The Gap

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In this episode of The Gap Podcast (#129), I sit down with Chris Martin to talk about what actually matters if you want to play Division 1 baseball and beyond.Chris is the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for LSU Baseball and previously spent multiple years in the Houston Astros organization, where he worked across player development and rehabilitation in one of the most advanced systems in professional baseball. His background spans both the college and pro game, giving him a rare lens on how athletes are built, broken, and developed at the highest levels.What separates Chris isn’t just his resume, but how he thinks about athletes. He lives in the space between performance, health, and long-term development. Not chasing trends. Not chasing tests. But building players who can survive and thrive in high-level baseball.In this conversation, we dive into:• What actually separates D1 players from everyone else• The real differences between high school, college, and pro baseball• Why the 60-yard dash is often overrated as a talent marker• How nicotine and THC quietly destroy recovery, focus, and nervous system output• What LSU and pro organizations actually look for in developing players• Why habits, not just talent, determine who lastsWe talk about how college baseball is a completely different environment than high school. Faster games. Higher volumes. More stress. More pressure. And why so many talented players struggle not because they aren’t skilled, but because their bodies, habits, and nervous systems aren’t prepared for the demands.Chris also explains why straight-line speed tests like the 60-yard dash don’t tell the full story. Speed matters, but baseball is about how you move, react, rotate, decelerate, and express power in chaotic positions. If all you train is a sprint test, you miss what actually shows up on the field.We also get into the uncomfortable stuff most people avoid. How nicotine and THC impact sleep, recovery, motivation, and the nervous system. These habits seem small, but at the D1 and pro level they quietly cap your ceiling and shorten careers.If you’re a high-school player chasing a D1 roster spot, a college athlete trying to survive and stand out, or a coach or parent trying to understand what really moves the needle, this episode will give you clarity most people never get.

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In this episode of the podcast, I sit down with TJ Cahill to talk about coaching principles everyone should know — not just what to coach, but how to think as a coach.TJ is a highly respected strength and conditioning coach with years of experience working with athletes across multiple levels and environments. What separates TJ isn’t a flashy system or viral exercises, but his ability to think deeply, communicate clearly, and apply principles instead of blindly following trends.He’s coached in real-world settings where constraints matter — limited time, limited buy-in, different personalities, different sports — and that experience shows in how he approaches training. TJ has a strong emphasis on long-term athlete development, adaptability, and understanding the human side of coaching, not just the physiological one.In this conversation, we dive into:• How TJ developed his coaching philosophy• Why principles matter more than methods or systems• The importance of critical thinking in an industry full of noise• Coaching the athlete in front of you, not the program on paper• What young coaches should focus on early in their careers• How to build trust, buy-in, and real progress over timeThis episode is especially valuable for coaches who feel overwhelmed by conflicting information online or pressured to chase whatever is currently trending. TJ brings a grounded, thoughtful perspective that cuts through the noise and brings coaching back to what actually matters.Whether you coach youth athletes, high school programs, college athletes, or adults who still identify as athletes, this conversation will help sharpen how you think about training, communication, and leadership.If you found this episode valuable, make sure to like, subscribe, and share it with another coach who needs to hear it.

Welcome back to The Gap Podcast with Hitman Performance (Brett Hart) and Jacked Javelin (Dan). In this episode, we sit down with Ryan Paul, one of the most forward-thinking coaches in modern sports performance, to break down what it really means to become a “new athlete” in today’s era.

Athletes aren’t just lifting weights anymore— they’re training their nervous system, their tendons, their mindset, and their ability to absorb, redirect, and produce force at elite speeds. Ryan explains how training has evolved, what separates average from elite performers, and how young athletes can start building the foundation now.
If you're a coach, parent, or athlete who wants to understand the future of performance training, this episode is a must-watch.
What defines the “new athlete” in 2025 and beyond

Why neurology and nervous system training matter

Developing elastic strength, stiffness, and force absorption

How to structure training for long-term athletic development

Lessons from coaching high-level performers

Mindset shifts every athlete needs to make

Practical takeaways for youth, high school, and college athletes

The Gap dives deep into sports performance, neurology, elite training methods, and athlete development, featuring top coaches, researchers, and athletes from around the world. Hosted by Hitman Performance & Jacked Javelin.
Ryan PaulInstagram: @newathlete
Hitman Performance (Brett)Instagram: @bretthart__
Jacked Javelin (Dan)Instagram: @jackedjavelin

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Michael Jordan and Alex Hormozi may come from different worlds — one from the basketball court, the other from business — but both share the same hidden fuel: dopamine. In this episode, we break down why both men can be seen as dopamine addicts, and how their obsession with improvement, competition, and validation reveals the neuroscience of greatness.
We explore how dopamine drives ambition, why high achievers get hooked on progress itself, and what separates productive obsession from self-destructive addiction.
How dopamine controls motivation, focus, and the pursuit of goals

Why Michael Jordan’s competitive drive mirrors Alex Hormozi’s business obsession

The difference between discipline and dopamine addiction

How Hormozi’s “building is the reward” mentality reflects the same psychology as Jordan’s “I took that personally” mindset

What neuroscience says about the chase, the win, and the crash

How to use dopamine for sustainable success without burnout

Both Jordan and Hormozi thrive on the chase, not the finish line.

Dopamine doesn’t make you happy — it makes you crave more.

Jordan’s rivalries and Hormozi’s business sprints activate the same reward circuits in the brain.

They’ve turned addiction into productivity, mastering their chemistry rather than being ruled by it.

The dark side? Constant pursuit can lead to emptiness, burnout, and identity loss when the rewards fade.

Dopamine is the molecule of wanting, not having.
For Michael Jordan, every missed shot, insult, or slight triggered a biochemical mission — to prove something.
For Alex Hormozi, it’s building, optimizing, scaling, and repeating — not for money, but for the hit of progress itself.
Both men represent the ultimate dopamine loop:
Trigger → Action → Reward → Craving → Repeat.

They’re addicted not to outcomes, but to momentum.
When dopamine spikes, so does focus, creativity, and energy.
But when it crashes, the void hits hard — which is why the world’s most driven people often can’t stop.
They need a new goal, a new game, a new challenge.
That’s what makes them great — and what makes them restless.
This episode breaks down the balance between drive and contentment — how to channel dopamine like Jordan and Hormozi without burning out or losing fulfillment in the process.
🧠 What You’ll Learn:🔥 Key Takeaways:🧩 The Dopamine Loop:🧠 The Science of Drive:

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In this episode of The Gap, Brett (Hitman Performance) and Dan (Jacked Javelin) sit down with elite decathlete Jason Rotger to break down what it truly means to train for ten different events—and how those principles translate directly into youth sports development.
We unpack the movement qualities every young athlete needs, why decathlete-style training creates unmatched speed and power, and how developing versatility early builds long-term athletic potential. Jason shares his approach to sprint mechanics, strength work, plyometrics, and the mindset required to handle a multi-event workload.
Whether you’re a parent, coach, or athlete looking to improve speed, coordination, and total-body performance… you’ll learn exactly how to train smarter, move better, and build the foundation for elite sport.