Podcast
MX Mastery
Hosted by Jacob Pennisi and Bryan Johnson · EN
Welcome to MX Mastery, hosted by the head trainers at Millsaps Training Facility Jacob Pennisi (Fitness Director) and Bryan Johnson (Head Track Trainer).
Mastery is defined as the highest level of skill and knowledge in a particular field or activity. That’s exactly what we’re trying to help you achieve in this podcast. Mastery of anything is more of a journey than a destination, and we’d love to have you come along for the ride!
In this podcast, you can look forward to conversations about motocross training, fitness, racing, conversations with top pros, and much more!
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Jordon Smith Part 2
Aug 21, 202301:03:31Tap to summarizeWelcome to MX Mastery! Mastery is defined as the highest level of skill and knowledge in a particular field or activity. That’s exactly what we’re trying to help you achieve in this podcast. Mastery of anything is more of a journey than a destination, and we’d love to have you come along for the ride! In this podcast, we talk about what we know best; motocross training, and what it takes to get to the top level in this sport. On MX Mastery, you can look forward to everything from conversations with top athletes to topics like fitness, supercross, racing, amateur, professional, etc. If it’s moto, we’re going to talk about it! In today’s episode, we sit down with Jordon Smith. Jordon was a long time member at MTF. He trained with us from amateur ranks all the way through his first 7 years as a professional. He's worked with most of the top teams in our sport including Geico Honda, TLD KTM, Pro Circuit Kawasaki, Firepower Honda, and he currently rides for Star Racing Yamaha. Enjoy part two of our conversation! Follow Jordon on Instagram! - @jordon_.smith Time Stamps: 1:00 - How Jordon has defied the odds by going from Factory ride to privateer ride and BACK to Factory 8:00 - Jordon didn’t always enjoy the grind of training 12:50 - What have you learned from working with so many different trainers and teams? 15:30 - Why is Star so good? 22:00 - Jordon did a front flip in the middle of a race by accident… or so he says 25:45 - Turning road kill into a fun game for road cycling 36:00 - Jordon’s first cycle at MTF and Colleen’s motorcycle was in the ditch 42:20 - The drama with Haiden Deegan Sign up for our online training programs! - https://mtfmx.com/online-training/ Instagram: @mtfmx @jacob_pennisi If you enjoyed this podcast, please leave a rating and review on the platform you’re using to listen! This helps the podcast find other listeners that are just as passionate about this sport as you are!
Transcribe →Jordon Smith Part 1
Jul 24, 202301:03:50Tap to summarizeWelcome to MX Mastery! Mastery is defined as the highest level of skill and knowledge in a particular field or activity. That’s exactly what we’re trying to help you achieve in this podcast. Mastery of anything is more of a journey than a destination, and we’d love to have you come along for the ride! In this podcast, we talk about what we know best; motocross training, and what it takes to get to the top level in this sport. On MX Mastery, you can look forward to everything from conversations with top athletes to topics like fitness, supercross, racing, amateur, professional, etc. If it’s moto, we’re going to talk about it! In today’s episode, we sit down with Jordon Smith. Jordon was a long time member at MTF. He trained with us from amateur ranks all the way through his first 7 years as a professional. He's worked with most of the top teams in our sport including Geico Honda, TLD KTM, Pro Circuit Kawasaki, Firepower Honda, and he currently rides for Star Racing Yamaha. Enjoy part one of our conversation! Follow Jordon on Instagram! - @jordon_.smith Time Stamps: 3:30 - How did Jordon find his way to MTF? 17:55 - Jordon’s first bit of support from Suzuki 19:15 - You’re known for being a hard worker. Have you always been that way? 24:45 - The personality traits of a professional athlete that has a chance to make it 26:50 - Jordon was the slowest and youngest member at MTF 30:10 - One of our most iconic members, Llama. If you know you know. 34:50 - You’ve been on Geico Honda, TLD KTM, PC Kawi, Firepower Honda, and now Star racing. Was it a fresh reset every time? 51:30 - Jordon’s biggest fresh start in his career, Firepower Honda Sign up for our online training programs! - https://mtfmx.com/online-training/ Instagram: @mtfmx @jacob_pennisi If you enjoyed this podcast, please leave a rating and review on the platform you’re using to listen! This helps the podcast find other listeners that are just as passionate about this sport as you are!
Transcribe →Mastering Suspension with FC's Mike Haist
Jul 18, 202301:34:52Tap to summarizeWelcome to MX Mastery! Mastery is defined as the highest level of skill and knowledge in a particular field or activity. That’s exactly what we’re trying to help you achieve in this podcast. Mastery of anything is more of a journey than a destination, and we’d love to have you come along for the ride! In this podcast, we talk about what we know best; motocross training, and what it takes to get to the top level in this sport. On MX Mastery, you can look forward to everything from conversations with top athletes to topics like fitness, supercross, racing, amateur, professional, etc. If it’s moto, we’re going to talk about it! In today’s episode, we dive into the world of suspension with Factory Connection's Mike Haist. Mike is coming up on 20 years of being a suspension tech with Factory Connection and has worked with young amateurs all the way up to top professionals in the 450 class. Mike comes out to MTF a few times a year to get us dialed in before big races, and we were lucky enough to grab him for a conversation! Time Stamps: 0:50 - Why is Mike and Factory Connection at MTF? 4:20 - How did Mike get into the suspension industry? 9:15 - Do you find the guys here at MTF are really far off with their settings? 11:50 - What is the most common thing you see that’s an easy fix for riders and their suspension? 14:35 - Thoughts on the triple air chamber fork 16:50 - Do they use nitrogen for air forks at the top level? 19:45 - Does FC find a setting faster because of your experience with all different conditions compared to smaller suspension shops? 25:12 - Max Anstie and his set up 27:30 - How do you keep track of your different settings for different tracks? 30:25 - Have you ever had to tell someone that the problem is their riding technique, not the suspension? 32:52 - Mike’s thoughts on why bikes kick more side to side when you’re in a higher gear 39:22 - Setting up your bike for the only 2% of the track that’s giving you trouble 40:55 - Chad Reed setting his bike up for the end of the main event 42:22 - If you have a beginner that is just starting to mess with their suspension, how do you advise they start that journey 49:15 - At what level of riding should I start messing with my suspension? 51:52 - How often should you have your suspension checked by a tech? 55:08 - Is stock suspension really that bad? 58:25 - If you start to run out of clicker adjustment, should you then send in your suspension to get it adjusted? 1:00:38 - What is the difference between A-kit suspension and everything else? 1:06:50 - Cooper Webb switching fork tube diameters during SX 1:14:05 - What do you think Dylan Ferrandis is searching for on this new bike? 1:16:50 - Why do you prefer to not tell the riders the adjustments you make when you’re testing? 1:20:15 - Have you ever sent someone back out with the exact same suspension as before and it solved their problem? Sign up for our online training programs! - https://mtfmx.com/online-training/ Instagram: @mtfmx @jacob_pennisi If you enjoyed this podcast, please leave a rating and review on the platform you’re using to listen! This helps the podcast find other listeners that are just as passionate about this sport as you are!
Transcribe →The Soil Engineer - Brad Smith
Jul 3, 202301:28:00Tap to summarizeWelcome to MX Mastery! Mastery is defined as the highest level of skill and knowledge in a particular field or activity. That’s exactly what we’re trying to help you achieve in this podcast. Mastery of anything is more of a journey than a destination, and we’d love to have you come along for the ride! In this podcast, we talk about what we know best; motocross training, and what it takes to get to the top level in this sport. On MX Mastery, you can look forward to everything from conversations with top athletes to topics like fitness, supercross, racing, amateur, professional, etc. If it’s moto, we’re going to talk about it! In today’s episode, we sit down with Brad Smith. Brad has been at MTF for 15 out of the 20 years that we've been in business. Not only does Brad build and maintain all of the tracks at MTF, he also raced professionally and regularly competes at National Races such as Loretta Lynns and Thor's Mini O's. Brad has lots of wisdom to share about building tracks, riding, and just the sport in general. If you'd like to follow Brad on instagram, here is his instagram handle - @ibradsmith. Enjoy the episode! Sign up for our online training programs! - https://mtfmx.com/online-training/ Time Stamps: 1:25 - WSX and Red Bud 3:40 - WSX vs SMX = LIV golf vs. PGA? 7:54 - How did you find your way to MTF? 9:28 - Brad’s journey racing professional 12:00 - How did Brad start building tracks for MTF? 21:50 - The average person doesn’t understand what it takes to maintain a track 24:35 - Brad is the type of guy that pays attention. To everything. 31:29 - Is the speedway style track the future of supercross? 38:53 - How do you go about building a new track? 45:00 - What are the advantages of riding a track that you built? 49:20 - It’s a fine line making a fun track and making a safe track 51:50 - Should I (Jacob) spend some time working the whoops on our track? 54:00 - What does everyone hate my thor helmet? 58:38 - The one time I rode without a chest protector, I broke my ribs and punctured my lung 1:01:17 - Do you eyeball supercross tracks or is there a science to building them? 1:13:23 - Martin Davalos hitting a stupid quad out at Colleen’s SX track 1:15:29 - Kevin Windham and Steph Curry 1:19:50 - If Eli or Dylan liked the last years bike more, why didn’t they choose to ride that this year? 1:22:50 - Why do you keep racing after all these years? 1:27:00 - Sign up for our online training! Instagram: @mtfmx @jacob_pennisi If you enjoyed this podcast, please leave a rating and review on the platform you’re using to listen! This helps the podcast find other listeners that are just as passionate about this sport as you are!
Transcribe →Flipping the switch with Luca Marsalisi - Pro Motocross and Supercross Racer
Jun 26, 202301:15:26Tap to summarizeWelcome to MX Mastery! Mastery is defined as the highest level of skill and knowledge in a particular field or activity. That’s exactly what we’re trying to help you achieve in this podcast. Mastery of anything is more of a journey than a destination, and we’d love to have you come along for the ride! In this podcast, we talk about what we know best; motocross training, and what it takes to get to the top level in this sport. On MX Mastery, you can look forward to everything from conversations with top athletes to topics like fitness, supercross, racing, amateur, professional, etc. If it’s moto, we’re going to talk about it! In today’s episode, we have a conversation with Luca Marsalisi. Today we’re joined on the show by Luca Marsalisi. Luca is a long time member at MTF who currently races pro supercross and motocross for the Rock River Yamaha team. Luca is the perfect example of someone who decided to flip the switch and become the type of person that can make it as a professional. His character and work ethic makes him a role model to the other members at MTF, and the perfect athlete to have on our podcast! If you want to follow Luca, you can do so here: @marsalisi_174 Time Stamps: 0:42 - Who is Luca Marsalisi? The elevator pitch 2:12 - Everyone can spot a “podium voice” a mile away 5:42 - What was the hardest thing about transitioning from amateur to pro? 10:28 - The pace at the pro races is slower than at the practice track 16:00 - What’s the right thing to do when you’re not comfortable at a track? 18:35 - How did Luca find his way to MTF? 22:35 - When did Luca flip the switch and decide to make a run at being a professional? 25:30 - My earliest memory of Luca back in 2017 28:56 - Who did Luca look up to when he started taking the sport seriously? 34:28 - What it’s like getting more support and landing yourself a ride on a team 44:00 - What role does family play in all of this? 47:12 - Adam Cianciarulo is such a good role model in this sport 50:35 - Be happy where you are while striving for where you want to be 53:07 - What does having kids do to the top guys? 56:13 - Do you have any favorite memories or crazy s*** these guys asked you to do? 57:55 - Marty’s crazy whoop speed and Luca’s progression in supercross 1:03:45 - Why do we put the amateurs on supercross more often? 1:05:05 - What is it like to race in the 450 class? 1:08:05 - Kenny coming to race the outdoors 109:50 - The state of the 450 class 1:14:25 - Sign up for our online training! Sign up for our online training programs! - https://mtfmx.com/online-training/ Instagram: @mtfmx @jacob_pennisi If you enjoyed this podcast, please leave a rating and review on the platform you’re using to listen! This helps the podcast find other listeners that are just as passionate about this sport as you are!
Transcribe →How to use Social Media In Motocross
Jun 19, 202301:11:44Tap to summarizeWelcome to MX Mastery! Mastery is defined as the highest level of skill and knowledge in a particular field or activity. That’s exactly what we’re trying to help you achieve in this podcast. Mastery of anything is more of a journey than a destination, and we’d love to have you come along for the ride! In this podcast, we talk about what we know best; motocross training, and what it takes to get to the top level in this sport. On MX Mastery, you can look forward to everything from conversations with top athletes to topics like fitness, supercross, racing, amateur, professional, etc. If it’s moto, we’re going to talk about it! In today’s episode, we discuss the good and bad of social media. On the good side, you can leverage social media to build a personal brand and enhance your career with money and influence. On the bad side, we give you some insight on how to handle haters and share stories about our personal run-ins with negative comments on social media. Enjoy! Sign up for our online training programs! - https://mtfmx.com/online-training/ Time Stamps: 1:21 - Social media is your online resume 5:38 - Feedback about how we look on camera 8:31 - Social media gives you a chance to build a personal brand 9:30 - How to stand out to sponsors on social media 13:03 - Way to make money #1 - Affiliate marketing 15:55 - Way to make money #2 - Monetized content 18:38 - Fancy edits aren’t always better 19:48 - Way to make money #3 - Merchandise 24:18 - Recap of ways to make money 25:15 - The Deegans 28:00 - Jeff Walker 29:22 - Dean Wilson 30:18 - Eli Tomac 32:38 - Should you check your social media in between races as a professional? 35:04 - The ugly side of social media. 37:05 - The root problem with social media 38:20 - Haiden Deegan and Jordon Smith incident 39:25 - No one comments on Instagram to have an honest discussion 43:59 - The plank in the rain post 49:29 - We made a rowing post and the olympic rowing team started commenting on our form 51:45 - The people commenting have tunnel vision on the wrong things 54:55 - It’s dangerous when you THINK you know more than you actually do 58:15 - Negative comments on Chase Sexton’s most recent post 1:07:28 - Negative comments from another strength coach Instagram: @mtfmx @jacob_pennisi If you enjoyed this podcast, please leave a rating and review on the platform you’re using to listen! This helps the podcast find other listeners that are just as passionate about this sport as you are!
Transcribe →Why Motocross Professionals Hire Coaches - Our Online Training Solution to Make Your Life Easier
Jun 12, 202301:03:37Tap to summarizeWelcome to MX Mastery! Mastery is defined as the highest level of skill and knowledge in a particular field or activity. That’s exactly what we’re trying to help you achieve in this podcast. Mastery of anything is more of a journey than a destination, and we’d love to have you come along for the ride! In this podcast, we talk about what we know best; motocross training, and what it takes to get to the top level in this sport. On MX Mastery, you can look forward to everything from conversations with top athletes to topics like fitness, supercross, racing, amateur, professional, etc. If it’s moto, we’re going to talk about it! In today’s episode, we breakdown how important it is to have a coach or someone else to write your programs, especially as a professional. We have created an online training solution for the motocross training community that we're really proud of, so if you're serious about getting better at motocross, or you just want to ride more without getting as tired or sore, check out our website www.mtfmx.com and go to the online training tab to see what we have to offer! We also talk about Dean Wilson's recent post about anxiety struggles and how we can personally relate. I Time Stamps: 0:10 - Dean Wilson’s post about anxiety and mental health, and some stories about how we can personally relate 9:00 - That intimidating feeling when you show up to a busy gym and have no idea what to do 10:15 - The problem with writing your own program 14:20 - Why do professional riders go through so many trainers? 16:10 - Jordon Smith felt overtrained the week before his first win 18:35 - The time the SX guys thought I overtrained them after the first round 21:35 - Ricky was so good at pushing through physical discomfort 22:45 - The guys that do really well are exceptionally good at suffering 24:15 - MTF Online Training is something we made to make your life easier and give a taste of how we train here at MTF 26:50 - Sometimes you’re just not in shape enough to get the most out of your track training 29:30 - Can I bench more than Tiger Woods? 32:20 - A member that won a title the same year he also worked out for the very first time 33:15 - Every day that you skip training, your competition is catching up 35:10 - Let us write your programs for you. Your life will be so much easier! 39:15 - Set habits and learn this mentality young 39:53 - Dakota Alix’s first lap time vs when he left 41:42 - Our 12 week fitness program - Beginner, intermediate, and minimal equipment 42:40 - How Lifting weights fixed Jordan Bailey’s riding posture 47:10 - Our MTF Online Advanced training 47:38 - Our live Q&A’s, my favorite part about our advanced online training 49:33 - Advanced Training Gym Only 51:17 - Advanced Training Gym and Riding 54:15 - It’s tough to put your ego aside while riding and training 56:10 - Stiles Robertson did a bunch of 20’s on our turn track while Daxton did motos 58:00 - We really believe in our online training - recap Sign up for our online training programs! - https://mtfmx.com/online-training/ Instagram: @mtfmx @jacob_pennisi If you enjoyed this podcast, please leave a rating and review on the platform you’re using to listen! This helps the podcast find other listeners that are just as passionate about this sport as you are!
Transcribe →The Role Sports Play in Character Development - Chase Sexton Misses Round 2 of Pro Motocross
Jun 5, 202301:01:44Tap to summarizeWelcome to MX Mastery! Mastery is defined as the highest level of skill and knowledge in a particular field or activity. That’s exactly what we’re trying to help you achieve in this podcast. Mastery of anything is more of a journey than a destination, and we’d love to have you come along for the ride! In this podcast, we talk about what we know best; motocross training, and what it takes to get to the top level in this sport. On MX Mastery, you can look forward to everything from conversations with top athletes to topics like fitness, supercross, racing, amateur, professional, etc. If it’s moto, we’re going to talk about it! In today’s episode, we briefly talk about Chase Sexton missing round 2 of the Pro Motocross Championship, as well as our thoughts on Jett so far this season. Then we move on to our main topic of "the role sports play in character development". Sports teach you so many important skills that help you become a successful individual in all aspects of your life, not just the sport you play. We talk about the carryover from racing to life off the bike, and what it takes to become professional at anything. Time Stamps: 0:30 - Chase Sexton Missing Round 2 3:00 - More transparency would have been better for Chase 8:40 - How freaking good was Jett Lawrence?! 11:18 - Why is Jett Lawrence so good? 12:45 - Sports teach you so many life lessons 13:50 - Our responsibility is to develop young men, not just motocross racers. 16:05 - You have to have the personality of a professional 17:30 - The skill of mastering something is the biggest takeaway 20:50 - What we actually teach here at MTF 23:30 - You should get excited when you find something you’re not good at 26:10 - I like to lead by example, especially on the turn track 29:25 - How we develop leaders within MTF 33:46 - This is your chance to be a hero to someone 34:52 - Marcus clipped Gabriel on the take off of the biggest jump at our track 39:22 - Why I’m very serious about how I handle myself in the gym 41:08 - What it means to have someone that truly believes in you 44:30 - The age when I finally realized everything my parents sacrificed for me, and the gratitude I have for them 46:12 - Bryan talks about the grind his parents went through to allow him to race 49:05 - Bryan will tell you if he believes in you, and DOESN’T believe in you 52:38 - The difference between optimism and delusion 54:10 - The difference between parents and coaches 57:15 - Toughness can be learned 58:12 - What a fit and athletic body says about your character 59:46 - How the professional athlete in Bryan shows up in daily life Sign up for our online training programs! - https://mtfmx.com/online-training/ Instagram: @mtfmx @jacob_pennisi If you enjoyed this podcast, please leave a rating and review on the platform you’re using to listen! This helps the podcast find other listeners that are just as passionate about this sport as you are!
Transcribe →Ducati Making a 450? Pro Motocross 2023 - Things to watch for.
May 25, 202300:46:17Tap to summarizeWelcome to MX Mastery! Mastery is defined as the highest level of skill and knowledge in a particular field or activity. That’s exactly what we’re trying to help you achieve in this podcast. Mastery of anything is more of a journey than a destination, and we’d love to have you come along for the ride! In this podcast, we talk about what we know best; motocross training, and what it takes to get to the top level in this sport. On MX Mastery, you can look forward to everything from conversations with top athletes to topics like fitness, supercross, racing, amateur, professional, etc. If it’s moto, we’re going to talk about it! In today’s episode, we talk about the recent rumors of Ducati, an Italian motorcycle company making a 250 or 450 entry for the 2023 Supercross and Motocross seasons, or potentially MXGP. We also breakdown all of the things about the Pro Motocross 2023 Season that we're really excited to watch for. It's shaping up to be a really interesting summer. Enjoy the episode! Time Stamps: 0:30 - Ducati Making a Motocross Bike? 7:15 - We're not doing what Pulp MX does 7:45 - How Chase vs Eli is different than Chase vs Jett 10:30 - Chase and Jett are going to battle for the next 10+ years 12:30 - How this might be similar to Ryan Dungey and Ryan Villopoto 15:24 - Why I (Jacob) give an advantage to Jett for this summer 19:00 - Will Dylan Ferrandis be a threat? 20:10 - Cooper Webb has a title shot? 22:21 - Outside of Jett, Chase, and Dylan, who can we expect to show some fight? 23:45 - My not so surprising dark horse of the 250 class 25:33 - Where will RJ be? 27:00 - Hunter and Justin Cooper 28:45 - How will track prep affect this class? 31:25 - New 30 minute intermission added, good thing or bad thing? 34:55 - I'll be so sad if they get rid of outdoors 35:30 - A format change that would help motocross be better 37:48 - Why do people want the guy on top to fall? 38:38 - Aaron Plessinger and closing thoughts on the 450 class. 39:30 - Who has the experience advantage, Jett or Chase? 41:07 - Dylan probably should have had 4 championships already. 42:10 - The year Dylan won the title, he straight up beat Eli and Chase, and people seem to forget that. 44:35 - Chase Sexton's golden year potential 45:06 - If you want to train like us, now you can with MTF Online Sign up for our online training programs! - https://mtfmx.com/online-training/ Instagram: @mtfmx @jacob_pennisi If you enjoyed this podcast, please leave a rating and review on the platform you’re using to listen! This helps the podcast find other listeners that are just as passionate about this sport as you are!
Transcribe →MTF's Formula for How To Get Better at Motocross
May 22, 202300:50:24Tap to summarizeWelcome to MX Mastery! Mastery is defined as the highest level of skill and knowledge in a particular field or activity. That’s exactly what we’re trying to help you achieve in this podcast. Mastery of anything is more of a journey than a destination, and we’d love to have you come along for the ride! In this podcast, we talk about what we know best; motocross training, and what it takes to get to the top level in this sport. On MX Mastery, you can look forward to everything from conversations with top athletes to topics like fitness, supercross, racing, amateur, professional, etc. If it’s moto, we’re going to talk about it! In today’s episode, the head trainers at MTF break down how to get better at motocross, from the track training all the way to the gym program. We have 25 years of experience helping athletes reach their full potential on a motorcycle, and if you want access to our experience and knowledge, you're in the right place! Time Stamps: 0:48 - the power of the first 20 hours of learning a new skill 2:48 - your goal dictates your program 6:12 - MTF’s formula for a track training plan 11:25 - Why you should do a moto AFTER section work 13:40 - Training yourself to not react so much 18:05 - Watching someone else do it on your bike 19:50 - Why are bike skill drills important? (Slow wheelies, heel clickers, log hopping) 25:23 - Jordon Smith’s huge transfer on a 450 26:40 - Hitting supercross triples for the first time 30:25 - The importance of working on sprint speed 34:37 - The gym side of motocross training 34:50 - If you can only ride once per week, a gym program is more important 37:30 - There are three key elements to making a good gym program. 37:50 - The importance of strength training 38:10 - You won’t accidentally get too big 39:00 - Two different types of cardio 40:00 - How do bodybuilders train differently than motocross riders? 42:40 - If you can’t ride very much, you need intervals 43:28 - Flexibility 44:27 - Bonus 4th key element 47:20 - Either you break them, or they break you 49:10 - If you want us to write your programs, sign up for MTF Online Training Sign up for our online training programs! - https://mtfmx.com/online-training/ Instagram: @mtfmx @jacob_pennisi If you enjoyed this podcast, please leave a rating and review on the platform you’re using to listen! This helps the podcast find other listeners that are just as passionate about this sport as you are!
Transcribe →