492: Jarod Burton on Simplified Neurology and the Dance of Power Output

Today’s guest is Dr. Jarod Burton. Jarod is a chiropractor and sports performance coach focused on neurology-driven movement. He blends manual therapy, strength modailities, and nervous system training to unlock better mechanics and athletic output. His work centers on identifying and clearing the neural limits that hold athletes back. In training, there are many layers to human performance and athletic outputs. One critical layer is the power transmission of the nervous system, and how to unlock this ability in all athletes. Many athletes naturally have a more adept system, while others may need more bridges to reach their highest levels of performance. In this episode, Jarod speaks on how his approach has evolved since entering clinical practice. He shares how he uses flywheel training to teach rhythm, “the dance” of force, and powerful catches rather than just concentric effort. He and Joel dig into spinal mobility, ribcage expansion, and even breakdance-style spinal waves as underrated keys to athletic freedom. Jarod then simplifies neurology for coaches, explaining how posture reveals brain-side imbalances and how targeted “fast stretch” work, loud/sticky altitude drops, and intelligently high training volumes can rebalance the system and unlock performance. Today’s episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength. Use the code “LILAJUSTFLY10” for 10% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to Lilateam.com Use code “justfly10” for 10% off the Vert Trainer View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage. (https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-home/) Timestamps 0:00 - Jarod’s background and early coaching lens6:55 - Internal vs external focus and simple cues13:40 - What good movement feels like20:10 - Speed shapes and improving posture29:18 - Blending strength with elastic qualities41:02 - Breathing mechanics and better movement options52:37 - Pelvis function and creating better positions1:00:15 - Skill acquisition and training that sticks1:11:48 - Programming principles and individual needs1:19:40 - Coaching philosophy and athlete communication Jarod Burton Quotes "Most of the time when people get into the flywheel there's a learning curve and I like to think of it as it's a nice dance." "One of the biggest things I love about flywheels is that you can get a very powerful stick, like a very powerful impulse, like catch and then redirection of energy." "The most important part is actually the patience and the catch at the very bottom. So you might squat up super fast and then you squat back down, but the flywheel is still turning and you're waiting for it to grab. And then as soon as it grabs you, then that's when you stick and then powerfully redirect the force." "When you're getting that rapid catch and change of direction, you're getting your muscles to rapidly fire at a lengthened state, which would just also further help them recover." "A postural pattern will reveal a side of the area of the brain that's underactive or overactive." "When the system gets sensory overloaded, it down regulates the motor system. And so if I can keep the system balanced out, the motor system is going to be upregulated and it's going to be functioning at a much higher level." "I always tell coaches, let's do 59 seconds of assessing and 59 minutes of training, essentially." "Once you understand and you see all these individuals posture, you don't unsee it. And within four seconds, you know exactly how to train somebody." "How your posture lies will tell you exactly which direction the muscles need to go to reset tone. And that's essentially all we're doing is when you reset tone, it rebalances out the brain." "It turns out that a lot of the exercises that we do don't even come close to mimicking the same amount of stimulus that you get in a baseball throw." "What I would find that would create the most amount of stimulus or the fastest rate coding high motor unit recruitment was rapid stops where you're basically catching something and you don't move." About Jarod Burton Dr. Jarod Burton is a chiropractor and sports performance coach who lives in the intersection of clinical practice, neuroscience, and high-performance human movement. A student of neurology and motor learning, Jarod works to uncover the hidden nervous system constraints that influence posture, coordination, elasticity, and power expression in sport. His methods combine manual therapy, joint mapping, sensory integration, and movement-based diagnostics to create individualized solutions that free up range, recalibrate neural rhythm, and unlock athletic speed, strength, and resilience. Jarod is passionate about a holistic philosophy of performance; one where the brain, body, and environment work in concert to reveal the best version of the athlete.