Training & Performance
Archive
With winter quickly approaching, we’re getting pretty excited for ski season here at Outside. We caught up with pro skier and trainer Crystal Wright to learn some ski-specific workouts to get in shape for the slopes.
Forget about counting reps in your head. This clever jump rope uses embedded LEDs to project that number in front of you.
We crunched the numbers and consulted the pros to answer the perennial barstool debate
We applaud a new initiative to curate better photos of women athletes, but it also reveals a sad truth: to find one decent photo of a woman running, you have to sift through a sea of skimpy sports bras and sexualized poses.
Two-time gold medalist Ashton Eaton on the importance of focus, running, and coffee.
We emailed the professional badass questions about his life in Jackson, his family, and his greatest achievements
Sarah Piampiano left a high-powered investment banking gig to train for triathlons full time. Five years later, she's a champion. Here's how she did it.
No snow in the forecast? That's no excuse to be lazy.
The metal spires and busy streets of a city pale in comparison to snowy peaks and undulating countryside, but there's something redeeming—dare I say special—about the concrete jungle
Don't let the snow stop you. (CurrexSole) CurrexSole RunPro Insoles If you’re training year-round, you’ve got to take extra care of your feet. RunPro insoles are built from an EVA composite that’s cushy yet responsive, and they come in high, medium, or low arch. Price $50 Buy…
Last week, at the International Triathlon Union’s Grand Final, Jonny Brownlee nearly lost consciousness a quarter-mile from the finish line. This is the most recent example of a trend that seems to plague the sport.
Developing flexibility is just as important as developing strength. Here are the best moves to make you a healthier, more efficient all-around athlete.
With nothing more than his bike, running shoes, and small amount of gear, Joe Grant managed to climb every fourteener in Colorado in record time. Here’s how he pulled it off.
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?
Your mind is also key to recovery
If you’re willing to work hard, conquer your fears, and maybe don some superhero spandex, anything is possible
The key to peak performance: take better care of yourself
These neuron-stimulating Halo Sport headphones are said to boost athletic performance
Move the dial with the power of science
Being fit is about constant movement, and children are in constant motion during playtime at the jungle gym. Why not join their lead?
Alone, these tiny details won't boost performance much. But their sum could mean the difference between a good race and a PR.
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.
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?
Wisdom from the strength and conditioning coach who trains the NFL’s best
When people ask why I love photographing weird sports and games, I tell them I love photographing people having fun. Pretty simple.
Fitness gains don’t occur during workouts, they occur after. Recovering while stressed could throw a serious wrench into your training.
There’s no universal blueprint for treating a concussion. The protocol depends on the individual’s symptoms and medical history, and recovery times vary.
Michael “Biker” Sherlock, a noted downhill skateboarder and street luger who won multiple medals at the X Games and Gravity Games, sustained many head injuries during his career.
When the news broke in May that BMX legend Dave Mirra, who committed suicide in February, had the degenerative brain disease CTE, everything changed in the world of action sports. Cyclists, skiers, and other athletes began asking: are we subject to the same concussion and CTE risks that have been so widely reported in the NFL?
Our organ-by-organ breakdown of what happens inside your body when you push it in the heat
Skepticism about doping is at an all-time high. What, if anything, will save sport? Seven experts weigh in.
Ashton Eaton, criticized for a Team Canada hat, illustrates just how misguided country-centric fandom has become
Forget doping. Behold our ideal athlete, pieced together by the best parts of Olympians present and past.
Better equipment, medicine, and compensation means Olympic athletes can compete well into their thirties—and beyond
By focusing on the controllables, practicing gratitude, and relying on a foundation of physical and mental training.
While Michael Phelps admitted that his expression was unintentional, could it have influenced his gold medal-winning performance?
Everyone experiences pre-event nerves. Here’s how to turn them into an advantage.
An expert look at the most feasible—and nuttiest—submissions
Grayling, Michigan, is a small dot on some maps. The quaint tourist town is best known for its fly-fishing history and for being the epicenter of "up north" in the Midwest. Its other claim to faim: hosting a popular event that claims to be "the world's toughest spectator race."
Is the world’s most dominant triathlete primed for gold?
Natalie Coughlin is focusing on the little things
Meet the inspiring Spartan racers who have overcome massive life obstacles to compete
The sport will return to the 2016 Olympics after nearly a century, and Carlin Isles is the player we can't wait to watch
Physical resilience, mental toughness, and embracing both the highs and lows
After a bumpy year filled with injury, illness, and a ton of ups and downs, Canadian triathlete Kirsten Sweetland has figured out success
'Calm of the Mountains' is a short film from Lululemon about Rio-hopeful Melinda Withrow and her relationship with her dad and the mountains of Polson, Montana
The secret to unlocking your athletic potential is in your genes, but scientists don’t know what they’re telling us—yet
'A Fighting Chance' provides an authentic look into the lives of four Olympic Games hopefuls from diverse countries
Hard work, sleep, meditation, routine, and drawing upon years of wisdom
The creators of a new kind of driving range are betting that loud music, tons of booze, and an addictive point system will make golf cool again
Does an enigmatic European have the secret to ultimate performance? Laird Hamilton and Tim Ferris think so—and research backs them up.
Develop confidence, minimize ego
A ten-summit high-altitude climb in Grand Teton National Park
But first, get comfortable climbing in situations where you might fall
The most rewarding section of the Pacific Crest Trail
The High Fives Foundation is a non-profit that provides resources for and support to the dreams of mountain action sports athletes who have experienced a life-altering injury
Thanks in part to Olympians and a certain reigning NBA MVP, sensory-deprivation tanks are exploding in popularity. Are they the next frontier of mindfulness training for athletes?
Nine-time bouldering national champion Alex Puccio shares her secrets on bouncing back to compete at the GoPro Mountain Games
Tips from the free immersion record-holder on training his body and mind for freediving
You didn’t come to this barbecue to make friends. You came to become cornhole champion. A lifetime of bragging rights is yours with these tips from bona fide lawn game experts.
Last week some of the hardest chargers from around the world descended on Austalia’s Gold Coast for a week of skydiving, racecar driving, and jet-boarding—oh, and learning how to use a camera
We caught up with Jesse Thomas to chat about how he holds it all together and to learn about some of the practices underlying his success both on and off the course
Sorry, that wildly popular New York Times story is not for you
Adventure in sport is a microcosm of the ups and downs you experience in life—here's how to work through it together
Attempting the Hardrock 100 in winter—with avalanche danger, buried trails, no aid stations—is almost unthinkable
Secrets to lasting focus and motivation
A lawsuit reveals the personal spat that brought an end to the iconic endurance event
The pro surfer thrives in inhospitable condition and has garnered respect as one of the best surfers from the Garden State
The art and science behind the best training environments
Highliners have to train their brains to overcome (or at the very least get comfortable with) their innate fear of heights.
Or why you should never, ever stop training
Above All Else is a documentary from director Yali Sharon of Live Unbound that tells the incredible story of professional skydiver Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld. In 1992, Dan boarded a plane for a routine training jump. The plane crashed, killing sixteen of the twenty-two people onboard. Dan awoke from a…
You’ve heard that Kobe Bryant meditates, and that most pro athletes perform their best while in a flow state. But what does that mean, and how do you get there? Three new books attempt to demystify the cloudy world of mindfulness training.
Beautiful vistas and outdoor fun impact your brain in real ways, and the latest research is finally cracking exactly how—which means you're just trails away from becoming a better thinker