Feet, Ankles, and the Rhythm of Speed with Ryan Hopkins Ep 50

Feet, Ankles, and the Rhythm of Speed with Ryan Hopkins | Athletic Performance Podcast Ep. 50What if the real key to speed has nothing to do with the weight room...and everything to do with your feet, ankles, and rhythm?In this episode, Coach Ryan Patrick sits down with Ryan Hopkins (Soho Strength Lab, NYC) to break down the overlooked foundations of sprinting and athletic speed. We dive into cadence, coordination, and why too many coaches slow athletes down instead of letting them chase outputs.This conversation is packed with practical takeaways for coaches, athletes, and parents who want to understand what really drives speed on the field.What You’ll Learn• Why most athletes are leaking performance through their feet and ankles.• The critical role of rhythm (4+ steps per second) in top-end speed.• How to balance technical drills with letting athletes “run wild.”• The problem with always adding more force in S&C.• Training strategies that actually transfer to game speed.Chapters00:00 – Rhythm and cadence: the heartbeat of speed01:15 – Ryan Hopkins’ journey: from Equinox to Soho Strength Lab05:00 – Untapped opportunities in youth development07:00 – The foot & ankle problem (and how to fix it)12:00 – Training progress: why it takes 1–2 years, not 4 weeks16:00 – Drills vs. outputs: what really drives speed22:00 – Session structure: blending rhythm, ranges, and pushes29:00 – Common errors: cadence, hip separation, and over-striding36:00 – Teaching range of motion and coordination39:00 – What’s overvalued: slowing things down to make athletes “fast”42:00 – Combine prep: retuning Ferraris, not building them48:00 – Rethinking resisted sprints & horizontal force50:00 – Why static starts are overrated53:00 – Change of direction and deception: sport speed vs straight-line speed🔗 Resources & LinksSoho Strength LabComprehensive Calf Force Profiling – Dylan Carmody & Andy McDonaldFollow Ryan Hopkins on Instagram → @sslryanConnect with Ryan Patrick → @coachryanpatrickJoin the ConversationIf you’re a coach, parent, or athlete serious about speed, drop your biggest takeaway in the comments. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share so we can keep bringing you world-class conversations with performance experts.