applied Biomechanics, 41(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1123/jab.2024-0109

  5. Sep 28

    Injury Prevention and Running Shoes

    40 years of research around the globe have worked to provide clues about how running shoe design can reduce our risk of injury. Scientific paradigms and culture trends have been adopted and dismissed. We look at what the science tells us in 2026 so that you know what to think about the next time you look at the shoe wall in a running store. Also, some mythbusting. Further reading: Agresta, C., Kessler, S., Southern, E., Goulet, G. C., Zernicke, R., & Zendler, J. D. (2018). Immediate and short-term adaptations to maximalist and minimalist running shoes. Footwear Science, 10(2), 95–107. https://doi.org/10.1080/19424280.2018.1460624

  6. Sep 21

    Cory Terzis - How to Run Leadville 100

    Cory Terzis joins to share what it was like to train, plan, and run the Leadville Trail 100 as his first ever one hundred mile ultramarathon. We cover what is inspiring about Leadville, practical guidance for managing a busy schedule while training for an ultra, managing altitude, and prepping your race crew. Terzis share how to run your first 100 with just eight months of prep.

  7. Sep 14

    Is Apple Watch’s Heart Rate Really the Best?

    In this episode, we pressure-test Apple’s new claim of “the best heart rate accuracy in a wearable” by looking at their new white paper, comparing their to existing science and clarifying why heart rate data accuracy is important for everyone. References to papers discussed: Apple 2026: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.apple.com/health/pdf/Heart_Rate_Accuracy_Study_2026.pdf Paluch 2024: https://apcz.umk.pl/QS/article/view/55350

  8. Sep 7

    How Running Shoes Affect Women

    In this episode, we review what we've covered in the past few weeks, and what we have coming next. We take a step back to ask how science should be used in coaching, training, and exercise prescription. Our main topic is the 117-page study that discovers how all kinds of shoes affect the way women run.

  9. Aug 31

    The Expiration Date on Your Strength Gains

    In this episode, we discuss muscular endurance training protocols, a coaching feud, and how fast muscles de-train strength, according to some new research.

  10. Aug 24

    The Myth of Mitochondrial Density

    The evolving coaching landscape, the 80/20 rule of training, distinguishing training and overtraining, and the new science that puts an asterisk of the benefits of mitochondrial density. Key Topics Mitochondria and their role in energy production The 80-20 rule in endurance training Overtraining and its effects on mitochondria New research on mitochondrial function and location Impact of training load on metabolic health Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the episode and main topics 02:09 The evolving role of coaches and athlete-led training 03:51 The 80-20 rule in endurance training and its flexibility 05:51 Mitochondria's role in energy production and performance 07:57 Study design: training protocol and muscle sampling 08:53 Findings: effects of intense training on mitochondrial density and function 10:06 Implications of mitochondrial dysfunction for health and performance 10:57 Recovery, mitochondrial health, and training strategies 11:58 Key takeaways and practical advice for athletes 12:59 Closing thoughts and listener engagement

  11. Aug 17

    Trail Running Super Shoes

    In this episode of AKP, we cover the new science of advanced running shoe technology, and whether or not it can revolutionize trail running like it has for road and track racing.

  12. Aug 6

    Mission + Why Fitness Scores Fail

    In this episode, we introduce the Ascent Kinetics Podcast by explaining the purpose of the show and diving into our first topic: fitness apps and fitness scores. We cover how "Fitness" in apps like TrainingPeaks and Strava are calculated, what they miss, and how we can do better.

  • 12 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

This show is brought to you by Treeline Endurance LLC. Ascent Kinetics is your weekly quick-hit of the new science of exercise for health and performance. We dive into the developing bridge between exercise for health and exercise for athletic performance. We explore the emerging relationships between exercise and human physiology. Our listeners are athletes and aspiring athletes. Whether committing to an exercise routine for the first time, or planning for an ultramarathon next month, we cover insights relevant to you. You can support our work here: https://buy.stripe.com/6oUaEPdJVbtj1K66mOf3a00

Information

  • Creator
    Treeline Endurance LLC.
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Treeline Endurance LLC.
  • Show Website
    Ascent Kinetics