Training & Performance
Archive
Crunches and planks won't cut it. If you want to develop real, useful core strength, you need to work harder.
Utah Skier Aaron Rice set out to break a world record for skiing uphill. In December, 2.5 million vertical feet later, he broke it. Along the way, he learned a few things about setting an ambitious goal and staying motivated.
The U.K. government recently recognized parkour as a legitimate sport, and is bringing parks to inner cities, schools, and even senior citizens. Why hasn't the U.S. gotten on board?
Science shows us that working hard to achieve a goal may increase our sense of satisfaction. Plus: how to measure how happy you are.
The unexpected techniques and technologies that military service members and veterans are using to cope with stress and its related disorders
Only an insane person would embark on a seven-day, seven-continent stage race. Then again, there are a lot of crazy runners out there.
An overreliance on technology can make you slower. When it comes to training, it's time to rewind the clock and rely on our more primal instincts.
Think of MuscleSound as a fuel gauge for your body that helps optimize your diet and training plan
How our minds push our bodies to defy expectations, beliefs, and even our own biology—in short, to make miracles
The widely used drug was added to the WADA list of banned substances on January 1, 2016 because of “evidence of its use by athletes with the intention of enhancing performance.”
How to raise an adventure companion who will keep up with you mile after mile
After more than 40 years as an athlete and coach, it pains me to see people latch onto fitness fads, and I want to clear a few things up
Studies have shown that more than half of us abandon our trackers after purchasing. The more effective, low-tech answer to your fitness goals? A friend.
We asked the experts how to diagnose, treat, and prevent running's most frustrating, most common injury
We spent a year picking the brains of the best performers alive about the secrets to their success. Here's what we learned.
Recent studies suggest that walking the webbing may boost balance, speed rehab, and keep your knees injury-free
Matt Stutzman was born without arms. The lessons he learned were hard and sometimes unfair, but his perseverance and drive allowed him to become one of the premier archers on the U.S. team.
Dog Power Movie explores the movement and follows Team USA captain Kale Casey's journey from beginner to pro.
A growing body of research says that giving thanks is beneficial for health and performance
This year’s Dirty Dozen will raise money for Danny Chew, the event’s longtime coordinator and guiding spirit, after a bike accident left him paralyzed
Tracking HRV has emerged as one of the best ways to quantify recovery. But it’s also one of the most misunderstood and misused fitness tools around.
'Wild Women of the Wasatch' is a series that shows women of all backgrounds finding happiness in the mountains.
A new device called Halo Sport promises to improve performance by stimulating your mind. We zapped our brains in the name of science to see if it could really make us faster.
A new generation of runners, skiers, entrepreneurs, activists, surfers, explorers, climbers, and photographers are tackling the biggest challenges on the planet—and they’re succeeding. Introducing 30 individuals—all of them under the age of 30—who are leading the way, starting with alpinist David Lama.
Politics might be the focus of our nation’s capital, but d.c.’s greatest resource is adventure
You have no excuses for first-day noodle legs—these seven easy moves will get your legs back in skiing shape from the comfort of your living room
Are I.V. centers the secret to quicker recovery?
After a knee injury, Johanna Nordblad took to the icy waters of Finland to heal her knee.
French skier Maurice Manificat shares how he eats, sleeps, and trains in order to win races.
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.
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?
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?
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