Contents

Visit our Store

Trusted by professional athletes worldwide, 1080 Motion helps you maximize performance with cutting-edge resistance training technology.
Shop Now

Rapid Fire—Episode #14 Featuring Rodrigo Alvira Isla: Training Smarter in the NBA and G League

A bearded man in a tracksuit smiles while sitting in green stadium seats. Next to him is the Rapid Fire Powered by SimpliFaster logo, with Episode 14 and Rodrigo Alvira written below.
Share this

Summary

As always, please share & review this episode! This podcast is also available on Apple and Spotify. Episode Summary In this episode of Rapid Fire, Justin welcomes Rodrigo Alvira Isla, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Motor City Cruise, the NBA G-League affiliate of the Detroit Pistons.  Rodrigo shares insights into his journey through…

As always, please share & review this episode! This podcast is also available on Apple and Spotify.

Episode Summary

In this episode of Rapid Fire, Justin welcomes Rodrigo Alvira Isla, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Motor City Cruise, the NBA G-League affiliate of the Detroit Pistons. 

Rodrigo shares insights into his journey through the S&C industry, from internships to his current position in the Detroit Pistons organization. He shares how he filters useful tech data in high-level environments and gives a deep analysis of countermovement jump (CMJ) force plate testing.

The two also discuss the importance of making training enjoyable and sustainable for pro athletes, as well as the evolving use of velocity-based training (VBT) beyond traditional velocity zones.

A must-listen for anyone passionate about performance, coaching and building human connections in sport.

Key Quotes

  • On Force Plates:
    “The best tests are the ones you can do often — and actually use to make decisions.”
  • On Tech Use:
    “We collect a lot, but we don’t always use much. Find the one data point you can consistently act on.”
  • On Athlete Buy-In:
    “Don’t make it personal if they don’t want to lift. Help them see it’s about their health first — not your ego.”
  • On Velocity Zones:
    “Strength is contextual. Velocity zones shouldn’t box athletes into made-up categories — use numbers, not labels.”
  • On Career Growth:
    “Everything can change in 24 hours. Focus on small steps every day — and build real relationships.”

Time-Stamps

  • 00:00-02:20 — Rodrigo’s path: From visa struggles to NBA/G-League coaching.
  • 02:20-08:20 — How Rodrigo filters valuable tech in a data-saturated environment.
  • 08:20-17:00 — Deep dive: How to read force plate CMJ data effectively.
  • 17:00-23:30 — Building enjoyable, sustainable training environments for athletes.
  • 23:30-35:00 — Rethinking VBT: Moving beyond traditional velocity zones.
  • 35:00-42:00 — Life and career advice for young coaches: relationships, patience and persistence.
  • 42:00-End — Rodrigo’s projects, Spaniard Performance Podcast and final thoughts.

Major Takeaways

  • Selective Tech Usage: Don’t overwhelm athletes — use simple, repeatable tests like the CMJ and learn to extract deep insights from a single jump.
  • Real-World Force Plate Applications: Focus on curve smoothness, left-right asymmetries and understanding how propulsion stems from good deceleration.
  • Training Buy-In: Building trust and adapting to athlete needs is more effective than rigid, one-size-fits-all lifting protocols during the season.
  • Updated VBT Thinking:
    • Forget rigid “velocity zones.”
    • Focus on intent (moving fast) and use real-time velocities to adjust training loads.
    • Program by effort and velocity loss instead of just reps and percentages.
  • Relationships Drive Careers: Knowledge matters, but your ability to connect, stay humble and be persistent ultimately opens doors.

Connect with Rodrigo

Authors

  • Justin Ochoa is the founder of Gem Sessions Training in Indianapolis, a complete basketball development organization. Justin works with basketball players of all ages and experience levels from youth to pro, specializing in bridging the gap between skill development & performance training. Aside from training, he founded the Gem Sessions Foundation — a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to serving youth athletes with crucial resources needed to excel in academics, athletics and life after athletics. Connect with Justin on Instagram or X (@JustinOchoa317) or find him here.

    View all posts
  • Rodrigo Alvira Isla

    Rodrigo Alvira Isla, a sports performance coach from Spain, arrived in the U.S. to pursue basketball and academic endeavors in 2014. He has worked in Dubai as a sports performance specialist and at the collegiate level at Lincoln University and Grand Canyon University. Rodrigo’s expertise focuses on basketball and volleyball, but he has also worked with golf, football, and swimming. As the founder of Spaniard Performance, he passionately contributes to the study and dissemination of sports performance knowledge, bridging scientific findings and practical applications while helping mentor other coaches and professional athletes online. Rodrigo also collaborates as a consultant with Vitruve and SoloPerformance.

    View all posts

Leave the first comment

A bearded man in a tracksuit smiles while sitting in green stadium seats. Next to him is the Rapid Fire Powered by SimpliFaster logo, with Episode 14 and Rodrigo Alvira written below.
Table of Contents

Rapid Fire—Episode #14 Featuring Rodrigo Alvira Isla: Training Smarter in the NBA and G League

Share this

As always, please share & review this episode! This podcast is also available on Apple and Spotify.

Episode Summary

In this episode of Rapid Fire, Justin welcomes Rodrigo Alvira Isla, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Motor City Cruise, the NBA G-League affiliate of the Detroit Pistons. 

Rodrigo shares insights into his journey through the S&C industry, from internships to his current position in the Detroit Pistons organization. He shares how he filters useful tech data in high-level environments and gives a deep analysis of countermovement jump (CMJ) force plate testing.

The two also discuss the importance of making training enjoyable and sustainable for pro athletes, as well as the evolving use of velocity-based training (VBT) beyond traditional velocity zones.

A must-listen for anyone passionate about performance, coaching and building human connections in sport.

Key Quotes

  • On Force Plates:
    “The best tests are the ones you can do often — and actually use to make decisions.”
  • On Tech Use:
    “We collect a lot, but we don’t always use much. Find the one data point you can consistently act on.”
  • On Athlete Buy-In:
    “Don’t make it personal if they don’t want to lift. Help them see it’s about their health first — not your ego.”
  • On Velocity Zones:
    “Strength is contextual. Velocity zones shouldn’t box athletes into made-up categories — use numbers, not labels.”
  • On Career Growth:
    “Everything can change in 24 hours. Focus on small steps every day — and build real relationships.”

Time-Stamps

  • 00:00-02:20 — Rodrigo’s path: From visa struggles to NBA/G-League coaching.
  • 02:20-08:20 — How Rodrigo filters valuable tech in a data-saturated environment.
  • 08:20-17:00 — Deep dive: How to read force plate CMJ data effectively.
  • 17:00-23:30 — Building enjoyable, sustainable training environments for athletes.
  • 23:30-35:00 — Rethinking VBT: Moving beyond traditional velocity zones.
  • 35:00-42:00 — Life and career advice for young coaches: relationships, patience and persistence.
  • 42:00-End — Rodrigo’s projects, Spaniard Performance Podcast and final thoughts.

Major Takeaways

  • Selective Tech Usage: Don’t overwhelm athletes — use simple, repeatable tests like the CMJ and learn to extract deep insights from a single jump.
  • Real-World Force Plate Applications: Focus on curve smoothness, left-right asymmetries and understanding how propulsion stems from good deceleration.
  • Training Buy-In: Building trust and adapting to athlete needs is more effective than rigid, one-size-fits-all lifting protocols during the season.
  • Updated VBT Thinking:
    • Forget rigid “velocity zones.”
    • Focus on intent (moving fast) and use real-time velocities to adjust training loads.
    • Program by effort and velocity loss instead of just reps and percentages.
  • Relationships Drive Careers: Knowledge matters, but your ability to connect, stay humble and be persistent ultimately opens doors.

Connect with Rodrigo

Authors

  • Justin Ochoa is the founder of Gem Sessions Training in Indianapolis, a complete basketball development organization. Justin works with basketball players of all ages and experience levels from youth to pro, specializing in bridging the gap between skill development & performance training. Aside from training, he founded the Gem Sessions Foundation — a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to serving youth athletes with crucial resources needed to excel in academics, athletics and life after athletics. Connect with Justin on Instagram or X (@JustinOchoa317) or find him here.

    View all posts
  • Rodrigo Alvira Isla

    Rodrigo Alvira Isla, a sports performance coach from Spain, arrived in the U.S. to pursue basketball and academic endeavors in 2014. He has worked in Dubai as a sports performance specialist and at the collegiate level at Lincoln University and Grand Canyon University. Rodrigo’s expertise focuses on basketball and volleyball, but he has also worked with golf, football, and swimming. As the founder of Spaniard Performance, he passionately contributes to the study and dissemination of sports performance knowledge, bridging scientific findings and practical applications while helping mentor other coaches and professional athletes online. Rodrigo also collaborates as a consultant with Vitruve and SoloPerformance.

    View all posts

Leave the first comment

Trending Resources

A high jumper in mid-air arches over a yellow bar during a jump. Text overlays the image: Building a Better High Jump: A Review of Stride Patterns – Noah Kaminsky.|Bar chart comparing 1st

Building a Better High Jump: A Review of Stride Patterns

Five female athletes in matching purple track uniforms and a male coach stand together and smile for a group photo. Text over the image reads: “How We Got Our First Sprint Relays to State in Program History.”.|Five female athletes in matching purple uniforms with yellow designs and numbered bibs stand smiling with their arms around each other. A man in a purple hoodie stands on the right. They are indoors on a gym floor.|Four young women in matching athletic uniforms smile and pose together on a sports field

How We Got Our First Sprint Relays to State in Program History

Text on a desk background reads: Science

Science, Dogma, and Effective Practice in S&C

A smiling bald man with a beard is shown next to the Rapid Fire Powered by SimpliFaster logo, with text reading Episode 16 George Greene on a white and black background.

Rapid Fire—Episode #16 Featuring George Greene: Holistic Athlete Management

Contents

Browse By Topics