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 imp