Training & Performance
Archive
Whether you're trying to qualify for Boston or just see improvement, these principles will get you there
Artificial intelligence is making its way into fitness apps
It’s official: Nike’s Vaporfly shoes improve efficiency by 4 percent. What does that actually mean for racing?
When running four marathons in a row, it helps to enlist a professional for help. I tested a bunch of her advice so you don't have to.
Chance favors the prepared nomad. (Courtesy Outlaw Soaps) Outlaw Soaps PCT Adventure Soap Set ($24) Just like the through-hike it was named for, Outlaw Soaps’ PCT Adventure soap set delivers the intoxicating odors of both the mountains (with a natural pine fragrance) and the high desert (courtesy of sagebrush oil)…
Get your winter workout on. Aret Toura Low Cut Sports Bra ($64) Supporting the pecs, lats, and traps, Aret’s nylon-spandex Toura Low Cut sports bra boosts your strength-training form while wicking sweat. It also doubles as a swim top. Buy Now (Courtesy Yellow WIllow) Yellow…
Get stronger faster with the right post-workout tools. (Courtesy Trigger Point) Trigger Point STK Contour Roller ($30) Nine wheels give the Trigger Point STK Contour roller a range of massaging power. And the main bar is flexible, allowing you to wrap it around spent muscles for better relief and recovery.
The protein and muscle guru Luc van Loon wants you to bulk up—and keep what you've got
Ignore the urge to post a heroic effort and focus instead on the daily grind of steady improvement
It sounds hokey, but it works in the lab—and for the greatest marathoner in the world
Most gyms have more to offer than a big wall
On October 26, Dale “Greybeard” Sanders became the oldest person to thru-hike the nation’s most iconic wilderness trail
It's tough to maintain performance and well-being all the time. When the going gets tough, following these tips can help.
Don't feel bad about your semineurotic prerace protocol. It might be one of the keys to your success.
Laird Hamilton and Gabrielle Reece on eating right, the benefits of breathing exercises, and the importance of believing in what you do
From grippy socks to callused palms, a quest for an exercise silver bullet
As endurance predators, we should be able to catch anything—even one of the world's fastest animals
Comparing 26.2 to shorter distances to see if Eliud Kipchoge was robbed by the weather in Berlin
Exploring the riddles of endurance and adventure, but only after peer review
You might be able to stop them before they even happen
Gear that can keep up, no matter how hard the efforts.
Nine life lessons from the ultra-endurance athlete and self-improvement guru
Consistently add this move to your training regimen to see major upgrades in power, agility, and toughness for outdoor sports
Five exercises that will guarantee you have the strength to adventure all weekend, well into your eighties
What started as a scratch team playing an alternative sport has become a rallying point for a community in Chinle, Arizona
The power couple shares lessons from their extreme approach to training, nutrition, and recovery
Fancy workout studios and alternative fitness methods are having a moment. We determined which ones will truly bring you closer to your goals as an outdoor athlete.
From overcoming cancer to battling PTSD, the following diverse group of men and women have used their personal stories to inspire the world
I spoke with six of my co-competitors about their morning rituals, their love of coffee, and what motivates them to ride thousands and thousands of self-supported miles
Build your way up to the perfect box jump, then try these three progressions for continued results
Sure, it's fun and relaxing—but it can also be a key part of a fitness routine
Uberman, a SoCal ultra-triathlon with a 21-mile swim, a 400-mile bike ride, and a 135-mile run, might be the most demanding challenge of its kind. But in the eyes of its founder, the physical goal is secondary to the mental one.
To start with, long steady rides are a boring waste of time, power meters are both absolutely vital and extraneous bullshit, and you can get faster without training like a lifeless automaton
The 65-year-old swimmer has set 355 world records. And she's still going.
There's a lot of overlap between athletics and work, and the world's best apply the same principles to, say, training for a marathon as they do to building a business
Eric Lagerstrom competed in his first triathlon when he was just 12 years old. He turned pro at age 23, and he’s now a top competitor on the World Triathlon Series. He has also become a skilled videographer and often captures footage during his own races—using GoPros and drones.
At the University of Vermont, mathematicians in the Computational Story Lab are reading your tweets and learning a lot about our collective well-being
It's not just an upper-body exercise. Nail your form, then try these variations to improve your stability and strength from head to toe.
Cycling, running, and obstacle course racing are dominated by white-collar workers. And while disposable income makes competing more feasible, researchers are also starting to discover a psychological pull that draws these people to masochistic events.
From Lululemon, Ebb then Flow is a film that follows surfer and Elite Ambassador for Lululemon, Evan Valiere. Valiere diverts from the uniform recipe for success; training, visualization, flow state, and 10,000 hours to lead to perfection.
Kathrine Switzer on the lessons she's learned after a lifetime of running. Nonrunners, take note.
Simplify your mobility routine
Nail the basic form, then ramp it up with these five creative variations for better, stronger results
Upscale meditation studios are bringing mindfulness to the masses. Are they also diluting the practice?
Dane Tudor is an Australian born freeskier who now resides in big mountain meccas of British Columbia and Alaska. Whether he's chasing freeride lines or tight singletrack, Tudor is always training for something.
What's old is new again. These eight straightforward principles will help you perform your best, no newfangled hacks required.
The focus-demanding sport could affect the brain more deeply than we know
It's the most grueling competition in the world, and it takes a massive toll on riders' bodies
Where triathletes can find the best online guidance
Three explosive drills for better race-day performance
To take your skills next level, you'll likely need a little coaching. Turn to these instructional vlogs for expert techniques, advice on how to improve quickly and effectively, and pro-approved training plans.
And how to avoid them
And what you can do to avoid them
You're dreading workouts, easy days aren't easy, and other signs that you're spending too much time on the trails
The line between being undertrained and perfectly fit is thin. Here's how to ensure that you don't end up on the wrong side.
Streamline your endurance-training data for less stress and better results
Your mental checklist to decide if you really need to take a rest day or if you’re better off just toughing it out
The best endurance athletes push their minds and bodies as far as humanly possible—a practice that might not actually be good for them
One man's quest to treat the matrimonial ceremony as what it is: the greatest endurance event of your life
One move is all it takes for a strength-building workout that also leaves you breathless
Despite the chronic doping scandals, the sport still has a lot to teach us about fitness
This skill doesn't just belong in gymnastics competitions. Use it to clear obstacles on the trail and move deftly around nature's roadblocks.
Elite competitors have long practiced meditation and mindfulness. But neuroscience shows that it’s the true believers who are finding that higher gear—through prayer.
The hardest part about your athletic pursuits may be building a long-term relationship with them
Beau Kittredge is fittest athlete you’ve never heard of. Here’s what a day in his life looks like.
After decades of being thought of as a pseudo-sport for longhairs, ultimate Frisbee is attracting elite athletes who are landing professional contracts. The hero of this new breed is Beau Kittredge, who looks like an NFL wide receiver, sprints like an Olympian, and jumps like Jordan.
Master this basic move to build a strong core and stabilize your movement
Mastering ground movement—crawling, rolling, and standing—is a vitally important, often overlooked aspect of becoming a well-rounded, injury-free mountain athlete
The well-known exercise physiology expert likes to keep it simple
Cory Richards and Adrian Ballinger summited the highest mountain in the world last month—Ballinger without supplemental oxygen. Here's how they trained their minds and bodies to accomplish one of mountaineering's most difficult feats.
Yelling at the right moment has been linked to boosts in power and pain tolerance
From rafting trips to big-wall climbs, here's how to do it just about anywhere outdoors
The hive mind weighs in on what to buy
The best performers in the world share a few key habits, and a new book helps you implement them
Nail this move to create a solid base for your endurance feats
This summer in Bermuda, the Australian-born sailor will lead Oracle Team USA’s bid to retain the oldest trophy in international sports. The 37-year-old’s secret to staying on top? Stepping away from the boat.
Last year, Kim Ciolli, a longtime fixture in Texas cycling, got busted for doping. Her case is evidence of the fact that maybe the anti-doping system for older athletes—and especially for women—is broken.