10 Commandments of Fitness
1
Question Everything
Whether you’re an elite athlete or a restless desk jockey, there are better ways to achieve your goals. Just ask 4-Hour guru Tim Ferriss, who started quizzing the world’s greatest performers on their routines as a side project—and ended up with a whole new approach to training.
#2
Know Thyself
Don’t let the Theranos saga fool you: we’ve entered a new era of self-quantification, in which on-demand blood testing is sold as the easy way to fine-tune your training and nutrition. Can an algorithm really replace your coach?
#3
Make Boredom the Enemy
Indoor rolling on a bike trainer used to be a heinous chore. Now there's an app that turns it into a video game—and puts you on a fast track to aerobic fitness.
Being fit is about constant movement, and children are in constant motion during playtime at the jungle gym. Why not join their lead?
#4
Use Your Head
New research shows that perceptions of fatigue and pain stop us from hitting our physical limits long before our bodies do. Can athletes train their brains to reach unheard-of levels of peak performance?
These neuron-stimulating Halo Sport headphones are said to boost athletic performance
#5
Ignore Your Limits
If you’re willing to work hard, conquer your fears, and maybe don some superhero spandex, anything is possible
#6
#7
Always Be Moving
A morning run or evening spin class may feel great, but if the rest of your day involves sitting on your ass, a brief burst does little for your overall well-being.
#8
Get Fat
The diet has quietly become the rage among ultra-endurance athletes and elite soldiers, and it's a surprisingly yummy way to fuel up.
How endurance athlete Patrick Sweeney puts away nearly 3,000 calories a day on the ketone diet
Long shunned by endurance athletes looking to stay lean, the enemy is having a moment
#9
Surrender to the Higher Powers
Want to perform like a pro, even with the years piling up? Nick Heil got the deluxe treatment at Exos, a cutting-edge outfit that works with NFL players and soccer stars. He came out slimmer, stronger, and more focused—the perfect upgrade for anybody, at any age, who plays hard in the outdoors.
Two weeks of full-time, one-on-one instruction at Exos can set you back $4,800. Here’s how to get many of the same performance benefits without taking out a second mortgage.
There’s a reason more and more amateur athletes are turning to professional trainers to retool their workouts: it’s the best way to improve performance.
