Chase The Kangaroo

By  Chris Korfist , Simplifaster | Repost During my years of coaching, I’ve had athletes who became very good at the drills I gave them, but they didn’t improve their form or speed. At times, my athletes have gotten so good at the drills, they were no longer challenged, and they stagnated. I wasn’t challenging their systems. The drills in this article address important points of movement and show how to progress your athletes to make their bodies organize. My Learning Progression There is nothing like the spectacle of a track meet. The tension of 100m and 4x100m races gets everyone up in the stands before the gun goes off. The bell laps in distance races when everyone waits to see who has been hanging back and make the fatal mistake of making a move too early. The final jumps or throws in the field events when the crowd claps in unison to motivate the athlete for a bigger performance. And who can forget the drama of a final 4×400 when the meet is on the line. Even before...

~ Marc Pro  | Repost In nature, animals experience and deal with stress in a very different way than humans. The story of the lion hunting the antelope is a great example of this. When the lion attacks the antelope, both animals experience heightened senses and stress (sympathetic state). But, even if the antelope manages to get away, both animals return to a calm state shortly after (parasympathetic state). The main difference between animals and humans is that humans tend to hang on to stress and do not downregulate shortly after a stressful situation is over. This leaves them in a sympathetic state for longer than necessary. Parasympathetic vs. Sympathetic State The Parasympathetic Nervous System controls homeostasis and restores the body to a calm state. This nervous system activates the “rest and digest” response that decreases heart rate. During the parasympathetic state, the body is able to repair and relax. The Sympathetic Nervous System controls the body’s respons...

Laird Hamilton: Harness the Power of Breath By Laird Hamilton,  Men's Journal  | Repost What's the one fuel at your immediate disposal during a long or grueling workout? Oxygen. It's obvious; still, most of us think of breathing only when we're sucking wind. That's a mistake, because boosting your oxygen intake before, during, and after a workout gives your muscles the means to push harder and longer, and helps to make training actually feel a lot better. (Which is why I think people get a runner's high: The constant cardio forces them to breathe.) I recently began a breathing practice with one clear goal — to flood my lungs and blood with O² — and it's made sprints, strength training, and swimming seem more effortless. Here's how to work it into your training. Before: Prime Your Lungs During any physical activity, the demand for oxygen rises, leading you to breathe more heavily. But if you reverse that process — increasing your oxygen intak...

I went on a complete detox for a month, and it changed my life so much that I decided to stick with it.   BY STEPHANIE VOZZA , Fast Company | Repost What Happened When I Gave Up Gluten, Sugar, Dairy, And Coffee PHOTO: JONATHAN KANTOR/GETTY IMAGES Like many people, when the new year started, I felt like it was time to turn over a new leaf and undo all of the damage from the gluttony of the holiday season. I was feeling sluggish and tired, and tasks that normally take me an hour or two suddenly consumed the entire day. When I got an email in January from my gym offering a two-week detox program, I reluctantly signed up. Maybe my body needed a reset? Off limits were dairy, eggs, peanuts, lunch meats, vegetable oils, soy, coffee, black tea, soda, alcohol, sugar, gluten, artificial sweeteners, and fruit juice. These items often have harmful additives or trigger common food sensitivities that impact your physical and mental health. On the menu were most veggies, fruit, organic c...

The Effects of Breathing on Recovery with Brian Mackenzie  ~Marc Pro  | Repost EPOC (Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption) refers to the oxygen you need to consume after a workout in order to bring your body back to homeostasis. It’s how exercise scientists measure the intensity of a workout. While working out, oxygen is used to fuel activity and once the activity is over, oxygen stores need to be replenished. The level of training intensity is a direct correlation of the amount of oxygen that will be required to bring the body back to normal. The higher the intensity, the more oxygen required for the body to fully recover. The concept of EPOC shows the importance of breathing for  recovery . Our breathing techniques directly affect how much oxygen we consume with each breath. For example, people who are shallow breathers dump a lot of carbon dioxide but don’t bring much oxygen in. We want to make sure that we get the most oxygen in with each breath to allow our body to ...

Fast After 50: How to Race Strong for the Rest of Your Life, by Joe Friel Originally published:   January 10, 2015 Description:  For runners, cyclists, triathletes, swimmers, and cross-country skiers, getting older doesn’t have to mean getting slower. Drawing from the most current research on aging and sports performance, Joe Friel–America’s leading endurance sports coach–shows how athletes can race strong and stay healthy well past age 50. Purchase:   Amazon Books Though I’m not 50 yet, I was curious about what athletes and the weekend warrior-types can do to slow the aging process. We’ve all heard about or are experiencing the effects of aging, from slower recovery to difficulty in losing weight to loss of muscle mass, etc.  As Mr. Friel was closing in on the age of 70, he became more concerned with how our bodies age and whether we can prolong the effects. In  Fast After 50 , Friel covers chapters like, The Aging Myth, The Ageless ...

By Jenessa Connor,  Men's Journal  | Repost Small, healthy habits add up over time. Just ask Laird Hamilton, world-renowned big-wave surfer and our resident radical fitness evangelist. At 52, he’s in better shape than most guys half his age. He splits his time between Maui and Malibu, and when he’s not on the beach, he’s chilling with his model-slash-pro volleyball player wife and their picture-perfect family. He’s clearly doing something right. Check out the eight habits that keep Laird Hamilton healthy, strong, and happy. Eat Three Breakfasts Hamilton’s day starts at 5 a.m., so a bowl of cereal won’t hold him over until lunch. He divides his morning nutrition between three mini meals, each of which serves a specific purpose. First breakfast is his version of fat-infused “bulletproof” coffee, which fuels his gym or water workout. Second breakfast is all about muscle recovery and includes protein-rich eggs, quinoa, or yogurt with almond butter. And his third meal, a...

“ We do not rise to the level of our expectations. We fall to the level of our training. ” ~Archilochus Who is Archilochus? Archilochus (/ɑːrˈkɪləkəs/; Greek: Ἀρχίλοχος Arkhilokhos; c. 680 – c. 645 BC) was a Greek lyric poet from the island of Paros in the Archaic period. He is celebrated for his versatile and innovative use of poetic meters, and is the earliest known Greek author to compose almost entirely on the theme of his own emotions and experiences.

My wife and I bought one of the Assault bikes after this past weekend's, Fittest Games, here in Austin.  Our friend/coach put them up for sale once the games were over.  We picked ours up Monday night and were on it, bright and early, the next morning. Typically, buying home exercise equipment is always a bit of an sketchy prospect.  I'm sure 98% of the equipment people purchase winds up as a clothes rack a month after purchase and then ultimately ends up in a yard sale for only a fraction of its original price. In other words, despite your best intentions, never ever buy home exercise equipment. But...as stated in the opener, we did.  Why did we?  Well, some rules provide exceptions. As in, my wife is a tennis pro.  She really likes fitness.  Now, I like fitness.  In fact, I'm building a pull-up bar in the garage, which might end up as a blog post on how to build a pull-up bar or how to rip a massive hole in your ceiling. Another ex...

Two-time gold medalist Ashton Eaton on the importance of focus, running, and coffee. By:  The Editors (Outside Magazine)  Oct 20, 2016 Two-time Olympic gold medalist Ashton Eaton uses the “Gladiator” soundtrack to get pumped up. Photo: AP/David J. Phillip The decathlon requires an athlete to compete in ten track and field events over the course of two days, testing their strength, speed, agility, and dexterity. Because of this, the Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete is usually given the title of World’s Greatest Athlete. Ashton Eaton has twice won the gold medal in the event and currently holds the sport’s world record. We recently sent him the Outside Questionnaire to glean tips about training. What time do you go to bed? Around 10 p.m. What time do you wake up? My wake-up time is 7 a.m., but I will usually wake up before that, around 6:30 a.m. I don’t usually set an alarm. What’s the first important habit of your day? Coffee! My morning coffee is important. I’m no...

I've always been a fan of Flipboard.  They were the first app to take the information you follow from all of your channels and put it into once single space.  Not only that, they've taken the articles you read and collect, they've displayed it in the very familiar magazine layout. Anyway, I could on and on about the usefulness and functionality of Flipboard, but you can check it out on your own.  My reason for bringing it up is to add a new segment post on the articles I've recently shared on Flipboard and being shared by others, as a result. Fitness & Recovery Breathe Like A Superman | Surfer | The Wim Hof Method takes root in surfing by the likes of Kelly Slater, Laird Hamilton, and Koa Smith. There’s an almost crazed look on Wim Hof’s face. Aggressive and curious, the ice-blue eyes of the 57-year-old dart as he speaks to a crew from Vice about his self-proclaimed breathing method that can enable everyday Joes to do incredible things. According to Hof, who ...

America's Best Off-Road Trips | Road and Track | From mile high Colorado mountain passes to Arizona's Mojave Desert, we've highlighted some of the country's wildest and most scenic dirt and gravel drives. Hitting the open road is a distinctly American pastime, and no season calls for it more than summer. But might we suggest a little twist on the idea? We call it the off-road trip, for the folks with four-wheel-drive and a taste for adventure—not to mention dust. So, with the hope to inspire you to break away from the pavement, we've compiled some of the greatest trips you can make, all (or mostly) on dirt and gravel. Here they are, in no particular order. That’s Not Fat: How Ryan Hall Gained 40 Pounds of Muscle | Runners World | When Ryan Hall returned to the Boston Marathon in April to make appearances, all anybody could talk about was his size. Since he announced his retirement from professional running this winter, the fastest American-born marathone...

Today is my last day of doing the #22KILL 22 push-ups for 22 days challenge. I first heard about #22KILL on Twitter, seeing a post by George P. Bush: @georgepbush: Today I started my #22killchallenge to help raise awareness for the 22 #Veterans we lose to suicide everyday. Read his complete post . So, being a fellow crossfitter from the same box, as well as some other reasons, I wanted to join. Turns out that since 2013, #22KILL is a global movement created by veterans with a mission to: Honor those who serve(d) Raise awareness to veteran suicide and mental health issues such as PTS and TBI Educate the public about current veteran-related topics and issues Recruit Veteran Advocates aka “Battle Buddies” Support various veteran empowerment programs; i.e. Honor Courage Commitment, Inc. (HCC), Equest Hooves for Heroes, Brain Treatment Foundation, Center for BrainHealth, REACT, Adaptive Training Foundation, and more. Sadly, it wasn't until I worked for Governor Perry th...

The 25 Essential Books for the Well-Read Explorer | Outside Online | Occupy your off-season with the successes, failures, and bemusements of fellow adventurers. Hey, we're with you. Given half a chance, we'd much rather hit the road than the armchair. Nothing can replace the intensity of authentic experience. Yet experience needs shape and wisdom and behind every great adventure are the stories that inspired it. We read before we go; and after we arrive, free and clear in far-flung terrain and edgy places, we invariably find echoes of the voices that led us there. Paleo Poor: Your Guide to the Grocery Store | Whole9 | We’ve heard it a million times – how can I afford to eat like this?  (“Like this” meaning “Whole30®” or a general Paleo diet.)   We can’t argue the fact that it’s cheaper to eat a McDonald’s value meal than to craft your own healthy healthy dish by hand… but then again, diabetes medication is pretty expensive too.  We’re not here to arg...

Why Mindfulness Is Your New Secret Weapon | Outside.com | “Exhaustion occurs during real-world endurance competition not when the body encounters a hard physical limit such as total glycogen depletion but rather when the athlete experiences the maximum level of perceived effort he is willing or able to tolerate.… The inexorable slowing is not mechanistic, like a car running out of gas, but voluntary.” - Matt Fitzgerald.   Read more of the article or add these to the book list: Matt Fitzgerald's,  How Bad Do You Want It?: Mastering the Psychology of Mind over Muscle . Jim  Afremow’s, The Champion’s Mind: How Great Athlete's Think, Train and Thrive . George Mumford’s,  The Mindful Athlete: Secrets To Pure Performance . An Effortless Way To Practice Gratitude | Dallas Hartwig |  Exploring the world around you is a rather effortless way to practice gratitude. It’s really difficult to truly look at the world around you and no...

The Magic Of The Campfire |  Art of Manliness  | What is a camp without a campfire? — no camp at all, but a chilly place in a landscape, where some people happen to have some things.  When first the brutal anthropoid stood up and walked erect — was man, the great event was symbolized and marked by the lighting of the first campfire. Study: Factors Associated With Consciousness Can Influence Our Autonomic Nervous System  |  Collective Evolution  | What is the autonomic nervous systems (ANS)? It regulates the functions of our internal organs. Its role is to regulate several bodily functions such as digestion, heart rate, urination, sexual arousal, respiratory rate, pupillary response, and more. It operates reflexively and unconsciously, often without our even noticing. For example, we do not decide to make our heart beat faster when we are afraid, or notice when our blood vessels change size. This system just does what it does, a...