Hello, my name is Mickey Brueckner (MTB) and welcome to my podcast: "The MTB Performance Project." I am the founder and CEO of the ANNEX Sports Performance Center.
I have almost 20 years of experience training athletes of all levels, running a business and building a brand. I am a husband, a father to three children, and I still train hard on a regular basis.
The main goal of this endeavor is to uncover different aspects of human performance. I believe there are many layers to this pursuit: health, fitness, nutrition, mental, social - the list goes on. However, no matter what you are chasing, the principles across many of these disciplines are universal.
Through interviewing people who I consider experts in there field, along with past and current ANNEX athletes, we can dive deeper into these disciplines and unpack different levels of performance.
I named it the Performance "Project" because for me, this is a lifelong initiative to be in constant pursuit of ways to improve my overall health and performance.
Thank you for listening.
033 | Intentional Impact: Serving Athletes, Shaping Young Lives with Ben Loftis
In this episode of the MTB Performance Podcast, Ben Loftis, founder of Resolute Performance, shares his journey from college football safety to becoming a specialist in training overhead athletes. With a background shaped by personal injury challenges, Ben now leads a facility focused on long-term athletic development for youth and high school athletes.
In this conversation, Ben reveals the philosophy behind his "crockpot, not microwave" approach to training, explaining how he tracks metrics over extended periods to help young athletes understand the peaks and valleys of development. He discusses the importance of managing training loads in an era of year-round sports specialization, the role of technology in monitoring athlete readiness, and the critical balance between pushing athletes and protecting their long-term health.
Ben also opens up about the power of serving athletes without expectation and creating opportunities for both coaches and athletes to thrive.
Interested in learning more about Ben? Learn more at:
SITE || RESOLUTENWA.COM (http://resolutenwa.com/)
LINKEDIN || @BENJAMINLOFTIS
FACEBOOK || @RESOLUTE.NWA
INSTAGRAM || @LOFTISTRONG
INSTAGRAM || @RESOLUTE. NWA
LINKTREE || LINKTR. EE/RESOLUTENWA
14 Jan 2026
032 | Beyond the Breaking Point: Understanding the Achilles Injury Epidemic with Derek Hansen
In this episode's compelling conversation, Derek Hansen, a veteran sprint coach, return-to-play specialist, and educator, discusses the alarming rise in Achilles tendon ruptures among increasingly younger athletes.
Drawing from decades of experience with professional athletes, Hansen challenges oversimplified explanations and advocates for examining multiple contributing factors: footwear design (particularly the shift to low-cut, rigid shoes), playing surface variations, potential systemic health impacts, and critically, the erosion of general physical preparation in favor of hyper-specialization.
Throughout the discussion, Hansen emphasizes wisdom gleaned from his mentorship under Charlie Francis, particularly the importance of viewing training through a lens of general stressors and systemic adaptation rather than excessive specificity.
Hansen and host Mickey Brueckner explore the broader philosophical challenges facing strength and conditioning professionals today, including the tension between the industry's obsession with specificity versus the proven value of general physical preparation, shrinking preparation windows at all levels, and the loss of proper periodization in the social media age.
Hansen makes a compelling case that strength coaches must reclaim their role as generalists while maintaining the courage to implement evidence-based programming even when it contradicts popular trends. The conversation serves as both a diagnostic examination of current problems in athletic development and a practical roadmap for building more resilient, available athletes.
Interested in learning more? Find Derek at:
SPRINTCOACH.COM
RUNNINGMECHANICS.COM
YOUTUBE || @DEREKMHANSEN
LINKEDIN || @DEREKMHANSEN
INSTAGRAM || @DEREKMHANSEN
FACEBOOK || @SPRINTCOACHDOTCOM
11 Jun 2025
031 | The Future of Training: Revolutionizing Athletic Performance with Alex Hubelbank
Physical therapist Alex Hubelbank discusses her unconventional career path and shares insights on working with professional athletes, including using muscle oxygen sensors to optimize training and recovery in this interview with Mickey.
Who has been a guest on MTB Performance Project
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Alex Hubelbank
Katie Dabrowski
Mike Guadango
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
4,007
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
14 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 61 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
68
Social presence
0
YouTube
65
Engagement
71
Contact MTB Performance Project
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